**Update - It's Only Make Believe (Featuring Robby/bandontherun19 on vocals)

LOL! Good times! Thanks for the opportunity to contribute on this one Mark :-) I really enjoyed it. It's out of the box for me? But I'm a big time Conway fan... And Your performance and mix on this one (in my book?) superb...  (does that Italian fingers together kissing them and then the poof where they come apart?)

Hey Mark, nice job on this you're really starting to get this stuff down now brother. Two little things if I may...just subjective, not super important.

1. I think your bass guitar can come up just a bit. It IS audible, I just think we can hear a bit more of it. Frequencies seems fine on it and it gels with the kick drum really good from what I can tell.

2. I'd probably use a bit less of a percussive snare on this. I'm all for poppy, punchy snares with good transient attacks...but in this song, I would have definitely went for something a little more subtle and darker sounding. The rim shots at times seem a bit too intense...like the dude playing is using basball bat sticks to make the sound. LOL! Again, just subjective...but part of the mixing field is all about sound selection.

There's times where we rock the world with good sounds...other times, it's the better option to allow something to take a bit of a back seat. My reason for saying this? In this particular example, you have a song that in my opinion doesn't need an abrasive snare taking your attention away from the vocal or the music that is backing it. I sort of felt that way hearing this forceful rim/snare coming in. The other side of the coin, it gives it more of a modern type sound to it which is good, but the rest of the stuff you have going on in the mix has that older type vibe to it. So it sort of goes against the grain when you have that, and then this modern sounding, transient topping snare come out of nowhere. Make sense at all? Just an observation though man...nothing to be alarmed about or anything. :)

Guitar tones and playing were total sweetness. Right amount of warmth in those tones...to die for bro. Strings and stuff were really good too and no sibs on the vocals. It all sounds really well done to me. Keep up the great work! :)

-Danny

This song is special to me having done it live more times than Conway.

The drums seemed fumbly at the beginning, and technically it was good, but it doesn't float my boat.

I love it.  Lead vocal EQ is off a little, as it does not sound present.  Almost like it was sung too far from the mike.  I get the mono reverb for the lead vocal but maybe it could be expanded a little?  The arrangement is right on.  Good job.  I would try to make is sound like the old recordings too.  Needs less mids and more bottom and air at the top IMO.  

Rimshot

Scott - Thanks for the listen and comment. 
 
Danny - I will use these suggestions and take another crack at it tomorrow night.   Appreciate you taking the time to explain your view in detail.  I will boost the bass a little bit, it is a little buried in the bottom end.  In this song I actually used the EZDrummer Pop Kit whereas I normally use one of the Superior kits that are less processed so I need to back off on the EQ a bit.  Glad you like the guitar tones, this song actually started with bass, piano, drums and two guitars but after I got the vocal tracks I decided it needed a bit more sophistication so added the strings and some random saxes here and there.  Thanks again for the suggestions.
 
Bub - Thanks for the listen Bub.  I was going for a fumbly intro actually:) I wanted it to sound like a live group trying to get synchronized.
 
Rimshot - Thanks for the listen, I am going to boost the bottom end with the next mix, will have to see how that affects the vocals and may need to add a little more presence as you mention.
 
Whittaker - Thanks

Well done.  This is not an easy song to cover, but you guys nailed it.  The minor tweaks mentioned above don't distract from the soulfulness of this rendition.  Spruce it up if you feel the need, but kudos anyway.

Great job Mark.  You must have made the changes suggested above because it all sounds good to me.  That is a really sweet guitar break that you have going there.  This person bandontherun --- well, he did a terrific job on the lead vocal and the BGV's are absoflippinlutely great.
Nice one!!!
 
Freddy J

drums are a little sloppy in the intro. Nice job by Mr. Robbay. I thought the guit solo needs some work. didn't seem to be part of the song. I would think just playing the melody would work better. Also seemed like the drums got more in the pocket volume wise after a minute or so. I guess they were a little loud at the onset. All that's nitpickin cause I liked it bunches (well except for the sloppy drum intro stuff)

Guitarhacker

oh the times I have played this tune for a bunch of drunk rednecks.....

If they were still 'dancing' then you'd have to slip in to Lost in The 50's Tonight or maybe Silhouettes. :)

I really miss those days.

Herb - thanks for the comment.   Glad you liked it.  Speaking of drunks, I played the guitar solo drunk;)
 
Lynn - Thanks for that.  It is pretty tough vocally for sure.   By the 6th measure of the first verse it is out of my range.   Made a few of the tweaks though.  Hopefully for the better...
 
Freddy - Thanks for the listen, actually I hadn't yet made the updates until now so hope you will have another run through.  So glad you liked it, I really enjoyed your last post as well.
 
Tim - thanks fo the comment.  I was going for a sloppy intro, it was actually supposed to be a quasi live sound.  Regarding the guitar solo, see the first comment above;)   Anyway, glad you liked it overall...
 
Daryl - Thanks, spent some time on that orchestration.  I actually recorded the guitar parts quite some time ago and finally decided to finsih the thing.   Regarding the guitar solo, see first comment above;)
 
So made a few changes to the current mix based on earlier comments (I just heard about the guitar solo so that is the same, sorry).  Replaced the EZ Drummer snare with a mellower Superior Custom and Vintage snare, added some more bass, added some stereo width, brightened the LVOX just a tad. 
Regards

This is killer... wow...
Robby's BGV's are outstanding... Love the guitar solo...
only thing I'd do is make the snare bigger and wetter...
Great work guys...

bandontherun19


:-) Thanks Frank-oh Oh OH!!! YES! YES! YES!!! Sorry, I had a Meg Ryan in the diner moment? 

lol! You know? those background vocals were a real "Hillary Clinton..." If you know what I mean? And I think you do...

I'm really glad you enjoyed them :-)

ya know, (well, you don't, but) my buddy was in that meg ryan scene. ya... really. uh huh. yep.
Anyway, what's a Hillary Clinton moment. And, just wonderin, is that supposed to be 'An' Hillary Clinton moment.

"I can turn a bit more verb" 


Don't be afraid of the wetness! Go in to the wetness Mark!


We can put you in the wetness protection program? :-)


Wetter is better... Once you go wet? You never go? Wait, that doesn't rhyme. :-( 

 I belive that she? (Debbie was a man) is an even bigger "C word" than the Hill Dog? And by C word? Of course, I mean "Candidate..."  What else could I mean? :-) It's never what I say? It's always the way it's taken...

I wore my powder blue leisure suit when I sang it.