Way Way Back

Back catalog. When you say those two words, you might think of golden oldies or classic hits. But, the previous works of recording artist can often be of more value then their current work. And in some cases, the previous work of a particular can be reissued and give current Pop successes a run for their money.

One of the most notable catalog releases, is Pink Floyd's, "Dark Side Of The Moon," which was reported in 2001 as being on Billboard's Catalog Chart for 1,285 weeks or just under 25 years. That's staying power.

I bring this up because as a fan of music and a music consumer, I once believed that I would never get caught up in the quest for older tunes. And, as a musician, I try to keep up with what's going on in today's music. But, what happens when you turn on the radio, looking for something, anything that fits the mood you're in, and ultimately end up playing a CD? Maybe even a CD of music from ten or more years ago.

While it's clear that every generation believes that it's music is "the" best music ever made, how do we account for the success of the Beatles recently released on iTunes. Is there something in the music of non-mainstream artist that music fans are longing for a return to? That's probably still up for debate.

Still, there's an overall decline in music sales that has lasted for more than a decade. No one seems to have the answer. After a while, the reasons given tend play on like a broken record. There are CDs, downloads, steaming, and, oh yeah, file sharing, all of which have been listed as contributors. But, what if is as simple as putting the melody back into the music? Too easy, right? I will say this, I'm just guessing, but I'd be willing to bet that the average age of a reissue buyer is probably falling. And, I think this is so because everyone who enjoys music wants to hear a good melody every once in a while. Maybe, they may even want to hear words they can actually sing along with. Sounds old fashion, I know. But what would it hurt to hear some music that really touches your soul?

And Ye Shall Receive.....

File sharing. I'm sure that everyone has heard about it by now. And, I'm sure that everyone has an opinion about whether or not you feel that it's OK or not. I personally have never done it, but I'm sure that I know someone, either in the "real world," or the virtual world who either has done it or continues to do it on a regular basis. Of course, it didn't really become an issue of any great importance until Shawn Fanning, the creator of Napster got into trouble with the Recording Industry Association of America, (RIAA).

The year was 1999, when Fanning's vision of a world united by P2P technology came crashing down. In his vision,anyone who wanted to, could download file sharing software that would allow them to connect to any other computer in the world that also had the software. After searching those computers for the files, in this case music or mp3's, they could download them to their computer. This seemingly harmless transaction quickly got the attention of the RIAA.

The reason was simple, countless numbers of music files which contained music that was copyrighted by the Library of Congress and licensed by one or more performing right organization, (PRO) were passing from person to person with without so much as a thank you let alone any money. In the RIAA's view, this was not only copyright infringement, but an act of piracy. A law suite was filed and eventually Fanning's company, Napster was sold.

Since then, file sharing has continued, but nowhere close to the extent that it was then. So, why even talk about it? I thought about why or how file sharing is so wrong. First, I went back to take a look at the days of vinyl. If someone bought an album that everyone was into, but not everybody had the money to buy it, they would borrow it from a friend, make a cassette or eight track copy and then give it back. Now, while this may seem like a justification for file sharing, I have to qualify that by saying that in many cases, the copy that was made usually served as a temporary, until the borrower could, and often did buy their own album. This was a statement of how good the music a particular artist was. In fact, many music buyers would make tape copies of their own vinyl collection, so they could store the original away with the belief that it would someday become a collectors item.

Then, there was the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992, which essentially gave people the right to make copies of digital recordings that they purchased, as long as they were for personal use and not for resale or profit in any way. This is also not a justification for file sharing . In fact, I think that this comes closer to what I finally came up with. Anyone who bought a CD from a "brick and mortar," would have what I like to call, purchasers rights.

With purchasers' right rights, you could also do the same thing with digital downloads. If you pay for it, you can copy it as long as you do try to resell it. Now, the internet has always been the home of free stuff. But, when a product is for sale and someone tries to circumvent paying for something, in my humble opinion, this is stealing. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not in favor of suing the eight year old girl from some small town in the Midwest for scavenging a couple of tracks, but if she downloading thousands of songs without paying anything then she got to be stopped somehow. The RIAA views this as an act of theft and as far as I now, may still be going after individual violators.

As a songwriter/artist, I find it difficult to accept someone having access to my work without my permission. The reason is simply this, making a recording can involve a good deal of expense. Equipment is either bought or rented. There are countless hours spent trying to make your recording as good as you can get it. Then you may send it to be mastered, so that it can be given a sound that as competitive as you can get. Then if your making a physical CD, you have to have your music replicated. And lets not forget, you've got to get it into the stores, so you're going to need a distributor. All of these things, and a few more, cost money. The only way to justify the amount of money you spend making a recording is by asking for something, IE money, in return for your effort.

When it's all said and done, you will find that many bands or artists will at times give away free singles or even free CDs. They may also from time to time offer some free downloads. I know that I have done this from time to time. Artists and bands know that fans of their music want to get their music any way that they can. All that they are looking for, is just a little reciprocity. Enough so that they can keep the music coming.

Schooless Groove

The subject of "old school," is not easy to talk about with a certain amount of negativity. But, try to keep in mind that everything that I say will be not only subjective, but will be my own opinion. So, why say anything at all? First of all, defining "old school," varies from source to source. As near as I can tell, "old school," is any R&B music from before 1992. That's just a guess. The actual term, "old school," is street vernacular for Rap music that wasn't done in the latest style. Ultimately, the term has come to refer to any Black music that isn't done in the
latest style. And of course, with continued use, it has come to mean anything that is not done or made in the latest style.

In reference to R&B music, the concept of "old school," tends to relegate certain artists' music to the repetition of their former hits and reunion tours. But, the sound of "old school," is undeniably true to a stronger sense of melody and songwriting craftsmanship. This is where the negativity comes in. There is an obvious and discernible difference between "old school," and "new school." "New school," is the sound of today's mainstream music market place. So the issue becomes a matter of taste, right?

In the 80s, when Rap was on the rise, a lot of school districts were forced to make cuts in certain programs in order to keep their doors open. Music programs were usually among the first to go. Many young people interested in leaning more about making music turned to the sound of the street. The Rap music of that time didn't always require music. This appealed those who wanted a chance to make it in the music business. The major labels were finding out about the power of the "novelty," of Rap, and looked for ways to capitalize on it. One way to do that was to keep bringing fresh faces to the forefront. This served to encourage a whole generation away from traditional music making and toward Rap, which grew in popularity partly because of the influx of people wanting to seek their fortunes.

In 1989, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences did their part by awarding the first Rap Grammy, which served to legitimize Rap as a true music art form all its own. From then until the present, becoming a "Rap Star," has been something to aspire to.

During the mid 1990s, a huge amount of merging and acquiring left the recording industry pared down to just four major label competitors. Artists whose music was not selling or not selling well were let go as the majors began to do what ever it took to maintain their bottom lines. Since selling music was not necessarily the make focus or source of revenue for these huge conglomerates, the nature of what was popular with the music buying public was not their number one concern. Instead, it became a matter of who was selling well and what was selling well, and then sell that until something or some else came along. Most often, however, it's been more like an endless attempt to keep the "assembly line," moving, rendering the sound of what was being sold, more and more disposable.

This may sound like so much criticism, but how else can it be stated if the result of this trend has contributed to a continued decline in record sales. But, my purpose is not to condemn a particular style of music over another. When you go DIY you don't really have the time. As a fan of music, I'm always on the lookout for something that I think sounds great. And I'm not really not that big on nostalgia, while I admit that music of the recent past still hods a fascination for me. I personally have only wanted for music to pick up where it left off. Put melody back into the forefront and try to raise the lyrical content at least to a level that on one would mind singing. Make something memorable, yet indescribable. I'm talking about creating a schooless grove.

Albums Verses Singles

Which do you prefer, albums or singles? I've always like the album. Singles have been what it all about for a long time now. The reason being is that radio plays our favorite music as one single play followed by another. However, the music always that's gotten my attention has mostly been from albums. It seemed that the artists whose music I liked always had several track on an album that packed more melody and less gimmick. Also, it was often that an album would be so well put together that just about every song could be released as a single. In fact, it wasn't until the late 1980s that the single became all important in a record company's quest to produce a hit record. Actually, in the beginning of music recording, it was the LP,or long play format that lead the way. But after the introduction of the 45 RPM the push to score a hit with a single release was on.

Successful recording artist of the 90s use several producers who names were synonymous with scoring hits. These producers would might appear on several artists' albums who might all be on the same label. The problem with this was that many times an album done this way would not have a uniform sound and might only have a couple of song that lent themselves to repeated play. The result would often be a very successful album with one or two hits and the rest would be filler. As we moved into the mid 90s it was very common to find one hit albums selling millions of copies. Many albums of this nature were the result of powerful marketing and promotion campaigns. Combine radio air play with a couple of visits to the late night talk show circuit, and maybe an appearance on a prime time TV show or a movie in theatrical release, and your name could well become a household word.

There's been not only a decline in overall music sales, and a decline that continues into the present day. Many reasons have been given for this. Everything from piracy to file sharing has been blamed. When digital downloads exploded on to the scene, they too were added to that list. Many have come to believe that album sales have dipped due to consumers "cherry picking," singles from the albums of their favorite artists. Lets face it, there's nothing like getting what you want and only what you want. But, at best, most compilations assembled in this way, lose some of the soul of the albums from which the singles were taken. My own personal belief as to why music sales continue to slump, is that it's due to the merging and acquiring of the late 1990s, but that's a topic for a blog post all its own.

Thankfully, there are many new and up and coming artists and bands who believe in the album as art. In fact some of them are beginning to release their albums on on Flash drives. In this way, they can give music consumers value added extras like the art work for the album. Also, they may add demos, outtakes, and bonus tracks. So, the next time you go shopping for new music, be sure to check out the independent section. You never know what you might find. It just might be the next, "Dark Side of the Moon."

Time and tide.

While I know that no one has actually asked, I still have a sense that a lot of people wonder why it takes their favorite artists or band so long to release a new project. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I have some ideas. If you were to have a successful single, let say, in December, and that got the attention of a major record label, you could end up being signed in January. OK, lets say your deal is for two singles and one album over an eighteen month or two year period. Now, lets say that the first single is due for release in June and the album in September, and the second single some time after that. And, lets say that you went right to work after being signed and completed enough songs for two albums, all before the beginning of March. I don't think that you would be sitting on your hands for three months, but that would mean that six months would pass from December to June before your next release, while two albums are just sitting in the can. This may or may not be how things really work, but it gives you an idea of how contractual agreements can have a bearing on when an artist releases his/her work. This is just one thing that I was thinking about. There are other things to consider, like personal problems which are too many to mention. Once you get away from those, there could be conflicts within a band. Someone may quit before a project can be completed, and bringing in someone to fill in can cause delays as they will have to learn what needs to be done. You might think that a DIY artist wouldn't experience any of these situations. Since you're running everything, you could record a track one day and upload it that same night. But, if your goal is to continually improve on what you've already done, it's more likely that you're going to labor on it for as long as it takes to satisfy your creative muse. Then, there's the concept of running your label just like the majors. You may want to delay the release of new material until you've gone out and test driven it first. Or, you might want to run a promotional campaign to help build anticipation for the new project. And finally, if you're DIY, there's the idea of working ahead. In case your album or single should meet with success, it's probably a good idea to have something held on reserve to offer up in that event. Something that no one has heard yet could provide you with a real coup if the majors should come knocking. At any rate, most often it's more likely that the artist or band just wants to keep giving you the best that they've got.

D.I.Y!

Everyone knows that DIY stands for do it your self. In the music business, it should be, do everything your self. Which at this stage of the game is alright with me. The DIY movement is giving artist like myself an opportunity like never before. Of course, doing everything your self can mean wearing a lot of hats. Not only do you have to write the music, but you also have to arrange it, perform it, engineer it, record it, edit it, and produce it. Then, you have to mix it and master it. When all of that is done, you've got to promote and market it. Luckily when it's time to distribute it, a DIY artist has a lot of options. With the advent of the computer and the internet, an artist can now have their music placed in emusic stores all over the planet. Distributors like Tunecore, The Orchard, CD Baby, and Amazon.com, now make it all possible for a reasonably small fee. So, how about promotion? I've been looking very closely at a few ideas that deal with video. Many DIY artist are posting their performances on YouTube. And, in a case where the artist or band doesn't tour, a single show can be seen all over the world. Also, singer/songwriters are going to Vloging, using video blogs to keep their fans and music enthusiasts current and up to date on all the latest happenings. Tuncore and CD Baby offer CD replication, merchandising, and an opportunity to get air play on internet radio. All of this, plus a chance to have your music sold along side all of your musical heroes and music legends makes it an opportunity that's too good to pass up. And, you get to sound like you want to sound. Fans and music lovers get greater variety from a wider selection. Behold, a new business model is being born.

The 70s?

Some people who enjoy my music tell me that I have an "old school," or a 70s sound. That may be true. However, from time to time, I like to add certain other elements to my compositions. Lately, I've been leaving off the strings and horns, in an effort to make my sound more of a self contained nature. At any rate, when it comes to the 70s' I'd have to say that there's a few good reasons for that. First of all, it's not about that era being the great era of recorded music. What it is about, is the coming together of of several musical traditions and practices,combined with the element know then as, artistic freedom. The three 3:30 song form was around for years before artist of the 70s gave it some real power. Artist lie Stevie Wonder and others, negotiated recording contracts that gave them free reign over what the could put in a song. They also got to control what the overall sound of their music would be. And, in a lot of cases, they may have even gotten to produce their own work. Now,with this in mind,artist began to relate experiences form their own lives, as part of their work. but, wait, there's more. Because they had control over their projects, they began to indulge themselves. They started adding different arrangements that my not have been what had previously been the norm. They fused they own sound with the sound of the musical genres that they loved. The song became a work of art as they labored to try and do as many things as they could do in a 3:30 track. It seemed that every genre of music, for Rock, R&B, Jazz, Funk, and Country all had one ideal that worked like magic for them all, and that was, make a quality recording. Now that's not to say that, that didn't or hasn't happened since the 70s, by all means, no. But when Disco ended, or diminished artistic freedom, things began to sound a little more "corporate," in nature. So, when it comes to 70s' music, for me, it's about doing the music the way you want to do it. It's about using all the tools of composition and arranging that you can bring to bear. It's about liking what you've created as opposed to following a trend. I think that's why I like the DIY movement. It's a chance for me to share my musical vision with the rest of the world.

Latest release!

Nprogram's latest single release is now available at iTunes. Check the Tunecore media Player for a full length stream of that song and several others!