New remix

[Joanna]

Awhile back, I posted a collaboration between iGStudio (sax), McBoy (piano), and me (vocals) on "Smooth As Silk" (weird how that song keeps coming up in the past couple of days).

iGStudio took a listen to the collab and decided to remix it, doing some tweaks here and there. The result is absolutely wonderful. Whatever he did, it's a killer version of the song.

Smooth As Silk (iGSTudio remix)

If you're not completely sick of the tune, give it a listen.

-- Joanna

[Fosco]

Now that'z what I call smooooooooth! Very well done on the remix...
Is it my imagination or is it longer that the original?

[Joanna]

thanks, Fosco!

It's longer than my original version, but shorter than the other collab. Something in the other collab version just didn't quite mesh. This time, at least to me, it sounds so much better.

[Boris]

i admit it openly... i saw the post and i thought, "smooth as silk? what's that song doing back?"

completely helpless of course, i clicked to hear it without reading the description first...

here's the order and process of thoughts:

- woah... nice sax

- woah... nice pause

- woah... voice like a cup of hot white-chocolate

- woah... nice structure

- woah... way to finish through

so, i guess, overall my opinion can be summed up in one word: woah.

i would never say i was sick of this song, by any stretch. in fact, in my jazz playlist it's a regular in my home. i think more importantly, for me, is the magnificent way i have been able to tangibly watch a song progress and mature into a fully rendered studio recording. i've never seen that happen before and it's really wonderful.

when this piece was first released, it was impressive to me. despite being an "amateur" production, it was fully competent and well done. but then, the revised version came along and i was pretty blown away. now, it's gone further. you and the other folks have put the kind of time into this one production that is necessary for an industry standard recording. i mean, this is how "it" happens... you take a single song and work it, mold it, and revise it until it is, as you say, a "killer version," and then present it to the world. it's good. it's REAL good. it could be "the" song to get you noticed by more than just an online community or two.

kudo's to you and your friends for staying with Smooth as Silk and making it not only an award winning song, but a masterful piece of jazz music all around.

of course, this is just me rambling.

[Joanna]

Boris,

I've learned so much from being a part of this process myself. Obviously, major, major props go to my collaborators. They elevated the song from it's looped beginnings to something so much more. Being a former sax player, I melt every time I hear that sax. When I first wrote the song, I spent a good amount of time trying to find a way to simulate a sax. I didn't like how the midi sax sounded (I tried so many things to make it sound better, but no luck) so eventually, I used a vibraphone instead.

And you have a real point about 'process'. I'm sure this is something like the way it's down, out there in pro land. Fixing and fine-tuning and tweaking until it all gels.

Sometimes, I look back at when I first got on this site. Back then, I didn't know even the most basic things. I had literally been using GarageBand for 3 days. I remember being so astonished that Maggie started a thread about my Aliens song. Blew me away that someone (other than the friends I had posted my songs for) had listened to my stuff. And in the ensuing 9 months so many things happened.

And on a side note, today in the mail came a purchase I'd been thinking about for awhile. It's an ocarina. I'm going to teach myself how to play it, so that I can add it to some songs down the road. It has a beautiful, flute-like sound and I can't wait to learn its ins and outs. I went with this instrument because it is affordable, has a great sound, and is a little off the beaten path. I want to eventually be the go-to gal for all your ocarina needs!

-- Joanna

[Boris]

I want to eventually be the go-to gal for all your ocarina needs!

i'll keep that in mind. right now, i'm searching the craig's list for a sultry-voiced, jazz-spirited woman who has mastered the vibraslap, the naughtiest looking instrument ever... in fact, even its name is naughty!

[maggieo]

And on a side note, today in the mail came a purchase I'd been thinking about for awhile. It's an ocarina. I'm going to teach myself how to play it, so that I can add it to some songs down the road. It has a beautiful, flute-like sound and I can't wait to learn its ins and outs. I went with this instrument because it is affordable, has a great sound, and is a little off the beaten path. I want to eventually be the go-to gal for all your ocarina needs!

WILD THING!!!!!!

(the solo on the Troggs' version is an ocarina solo)