Whatever's On Your Mind-Original

Attempt at arranging a horn section here.  Yeah, I know you're going to be tempted to say the horns sound fake, but I did the best I could.  I worked hard on the arrangement so not withstanding the fake sounds I hope you'll at least like the arrangement.  Also using my "soul voice" which some people have said sounds better then when I try to sing straight.
 
Enjoy, if you can.  I know my stuff sucks big time compared to some others on this forum.
https://johnbowen.bandcamp.com/track/whatevers-on-your-mind
 
John B.

Do not put yourself down John at least you are trying, this works for me fake horns or not.

You might like to have a read on this series of article's from Sound on Sound about arranging for Brass this part 1 from 2015, links to the other part 2,3,4 are at the end of the article.

Thanks Daryl, Wook & Freddy.  I appreciate your comments on the song and the horns.  I was contemplating posting this for several months but resisted because I'm so tired of having to apologize for my string and horn work.  What ticks me off is that most of the time they don't even comment on the arrangement.  They go right to how they sound fake and how much of a shame that is.  Some people have made me feel as if I have no right to even post a song with horns or string arrangements because it's some kind of sin that they don't sound real.  I'm just one guy.  I can't afford to pay real players and I'm just doing this for fun.  I've been trying for years to learn how to manipulate MIDI notes for realistic sounding instruments and I gave up long ago.  Not much on the the internet that you don't have to pay hundreds of dollars for just to learn.  I can't afford  equipment like a wind controller or a keyboard that can accept one.  I've given up on it and I appreciate people who can just use their imaginations and have the decency not to rub it in. 
 
People tell me that the biggest problem is the lack of attack on the horns and I agree with that. I use Garritan Jazz & Big Band and they are not too big on attack in their samples.  It's as if they didn't build attack into them.  There has to be an attack on a trumpet or sax or trombone for them to sound real, I agree.  I can't build into a program what's not there, but I try.  Believe me.  I try!
 

bjornpdx
Hey John
Well I thought the horns sounded decent. I've had comments about my expensive string library sounding pretty fake when I thought they sounded great.
Anyway, I like your song. It reminds me of Steely Dan because the arrangement is kind of tricky or maybe sophisticated is a better word. I had to listen a couple of times to appreciate what you did there. Very nice.

Yeah.  I admit it's kinda busy, but that's the way Steely Dan tends to do things and they're one of the biggest influences on me.  From what I've been gathering over the past several years, it's extremely rare that somebody is able to convince listeners that MIDI performances from sample libraries are real.  I guess it comes down to a combination of a rare talent in that specific area along with expensive (professional) samples and equipment.  Something people in our relatively limited income area will probably never see.  I think even Hans Zimmer ultimately has to have a real orchestra do the finished work on his film scores.  That may be a good thing in that there is still work for real musicians.
 
JB

Wayfarer
You've got some of the best music in this forum, and your vocal is getting better all the time. This was the best I've ever heard it. I thought the horns were very convincing most of the time. The only thing I might reconsider is that Accordion solo at 2:41. It was a good solo, but I'm not sure an accordion is a good fit with the other instrumentation you've got going on. If that was a midi track, you might horse around with a few other instruments in there and see what it sounds like. Maybe a trombone?
 
Bill

Thanks Bill.  The "accordion" is supposed to be a tenor sax duet, but I can see how it could be mistaken for an accordion.  The vocals I used my "soul voice".  It's something I've used in a handful of my tunes.  Got the idea from Billy Joel.
JB

Lynn
......... there are many programs that blur the distinction between real and fake.  Any way, your hard work is paying off.

If you have the $$$$$$$ to pay for them. Or if you can afford several hundred dollars for a wind controller plus a keyboard controller that can accept them. I have many songs where I use horn & string VSTIs, but I hesitate to post them because I hate to hear the comments that the horns or strings sound fake.  Yeah, it may be obvious but it's like rubbing it in.  What good does it do to point it out?  It only hurts.  Very often they don't comment on the arrangement which I work very hard on.  Just the "the horns sound a bit fake" or "it would be nice if that was a real sax".  It hurts.  I can't do anything about it, so I stopped posting them.
 
Anyway, Thanks, Lynn!
JB

emeraldsoul
 
If I can venture outside the music and give you an overall song comment? I think in spots, you may have too many words going on. Lyrically it's quite dense with a lot of syllables coming at the listener in a short period of time. I have no real right to critique your word choices, as that's the personal expression of your idea here. But as a listener I was struggling a bit - the music wants to groove, and does! But in spots it's like the words were requiring a lot of attention to parse, and so the grooviness is not supported by the cadence of the lyrics.
 
For example, in the area :40 to  :55   it's like you are singing a busy horn line. It's a good horn line, though! Also 2:20 - 2:35 ish.
 
 
Just .02 from some hack in his mind palace.  :)
 
 

No worries, ES, and thanks for your feedback.  I guess at times I was getting carried away by the groove on those spots.
 
JB

Level 42, Steely Dan, Billy Joel-esque you're in good company.
 
I thought the horns sounded good.
 
Thanks for sharing.
 
Good Job!
 
paul

Mark, Paul & Doug-Thanks so much for taking the time to listen.
 
John B.