'One Minute With Dec' 05 Jan 2010
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[-The views of any contributor to 'One Minute with Dec' are not necessarily the views of Dec Cluskey-]
"There’s nothing that can’t be done if we raise our voice as one” Michael Jackson
Menu:
- A good year to come? [ now is the time to plan ]
MySpace ideas [can we use it better?]
How it can increase traffic, leads, and sales? [get your music site working fast?]
Testimonials [Demo Consultation?]
Subscriber's Section [ Collaboration techniques and an original style? ]
The gags: ..... [ Women drivers? From Willie – don’t blame me! ]
A good year to come? [ now is the time to plan ]
Okay, what are your New Year resolutions?
How about making sure that you end this coming year with success in your true love… music.
Make a plan … listen to the chart each Sunday … buy ‘Now 74’ album and study it … don’t just listen to it. Then make a promise to yourself that you will start 300 songs this year. Sound crazy? Not a bit. By start I mean get a good start phrase, musical idea. Your see, you have got to get your mind into a production line way of thinking. That way the ideas will come quicker and your ideas will become better and better, more commercial and more sellable.
You cannot become a proficient, slick songwriter unless you actually practice the art over and over … just like it is impossible to be a great brain surgeon unless you learn and practice.
Of the three hundred song starts you will find that 30 of them will stick around you and last. As you get more and more into the chart and have all that pervasive chart material hitting your brain each day, you will find that your own ideas are becoming just as commercial. Don’t be afraid to ‘borrow’ ideas from current chart tracks … “why invent mediocrity when you can borrow genius?”
Be vicious in deciding which of your start points is worth progressing with. Sing a snatch to a friend, your partner, your kids … make a habit of doing that … you will be surprised at the results. If you achieve the 30 songs in a year target then you are becoming a serious writer.
Of the thirty rough tracks you should pare that figure down to five toons that are now worth honing, cleaning, polishing and commercialising. I would suggest that one or two of those tracks, if you have really concentrated on their commercial sellability, WILL make you dosh! “It is impossible to work that hard and not succeed!”
You could really check them out with “57 Secrets of a Hit Record” at http://www.makehits.com/57Secrets.htm
You can completely check out the ‘sellability’ by sending for a Demo consultation … where the successful guys check their material before spending lots of dosh on a full production. http://www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm
"All the beautiful sentiments in the world
weigh
less than a single lovely action." James Russell Lowell
MySpace ideas [can we use it better?]
A very interesting observation on My Space from Serious Writers Guild Member
David Nickerson … reasoning that MySpace is more useful than just
a residing place for your music.
"Dec, I think MySpace is good for getting interest from other
members.
For example, if your style is Dance/Trance you can search everyone between
15-23 years old, within a 50 mile radius, and then contact everyone whose
homepages say they love Dance/Trance music.
So it's very easy to find your local / national / international target market
and then contact them.
Also there are 'groups' and 'clubs' made up of thousands of members.
So for example if you are 'Country' you can find a MySpace Country Music
club. There you will find 1000's people, to target, who all love country
music.
These are my best conclusions so far.
1: Very carefully select target market from their taste in music.
2: Carefully select individuals who have the clout to 'spread the word'.
(i.e. if you're music is pop/dance, look for a 6th Form dance class etc.)
3: Genuinely be their friend. i.e. talk about them as much or more than
you talk about yourself. (as in How to Make Friends and Influence)
We all know but it is also worth noting that teenagers communicate everyday
all day (!) with their 'Real World' pals on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter ...
the ones they go to school with etc.... (in the way we might use the telephone
or email). If you can find a 'gang' of party girls or boys etc. then that
makes for part of a good local following..
I'm not suggesting I'm an expert but that's my experience so far.
Hope you're having a good day.
David"
It is also worth noting that MySpace is an ideal vehicle for hosting Radio
shows, spoken newsletters … not just music tracks … we use it
for ‘3 Minutes on the Radio with Dec’ … hear how it works
at http://www.myspace.com/makehits
"Whatsoever the mind can conceive and believe
... it *can* achieve." Napoleon Hill
How it can increase traffic, leads, and sales? [get your music site working fast?]
So you have a great music site selling your music? Looks good, the music is good, the band looks stunning and the gigs are going well … but no music sales?
No one can find your site? What you ought to try is Pre-Qualified Traffic
Bidding on keywords [ in Google Adwords and Adsense ] that pertain to your product or service, music or otherwise, actually pre-qualifies the people that visit your website. You determine how much you are willing to pay/bid for each click and you only pay when someone clicks through to and visits your website. This suggests that PPC search engines can cheaply lead qualified visitors to your website.
Instant Exposure, Immediate Profits … in theory.
Generally, it takes search engines weeks and sometimes months to put up your website. If it is difficult to get to your website via search engines or if you would like to get the fastest results from the search engines, then PPC is the most efficient and cost-effective option. Most PPC search engines will have your website live within a couple of hours, which means that the your site traffic and sales increase immediately.
Beware, however, of nasty folk out there [and there are many of them] who simply will not like your methods and will deliberately sit at their computer for hours clicking on your links … thus costing you … and no sales … so ….. limit the amount you are willing to spend … with a vengeance. I was once caught to the tune of £5,000 because I did not put a limit on - my card was charged automatically.
Put a link to one of our sites on your site … on your front page, so the search engine spider will see it quickly … that will increase your ranking dramatically.
Site: http://www.the-bachelors.org.uk
Title: The Bachelors with Con and Dec, the original guys who made all the
hits.
Body Text: Agent Friendly site to book the original Sixties legends.
Site: http://www.deccluskey.co.uk
Title: Dec Cluskey, the legendary founder of The Bachelors.
Text: Hear the great stories of the Sixties from the guy who was there and
was part of the stories. After Dinner speaking at its best.
We can then link back to you through our other sites. Thus you will have direct links from rated sites … clever … eh?
And, by the way, check out those sites to see the latest ‘agent friendly’ thinking … they work!
"A great wind is blowing, and that gives
you either
imagination or a headache." Catherine the Great
Testimonials
A Member speaks of his experience with ~The Demo Consultation Service~ at http://www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm “I feel that I spent the best £57 in my life with this service you supply. And with your background, I feel that this service is even better value. Many thanks and best regards
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"I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster." Catherine the Great
Subscriber's Section [ Collaboration techniques and an original style? ]
“Dear Dec You have created a very unique style with your band that has been copied by lots of other bands. I was wondering if you would let me in on your secret on how to create an original style. And also, how can I collaborate with other music makers? C********” |
My Reply:
Our rules are "one short reply to ONE question on music
FOR NON-MEMBERS, Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' have unlimited personal
access to Dec by direct telephone, Fax and Email, apply at https://secure.mistral.co.uk/makehits/swgappsecure.htm
".
[Any advice given here shall not be deemed as financial or legal advice
under any existing or future laws of any country]
Hi C********
Quite a few of the Members of Serious Writers Guild use Internet transfer techniques to collaborate. Sending files to each other … ProTools, Cubase … lyrics etc. Check out www.makehits.co.uk/collaboration.htm
<<<<<<<<You have created a very unique style with your band that has been copied by lots of other bands. I was wondering if you would let me in on your secret on how to create an original style.>>>>>
Style almost happens by accident ... It is really the ability to listen to what sound the band is making and then pick the best bits of the sound, use them more and improve them. That is exactly what Brian Eno did with U2.
For instance, we were mentored by a guy called Karl Denver [with his trio]. They had a unique way of playing the lead guitar exactly the same as the bass [upright bass] .... This gave a huge sound, even if the two of them played on their own.... There is a technical harmonic reason for that ... Rock bands use that technique a lot.
I found that having one voice above the melody and one under gave a striking, never heard before harmony sound as everyone traditionally had the two harmony voices under the melody.
Also when we sang a sustained 'aaaah' behind the lead voice I would pick the notes for the sustain so that the lead voice was mostly in the middle of the two sustained voices...clever...eh?
The most unique sound was and still is our unison sound … a lot of technique involved, multi tracking with a breathy, ‘covered voice’ sound. Still quite unique in a male band … girl bands use it a lot Destiny’s Child etc.
It is important, when doing a 'cover', always to refer to the sheet music of the toon [for accuracy] but never to listen to the original version on record....this is essential. That way you sing the song in your band's unique style.
Never be afraid to change a chord, or sequence of chords to reflect your band style .... We did that in almost every Hit we had. We also changed lyrics ... Where we felt we could improve.
The most important part of uniqueness is in dress.... The band costumes have to be 'never seen before' ... Sadly, most bands fall down here and insist on down dressing [T shirt and jeans] ... Nothing looks more boring and it generally comes from laziness and having no ambition or knowledge about futuristic band trends.
Study the current top bands and improve on how they dress.
My band would spend three weeks looking for the right cuff links....how about that? My quest at the moment is to find the best combination of pure white outfits.
Regards
Dec [Cluskey] dec@makehits.com
2 Gold discs in 2008! Decca have relaunched their ‘World Of’ series on the back of those hits. Readers Digest are now promoting a triple album set …. Do you think I can help your music career succeed?
Check out 'How to Make A £Million From your Music' at http://www.makehits.co.uk. Secure purchase at https://secure.mistral.co.uk/makehits/swgappsecure.htm or fast cred*it card line: +44 1323.728005 or UK 01323.728005
“3 Minutes on the Radio with Dec” …. Available immediately at http://www.myspace.com/makehits
“Discipline is the bridge between Goals
and Achievement”
The gags: ..... [ Women drivers? From Willie – don’t blame me! ]
Driving to the office this morning on the motorway, I looked over to my right and there was a woman in a brand new BMW doing 90 miles per hour with her face up close to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner!
I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane still working on that makeup!!
It scared me (I'm a man) so much that I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the salt beef sandwich out of my other hand. In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my mobile from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs, causing it to splash and burn BIG JIM AND THE ROUND TWINS, causing me to scream, which made me drop the cigarette out of my mouth, ruined my shirt and DISCONNECTED AN IMPORTANT CALL!!!
WOMEN DRIVERS ?
Regards
Dec [Cluskey] dec@makehits.com
2 Gold discs in 2008! Decca have relaunched their ‘World Of’ series on the back of those hits. Readers Digest are now promoting a triple album set …. Do you think I can help your music career succeed?
Check out 'How to Make A £Million From your Music' at http://www.makehits.co.uk. Secure purchase at https://secure.mistral.co.uk/makehits/swgappsecure.htm or fast cred*it card line: +44 1323.728005 or UK 01323.728005
“3 Minutes on the Radio with Dec” …. Available immediately at http://www.myspace.com/makehits
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