Had another nice Email from Shel Talmy in Los Angeles.

My memory is rotten!

I thought Shel had produced just a few of my band's hits, but he sent me a mighty list of stuff he produced for us.  I have to say that Shel is, to my mind, the most 'complete' producer.  I have always modelled my producing style on his.  He takes the artiste right through from the initial song process, through the routining [getting the Hit routine together], through the rehearsal, the cleaning up, polishing, honing, even the hours of perfecting harmonies, breathing, intonation, tonal quality.

 Then he takes the session responsibility, booking the right musicians, or with a band, giving his immense studio knowledge to choose the right mics., the positioning.  Then creating the right 'atmosphere' for Hit making.

 "A Session should always be 'fun'."

Then the mixing - and finally the mastering...yep, Shel is the complete producer...and that explains the huge success he has had...not only with my band, but with 'The Kinks', 'The Who' and a myriad other bands in the UK and in the USA....in fact, we had 'The Fortunes' [a major UK band in 60's, 70's] support my band the other night, in concert, and Brad told me it was Shel who named his band!

Where to hear Shel's wisdom?

Hear Shel give superb, quality, tips and inside knowledge on the interactive CD's on 'One Minute With Dec - The First Annual'...go to http://www.makehits.co.uk/annual.htm

Shel's secret is that he believes the maxim:

"Always deliver more than you promise"

Stick with that in your career and you are more than half way there.

I was in a restaurant the other night in South of Spain, we sat down, they gave us both a glass of chilled pink champagne.  We ordered [stunning menu] they gave us two plates of two lots of delicious anti-pasta.  When we were whiling away the time [good food takes time to cook] they gave us two more delightful bites on a plate...then we had the meal, plus excellent wine.  They then brought a plate of two types of delicious pudding....my wife called the waiter and said that the chocolate coated banana was wonderful...he smiled and came back with ANOTHER plate of them.  He then brought a half bottle of local brandy in a rough decanter.....

All we paid for was the main course and the wine....giving more than you promise?  Will we go back?  Will we tell everyone?  I'm telling you!!!!!  Do you see the logic?  In any business?  Now relate that to your business, the music business.

 For instance, if you ever send a CD to a Record/Publishing/Production Company with more than one demo on...make sure there is more than ONE Potential Hit....one of the members of The Serious Writers Guild at www.makehits.co.uk/swgintro.htm sent me a CD [even though the first advice I give to new Members, in the first of the ten monthly releases, is to STOP ,immediately, sending demos]

This is my reaction, by the way the band are trying to break in a very difficult area....what we call 'College Band Thrash':

Hi Stuart

Forgive the direct way I write but I have always found that there is no mileage in 'patronising'

 "Where is there dignity unless there is honesty?"
Marcus Tullius Cicero

I was pleasantly surprised by the two CD's you sent of 'Frowser'.

Excellent playing and presentation...nicely put together. However...and there is always a 'however'...they (and you) should bear these points in mind:

There isn't a Hit record on there [and don't give the tired argument that they are not after a Hit record...tell that to the Record Companies?]

Material like this can be judged as 15 years out of date...OR...totally current....'Papa Roche', 'Slipknot', 'Wheatus'...all highly rated at the moment....

The initial impression is that it has 'all been done before' and 'all been said before'. Because, there are no innovative 'sounds' or 'hooks' or memorable bits...it's all very 'samey'...as twenty years ago 'thrash' was. There is no 'newness' in the vocal presentation.

The modern day successful guys are combining 'today' recording techniques and production skills with the excitement of thrash, 'Frowser' are too 'underproduced'. The guitar, bass and drums and 'shouting' vocal thing is so tired!

Which brings me to the basic mistakes they are making [which they will not accept, and they certainly will not understand].

They are 'self-produced'....tragic mistake of all 'wannabe' bands..."Never go near a studio without the best, most expensive producer you can afford. You are only contributing to the studio owner's Mercedes fund."

The tracks are not 'mastered'...to any Record Company this would stink of amateurism. [you tell this immediately by the sub 0db level...proper mastered tracks run at +4 DB to +6 DB]

They make the fatal mistake of: "All tracks written, performed, produced by, played by, tea made by, studio swept by, walls painted by...etc. etc." Non Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' would not even begin to understand what a catastrophic mistake this is.

They have put date copyrights everywhere.....immediately says: "we have been trying since Jan 2000 to get a deal and you are the 235th person we have sent to."

By not being produced, the words are totally unintelligible....ALL TODAY TRACKS have easily understood, boy to girl, girl to boy, memorable, hooky, lyrics....check out the successful guys mentioned above.

They make the awful mistake of not having a picture anywhere on their presentation. This screams: either they are 47 years old or ashamed of their looks, or BOTH, OR they are pimply, spotty nerds, with bad teeth who haven't the first idea about being photographed. Girl record buyers want to fall in love with the band...not with the CD cover [there are exceptions, 'Radiohead' for instance, but Record Companies will not buy unless they are sure the band is 'fanciable']. LOOKS and image ARE FIFTY TIMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MUSIC. The music always was, and always will be, the easy bit.

THE WAY FORWARD:

Get commercial [credibility, lyrical ability, and musicianship will not pay the bills - they certainly won't buy a Bentley]

Check out what the opposition is doing and do it better [by the way 'musicianship' never sold two records in the history of the POP business] Give more than you promise, in other words.

Write a Top Three Potential track. This, above all, is the pre requisite of getting signed. The Record Company exists to make profit and they do this with Hit Records and Hit Albums that sell shed loads. Not with 'good' music.

Play as many gigs as possible and build database and fanbase by actively collecting names, addresses, Email addresses. Get these at gigs by ASKING AND WRITING DOWN...don't ever think that handing out addressed cards will work...it doesn't. 'Toploader' had 37,000 database before they got signed....check out what Rob Green of 'Toploader' says on 'One Minute With Dec - The First Annual'  www.makehits.co.uk/annual.htm ].

Cultivate a number of venues you play regularly so that they have the 'house full' sign up and queues down the street.

Investigate which Record Companies are involved with or would like to be involved with Modern Thrash music and get my fantastic letters off to them [make sure the band looks right, performs right and has the queues and database etc. first] You will get copies of the letters in the 'How To Make A $Million From Your Music' releases. Don't approach Companies that have similar sounding bands...they will always be loyal to their already signed bands.

ALWAYS remember you only have one chance to make that first impression....Record Companies are very quick to say : "Oh no, not that 'Frowser' again...why don't they learn their business first".

Hope this helps....

If they follow the above and put in the hard work they could make a fortune. If they don't - they will end up at 55 bitter, broke and embarrassed.

Stuart, tell the guys in the band that all this and plenty more tricks and techniques that WORK are in the ten month Program 'How To Make A $Million From Your Music' which all Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' get over the first ten months.  Be patient, it takes that ten months and much more to learn and change...also you have my personal, direct number, so you can contact me, if you want anything answered or clarified.

"Nothing in this world can take the
place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common
than unsuccessful people with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is
almost a proverb.

Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent.”

Tip of the week: Learn how to say: 'NO'.  Politely and firmly.

The biggest time wasting in today's 2,000 miles a second world is guy's who 'ask favours'.  You both, waste your own time and, contribute to making those you help continually dependent on others.

 Gag of the Week: Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?       George Carlin