Tribute to a fallen friend

[75lespaul]

I wrote this song in 1983 or 1984 when a boy I knew was killed in a car accident. He wasn't a close friend, but he was a friend and we both had the same exact Les Paul. The day I found out what happened I was very broken up and my mom showed me this poem in Reader's Digest. I immediately wrote this song after reading it, and it's still unchanged from the lyrics that just flowed out, beginning to end in one shot as did the music. I was nineteen when I wrote this and I believe Jay was sixteen or seventeen when he died.

Here's a link to the song called "Soon Be Together" I recorded this on my Boss BR864 8-track in 2004, and the freaking drums took nearly a week to program, lol. The guitars are a Line 6 pod, and I don't think they sound good, but that's the breaks. A lot of bouncing took place and I lost a lot of clarity, but here's my one and only recording of this song. My old band Forever used to end the shows with this song in the 80s.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=652921&songID=10261919

Here's a link to the poem that inspired the song. I borrowed the first few lines because they just fit so well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_not_stand_at_my_grave_and_weep

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Great stuff!!

Has a real NWOBHM vibe. The progression reminds me a lot of one of my favourite bands, Elixir. Particularly the song Pandora's Box.

 

[Bass_Medic_05]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

That way awesome, nicely done......

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Great stuff!!

Has a real NWOBHM vibe. The progression reminds me a lot of one of my favourite bands, Elixir. Particularly the song Pandora's Box.

Thanks, man. I'm 47, so I was a kid during that period and I was heavily influenced by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon etc besides my all time influences of Boston, Led Zeppelin and Rush. But again, I love it all.

That way awesome, nicely done......

Thank you, I appreciate that brother.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

wow, powerful and heartfelt. killer guitar work, dig the vocal overlays.

has a riot (inishmore is the only album I have of theirs) feel with the harmony vox.

I like a lot of the drum fills/bridges.

would be killer live I'm sure!!

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

wow, powerful and heartfelt. killer guitar work, dig the vocal overlays.

has a riot (inishmore is the only album I have of theirs) feel with the harmony vox.

I like a lot of the drum fills/bridges.

would be killer live I'm sure!!

Guys, I'm pretty humbled and I really appreciate your responses. DankStar, that reminds me; I actually tried to copy what our drummer did from a live recording we made at a club. Now I realized that I did fib a bit, because I still do have that recording from 1985, but the wow and flutter is so bad now you can't even listen to it. It just sounds like it's pulsing in and out. Oooh, I would crank up my JCM800 for this one, lol.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

were the drums in the unit, or did you have a separate drum machine? I like the snare.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

They're part of the recorder. Very usable and not that bad to program.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

They're part of the recorder. Very usable and not that bad to program.

interesting - makes sense since boss/roland made some killer drum machines.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Killer, man. Really great stuff.

 

[macki]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Great song - thanks for sharing it....

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Thank you everyone. I'm hoping to do a much better recording in the future on this song. I'm not happy with the sound of the guitars OR my voice. I do like the way the backing vocals came out though, lol. Thanks again.

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Thank you everyone. I'm hoping to do a much better recording in the future on this song. I'm not happy with the sound of the guitars OR my voice. I do like the way the backing vocals came out though, lol. Thanks again.

Another great song/track. It's all drums and Vocals though. I can hardly hear the guitars, which is a pity because it's good guitar.

A lot of people here mix their tracks like they were doing a " live mix ".
All drums and Vocals up front. Sorry that's for " live " it doesn't work very well on " studio tracks ". They're two completely different types of mixes.:wave:

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Another great song/track. It's all drums and Vocals though. I can hardly hear the guitars, which is a pity because it's good guitar.

A lot of people here mix their tracks like they were doing a " live mix ".
All drums and Vocals up front. Sorry that's for " live " it doesn't work very well on " studio tracks ". They're two completely different types of mixes.:wave:

I also have a tendency to try and record, mix, master, all in five minutes. Gotta give the ears time to rest. Many a time I've listened to a final mix thinking it's great, only to hear it again a few days later and it stinks, lol. However, nothing would have saved this. After all the bouncing, the guitars just sounded like the blob you hear here. If I brought them up in the mix, or the other things down, the guitars sounded even worse. It's too bad because on the original takes, they sounded pretty crisp and good.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Dig this...
And finally have the time to sit down and hear it as well, it is good stuff for sure!

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Wow man, awesome stuff, very John Norumsque, the early Europe stuff, with a bit of YJM's marching out ... I wish I played like this when i was 19 ....

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Dig this...
And finally have the time to sit down and hear it as well, it is good stuff for sure!

Niels, means a lot to me coming from you man. Thank you.

Wow man, awesome stuff, very John Norumsque, the early Europe stuff, with a bit of YJM's marching out ... I wish I played like this when i was 19 ....

I was a fan of Europe for a bit in the 80s and I love YJM, so thank you. I can't hold a CANDLE to either one of those guys and I'm honored that you would even mention me in the same sentence as them. The only time I'm even in the same room as them is when I pay to get in, lol.

 

[innerdreamrecords.co]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Holy crap you had some chops at 19! What happened? LOL J/K Good job man.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Tribute to a fallen friend

Holy crap you had some chops at 19! What happened? LOL J/K Good job man.

Too much masturbation I guess. That's what my wife says. :laughing:

Actually I recorded this when I was 40. I wrote it when I was nineteen, but I play it now just like I did then.