A brand spanking new arrangement and recording of The Wicker Man is now on myspace. A few of you had asked me to put it back up, but I thought the original recording was too crappy so I have given it a proper arrangement and a brand new recording.

www.myspace.com/josephrichards

cool
I love it
much better than my attempts at songwriting
wish i could get time in a recording studio
i love Eternal love aswell
keep making music!

Thanks IP, glad you liked them.

It wasn't recorded in a recording studio though, just my home studio, and its me playing and singing everything.

quote:

It wasn't recorded in a recording studio though, just my home studio

Ok well change what i said about wanting to get time in a recording studio to I wish i could afford stuff to make a home studio
im thinking about getting a real recording microphone someday
do you play the violins and stuff or do you use a keyboard kinda thing

The strings are from a mellotron:

but I do play violin and viola as well as double bass.

New movie coming up Camus, with Nicholas Cage? Is this a remake? Heard anything about it?

The Wicker Man is one of our favourite Camus songs. It's always popular at our home May Day celebrations... Not everyone leaves...

Might play it at Christmas then.

Return of the Wicker Man.

Must admit when i read "new arrangement", i was half expecting a kind of "wicky wicky wild wild wick" style remix by Puffy Wicky or Wick Daddy.

Sounding Wicked Camus. The backwards bits are sounding very atmospheric. Love the mellotron touches in this. Very haunting.

Cheers guys, always appreciate the feedback.

hk - yeah it's a remake set on an island off the coast of the US. I haven't seen it, but I can't see how it could top the original.

Seany - I think we may have to have a wicky wicky wild wild wick version for Christmas

Holy cow that Mellotron looks awesome! It's got the homey ambience of a kitchen appliance. What a cool looking unit!

I must never have taken a good look at one of those before. I love that.

My work computer has no sound, I'll need to give a listen to the song from home.

Heard it - that's a good song! I particularly like the "ooooohhhh" parts leading into the chorus, and the clicky percussion bits. Overall, a nice balance between being guitar-driven and piano driven.

Very spooky and rich sounding. Nice track Joe!
I also had another listen to "The Colour Out Of Space"... still my fave.

Thankgs Mr Sadly and Ross.

The Wicker Man just got me a gig.

quote:

Originally posted by Camus:
The Wicker Man just got me a gig.

Do tell!!

Hey Joe, what is that clicking sound in the background that sounds like someone using a stapler? Just curious!

I love it, of course. I have been in love with this song since the first time I heard it. But, as good as this version is, you're going to think I'm an idiot, but I prefer the original. For some reason the original just affected me more, it gave me chills.

Don't bother checking out the Nick Cage version of the movie. I saw it one night on late night tv and it's lame. They change the plot a bit by making the town a coven of women using men for their needs and then getting rid of them.

Great job on this version though, Joe. The arrangement is beautiful.

And do tell us about the gig!

quote:

you're going to think I'm an idiot, but I prefer the original.

Not at all Tracy, sometimes demos have a more powerful effect than the finished version. I much prefer the latest one though, I was never satisfied with the original, it never quite captured the song for me.

The sound your referring to is a triphop drum loop. I quite like the clicking sounds, it reminds me of snapping wicker The main reason I used it though is the 'breathing' sound that is part of the same loop.

Gig is at the Brisbane Hotel in Hobart Tasmania 21/08/08 9:00pm. They listened to my songs on myspace and were impressed enough to offer me a gig.

The mellotron in the photo above unfortunately isn't mine or the one I use. I use Esoundz excellent Squids' Tron sample set. Some of the chamberlin sounds on it are sampled from Neil Finn's chamberlin. It's the same set (according to the creator) that Mr Finn and Crowded House use on stage (bit of trivia there).

Its a wharking awesome song, period.

I'm with Tracey on the original demo, but okay, I'll use, new ears and take this onboard.

I'll have to transfer it to cd, to blare out the house for full effect.

That's a great song, Joe (and a classic movie, of course!)

quote:

Originally posted by Camus:
Gig is at the Brisbane Hotel in Hobart Tasmania 21/08/08 9:00pm. They listened to my songs on myspace and were impressed enough to offer me a gig.

Do you have other musicians with you? Or are you a one-man band in person as well?

Originally I was going to do it solo, just me and piano, but it's a pain to move an 88 key keyboard. So my brother is going to play guitar, so it'll be me on acoustic and singing and my brother playing various parts etc on guitar and singing harmony.

I just arranged The Colour Out of Space for two guitars, works surprisingly well.