Song of the week #6

If Ever

I wrote If Ever in 2017 for my Up on the Downs album which was released in early 2018. It has a very English lyric, probably influenced by Graham Nash's Dear Eloise and the Moody Blues' Dear Diary. Incidentally, I have a distant connection to Ray Thomas (who wrote the Moody's song): he was the godson of my cousin Margaret Jenner - well I did say it was distant! 

I think that if I were to record the vocals nowadays I would use a longer A sound for “pass” and “chance” instead of the pseudo-American short vowel - although I suppose it could pass for a northern English pronunciation! 

Because of the lyric's very old-fashioned-English feel, I used clips in the video from the archetypal English film Brief Encounter and I feel it works well in the context.

Although I was satisfied with the written song I was never very happy with If Ever's vocal sound. So, spurred on by my successful voice-editing of Childish Dream, I decided to give it a new lease of life by improving not only the voice parts but also the acoustic guitar, bass guitar and drum parts of the original recording. I was determined not to re-record anything although I did add some extra programmed drum notes - most noticeably a four-in-the-bar bass drum part in the introduction and early verses which helps to blend the off-beat guitar and vocal parts together and makes them sound less jerky.

I soon discovered that this was a very difficult song to mix properly so I muted everything apart from the acoustic guitar and bass guitar and once I was happy with their mix throughout the song I gradually turned up the drum part until it fitted in. Then I added the two flutes and string orchestra before I started work on editing the vocal parts. Of course then everything needed tweaking again. A mix is never really finished - only abandoned!

Click on the image below to hear the new mix inserted into the original video:

If Ever

If ever you have a moment free
With nothing in your diary
I’d be thankful if you would think of me
And answer my enquiry
I don’t care if you think I’m pushy
I don’t care if you feel that I’m bad

If ever you’d like to pass the time
With someone who admires you
I’d be ever so pleased to stay a while
And be right there beside you
I don’t care if you think I’m stupid
I don’t care if you feel that I’m sad

Woah. Woah
If ever you want me
You know where to find me
If ever the need should arise

If ever by chance you’re feeling down
And nothing will sustain you
I would caper around and play the clown
If that would entertain you
I don’t care if you feel I’m foolish
I don’t care if you think that I’m mad

I don’t care if you feel I’m forward
I don’t care if you think I’m a cad

Woah. Woah
If ever you want me
You know where to find me
If ever the need should arise

If ever you need a guiding hand
To steer you free from danger
You can safely assume that I’m your man
So please don’t be a stranger
I don’t care if you feel I’m childish
I don’t care if you think I’m a lad
‘Cos once I’d trodden the route and I’d tasted the fruit
There’s no way that escape could be had

Woah. Woah
Woah. Woah