Johnny Stone's Favorite tracks on alonetone

by Johnny Stone

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Sleeping With The Ghost

Uploaded July 25, 2012 1:49pm.

269

This is a remix of this song.

It was recorded in 2010, and I was in a hurry to post it elsewhere because I’m so fond of the song itself. But I’ve always hated the old mix - I lost the essence of the guitars and choirs during mastering because the lead vox was so ear-piercingly sparkly in the original mix.

This is what got left in the box last time I worked on it. It’s exactly the same performances, I haven’t fiddled with any sub-mixes at all (the “band” and the various choirs), just their relative balance and EQ. And the lead’s reverb has changed.

Unfortunately, the remix has brought out certain aritifacts on one of the guitars (known as “cling-film underwear” where I come from) I knew they were there, but hey, there is no way I’m recording and remixing the whole thing lol.

Twas written in 1994. Bits of it have been re-used since in other songs - not sure what I do if I want to record those!!!

Sleeping With The Ghost - A A J Russe

On a wide wooden stair
Cleaned with great care
I asked you to leave me alone
You follow me still
Take no note of my ill
And promise me pleasures unknown
And what of the days I spend dreaming
The nights I must wander awake
Why can’t you see I’m still grieving
Your offer of pleasure is late

With time necessarily
Unbearably heavily
Weighing on me as it does
I see you each night
Your troubles are light
I see no red stain on your glove
But what of the child that I married
What of the burden I bear
And what of the son that she carried
Both lost on this same wooden stair
What of the son that she carried
Both lost on this same wooden stair

It seems to me
That centuries
Of grieving
And asking
Forgiveness of she
Have not
In any way
Prepared me
To lay with someone
Of your century

So why can’t you see I’m still grieving
I’ll not rest ’til she forgives me

What it’s about…
I don’t usually like explaining songs, but several people have asked this since I recorded it, and I don’t think anything I can say about this one can damage the images in the listener’s head.

I’ve actually been wracking my brains to remember what caused it’s creation.

At it’s heart, it’s pretty much all out of my head, and I was exploring the break-up of my first marriage - although I’m not sure I actually knew it was breaking up at the time I wrote it!

I think some of the imagery came from a children’s program on UK TV when I was younger? I think it might have been called The Mandeville Ghost, or something like that, anyway. There is a ghost of “Sir Geoffrey of Mandeville” documented - contains nothing like this though.

Also, the legend behind the plot that Holmes and Watson finally foil in “The Hound of the Baskervilles” had a quite a bit to do with the pictures in my head when I was writing it.

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John Robson said May 28, 2015 6:12pm

Said it already, but your voice is superb! The emotion you convey in this wonderful song is breathtaking!

jip said September 24, 2012 4:35pm

I like the guitar, and range of vocals

joeldbrodsky18 said September 22, 2012 12:50pm

What a great vocal...should be a massive hit and attached to a Broadway play..incredible

Roger M. Harris said August 26, 2012 11:23am

Love it mate

Lady Jane said August 26, 2012 10:57am

I can't speak. This one literally yanked at my insides!

Paul Lisney said August 2, 2012 3:24pm

The harmonies toward the are striking!

Guest said July 29, 2012 3:11pm

Fantastic and inspired.

James Michael Taylor said July 27, 2012 3:30pm

Big time "like". Such an expanse of history/experience/pathos captured in so few words. I dealt with this on a much smaller scale in a song I called THE INAPPROPRIATE QUESTION.

richardlaceves said July 27, 2012 4:59am

wow........ very well done.. pardon but i have to ask about the story,, is feels so old english in nature,,, what is the background?? most well done!!

Guest said July 26, 2012 9:30am

This is incredibly fine. The mix is ridiculously great - haunting and fabulous!

Johnny Stone said July 26, 2012 3:34am

Great mix mate top track.

Wildgeas Music said July 26, 2012 12:01am

Great storytelling Andrew. Well worth many listens.

Roger M. Harris said July 25, 2012 11:01pm

Yeh , had to play it again .... again ....

Roger M. Harris said July 25, 2012 10:58pm

And now you remind me of, one of my all time heroes, Roy Harper... Speechless....

stoman said July 25, 2012 8:48pm

Great stuff, Andy! I don't remember how the old mix sounded (but I have it on some CD, so I'll probably compare it later) - but I do remember that I loved it. This new one is great too, so you definitely did not screw it. :)

Guest said July 25, 2012 7:26pm

Such a wonderfully clear vocal! How very sad but beautifully done. The music has a timeless feel. Superb! Bethan

launched said July 25, 2012 4:01pm

I'll admit I'm listening to this again so I can hear those "Ahhhhh's". I would kill to be able to record background vocals like that! Well maybe not kill, but I'd do something seriously beyond my normal character! Sweet!!

JR James said July 25, 2012 3:54pm

Exquisite.....perfection.

Greg Connor said July 25, 2012 3:01pm

*W O W* Such a heavy song and so well produced. I pushed the replay button twice so far. The lyrical message is facinating. The imagery just doesn't stop. In fact it suggests that I look around the corners. The melodic presentation is very captivating. Nice presentation Andrew!

Guest said July 25, 2012 2:31pm

The transition from ballad to spooky was/so cool. the chior went demonic and I got spooked , Thanx great ride.

oldrottenhead said July 25, 2012 2:05pm

i remember this one well andrew, will need to dig out the earlier version to compare. sounds wonderful as i recall the earlier take did.

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