Haunted Trailer Park Blues- Halloween is approaching!

Bash This Recording
#1

So I wrote this song originally about 8 years ago, but it was mostly the words, and I just could not get it to come together. This is a new mix of the 2020 version

So here is a new version bringing up the vocals in the low spots-

I think this might be the first time I think the song works as a Halloween comedy song.

The first problem was always it just didn’t sound very bluesy. It also needed the funny voices for the different parts. Lastly, it had to be funny and also hokey scary. This time I use a lot of Boz effects and added a lead guitar from Surge synth. What do you think?

Haunted Trailer Park Music & Lyrics by Steve Bancroft

she never did like living in that trailer
something about it never felt quite right
it had cold spots, it had hot spots, no good reason
and you’d hear footsteps down the hallway late at night
sometimes the washer would start overflowing
sometimes the dryer just wouldn’t dry
and lately you would feel like someone’s watching you
and you’d catch it in the corner of your eye

so don’t go out after dark
in the haunted trailer park
even if you’re running out of chew
cuz going out after dark
in the haunted trailer park
it’s a very very foolish thing to do

that’s it honey, that’s it
we’ll have to call them guys, you know, TAAPS
Trailer And Apartment Paranormal Society

you can call us anytime we’ll come investigate
we’ll set up our equipment and stay up very late
put night vision in the bedroom, put a camera in the kitchen
put a mic on top of something too embarrassing to mention
leave a six pack in the refrigerator
(we’ll see if it is still there later)
Is a thirsty ghost the perpetrator?
and if we’re lucky we’ll hit pay dirt

Instrumental scary sound verse

he usually ends up sleeping on the sofa
he feels much safer being near the front door
and though he swears he left it by his pillow
his Grizzly ends up on the bedroom floor
that’s where a deadly crime once was committed
a gruesome case of double homicide
and though the owner claims he changed the carpet
the smell of blood at night just can’t be denied

so don’t go out after dark
in the haunted trailer park
even if you run out of chew
cuz going out after dark
in the haunted trailer park
would be a very inadvisable
a very very unreliable
a very very very foolish thing
a very very very ghoulish thing
yes a very very very scary thing to do
You got the haunted trailer park blues

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#2

I think you had a lot of fun doing your evil laughs. lol
I was cracking up! I could imagine this on Dr. Demento

#3

That would be a lifetime achievement, holster…

The evil laughs were always part of the song, but they got better each version. This time each part fits fairly naturally. I wonder what it takes to get in the Halloween radio rotation?

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#4

Great lyrics here @steban and the overall concept is definitely a winner too. You have a good voice and you can sing well when you make the effort.

But we have to rely on a lyric sheet here because of your mix and that’s a deal breaker for something like this. Understanding the lyrics is often a problem for a lot of music but where would Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett or Ray Stevens be if we couldn’t hear their lyrics? No room for a lyric sheet on those old 45’s.

The lead guitar is the real villain in the first part. A lot of guitarists can blast out a cool solo but blending in with a vocal can be a real challenge. I think this piece deserves a remix; there’s still time before All Hallow’s Eve. :innocent:

#5

I think the vocals are close, probably can turn them up strategically and get them to be clear everywhere. I of course can hear them perfectly already!

That synth lead guitar is the new part, and I am certain a real guitarist could do a much better job than I. My only hope was that it would sound a teeny tiny bit bluesy and not step on the vocals, and I think it does. The fact this is a comedy track might afford me some leeway on the music side, but I will fiddle with it again and see how it works out before seeking expert help!

I would love this to be a big collaboration with every midi part up for grabs. Then it might be a serious comedy contender!

#6

what reverb are you using? try turning up the predelay on it so they become a bit clear. I dont think they need turning up, just the reverb needs to be controlled.
Sounds like a fun whacky song! scary laugh for sure!

#7

I’m using Boz’s Imperial Delay basically. I was going for a scary effect, Michelle, as opposed to very straight, but I think I can get there one way or another. But I will try your idea.

#8

then just turn up the dry knob and lower the wet knob, lower the feedback some. It will likely still be scary but lyrics might become clearer

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#9

A good way to do this is with Reaper’s vocal processing plugins. They have an automatic one but it seems simpler to me to use the manual one explained in this video. If you don’t want to mess with it just send me your vocal track and I’ll do it and you can use it or run it in parallel or not use it at all, what ever.

#10

That was an extremely informative video, Ingo, and I never had any idea what the heck the pre-volume was all about, but now I do! I actually used the regular Volume effects track to adjust the vocal volume to begin with, but this seems like a far more accurate way to do it. I am going to render the current vocal tracks (there are 3 at different sections) into one with all the effects, and then try to use this method on that one. I appreciate your offer to help, but I may have the time and space tomorrow afternoon, and it would be great practice.

Once I see how much that helps, I might still try this, Michelle. To change the TAAPS person voice I actually used a Megaphone 1/8 Delay and turned the Dry completely off and the Wet up a bit and moved the entire track section a bit ahead so it lined up with the music! I just couldn’t find any better way to achieve that plain megaphone effect. But the other parts this might apply.

#11

Hi Steve,
Well, for Halloween music, this one is a hit, especially the laugh, quite scary indeed.
For all the effects applied, I think the recording of the vocals is quite good, in the sense that I can fully understand the words, your enunciation and speech execution is very well done.
I love the guitar work.
And I can feel the blues in this song.
Thanks for sharing this.
Rene

#12

I just did a new version using the PreFX- Volume Ingo shared the video about and upped the volume of the low volume phrases, which wasn’t all that difficult. I probably could have used the regular Volume since I am not adding any compression or effects, but I do think it helps noticeably. I actually record vocals with two mics to create stereo. That’s how I pan the laughs especially. In truth the lead vocal often moves around, which may have some disadvantages on the listening end but is something I have always had fun doing.

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