Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

As I listen to these tracks, I try to rationalize again why it is that some talent never makes it beyond the underproduced versions such as ppl present here.

I think it must be a combination of circumstances, on the edge of fame and fortune, but somehow not ready for prime time.

Everyone's story is different and the same. And everyone has a collection of memories, many amateurishly recorded, sometimes approaching good, but not where it needed to be to be played on the radio.

But in each song there are sparks of genius and virtuosity, and everyone here recognizes them, feeling their power, devastated by mistakes unable to be taken back, because it happened to us all.

So suddenly we are older, no longer dreaming of hitting the road to superstardom, and yet we have PCs and software and hardware in our price range, and we are ever so close to being able to do the justice on our own. Oh, aside from the isolation time has bestowed on us, so collaboration has to be long distance, and it is a new trick for old dogs.

But we can't stop dreaming there is still a hope to get on the map, to get all the ingredients right even as time runs out.

I cannot tell you why these songs are what they are and no more. The songs are played with loving devotion to the bible of metal, and the other as well. I think they have survived to this day in a reasonable enough form to remind us all of the value of the rejected recordings, full of issues and proudly wearing them like the badges of homemade music they are.

You know, there are so many bands that had one or fewer hit songs. The difference between the rest and your songs is not so much. So keep playing, keep composing, writing lyrics, sharing ideas in all stages of development, as you are only one song or fewer away from all those other signed bands.

The artist named Jay could not have said it better.

Great topic, some heavy philosophy. I'm been listening to a lot of new artists on Jango and I'd say the vast majority show a weakness in the vocals. Not just weak vocalists but the way they are recorded. People often have unintelligible lyrics. The vocals are buried in the mix. GET THEM OUT FRONT. Make sure you can understand the lyrics. I gave up a long time ago on recording SERIOUSLY myself. You only live once. Find a very professional, competent, EXPERIENCED studio technician. Bring him (or her) your best self-recorded material and ask them to give you an IMPARTIAL opinion. Could they do a much better job recording you? Is there hope that your band could actually do something very redeeming in the PRO studio? Even if they say you need a better lead singer then consider getting a better lead singer. Don't have hurt feelings. I'm lucky to have found a real pro who has reasonable recording rates. CAN'T WAIT TO DO A LEGITIMATE CD THERE. After all, I only live once.

Thanks RGM. Not that I qualify, but it does give someone starting late in life a little musical hope

RGMixProject wrote:*snip...there are so many bands that had one or fewer hit songs

I tried doing the math and I got hung up on the fewer than one hit part of this sentence

I'm not worried about never having a hit. I just want to record a legit CD that I am proud of. I don't care about fame and fortune. If we record what I think is a great CD I'll be happy. I have no control of what follows. If we sell a hundred or a million, I DON'T CARE. If we only play at local dives and sell a few CD's a night then that's good enough for me. Give me a good local dive and a handful of happy customers, that's all I want in music. Anything else would just be icing on the cake...BUT I do want to make the best recording possible. I won't even attempt to sell it or market it if it's unworthy...

fisherman bob wrote:I'm not worried about never having a hit. I just want to record a legit CD that I am proud of. I don't care about fame and fortune. If we record what I think is a great CD I'll be happy. I have no control of what follows. If we sell a hundred or a million, I DON'T CARE. If we only play at local dives and sell a few CD's a night then that's good enough for me. Give me a good local dive and a handful of happy customers, that's all I want in music. Anything else would just be icing on the cake...BUT I do want to make the best recording possible. I won't even attempt to sell it or market it if it's unworthy...

I know im a fledgling and all but I feel that exact same way about my music Bob. I really dont care about MTV or making it on the map. I just want to be in a lounge or pub somewhere, singing what I love and hopefully making people forget about their day. I know Im a songwriter at heart and ill always want to sing my originals but im not trying too hard to get "noticed". Im happy for anyone who makes it big but its not where I want to be. But hey if some pop princess wants to buy my songs and make them her own, thats fine with me. Cause they still got to paaay me my royalties ! Quietly rich? Thats just fine with me

fisherman bob wrote:I'm not worried about never having a hit. I just want to record a legit CD that I am proud of. I don't care about fame and fortune. If we record what I think is a great CD I'll be happy. I have no control of what follows. If we sell a hundred or a million, I DON'T CARE. If we only play at local dives and sell a few CD's a night then that's good enough for me. Give me a good local dive and a handful of happy customers, that's all I want in music. Anything else would just be icing on the cake...BUT I do want to make the best recording possible. I won't even attempt to sell it or market it if it's unworthy...

I have lot's of CD's of unknown artists that I got while listening to them at various clubs. I'm always showing them off to friends as some of the best unknown music I've ever heard. If you get a CD done, I'd LOVE to add it to my collection. That goes for anyone on here. May start a new thread to see who on here has a CD.

In my youth I was frantic to "get somewhere." I sometimes think that if I'd stuck to music, I might have actually accomplished that, but I didn't take my abilities seriously, & tried to get somewhere by going the usual route - working for others.

I was a stupid, stupid young man.

I dunno if I'm any smarter, now, for that matter, but I'm not as frantic about anything at all.

My songs are my legacy. If no one ever hears them again, I've sung them. They're out there in the ether. I hope they've made someone's life a little more pleasant at some time or other. I know they've done that for me.

I know you don't like folks patting you on the back RGM so I won't. This was however a very moving post. It practically summed everything up but the most noted line I particularly found interesting was.....

Oh, aside from the isolation time has bestowed on us, so collaboration has to be long distance, and it is a new trick for old dogs.

I doubt that there are many here who would argue with that line at all. Collaboration has its own pitfalls too which is sad. Many do not keep up if at all, we've had several tries here.

Can I quote this somewhere please RGM?

Very good post indeed.

Bob, I know this may not be true, but somehow I can envision you with a broom doing the air guitar thing and for that moment in time you were looking out into the crowed.

Miggie, do you think we sometimes don't set our goals high enough when it comes to music and what we want.

Chippy, ya sure, you bet cha

Why music stoped for me at the age of 19 is a sad and lonely self-inflicted apologue. It is a shame that it took me 17 years to get back in the saddle again. But I'm here to tell you from personal experience, when you get up on stage in front of 250,000+ ppl, its really not that big of a deal. Its when you get this single letter that your song and performance saved a life or made their life better is when YOUR life and your music will change forever.

Cheers RGM. Hoping our paths will cross at some time to share some stories and perhaps a beer too. You da man.

RGMixProject wrote:
Chippy, ya sure, you bet cha

We start playing out again on Tuesday, trying to get ready between fielding phone calls and traveling. I am excited about it, only this time it's a mature excited. We know what needs to be done and this time it isn't for the spotlight, it's because this is what we love to do and somehow we have been blessed to do so. Hang in there on and all, keep moving forward, don't make too many changes at once, you won't know what worked. You are all talented individuals, God gives us a gift, we have to work it. Keep it up, just keep playing, there is no bad note. This time, we feel it seriously. Yeah, if you don't feel it, don't play. The greatest gift of music is to share it. Duane Alman said so.

ClassCat.
You on MySpace or facebook?

If not it would not hurt anything you are doing. Keep well.

You meant "MyGaze" or "Fat+Booked" lol

RGMixProject wrote:Bob, I know this may not be true, but somehow I can envision you with a broom doing the air guitar thing and for that moment in time you were looking out into the crowed.

Miggie, do you think we sometimes don't set our goals high enough when it comes to music and what we want.

Chippy, ya sure, you bet cha

Why music stoped for me at the age of 19 is a sad and lonely self-inflicted apologue. It is a shame that it took me 17 years to get back in the saddle again. But I'm here to tell you from personal experience, when you get up on stage in front of 250,000+ ppl, its really not that big of a deal. Its when you get this single letter that your song and performance saved a life or made their life better is when YOUR life and your music will change forever.

I never have done an air guitar thing. I only do the real bass guitar thing and look out into real crowd and really sing into a real microphone hooked up to a real PA...

Man, of you could only hear what I hear in my headbone!

Eh...I might actually start working in the studio soon. My son found some day care! I'll be able to work again!

And my drummer wants me to start in his studio soon as I can. It's been awhile, so don't be looking for anything new for awhile yet, while I work on my chops & tune up the stuff I wanna do. But I do believe I'ma gonna do it.

...I'm gonna miss my time with that lil guy, though. We've had a pretty damned good summer together, & he got to do a lot of stuff he'd not have been able to do in day care. Still...he needs to be around ppl his own age...& so do I, really....