(1) Dear Dec, HELLLOOO!!! YOU SAY 99.999% OF DEMOS YOU RECIEVE ARE CR*P. It is the 0.1% that you rarely receive! And I know that you run Serious Writers Guild - that's what I am, and that's why I'm sending you my package!! You're very inspiring and I look forward to you hearing me! Sally
	Sally Well! What can I say? You are doing everything absolutely right.... Your fan- newsletter...brilliant, wish ours was as good! The fanbase.....essential and brilliant, keep it growing...that is precisely how 'Toploader' got away: 37,000 fanbase. Music.....almost brilliant...just missing in commercialism...and don't think that that is anything to do with lack of production....fantastic production will add gloss and radio 'playability' but there isn't a 'hit' there. There isn't that 'love me up, lick me down element' that is so essential. There isn't that ONE catchy, 'can't get it out of my head' line that you can repeat and repeat for 3'.30". 'From the Heart' [Another Level]...how many times do they repeat that brilliant, genius inspired phrase?.....'Genie in a Bottle', 'What's she gonna look like with a chimbly on her'. 'Horny' is repeated 278 times in the classic; 'I'm Horny'. Your musician friends will think I'm talking through the top of my hat....just ask 'em how many Top Ten Hits they have had. And I'm not talking MP3, Peoplesound.com etc. In fact whatever you do don't go down that road. There isn't one red cent to be made there, despite what your pals will say. I've got Members of my 'Serious Writers Guild'Serious Writers Guild' at Number One all over the place on the Net....no dosh! A 'HIT TOON' is mostly a raunchy line that can be repeated forever, will make people jump up and dance (even a ballad) and will be singable, with no accompaniment, on Friday nights in every pub when the girls have their night out. Robbie has this all worked out to a 'T'. Analyse his stuff...no more than 5 differing melody lines and a great line to repeat and repeat....add to that great other lines that 'jump' out of the CD.....check out Whitney while you're at it....same theory but only 3 differing lines usually ('It's OK') The whole of the business is just enchanted with 'hip hop/garage"...anything to do with R & B....or on the other hand, American influenced Salsa/Christine Aquilera/Ricky Martin. The stuff you have here is about 18 months too late....this business goes at 2,000 miles a second...you must write for twelve months hence, not to be in favour 'today'. And again that is nothing to do with 'production'...The 'song' is the 'song'. The song makes the rhythm flavour not the other way around. Check out Honeyz, Eternal. Check out Trevor Nelson Saturday Afternoon 4-7 where you hear the 'future of music'. Image....naff! 'Musicianly'...fellow musicians love that because you are not 'selling out'. There is no 'danger' in your image...and there has GOT TO BE. If you break away and have a 'f*ck off image' they will hate you...but you soon learn that you didn't need them anyway...they just want you to stay down in the gutter with them. And again, that's nothing to do with money for clothes....my daughter looks like a total superstar in a pair of jeans, tees and a bandana! Solo career....almost impossible, see what I say on my site....Record Companies know full well that this is a percentage game. With a solo artist 50% of the buying public may like the look of the artist. With a band 50% will like Joe, 43% will like Kate, 20% will like Will and the rest Rob....so 100% of the public like a portion of the whole band...and this isn't rocket scientist stuff! Just stuff that your naff musician friends will not know, will not understand, and furthermore will spend nights and nights arguing the toss about and still not realise! It's all called "having a killer, get out of my way attitude". Trust me...this is all correct 'business procedure' stuff. The stuff that makes the REAL money. And guess what Record Companies exist to do? MAKE MONEY. Your biggest mistake is that you have no conception of how important 'Vocal Arrangement' is....an ESSENTIAL ingredient in every Pop Hit today...and don't ever think this is part of the 'production' side...it is now an integral part of the writing procedure. And again if you think that a solo singer is a solo singer, listen to the R Kelly toon in the charts today. Listen to the Craig David toon...in fact listen to every toon in the Top Twenty...then re listen to the demo you sent me...what's missing? Exactly! I would love to let you have my 'Serious Writers Guild' membership and the full ten months of writings for FREE....you know what? Anytime I have ever done that [and I have a lot] I have not so much as had a 'thank you' . "Anything for nothing is worth nothing"...how many times have you heard that? ************ I will do this for you [because I am always looking for Hit Toons] send me any 'pre demo' ideas you have for 2001 Hits, doesn't matter about the quality........the 'pre demo' is more important than a full demo that means nothing. I will listen to them, tweak them, advise and encourage...and who knows what could come out of it. Regards.... DEC dec@makehits.co.uk Serious Writers Guild "where the 'lil guy gets the same chance as the big guy"
	(2) Hi Dec Well what can I say? Thank you so very much. THANK YOU! You know, I could always do some writing (newsletter style) for you to return the favour - if you'd like? I have read, and now re-read your email. It all makes perfect sense. The bit about the image never used to be a problem, until I was battered down for years on end by these 'muso' friends!! I will send you pre demo material - it will be recorded on a tape recorder or possibly on 4 track. I would say 'is this OK with you?' - but I think I already know the answer - if there's a hit song there, you'll hear it a mile off! Guess what? I too don't understand the 'vocal arrangement' thing. - sorry, how many times have you had to do this?!! Thanks again. For the first time in my life I feel like I'm on the right track - with a mentor that I can relate to and trust! Just out of interest - when you come across a hit (not penned by yourself) what is the procedure? Sally
	Hi Sally.... Vocal arrangement? Whehhhhh! If I hear one more 'supposed' writer of music ask that questrion again I'll scream.... It is, without a shodaow of doubt the BIGGEST reason for non-success in this industry. You either understand it, and hear it or you don't...it is not B/V's or vocal backing...it is an integral part of the whole vocal presentation... My GAAAWWWDDD, I almost get angry when I have to write like this....Listen to ANY top ten record...take away the drums, percussion, now take away every shread of musical instrumentation...what are you left with? A swathe of gorgeous vocals made into an intertwining HIT vocal arrangement that stands up on it's own...that's where the 'today' HIT is......easiest thing to do is get Nsync: "No Strings Attached"...the last track is exactly that...they have just 'dumped' all the music and left the vocals...as if to say to 'wannabes'..."This is how it's done!". Also Westlife did that on their single of 'Flying Without Wings'.....they might have said after the track: "Listen you dickheads, this is how you make a hit record...now stop making crap single voice demos and make proper hit records". I had a Member of my 'Serious Writers Guild' drive all the way from Liverpool to Eastbourne, that's 300 miles, to see me, just to ask that question; "What is Vocal Arrangelentm?"....I spent three hours explaining....You know what? She went away still not understanding. You see, I've been immersed in the Pop Recording Industry all my career so vocal arrangement is just the first thing I look at...then again it's all in my writings. Answer to your question later question: When you write a Hit the procedure is automatic...you become a Star whether YOU perform it or someone else does! A HIT makes you musically immortal. You also told me: "the songs on the CD were written between 1993 and 1999!"......I'm NEVER wrong! SEVEN years is an eternity in Show Biz! Regards DEC dec@makehits.co.uk Serious Writers Guild "where the 'lil guy gets the same chance as the big guy"
	(3) MY QUESTION IS AS FOLLOWS, I'AM A VOCALIST WITH NO WRITING TALENT WHAT SO EVER HOWEVER I HAVE A KICK ASS VOICE. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS WILL IT BECOME HARDER FOR ME TO GET DISCOVERED BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY OWN MATERIAL. MY OTHER QUESTION IS THIS, I'M THINKING ABOUT MAKING A DEMO, THE PROBLEM IS IS IT LEGAL FOR ME TO USE OTHER KNOWN ARTIST MATERIAL ON MY DEMO OR NOT? Nadege...
	Hi Nadege Nice of you to mail...can't figure out your country address! Let me have your snail mail address and I will send you an info pack on what we do. OK...first you wrote: "I'M A VOCALIST WITH NO WRITING TALENT WHAT SO EVER"....everyone can write a Hit Toon, Nadege....right through the history of the music game rank amateurs have come up with melodies....pal of mine wrote 'Ghost riders in the Sky'..a massive Hit, years ago....another pal co-wrote a TOON with David Essex and had a massive album hit....they never repeated the feat however! A Hit idea could be just one line, a melody line, a title even...think about 'Genie in a bottle'...think about 'what's she gonna look like with a chimbly on her'...the list is endless...Paul McCartney's chauffeur told him he was working "eight days a week"...the hardest part of writing a HIT is the 'start point'...it's something I'm good at...and anyone who sincerely listens to, and studies the charts MUST be good at start points....the most important thing is to be totally immersed in TODAY POP MUSIC. That's where the ideas come from..... You asked: "WILL IT BECOME HARDER FOR ME TO GET DISCOVERED BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY OWN MATERIAL." You know the answer to that already....there are two massive points against you: 1) You MUST write/co-write/be part of the writing process....otherwise the odds are stacked against you...and quite apart from that you will make little money by just performing. 2) Record Companies almost always prefer 'bands' for the reasons you will see on my site www.makehits.co.uk check out the article on this subject and also the Q and A's you asked: "IS IT LEGAL FOR ME TO USE OTHER KNOWN ARTIST MATERIAL" Not only legal but the Publishing Companies spend all day long trying to get artists [particularly] new artists with a great future to record their company's copyrights. DEC dec@makehits.co.uk Serious Writers Guild "where the 'lil guy gets the same chance as the big guy"
	(4) Hi Dec, I am impatient and fed up of people treating me like s**t). I'VE WRITTEN SEVEN SONGS. I went to a studio the other day with a song I wrote (came up with harmonies etc as well) and people who heard it were amazed when I played it to them before I went in (I daresay a professional would not be so impressed) only for the studio engineer to completely change the melody of the verse. Regards Ricky
	Hi Ricky A couple of things that will help you: 1) Don't 'waste' money on studios...those guys only see the size of your check book....trust me on that! Make absolutely sure that your 'pre-demo' is sh*t hot, could easily slot in at Number Three in the charts between Eternal and Candy [say]. NEVER go near a studio without knowing you have a cast iron, dead cert, humungous HIT on your hands......... For instance, do Mercedes take chances in designing a brand new model? How many pre-production models do they 'mock up' and test to death before they know they 'have one'. Then, and only then, do they go into production. 2) Never allow a 'studio engineer' to interfere in any shape or form with your song. Why? Just ask him how many Hits he has had...answer? NIL! He spends all his time hanging round the studio, never listens to the Charts [he'll tell you they are a load of crap]. He will always have a 'pet project' on the go...they will most certainly be a Trash/Heavy Metal band who are 15 years too late....and he will certainly want everything 'LIVE'. Anything sequenced will be cr*p to him. So....how dare he interfere with your melody! Ricky...when you get that phenomenal pre-demo then, whatever you do, find the best PRODUCER you can afford, trust him, and he will give you a HIT record. No songwriter has ever produced himself successfully at the start of a career in the history of the Record Industry. A RESIDENT STUDIO ENGINEER COULD NOT PRODUCE A RABBIT OUT OF A MAGICIAN'S HAT...AND WHAT'S MORE, HE COULDN'T EVEN MIX A CAKE, LET ALONE A HIT RECORD. Finally....you have written 7 songs? Phil Colllins will tell you that only ONE song in THIRTY, that he writes, ever sees the light of day...and he knows what he is doing! So 7 songs? Hmmmmmmmm! You have a long way to go Ricky...and impatience will not get you there any quicker....DRIVING KILLER AMBITION will though! regards DEC dec@makehits.co.uk Serious Writers Guild "where the 'lil guy gets the same chance as the big guy"
	(5) dear dec I have currently recieved a management contract, and need a good reasonable solicitor to check it for me, and i am currently aimimg for a recording contract with a major record company, any advice you could give many thanks rebecca (Middlesbrough)
	Hi Rebecca.... The only advice I ever give is that there is never a need for a management contract until there is something to manage. Similarly, there is never a need for an agency deal until there is something to sell.... Never a need for a Publishing deal until you have written a potential Hit........ And at the end of the day you only get a money making recording contract when you have a POTENTIAL TOP THREE HIT. So you see, you may be putting the cart before the horse, as most writers/performers on the edge of big time Show Biz do. If you have actively sought a management deal then you definitely have the cart before the horse. When you have the 'goods' to market then you will be approached by management people, who you should 'interview' and then carefully give them a limited contract. You will find it exceptionally hard to find a proper 'show biz' lawyer to look at a contract in a sensible way, they are based in London and should only be used for mega deals....any solicitor will look at it....won't understand it, look at the size of your cheque book and cost you a fortune....at the end of the day you have to ask yourself; "Do I need this contract at this moment in time?" DEC dec@makehits.co.uk Serious Writers Guild "where the 'lil guy gets the same chance as the big guy" Check out [CLICK HERE] THE SERIOUS WRITERS GUILD THERE IS NO CATCH "send Dec an e.mail"

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