Well, here we are at the end of another year….and twenty plus Emails to tell me I got Gordon Haskell's name wrong last week...whoops!

Looking at how fast this year has gone, I am reminded of the great answer the legendary film actor, Tony Curtis, gave when asked to sum up his life:

"At 22 I moved to New York, checked into a cheap motel, had a shower, shaved and changed, and then I came to this interview"

I’m sure you’ll agree that everyone can empathize with that statement…life is just too fast. My New Year’s resolution is to slow down, smell the roses, and concentrate on the important projects in my life. And ‘The Serious Writers Guild’ will be my main focus. This past year has meant so much to me. The success of the Members has stunned me. Every day I get Emails with stories of guys getting deals, getting major tours, Publishing contracts, film contracts….

Down to business:

I constantly advise Members to look ahead, don’t look back, both in terms of new sounds, new writing ideas, new production and vocal tricks. The temptation to relax into your usual way of writing, performing and producing is very strong, but you must create ‘future’ music. Stuff that will stand up in six, twelve months. Eighteen months time.

Having got a tune and lyrics together, deciding how to arrange it so it's innovative and fresh in six months time is a challenge. You have to look carefully at what others are doing, their choice of sounds, music feels, tempos, moods and how they are used. You have to get out and about to anticipate what will sell a lot of months down the line.

Would you care to know where I think things are heading? After all, I was dead right about Eminem!  Mind you, I never anticipated Gordon Haskell!

In the UK, listen to Trevor Nelson Saturday afternoon Radio One...the R & B charts....go to any 'alternative' record shop and ask for the latest R & B / Hip Hop stuff from underground sources in the States....if you are living in the States, then make R & B and Hip Hop your daily diet, regardless of what musical genre you prefer to write, perform or produce.

Listen to Trevor again on Rhythm Nation Radio One 11-1am on Sunday nights.....same deal......

If you are into ‘rock’, then listen to Mary Ann-Hobbs on UK Radio One Monday nights….this will show where rock has gone. Rock music makers are, without a shadow of a doubt the most ‘stuck in a time warp’ bunch in the whole of the music world.  I have never had a ‘rock’ demo sent to me that is even vaguely in the ball park as regards what is required for success today in that very difficult genre…sorry!

If you are into country, then think carefully about the sort of thing 'Westlife' and similar bands are looking for…soft country, tinged with R & B.

One Member suggested that: "Clinically clean acoustic guitar work, more perceivable silence in all parts, a grittier feel overall and an increase in bpm" would be the music of tomorrow..

Guitar work is already here and done to death....Boyzone, Westlife, Honeyz, Destiny's Child (two years ago)..etc. etc.....

'Silence' is merely a producer showing off how 'quiet' his mixes are....yes, I've done it, still do...and there are a lot of tracks around that do it...one in the charts this week...heard it in the car...can't remember the title...total silence for a full second. It is not a trend, rather a technique....

. 'Grittier feel'...is an overall evolution in music...more compression, more hard mids., more aggressive mix.....yes, my Member is right there....

Increase in BPM....is merely 'garage'...that is basically what garage is....the faster R & B and Dance mixes.....check out Radio One Sunday nights....any of the 'in the mix' programmes.....'best of UK garage'.....

You tend to get a feel for the future by looking at the past and understanding how music has changed from two years ago.....dance 'feel' changes dramatically every three months......for instance:

Listen to the POP stuff of two years ago...then listen to 'today'.... then project yourself forward...we are well past the times of predicting that a 'genre' of music is going to take over the charts completely...those days are well gone....there is room for everything...but there is always more room for the 'new' and 'innovative'.

Always remember that Craig David was totally a different genre three years ago.....now, there are loads of records with his influence on....but that influence has not yet showed itself in a 'group', 'band' situation...now there is a trend waiting to happen!

Next year’s trends?

R & B and Dance will still be there, ‘Chill Out’ albums will increase their share of the album market, and there will be a ‘Chill Out’ major hit or two. The year in the UK will be flooded with ‘Pop Idol’ releases, and it will be extremely difficult to interest a Record Company in any single artist unless they are from the ‘Pop Idol’ series.

There will definitely be a rush of ‘old fart’ music, after the unpredicted success of Roland Haskell.  There has always been a Jim Reeves, Val Doonican, Des O'Connor...dare I say it - 'Bachelors' track lurking around...I should know...I made fortunes from that idea.

But the problem is going to be marketing the product. The Pop radio stations will not play it, so the only way is plugging through Radio Two in the UK or MOR stations elsewhere. And that is where the professional song pluggers come in. So you have to have a ‘new’ style of 'old' music. Sounds like a contradiction. But the ‘pro’ writers who make money consistently from their music will absolutely understand this.

And the Video?

How do you create a stunning video that will catch attention with an old style song? Answer that question and your track could have ‘HIT’ written all over it!

Hope this helps....

Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps.
David Lloyd George

regards

DEC