Where Is Your Smiling Face
about
“Where Is Your Smiling Face?” is a cover/remix/enhancement of the song “Nächster Schritt” which was originally written, arranged and produced by Stefan Kaesler (Warendorf, Germany), and sung by his daughter, Sophie Kaesler. Released in December 2019, it was amazingly recorded and produced using GarageBand on a iPad! I loved it on first hearing. It can be heard at HERE, and on all digital platforms. I provided Stefan with an English translation soon after, and which he subsequently recorded himself.
In August 2022 when looking for projects, I asked him if could give it a new treatment. This mixes the German and English lyrics (Stefan supplied Sophie's original vocal), adds several instruments, and now has a new 'middle 8'. The sentiment was widened beyond 'losing someone' due a breakup, the funeral bell being the obvious harbinger!
This track also represents my cold-turkey switch from Pro Tools to Studio One. The first few sessions were an absolute b*stard of a struggle with the different interface, but speed and confidence eventually picked up. I've gained some new tools while losing nothing of consequence. Support is much better (I got a response within 24 hours!), I've saved money and shrugged off the yoke of an increasingly rapacious software giant.
[As I was finishing the audio mix, Avid announced a FREE entry-level version of Pro Tools! This free "Intro" version is more than adequate for most the tracks I've ever done!]
I had just re-subscribed to Artgrid so I had now had access to a huge content library. The clips that gave me chills were both used towards the end ... the disintegration effect of the girl in the streetlamp light, and the red-coated figure walking away (which I blended with a rainy window + lights).