Listen to the winning music here!

Don’t forget, uPlaya has launched a second Win-A-Video Contest, where the Grand Prize Winner and 2 Finalists will each receive two professionally-produced video treatments by Meddin Studios and Body Holographic. Enter your songs in the contest today for your chance to be the next Grand Prize Winner. Visit http://uplaya.com/contests for more details.

uPlaya Artist Eclecticus

uPlaya.com: How has your band evolved?

Gar: I think ECLECTICUS is constantly evolving by the very nature of our music’s moniker. Tiina, Del and I believe that people nowadays are far more sophisticated and ready to break with traditional branding of music to a few categories/genres and see no reason why people wouldn’t enjoy various styles by a single band for a more enjoyable experience. For me, I embrace as many musical colors as come to mind when writing. Some of the British Festival bands out there start with an acoustic guitar song which then evolves into full throttle rock, ending with an electronica show which encourages this idea of one band sort of “doing it all”.

uPlaya.com: Tell me more about a band that “does it all”.

Gar: Having various styles of music on one record allows us to reach a wider audience. This way, our fans are getting what they like and then are exposed to something else that they may not normally listen to.

Del: I would like to think that our band may educate people in listening to various genres instead of always keeping to ‘one bag’

uPlaya.com: Tell me about your fans.

Gar: We are developing a fan base and by the look of things, we seem to be attracting young and old, and from various parts of the world. What we find interesting is when you have a 50 year old woman from Trinidad and Tobago juxtaposed by teenagers enjoying our music.

uPlaya.com: What words of wisdom do you have for other musicians who are just getting started?

Gar: First off, hone your craft and get busy making mistakes. A mentor and friend of mine, Grammy Award winning Dan Hill, who wrote and performed “Sometimes When We Touch” among other hits, once told me that if you’re stuck in a rut on a song, try to minimize your time on it to about 45 minutes, generally, to avoid getting frustrated. You should come back to it with fresh ears the next day or drop it altogether and move on.

uPlaya.com: What is your album art all about?

Gar: The debut album art for Eclecticus I was a photo taken by Tiina while vacationing in Switzerland. The photo was taken at the Red Cross Museum in Geneva. This cinderblock room with a fluorescent light was a holding cell for POWs in WWII. If you look closely, there are three sets of footprints on the ground, which represent the three of us working from a fresh palette without interference from outside influence in following just one trend. It may be a motif we continue to work from for subsequent albums. The image is powerful and off kilter, much like us.

Listen to Eclecticus’s Music

uPlaya Artist B. GEAR

uPlaya.com:  How did you come up with your band name?
Gear: I was in a band, Gear, with my sister. It’s my last name and I didn’t really want to use it. However, we were working with Jimmy Miller at the time, who was the producer of the Rolling Stones, Steve Winwood etc., and it was his idea at a business meeting … From that point, I signed all music related stuff as B. Gear.

uPlaya.com:  What would you say your performance is best known for?
Gear: Being very reflective of the recorded version and having a good show. I believe in the lights, dress and the whole theatrical aspect of live playing. It’s a great visual for the audience.

uPlaya.com:  What is your inspiration?
Gear: My inspiration is what music does to me and to people in general. It moves me and always has. It’s like my salvation. When a song comes together and the performance is right on, there’s no better feeling. Everyone can remember a place and time when they hear a certain song. Some good, some not so good, but raw emotion is the common denominator.

uPlaya.com:  Describe one of your most recent performances.
Gear: It was at The Next Page, a local blues club, with a female artist Cindy Daley. She’s a local icon and rippin’ blues rock singer. We played some Etta James, Stevie Wonder, Creedence Clearwater Revival and tore the place up. It was with a few East Coast heavy hitters and the experience was a total musical high. When the band clicks and it’s all good, players it doesn’t get any better. We played til’ hours because the audience didn’t want us off the stage. A great night…and there’s many of them like that here.

uPlaya.com:  What words of wisdom do you have for other musicians who are just getting started?
Gear: The only words of wisdom are if it’s in your blood, you’ll know, and don’t ever give up. Perseverance. And the only real secret to getting good is the time you put into it. Follow the dream. Always. 

uPlaya.com:  What else would you like to share with fans?
Gear: Well, I’d like to thank everyone for their support and faith in me. Their responses are part of the drive. I’d also like to thank uPlaya™. It’s a great too in every way and beyond any expectations any writer could have. It pretty much covers all the bases and so far, everyone has been equally supportive of the writers in general. Great team.

Listen to Gear’s music

uPlaya.com: What would you say you are best known for?

Cashmere: I guess it’s the fact that I’m just being myself. I can’t talk about things that I have not done or stuff that I don’t get into because if I don’t live it, it’s not in my vocabulary….period! You know, I’m a corn ball and kind of geeky and I try to show that as well.

uPlaya.com: How did you come up with your performance name?

Cashmere: It was back in eighth grade when I was listening to Jay-Z’s first album, “Reasonable Doubt”. Me and my family were listening to all the tracks and I knew them by heart and knew what that dude was talking about… We ran across his song called Cashmere Thoughts and they all said, ‘YO that’s ya name’. I guess they felt those verses were what I was about at the time and they would always hear me quoting the lyrics, so they told me I should go as Cashmere. But in school, people looked me like, ‘Is this kid serious? What kind of name is that?!’

uPlaya.com: What does hip hop mean to you?

Cashmere: Everything. Music is my life, not just hip hop, but music period. Hip hop is just another form of speech to me.

uPlaya.com: What is your inspiration?

Cashmere: Music inspiration definitely comes from others, but my life is what I write about, so I guess my life. I never really want to blow up and be rich from being a rapper, but I do want others to hear me and be inspired by my work …You’re not going to get inspiration in a club, so I make music for your iPod, Zune, whatever you use. I want to be on people’s minds as a melody.

uPlaya.com: What words of wisdom do you have for other musicians who are just getting started?

Cashmere: Be you! Don’t follow any trends. That’s the problem with unsigned artists now. There are so many talented artists all over and definitely in my area. The problem is, everyone is starting to sound exactly the same… rappers, producers, everyone. That’s something I feel hip-hop is lacking right now: originality. I think instead of talking about the same thing everyone else is talking about, why not talk about you and be you?

Hear Cashmere’s music, including his contest-winning song, “What’cha Want”

We are excited to announce that David Meredith of Music Intelligence Solutions (uPlaya) is now a guest blogger for the Huffington Post, the top news blog in the world. Check out his first blog here, and be sure to visit the Huffington Post site and become a fan of Meredith so you can get an update each time he posts something new!

Susan Boyle’s ‘Dream’ Provides a Wake up Call to the Music Industry

January 4, 2010

One year ago, Susan Boyle represented just one of the several million unsigned artists with serious talent obscured by anonymity. At 48-years-old, the choirgirl with self-described “crazy hair” would have been forgiven for thinking the window of opportunity had passed on her dream of becoming a professional singer. Fortunately for Boyle, a confluence of recent developments in technology and culture provided the conditions for a rapid ascent.

While the music industry responds to the recurring nightmare of continually decreasing CD sales by sleepwalking through the same failed practices that stopped working years ago, Boyle’s “Dream” provides clues on how to revitalize the business of music.

Today, Boyle’s album, I Dreamed a Dream, is topping the charts for the fourth week in a row. It was also the second best-selling album in 2009. Her album sold 701,000 copies in its first week, the biggest opening sales week for any debut album since 1993. Boyle’s audition video attracted more than 120 million views online in 2009, far eclipsing the other top videos (the runner-up had just 37 million). According to Google Trends, the search term “Susan Boyle” was extremely popular across the world in multiple languages. Her name was the second most typed-in term on Twitter in ‘09, topped only by Michael Jackson. Even 50 Cent expressed his desire to partner with Boyle. The rapper recently told Billboard, “We’d make a hit… She’s got an amazing voice, and together we’d get everyone dancing.”

What does Susan Boyle’s meteoric rise to international superstardom tell us about the evolving landscape of the music industry?

Susan Boyle represents a surging wave of new content creators:

With over 12 million musicians and more than 100 million songs accessible on the Web today, Susan Boyle stands at the vanguard of an explosion of creative musical talent unprecedented in its global breadth. Easy access to music production tools and the success of shows like American Idol have enabled and inspired many of these artists. However the sheer volume of new music only adds to the challenge facing new talent like Boyle who are looking to build a large fan base and differentiate themselves.

The Web helps musicians build strong, viral relationships across the globe:

Susan Boyle wowed the audience at her Britain’s Got Talent audition, but her sales would never have skyrocketed if her online video had not been so incredibly popular. Recent studies show people spend more time on social networks than information portals like Google and Yahoo, and that the average time spent on Facebook has increased by nearly 700% in the last year. Artists launching compelling content virally on social networks like Twitter and YouTube have the potential to reach more than 600 million people.

Niche targeting revitalizes the fragmenting market of the music industry:

Today’s online tools allow for targeted marketing, meaning consumers get precisely the right music exactly how they want it. According to the New York Times, Columbia Records said one of the reasons that Boyle did so well was the fact that they determined Boyle’s album needed to reach an older, primarily CD-buying audience, and prepared for that by placing the album through non-traditional retailers like QVC and Walgreens. The targeting strategy also leverages viral social networks, which allows music to spread through multiple niches unrestricted by location.

Record labels are being forced to re-construct their business model. A hungry digital audience awaits sincere artists looking to make meaningful connections, as demonstrated by Susan Boyle with the fulfillment of her “Dream.” Boyle’s story proves there are many talented artists waiting for an opportunity to have their music heard and new approaches for them to connect with fans on a global scale.

uPlaya Featured Artist, R00K

uPlaya.com: What is your inspiration?

Bradley Falconer: My inspiration is providing inspiration to others, the way my favorite musicians have always helped me pick myself up, dust myself off, and keep trying. Songs can be great medicine!

uPlaya.com: What new projects are you working on? What can we expect in the future?

Bradley Falconer: R00K will be releasing several new original songs as singles in the coming months. We’ve also done a number of dark, alt-flavored covers of pop songs by Britney Spears, Beyonce, Lady GaGa, and more. We’re also working with a genius remixer to give one of our catchiest songs a more club-friendly flavor.

uPlaya.com: When will you move to live performances?

Bradley Falconer: That’s the primary goal for R00K in 2010. We have a fair amount of recorded & produced original material at this point, but it seems very hard to make a connection to a fan base without the spark of a live performance/connection. Especially if you’re an indie artist with little-to-no promotional or advertising budget. At the same time, you need to have super-strong original material to stand out as an artist. It’s fun to do covers, but they’re always already somebody else’s song…

uPlaya.com: What do you think is the most important skill an artist should possess?

Bradley Falconer: Well, there’s the x-factor of talent, but tons of people have that. I think persistence is at least as important if not more so. You have to want it so badly you can’t live without it! Being a musician is not always a terribly practical career choice. (If you want to interview my mother she’d have plenty to say on that subject. )

uPlaya.com: Tell me about your creative process

Bradley Falconer: I usually flesh out the lyrics and melodies over a beat, then invite my four key supporting players to fill out the music, rhythm, and backing vocals….I’ve also written songs with other people, which is much more unpredictable. You just get into a room, take a deep breath, and see what happens…. Always it’s about trying to be spontaneous and just see where it goes. Once a song has taken shape, recording and producing the released version can be quite a lot of work. But my collaborators make it lots of fun, too.

uPlaya.com: What have you learned from the people you have collaborated with?

Bradley Falconer: Commit to what you’re doing, 100%. Whether it’s a songwriting session, a studio vocal, or a live performance, you have to kinda throw yourself off the edge of the cliff and just trust that you’ll somehow fly. If you hold back the passion, you’re not giving your audience what they need to make a connection.

uPlaya.com: Is there an overarching theme to your songs?

Bradley Falconer: I would say they all represent a drive to be “fully known” emotionally — warts and all. In addition to my musical life, I’m 6 years into a doctorate in clinical psychology. So there’s a way in which I think the best music is therapeutic for the artist to make, and therapeutic for the listener to hear. I want every feeling to be “OK” in the world of R00K — even the really nasty, ugly, despairing, difficult, etc. ones. So I really try to dig down deep into the bedrock of my own experience……even though it’s not always so comfortable to reveal that kind of stuff.

uPlaya.com: As a scientist yourself, what do you think about the meshing of technology and the art of music? What does it mean to be an artist in the digital age?

Bradley Falconer: In a way I’ve never seen art and science as either/or. I think the role of technology has always been to support human exploration and expansion … I think a real artist can take the latest technology and find a way to make into a channel for genuine communication. In the right hands, I’ve always thought synthesizers and AutoTune could be completely poetic and sublime. I’d say something very similar for Hit Song Science … It’s never going to make a great songwriter out of a hack … Ultimately it’s still up to the artist to take all that information and balance it out without losing his or her own voice.

Listen to R00K’s Music

uPlaya.com: Tell us about the Conservatory.

Nancy Casteele: When I was about 12, I really knew I wanted to make music, so I asked my parents if I could go to the Conservatory. My mom thought it was just something else I wanted to try out and it took me about a year to convince them to let me go. I started taking classes after school – I was in there four nights a week studying music and it was great! I had good results – after the first report came in, my parents could tell that I was serious about it.

uPlaya.com: Describe the moment you knew you would become a musician.

Nancy Casteele: There was absolutely a moment. It was a strange moment, I will never forget it in my life. One day I drove my bike through the little park on the way to a rehearsal for a band I was singing in. I looked at the rehearsal room and it was like an epiphany. It wasn’t just like, ‘I want to be a musician’, it was more like knowing. It’s like I knew that was going to be my future. And so far, so good.

uPlaya.com: What would you say your music is most known for?

Nancy Casteele: The one word that I hear over and over from people in an audience after I perform live is the word “refreshing”. That is how it strikes people.

uPlaya.com: Who/What is your inspiration?

Nancy Casteele: These days my inspiration is my father, whom I lost three years ago … Musically, I have many examples of who inspires me. When I was a little girl, I was crazy about Whitney Houston! These days I love Sting, Norah Jones … my taste in music is very wide. It goes all the way from Santana to Nat King Cole to Billy Holiday to Patsy Cline, and a whole lot in between!

uPlaya.com: Tell me about your most recent song, “All In One You.”

Nancy Casteele: I wrote the song with Craig Carr, who is a wonderful writer. A man I was working with took the song to Warner Brothers in Holland, and Warner Brothers loved it. They said go back and record it and produce it, and I ended up signing a record deal based upon that. They had not even heard me live, it was really that song that got me that record deal. They sent me to Budapest to film a video for the song. It was a great week. I learned so much and the song became the fastest climber of the charts in Holland. It opened many doors in Holland and Belgium, and eventually here because what I did over there helped me here.

uPlaya.com: Your songs have been amazingly successful on the HSS technology – three Platinums – Wow! And now, I am so excited to tell you that “All In One You” has scored an 8.2, so now you’ve got four Platinum Auddys!

Nancy Casteele: Oh wow that’s amazing! That’s awesome, thank you!

uPlaya.com: What can we expect in the future?

Nancy Casteele: Hopefully, a lot of live concerts. I would love to travel in a tour bus – one that I could take my dog with me, of course! I would love to perform live for audiences that know the words to my songs. That’s my hope.

uPlaya.com: Anything else you would like to share with your fans?

Nancy Casteele: I want to say that I feel extremely blessed to do what I do … I’m so lucky to touch people’s hearts somehow with what comes so naturally to me. I just want listeners to know that it’s because of people that have a passion for music and put energy in that passion that we get to do what we do. It’s a beautiful cycle, so thank you all.

Listen to Nancy Casteele’s Music

Check out the music video for Nancy’s latest, “All In One You”!

In May of 2009 Nancy signed with Huber Entertainment Group in Minneapolis and is recording under the Butterfly Label.

uPlaya.com: When did you start playing?

Ray Tarantino: I heard “Tangled Up In Blue” by Bob Dylan when I was 12 and stole a guitar. I had no idea of what to do with it but I felt the need to write songs. I started writing songs straight away, and haven’t stopped since. Nobody ever asked me to give the guitar back.

uPlaya.com: Describe the moment you knew you would become a musician.

Ray Tarantino: I somehow always knew that was what I wanted to do. It took time to say it out loud and accept the risk. A life-changing event some 4 years ago kick-started my career and I found myself on the road I always wanted to walk. You could offer me a million dollars cash to stop doing this, and I would ask you to gently disappear.

uPlaya.com: What would you say your performance is best known for?

Ray Tarantino: I’d say most of the crowd that comes to our shows like the intensity and dynamic the band can create. We try to take it one step forward from the usual singer/songwriter kind of stuff. And I hope those that listen to my songs dedicate a gram of attention to the lyrics too.

uPlaya.com: Tell us about the last song you wrote.

Ray Tarantino: “Masquerade” is a song about a journey. It begins with a man approaching departure due to his inability to deal with the failure to sustain his loss of force. He’ll travel looking for solutions, only to discover that he’ll find them all when going back where the whole journey started. It’s a soft ¾ ballad that never really has a chorus, rather a simple and repetitive harmonic development.

uPlaya.com: Describe one of your most recent performances.

Ray Tarantino: I’m always playing shows, some with the band others solo/acoustic. The greatest feeling is to meet people after the show that read about the gig in a magazine or checked out the music on MySpace, liked it, and liked the show even more. That’s the route music is supposed to follow. Media outlets and CD’s should be the promotional tools that help promote something bigger and deeper that happens on stage. Live performances will always be the exclusive experience, and the only way to thank those who attend is by giving them a good show.

uPlaya.com: What new projects are you working on? What can we expect in the future?

Ray Tarantino: Currently working on a new album and some shows in Europe and the U.S.

uPlaya.com: What else would you like to share with fans and with the uPlaya community?

Ray Tarantino: Three years ago I was fortunate enough to meet blues legend Taj Mahal at a festival. When I asked him to share his secret with me, he replied paraphrasing a Miles Davis’ quote that has been of paramount importance to me ever since when composing and when performing live. He said “give silence the same dignity you give to sound”.

]]> http://blog.uplaya.com/2009/11/25/inside-the-music-universe-ray-tarantino/feed/ 0 Whitney Ray Tarantino http://blog.uplaya.com/2009/11/23/music-universe-songwriter-contest-grand-prize-winner/ http://blog.uplaya.com/2009/11/23/music-universe-songwriter-contest-grand-prize-winner/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:59:17 +0000 Whitney http://blog.uplaya.com/?p=208 ]]> uPlaya is excited to announce the Grand Prize Winner of the Music Universe Songwriter Contest is Michael Reich!

Be sure to check out his profile in American Songwriter Magazine! We have posted an excerpt below, see the full profile here.

What made you want to become a musician?

I realized at an early age I had an ear for music playing, writing and singing came natural for me. That coupled with the climate of the country in the ’60s and ’70s along with artists who had something important to say was irresistible to me. I was drawn like a moth to a light.

Who are your biggest influences?

Many artists influenced me over the years, I suppose none more than the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. My earliest musical memory is sitting on my mother’s lap somewhere around age five singing “Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore” for friends and relatives.

How would you describe your music?

I would describe my music as an eclectic blend of rock, folk and alternative country. I always pay close attention to my lyrics. Music is an international language and always has the potential to affect change or bring attention to an issue.

Do you have a song you are most proud of? Why?

It’s hard to choose a song I’m most proud of, as I’m proud of them all. If I had to pick one I suppose it would be “Live for Today” because it reminds me of my father. It was one of his favorites.

Complete this sentence: if I wasn’t playing music, I’d be….

I can’t imagine not playing/writing music but if poised with the question I would probably be working with animals as part of an environmental effort.

So what’s up for the rest of the year? Anything you are especially looking forward to?

I’m currently finishing up material for my next album which I feel includes some of my best work to date. Music is an ongoing journey for me and I have lots more to say.

See the full feature here.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?

I’ll use quote from a magazine that recently reviewed the record: “Modern rock band with great songs, expressive vocals and a hint of the blues.” I think that sums it up quite nicely.

You grew up in New York City. How has that affected the music you play and write today?

Being from New York has absolutely played a part in my music. So many things affect an artist’s music and one’s surroundings are no exception. New York is a very vibrant, exciting, energetic city but it can also be a very hard, tough and lonely place. There is a directness and truthfulness here that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. I’d like to think that that comes through in my music.

When did you start playing music?

From birth literally. I grew up in a household of musicians. My dad is a musician, songwriter and producer…a real triple threat! My sister is also a singer-songwriter as well, so it was kind of expected that I would follow in their footsteps. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s what I love to do.

Who has been your biggest influence?

I’ve been influenced by any musician, songwriter and singer I’ve ever worked with really. They have all brought something to the table that has made my music better. My band mates are a perfect example of this. I have learned so much from those guys. They are all such incredible musicians and songwriters in their own right, and I am definitely a better musician, singer and songwriter just from working with them on a day-to-day basis.

If you could collaborate with one artist–dead or alive–who would it be?

That’s such a hard question because I have so many artists that I would love to collaborate with. But if I had to choose, it would be a three-way tie between Patti Smith, Tom Waits and Pete Yorn. They are all such profound and unique artists.

Your newest record, Tripping the Velvet, was released at the beginning of last month. Would you classify this record as an extension or departure from your previous releases?

Tripping The Velvet is the best record I have made so far. The songwriting, musicianship, and production just all came together and fell into place. I just love listening to it. But with that said, it was also the hardest record I have ever had to make. There was a lot of emotional baggage that I was going through over the course of making this record, so I put it all into the songs. I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing but at least it’s honest. That in itself can be an exhausting process, but somehow I made it through. It’s hard to lay your guts out for all the world to see but sometimes it’s just necessary for the sake of the music. TTV also was a true band effort. My last two releases, “Home” and “Love Parade,” were more about me as a solo artist. I was still finding myself as a songwriter. Figuring out what it was I wanted to say, what kind of music I wanted to do. I was a bit lost. Now I finally feel found.

What’s the future look like for you?

I am working on a new CD. An acoustic record which will be far different from anything that I have done in the past. A true departure. I’m a bit frightened but excited to see what I come up with, too. The most important thing you can do as a songwriter is to grow and challenge yourself and this new record will be all about that.

Annie Minogue was a finalist in the uPlaya Aug-Sept Music Universe Contest.

//

Having your song recorded at a top master studio, for example, does not guarantee that it’s going to be picked up by a music publisher. The reason is obvious. Publishers assess songs on their outlet potential, i.e. on the chances of an artist covering it.

Most professional songwriters I have worked with always make it their business to know in advance the types of songs that can be marketed and those that can’t. (See the section on “commercialism” in chapter one of “Masters of Songwriting”).

In my experience, it’s not down to how much a recording costs. Lots of publishers have accepted songs initially recorded at home or from a live gig. That doesn’t mean to say that, where presentation is concerned, you can ignore the quality of the recording. Well-written lyrics and clever guitar licks will not help much if the recording quality is bad. It’s true that some publishers and producers have been able to recognise the makings of a brilliant song from an appalling recording at a noisy gig, or from strumming into a crystal microphone on a 1958 tape machine, but I wouldn’t rely on it.

More songs are rejected today through bad recordings than for any other reason. Small wonder, too. If a songwriter isn’t prepared to put the same effort into the recording as he had in writing the song, then his chances of success are going to be greatly reduced. It makes sense, too. After all, you wouldn’t seriously expect to get a job as a bank manager if you showed up for the interview in a pair of torn jeans and a tee shirt. So, remember, presentation is important.

Having made the point about presentation I don’t want you to go overboard and think you have to spend a fortune to make a good recording. Too many good writers gave up because of their fear of presentation or spent more than they could afford in expensive studios. As a songwriter you’re not expected to deliver a finished master to a publisher. That’s down to the artist and the producer.

Unless you can get a good deal at a recording studio, in the early stages of writing I would opt for making recordings at home, especially if you have to watch the pennies!

With so much home recording equipment on the market today, especially in the form of synthesisers, high tech and digital recording, many writers are able to produce superb demos from the basement, attic or even bedroom! These are useful for getting your ideas across, especially in instrument and voice double tracking. If you haven’t got the money right now to invest in some home recording equipment, why not collaborate with other writers? There’s always a way around these things. Later, after you’ve become more adept and start receiving healthy royalties, you can upgrade to a recording studio. Some publishers, particularly the larger ones, have their own studios and in some cases offer “studio time” to songwriters to make demos. If a publisher does offer studio time, it will undoubtedly be used as credit or an advance payment recoupable against future royalties.

From www.mastersofsongwriting.com

The annals of the music industry are littered with artists who made the fatal error of thinking he/she was not only a great performer but also a great songwriter.  Many a band and solo artist have struggled on to eventual oblivion simply because they refused to consider recording or performing anything not written by themselves.  Okay, I’ve no doubt you can cite artists who are, and have written and performed their own product so successfully they have become legends in just a few short years – The Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel, Simon And Garfunkel, etc., etc.  This ‘super combination’, as I call it, of being able to not only rank as a top performer, but also write great songs is, however, quite rare – a bit like trying to find gold nuggets on every street corner.

For the other ninety-five percent of recording artists, those that made it into the big time, did so because they swallowed their pride and picked a song penned by someone who actually knew how to write a song. I don’t care how successful an artist is on any show or competition if the songs he/she records are poor (no matter how good the performance), then his/her days in the recording industry are numbered.

If you’re a songwriter only, don’t worry a morsel if your guitar or keyboard playing is dismal or so bad you can only play inside a soundproof basement, the songs you’re writing may be brilliant.

Of all the different genres, in my experience, those most receptive to covering songs are in middle of the road. Remember, in order for these artists to stay on top and sell records in vast quantities, they need great songs. That is why they are always on the lookout. Songs for covers is a technique you can acquire.

From Masters Of Songwriting
http://www.MastersOfSongwriting.com

So, what am I doing babbling here? I want to praise the process of songcraft… something I know very little about. But, I love seeing how songs get put together, listening to live and alternate versions and getting a peek inside the minds of the people who create the music I love. This week, Morphine’s At Your Service was released. It’s a dual disk of alternate mixes, live performances and tracks that didn’t make it on to their studio albums. Morphine’s lead singer and main songwriter, Mark Sandman, died over a decade ago and their last studio album was released after his death. I’ve been a huge fan of the band for over a decade and put them near the top of my all-time list (or at the top, I can’t really pick among the top five or six).

What made this disk possible was that the band recorded everything. Every time they were in the studio, the tape was rolling. What you hear in the collection is a group of musicians who love playing together and experimenting. Listening to the album version of Buena or Empty Box when compared to the alternate versions, you can see how minor differences in emphasis and the mix can change the whole mood, and even meaning, of the song.

Buena goes from a little coy and charming, a fratboy story of conquest, in the album version, to sexy and dirty on the alternate take. The bass is the lead in the alternate version, and everything’s darker and slower. The words don’t change, but the emotions behind it are more predatory. The album version of Empty Box is a lament, sad and slow. The alternate version, with the addition of a new spoken word introduction, is much much darker. It’s bitter and noir, a surreal Raymond Chandler novel.

And some of the songs that didn’t make it on to the studio albums leave me curious as to why they didn’t make it. 5:09 is a brilliant noir mystery wrapped around a driving road beat. How did that not make it onto an album? The same question gets an easy when listening to Come Along though. It’s a song the band often used to open their live shows with, and it’s a brilliant live song (check it out on Bootleg Detroit). The studio version has none of the momentum of the live performance. It’s a song that just doesn’t work in the studio for some reason – and it’s clear why it wasn’t included.

As a music lover, it’s an intimate look inside the process of putting songs together. It makes me appreciate how much work goes in to producing great songs – and gives me a better idea of the thought process behind deciding how a song should sound once it’s down on paper.

To all the musicians and songwriters out there – you have my respect. It’s why I joined the company last year. I love music and want to help people find music that they’ll love and help talented musicians find fans. The current system is broken and the wrong stuff gets bubbled up to the top. The music industry is ripe for change, and I want to be a part of making it happen. I hope you’ll follow along and join the revolution.

It has been said that the mark of a great song is when a person hears it once and cannot get it out of his mind. Days and weeks later, the song returns in your mind like a postcard from your favorite dream. Each time you put the song down, it returns ever stronger. So, what makes a great song?

In simple terms, a successful song is a commercial song. This is how record companies and publishers think and it is how you must think if you want to get ahead. Commercialism is the stuff which feeds the entertainment industry, not that record companies and music publishers get it right every time.

Many an A&R man/woman has staked his/her career and their employer’s money on acts that never make the charts much less the top ten. The first thing to remember in writing is to get into a positive frame of mind. From now on when you come to create your material, don’t just think that your song is going to have commercial potential, think that it is going to have HUGE COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL! If you want the moon, you must aim for the stars!

So, what does “huge commercial potential” mean, anyway? In short, it’s the thing dreams are made of, and what every songwriter and artist yearns to be described as having when seeking a publishing or record deal.

The meaning of “commercial” is any item or commodity which appeals to the greatest number of people.

Actually, commercialism is all around us, especially in the form of topical news and events. Read the headline news from the internet or go into any news agent and look at the headlines on the daily tabloids. Look through the pages, study the stories and see what sells newspapers and magazines. See what shows are the most popular on TV. Do a little research on statistics. Make notes of what is topical and what is fashionable. Check out the advertisements in periodicals and magazines and compare those which appear week in and week out with those that don’t.

Remember, no advertiser in the world continues advertising a commodity that does not sell. You’ll soon know what people buy. Find out which television and radio programs pull the highest ratings.

Make it your business to know who and what is in the news. You may not always like what you find, but this is commercialism.

Now, with this firmly pitched in your mind, take a careful look at the music industry. Study the charts to see who is selling records. Don’t just write what you feel the public might want to buy. Listen to the lyrics of the songs that are selling and make comparisons with some of the topical stories of the day.

Study music riffs, melody lines and percussion sounds, but not to the extent of plagiarizing someone else’s work. Whilst it’s fine to be influenced by certain trends and styles, if you try to pass off someone else’s material as your own, however clever you think you are camouflaging music riffs, phrases or lyrics, you risk running into a law suit for infringement of copyright. This is especially so if the song gets into the charts. As the saying goes, “where there’s a hit, there’s a writ! In any event, you wouldn’t want someone to start copying your songs, would you?!

An excerpt from Masters Of Songwriting