TAXI.com

Sad one here...

Listing:
Lots of '70s-style ADULT CONTEMPORARY SONGS (in a wide range of styles) with FEMALE Vocals are needed by a very successful EXCLUSIVE Music Library. This company has a very long history of lots and lots of really AWESOME placements, tons of which have been for TAXI members!

This Company is looking for a wide range of Mid-to-Up-Tempo Songs that are in the general stylistic ballpark of the following references:

"Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac

"Have You Never Been Mellow" by Olivia Newton-John

"Dark Lady" by Cher

"It's Too Late" by Carole King

NOTE: You can submit recently recorded Songs in the general style of the references that capture the authentic sound needed, OR if you have high-quality vintage recordings (recorded back in the day), they would love to hear those as well!

Please send them a wide range of original Adult Contemporary Songs with female vocals that have a genuine '70s sound and style. Your submissions should include memorable melodies and choruses, solid arrangements, era-appropriate sounds and production, and well-crafted lyrics with a style reminiscent of the '70s. Instrumentation may vary, but it needs to fall in the general ballpark of the references and sound-era-appropriate. Please be sure your vocals are well performed from start to finish, with solid, classic deliveries. The more authentic your Songs sound to the era, the better!

TAXI Tip: A good way to ensure you're on the right path with new renditions of Vintage music is to heavily rely on reference tracks while in the production process! The devil is in the details, and the more you nail in regards to what sounds authentic, the better chance you might have to get this company's attention!
https://www.taxi.com/industry#listing-S240410VS

Song 1:
https://www.taxi.com/members/WJQg0yIBTr ... ka-sherger
Feedback:
What I like most about this song
"Foolish Pride," is well written and arranged, Andre. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to hear your artistry.
I think you could improve this song by
The vocal performance could benefit from a modest amount of pitch correction to shore up some of the intonation anomalies occurring in her delivery.
I returned or forwarded this song because
The return of this material is incumbent upon the fact that the performance aspects need to be improved.

Song 2:
https://www.taxi.com/members/WJQg0yIBTr ... ka-sherger
Feedback:
What I like most about this song
"Heartsick Love," is another compelling effort and I commend you on the consistency in the quality of your work.
I think you could improve this song by
Your singer, Erika Sherger, certainly has a great deal of emotion in her performance style. However, she is a bit pitchy, and so I would recommend tuning her vocals.
I returned or forwarded this song because
This song is not moving forward because it isn't on par with songs like "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, "Have You Never Been Mellow" by Olivia Newton-John, "Dark Lady" by Cher or "It's Too Late" by Carole King just yet.

Well, it's a 70s vintage songs, I don't think tune everything 100% in the grid would be right, some imperfections is normal for the era.

Any thoughts on where I should hit harder with pitch correction?

Thanks

Cool songs! Erika has such a great Stevie Nicks sound. As far as how much to tune, sometimes it's hard to know. I've had songs accepted by great libraries only to be returned on listings later because the vocal was pitchy in spots (or at least that's how the listener heard it -or- listing requirements were different). I would say tune some until it loses a natural sound because that's what ears seem to expect these days regardless of whether or not it's for an older era.

On Foolish Pride, I think it's both pitchiness and the delivery being a little rough. The listing did specifically mention vocal delivery so I assume the screener was listening extra carefully for that on these songs.

Heartsick Love is definitely the better of the two, almost perfect. I don't have great pitch ears but it's POSSIBLE that it's one of those that another screener might have forwarded-- one of those close ones. I'm curious how others hear it.

Just a general note on Film/TV music: Avoid drug references unless the listing or requirements called for that. It can be a deal breaker. The "Smoke a joint" line caught my ear. It's not needed to make the point in the song, easy to replace.

Best,
Casey

Thanks Cassey!
It's complex plot between the vintage songs with modern technology!
Also thanks for the tip in regards the "deal breaker" words, really helpful.

Cheers!

WSAO wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 29, 2024 7:34 pm

Sad one here...



Song 1:
https://www.taxi.com/members/WJQg0yIBTr ... ka-sherger
Feedback:
What I like most about this song
"Foolish Pride," is well written and arranged, Andre. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to hear your artistry.
I think you could improve this song by
The vocal performance could benefit from a modest amount of pitch correction to shore up some of the intonation anomalies occurring in her delivery.
I returned or forwarded this song because
The return of this material is incumbent upon the fact that the performance aspects need to be improved.

Song 2:
https://www.taxi.com/members/WJQg0yIBTr ... ka-sherger
Feedback:
What I like most about this song
"Heartsick Love," is another compelling effort and I commend you on the consistency in the quality of your work.
I think you could improve this song by
Your singer, Erika Sherger, certainly has a great deal of emotion in her performance style. However, she is a bit pitchy, and so I would recommend tuning her vocals.
I returned or forwarded this song because
This song is not moving forward because it isn't on par with songs like "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, "Have You Never Been Mellow" by Olivia Newton-John, "Dark Lady" by Cher or "It's Too Late" by Carole King just yet.

Well, it's a 70s vintage songs, I don't think tune everything 100% in the grid would be right, some imperfections is normal for the era.

Any thoughts on where I should hit harder with pitch correction?

Thanks

I enjoyed both tracks, and "Heartsick Love" is definitely the stronger of the two IMHO... As far as vocal tuning, take it from someone who has a mediocre lead singing voice at best, and has had screeners complain about my tuning......it is a tough line... Here are a couple of things that have helped me sneak tuned stuff by alot easier..... And if you are already doing them, great (as you probably are)

1.) NEVER use Macros...ever....Take the time to identify problem notes, and only tune those, and don't flatten them out and put them exactly on the grid, it is a dead giveaway every single time.
2.) Focus on tuning the longer notes, and the impact notes...the IMPORTANT notes.
3.) Make sure that you smooth out transitions between notes
4.) Use Melodyne instead of Autotune and the others...To my ears, it just sounds more realistic overall...it is kinda clunky and complicated, but worth it. I have also heard great results with Vocalign too, but I am a Melodyne guy, and have been for many years. Heck the $99 version that comes Free with Pro Tools is probably enough to handle 95% of what you need to do. The other versions are mostly for tuning multi-timbral material like guitars, etc, and they have much deeper editing features, tonal shaping features, etc.

Thanks mate,

I also think Heartsick love is the best one, but the screener just ruled it out because is not similar to the references, so the other one he liked but the voice is not "tunned" enough.
I use melodyne as well but I didn't want to push too much in a 70s song, but TBH I heard some forwards to these vintages listings with super modern production that makes me think what they really want to say with era appropriated sounding...
Hard to understand bro...
Cheers!

WSAO wrote: ↑

Thu May 02, 2024 5:23 am

Thanks mate,

I also think Heartsick love is the best one, but the screener just ruled it out because is not similar to the references, so the other one he liked but the voice is not "tunned" enough.
I use melodyne as well but I didn't want to push too much in a 70s song, but TBH I heard some forwards to these vintages listings with super modern production that makes me think what they really want to say with era appropriated sounding...
Hard to understand bro...
Cheers!

I didn't interpret the screener's feedback as saying not similar to the references. I think he/she meant "not on par" as not being on par as far as the vocal performance. That's how I read it.

Casey

Casey H wrote: ↑

Thu May 02, 2024 6:24 am

WSAO wrote: ↑

Thu May 02, 2024 5:23 am

Thanks mate,

I also think Heartsick love is the best one, but the screener just ruled it out because is not similar to the references, so the other one he liked but the voice is not "tunned" enough.
I use melodyne as well but I didn't want to push too much in a 70s song, but TBH I heard some forwards to these vintages listings with super modern production that makes me think what they really want to say with era appropriated sounding...
Hard to understand bro...
Cheers!

I didn't interpret the screener's feedback as saying not similar to the references. I think he/she meant "not on par" as not being on par as far as the vocal performance. That's how I read it.

Casey

I am going to go with Casey and his analysis.... I think it was very nitpicky on the screener's part, because it wasn't THAT pitchy, but whatever.... I guess the takeaway on this is to tune a tad more?? Like I said, it is a vague line, and it depends on the screener. Some of them are highly critical of vocal tuning, and others are not as much - That said, I COMPLETELY understand reading that brief and then trying to NOT tune vocals much, since the technology did not exist back in the 70's (Heck I think the first Eventide Harmonizer wasn't even around yet!) Great track regardless, and there will be another opportunity for it and the other one as well I am sure