I'll Take the Rain
Reveal | 2001
Listen Original Listen Final Mix

Vocal Recording

Michael’s vocals are so specific to his voice. Especially in the cadences. I did a decent job on some parts of this, but there’s no use in going at this part forever. Since getting these completed and moving on is an important part of this project, I’ll stop myself from spending two weeks trying to do the impossible in perfectly replicating one of Michael’s performatnces.

My Production

I left off the electronic parts, but also the bridge that’s not in the edited version for the video. I felt that the song was fine leaning on the vocals to carry the song. Plus ballads like this can easily overstay their welcome.

I replaced the string pad on the choruses with an organ. Gave it a more classic REM sound. Since the bridge was gone, I took out the electric guitar part that swells there. I replaced that with a lap steel, but plyed a very different part. The lap steel was used for the slow fading parts in the verses and the electric synth jangle part in the choruses.

Final Tracks (17)

  • Vocals (3 tracks)
  • Acoustic Rhythm GUitar (3 tracks)
  • Lap Steel (3 tracks)
  • Robot Drummer
  • Manual Drum Punchups (midi)
  • Piano (midi)
  • Piano (Chorus Wah)
  • Bass (2 tracks)
  • Organ

Faithful Cover?

Pretty much. This song is best with a simple instrumentation. I’m not sure what they were trying to do with the studi oeffects on the original, but the song sonds so much better live with a more traditional instrumentation. I just used my usual bag of instruments to recreate what I could.

Learnings

  • Sparse is better for hte lap steel
  • If the lap steel is anywhere out of key, it’s completely unusable
  • This song is good for my vocal range
  • Bass tracks are still the easiest for me, guitar is the most difficult

THe Joy of Selecting

Again, its so much fun to hit the next somg button and see what I’ll be doing next week. There are some songs I’m so looking forward to doing. And some I’m dreading. Quickly going over the list, the one’s I’ll be most happy to see are

  • Living Well is the Best Revenge
  • Sad Professor
  • Turn You Inside Out
  • Radio Free Europe
  • Sitting Still

I have no idea where I’ll go with “Leave” or “Hope”. It’s also hard to envision how I’ll recrete the Recokining selections “Hatborcoat” and “Pretty Persuasion”. I’ll learn something new either way. I’m also pretty sure I’ll be adding “At My Most Beautiful” for when I’m back home with access to a piano.

Next Song

Shaking Through