Running from Red (Extended Mix)

[GregB]

 

In the absence of any NEW music, I've re-visited an old track.  Considering history is repeating itself in Ukraine and that China is also upping its aggressiveness, I'm giving a new twist to Running from Red from my album Prescient (2015) ... with the blessing of my album collaborator.

 

The central core of the song is the original vocal and guitars (thank God for home recording and backups) placed against dance-flavoured electronic drums with several new synth riffs added. Although the new version sounds faster than the original, both are 150 bpm!

This synth approach was inspired by Jeff Wayne's remix, The Spirit Of Man (DubUlladub), from his “War of the Worlds” album, a great favourite of mine.   The hardest part for me was balancing the many electronic sounds as my preference has always been acoustic. 

 

I WAS going to add a rap section at the end explaining that RED is also key to the flags of the UK, America and France who, together with the current villains, have had no qualms in modern history about bombing the sh*t out of civilian populations and invading sovereign borders.  BUT ... rap is even more foreign to me than electronic music, and I could not have delivered it with the indignation and anger required.  It would also have extended the track beyond 10 mins, an issue with some platforms.  CD Baby advised: "album-only songs [greater than 10 minutes] will not appear on Amazon Music or Apple Music due to the song duration.

 

This is now only the 3rd track (out of 50+ releases) for which there is not yet a video as I 've been unable to find images/clips that match the visual story in my head.  I hope that the various recent AI services will improve past the point of being 'amazing' to one of actual usefulness

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by GregB
Typo

[Mora Amaro La Loba]

Hola @GregB

 

It sounds great!!!! Political songs can change the world? May be... but it seems no... But your song is good!!!

 

[GregB]

On 10/17/2022 at 2:08 AM, buckoff said:

if wanna ruin your career ... record a Political song

 

It's good then that I don't HAVE a music career 😆

[GregB]

Oddly, I personally don't regard either the original or the new extended mix to be overtly 'political'.  No country or person is named and there are no pro/anti statements.  The song is more story-telling than preaching, describing one tiny but personal result of an invasion.  Discounting the human story, I hope the music and soundscape alone will vibe with a few people.

 

Greg  

[MikeRobinson]

I'm very glad that you resisted "the obligatory 'rap' temptation."  Thank you kindly. 😀

 

No:  "simply stick with your audience, and stick within your medium."  Exactly as you have done.

 

Then:  "concentrate on your audience, your genre, and your message."

 

Your entire presentation effortlessly runs the gamut between various forms of "musical tension" and "musical release,"  as well as "instrumental textures beyond description."  This "old track" (sic ...) of yours does not need "improvement."  (Did any of the 'great bands of the day' ever 'do better?'  I don't think so.)

[GregB]

20 hours ago, MikeRobinson said:

This "old track" (sic ...) of yours does not need "improvement."

 

Thanks Mike for your supportive and detailed comments.  As always, my explanations can be poor and often miss the mark. 

 

I've always remained very happy with the original and was NOT looking to 'improve' it. 

Instead I was looking for a project that I could complete relatively quickly (as my abilities decline inevitably with age), was still a challenge, could be re-imagined (like Jeff Wayne's WOTW), and to which I could contribute some new musical and technical ideas.  It was only the recent Ukraine/China vibes that led me to choose THIS particular song.

 

Greg 👍

[Reginald Bigsby]

Very nice track! Kept my attention for all 8:11 which is no mean feat, and I whole-heartedly agree with the comments that MikeRobinson made about your fine use of musical tension and release and the interesting variety of instrumental textures you present to the listener.

[Reginald Bigsby]

9 hours ago, buckoff said:

maybe a missed the picture of Kucherov, its a political song , who cares run it on some platform , people love getting pissed off on politics , living off festering hate 

Hey buck, as a big hockey fan I could overlook it once, but not twice. Nikita Kucherov is an NHL right winger for The Tampa Bay Lightning. The bald guy in GregB's Youtube video is Nikita Khrushchev who somewhat infamously wore shoes and not skates. 

[GregB]

On 10/19/2022 at 10:20 PM, Reginald Bigsby said:

Nikita Khrushchev who somewhat infamously wore shoes

... and thumped the UN lectern with one!
On observing the shoe-banging, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan is said to have quipped "May we have a translation of that please?"   

Edited October 20, 2022 by GregB
Typo

[Reginald Bigsby]

3 hours ago, buckoff said:

no this a not political song , I heard that girl and Tan lines , Walk up to starbucks and start going off off on Politics , Hey Gotta go , same in a song , of course its all subjective , At a Natzi rally they might like them 

Wut?? Kucherov has a lifetime 14.9% shooting percentage- not subjective- official stats from NHLHQ. Being a right winger doesn't mean he's a fascist, it means he's fast and all the girls in Tampa have tan lines so nobody listens to them. ⏮️

[Nick Josefsson]

Now this is music!!!

[LikeSky]

nice synth

[GregB]

There is now a music video to go with the released track.