 |
The widest read, 'delivered to your Email box', weekly music Ezine on the Music Net.
The Archive - '2'
A FREE service from 'The
Serious Writers Guild' at MAKEHITS.COM
Written by Dec Cluskey with a little bit of help from his friends.
This Email first mailed to all Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' and subscribers to 'One Minute With Dec' on
16 FEB 05
FREE INFO PACK? QUICK CREDIT CARD HOTLINE?
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"
Run by real, successful, active, performing and music making human beings - not 'faceless' businessmen.
=================================
'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-]
" A wise man learns from experience, but a wiser man learns from the experience of others"
peter christakos
MENU:
Kate Hart and Motor City Express along with Terrie Lea and the Mustangs will share the stage at Memphis Smoke on Wednesday, February 23rd. Terrie’s group will take the stage at 9:00 p.m. Kate Hart will follow.Both women sing in the group Detroit Women and have been individually/collectively been nominated and/or the recipients of the 2004 Detroit Music Awards.Place: Memphis Smoke
Address: 100 South Main, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Phone: 248-543-4300 or 248-366-0027
Time: 9:00 PM
2nd album is finished and that we've got a few shows coming up!
Sun 20th March - The HiFi Club, Central Rd, Leeds. Free Entry - 01132427353
Sat 9th April - Moles Club, 14 George Street, Bath. www.moles.co.uk
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.
"Life is too short to sit on the sidelines; it is much more fun to give it your enthusiastic best."
bob apple
Food for thought - about Nashville and 'country'?
"Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much!"by Barye Cassell
(taken from the December 2004 issue of The Nashville Music Guide)
The most common mistake I have found with artists and bands is lack of focus. Too many times I have heard, I can do anything from country to rock to blues.If being a label act is your goal this is the wrong answer. Often times this comes from the desire to grab at anything that looks like it will be the path to stardom. Over the years I have met numerous individuals that tried to make it in New York or Los Angeles and have come here thinking that they could become a country artist as a last resort, because they could sing country and it had to be easier here to make it.
This is far from the truth, as they discovered much to their dismay.
The key is focus. Defining your style, sound, music, and show. If you cannot put these things into words, then you still do not have focus. Being able to define yourself is what will determine to an important degree how far you will get.
Many bands and artists have allowed the record companies and their producers to change their focus and their first albums did so poorly it was their last. The sound and feel was not what the band or artist was about. They did not have enough of a defined focus to carry their vision into the record.
Many other variables figure into the equation about getting signed, including level of talent, commercial marketability, ability to write quality songs, ability to write lots of quality songs, stage performance, charisma, ability to be instructed, how easy to work with, and just being in the right place at the right time.
Remember the most important thread in your fabric of success is focus.
Success Stories and Thank-You's:
USA [my thanks to Charles in the USA for supplying this]
(1) Let Me Love You, Mario 3rd Street
(2) 2 Step, Ciara Featuring Missy Elliott
(3) Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Green Day
UK
1) U2 - 'SOMETIMES YOU CAN't MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN'
2) ELVIS PRESLEY - 'WOODEN HEART'
3) EMINEM - 'LIKE TOY SOLDIERS'
UK Download Chart [now the most important chart in the UK]
Elvis? A bit of a joke now...and the radio DJ's are beginning to have a laugh...always a bad sign.
Mario celebrates the 8th week at the top of the USA chart and the UK download chart continues to show a different aspect to music.
By all accounts we are just a few weeks away from the grand day when some form of meaning is finally returned to the singles chart with the integration of downloaded sales.
Predicting exactly what effect this will have is actually quite tricky as the widespread availability of a particular track online appears at first glance to have little effect on the way it performs at retail.
U2 are a case in point. Their last single 'Vertigo' could have got away with being the biggest ever download-only track thanks to its use in a famous series of adverts for iPods. Available as a download well ahead of its commercial release, it duly topped the download chart for several weeks, only to also soar to Number One when released as a single proper back in November.
Now
'Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own' arrives as a second single from the
acclaimed 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb' album but the impact it has had as a
download has been negligible, either as a single or as an album track. Instead
it sells strongly enough as a retail single to fly to the top of the sales chart
to give U2 back to back Number One hits for the first time in their long and
distinguished career.
" The
ultimate inspiration is the deadline"
Subscriber's Section:
Rather a deep one this time...but interesting for those serious about recording.
Hi Dec,
I need your help with something. I invested this week into producing an 'exact' cover of Ashlee Simpson's 'Pieces of Me'. This was done as a learning experience... and did I ever learn a few things! It's very difficult to make an exact reproduction of something.
I mean the performances were all excellent, and the arrangement was done identically, and the vocal performances and arrangement were all excellent. I've found that recording in my studio has improved 200% since moving to Pro Tools on a G5 platform (With spending very little...), so that's a definite positive. And I did everything according to the book (Your suggestions re: Compression, Focusrite, etc.) and it's definitely my best recording to date. However, when I listened to the two songs side by side, my recording was blown away by the Ashlee Simpson version. I used to think that commercial production was great, but now I think it's incredible. And to think that people want to download this stuff for free! Unbelievable.
The point is Dec, that I truly now wonder how could I have been so stupid for all of these years!
I think that for getting my production skills to a #1 level I'm going to have to improve some areas... EQ... and so on. But most importantly I'm wondering what the best way for me to extract the 'performance' from the vocalist is? So many vocalists can 'sing' very well, but it's really getting the performance that is important.
Now I can truly see the very real importance of the aping exercises and why you suggest them.
What other avenues might you suggest for me to take a look at for getting my production to a #1 level?
Now I've got my guitar playing to get to #1, singing to get to #1, songwriting to #1, and production to #1, business skills to #1, team building skills to #1, live performance to #1, and most importantly getting wealth building and happiness to #1.
Any suggestions you might have are appreciated.
Regards,
S**** Z*******
My Reply:
Yep
I understand where you are coming from.
<<<<<<<<<<,getting my production skills to a #1 level I'm going to have to improve some areas... EQ... and so>>>>>>>>>
Much misunderstood! My EQ's rarely stray from flat. Always believe the sample. And if the singer requires massive EQ change...then change the singer!
Today thinking is that the kik and bass may benefit from a little added bottom...only a little. The 'underneath' of a bass should be provided by adding 'tone' as a sub bass. Today's sample kiks [Black Butta] have all the bottom end required at flat.
Vocals should sit flat, maybe a hint of boost at 3.5Kz to give hardness....the compressor will then harden more.
<<<<<<<<<,But most importantly I'm wondering what the best way for me to extract the 'performance' from the vocalist is? So many vocalists can 'sing' very well, but it's really getting the performance that is important. >>>>>>>>>
Producing a vocalist [once the studio ambience is dead acoustically and you are using a decent condenser mic.] is a case of having the experience to draw the performance out of the singer. Usually by latching on to various bits of his/her individual style and encouraging her to give more of that. Latch on to mispronunciation of certain words...can sound great! Also wrong grammar can be sizzling [Jamelia: "the speakers is pumpin"]
If the singer has not got an 'arsenal' of vocal tricks then sadly all she will do is 'sing'....she will never give you a performance.
I cannot emphasise the studio ambience enough. I am mentoring a Hip Hop band who are really moving. I advised them to construct a vocal booth and line it with rockwool, suitably covered in coloured linen. Carpet floor, with a curtain hung on at back so the vocalist is totally enclosed. Foam padding on the wall he sings toward and the mic suspended from the top. The vocal sound [using Protools] is something else! They use bomb factory compressor plug in.
However, S****, if the vocalist cannot deliver a 'performance' then no amount of work on her will ever give a Hit. And the Hit is in the vocal performance...the music is simply the frame around the picture. It is the vocal that produces the 'jump, the 'bounce' not the track. 99% of novices get that the wrong way round. Listen to a Beyonce track or a Jamelia track....the drums are hardly doing anything....the vocal is making it jump. And that is a lot to do with the meter of the lyric and the way it is delivered....study Jamelia at the moment!
These guys went down that road of trying to work with a bad singer...and on my advice sacked one of the girls. That frightened the cr*p out of the other girl and she really got her act together!
Strangely, the more live gigging the band does, the better the studio performance becomes. It hardens the voice and makes it what we call 'gigged'.
At the end of the day, it is experience that makes a great producer, not the equipment.. I still use Roland U110 [ancient] for strings....but I write great strings! I also use an ancient Korg P3 piano module .... but the compression techniques I use make it the best 'today' piano I have ever heard. [Of course I use latest gear as well]
Regards
DEC [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk
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: [Willie is back on form?]
Air Force One Conversation:
The President, First Lady and Dick Cheney were flying on Air Force One.
George looked at Laura, chuckled and said, "You know, I could throw a $1,000.00 bill out of the window right now and make somebody very happy".
Laura shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I could throw ten $100.00 bills out of the window and make ten people very happy".
Cheney added, "That being the case, I could throw one hundred $10.00 bills out of the window and make a hundred people very happy".
Hearing their exchange, the pilot rolled his eyes and said to his co-pilot, "Such big-shots back there. Hell, I could throw all of them out of the window and make 56 million people very happy".
============================================
The Professional service the Professionals use. Even available for voice and guitar!
Simply get in touch by Email - click this link: demo@makehits.co.uk and tell me that you want to send your material for a full critique and appraisal. We will then send you a unique PIN number to put on your letter or Jiffy Bag. This will ensure you get immediate attention. This is also for security reasons. We do not open unsolicited Jiffy Bags.
For full details click on this link: www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm
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"
[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: dec@makehits.com
For your further protection, we are recognised by British Actors Equity.
Dec Cluskey
The Serious Writers Guild,
Stanton Prior,
Darley Road,
Meads,
Eastbourne BN20 7UH in the UK
Email: dec@makehits.com
Fax.: +44 (0)1323.729318
FREE INFO PACK? QUICK CREDIT CARD
HOTLINE?
or just prove we are real?
+44 (0)1323.728005
[UK office hours]
Also at:
Denton Road
Meads
Eastbourne
and
Il Cortes Del Golf, El Paraiso, Benavista, Costa Del Sol, Spain
Sign up now or risk losing the place to someone else.
The number of places is strictly limited per year, so act now, today. Click the blue link under:
Order 'How To Make A $Million From Your Music' Now?
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.
Copyright ©2005 MakeHits.com, Dec
Cluskey. All rights reserved.
http://www.makehits.com/oneminarchive160205.htm -- Revised: 16 FEB 05 Copyright © 200 5 MAKEHITS. All rights reserved.Maintained by: makehits.webmaster@makehits.com |
