Backing Tracks
What are backing tracks, you ask? Well, they are the instrumental part of a song, the basis for adding vocals onto later. It's a brand new extension of my MIDI experiments!
You see, it all started in the winter of 1996-97 when I visted some friends in Canada. One of them, a great chap named Dave, plays guitar. Well, inspired by the freezing air around me, I joined forces with him and came up with a song called It's Cold Out There, a typically generic country-type song about bars and arguing with the wife etc etc etc. Dave and I had a lot of fun throwing this together, and everyone up there has a hoot over it as well. :)
Well, I decided a few months ago to take that song and some others I threw together, and write down the music in MIDI. With the help of ANOTHER friend, a good ol' country boy named Ricky, I would put 'em on tape..and then sing over them! The result...HOMEMADE DEMO TAPES!!! OOH YEAH!!!
The project is now finished...until I write some new material. Recently my younger brother went up to Canada, where it all begin. So I made him a tape of all the songs so far, with me 'singing' to them. I've asked him to send me a copy (I was to busy to make one of my own). Hope my friends like 'em...and stay my friends, too! ;)
All you gotta do is click on the song title, and you can hear it while reading the often-corny lyrics. Yep, lyric writing isn't my strong point either. This is all just in good fun, with perfection being a minor concern. :) The MIDI music itself, of course, is the best part of the project IMHO.
Here goes...
It's Cold Out There
The one that started it all. Written in a country mood, though I've chosen the most rockin' guitars I could. Just wait until you see the words... :)
Source of Comfort
The second Canada song. I took the title from an expression of my dad's: "A source of comfort to me during the winter." From there Dave and I made it a slow hurtin'-type song. I think this MIDI version may be a bit too lush, but it's a different song that required a different touch. I'm not much of a ballad singer, but I gave it my best.
Bring the Harvest Home
Before I moved out to Austin, I was staying with some family friends out in the country. Wheat harvest was just beginning, and I sometimes would help my good buddy Richard's dad with it...what little I could without hurting myself. :) Taking the experience, I threw images of the time into a simple melody. What started as a simple chant became this bouncy little number. And as a historical note, THIS is the first backing track I wrote of this set!
Rain Showers
Also from the harvest experience. The spring and summer in 1997 was much wetter than usual for Texas. Rain is good...as long as it's not too much and doesn't interfere with your work. I imagined a bitter farmer and made up this little rain-rain-go-away piece. It's now 1998...and until recently it's been dry as a bone. Color me embarassed...
Love Games
I guess I'm not much of a romantic. :) This song was thrown together for my friends' amusement at...should I say where...? *cough hack church camp wheeze* ;) Anyways, it's amazing how much falling into and out of love can happen in one week's time, and I wrote this funny little observation. And no, I'm not naming any names because I want to KEEP my friends. :) As a matter of fact, the lyrics are generic so that they apply to teens everywhere now.
Rowdy
I've thown this one together as a tribute to my good buddy Richard...THE country boy. Wait till HE sees the lyrics, exaggeration extraordinare. :) Best of all, my voice doesn't ruin it THAT much...
Hye Nighttime Blues
Hye is the teensy little Texas town where the aforementioned church camp takes place. Even though it IS church camp, kids can...and will...act up. I wrote this grungy little blues number after one particularly memorable night. And there will be certain of my church friends -- participants of course -- who will most likely string me up for doing so...even though once again I didn't use names! But I sang it in good spirits anyways...croaky voice notwithstanding. :)
HillBilly's Gotta Hit the Books NEW!!!
Here it is...the first post-demo song. I've had this title in mind ever since I was going to college myself, but when both Ricky and Richard (see Rowdy :) decided to go themselves, I just had to write this ode to culture shock ;). Nice little melody with the guitar lick, and funny, down-to-earth lyrics (IMHO, that is...)
As before, a wavetable sound card or softsynth will get the most out of these tracks. Ricky and I used WinGroove for our experiment; its guitars sound best IMHO.
So click on 'em to give a listen (or right-click, shift-click, whatever works on your browser to save) and let me know how you liked it!
All music on this page (c) 1997 by Seth Brown.
Back Up...
This page hosted by
Get your own Free Home Page