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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 

"Self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment"   Maxwell
Maltz

I am changing the format of 'One Minute With Dec'.  With the proliferation
of Spam Blockers which knock back any Email which even mentions the 'pound'
sign or 'dollar' sign, we have been inundated with reports that the weekly
'One Minute' is not getting through.....so 'text' it is.

Short sharp, to the poi nt...a little abrupt maybe...but you know me by
now...that is how I am.  I ain't got time for niceties!

Engelbert Humperdinck+++++++++++

The reports back from his appearance with me presenting a Variety Club
Sunshine Coach was that everyone thought it was a 'wind-up'....it would be
a 'tribute' or look-alike...well sorry folks he was the genuine
article....and boy did he do everything required, way beyond the call of
duty.  My silver BMW slid into the Princess Park spot on 2.30pm...the great
man
stepped out and the reaction was awesome....yep, they really could not
believe it was him.  But that is what friends are for?

He insisted I go to the show that night and hauled me out for a special
mention.....I won't say I was embarrassed because all guys like me love that
adulation.
We had a great chat in the dressing room afterwards.  I would have to say
that I don't agree with a lot of Eng's ideas about vocals and sound....but
hey!  Can I knock 173 Million record sales?

Don't give the sound engineer a hard time++++++++++++

He had six wedge monitors in front of him, a full range Martin Audio cabinet
behind him and in-ear monitoring which cost him USD 7,500.  Hmmmmm!  My
thought is that that amount of foldback can make the sound engineer's job a
nightmare.....  and I suspect it did.

Lesson:  Always learn to accept the lowest amount of foldback/monitoring
...this will give the Front of House Engineer a fighting chance.  And it
will get you used to the low level that you will get in a major TV studio.
Members of The Serious Writers Guild know the tricks to using low level
monitors...and know the great results.

Eng. plugged our Gala show to death+++++++++++

The big night came....I had spent months working on the show.  So I have to
now disclose that that was the reason that the 'One Minute With Dec' has
been irregular lately....won't happen again....I promise.

The show was spectacular...Dame Vera Lynn was the Superstar she is - and
always has been.  My pals Paul Daniels and Debbie, Roger De Courcy, Joe
Pasquale and Joe Tracini were sensational.  Kylie created uproar and my band
were on top form....sounded stunning.

Thank you to the Members and 'One Minute' guys who came+++++++++

And one got a VIP tour of Jim Marshall's famous works in Milton Keynes.
What a lucky girl.

The donations brought a tear to my eye+++++++++++

Guys are still Emailing me with donations...unbelievable.

What's it all about++++++++++

My advice is to always have your own personal charity where you can see
exactly where the money goes.  So, can you imagine when Con [my brother]
simply said: "we would like to show you what this is all about".  He started
to sing 'Angels'.  The entire cast lit torches and shone them into the
audience....smoke.....an array of par cans pointing upwards.....wow!  Mirror
ball dropped down and caught the lights hurling flashes right through the
audience...spectacular.

We passed the main mics. among the principal performers.  At the guitar solo
the cast parted and four wheelchairs with four delightful little 'Angels' in
them.  Yep - four of our 'Special Needs' children....the atmosphere was
electric!  All directed by Bob Mayston [creative director of War of the
Worlds world tour]

So now we are counting the dosh made for the kids....and I ask you to
forgive my sporadic absences in the past few weeks.
===================
Dec

Well done!   What a great evening.   We all enjoyed ourselves and you must
all have worked so hard.

Best wishes

Nigel

Nigel Waterson .... MP for Eastbourne

Shadow Minister for Pensions .... Conservative Spokesman for Older People
=====================

Support fellow 'One Minute' guys?++++++++++++

This MONDAY 5th July
THE JUMP OFF MAKES A BIG MOVE TO MEAN FIDDLER
157 Charing Cross Road, London (nearest tube: Tottenham Crt Rd. Nxt to
Astoria)
www.meanfiddler.com

====================

Dec,

 Thank you so much for the encouragement and knowledge. I have been feeling
better and better and I have also been enjoying life a lot better in
general. I have also been considering performing again and also writing more
commercial lyrics and also more commercial tracks. Quincy
Ellis...Birmingham, Alabama, USA

===================================

I have learnt a hard lesson about using PC and second-hand Cubase software,
much to my great disappointment - you are right (as usual) about steering
clear of shops trying to fob you off with this gear.

I look forward to hearing from you.  Everything else is going absolutely
fantastic - every musician/writer should join the SWG in my opinion - thank
you so much!

Best Regards    Karen Mills
=================================

Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine
"Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business on his Web Page?
Subscribe  at: http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm
Great Business and Computer Tips - Monday thru Friday
Instructions to place your ad are in the Newsletter.

Best Wishes
Bob Osgoodby

=================================
Charts: +++++++++++++

UK
1) "Burn" .....   Usher
2) 'THE SHOW' ..... GIRLS ALOUD
3) "Everytime"   .... Britney Spears

USA
1) "I Believe" ......... Fantasia
2) "Burn" .....   Usher
3) "Confessions Part II" ......... Usher

AUSTRALIA
1) "F.U. RIGHT BACK" Frankee
2) "EVERYTIME" Britney Spears
3) "BURN" ........... Usher

Chart Comments:+++++++

Hey, that kinda freaks me out when I see the USA charts.... I had a Number
One with a track of the same name....freaky!

Usher just can't do no wrong....phenomenal success .... what a talent.  Will
he burn out?
=========================
Music/Show Biz News++++++++++++++

Marlon Brando: Does it really matter anymore what young, modern film critics
say about the Oscar-winning actor? Sure, he let his weight get out of
control and made news by lip-smacking a few tube hosts, but the man earned
respect long ago. Brando died last night at a hospital in Los Angeles that
he entered on Wednesday for reasons unknown at this time. Dean, Clift and
many other actors from his prime time were great because they studied
Brando, the one competitor who stood between them and the title of American
acting king. When he took the screen as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar
Named Desire or Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront or Don Vito Corleone in
The Godfather, the whole world was his stage ... and we all watched. You
don't replace a Marlon Brando. You just remember his greatness.
.
======================
"We have two ears, but only one mouth, so that we may listen more and talk
less"
Zeno [334-262 BC]
======================
Subscribers Section++++++++++++

"What kind of effect pedals does DEC like to use in his recordings?  My
favourites so far is the Univibe, EH micro synth, Roland CE 1".

My Reply++++++++++

Hi.......

I use a Marshall JMP1 module with a Digitech 256 midi'ed in the rack for
normal use.  Although I have programmed a lot of sounds myself in the JMP1
the presets are 'the business' and that is what I use most for studio work.

BUT!

We have another thirteen effects units available, plus loads of
compressors...we don't just go for a single 'guitar sound'.  Because I have
always produced, I have always been aware [like Brian May] of having the
guitar sound for the track...which is a 'thinking' that guitar players would
not begin to understand. I think in terms of 'frequencies' that need to be
there or taken away...so the 'effect' is almost a secondary thought.

I have found that the sound is in the player....I am a studio/live player
and not a live/studio player...in other words, I play on stage as if I was
in the studio...so I have a 'great sound', in that, it is the right sound
for the track. I can smash out a crunchy track or simply make a soft ballad
adorable with subtle playing.

'The sound is in the player'....Geoff Beck sounds like Geoff Beck no matter
what guitar or amp he plays.

Oh, by the way, using an 'amp' in the studio is even worse than using live
drums...an engineer will take a day to get a half decent sound...whereas
with a module [or drum samples] it's there just by dialling the knob.

I gave up amps years ago...I use the same rack on stage with a Marshall 4X12
cabinet pointing exactly at me....the main FOH is taken in stereo from the
rack through 'amp simulator' outs. I then use a Marshall 'Valvestate' rack
amp just for the 4X12.

For studio use I prefer a new Strat [I'm lucky, I get them given] and I have
an Ibanez 'Roadstar' for a thin 'cheap' sound and a tasty Les Paul for the
heaviest of heavy stuff....I am lucky again to have an array of acoustics to
'die for'...but then the trick is 'new strings' every session..how many guys
do you know that do that?

Hope this helps

Regards

DEC dec@makehits.co.uk


"Creativity not destruction, should be the yardstick of greatness"  ....
Fela Anikulapo Kuti [Musician]

Regards

Dec


=========================
You may use any part of this 'One Minute' in your own publications...we
simply require you to add:

Start ============

'One Minute With Dec' is written each week by Dec Cluskey.  Dec's advice?

Get in touch personally to discuss what you want to achieve in music
dec@makehits.com
web: www.makehits.com or call +44 (0)1323.728005

Finish===========

============================================
The gags   [the ladies get their own back?]

"A lady was in hospital suffering from an incurable illness and a beautiful
young nurse was looking after her.  One day the lady died and went up to
heaven.  When she got there, she found a window through which she saw a
table laid out beautifully for a big feast, she saw that her family and
friends were all sitting there waiting to greet her. When she arrived at the
Pearly Gates, St Peter was standing there on duty.  He said to the lady,
"You can't come through until you have spelt out a word for me".  "OK", said
the lady, "What word would that be?".  St Peter said "Love".  So the lady
spelt out "L O V E" and St Peter let her walk through the Pearly Gates.

A year later, St Peter had a day off and the lady covered for him and was on
duty at the Pearly Gates.   After a while, her husband turned up.  She asked
"What are you doing here?".  He replied, "It's a long story. You see after
you died, I married that beautiful nurse who cared for you, then we won the
lottery and we cruised all around the world.  Then I took up a dangerous
sport which killed me this morning, so here I am."  "Well, she said, "You
can't come in here until you've spelt out a word for me".  He asked, "What
word is that".  She told him, "Czechoslovakia"."

============================================

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