SpinTunes 18 Final Round: One-Two Punch

[Jim of Seattle]

Stuff I quoted just so I could tag Jim...

Hey Jim, I saw in the live chat on the listening party that my music reminds you of Margo Guryan, so I looked her up today and I fricking love this album so much! Thank you!

Everyone else, do yourself a favour:
https://songwhip.com/margo-guryan/take-a-picture

Oh that's awesome! Yeah, she's terrific. That album is pretty much all she did afaik. Do you hear the resemblance?

[Jim of Seattle]

Belated defense of my having NOT cheated in the two chord rule, based on what I heard in the podcast.

I knew that putting the F in the bass on the dm7 chord could make it an Fmaj chord, which is why I painstakingly make sure there was a D also in the chord any time the F was the bass note! Which makes it not an Fmaj chord, but a dm7 chord in first inversion. And I believe that makes it not a cheat.

As for the polychord discussed, I also thought people might balk at that. What that was was a dm7 chord and a G7 chord on top of each other. There was nothing in the rules that said you couldn't sound the two chords together at the same time.

I realize I came in dead last in this last round, but I want it hereby known that I absolutely tried not to break the rule!

I'm also very pleasantly surprised to hear it mentioned that the song works better with the lyrics in there. I certainly didn't expect that reaction. I was suuuuper insecure about those vocals. The female singer is my wife, who is not a trained singer at all. The vocal parts were written for her limited musical abilities.

Personal note: This was also the final piece produced using Cakewalk, after over 30 years using it exclusively. Over the weekend I made the switch to a new DAW (Studio One). Farewell Cakewalk!

[Jim of Seattle]

Here are my reviews, in no particular order. Really enjoyed this spintunes competition and I'm intrigued to see who will be crowned the champion.

Jim of Seattle - Variations on an End

The scenario that played around in my head whilst listening was a piano with the 2 singers either side having a mini argument. Not really saying anything that is useful (which in most cases is what an argument is). I imagined as it went into the instrumental the singers turned away not having resolved whatever conflict they were having this argument about. Throughout the tune I imagined some kind of café lounge and when the western bit came in that threw me and I felt it was out of place of the setting I had just built up in my head. I also felt the instrumental was a bit too long for my taste. The scenario continued to play out in my head when the characters appear to resolve there indifferences as the song reaches its finale.

Hmmmm. That "western" tune in the middle was, in my movie-in-the-head, one of the two people leaving and feeling this sense of freedom that they were out of this relationship, but then the original tune creeps back in and his sense of relief is short-lived. For a time I was thinking about actually preceding that middle tune with a slamming door followed by traffic sounds, to make the scene clearer, but chickened out, (plus I'd used the sound effects card with the Snorkeling song already). Would that have made it clearer? Worth it?

[crumpart]

Stuff I quoted just so I could tag Jim...

Hey Jim, I saw in the live chat on the listening party that my music reminds you of Margo Guryan, so I looked her up today and I fricking love this album so much! Thank you!

Everyone else, do yourself a favour:
https://songwhip.com/margo-guryan/take-a-picture

Oh that's awesome! Yeah, she's terrific. That album is pretty much all she did afaik. Do you hear the resemblance?

Oh, for sure. The doubling, the obsession with The Beach Boys ‘Pet Sounds’, the jazz influence.

When I was looking her up I found out she died just a couple of weeks ago. Vale, Margo Guryan.

[gizo]

Sure it's probably not the right thread but really I don't want to create a new one just to say to anyone who's not on the Discord that I finally finished my cover and Micah was kind enough to add it to the Bonus Round album.

So, if you were wondering what you were going to listen to next - maybe try this.

[DutchWidows]

So, if you were wondering what you were going to listen to next - maybe try this.

Excellent version - loved the sung chords.

I've really enjoyed the bonus covers round, both recording and listening. It's so interesting to hear what people do with the songs and it feels like a mini collaboration where someone is bringing something different to the party. I've always preferred writing with others, or at least I have done historically in bands - I've not tried it via any of these song fight or FAWM type scenarios. I find it's a good way to lift me out of lazy habits or get me somewhere my natural tendencies would block.

[Jim of Seattle]

I've really enjoyed the bonus covers round, both recording and listening. It's so interesting to hear what people do with the songs and it feels like a mini collaboration where someone is bringing something different to the party. I've always preferred writing with others, or at least I have done historically in bands - I've not tried it via any of these song fight or FAWM type scenarios. I find it's a good way to lift me out of lazy habits or get me somewhere my natural tendencies would block.

Thank you again btw for your Snorkeling cover! As I said in the YouTube chat, I was driving and you caused me to pull over. So much fun.