JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Musician Message Forum Article about What Christian Lables are Looking For

Very Interesting.
SO Many are trying to land on the head of a pin.
Tough Business!!!! LOL

http://musicministrybiz.blogspot.co...reative+Soul+Online&utm_medium=email

I think most labels and artist,be it secular or Christian, are looking for songs that are commercially appealing in tempo and production as opposed to message content,so it will get played on the radio and sell many copies.I once saw an ad by a Christian publisher looking for gospel song but did not want the cross or the blood mentioned.Case closed.

I find, playing with our Gospel Trio, that the songs folks want to hear are mostly the old Gospel songs from roughly 1880-1930--stuff that mostly is not sung in churches any more, but everyone remembers. And the one thing all those songs seem to have in common is they're seriously trying to explain why God and religion are relevant in a period of burgeoning technology.

Virtually the only modern Gospel song we do--which audiences love--is "Tune the Strings of My Soul," by the Rev. Skip Johnson (a JPF member, BTW); he wrote the lyrics in 2007 or '08, and I set 'em to music. And it, too, follows the old pattern.

I think those Christian A&R people, like their counterparts in secular music, have blinders on. And they're missing something.

Joe

There were the hymns and the organ players in the Catholic church I grew up in. Can't remember too much outside of certain melodies.
I had the good fortune of knowing both organ players.
I had become good friends with one of them at my cleaning job in an assisted living unit in 2009.
Some 20 years after I stopped going to church regularly.
He was a social worker.

I have the soundtrack to Ben Herr and Jesus Christ Superstar.
This topic makes me want to get in to them all the more.

Christian people want to hear the real Gospel but the industry and media don't want to hear the truth.Even many churches are no longer preaching the whole Gospel but will preach to "itching" ears, as the bible says,preaching fables as opposed to the truth.

Many ministers,pastors and priests will be more lost than the average person,because they are suppose to tell the people the truth but they do not and will lead many astray.

i try to write lyrics for that genre but i keep going too dark,maybe there's a genre for that even though it's dark.I think the dark side needs songs as much as the light side.Not a satanist,i just believe in Satan as much as God but i don't worship Satan!I do have a couple lighter side songs though.

So very true, Everett!

My wife and I have a problem, we try to put the entire Bible in 3 minutes
Seriously for us, if it's not Scriptural, it's not Gospel music. we have a responsibility to stay in the Word, to each other, to those that hear and to Christ.
Wyndham

What are Christian recording companies looking for? The same thing as anyone else in the business. They 're all looking to make money. And as much of it as possible. Let's not kid ourselves about that.

Everytime I get into relgion, it costs me. Preachers take the money and run.

Jim,you're looking real pretty lately!

I would hope that the Christian Music Community would look at the sanctity of life from conception until natural passing.
The thing with religion is that it has been behind many wars.
Christ rallied against religions and was killed for it.

There should be a faith for the people and what can make them think.
People that have political experience such as Ron Paul, Ralph Nader to Jesse Ventura could restore our land to what is for the people. Whether that be an atheist or believer that is setting forth the work for faith and closer to Christ's teachings.

I hope this does not drift too far off the main topic.
But I would personally like to do something around the thought for the basically good and the thought of people minding their own business having more of a voice. And to look to take the country out of the hands of donors and super pacs.
Not that long ago, there were policies against politicians being bought from companies.

In Christian music, there is an additional "political correctness" element now. People have to be careful how they approach subjects, mainly just because you would rather not have a bunch of protestors at your shows and more confrontation. Most current Christian themed music is more "SPIRITUAL" than actually any one faith.
Kind of a "non-denomintaiontal" approach.

There is "praise and worshop" music, which is sort of monotone type vocals and phrasing, done in many churches worldwide, and then the contemporary songs, which sound more like rock or pop than anything really "Christian." The days of my Father's Southern Gospel quartet music, is pretty much long gone from the mainstream.

If you want the best place to check it out, look at the BILL GAITHER orginization. If anyone has a handle on successful Christian music,videos, groups, recording, publishing, entertainment, there it is.

MAB

I'm not religious and I don't like religion but I love Relient K. They don't try to shove God in your face in their songs. It's mostly implied that they are singing to him but it's not in your face. I like a few others too. Skillet. They are heavier rock.
Casting Crown sounds pleasant to the ears.

Those are the kinds of things I am talking about. I don't know particular names, because I am not in that genre, but what you are describing are what Christian writers and publishers have told me they look for.

MAB

I talked to my former publisher yesterday. He told me he is sending a few gospel songs out to people that are looking for them. Don't know what the songs are. No doubt people are still looking for gospel type songs. I'm sure there are as many different gospel type songs as people. It just depends what someone is looking for.

Very true,

There are still the old style "Southern Gospel Quartets" out there. I have a second cousin who has a very famous one, the Dixie Echoes. There are still opportunities for getting songs to artists and a lot of artists out there, who might be good targets for those songs.

I have friends who pitch a lot of bluegrass songs and get cuts out of them. Those types of artists never seem to get songs pitched to them. The problem is that there are never a lot of sales, so not a lot of money. But in getting cuts, those are out there. Just got to find the niche and have the right song for it.

MAB

Marc's right. Lots of gospel in bluegrass. They probably sell most of their CD's at festivals. I've been to festivals all over the country and most if not all have gospel sets on Sunday morning. Lots of bluegrass bands have at least one gospel album. There aren't many bluegrass millionaires with the exception of people like Alison Krauss and maybe Del McCoury who crossed over into the main stream.

Some of the more traditional bluegrass bands stick with the old tried and true gospel songs, but the younger more contemporary bands may be open to new material and may even write it themselves.

I've written a few really good Pro Life songs that are commercial sounding and have catchy melodies and have gotten NO WHERE....I've been told that Christian Contemporary won't touch this topic...Its a Shame and Shame on THEM.

Barry, you have to look at it as the expanding marketplace. We "hear a lot of younger people who will say :I don't like that twangy country stuff." Then you point out Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert are all 'country', and they say "I LOVE that!"

The Christian markets, like all markets have to expand their listener base or they die. It's not always pretty, but it is nessasary for commerical success, and if you are putting money into recording, packaging, salaries, travel, advertising, and other elements of a music career, you have to keep that in mind.

In today's global marketplace, you have to have a broader perspective. There are more and more 'non-denominational' churches,just like other faiths (well, except for one, but we won't go there)they are trying to reach other people.

So having some subjects that alienate members, is never a good idea because there are endless places that they can take their faith or interests.

Someone told me many years ago "We would like to be on the cutting edge, but we spend most of our time trying to figure out how not to offend." Any time you take a position on an issue, yuo are going to find fans, but also alientate half your listening audience. Some peopleare fine with that. Just have to make that choice. But people trying to make a living on that, that have their families livelyhoods, their children's future,the ability to pay their bills, don't have that luxury.

You can always say whatever you want to any way you want. But sometimes you might have to look at different ways so as to get what you want out there, yet bring more people to your way of thinking instead of running them in the other direction.

MAB

To add to what Marc said, there probably also have been thousands of pro-life songs that have been written by artists or the artists' circle of friends (and probably millions of pro-life songs written out there in cyber space). So it is probably not just a "shame on them" thing as much as "hey we've already cut a few hundred of those".

Right you are Kevin, as that subject came up, I started thinking of probably ten or twenty I have heard over the years. It seems like a lot of female writers, Ashley Cleveland, Victoria Shaw, Gretchen Peters, Beth Nielson Chapman, etc. all seemed to have those over the years. Some got cut, most never did and it seems like all those women talked about them being in the "Ten foot pole club'(wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.)

I have heard them written from the point of view of a Mother who gave up their child for adoption (wrote a couple of those myself) the perspective of a girl who was saved from an abortion, the"ghost voice of a dead child", etc. I believe Amy Grant had one once too.

The problem with anything that has "controversial overtones to it' can often be taken the wrong way. Even if it was never intended. And there might be someone who might have had an abortion and feel guilty for the rest of their lives. Those kind of songs might not help them any. And the chances of an artist going through that and sacraficing a child for their career, are pretty good. So they might not want to sing that.

Also because audiences tend to think the artist wrote a song whether they did or not, and they might not want to become the 'poster child" for some cause celeb. Martina McBride started writing her own songs, and quit taking outside songs mostly because everyone seemed to want her to always do issue oriented songs, and she wanted to get away from so much of that.

So yeah, it could be that they have just had more than enough of those type songs out there. Sometimes we think we are the only one's writing certain things because we don't hear it on the radio. Doesn't mean there are not hundreds of them already out there, just going nowhere already.

MAB

Humm,
It seems a lot of writer's are writing Gospel songs because they think that is where the money is. True they may get played on a gospel station but sell ziltch. Same with Christmas songs. Hard to place or sell as the old ones still sell and are still avaliable.

Back during the O.J. Trial a publisher said he got tons of O.J. songs. none were picked up. One more thing, an artist wants to prevent recording that song that signals an end of their career. You always want to leave a bit on the table for that next release. So, the music business still is tough, Eh? Write a Hit!

I'm OLD NOW (69) and am NOT trying to write hits anymore. I'm doing what I LOVE and am Best At and that's writing Songs about My Journey, How I see the World and To highlight Society with songs like HARD TIMES ON MAINSTREET and LIFESTYLES OF THE POOR AND THE HOMELESS. I have NO Illusions or Delusions of making ONE DIME in the Business SO....I'm just doing what I enjoy and DO have Many people that I hear from That like the songs I'm writing.
BTW...Taylor Swift is no more Country that AC DC and today her ridiculous song (VERY CATCHY as Usual and a WILD VIDEO) is NUMBER 1 on VH1. She was an Original BUT Now just seems to be one of the New Pack Of Booty Girls on Pop Music and Video. A shame to ME but entirely predictable.
ALSO nobody really can predict what will be a hit or not......
That Little song that Miranda Lambert sang a few years ago THE HOUSE THAT BUILT ME...was song of the year. No Frills or Wild Video and mostly just an Acoustic Guitar....Never can tell.
Write what you LOVE and what you are good at and let the rest just fall into place....wherever that is.
B

"Hit's Are very subjective. no one knows what they are until AFTER they happen. Because a hit is what "hits' an audience. Hundreds of records a year are released with the same promotional money and intensity from their record companies, same viral campaigns and they just don't make it. As a matter of fact, NO COMPANY who is concerned with stockholders, market share, and staying in business would say "Hey, let's release some crap." Someone (actually quite a lot of people, since all music is done by committee) believes in it to a fact they are risking their jobs on it. So what we might look at and question, other people are staking their repuations on it.

Ray, I think you might look at little closer at the Taylor Swift song, if you are talking about "Shake it off."That is actually designed to be a "joke' on the current state of music videos and is a parody of herself. in the lyrics you hear her talking about all the trash talk people say to her, that she can't sing, etc. And the chorus is "shake it off,don;t worry about it." That is what Taylor does and what separates her from all the other "booty shakers' out there and why she remains on top of the heap while others are trying to figure out how to get and keep attention.
She takes the negative things people throw at her and shove it right back in their faces,and makes a ton of money, gets a ton of press, and is on every media outlet there is.

Ray every professional writer and artist are trying to go where they can make some money. In the marketplace of their genre. Christian artists are no difference. They don't accept "love donations' at the refueling centers to fill up those busses. They can't write a "Faith check' to their vendors, employees, band members, agent fees, producers, studios, catering services, promotions people. "In God we Trust. all else pay CASH."

People in the Christian industry have their beliefs and faith and want to present it as much as they can with as many people as they can. There is nothing wrong with that. And while I have NEVER, NOT ONCE, EVER met a hit or established writer that said "I want to get into this to make money", it is a factor, albeit about 5th or 6th on the list of reasons they do what they do.

To the "OJ" songs. ANYTHING that is written with a "shelf life" on it (something in the news this moment) will likely be passed on. The reason is that the news cycle is so fast, what is incredibly important at that particular second, is going to be LONG GONE by the afternoon in the news cycle.

I had a guy Friday call me to present his song about the 'California Drought." He is in North Carolina. There is probably not ONE person in North Carolina that cares enough about the California drought to even have an opinion. And people in California, would greet it with a "What do YOU know about it? You are in North Carolina."

So there is a NO WIN senario there. Same as writing about Breast Cancer, which is considered a "woman's issue.' They will NOT accept it from someone who has not "been there."

I am sure not surprised that publishers would not take an "OJ" song. That whole experience certainly brought us together as a country didn't it? Why didn't they pass out free samples of the Ebola virus at the same time?

The first rule of songwriting, performing, and offering your inner thoughts for public consumption:
DON'T PISS OFF YOUR AUDIENCE.

Challenge them, intrique them, entertain them. But don't piss them off. They already have plenty in life that does that.

MAB

I write more gospel songs than any other genre, but not for money for they are hard to get cut. I do it because I believe God wants me to. God speaks to people through music in a big way. But I find a lot of people singing and publishing gospel want songs that don't mention the word, the cross, and definitely not the blood. They want songs for people with itching ears that make them feel good without being good. They don't want to hear that they are sinners and need salvation through the cross and the blood to enter into heaven, they want to make it by their good works, which to God is as filthy rags.

I once saw an ad by a gospel publisher looking for gospel songs and he said don't mention the cross or the blood. That is what the gospel is about, many people will never go to church but will listen to gospel songs, just maybe they will realize that they need forgiveness and turn to their only hope of salvation, Jesus Christ.

Well Barry,
I think you and I are going to have to change names. I don't think I even mentioned Taylor Swift, or Elvis for that matter. I will mention writing good songs is HARD! I do have a sorta Gospel type song Entitled: AROUND THE HORN posted on the Web Site of which has had a bite or two.
http://www.geocities.ws/fiverosesmusicgroup/
Everett the reason people looking for Gospel songs don't want those things mentioned is because they have been done to death already.

Sorry, I keep going up and down trying to respond to what you guys are saying.I get them backwards. Just apply to what I am saying to whomever it applies to.
M

Ray: Start paying attention, it is very clear who Marc is talking to and what he is talking about. Most of these conversations we have here combine thoughts from more than one post (by different people even!). Gotta keep up!

Edit: See? Even though I am talking to Ray, it looks like I am responding to Marc (ha, ha).

I think the tide is changing on certain issues within the catholic religion so songs that would have been taboo before might be common place in say 5 years.

This is todays news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/w...nce-toward-gays-and-remarriage.html?_r=0

VATICAN CITY — In a marked shift in tone likely to be discussed in parishes around the world, an assembly of Catholic bishops convened by Pope Francis at the Vatican released a preliminary document on Monday calling for the church to welcome and accept gay people, unmarried couples and those who have divorced, as well as the children of these less traditional families.

Imagine what its like in 5-10 years? There could be openly gay christian artists singing about their relationships.

I'm not sure if abortion will ever be signalled as okay by the church. But it could in the future. They have to remain relevant to the youth or the church will die off. And they know it. Probably another reason why you don't hear any songs on the radio about it. Music is a business and they need money to survive. Cannot survive if you turn off your listener base.

Just my opinion anyway.

After a quick scan of most of the responses to Barry's thread, Joe Wrabek's comments about what we are hearing from church choirs today, struck a serious chord with me. I've never cared much for "change" and I really miss hearing the hymns I've heard all my life until the last ten or so years.

Today, we "follow along" from giant TV-like screens, (we seldom use our hymnals) the new church songs they ply us with... and they are foreign to me. After all is said and done and the service is over... I feel a deep disappointment, much as if I had not even been to church.

I don't take much comfort from what I'm hearing emanating from Rome... although the "new Pope" appears to be a good and humble man. I cannot understand why he does not consider allowing priests to marry like the Church of England has done. I'm referring to the marriage of men to women. To my mind, this might have a positive impact upon all the abuse of children and young parishoners by Catholic Priests.

Thanks for bringing up the hymn thing, Joe. I don't feel quite so alone in my thoughts about traditional worship now.

I saw on the front page of my Web Server (Comcast) that Pat Boone is calling it quits! His last Album is/was a Gospel Album.
Well there goes another possible! Write a hit!