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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
18.03.02
"I
love your, 'One Minute With Dec'... you're the guy!
I have suspected a lot of what you say for some time, thanks for confirming it. Your advice is incredibly inspiring - I' m now beginning to write songs the right way!!"
John Seiffer [Member No: NET0620030W]
"One Minute With Dec"
"My Emails are written in good humour, and should be read with a smile"
Well, what a can of worms I opened last week.
I had a representative from the Agents Association in the UK on to me...really up in arms over the conduct of The Musicians Union. She was livid at the fact that Mr McClune [I've got his name right now!] wouldn't even speak to her.
Then the President of a second Agents Association [we have two official bodies in the UK] equally up in arms...he wants to do an editorial on the fact that The Musicians Union can act in such an arrogant, supercilious manner. My legal people, equally, are of the opinion that the union cannot hide behind the fact that putting an organisation like The Serious Writers Guild on their 'Special Notices' page which gives the impression that we are disreputable and then not being available to answer queries, is morally indefensible.
Not one of the guys who called the Union got to talk with Nigel Mc Clune...try it yourself: 020 7582 5566
Ah well.....enough. Advising and looking after the Members of the 'Serious Writers Guild' is more important to me. One guy asked me to check out a contract to supply a toon for Sinead O'Connor...another with two toons in a Kung Fu Masters film being shot in Sweden.
Member Dave Menzies wrote: "The MU thing is bizarre. You should read Frank Zappa's book for his experiences on working with Unions (orchestras in particular)"
Nick Hall, another Member, commented: "Musicians Union? crap! is all I can say to that, yours is the best advice I've ever had. Although you do have terrible taste in music (grin)."
Sorry Nick, I only like music that makes money! A sobering attitude which pulls a lot of writers up by the boot straps. I make music that 'sells'...I don't make music to please other writers and musicians...only to please the buying public. Once you grasp that logic you are more than half way to success.
Dinner with HRH Prince Philip last Sunday night
Thank you, those who were fascinated . Had a wonderful time, good food, wine and he was on great form...I even played mouthorgan for him - that's how I started in this business...did some stuff with Phil Everley yonks ago...you may have heard the track....he wanted me to go back to Nashville! Said I would make a fortune playing on sessions...well, I did it my way in the UK....I think I made more...what do you think?
Lunch today:
I had lunch today with my pal, John Davies [involved in the original JPS Formula One Team], who was quick to point out that, in his opinion [and, strangely enough, in mine] 97% of guys seeking success in music get terrified when they get near success...they literally are afraid of finding themselves responsible for their own lives. I have long understood that logic and it is one which songwriters, composers, performers, should think long and hard about. I have seen it put in a lot of different ways, but it is, nonetheless, a genuine problem for 'nearly' successful guys.
Can you handle success?
Could you handle real success?
How would you handle TOTAL success?
You see, it's all very well dreaming of success in the Industry, but if it came tomorrow would you be willing and able to accept the responsibility of it all? The challenge? Suddenly you are on your own...trust me! If you think that managers, agents and promoters will take all the worry away...you are dreaming! That only happens in films!
They take the money, not the responsibility.
Your current friends will disappear, usually your current wife/girl friend/lover disappears [with the car, the jewellery and the lose change]. The decisions will suddenly be tough, demanding, and a lot of the time, not too pleasant. The money decisions will suddenly be about hundreds, thousands and maybe £Millions, whereas last week it was about 97p for a cup of coffee. Are you sure your 'bottle' would hold out?
Even Presley found it tough. "Elvis, we don't really need your two bit band now, we have the top session musicians...it sounds much better". The compromise was the four pals who sang with him on every record up till then, plus the session orchestras..but even then, after a while, the singers were dropped ...tough decision....could you do that?
I have seen many guys 'float to the top' in our business and then suddenly not be able to handle it...and sink right down again. Sad! One guy I spent three years grooming, nurturing and encouraging...and that is one of the main reasons I stay miles away from managing artists. Oddly, that is one of the principle reasons Record companies and Publishing companies plus production Companies do not EVER get involved in polishing and supporting talent today.
It is much smarter for promoters to wait and see who floats to the top, then pick the best.
In fact, that is precisely what I do today. Now - there is an important 'secret' in our business to ponder. And mega important if you are thinking of getting involved in managing bands, talent or starting your own label, production company. For instance one of the Members of The Serious Writers Guild has done my 'How To Make A £Million From your Music' program and feels he wants to start his own Record Company. Let's quickly look at what he is doing and how I advised him...it may be relevant to your situation.
He has organised a PO Box address for the label and through word of mouth have so far created interest to work with three different bands, FROWSER, a heavy-rock guitar band who have previously released two CD demo's, THE UNCHOSEN, a rock band (with one CD demo to date), and RAPUNZEL who are currently working as a covers band.
PO Boxes:
PO Boxes are totally frowned on in our business...stinks of 'something to hide'...never have a PO box. and NEVER have a mobile phone contact...amateur in the extreme. You will notice that many organisation and MYSELF, for that matter are totally available to Members. I am highly suspicious of anyone who hides behind a PO box number....except in South Africa where it is the norm, for security and safety reasons
"Do I actually need to join the MU, BPI or AIM as a requirement of setting up the label? Would you advise I did?" asked Stuart.
Forget MU...waste of space. [I wonder why I say that?]
You only need to belong to Organizations when you MAKE MONEY. Most 'nearly successful' guys want to rush out and attempt to join every Organisation that will have them. No, No, No.
You only need PRS, PPL, ASCAP, MACP, BIEM, Harry Fox etc. when you are MAKING MONEY. Those organisations exist to COLLECT money, so if there is no money to collect, there is no point in annoying them with applications to join.
My Advice?
As I say in the 'How To Start Your Own Publishing Business For Less Than £100" you need to have everything in place. The application letters written, the contracts ready, the Publishing Company up and running so that as soon as you get the magical release date for the first CD, plus the CD Number and publishing details, then you are ready to action all of that within days. EASY?
"I am very interested in learning as much as I possibly can about setting up the label and as you mentioned when we last spoke, about the option of setting up a publishing company which will run alongside the label. This I am very keen to find out more about."
You need the Publishing company in place info at www.makehits.co.uk/publishing.htm and all the info as to what to do is all in there. That will make you money and completely protect your copyrights and the copyrights of present and future recording artists.
"I have contacts within the local press and a local advertising firm and a friend who is currently working on our website and logo designs.
Please can you assist me in finding out who I need to contact with regards to trademarking/protecting my logo and label name."As with most inexperienced businessmen, Stuart is dealing with all the peripheral stuff first...buying the fax machine, the database computer, the telephone system, renting the offices, the staff...that's all codswallop...concentrate on making money....and you can do that from your kitchen table, with just one phone line, which is normally in situ anyway...use a mobile, if you must! But make money, don't spend it.
Protecting Logo's and stuff comes basically under the same banner as protecting your 'Toons'. It is interesting to note that, in the UK, and I would suspect in the rest of the world, it is impossible to copyright, trademark a 'name'. The element of 'copyright infringement' only comes into play when the 'representation' of the image is copied. In other words, the easiest way to understand this is to understand the famous name of 'Mac Donalds'.
Understand 'Mac Donalds' you understand 'trademark'
No one in the world can stop you opening a business called Mac Donalds. Provided that you do not put a sign up that is palpably the same as the famous Mac Donalds sign on all the hamburger establishments...understand?
As I always explain, picture yourself standing in front of a judge. The judge says: "Sir, you have opened a hamburger shop and you have displayed a sign which is, at 100 paces, indistinguishable from the plaintiff's representation of their name, Mac Donalds, what have you got to say in your defense?"
Case proven!
So, Stuart has got to take all reasonable care to establish that his Record Label name has not been taken already [silly to call it 'Virgin']. Call PRS is the best way to check that a name has not been taken...they are more than helpful. If he has a unique design for the logo then copyright the 'representation' of the logo. He can do that through his own Publishing Company or through the relevant 'Trademarking' authorities...although that will take forever - and cost a fortune. He really should be more worried that his 'representation' is not infringing on another's copyright than anyone 'nicking' his idea!
Now the Material for The Record Company:
"I realise you must receive numerous requests for help within the music business from people like me and from people wishing to send you their demo's, but if I may, would it be possible to send you the FROWSER demo for your personal opinion and feedback."
As regards the demos...Stuart
SHOULD know what a hit demo is now, he has completed the 'How To Make A
£Million From your Music' program, so he is an Associate Member of The Serious
Writers Guild although he hasn't done the Master Class yet.
I find that demos from anyone outside The Serious Writers Guild are totally out of sync with what is required in today's industry. Generally 15 years out of date rubbish...not meant to offend..just the truth!
In starting a new record label all the same rules come into play that apply to the 'Biggies', unless you want to have a struggling, niche label, catering for very narrow tastes...and that usually becomes a labour of love and not a proper, viable, commercial venture.
No....
You have to release Potential Top three material that will sell to 12-18 year olds and fits all the criteria that I set out in 'How To Make A £Million From your Music' at www.makehits.co.uk/swgintro.htm
A final warning to Stuart and to all those going down the road of starting their own labels:
Be desperately careful that you are not doing this for your own 'vanity'...just like the demo sessions, the CD pressing, the printing 500 copies , giving away 50 to friends, neighbours, colleagues and then leaving 400 in a cardboard carton in the garage, getting damp and gathering dust...moaning that no one appreciates good music anymore, the charts are rigged, and 'Popidol' is a 'fix'.
"Women who seek to be equal with men
lack ambition"
Timothy
Leary
Regards
Dec
""My father hated radio and could not
wait for television to be
invented so he could hate that
too."
Peter De Vries
Tip of the week: Strive to find an electronics guy who loves his work, delivers the goods, doesn't charge a fortune for dodgy repairs, guarantees his work and will drop everything when your mixer power supply fries itself in the middle of that important session...I've got one and I look after him....WELL! Don't even try to ask me for his name...no chance!
It had to happen:
Q:
How many female lead vocalists does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Just
one - she holds the bulb and the world revolves around
her!
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BUT..........."
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