The widest read, 'delivered to your Email box', weekly music Ezine on the Music Net.
The Archive
A service from 'The Serious Writers Guild' at MAKEHITS.COM Written by Dec Cluskey with a little bit opf help from his friends.
This Email first mailed to all Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' and
subscribers to 'One Minute With Dec' on
13.12.01
The Proof that the 'How To Make A $Million From Your Music' ten month course WORKS
It's easy for me to say that I have made $Millions from music...the proof is all there to see [check out my band 'The Bachelors'] in 'Guinness Book of Hit Records', 'Television's Greatest Hits', 'The Ten Best of Everything'....but it's better to see the success of Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' under my personal direction.
This week's Member's story:
“I simply couldn't believe
it, everything I ever wanted
to know since I was 7 years old!
“
dean adams [Member No: NET0526030W]
The Home of 'The Serious Writers Guild'
=================================
"One Minute With Dec"
"My
Emails are written in good humour, and should be read with a
smile"
Well…it’s finished….
‘One Minute With Dec’ –The Annual
What started out as a silly idea to collate all the ‘Minutes’ of this past year has turned into a stunning book. We have had weeks of long into the night writing and recording sessions….reason?
Well, as it all came together it became obvious that this was becoming a major work. Especially when we gave a Member a draft copy to read….what did he think?
“This is the standard by which all music books will be judged in the future – and they will fail!”
Those who receive ‘One Minute With Dec’ by subscription will have their full ‘Annual’ as a free Christmas gift from me, with my thanks, but it will be available in the New Year for sale…it really is something…
It’s 2am….I still have to record a promo for a special annual concert we do each year and get it off to the venue. Now there is an idea for you. Do you know that we actually record CD promos that are played at venues for weeks before we get there? The Members know all about those.
I just have to share this Email with you from one of the great new writers in the Guild. She has become a stunning writer and performer. This may seem ‘aggressive’, and overly critical as a reply, but this Member is heading for Fortunes so we are not in Sunday School here…this is the real music game now, we don’t pussy foot around. The Member wrote:
“Hi,
Has my CD been received by you in good safety?
It is easy to observe bands with both male and female members,
all male members, or just all female members...but I've often wondered why
a twosome, say a male and a female vocalist have not joined together as a
"band". Do you suppose that
this would not be accepted by the record buying public? (I vaguely remember a certain
Kylie and Jason...) Would
such a pairing work within current trends?
The 10 months of releases is nearly over for me now. Thank you
for sharing these teachings.
Regards
E.D. “
My Goodness you have improved as a writer and 'recorder'....a very interesting voice. Well put together and nicely engineered!
Is this a hit? Almost…
Ways to improve?
Some of the groupings of words are what we call in the business 'lumpy'...in other words they 'stick out' among all the lovely flowing Synonystic, gorgeous, boy/girl, girl/boy conversational words....you have the art of the smooth 'don't notice the words' but notice the odd 'great phrase'...which is the art of Hit lyric writing...get a copy of 'From the Heart' by ‘Another Level’...probably the greatest example of this! [it's on the ‘Notting Hill’ compilation]
The phrase 'From the Heart' is so gorgeous....and they repeat it and repeat it! There is no 'noticeable' repetitive phrase in your track: 'For Your Love'.
In your track there is no phrase that sticks in your mind ten minutes after you listen to it for the first time. You have heard it a thousand times and have probably convinced yourself that there is. I have listened to it twice! That's the difference.
"Now I see your tender smile" is a very 'lumpy' phrase...because of the 'ta' of 'tender' ....it's the way it sits in the meter of the lyric...those six words on their own look wonderful, but in the context of the whole lyric they protrude…that may seem too technical...but if I was producing I wouldn't let that go by....
NO PRODUCER?
After all I have said to you? This is the sort of thing a top producer would pick up on. Yep...I'm listening again now...and the lyrics sound even more 'lumpy'.
The vocal arrangement isn't nearly complicated enough. Each track of harmony needs to be three tracked...in other words, four part harmony would be twelve tracks in all. Your harmonies are too simplistic and they are just straight harmonies with the lead vocal.....modern day vocal arrangement demands intertwining alternative lines [Destiny's Child?]. And they should crash in right from the first ten seconds....you saved the only bit of intertwining to the last chorus! TOO LATE!
Today, a good producer would have four separate vocal ideas intertwining in the last chorus. 'Survivor' had that recently. As do most top ten tracks. You have to make the track much busier...so it sounds 'produced', professional and glossy.
For instance, I am finishing off a 'Bachelors' track for Germany...it has two tracks of lead vocal...one single and one for two tracking when in harmony with the other voices plus ad libs. Then five part intertwining lines from me..each tracked three times and treated with RSS to give two images of each voice, plus another set of my voices doing a different intertwining line...four part - each three times...then six part girl vocal each twice and treated with RSS.....how good is your arithmetic? Very quickly, I figure you will hear 81 vocals.
It won't notice...but it adds that indefinable 'gloss' and the 'magic'. I call it 'making the track expensive sounding'. That's how 'Destiny's Child' get that mega expensive 'in yer face' vocal sound....
You are fast heading
there....you are on the last furlong.
While on the vocals...the overall vocal sound is far too
thin...stinks of an engineer's idea of reverb....a top producer would use
at least three tracks of every voice plus RSS left / right double
imaging....CTF...'Compressed To F***'....that would sound almost
'dry' and would push the vocals out of the speakers and right up to your
ears...YES?
That reverb treatment is so 'passé'. It just thins your voice and drags it back into the speakers.
The vocal needs to be much softer, wider, thicker...your voice would lend itself beautifully to a modern day treatment by a good producer.
SOUNDS:
You have got to start being aware that on a 'today' track you have to find, invent, acquire 'unheard' before sounds. Most of this is done by inventive producers, not by buying new equipment. A couple of good CD sample discs from 'Time and Space'...particularly the 'Vinylistic' series...would give an awesome flavor to your music. A Member sought my advice on buying a S950 Akai sampler on the Net...same one as I use, and Norman Cook....simple to use, quick and efficient...a great workhorse.
Norman Cook works this way:
He will grab six great 'in yer face' samples that just knock his ears off and then force himself to use them in a piece....a great technique and worth using...I do that a lot.
Finally....
When you listen to a track for the first time you have got to be left with the feeling that it has brought you on a journey...in other words it started great, had great content and then had a twist toward the end and finished in such a way that you wanted to hear it again immediately [that is why they have repeat buttons on CD players]....
Ask yourself the question: did my 'For your Love' do that? I would say it 'almost'.
You have come so far...your music has improved dramatically...you are now at the stage you desperately need a method of judging 'pre-demos', so that you only spend money on creating 'sure fire' hit potential tracks. You must get all those bits of criticism above sorted before you get to a studio...it's too late once you start putting a track down properly.
The production only shows off a good hit potential track....it doesn't make it!
Wonderful progress! I'm impressed! You have a very commercial softness and wideness to the bottom of your range which you should exploit more. Think TLC.
Record Companies and Production Companies are constantly searching for the next 'new thing'.
The 'band' idea has been around for yonks and I'm sure you have read the reasons why in my writings. There is no reason whatever why a 'twosome' cannot break through...it's all about giving the public [though the record company] something new, innovative, never been done before, and then working like heck to promote it.
It then 'has to work'. If it doesn't work, and you believe in it, then work harder at it! You will have heard the phrase: "make your mind up very fast, change your mind very slow"
It's exactly the same with something you believe in and know to be what the public WANT.
regards
DEC
”I
don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have
to.”
-- Elvis Presley (1935
- 1977)
One moment with Stuart Goldsmith:
“Above
everything else, a goal is a written contract with yourself to do
something. To achieve even the
smallest goal requires discipline, work, and focus; all three in some measure
”.
Breaking Your Mould
the website of my good friend - Stuart Goldsmith
Heard enough, want to apply to join 'The Serious Writers Guild' and receive the award winning ten month program: "How To Make A $Million From Your Music" now?
"as secure as when you buy in your local shop"
I am so confident in the quality of the materials I offer, that if you are
not happy at anytime in your WHOLE LIFE with the product then just mail me and
ask for a complete, no-quibble, courteous refund! I mean it! Your payment will
be returned promptly and courteously and you will OWE NOTHING. In fact, as a
complimentary gift from me, I'll even let you keep all the releases that will
make your business EXPLODE WITH SUCCESS - totally free of charge.
This is not only a guarantee - it's a personal promise. There's no catch, and
there's no risk - I personally take ALL the risk.
We never advertise - I know and you know that songwriters/musicians tend to know a lot of other songwriters/musicians. If you sign up today and you introduce others to this program, I'm going to give you a full 35% commission on the $277 sale price for any of your friends who join. This means you could get the full cost of the program back AND make a profit within your very first month as a member - and thereafter it's pure profit for you. This money can help finance your music career, help pay off debts, or WHATEVER! I only want you to recommend this program to others if you seriously mean it.
When you sign up I'll tell you EXACTLY how to go about recommending this program to others and receiving your commissions - in fact, it's all a completely automatic process and I'll give you everything you need to get started!
"as secure as buying in your local shop"
On the secure page you can pay any way you feel comfortable and secure. The easy way is to pay us on our secure server with your card, but you can also pay by check, money order, or email transfer. You can even pay monthly by card....no problem.. just go to 'choose the product you require' and select the monthly payments option.
That works out at the equivalent of just $29.70 a month for a value of at least $750,000 over a ten month period, and it's all 100% risk-free with our iron-clad LIFETIME guarantee - you can't lose!
If you prefer 'Clickbank' for secure purchase just click on the logo:
[As members of The Data Protection Society your details will never be given to ANYONE]
To pay by any other method please check out the payment methods on the secure page. Any queries re payment just contact me directly. I'll get back in touch with you within hours: mailto:dec@makehits.com?subject=Urgent! Alternative Payment Request from MakeHits.com
For your further protection, we are recognised by British Actors Equity.
Sign up now or risk losing the place to someone else. The number of places is strictly limited so act now, today.
For your complete
privacy and protection 'The Serious Writers Guild' is proud to be registered
with the Data Protection Society Reg. number Z5952061. We never share your
details with anyone.
http://www.makehits.com/131201oneminarchive.htm -- Revised: 2003-02-26
Copyright © 2003 MAKEHITS. All rights reserved.
Maintained by: makehits.webmaster@makehits.com