Face

apb

Genre: MuzaK

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Description

Simply a re-attempt at the previous post http://www.macjams.com/song/20284 using JP4 instruments and the odd loop.

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Lyrics

Funny 'ain't it?-,
A face without words,
Comment on it's content,
Or what is meant.

Of happiness - nothing said,
'Cos I know,
A smiles wiped clean away,
Leaving dirty thoughts behind.

Eyes speaking truth,
Which is seldom seen-

Weighted with sorrows,
Black in desperation,
Heavy though surpressed tears,
That roll on embarrassed skin,
Should they prevail.

Song Stats

Hits: 3472
Comments: 31
Fans: 9
Plays: 142
Downloads: 126
Votes: 4
Uploaded: Dec 26, 2007 - 12:35:07 PM
Last Updated: Dec 26, 2007 - 02:28:08 PM Last Played: Mar 19, 2019 - 10:03:26 AM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Song Actions

Hardware:

Intel Mac mini 1.66Ghz, 2GB RAM
Yamaha APX-8A acoustic guitar

Software:

GB v3
Jam Pack 4, Orchestral,
Ozone 3.

Comments

Feter	Feter said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	Face What a genuine melody .very charming orchestration thnx alot for sharin it ...! Check out my latest song called Roll with it

apb	apb said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	Thanks Feter glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the support. Check out my latest song called Stowaway

	said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	Kinda sad tone in the melody... Almost made me want to start singing, "Feelings, wo-wo-wo...." but that would certainly most probably bring you more or less to tears. :-\| Sounds great to me, I do like the melody. . - Harold

apb	apb said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	Glad... .. the sadder tone is coming across. Previous version turned out a bit perky and the sounds were a bit naff IMHO, I've always wanted to give it a go again with JP4 just to see/experiment. Feelings? LOL .. for the benefit of those may have missed this gem that brings me to tears every time I hear it: 'Feelings ' sung by Les Dawson Check out my latest song called Stowaway

	said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	very cool... ...usage of some strings. it does bring to mind a familiar melody, though, i am not sure what. regardless, this is pretty cool!

apb	apb said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	Thanks Jason .. that familiarity might be the general muzak, mall/supermarket quality this has. It's really an acoustic/rock/pop song - but was done like this as an experiment - funny how it picks up that 'musak' quality. Fun playing with JP4. Check out my latest song called Stowaway

dajama	dajama said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	Nice melody although I would have to agree with Rocha Malhada that there is something subtly sad about it, despite the apparent cheerfulness of the notes. I'll go back and listen to the original. I would be intrigued to hear it with lyrics. Nice one. Peace. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

apb

apb said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)

Nothing wrong with..
agreeing with Harold lol. I'm pleased the sadder 'while my string section gently weeps' thing is coming across...it
was abit lost in translation in the previous version- which I see you liked better -ah well, can't win 'em all ..lol :o)

Actually, in true musak fashion the singing melody is represented/present-lead vocal is the main string part that doesn't stop and some of the harmony strings are the harm. backing vox.

I'll get round to the 'normal' version in due course.

Thanks for the feedback and also checking out the previous version.

Check out my latest song called Stowaway

VicDiesel	VicDiesel said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	10 thousand strings Is 99 percent of a good piece of muzak. Now, haven't I heard this tune before? Yesterday in the supermarket, maybe? Check out my latest song called Ten minutes

apb

apb said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)

I hope
.. not! They never asked me!! lol .. oh, I see what you mean..
hmm, yaas .. it's still very much got that 'muzak' thing about it ..
a result of it not being written first for orchestration, one of these days I'll get round to the simple. D, Bm, C, G, D .. A, G, A, G, D acoustic version, promise.

For now, I was just playing 'throw JP4 at something' and
see what happens.

Thanks for stopping in Vic.

Check out my latest song called Stowaway

ktb	ktb said 4162 days ago (December 26th, 2007)
	nicely done It does have a resonant familiar theme to it. But it is hard to place. Nice soundin strings and well written. Sounded like you have some tympani or some thunder in there in places :-) Check out my latest song called Blackwater (by Tokai)

apb

apb said 4161 days ago (December 27th, 2007)

Thanks ktb
.. familiar quality is good, makes it catchy and easily remembered- I'm the some of all music that I have been exposed to ultimately. I hope someone ventures some tunes/melodies they hear in it- as I don't want to be copying/lifting, purely accidental if it transpires it's very like something else.

Yes, that a few timpani loops- helps shift the mood from
the perkier "funny 'ain't it" 'verse' to the darker, introspective "comment" on the 'face'.

Other instruments used: strings, cello, french horns, bassoon, tuba, upright bass, and glockenspeil.

One synth: standard "Aurora bell" was used to.

Check out my latest song called Stowaway

echoroom	echoroom said 4161 days ago (December 27th, 2007)
	Great tune o think 'muzak' is a bit unkind - this has a lovely kinda festive melody, quite emotional in parts. Nice work steve Check out my latest song called Light Sleeper

apb	apb said 4161 days ago (December 27th, 2007)
	Thanks Steve .. .. wasn't really meant to be festive truth be told ..unless the 'face' is unhappy about what they got for xmas :o) .. and they don't appear to have a "bargain bucket" genre yet lol .. thanks for the fanship too, very kind, appreciate it. Check out my latest song called Stowaway

Heightened	Heightened said 4161 days ago (December 27th, 2007)
	Very original melody. And put together superbly. Check out my latest song called Caldari

apb	apb said 4143 days ago (January 14th, 2008)
	Thanks .. I hope it is .. some hear it as very familiar ..makes me wonder if I have subliminally lifted something in it .. lol. Check out my latest song called Stowaway

Estella

Estella said 4160 days ago (December 27th, 2007)

Hmm...
I liked this when I first heard it, and here's my unsolicited opinion:

Try this as the acoustic rock you intended it to be, but keep some of those strings, and the little chime sounds that were so prominent in the original version (is it the glockenspiel?) I loved those in the original version of this! And boy, I want to get myself a glock!

Anyway, wouldn't that be a lovely incarnation of this? See what you think...

This, however, is a very worthwhile experiment. A well-orchestrated composition. Very relaxing in a tender, sad way that is very human.

Check out my latest song called Insomnia

apb

apb said 4160 days ago (December 28th, 2007)

:o)
.. now you tell me! lol .. I do love the glockenspiel part .. nicer sound too from JP4 (I always thought glockenspiel was the wooden one and xylophone was the metal one?? .. and a glock was a type of gun .. lol)

I did agree with Cam's comment on the previous version that
(at least for an orchestration) it was a bit much to have Patrick Moore on 'lead' xylophone throughout, thus opted to use it more sparingly in this version, as per his suggestion.

I like your suggestion for sure, I had come round to a similar conclusion myself lol (see reply on previous version), great minds eh? lol- that some merging might be fun to try, the way to go.

This was primarily a JP4 make-over experiment (first time using JP4) and I'm glad some more of the tender sadness is peeking through as a result .. the previous version didn't get that across so well.

Check out my latest song called Stowaway

Peter Bauckham	Peter Bauckham said 4160 days ago (December 28th, 2007)
	Nice piece... not sure that i'd call it 'muzak'... I think Estellie has some great suggestions - very melodic - like it! Peter Check out my latest song called Reality TV MJRF2010

apb	apb said 4142 days ago (January 15th, 2008)
	Thanks Peter .. glad you enjoyed this, I need an "Easy listening" genre ;o) Check out my latest song called Stowaway

DWL

DWL said 4160 days ago (December 28th, 2007)

Easy listening?
perhaps but with the strings the jam pack gives you it's hard to avoid. Using the percussion does introduce an element of menace though.

I guess I'd think about adding some dissonance under those parts and just shift it away from the central tonality now and again.

Having said all that, I like the innocence of this and it's put together very well.

Cheers

Dick

Check out my latest song called I'm Right, You're Wrong (with Hickling-Stan)

apb

apb said 4158 days ago (December 30th, 2007)

Thanks DWL
.. good suggestion with the dissonance .. I'll try that on next re-visit .. I think I can tweak the JP4 instruments midi (pencil tools 'oot!) and settings a little more to get a little improvement.. but I was having too much fun to get bogged down too much with that this time round. Yeah, 'Easy listening' .. that would have been good .. nope .. no such genre category, just checked... ah well, 'muzak' it'll have to be for now.

Check out my latest song called Stowaway

BranDaMan	BranDaMan said 4160 days ago (December 28th, 2007)
	good! this song is quite full of emotion with just a sprinkle of sadness. Very genuine and true song here. Great work with those strings. Check out my latest song called Giving Up (Instrumental)

apb

apb said 4146 days ago (January 11th, 2008)

Thanks ..
I'm just pleased that is coming across :o) .. like the lyrics, the music is to start in a casual light hearted, conversational "funny 'ain't it" way .. and then quickly contrast the "funny" line with stating happiness is not the topic and wittle away outer impressions and dig a little deeper .. smiles being deceiving and focusing on eyes: as they speak a truth that is seldom seen and skin showing embarrassment for leaked sorrow etc, etc.

It's a cheery/sad attempt in the vain of "tears of a clown" I suppose. :o)

Check out my latest song called Stowaway

	said 4142 days ago (January 15th, 2008)
	Wow! Thats pretty cool Alan! It has a "movie soundtrack" quality to it. The mix is huge. Nice and loud but not distorted at all. I like it the way it is personally. Sounds perfect.

Enrique Gil	Enrique Gil said 4138 days ago (January 18th, 2008)
	Hello there Very nicely done...the familiar tune of the first 5 notes reminds me of the Coca Cola song...it sounds otherwise very original. I really enjoyed it. Check out my latest song called Simple Feelings

	said 4111 days ago (February 15th, 2008)
	Wow Good chords in this song.... I like the strings you play... Sounds terrific.... Thumbs up....

saymme	saymme said 4110 days ago (February 16th, 2008)
	.. this is a FAV....BEAUTIFUL....

	said 4067 days ago (March 30th, 2008)
	Simply beautiful. awsome work of art here my freind. overwhelmed with the beauty of this great creation. You are so talented my freind. Peace Dee.

Warren Smith

Warren Smith said 4014 days ago (May 22nd, 2008)

sweet piece
I didn't even realize there was a genre called "Muzak" here at Macjams until I came across this tune ... let alone to think one would sit down and write something for that specific category : >

But I see there are about a dozen entries there - so, obviously, I haven't been paying attention.

This sweet piece, while saccharine, retains a little too much character to be called elevator mood music or restaurant background ambience. Just orchestrating the melody is not enough - you also need to completely drain it of personality - and I think a little too much of yours is shining through.

I am suggesting this is a good thing.

I think it is interesting, and challenging, to try to orchestrate some of our pieces we'd normally render with guitar ... especially when GarageBand gives us those instruments to use. We can get so locked into developing our material in set ways. When we take a "classical" approach, it forces us - or allows us - to look at structure differently ... as well as finding new ways to express emotion.

To me this piece is structurally well-defined. At times strings may sound a little heavy-handed, yet there are also nuanced variations within the delivery which convey moments of emotion, both sweet and bittersweet.

I would think you would like to pursue these orchestrated experiments further.

Check out my latest song called I'll Be On My Way

apb

apb said 4013 days ago (May 23rd, 2008)

Thanks Warren

..glad you enjoyed this experiment... and I'll take the chance to thank also Pickquick Records, Enrique Gil, Lightman, saymme and Dee1962z for their comments and faving.

woodguy had been dominating this genre ;o) .. so I thought I'd give it a go hehe.. kidding! .. it wasn't purposely written for this genre .. it was just remarked that it did have some of that 'quality' being like you say a deliberately orchestrated 'guitar song'. I had this as a .mid file from around 1993 .. and had to clean it up a little (even for the first GB instrument version I posted).

I hear ya on the heavy handed strings .. combo of inexperience with JP4 (learning), the limited touch sensitivity of an old Kawai K1 (that the original midi was laid down with) and my limited keyboard skills. I'm glad you saw the principle and idea I was trying .. but not really trying (truth be told) to really make it completely devoid of personality ... like good elevator/shopping mall musak should be .. but enough of that quality to sit in this genre I thought ;o).

I do like trying out new things .. and this (well in 1993) was a 'new' thing to try - now it was literally just throw JP4 at something... I do plan to re-do it but in it's true form: as an acoustic guitar piece with vocals... this experiment has served it's purpose for me I feel.

Thanks for the feedback- appreciate it.

Check out my latest song called Stowaway

Fan List

Artist Info

Name: Alan
Location: Sweden

My bio APB is my initials and although I'm from Scotland originally and do music, I have nothing else to do with APB (the band) just so you know. I have been fortunate to have been interviewed by Tobin Mueller for the MacJams Mu... [see more]

Check out some of my other songs:

Genre Info

While the term Muzak is the trademarked name of the transmission system, it soon became associated with the music being played. Research had determined the appropriate music to play over the system, as it had been observed that certain music would in

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