SITE NEWS:
Here’s another addition to my Loona portrait series, and this time it’s Vivi’s turn:
Still have almost half of the members left to do.
Speaking of Loona, these are probably my two favorite song on the latest EP album:
The synth arrangement in this one is very satisfying, especially when the bassline kicks in during the chorus. I also like the dreamy and heartwarming vibe of the lyrics. And of course, Kim Lip and Chuu’s vocals tones. Ugh. So good.
The modulation in the main vocal melody is so tasty in this one. I’m a sucker for key-changes and modulations in general (unless they’re done very clumsily), as it adds so much more aural interest to the melodic contour. Even if you don’t care about music theory, it’s just a fun and cute song overall (Yeojin, Go Won, and Olivia’s voices were perfect for the cute rap sections).
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Here’s a new bass cover I recorded:
It’s played on my Ibanez SR650, DI into Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 3rd Gen, with compression and some EQ. The Neural DSP Parallax you see on the screen is on a bus send and used only for compressing the low frequencies. I only used thumb plucking during the non-slap parts because that was the only way to get the rounded tone as in the original recording.
Only after I uploaded it, did I find out the original session bassist on it was Nathan East! His slapping was so intricate and dynamic compared to my clumsy mess. Those ghost notes were so crisp and mine are not.
About the Johnny Mathis version of this song: Most people only know the Michael Jackson version and/or the duet version with Justin Timberlake, but Johnny Mathis’s version was actually the first one, released in 1984 (although I love the Michael Jackson version, I prefer this version a bit more). The song was composed in 1983 by Michael Jackson and Paul Anka, and a demo was recorded with Michael’s vocals. The song’s official releases was on Johnny Mathis’s album in 1984. Paul and Kathleen Wakefield revised the lyrics for that version, which I think is much improved over the original demo’s lyrics. The revision makes more narrative sense and is more heartwarming. The Michael Jackson version that most people know and love didn’t meet the public till much later, when they took the original demo he recorded and rearranged/remastered it for his posthumous album.
