Mixing it like it's the 80's, due Sunday

[johnlewitt]

Hi All,

Here's a tune I'm working on for the listing below.

First off, do you think it's on target? If so, what, if anything, should I do to make the mix sound more eighties-ish?

https://soundcloud.com/john-lewitt/next-thing-you-know

Thanks for listening.

John

1980’s SOUNDING POP SONGS with Male or Female Vocals are needed by the Music Supervisor of an upcoming Documentary about a legendary Music Industry Executive. Please submit well-structured Songs in All-Tempos that were either recorded in the ‘80s, or simply sound like they could have been on a playlist from the era with acts like Wham!, Madonna, Boy George, Cyndi Lauper, etc., etc., etc. Please listen to the following references to get a general idea of the throwback vibe they need:

“Everything She Wants” by Wham!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf_Lwe6p-Cg

“Like a Prayer” by Madonna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fzeNUqQbQ

“Everything I Own” by Boy George: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xth0Ud8GTpg

“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQY7BusJNU

Quoting the source: “We want Pop with an ‘80s sound and feel that can take the audience back to the era. Songs with electronic percussion and keyboard synthesizers would work really well. We love the general feel of ‘Everything She Wants’ by Wham!, which is a perfect example of the ‘80s sound and vibe.”

Give them original songs that have an authentic 1980’s sound, with all the appeal of the hit songs of the era. Your vocals should be well performed from start to finish, with a solid delivery that believably sounds like a real ‘80s artist. Lyric themes can vary, but should be clean, and universal in nature. Please avoid specific references to names, dates, times, and brands.

[billhullett]

John....
Maybe pumping 8th notes lo end on a guitar with chorus (the fX....not as in a song chorus) also I think your kick drum needs an eight note accent as opposed to the sixteenth note that you are now using...(like a heart beat) .maybe listen to some Men At Work or Police and get into that mix vibe.....Wishing you a big ole forward!!
Bill Hullett

[andygabrys]

agree with Bill - those two things would help.

thought this might be close for a mix ref - feeling how bright the track is, where stuff is placed etc. good luck!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64je1QF3V9k

[Kolstad]

I agree with the guys, but also thought you were pretty close to the Wham reference.
The mix was pretty heavy in the low mids dept. so you're losing clarity. Try dip everything 3db but the kick and the bass at 400hz to solve that.

[johnlewitt]

Thanks everyone! I've uploaded a new mix.

Bill, I changed the kick pattern, as suggested. I hear what you're saying on the guitar part but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Andy, that Cars track is a good reference - I hadn't noticed the sonic similarities before. I've tried to brighten things up a bit. I'm not sure if I've gone too far, so I've got to sleep on it.

Kolstad, I've adjusted the lows accordingly, hopefully to good effect. Again I've got to sleep on it I guess.

John

[funsongs]

fwiw: this 'exercise' is exhibiting your vocal versatility, imho...
you sound really good in this genre;
would like to hear you cover a few other gems from the George Michael era.
i.e. a favorite:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPWHkK-_a_A
(wished they'd skipped the goofy pre-Intro and started the real Intro right at :34).
Cheers,
Peter R.

[andygabrys]

Hey John,

for me its sounding closer.

whole thing feels pretty bass light though. I could def hear the kick more and the bass more. If it were me, I would replace the "walking" type bass pattern in the chorus with something that doubled the kick, and just hit the roots of the chords.

For me the off beat hi hat in the chorus would be better with a straight 8th hi hat hit.

also you have panned guitar, and the synth seems panned too. in the parts where there are no vocals, feel free to add melody synth guitar in the middle. Its the 80s - it was fantasy in music

good luck!

[Paulie]

Fun track! To me it sounds very treble, it could certainly use some heavier bass, maybe pump up the lower eq and add some slight pre-delay to give more bass attack.

Echoing Andy's comment, the Alberti/Walking base doesn't seem to fit, unless you are going for a country feel. You definitely have a country singing voice, so that plus the 1-3-5-3-1 bass makes me think and feel country. It sounds like a blend of genres.

Do you have a photo with hair band hair you could use on sound cloud?

[johnlewitt]

Thanks all.

Peter, well it's easy to sing in the style of music from my formative years. Unfortunately there's not a lot of call for it!

Andy/Paulie, I changed the walking bass pattern to the new kick pattern. I had actually sculpted out some of the bass sound, as one of the comments had said it was too heavy (but reading it again I mis read it).

The first chorus has a new hit hat pattern, while the 2nd has the original one. What does everyone think works best?

As to a synth guitar line? Well I'll see what I can think up. Taking the kids to the Avengers today, so I've got time constraints!

And try as I might I was unable to find any hair band photos from the 80s! I was in a classic rock band back then and those don't help!

John

[funsongs]

I was unable to find any hair band photos from the 80s! John

Hey... in a pinch: any old photo and a Black Sharpie pen can do wonders,
and save you the hassle and expense of photo-shop work!!
(see example... and you don't even have to listen...!)
https://soundcloud.com/funsongs-1/theresgonnabedancin

All seriousness aside: good luck with your song, John..