I've always been a fan of period dramas and classic literature! I remember renting the 1995 A&E production of Pride & Prejudice from our local library and watching it over and over again as a family. We gathered around the TV to catch Bleak House as it aired (and waited anxiously for each new episode!). North and South is no exception.
The 2004 BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South (starring Richard Armitage) took my circles by storm. If you've seen it, you'll understand why. Excellent source material, a stellar cast, and beautiful cinematography combine in this series, earning it a place among the very best period dramas out there. The soundtrack by Martin Phipps seals the deal.
Believe me when I say that North and South is worth checking out for the score alone. It moves from dark and brooding to tentative hopefulness and back again. It's captures the mood and spirit of the narrative at every turn.
Out of all the tracks, the crown jewel has to be the hauntingly beautiful "I've Seen Hell." This is a song that has stuck with me through the years. I've often found myself coming back to it, humming the melody or working it out on the piano. Once I started tackling covers on my YouTube channel, I knew this was one I had to record.
Interestingly enough, I decided to back-burner this track in favor of others. As my close friends can attest to, this is a song I've been excited about recording. I decided, however, that it was worth taking the time to get it right. I wanted to work out the instrumentation, the chord changes, the effects, and hone my recording process. In short, I wanted to make sure that I could bring to life the version of "I've Seen Hell" that I had in mind.
Now, we artists now that you can always adjust things. Please don't think that I'm saying that this is the perfect version of this song! However, I am content with how things turned out! My cover of "I've Seen Hell" focuses on banjo, guitars, and keys. As with my other covers, I'm utilizing various effects to create atmospheric tones to buoy up the core melody. My hope is that it does the North and South soundtrack justice!
I still have several songs on "the list," and I'm always adding new ones. There are ever a few other period drama melodies I'd like to tackle! I'm looking forward to getting to those here soon, but I am so excited to have finally been able to record my cover of "I've Seen Hell." I hope that you enjoy it!
-JackSquare
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