Hi Barry

Good to hear from you and thank you very much for your comments. I always like reading your views on my productions. So rewarding to have one's work appreciated.

Well I think by now you know my game plan with all of this. Keep it simple and let the vocal shine. It's an ongoing challenge every time I put a track together and I always find it challenging to achieve that goal. In this particular case Farisha's vocal is amazing and requires a very sympathetic treatment. Glad you liked the end result.

All good with me. Chester getting colder but off the New Zealand and Australia next February for a couple months and enjoy some winter sunshine. What a life eh?

Best regards

Richie

Hey Benjizo

Thank you so much for stopping by and posting comments. I really appreciate it. Farisha is a real talent and I'm just so glad we all have access to such quality vocal acapellas. Glad you liked the treatment I gave it too. Thank you.

Best

Richie

Hi Scott

Many thanks for posting comments. It's always good to hear your view of my productions so thanks for that. I agree with you on all the fuss that's been made about using tools. I remember when I first started playing guitar there were no electronic tuners (1962!) but now I use one without thinking about it and wouldn't have it any other way.

Glad you liked the track.

Best

Richie

Hi M

Thank you so much for the kind words. Much appreciated so thanks for taking the time to listen and post. Yes wouldn't it be nice to hear your own stuff on the radio. How good would that be? Glad you have picked up on the clarity of the mix as I do try very hard to produce "clean" recordings that allow the listener to hear everything that is going on.

"A professional piece" is praise indeed. Thank you.

Best

Richie

Hey SN

Just love the way your very keen ear and eloquent writing makes a critical analysis of the track. Such a great read.

Firstly I'm glad you found the track interesting. That's good. I love putting drum fills in (it's my favourite instrument) so nice of you to pick up on that. Surprising solos is my trademark. The track needed some contrast and I tried all kind of things before settling on an acoustic guitar solo (albeit played on an electric). Pleased you don't have a problem with the rimshot instead of the brush hitting the snare. I guess if you had produced this song the outcome would have been quite different. As it is the aim was not to swamp the vocal or let anything get in it's way. I have actually mixed this without any percussion whatsoever. Sounds great!

My funky bass was a bit of a surprise to me if I'm honest. I only have one slap lick I can do on the bass and it seemed to fit nicely. Bonus! Yes you are absolutely correct I could have given the track a completely different identity with a funkier slap bass and heavier drums. The risk is destroying the integrity of the vocal and as I wasn't in a position to put Farisha back into the vocal booth and ask for a slightly more aggressive approach I had to work with what I had.

Always happy to hear thoughts and comments so thank you very much for taking the time to put together a detailed appraisal. Much appreciated.

Best

Richie

Hi Eighteen

Well I'm just so pleased your random clicking brought you to my track! Glad you enjoyed it and thank you very much for the kind words. Much appreciated. Nice to know I am still capable of grabbing someones attention and your comments on the production, music and vocals are very rewarding. Thank you.

Best

Richie

Hello Leverett

Thank you so much for your comments. I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by, listen and post them. Elegant and smooth are very rewarding so thank you very much.

Best

Richie

Hi. Yes I thought for a minute that my track review page had turned into a forum posting!!! Ah well it's good when Loopers have a point to make and do it regardless. You have to applaud the passion I guess. That said I'm very much with you on this and don't see what all the fuss is about.

A "weak drumkit" you think? Hmmmm! Not sure I agree but my goal was not to swamp the vocal. I wanted something playing sixteens on the hi hat but using sticks it just didn't sound right. I don't have the Roots and Sticks pack so thanks for the pointer - I will check it out.

Glad you think it's a fine track which is a great compliment. Thank you.

Richie

Hey Chris

Thanks for stopping by. Always a pleasure to read your comments - they are much appreciated. Yup, I had to be so gentle with one as there was so much in the vocal (it was all on one stereo track too!) and I'm so pleased the way it turned out. Thanks for the comments on the drums, bass and guitar too. It doesn't sound an awful lot in there but it took ages!

Thanks again.

Best

Richie

Hi Wayne

Good to hear from you. I hope all is well.

Thank you very much for your kind words. It is rewarding when I get comments that make is all worth while and "superb, clean and clear" are just knockout. Thank you. Glad you liked the solo too.

Best

Richie

Hi Anders

Many thanks for stopping by and posting comments. I really appreciate it. Particularly like your views on the bass, drums and piano and the guitar. So rewarding to have comments like this. Thank you.

Richie

Hey TonyRay

Many thanks. Pleased you enjoyed it.

Richie

Hey Samer

Thank you very much for posting comments. Really appreciated.

It's so rewarding to have such nice things said about my work. What knocks me out particularly is the "simple and soft". Thank you. I really try my best to let the vocal shine and not put anything on the track this isn't required.

Thanks again.

Richie

Hi Alex

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and post comments. Really appreciate it. Glad you like the production and you have a real insight into the way I intended it to be. Yes, I like the vocal to take centre stage and try very hard not to ever swamp it with anything that take away from a fine vocal performance.

"Smooth" and "groovy" are compliments indeed. Thank you.

Richie

Hi

Thank you so much for your comments. I am really pleased you liked the track and the way it was put together.

Cheers

Richie

Hi FR

Good to see you here. Thank you so much for your comments. Much appreciated.

As far as making dollars from music is concerned all I can say is my overnight success continues unabated! It began in 1964 with my first band and not much has really changed in the intervening years! I still love playing live, writing, recording and producing. I'm just very rewarded when I get comments like yours. Thank you.

Richie

Cool! Glad you liked the music.

Hi Steve

Thanks for the comments and the links. If you have read the other comments posted here you will have noticed I appear to have opened a can of worms with the auto tune thing!! Thanks for your support. Glad yo liked the track.

Richie

Hi Domenico

Thank you so much for taking the time to post your comments. Much appreciated.

I like the "understated" view very much and just about sums up my approach to all of this. I guess my view is "little is more" and sometimes it's what you leave out that is important. Thank you too for the comment on the solo. Again you hit the nail on the head as providing some contrast was indeed the purpose of it. You have a good insight into how I work I think!!

OK I am all auto tuned out so glad you found the overall track enjoyable.

Regards

Richie

Hi to you ZeeHipHop

Thank you so much for your comments. I really appreciate it and thank you also for not mentioning auto tune!! If I have produced anything near to a "best track" I am extremely proud. Thank you so much.

Richie

Hi Dave

Great to hear from you. Hope all is well.

I have to agree with your view on the autotune. I think it works well on the track and doesn't detract from Farisha's performance at all (or the timbre of her voice for that matter). I just feel privileged to have an acapella of this quality to work with and hope I have done it some justice.

It took me several attempts over a three day period to find something I could live with on the solo. My acoustic sounded too bright, a synth part just didn't sound right and a jazzy electric patch with the Godin was awful. I switched to the piezos and used a patch from Logic and finally something to work with. I am not unhappy with the way it turned out.

I am simply knocked out with your comments on the production and arrangement. Thank you.

Richie

Hi SH

So good of you to listen and post comments. I do appreciate it.

Yeah, a bit jazzy is cool and it was that kind of laid back understated feel I wanted on the track. Having a voice tuned to the moon is infinitely better than having it tuned to Uranus!!

Thanks again

Richie

Hi

Many thanks for the comments. Very much appreciate it. I found it challenging finding an arrangement that would compliment the vocal (there is so much going on with it!!) and hope I have succeeded in some small way.

I can't resist putting a guitar solo on. Hope it adds some colour to the track and gives the vocal some contrast.

Thanks again.

Richie

Bonsoir Dan

Ce est si bon de vous revoir ici. Vous nous avez manqué! Merci beaucoup pour vos paroles très aimables - ils sont très appréciés. Je suis heureux de vous aimez cette chanson avec Farisha. Elle est un tel talent merveilleux.

Je espère que nous voyons plus les uns des autres bientôt. Peut-être une collaboration?

Richie

Hey Danke

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I just love your "tasty attitude" comment so thank you for that. I try to be as tasteful and understated as I possibly can and hope whatever I do makes the vocal into a song. Glad you liked the instrumentation and mix too. Very rewarding to have you pick up on that.

Thanks again.

Richie

Hi Ed

Always good to read your comments and thanks for taking the time to listen and write some very kind words. Yup, as we have discussed many times before allowing the vocals to shine and only be supported by understated playing and production is always the goal. I hope I've done the vocal some justice here.

Thanks again - much appreciated.

Richie