December Composition Challenge

[lurksalot]

December is all about Covers again, and as we finalised our November tunes, we may as well raise the December challenge.

 

It maybe 4 days early to post a festive image, but hey, I'm a risk taker!!

 

 

 not drain covers,  No not motor bike covers, Not even duvet covers 

 

Yes, its song/tune covers just like last December ,

This can be a piece of work that you have done during THIS year , so  the entry is open a little further afield to those that normally join the fun .

As happens all the time, I knew this was coming all year (as I suspect many others did ) but I still don't know what to do just yet.

 

Simple rules 

✔️ Entries must be <5 minutes and recorded this year.

X No illegal samples, copyright infringements or other snide goings-on

X Bagpipes. please no bagpipes, the ears cant take it, panpipes only if you have too.

X No voting for your own entry. We'll know. And we'll shame you..

 

Deadline wise , we will go for  midnight on  Christmas Day 👍, though you probably have till my head is together on the 26th.

 

I might extend the voting a day or so depending on the entry count.

 

Go get inspired, play it straight or mangle something up but mostly have some fun

 

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by lurksalot

[Nicko]

My computer is packed up awaiting a move so I squeezed this in at the back end of last month.  I'm leaving London, so wanted to do something that reminds me of the big smoke. What better than 2 minutes and 47 seconds of late 70s modfather.  I think this song is criminally underrated but shows just how to write a great song with only 3 chords.  

 

 

Its a fairly straight cover, although I think the B fill has fewer notes when Foxton plays it, I use palm muting on the guitar from the 2nd verse to fill it out a bit and I simply lack the ability to make my vocals sound angry.  I struggled to recreate the feedback at the end of the solo where Weller uses the pickup toggle switch to cut the sustain in and out so it's actually a second track with as much gain as I could muster to drive the feedback. 

 

As usual it recorded in Cubase using a Fender Tele and Squier PB through Amplitube.  Drums are MT Power drums, but that doesn't have a cowbell of hand clap so they are from Xpand!2.

[lurksalot]

Fair play , entries already 👍

 

I shall choose a picture just after Christmas and will start up the January thread a bit early so that we have something to get stuck into over the holiday period if that sounds agreeable.

 

[Leonard Smalls]

I'm just mixing a cover my band recorded recently for our upcoming album... Does that count?

Or as a more leftfield question, can I submit a cover I've done of one of my band's songs even though I've used the existing vocals? 

[lurksalot]

Option 1 I reckon is the way to go in the spirit of this month.

Im still trying to find inspiration 😂

[MoonBassAlpha]

I'm working on one, roping in a couple of old friends for some remote collaboration. Hope my piano player comes through,  he likes the song,  but has limited time as he's writing a musical on commission ....

[Dad3353]

Here is my contribution to the December 2022 Basschat Composition Challenge, illustrated with a picture chosen by the Master of Ceremonies: Lurksalot.
A staple of our repertoire, I've cut out a little of the intro build-up, to keep to the time constraints.
This is, in fact, a practice track for me, when the lads are not available. I need the signals from the vocal lines and guitar stuff, so I made this with MIDI instruments to play along to, using my e-kit and Superior Drummer 3. In fact two drum tracks are triggered, as I wanted to try thickening up the toms. Well it works for me, so...
Thanks for listening, if you already have; if you're about to, enjoy, and Merry Christmas to one and all.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by Dad3353

[Nail Soup]

On 27/11/2022 at 11:57, lurksalot said:

 

I might extend the voting a day or so depending on the entry count.

Aah, the old Fergie-time eh?

[lurksalot]

 

checks bagpipe rules this month….

 

drat

 

I may have to edit the rules

 

 

or just ignore that little fun line , yeah, it’s just for fun 

 

 

 

 

you ain’t seen me , and if you

think you did , it wasn’t me 

 

[Dad3353]

Rules..? There are rules..? 

 

 

Bring it on, lad; bring it on. 

[Nail Soup]

I had a song in mind to cover all year but it never worked out. So I thought I would not be able to enter... but inspiration has struck, and I have track most of the way there 🙂

 

[lurksalot]

I am a good way in , but struggling to get the main riff right ….when it needs to be right 😁

while it will be my ‘take’ on it, I can’t really argue that the abysmal playing is deliberate. 
I am not good enough to emulate Les Dawson 😂

[upside downer]

1 hour ago, lurksalot said:

I am a good way in , but struggling to get the main riff right ….when it needs to be right 😁

 

I'm two-thirds through mine with an 'approximation' of the main riff but it's quite an obscure tune so I think I'll get away with it (though @Nail Soup will know it 😁) 

[SH73]

I recorded all the instruments, I just need to attempt to sing then hopefully done on time. 

Edited December 23, 2022 by SH73
.

[FacStudio]

 

 

Biffy 'F**king' Clyro - Tiny Indoor Fireworks - Bass by me and other elements of the track a mixture of guitar, Midi and keys.

 

Sandberg - Grand Dark (Orange Limited - 35" Scale).  Into Neve RNDI and then UA Ampeg SVT

 

The inspiration behind this is my love of Biffy.  During lockdown, this song was a regular on my playlist and I just love the bass part and thought, I must learn it, record it.  Although I took it one step further, got the midi files for the drums and other parts and went to work producing what became a labour of love.  The Bass part was well rehearsed and played in one take (after many attempts) but I didn't want to cut and edit the part.  I completed it 2-weeks ago so the timing of this comp is freakishly funny. 

 

My interface is the RME ADI-2 Pro and i used the Neve RNDI into the RME and then through Universal Audio's SVT.  I used my Sandberg Grand Dark.  One of the 40 limited Orange versions from 2019. 

 

Other basses I own.

Fender Ultra Precision (Mocha Burst)

Sandberg 47 Hardcore Relic

Sandberg TT4 Masterpiece

Sandberg VM4 Hardcor Relic

Sandberg Panther Special (Bocote top).

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by FacStudio

[Leonard Smalls]

Here's a little something my band recorded live (but in a studio!) back in October and mixed by me.

It's our one and only cover, and it's Penetration's debut single (and minor hit) "Don't Dictate" from 1977... There's also a sly nod to Cameo's "Word Up"!

 

Recorded live at AR Studios with no click track. Sequencers added to manual tempo map, as well as doubling up on bass tracks. Guitar (Strat) is through a Marshall somethingorother, mixed with Bias FX and some plate delay. Vox split, phased and tube distorted, with a touch of Raum. Drums have bass drum and phased snare added to mixed drum stem, and Raph's bass is a Cort through Sans Amp, my bass is a Wal Custom through Helix LT. All rolled in a spot of Ozone 9...

[MoonBassAlpha]

Entry for the Basschat December 2022 cover song challenge.
As suggested by my friend Rob for an occasional get-together we have with another school friend Paul (we used to jam together and did a couple of gigs). The parts were subsequently recorded remotely, and mixed by me.
Rob did the main vocals and 3 backing vocals, Paul provided the Rhodes, grand piano and Hammond tracks and I did the bass (Mustang) acoustic parlour guitar, drums and the main backing vocals.

 

Gear: Mustang p-j bass, Gretsch Renown drums, Art and Lutherie Ami parlour guitar with old strings, Eggz shaker! Recorded in Reaper using stock plugs

[MoonBassAlpha]

On 08/12/2022 at 22:44, Dad3353 said:

Here is my contribution to the December 2022 Basschat Composition Challenge, illustrated with a picture chosen by the Master of Ceremonies: Lurksalot.
A staple of our repertoire, I've cut out a little of the intro build-up, to keep to the time constraints.
This is, in fact, a practice track for me, when the lads are not available. I need the signals from the vocal lines and guitar stuff, so I made this with MIDI instruments to play along to, using my e-kit and Superior Drummer 3. In fact two drum tracks are triggered, as I wanted to try thickening up the toms. Well it works for me, so...
Thanks for listening, if you already have; if you're about to, enjoy, and Merry Christmas to one and all.

 

Quite moody, like a Harry Palmer film soundtrack, nice. Can't but help thinking there's something missing though...

 

 

[Nail Soup]

I'm in - As I mentioned, the song I have planned all year didn't pan out - but a last-minute choice emerged just in time!

 

Blurb:

I was stuck for a song, until this popped into my head - originally just to perform at a local acoustic session. It's old favourite of John Peel. It got a lot of JP plays at the time, but not sure it made much traction outside of his show. But it's stayed with me over the years anyway!

Tech stuff:

DAW: Studio One, Bass: Vantage Avenger, Guitar: Vox Standard 25, Keys: Studio One basic keys via MPK Mini controller, Vox: Sure SM58

 

[lurksalot]

mine is sooo boring , I had some ideas but ran out of both time and skill 

 

Mainly played on a midi keyboard and built the main parts up as a backing type track , with guitars over it 

Edited December 23, 2022 by lurksalot

[lurksalot]

On 18/12/2022 at 12:50, Leonard Smalls said:

Here's a little something my band recorded live (but in a studio!) back in October and mixed by me.

It's our one and only cover, and it's Penetration's debut single (and minor hit) "Don't Dictate" from 1977... There's also a sly nod to Cameo's "Word Up"!

 

Recorded live at AR Studios with no click track. Sequencers added to manual tempo map, as well as doubling up on bass tracks. Guitar (Strat) is through a Marshall somethingorother, mixed with Bias FX and some plate delay. Vox split, phased and tube distorted, with a touch of Raum. Drums have bass drum and phased snare added to mixed drum stem, and Raph's bass is a Cort through Sans Amp, my bass is a Wal Custom through Helix LT. All rolled in a spot of Ozone 9...

I seem to recall it was a bit faster than that last time I heard you play it 

[Leonard Smalls]

14 hours ago, lurksalot said:

it was a bit faster than that last time I heard you play it 

That must've been the time our drummer was suffering from Russian Roulette flatulence!

[SH73]

Here is my contribution. Drums are Ez Drums, the rest is played and recorded by me. Guitars played with Squier tele into A/B switch. A signal into into Ibanez TS9, Marshall, microphone cheap Behringer. B signal into Focusrite via Amplitube. Two guitars take, hard right , hard left. Live guitar and Amplitube blended to thicken up the sound.

Cry baby pedal used during solo. Also , added Acoustic guitar for colour, guitar 1 standard tuning, guitar 2 Nashville tuning.

 

 

Bass , Squier p bass into Fender Rumble recorded with AKG mic.

Attempted singing recorded with SM58, heavily mixed, I used voice correction (it didn`t help haha)

mixed and mastered in Ableton 

 

 

[upside downer]

Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg...

 

Here's mine. It's a cover of Every Man's An Island by Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart from the acclaimed 1991 album Rising Above Bedlam. Wobble's a prolific recording artist and has done countless collaborations down the years. I've always loved this track and it has the added bonus of a spoken word vocal which suits both me and your ears, no doubt. There's also a female spoken part on it so Mrs UD stepped up to the plate (and the microphone) and did a sterling job.

 

Drums are both MT Drums and Hydrogen drums, keys and other sounds are from the Yamaha YPT-240 keyboard, bass is a Vester Catalina, used both a Necarman electro saz and acoustic saz for that middle eastern vibe and utilised a Behringer tube overdrive pedal and a Vivlex delay pedal for effects. All recorded using Wavepad, Audacity and Ableton.

 

The picture was taken before a gig by Mr Wobble and chums at Nottingham Rescue Rooms in 2020. Don't worry, it filled up handsomely, I just got there ridiculously early.

 

Merry Christmas, y'all 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by upside downer

[lurksalot]

the voting thread is now open , top work all , great skills on display again