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'One Minute With Dec'

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 of help from his friends.

We do not condone any Music Scam on the Net

This Email first mailed to all Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' and subscribers to 'One Minute With Dec' on

31 AUGUST 03

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'One Minute With Dec'

"My Emails Are Written With Good Humour And Should Be Read With A Smile"

[-The views of any contributor to 'One Minute with Dec' are not necessarily the views of Dec Cluskey-]

"Truth - Accuracy - with no Flannel....that is our promise here at 'The Serious Writers Guild'.
But we cannot vouch for the contributions of others...
Please alert us to inaccuracies and help us maintain our high standards."
Clive Sanderson [legal dept. Serious Writers Guild] clivesanderson@makehits.com

New format!

Since I am always shouting and screaming at Members [and non-members] to be very aware of the charts, I shall publish the top three in the chart at the time of writing. Music changes perceptibly every three months and at the moment we are going through a huge shift....but you noticed that...huh? Success in music=writing what the public want=the music 12-18 year olds buy=knowing your business=knowing the charts.

Check out Malise with 'Milkshake' just to illustrate that point...should be released soon and you will see all producers rush to copy that watershed style.

1)Blu Cantrell featuring Sean Paul: "Breath" [Arista]

2) Sean Paul: Like Glue [VP/Atlantic]

3) Ultrabeat: "Pretty Green Eyes [All Around The World]

Hey...I don't like that....[Huge Grin!] Sean Paul has joined my exclusive club...There are very few artists who have achieved two in the Top Five at the same time....i did! 'I Believe' and 'Diane'. Mind you, a pal of mine, now sadly departed, Ruby Murray, had 5 in the Top Ten at the same time...unbelievable....she was with our office! A lovely lady, from Ireland, and greatly missed.

USA

www.liveperforming.com I am sure you have visited the site which is specially for performers. I want to tell you that is was constructed by Martin MacCormack....one of our members. If you are contemplating setting up a site or you have an exisitng site, get in touch with Martin...he will advise a help....act as a consultant and even design for you....he is more than stunning...he is unbelievable...setvice is amazing

Just Click on this link to get Martin: : Connovar

MP3 Announcement From MP3: MP3.com Europe regrets to inform you that we will no longer continue to offer localised sites in UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Netherlands. We hope you have enjoyed our service. Artists: Please be aware that you can still access your Artist administration login via the US site www.mp3.com and that your content will continue to be available on that site. [So it looks weird for the guys uploading their music on the Net....I would have to say i saw all this coming. I have always thought that MP3 and such like, on the Net, would simply be for 'vanity' uploading...and certainly not for getting a deal....I don't know one Executive who would even know how to listen to an MP3!]

My Warnings came true! Looks like my warnings over the past months have come true....how about that 'W32.sobig.F@mm Virus...wow! We smashed past our record of 313 in one day. Last Monday we lost count at over 1,000. We had been well warned but even we were surprised. That episode has been, yet again, a watershed in Internet thinking. The Internet Providers have taken drastic steps against 'attachments' and particularly music attachments...they just won't get through. So the advice I have always given to never send a music attachment to anyone in the business was perfectly correct.

Bad news for the Internet Sadly, this Virus episode has meant that well meaning Sites like our own will have to have a major rethink in sending stuff, as the Providers are clamping down on anything that is not simply text messages between friends...trust me! We get loads of stuff returned. Coupled with the fact that the porn providers and 'penis enlargement' guys are swamping us with flashy emails...that means that the Providers are clamping down on anything with Gif's or Jpegs...it means, in effect, that the style of Emails now cannot move forward...I quite like sending out flashy Emails...now with voice on, even....but the Nerds have forced the Providers to clamp down....sad.

You had better start practicing this to be top of the charts [giggle!]

This last week The MTV Video Music Awards took place in New York. The biggest shock of the evening was Madonna snogging Britney and Christina while they performed 'Like a Virgin' and 'Hollywood'.

First Madonna grabbed Britney - Madge was open mouthed, full on kiss - whilst Britney looked like she was really going to go for it. When it was Christina's turn though, Madonna only gave a slight peck...was she upset?

The crowd were stunned, Eminem was even taken aback. Justin Timberlake looked very un-amused when Britney put her tongue in Madonna's mouth.

SUCCESS.....SUCCESS.......SUCCESS......is your story here? The only Music Site to publish Member's success stories week by week, by week, by week, by week!!!! The proof, just this week, from Members, that 'How To Make A $Million From Your Music', the ten month program, works:

"Just been asked to perform @ ITC 2003 - unsigned (MUST BE doing something right!) + been told by a marketing exec I'm "SO marketable and seriously, you have no idea HOW much" + some other strange but great celestine perfectly timed coincidences that look like leading to some great opportunities... And you know what? I'm definitely ready for them!!!

Thanks Dec, for sharing all your ideas...Sean G Clarke (artist/songwriter/producer - V7) nner]

Most of our success stories were lost in the nightmare that was Sobig.F virus this week...but the best one is our Member who is now writing for two of the biggest acts on the '19' management roster....Wow! I'm sworn to secrecy at the moment...but what a story!

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SUBSCRIBER'S SECTION

I have a Member who gets far more than his money worth....you will know that any Member of The Serious Writers Guild can call me on my private phone straight to my studio desk....I actully answer the phone. This member is so worried about his gear and operating it correctly....I suggest to him always that he is better off just getting on and making a hit Record! He asked me about the relative gain between desks and some effects units. He is paranoid about 'noise'...not a bad thing but he is obsessed!

I advised him:

There are two standards : 4 DB and -10 DB

Usually there is a pad switch on the back of good quality gear to switch between these two standards. 4 DB is obviously a hotter signal and may need a 'pad' on the channel input to reduce this level, the stereo returns on the Soundcraft Spirit range have these pads set at 0DB and -10 DB.

At the end of the day you can get deeply immersed in this whole dilemna of relative DB's. The best thing is always to focus on everything being at 0DB or slightly hotter than 0DB...that is what all the Pro's do and so do I.
At risk of repeating myself, you need the hottest signal into the effects/compressor/limiter so that you can turn the returns down to give the least noise in the chain.

All your attention should be focused on that magic 0 DB.

You are worried about running your mixing desk in the orange and red. The 14DB you refer to is the tolerance of the desk. In other words, it will take an overload of up to 14DB, but anything higher will distort. And as the equipment is not valve driven, then the distortion will be break-up rather than the smooth saturation that analogue valve gear and tape gives.

N***, be careful that you don't spend all your energy in fiddly, nit picking, engineering and technology matters. It's the sound that counts and the commercial feel of the song...not 0DB. The 0DB idea is just something to be known and observed, it is second nature to all good producers and should be to 'educated' engineers.

Regards

Dec [Cluskey] dec@makehits.com

"I don't have a bank account, because I don't know my mother's maiden name.
Paula Poundstone

Regards

Dec

"You cease to work for a living

the minute you get paid for what you do."

Chris Wright [Serious Writers Guild Member]

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Gag of the Week

We'd We'd like a room, please," the bloke said, nodding toward his misses. "We
were married this morning."
"Congratulations," the desk clerk said, "how about the bridal?"
"No thanks, just a room. I'll hold her by the ears until she gets the hang
of it."

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