26 Songs in 52 Weeks

Does this count as R&B?

Hey Shorty by Endy Daniyanto

Music and Lyrics by Endy Daniyanto

The story behind the song

I’ve always thought of R&B songs as the sexiest sounding songs. Listening to the productions of Ne-Yo with Beyonce and Chris Brown, makes me want to write some songs with a similar sound. Utada Hikaru has also just made the recent move to R&B, with beautiful results (I would’ve never guessed that was her singing!) The first one is “You’re Just a Girl“, which was released last week but was produced last year (that’s why it doesn’t count as an official song in this list).

I found the inspiration for this song while driving down the Gatot Subroto highway coming home from somewhere. I faintly heard an R&B song, and immediately in my head I started to write some melodies and lyrics that are based on the song I heard but leave towards another direction. The words “Hey Shorty” were the first that I said while nodding to the beat I heard in my head. I suppose listening to all those R&B songs, I slowly used them one by one like jigsaw puzzles to write this song.

Since R&B can only be sexy, the lyrics I wrote couldn’t be brokenhearted. The scene playing in my mind is seeing someone at the club on the weekend, and wanting to know them and get closer to them. Like all the other R&B songs, right?

The rap part (and some of the verse parts) are influenced by Vanessa Hudgen’s “Baby Come Back”.

The lyrics

(This is the first Indonesian one!)

Hey Shorty

Melihatmu dari sudut mataku
Berjalan melintasi ruangan
Kau sempurna dan setiap langkahmu
Membuatku ingin mendekatimu
Bolehkah ku mencoba memulai perbincangan
Untuk sekedar tahu siapakah namamu
Karena ku tak ingin pergi dari sini
Tanpa kudapatkan nama dan nomor cellphonemu

Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty (Hey Shorty)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty
Won’t you tell me your name (Tell me your name)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty (Hey Shorty)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty
Won’t you tell me your name (Tell me your name)

Malam ini ada sihir di udara
Ketika kumelihat kau tersenyum padaku
Kuberpikir kau juga penasaran
Dari cara matamu menatap mataku
Kini kita berdekatan dan saling bertatapan
Tak ada kata-kata yang terucapkan
Don’t worry sweet Baby just call me Sweet Honey
I mean you no harm I just wanna know your name

Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty (Hey Shorty)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty
Won’t you tell me your name (Tell me your name)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty (Hey Shorty)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty
Won’t you tell me your name (Tell me your name)

Shorty you be lookin so fine and you know I can’t get you off my mind
Everytime I try to let you slide there’s no controlling this feeling inside
And now we’re on the dance floor everybody hands off
A question in my mind and the number to a cellphone
Gotta push it through till I get the answer
Shorty what’s your name and your number

Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty (Hey Shorty)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty
Won’t you tell me your name (Tell me your name)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty (Hey Shorty)
Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty Hey Hey Shorty
Come one now

Show me some love now Baby Show me some love now Honey
Show me some love now Show me love now Show me some love now Baby
Show me some love now Baby Show me some love now Honey
Show me some love now Show me love now Show me some love

Show me some love

The geeky stuff

I knew upfront that the vocals would be the most demanding element to produce. That’s what I notice from other R&B songs – the music is rarely complicated in chord progression (sometimes using only two chords, like this song does!), but the quality of the bass and beat sounds, and the arrangements of the vocals are the main attraction of a well-produced R&B song.

I took time to record and arrange the vocals and backing vocal parts. During the mixing phase, these elements were the ones that took the most time to edit. I think this is also true for studio produced R&B songs, though I’ve never had the chance to sit-in on one. I could imagine they take up hundreds of tracks, maybe tens of vocal tracks in commercial large project R&B songs.

This time I didn’t record it underneath a blanket though. So there.

*Slight footnote: I think my computer is starting to reach its limits, in terms of what I can do to produce my music. It’s time for an upgrade, but not yet. Gotta save up for a Mac Mini and Logic Studio 9 Pro.

Thank you and credits:

R&B artists worldwide who try to make the best sound productions they can! Show us the love!

Cheers and thanks for the ears,
Endy

OK, so this isn’t the official fourth song. Because the last release was delayed, and due to a dense schedule for the week, I haven’t been able to work much on the new track. Though not all is lost, because the new track and this meta-release both have the same sound: that’s right, we’re entering R&B territory! (and I’m also singing this time!). Here’s the song:

You’re Just a Girl by Endy Daniyanto

Music and lyrics by Endy Daniyanto

The story behind the song:

This is the first song from an entire collection that could span more than an album’s worth (also one of the reasons I’m doing this project: to finish this collection of songs, all inspired by the same person). I wrote this song because I was heavily inspired by someone, but at the time I had just broken up from a two-year relationship (there’s a song about this love story too, but you’ll have to wait for it!). Because I kept telling myself that I was in a transition phase, I didn’t want to enter any relationships yet. So I kept the relationship between her and I strictly casual.

What I didn’t expect was, how much different she was from all the other love interests I knew. That’s why I call her a “premium babe” (because she means trouble – or at least she did at the time). I didn’t intend on having a rewarding relationship with her before, but all it took was one spontaneous phone call, and I was charmed and disarmed. As always (and I expound about this in my autobiography), her honesty, authenticity, and openness inspired an empire of dreams in me (which leads to a longer, more substantial story and becomes the foundation of what I write today).

Although this song is an R&B number, it was originally made on acoustic guitar. The original version was a rock song, because that’s how I think she inspires me: when I write songs about her, I can’t do it on the piano – the sound that fits her is the sound of acoustic guitar! (Adit says this is the result of me listening to Busted, at the time) Which also lead me to start playing and writing songs on the guitar more often. So as you can see, the transformation I experienced wasn’t only a personal one, but also a musical one. I could go on and on the back story for this song, but let’s leave it for a more relaxed time (or, you could go over and read my autobiography here).

This is the original song, played live during the “Festival Lagu Buatan Sendiri” held by the Psychology major of Universitas Indonesia, in 2003 (we aced this one, but it didn’t make it to the finals – the one that did was, well, that’s also another song you’ll have to wait for!):

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During my early foray into recording music, I arranged this song into another version, that has a slightly jazzy feel (this one in 2008):

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So as you can see, “You’re Just a Girl” is a landmark composition, from the storyline point of view, and also from the musical point of view (first song on guitar, also first song in R&B production).

The lyrics

(The chorus needs two people to sing it. Bring a friend!)

You’re Just a Girl

I wake up and you’re the first thing on my mind
I go to sleep and I dream of you I don’t know why
Why you’re here why I can’t stop thinking about you
Why I see you when I close my eyes I don’t want to

‘Cause I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel can’t you tell me?
I don’t want to fall in love with you not today

(You’re just a girl)
You’ve got a style that’s kind of funky
(You’re just a girl)
You’ve got a smile that drives me crazy
(You’re just a girl)
The way you move is really sexy
(You’re just a girl)
For God’s sake! You’re just a girl

I see you in a party damn you look so hot
In that dress I can hardly believe that it’s you
So I bring a glass of wine and you’re laughing at my jokes
We start to dance around the room and everyone is staring

Why do I want to be with you now how can this be
We’ve grown so close I think I’m falling for you falling for you

(You’re just a girl)
You’ve got a style that’s kind of funky
(You’re just a girl)
You’ve got a smile that drives me crazy
(You’re just a girl)
The way you move is really sexy
(You’re just a girl)
For God’s sake! You’re just a girl

‘Cause I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel can’t you tell me?
I don’t want to fall in love with you not today

(You’re just a girl)
You’ve got a style that’s kind of funky
(You’re just a girl)
You’ve got a smile that drives me crazy
(You’re just a girl)
The way you move is really sexy
(You’re just a girl)
For God’s sake! You’re just a girl

You’ve got a style that’s kind of funky
(You’re just a girl)
You’ve got a smile that drives me crazy
(You’re just a girl)
The way you move is really Oh sexy
(You’re just a girl)
For God’s sake! You’re just a girl

The geeky stuff

I recorded this under a blanket! There, enough said!

In more technical terms, I recorded the vocals underneath a blanket in order to achieve a clearer vocal (reduce the amount of natural room reverb). It was hot, but I think the vocals do come out clear. Yes, I know the proper way is to set up a vocal booth, or use a reflection filter, but hey, musician on a budget here!

Thank you and credits:

For the inspiration. For Busted who started my musical journey into more rough music (I listened to boybands exclusively before them). And to the smooth and sexy sounds of R&B: you’re gonna hear more like this from me in the upcoming songs!

Cheers and thanks for the ears,
Endy

Apologies for a much delayed release. This one has been a mule to work on (sometimes you just can’t push a song until it hits you in the head during one lazy afternoon). Here it is, in all it’s belated glory:

Music and lyrics by Endy Daniyanto

The story behind the song:

One of the reasons why I started this project is because I often play the piano just for myself. I mostly play tunes that aren’t anybody’s songs, but which sound I like. Therefore, I often find myself playing tunes that I think could be made into a song. After some time, these nitty little ditties get abandoned, so I made a promise to take the inspiration I get and work on it to see its full form.

The basic piano pattern for “Something New” is one of these melody babies that was born incidentally on the piano. There was no intention to write a song (but then again most of my songs come out like that at first). The chords sound very characteristic of music from the 90’s, music that influences me very heavily, so I decided to have a little fun and add some drum, bass, and saxophone parts to the song. It stayed as a saved MIDI file on my keyboard for some time, and when this project started, the seeds for “Something New” became one of the songs to produce on the list. You can listen to the original intro demo recorded straight from my keyboard here: Something New demo.

As for the title and story in the song, it’s inspired by my high school friend Tondi who went away to China to take his Master’s degree in Management for two years. Some months after his stay there, I caught sight of a suspicious photo of him and a girl in his Facebook account, and the facts just revealed themselves after that incident. The title is “Something New”, because he wasn’t very lucky in love before this story happened (sorry mate, but it’s the truth: and no, one week doesn’t count as being an official love story!). So, he had to go all the way from Indonesia to China to find his love (most people go to China for knowledge, as they say in the old adage, but I guess there’s always a fool to prove it wrong) – that’s why it’s “Something New”.

The lyrics

(maybe I should make a Mandarin translation for this)

Something New

There was something new When I looked at you
There was something in your eyes
The way you smile It steals my heart every time

There was something new When just us two
Were talking on the phone
That smile you hide Says something is in the air

I didn’t know that I’d meet you
After all these years alone
You’re so different than what I knew
You’re something new

The other girls with all their charms
Would impress any other man
But I’ve been blind Since you said you’d be mine

I didn’t know that I could feel
Something real as this is real
It’s so beautiful than what I knew
It’s something new

You’re something new

And now that you’re here with me
It’s like the very first time I’m alive
Nothing has made me fall before but you
You’re something new

You’re something

I’m fallin into I’m fallin fallin in something new
I’m fallin into I’m fallin fallin in something new
I’m fallin into I’m fallin fallin into you

I’m fallin into I’m fallin
Fallin into you
Cause you’re something new
You’re something You’re something new

You’re something new

The geeky stuff

This song, as I said, is a mule. I needed more than two weeks to write the lyrics because it’s a very general expression. I find it easier to write songs that are specific: that have a time or place or story, rather than one that has a universal appeal. But like one songwriter said to me, even if I could only get one line of verse in a day, write it. The important thing is to make progress!

For the recording, I used the usual setup. The interesting thing is Frans and I recorded the vocals as it was raining outside. Because we didn’t have a lot of time, we decided to take it anyway, and even though I’m sure the rain is there somewhere in the recording, I don’t really mind the final results. So, even if it isn’t perfect, the most important thing is to simply do it!

Thank you and credits:

To the girl who is Tondi’s first official love story, this song is dedicated to the both of you. May you have a troublesome and epic love story filled with drama and roller coaster like ups and downs (because hey, good times are good but tough times are still better, right?).

On to the next song: this one will feature me on vocals! *Cough cough*

It’s been two weeks since last time, so here is the second song! (Note: something funky happened, and I for some reason the uploaded file on Soundcloud sounds mono):

Love You So by Endy Daniyanto

Music and Lyrics by Endy Daniyanto

*Alternately, you can download the correct stereo version of the song here (since Soundcloud has been a little buggy lately)

The story behind the song:

I’ve been moving towards the blues genre lately, and although this isn’t a blues song, it does have a common blues progression in the end: it lands on the root chord (vis-a-vis on the dominant chord usually in pop songs). It also shares a common progression that’s called to be the foundation of jazz: the ii-V-I chord progression (which also lands on the home key, or root chord). I think it’s the landing on the home key that makes this song sound like an oldies.

I like to call this “the Kenny Rogers song” because it sounds like something he would sing, doesn’t it? This song is completely new, and I just recently found it on the piano a little while after the release of It’s True. I think it took around two days to write, from scratch to finish.

Although there are other piano love ballads that I’ve written, I decided to put this song in the Valentine EP because the other songs are sad broken heart ones. I want to put a good cheerful mood this Valentine, don’t you? So, the inspiration for the lyrics for this song came by imagining an old couple that’s been married for some time, and how they want to rekindle their romance (in market terms, this song might appeal to the older generation).

The image that popped in my head was of a husband and wife late at night in their bedroom. It’s been a tiring day, but the husband won’t let it get to their relationship. Instead, “tonight I’ll make you know, I love you so”. My favorite part of the lyrics is “You’re the best girl I know”, and I wanted to make that as the title, but “Love You So” has a more oldies sound to it.

The “best girl” bit came into my head while I was searching for images on Flickr to inspire me. But instead I found my inspiration via a Facebook photo; one of my best-friend’s older sister. In the picture she was crouching on the ground holding her 3-year old son with her husband standing beside her, and they were on the side of a small river out in the country. The way they looked just made the words, “You’re the best girl I know” pop into my mind; because who else if it isn’t you?

The lyrics:

For all you romantic husbands out there!

Love You So

Baby now close your eyes
and I’ll close the doors
Not a sound not a word
and turn the lights down low

And I know I’ve been wrong
wonder why that it took me so long
But tonight I’ll make you know
I love you so

Well the kids they’re asleep
they’re tucked in tight
In the night we are still young
and everything’s right

Though I may not look the part
in my heart there is no one else but you
You’re the best girl I know
I love you so

(Piano)

Well it’s been eighteen years
but your eyes have the same effect on me
You’re the prettiest I know Baby
You’re the smartest I know
You’re the best girl I know
I love you so

And I’ll say it one more time

You’re the best girl I know
I love you

I love you so

The geeky stuff:

Not so different from last time, actually not different at all. Except for one change, which was to use a condenser microphone than a dynamic one. Frans says he prefers the sound of a condenser than a dynamic (”it has a wider fuller frequency reproduction”), so I went with his choice this time.

Since this is an intimate love ballad, even though it might be suitable for a large hall reverb, we decided to try and use a small amount of reverb (”maybe even no reverb at all”). I used the free edition of the M30 reverb by TC Electronics, and I think the reverb sounds nice and makes the vocal crispy. I also added parallel compression (also known as the exciter compressor, established by engineers during the early Motown era circa 1970) to bring out the vocals just a touch – adds that crisp and clear nuances in the movement of the tongue, throat, and lips of the vocalist: don’t try this in a rock song!

Thank you and credits:

Again to Frans for being the vocalist and adding his personal touch to the melodic choice of the song. Also to Kenny Rogers, if it weren’t for him this song wouldn’t sound as oldies as it does.

On to the next one!

OK guys, this is the first song! I know I said the first song would be published on the 14th, but what I meant was the second weekend in the middle of the month. I’ll explain more later, but for now let’s get to the song!

Hit play:

It’s True by Endy Daniyanto

Lyrics by Endy Daniyanto and Frans Bolla
Music by Endy Daniyanto

The story behind the song:

I think it was sometime around October 2008. At the time, I was still working with my Yamaha PSR-500 keyboard and it was simply too limited for my capabilities (yes, I actually outgrew the hardware!). So, a good friend of mine borrowed me his Technics keyboard, and I brought it over from Bandung to Jakarta.

I was just fiddling around on the keyboard, placed not-so-neatly on top of my bed. That’s when I came across this nitty little ditty. This ditty is the intro part of the song that you hear.

Some time later, I kept playing that ditty and I told Ulung (fellow musician and expert classical pianist, also flutist for ITB Student Orchestra) that I wanted to write a song using this as an intro. I imagined my future fans would go wild just from the sound of the intro alone, proving that they know the song by heart. Ulung agreed with me, and he said “Yeah, I can imagine that”.

It wasn’t until I met Frans, and we became better friends, that I showed him this intro. He was the one who immediately gave the first melody for it. This is the melody that you hear in the first verse, and that’s why it’s different from my other songs I wrote with Andre: because Frans chose the main melodic theme and not me.

The song was originally titled, er, something else [1] until we decided to give it another title: “It’s True”. The main draft of the song had no bridge, and had a hanging phrase at the end of the choruses. Because of this project, I decided to tidy up the song and give a proper knot at the end of the chorus and a bridge to break the monotonous of adjacent choruses.

The knot I’m talking about is the part of the chorus that goes: “And I know I want to always be with you”. The bridge starts at “Nothing could ever be”. These parts weren’t in the original draft. I decided to add them because the original lacked some motion and transition, so that’s a songwriting lesson for you.

The lyrics:

(Because you know you want to sing along!)

It’s True

Looking in your eyes
thinking of your smile
Being there beside you
is all I wanna do

Start a conversation
about the way I feel
The way I’m feeling for you
tells me that it’s real

This feeling I’m not dreaming
the truth that I’m believing
Since the day I saw you
saw the smile on you

You know that it’s true Oh Baby
You know that I love you
You know I want you Oh Baby
Wanna be beside you
This feeling that I tell you
All of it is true Baby
And I know I want to always be with you

Walking down the road
the two of us alone
You stay there in silence
how do I know

About the conversation
how do you feel
You don’t need to doubt me
I swear that I’m for real

You know that it’s true Oh Baby
You know that I need you
You know I want you Oh Baby
Wanna grow old with you
Oh Baby please believe me
shine a light on me
You know I want you to be here with me

Nothing could ever be
stronger than what I’m feeling now
Give your heart to me
and Baby you will see
My love is for real

You know that it’s true Oh Baby
You know that I love you
You know I want you Oh Baby
Wanna be beside you
This feeling that I tell you
All of it is true

And I know I want to always be
Oh Baby shine a light on me
I know I want to always be with you

It’s true

The geeky stuff:

Piano sound is the default piano patch from the Yamaha DGX-630 keyboard. Recorded via the 3/4 Line-In of a Presonus Firebox. Vocals were recorded using a JBL NK-77K Karaoke Microphone (yeah, because I’m funky and retro and I work with what I have!). Hosted in Cubase LE4.

I decided to use a karaoke dynamic microphone, because I wanted to test if it was the right microphone for male vocals. I suspected this since comparing the results between female vocals and male vocals using a condenser mic (the Studio Projects B-1). For female vocals, condensers are great, but for male vocals, I think they catch the surrounding ambience too much. My suspicion turned out to be true, as I found out recording my own voice gave a better male character and definition than the condenser.

However, the recorded sound from a dynamic mic (or at least this dynamic mic) is a fickle girl. In the mixing process (which was like, 6 hours), I spent the most time finding the right compression settings. Just a little change, and it would either sound too sharp or too dull. It isn’t usually like this with the condenser. And that’s a mixing lesson for you.

See I am a good guy, after all.

Thank you and credits:

Thanks to Frans for contributing the vocals, and stand being bossed around by me! Hey, the voice talent needs to be directed, you know. Plus, I am an aspiring record producer, after all. Thanks to, er, the one behind the inspiration that made this song. And thanks to you guys, who are going to share and put this song on your playlist for the next two weeks, right?

Cheers,
Endy

—

[1] In order to protect certain parties, the original title of this song shall not be revealed. At least, I think that’s how it goes.

Hello everyone, congratulations to meet you!

The 26/52 Project is my attempt to write, record, and release 26 songs in 52 weeks starting in January 2010. I’m doing this because as a songwriter, I have plenty of songs that are unfinished or are only concepts or are finished but haven’t been recorded properly. And since I said to myself that I want to be a prolific person, I think this is a good step towards creating into reality all the ideas I have in my head.

The rules are such: the songs that count towards the total tally of 26 are songs that haven’t been recorded properly. Songs that have been written but haven’t been recorded therefore are game, but songs that have already been recorded before aren’t (such as the one embedded below). This will provide a good boundary condition, therefore I may end up making more than 26 by the end of the year.

If you’re a fellow songwriter, then I invite you on board to embark on a similar journey yourself to challenge your songwriting and production skills. If you’re simply a music lover, then I invite you to visit this site often as it is improved and added with new songs. I hope that this will be a good year ahead for all of us.

While waiting for the first song, here is the debut EP I made with Andre Ramadhan:

Andre Ramadhan – Someday Baby EP by Blue Summer

Cheers,
Endy