Hey - I've got an apology to make....

I didn't realise that a lot of guys misunderstood the way our 'Serious Writers Guild' is set up and it's relationship to 'One Minute With Dec'.

LET ME EXPLAIN:

When guys apply for membership of 'The Serious Writers Guild' and are accepted [not everyone is] they then get ten months of intensive knowledge and 'attitude to the Record Industry' training via two books per month CALLED: 'How To Make A $Million From Your Music' at www.makehits.co.uk/swgintro.htm .  As you gather from the 'Members Stories' each week the change in their thinking is dramatic and their success just floods in.

The most important part of their association with me is the direct phone availability.  They get my direct private line number to my very private studio - plus the fax number and my Email address.  So they get 24/7 consultancy as part of the deal...no charge.  You will be shocked to know that I charge £2,500 per day [10am to 10pm] for my consultancy services [weekly rates on application to consultancy@makehits.co.uk ]

'The Serious Writers Guild' at www.makehits.co.uk/swgintro.htm is the only organisation [to our knowledge] where you get direct access to a guy who has had more Hits than hot dinners, as is said!  I would like to know of any other music site that offers such instant, quality consultancy!  And if you find a site and organization with better customer service let me know!

'One Minute With Dec':

as an Ezine, is available to all those on the Net who simply Email us and supply their 'snail mail' [postal] address.  We do like to know their ambitions and aspirations...it eliminates the time wasters and tyre kickers.  Any subscriber, when accepted, then gets to ask ONE question by Email.  After that they MUST supply their 'Serious Writers Guild' PIN number to get a reply from me....sorry!  I respect the Members too much...they get ALL my attention....even sitting on the beach in the blistering sun, where I am now.  That is not meant to impress only to encourage you to think that music is the best and most satisfying way to a $Fortune.  Guys who become Members have had the guts to put their money where their mouth is and they realise that the REAL information and methodology in life has to be paid for.  They want success and know where to get the help, knowledge, encouragement, tricks and inspiration....Mois!

A Brain Surgeon always pays for his education

So a Music Maker should and MUST pay for the skills that will make him a fortune.

I hope that does not sound mean and facetious....it's a logic I have always lived by.  The real Hit making knowledge, techniques and tricks are reserved for the Members of the Guild.

"Pay for stuff you get valuable stuff-

Expect it for free ,you get garbage".

Mind you, the 'One Minute With Dec' stuff is pretty damn good...as witnessed by the amazing thank-you's I get.

I design the 'One Minutes' to be fresh, to give an insight into the way successful guys think and operate in our business.  I do feel that quite a few music makers, particularly nowadays, operate in a very isolated environment.  This inevitably leads to convincing themselves that their music is fantastic and 'better' than the 'crap' on the radio every day.  This way of thinking always comes from not being involved in the cut-throat, vicious, successful, 'sharp-end' of this great Industry.

I see this every day from the Emails and calls I get [139 yesterday morning!].  I also see it vividly from the demos which guys send me.  Even though I ask Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' not to send demos until they have been under my wing for at least seven months.  Incidentally 100% of them are amazed at how correct this advice is.  Cos' they change dramatically, in every way.

There is no mileage whatsoever in sending a demo to ANYONE [even me] for critiquing.

WHY?

Well, most companies who offer critiquing service [we steadfastly refuse to] are nothing but scams.  They trot out standard letters and stamp the lyrics with a dated 'approval' rubber stamp.  They never give 'help' as such and certainly do not show any way forward to writers, performers or producers.

Sincere Advice:

Please do not ever send a demo for evaluation or critiquing!  Save the postage!  You will not advance your career one jot.

If you are very honest with yourself, you will admit that any genuine criticism of your precious work will not be well received by you.  What you really want to hear is that your creation is incredible, fifty times better than the 'rubbish' in the charts and destined to make you $1Mill. if you could only get past those crooked b*stard Executives at BMG, Sony and Universal.

When Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' have been with me for eighteen months, I do encourage them to send me a proper Hit Potential Demo for COMMERCIAL EVALUATION.  That is a totally different animal.  I give them a specific break down on whether it will MAKE MONEY and also get the commercial opinion of two of my Industry pals....so you know exactly and precisely whether you are heading towards making money or not...a bit different?

"I am not in the slightest interested in whether it is 'great' music. 

Only whether it will make money.  If that upsets you, then you are in the wrong business."

The most common mistakes in demos?

It really involves not being immersed in sellable, commercial music.  In other words, music that sells and makes money.

A Member sent me a great demo...music good, jump factor good, sounds were good - with a lot of memorability....BUT!

 I listened to his song....good fun - and the sentiment was right on the button. But the subject was about the 'Rip Off' nature of the financial oppression which folk in the UK have gotten used to in the past six years and not realised it.  The taxation is now at an all time high, the services which UK folk have somehow been duped into expecting 'for nothing' are approaching the worst in the civilised world.

I advised the Member that kids today would not be interested in such a 'mature' subject. They certainly are not interested in Politics and the Socialist Government has successfully turned Britain into a culture of 'dependent' citizens, happy to slave all week, collect their tit-bits from Social Security and piss it all against the wall for the weekend...showing up meekly for work on Monday to do it all over again knowing that their Visa and MasterCard are full and the mortgage is two months behind.  The Testerossa they fantasised over at age twelve is now substituted for a 12 year old Ford Orion.

The real story is that the record buying public want 'boy to girl, girl to boy' conversational, love orientated lyrics....containing a caressing, commercial, memorable line that will bear repeating many, many times through the song. There should be no more than 29 differing words through the piece and have more hooks than a pirate convention.

A good test of a 'today' lyric is to speak it and ask yourself would a girl say those words to a boy in a screaming loud disco/club?

The Member's song title of: 'Rip-off Britain' sort of said it all!  Would that be sung by a gang of girls on a 'girls night out' in a pub on Friday night? 

"If you speak the truth, have a foot in the stirrup".
Turkish proverb

"A gentleman is a man who can play the accordion but doesn't."
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