Mid-Month Audio Uploads:
Something a little different this time. Five versions of the same track, giving you the opportunity to trace this song from its humble origins and through its many incarnations.
Never Knew Love was a song that started life as one of Peter Godfrey’s short instrumentals. I always liked this one of his for its relaxed country feel fused with what I’ve always thought was a touch of that old magical Mike Post theme, “Hill Street Blues”. A great combination.
It gave me an idea for a country-style song which I had initially intended to offer to the excellent Benn Sisters. For the demo recording, Rebecca Saxton once again did a wonderful job for me on lead vocals, whilst Jim Thomas somehow defied all of the odds to record the guitar parts in one of the most ridiculous recording sessions I’ve ever been involved in.
- NEVER KNEW LOVE (LATE STAGE VERSION) – FULL VERSION – DEMO – 2012:
Carson/Godfrey
©HughCarsonMusic
This late stage version is probably as close to how I had originally envisioned this song to be. It’s only a temporary mix, so forgive the occasional issues with that.
- NEVER KNEW LOVE (REIMAGINED) – FULL VERSION – DEMO – 2014:
Carson/Godfrey
©HughCarsonMusic
A departure from the song’s original country feel with this altogether more mellow version, complete with occasional bird song.
- NEVER KNEW LOVE (RAW VERSION) – SONG SAMPLE – DEMO – 2013:
Carson/Godfrey
©HughCarsonMusic
In an attempt to try and ‘beef up’ the mix a bit, I opted for less harmonic movement, dirtier percussive samples and feeding the guitar parts through a touch of distortion. It was an interesting idea, but one which I ultimately aborted. If you’re going to go with something a little edgier, it’s always far more effective to record a track with that in mind rather than trying to achieve such a sound purely through the mixdown process.
- NEVER KNEW LOVE (ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTAL) – FULL VERSION – 2012:
Godfrey
©PeterGodfrey
I’ve called this instrumental ‘Never Knew Love‘ for the sake of continuity here, but Peter Godfrey’s instrumental was actually known as ‘Country & Western Track’ or something along those lines. Whether it was intended or not, listen out for the “Hill Street Blues’ gliding synth influence that really gives this track its old-school charm.
- NEVER KNEW LOVE (ORIGINAL ROUGH DEMO) – FULL VERSION – 2012:
Carson/Godfrey
©HughCarsonMusic
A very rough skeletal demo version, and the basis for all further work that was to be done on this song. It’s also the only version that was ever recorded incorporating the extended coda section towards the end.
Hugh Carson Music 