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Julian Wilson / Blog

New Mix of 'One Day' (version 2)

Paul Dunn has finished a new mix of 'One Day' sung by John MaCauley. The older version has also been moved right to the bottom of the player. It took me a few listens to realise that in this new mix, Paul has made the build up slower and the Hammond Organ really causes greater dynamics throughout the song - Especially when the drums kick in. Best listened to with the cans on to hear the sbtle differences.

thanks for listening! Jules

Within' months...

Full albums coming within months! My cowriters who are far better at recording than me are committed to make it happen very much sooner than later. 14 years of work is about to suddenly explode onto Amazon methinks... lol

The Biggest Event...

Hi Everyone,

Things are coming together very well now. After all these years of writing and co writing, most of my co writers are now capapble of recording and mastering to a high level and the others are not very far behind.

That's the biggest significant event in my songwriting history - because from here on in EVERYTHING we do will be ready to put to radio.

Songwriting (if you are planning to try and make a living from it) is a very hard road to follow. It starts off really easy if you are a prolific - but writing the songs is the EASY part!

You start off with hardly any gear - maybe a guitar and a cassette recorder and stumble forward from there. These days computer based recording is a lot easier quality wise but it's still a great struggle.

We have some great songs coming up soon now - I hope you will stick around to hear the climax of around 14 years struggle.

If I don't make a penny it will still have been worth it working with the co writers I now work with.

I'll let you know when the next song is in!

Cheers, and thanks once again fro your continued support!

Jules

All The Way Down The Line

Hi everybody,

Just put up a co write with (and performed by) Ken Lintern from 13 Music Productions.

It made a track on this Optimum Records CD for Kevin King Music. Put the cans on and wind it up! lol Thanks for your continuing support! Jules

http://www.amazon.co.uk/COUNTRY-GOLD-Volume-1-Compilation/dp/B0082W4H84

Shocking stuff...

Shocking stuff...

Last night I went sea fishing in the Mersey and I was following the Sat Nav to find what was to me a new fishing venue. As I was approaching a set of lights, a police car came past with sirens flashing and sped in the direction I was going. In the next few minutes about another 10 or so police cars did the same... Anyhow, I kept driving to the fishing spot and they were all there, one stopped and then the rest sped off sirens blazing. I waited till it had all died down as I was thinking it was a murder of a drugs bust. Turns out a woman was in the river calling for help - and had just been swept downstream by the strong current that was flowing about 70 yards out. They'd obviously sped off to catch her at the next spot further down the river. I can't seem to find out if they saved her or not - but I couldn't have got into the river (I was a lifeguard when I was younger) because it's about a 20 feet drop from the promenade and the water wasn't high enough to break my fall if I had jumped in. The river is very cold as well. As it was dark I wouldn't have had much chance of finding her or get back out of the Mersey as the wall continues a long way along the river. I hope they managed to save her but I think it's unlikely they did. I do know this, the Merseyside Police tried as hard as they could and I hope they were successful. J

'Band Members"

I used to have a list of people who have helped me and cowrote some of these demo songs and now RN have altered the 'Band members' thing so they are not apparent and now somebody somewhere will think I am not grateful for their help which I truly am. All I can do is re list them and hope I don't miss anybody out! John MacAuley Paul Dunn Ken Lintern. John Finlay Simon Rushby Johnny Hoeve Jayson Jackson Keeley Cheswick Stuart Ryan Keith Howard Guy Rogers Dan Clarke Another good guy at Mid Cheshire College Mick Philips Claire Thorpe The drummer on 'If You Were Here'

Almost all of these songs on my site can be considered demos and the people mentioned above now have far superior versions of their own works coming along and already recorded. Jules LET ME KNOW IF I HAVE MISSED YOU OUT! It's not egotism, you deserve to be credited/blamed as much as me! lol

'Corner Brook Girl'

My friend Mick Philips added the vocals to this Corner Brook Girl demo. I'm figuring on writing a complete Country Folk album that can be played with just one guitar and a singer. I am sick of all the creational roadblocks involving production and stuff, so I am just going to ignore them unless I am working on specific projects with others that require it. This way I can just keep writing. If people cover my original songs or they don't - I'm still going to generate a massive back catalogue with Micks help - and maybe someone will pick up on it somewhere. This song is dedicated to my good friends Ford and Wanda Whalen in Gander Newfoundland. It's really about observing Fords love for his wife who was born in 'Corner Brook'. They put my family up gratis for 3 weeks refusing all offers of money from us. Of course, we left some hidden in his house when we left, but what great people they truly are. Newfoundlanders really know what true hospitality and love mean. I'm gettin' soppy in my old age! lol Jules

Agh!

Agh! I am suffering sinus problems. They effect my ability to listen to my own guitar playing and make me feel so uninspired. Anybody else have theses problems? Time for the towel over the head and hot kettle steam... It's really frustrating when you feel like writing and you just can't make it happen. Jules

Back to Basics!

I've finally found the way to avoid all those recording and techno issues thanks to my last holiday in Newfoundland..... A friend of mine was kind enough to let me borrow an old acoustic guitar when I was there for 3 weeks, and that forced me into writing a fingerstyle song called 'Corner Brook Girl' that has turned out pretty well (In my opinion anyway). My mate Mick Philips set up the studio with his great sounding old Gibson acoustic today, and I just played the song straight through on one take! - What a lovely tone it gives! This means I could keep the feel of the song right, and not get tied down using drum loops etc.. Mick is going to add his vocals and harmonies to the song and that will be that! My total recording time was less than an hour, including setting things up! I am now going to hopefully record a whole lot more songs with Mick and dump the poor quality 'sketch' recordings I have on Reverbnation one by one - and maybe have a CD with Mick finished at the end of it. I guess I have come full circle - I am back to doing what I do best, just writing basic songs and not worrying about getting covers or anything else. Nice feeling! In fact, the best feeling about my music I have had in a long time - very satisfying. Jules

I'd like your advice!

Throughout my recording and writing experience, I have generally been short of a full time vocalist. I could have written and recorded many hundreds more songs by now, but the question is... Should I continue to 'roughcut' my own vocals, knowing them to be vastly inferior to the result I would like - or carry on with them? The aim of most writers (myself included) is to get original albums out there - but if you can't find a vocalist who has the same determination, stickability and drive to get there, the whole process is a nightmare. Why? Because you may get a few songs well recorded, but when you have to swap vocalists (or it's 'album out of window') you will have to re record everything you did before as the new singer almost certainly wants the songs in a different key than the original! Since I generally work in audio that's a LOT more work. I am finally at the stage where I am starting to do far better recordings of my own solo work (you will not be hearing anymore 'roughcuts' demos) but the problem remains. Apart from recording all my songs with my own rough voice, I can't really see a way forward unless I produce a 'Songwriter Album' with many different vocalists - but that's not what I want to do. Offers of help and advice would be well appreciated. Thanks, Jules