JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Industry Message Forum Your First Song Cut

Hi folks,

I have been writing for two years now and have been trying to build my song library so I can get a cut by a music artist or placed in film/tv. I thought it would be neat to hear some stories of your first song cut. I don't care if it was by an Indie artist, a Major artist or placed in film/tv. How did it happen? Could you show us a link to your song on the final product? I hope this will keep me motivated to keep on writing.

OK,I'll bite.

I've posted about 2K lyrics here since 2001..so, with that bit about a million monkeys at a million typewriters, eventually a little Shakespeare came out.

I was out in L.A. for JPF's (second?) First Awards Show where they had an award For Lyrics..& tied for 6th. Met Susan Gibson (just hadda brag) and also Brian, The Man Himself (Have always liked him ever-since. Most folks are "Takers"...he's one of the really True "Givers"). I met a LOT of folks who were WAY ahead of me in the Music Business, & I've always enjoyed their company/You learn a LOT just-listening.

&..there in the crowd was Chuck Crowe...Sessions Guitarist from Culver City. FRIENDLY. (Not the usual Big Head I'm pretty used to meeting...I visited L.A. a LOT back in the '80's.) TALENTED too...he later co-ed on a Rock Lyric I'd posted on one of the Lyric Critique Boards at JPF..a rather Spicy-One.."The HEAT"...which I used the Mix-Minus he'd sent to send it thru a Jimmy Buffett former-Roadie (with My Vox on it) & it ended up being held by Eric Clapton several months. (End of That Story.)

Anyways, Chuck spent about..I think..5 years assembling songs he co-ed from fellow JPF Writers before he came out with his Solo CD, "Another Forevermore"...which he sells at his gigs, & is thoroughly Wonderful! I'm there with a co- on track 3, think it is, with a Jimmy Buffetty "It's All Been Done Before (But Nobody Does It Better)"...& Chuck sings & guitars it to-Perfection...AND...every now & then, this nice $2-&-Change Check arrives in the mail...so it's STILL Selling as we speak.

I'm still trying to get "The HEAT" to Carlos Santana..which the Guitar-work sounds more-like...&...one of these days, I can repay Chuck's Kindness to me.

Google "Chuck Crowe" & ya can hear his CD...My stuff's at CDBaby/TampaStan.

Keep Writing...ya allus Improve The Odds!
Best Wishes & a Big Guy-Hug,
Stan

Hi Dtrain

Okay I put this together for you. It shows a few things about songs, musicbiz, demo's etc... I was just thinking about this OLD song of mine recently because I had the album on the wall in the studio but no way of hearing it. They never made a CD of the song back then so I haven't listened to the final product the album or song in over twenty years. I just had a friend transfer it from vinyl to CD last week.


THE SONG
My first recordings and songs I did after the breakup of my band of four years I refer to as Volume One. These recordings were done on a 4 Track Tascam Cassette Porta Studio. The first song on the tape was very nearly picked up by Jobete Publishing that is Motown's Publishing Co. On a one in million chance they'd open an un-solicted package I got a personal phone call at home from them. That call changed my life, and turned my head & heart fully from being a player/performer/writer in A BAND, To a sit at home song writer studio fiend.
While the 1st song just missed, I mean "just missed: the second song song on the tape "Feel It In My Heart" found it's way to some DJ/Indies Record Producers.

A female singer I met Stacy was a back up singer for a band I was involved with. She was looking to do her own project and I was looking for singers to sing on my demo's. So I was working on this song and she came in and co-wrote it with me. Working with a strong singer gives you IMMEDIATE ideas on what to do melodically and lyrically. As you can try out stuff on the spot.
So she's 18 and I'm about 23 at the time. A good friend a good powerful singer and a very motivated individual. Pushy & driven.
We recorded the demo in my dining room.
She pushed her way towards a DJ who was getting recognition locally and his record producer partner. These guys were DJ's turned Record Producers. Sound familiar?

"Feel It In My Heart" Demo... Here is my demo with Stacy.
http://soundcloud.com/substudio/02-feel-it-in-my-heart-demo/s-PqzJD

Notes:
A- The demo was done on cassette 4 track in my dining room.
B- It was only the second song I had ever done being out of a band and more importantly written TRACK FIRST. In other words I never had a guitar in hand or melody or lyric till after I built the music track. Sound FAMILIAR?
C- Just me playing and programming and Stacy singing on the demo.


Feel It In My Heart (Album Version) Hot Crossover Mix, This is the final Product put out by the indie label, one of SIX various mixes/versions that was played over major FM radio stations and in clubs.
http://soundcloud.com/substudio/feel-it-in-my-heart-album/s-QkofQ

The reason I have been thinking about this song was I just got it transferred to CD. Then after smiling upon hearing it after all these years the frown came moments later

Is the frown from the song never taking off to the next level?
Nope! it's from thinking, How could I be so close and have so much happening with my music career when I had NOWHERE NEAR the abilities I have now in any regard whatsoever. This is how I learned first hand it's WHAT you do and WHO you know, more than HOW well you do something.
But lets come back to that discussion later.

I'll come back to give you the conclusion