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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 - '2'

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Written by Dec Cluskey with a little bit of help from his friends.

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

28 Feb 06

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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-]

"Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood." Gypsey Teague

My favourite bits of gear?
Oh, I forgot....
And I also forgot....
Tip of the Day [selling music? by Bob Osgoodby]
The Visual Laugh [ caricatures like you have never seen]
Success Stories
Charts
Subscriber's Section [How did I get that voice sound in 57 Secrets?]
The Gags [Ageist?]

My favourite bits of gear?

I am never ashamed to say that I am in love with making music. I am particularly in love with playing guitar in the studio.

So why am I telling you this? I don't know, I just like telling people.... "Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans" [Desiderata]. Every time I walk out from my studio after playing I have this huge grin on my face and say to Sandy [my life partner] "my G*d, I played well". It's not a boast, it's simply telling the truth and enjoying the moment. So why do I enjoy it so much?

Truth is I just love the sound of my gear.... JMP1 Marshall valve module ... an ancient bit of kit by standards but used by all the top guys for convenience in the studio and sheer excellent Marshall sound. I know I go on about Marshall a lot .... but if you play guitar and use other amps, you are round the fr*gging bend! Especially for a 'today' commercial sound.

In my rack I also have a Digitech DSP 256XL multi Effects processor. You know the sort? You certainly know it's on! None of this subtle FX nonsense.

So the finished sound just makes you sound unbelievable in the earphones..... play the track....shoot some guitar and you sound like the Superstar guitar player you know you are. I tell you, I shock myself all the time! Finishing our 58th album [taking an age, by the way] just the guitars to finish and then mixing ... and that takes an age as well!

Oh, I forgot....

The other bit of kit which never ceases to amaze me is the Digitech Vocalist VR. If you have an innovative, creative brain for vocal sound, then you can create wild ideas with this simple bit of kit.

Just create a synth pad track in Midi for the whole toon. Then plug in a mic. in the front of the Digitech ... play the Midi and record your voice onto the recording medium [Computer, Hard Disc, whatever]. By shaping sounds with your mouth, you can create crazy effects that are so commercial. In any harmony configuration you want.....up to 6 part harmony. The doubling effect is particularly good if you use a cr*ppy low quality mic.

"Have fun! Misery is optional" - Jean Westcott

And I also forgot....

The guitars I use are to die for. Industry Standard Fender Strat. and a gorgeous Gibson Les Paul Custom. For acoustics I use a number of Gibson and Martin and a crazy old Hofner which has a quirky sound to it.

All chosen for their sound and not for the brand name ... mind you, the new strings every session is a heck of a secret to a great guitar sound.

"Character is a diamond that scratches every other stone" - Syrus A. Bartol

Tip of the Day

by Bob Osgoodby

Rejection

People want to do business with people. If you're in selling your music, and can't stand "Rejection", you're in the wrong business. Trying to market something online, does not shelter you from this either.

People will contact you and not buy into your offer.

Worse yet, you don't even get any contacts. If this is happening, you might want to ask yourself why. Many people will simply "quit" and write it off as a bad experience. Those who succeed find out why.

The first axiom of marketing is that people want to do business with people. If their only contact is with a page, that may or may not bear your name, they will most likely "click on by". Ask yourself - would you do business with someone you never heard of, know nothing about, and have no way of contacting?

Letting people know about you is one of the strongest statements you can make about your business. If you give a short background on yourself, with appropriate contact information, they most likely will have the necessary confidence to proceed. I have full contact information on my website, including a telephone number they can call in the event of a question or a problem.

Now you might think that giving your phone number to the world, is going to result in a lot of "bad things". Not true! In our 11 years of doing business on the Internet, I have never had a "crank" call - never. I post the hours that people can call, and receive very few calls outside of that time frame. After hours, I turn on the answering machine and give them the hours I'm available. I suggest a broadcast type of message which doesn't allow the caller to leave a message.

Another nice touch is to include your photo with your Bio information. As they say, "it's always nice to put a face with a name". The more you can establish a personal bond with your potential buyer, the greater your chances of success.

Follow up to all the legitimate replies you receive to find out why they have reservations. Just this process alone may swing them into your camp. Rejection is not always bad, and if you learn from your mistakes, it just may prove to be a positive factor.

Bob Osgoodby

"Every man must carry his own sack to the mill" - Italian Proverb [so true about success in music]

The visual laugh

A brilliant lot of caricatures...amazing!

http://www.makehits.com/BestCaricatures.pps

"If you are only celebrating Christmas once a year, you are missing the point!" - Ben Nolt

Success Stories

Go to www.makehits.com/testimonials.htm also www.makehits.co.uk/applause.htm for stories that will amaze you and fill you full of hope for YOUR future.]

Hi Dec,

I got the first months materials and I have to say you are not f***ing around.

I hesitated when I first read them, but I "HAVE TO" do this, so I am ready to go.

I am truly amazed, Nathan Hallmark

"A cheerful giver does not count the cost of what he gives.

His heart is set on pleasing and cheering him to whom the gift is given"

Julian of Norwich [and I totally agree with the great mystic]

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

Charts:

USA [my thanks to Charles in the USA for supplying this]

(1) Beyonce Featuring Slim Thug .... Check On It ... Columbia

(2) James Blunt .... You're Beautiful .... Custard | DIGITAL | Atlantic

(3) Nelly Featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp ... Grillz ... Derrty/Fo' Reel

1) Madonna .... 'Sorry'

2) Corinne Bailey Rae - 'Put Your Records On'

3) Meck ft Leo Sayer - 'Thunder on my Heart'

Download Chart [now the most important chart in the UK]

1) Meck Ft Leo Sayer.... Thunder In My Heart Again ....(Universal Music)

2) Madonna .... Sorry .... (Warner Music)

3) Pussycat Dolls Ft Will I Am Beep ... (Universal Music)

"The strongest and sweetest song remains to be sung" Walt Whitman

Subscriber's Section:

Here is a question re direction. [edited a lot - Dec]

Hi Dec

I just listened to the audio of 57 secrets. I was super impressed by the quality of the recording of your voice. It sounded like radio. 0db, no line noise, fantastic compression. I wondered what sort of mic you used (SM58?).

The third thing is that I noticed you gave quite a high importance ranking (4 stars) to lyrics having meaning and telling a story. This did come as a surprise to me after our discussion last year, when you said that Chris Martin isn't really deliberating too much about what to say, he's more interested in catchy lines, hooks, etc. In other words, that the sound of the words was more important than the meaning of the words. I'm not saying you've been inconsistent, but I am curious. I have found that when I know what I am going to say then it usually comes out sounding better, it's easy to place the title, etc, etc.

That is why I am so hung up on having something to say that means something to me - The point I wish to make of this is that while your importance ranking definitely reflects the likelihood of a song being a hit, I am not convinced that at the beginning of the writing process it's best to start with 'every musical and vocal part must be sitting in it's own frequency' (6 stars).

Finally, I wanted to say that I am enjoying reading 57 secrets. Spiral binding is great too. I also wanted to say that I was inspired last night as a result of reading, and wrote the following. Not yet lyrics, but a sequence of ideas in an order which can be translated into song form. [there followed the lyrics]

R***** S*******

My Reply:

Hi R*****

<<<<<<<Evidently the producer was the missing ingredient. But what do these guys actually do? What do they know?>>>>>>>>>

"Never go near a studio without the best producer you can afford" [Dec Cluskey]

How many times have you seen that in my writings?

"Self production is no production". Another much repeated professional logic.

Producers are the third eye who ensure that the 'performance' is a hit performance...not just a technically correct performance...they also recognise the commercial extra bits in the performance that they can encourage the artist to expand on.

<<<<<<<<I guess the flipside of this is what is it that a writer is bringing to the producer's table? At what point do you seek out a producer? >>>>>>>>>

The writer usually brings very little ... it is the producer who drags it out of him. You seek a producer when you know that you have a caste iron, double died, certain top three potential hit. No producer worth his salt will even get involved with a mediocre toon.

<<<<<<<< was super impressed by the quality of the recording of your voice. It sounded like radio. 0db, no line noise, fantastic compression. I wondered what sort of mic you used (SM58?). >>>>>>>

Protools, Shure KSM27 mic., Soundcraft desk, Flat EQ, TLAudio Fatman I valve compressor at 15:1 compression [almost limiting] and +5 DB gain. Ultrafex enhancer and excellent mastering.

Plus 40 years experience [a great producer?]

<<<<<<<<he's more interested in catchy lines, hooks, etc. In other words, that the sound of the words was more important than the meaning of the words. I'm not saying you've been inconsistent>>>>>>>>

Absolutely correct .... if it happens to have a story as well that is a huge bonus...a story keeps the lyrics on track and doesn't allow them to go off on a tangent....a fault of all novice songwriters who don't understand the logic of not going off on tangents.... novices write poetry, pros write hit lyrics.

<<<<<<<<when I know what I am going to say then it usually comes out sounding better, it's easy to place the title, etc, etc>>>>>>>>

If you once have trouble finding the title...throw the song away ....fast! The title is usually the hook of the whole song and should be there as much as humanly possible. A hook title line is never boring and bears repeating and repeating and repeating.

<<<<<<<That is why I am so hung up on having something to say that means something to me>>>>>>>>

You believe the Pop mags too much ... great writers write great songs....if they happen to have a story, then fine....they write to make money ... not to have something that means something to themselves.

<<<<<<<< I am not convinced that at the beginning of the writing process it's best to start with 'every musical and vocal part must be sitting in it's own frequency' (6 stars). >>>>>>>>>

Every great writer has a picture of the finished product as they write ... the frequencies are the area where the producer comes in.

As regards your lyrics/ideas....the one grinding mistake is lack of repetition..... [except for the 'writing songs']

Dec {Cluskey] mailto:dec@makehits.com

Just released:- "57 Secrets of a Hit Record" ... - 260 pages of the Secrets plus the CDrom Analysis Software and Audio CD to ensure that your music is a Potential Hit www.makehits.com/57Secrets.htm or call UK 01323.728005 [+44.1323.728005]

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: ..... I hope you are not ageist?

An elderly gent was invited to his old friends' home for dinner
one evening. He was impressed by the way his buddy preceded every
request to his wife with endearing terms - "Honey," "My Love,"
"Darling," "Sweetheart," "Pumpkin," etc.

The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they
were still very much in love.

While the wife was in the kitchen, the man leaned over and said
to his host,

"I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still
call your wife those loving pet names."

The old man hung his head. "To tell you the truth," he said, "I
forgot her name about 10 years ago!

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

How to set up a Demo consultation with Dec?

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

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