Mark Hansen Music - LDS Rock Music - Free Downloads

Mark Hansen Music - LDS Rock Music - Free Downloads
Get the new CD, "The Third Time" HERE




WARNING: Listening to this music doesn't require parental approval. It's a bit of clean rebellion. It keeps your outlook up and your hope alive. It's got strong drums and screaming guitars. It pumps you up and drives your life. It's a hunger for exploration. It chooses the right and returns with honor. It's music you don't have to confess to your bishop.

It's not your parents' "Saturday’s Warrior".

It's "A Joyful Noise"

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Preliminary Master

Last night, I assembled all of the mixes of all of the tunes that I've done for "The Third Time".  It was kind of an interesting trip down memory lane, because I've been working on these tunes for about three or four years, now.  Some of them were first written even years before that.  It's a long, slow process, innit?

But anyway, on my way in to work, I was listening to the CD, as a whole, to see the flow of the songs.  I think I've got a good, strong mix of tunes.  There are some ballads and some rockers.  Some are mainstream in their approach and sound, and others are more experimental.  Some are positive, others are more dark.  It's all an expression of that complexity that is Mark. 

I'm kinda weird that way.

I was surprised how sloppy I'd gotten as well.  As I'd finished up many of these songs, I hadn't printed final wav mixes, just the mp3's that go on the site.  So, I had to re-open up the original Cubase tracking files and print off a mix.  While I was at it, of course, I printed off minus tracks, and mp3's.  I'm contemplating including mp3's and minus track mp3's on the CD as a bonus files section.  I'll have to see what my duplicator can do.

As I was listening to it, I realized that I'll need to go through and master the whole thing, to get even volume levels and a more consistent sound.  When the productions are scattered out over three years, their not so consistent.  And flaws abound.  Of course, I've been listening to these tunes all these years.  I know them inside and out, and I know all the mistakes.  Oh, well!  Hopefully you won't hear them as much as I do!

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Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.


Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Long, Long Time

Listen and download the song, free, here.

A long, long time ago (pun maliciously intended), I wrote a musical play called “Prodigal”.  It was all based on the story of the prodigal son, obviously, but it was unique from other dramatic treatments of the story in several ways.

First, it was a rock musical.  Specifically, it was a blues musical.  All of the tunes were blues-based. 

Second, it dealt with the repentance of the prodigal, not with the resentment of the righteous son.  It was all about how the prodigal came to realize that he needed to go back home, and making the decision to do it.  In fact, the play ended as the lead character, named Jacob, leaves the stage to return home to his father.  As he does so, he sings this song.

Luke 15:11-24

Long Long Time
By Mark Hansen

It’s been a long long time since I felt this way
It’s been a long long time since I knelt to pray
It’s been a long long day and a long long way back home

It’s been a long long road I’ve been walking down
It’s been a long hard fight just to turn around
It’s been a long long way but I’m finally bound for home

Choruses
Long long time
Long long time
Long long day
And a long long way back home

I can see my father smile
His face is pure without guile
But fair is fair and justice grim
I will be a servant to him

It was a long time ago that I left my home
It was along the road that I found my own
It was a long row to hoe but I’m finally going home

Choruses

I can see my father’s tears
I can hear his rejoicing cheers
What a joy to feel what a joy to live
To hear him say, son I forgive

It’s been a long long time since I felt this way
It’s been a long long time since I knelt to pray
It’s been a long long day and a long long way back home


Steve Hill  Drums

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Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.
Mark's Other Blog Posts: name post, name post, name post,

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Long Long Time is almost Done!

OK, I just did a mix of "Long, Long Time".  If this mix works out over the next few days, I'll call it done and upload it!

I've got to learn to thin out my arrangements.  It's tough to find places to put all the instruments I add to my tunes.  That makes it very tough to mix.  But it just sounds so full... 

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Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

A Fun Surprise for the CD!

I spent tonight working more and more on the CD, and I am sooo stoked.  I cut harmony vocals for "Long Long Time", and that's sounding hot.  Now all I have to do is tweak the horns, comp the lead vocals, and mix it.  I'll easily have it done by the end of the month.

Then, I spent some time working on a really cool surprise that will be only available on the CD.  Just a little extra flava for those that purchase...  I'm really excited about that.  It was a lot of fun getting that ready tonight.

Once the last song, and the surprise is all mixed, then the only thing left to do is master it, and do the graphics.  I'll be the whole thing will be done and released by the end of October!  That's my goal, anyway...

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Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.

Mark's Other Blog Posts: The Seekers - LDS Scripture Mastery Game

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Trumpets and Guitars!

Today, I spent a little time working on the tracks for "Long Long Time".  I put in the horns and lead guitar.  I had to download and install a soundfont player, and find some brass sounds, because I couldn't find real live trumpet players.  It works for this particular tune.  I'd rather have them played live, of course, but I have to work with what I've got access to.

I put in lead guitar as well, and it was amazing how simple it fell into place.  I just hit record and started wailing.  With one stop and restart, it actually went down in one straight take (after a few dry run warmups).

This tune is really exciting.  It would be a great one to end a show with. Anyone want me to come sing for them?  Anyone?  Anyone?

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Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Little Drummer Boy

Last night I had a visit from a long-time friend.  Steve and I go way, way back.  When I was a lot younger, and first getting going in LDS music, he lived in my ward in West Jordan.  He's a drummer, and he was in a band with his brother, Ron.  He and I and Rick, another musician friend got together occasionally and talked music stuff, but we never really got together and jammed or did the band thing. 

Then Steve moved and eventually ended up in Woods Cross, and he and I kept in touch.  I played bass for him and Ron for a couple of weeks.  Ron has also helped me a lot in my quest for making good LDS music.

Over the years, Steve and I have kept in touch, and he's played the drum tracks on a lot of the tunes on my CD's.  The most recent ones have been "The Spin" and "Long Long Time". 

Last night, I finally got to pay him back some.  He's been working on his own tunes and his own debut CD, as a writer, singer, and producer, as well as drummer.  I really like his work, and so, I get to help him promote it, but setting up his web presence!  I'd really like to encourage everyone to check his work out.  For the moment, the address is stevehilltunes.blogspot.com.  Once the domain name is fully set up and propagated, it will be stevehilltunes.com.  Give his work a spin!

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Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Lead Vocals on "Long Long Time"

And to think I almost didn't include this song in the CD!

It's funny.  For a long time (pun intended), all I had for this tune was a really, really bad scratch recording.  Looped drums, sloppy guitars, bad vocals and even problematic lyrics.  I kept debating if it was the right tune.  But the CD needed a blues tune, and it kept haunting me in the back of my mind.  So, I did it anyway.

It strikes me as odd how the last tunes of my CD's always seem to come together.  I put off working on them, because the other songs feel stronger, or more exciting, and I'm not as confident in them.  But as I start to work out the parts and get the tracking polished, these songs grow on me and often become among my personal favorites.

Anyway, I tracked the lead vocals and worked out harmony vocals.  I'm excited by them, and they all get the exact effect I was hearing in my head.  I seriously think, however, that I'm going to have a female singer do them.  They're a bit high for me, and I think it would be "bluesier" if they were done by a girl.

Also, I've been practicing "Tenth and Main" a lot as well.  I'm getting very excited about that one, too.  I want to get this one done before I start tracking it, though.

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Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.
Mark's Other Blog Posts: Dutch Oven Braised Chicken, Chapter and Verse game news!

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