JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Success Stories Forum My First #1 Hit! ....well, sort of...

I might not be making any money at this, but I've cracked the Top Ten on Soundclick, which really cracks me up, being the old guy that I am. (Okay, most of us know that 46 ain't old...but it sure was when I was 19!)

Two days ago I finished a home recording of I Wrote This Song for Cash and tossed it up on Soundclick.

Today I'm #9 on the country charts. And in the Rockabilly charts...baby, I'm #1: The Charts.

Small potatoes, yes, but it put a smile on my face...and now my daughters think their dad is the Bomb.

Guess that makes me Top of the Pops...

Congrats -- I'm envious, I have never gotten a #1 on a sub-genre chart. Way to go!

Kevin

Congrats Mark
It's always good to be recognized for your work. I've had a number one and several in the top ten.
Never quite made Number one on the main chart though. Still made me feel good.

Congratulations. This is not an easy thing to do recently.

It used to be quite easy to get a number one. Folk would log on multiple times and visit their own song. Each visit counted for chart position. The system was adjusted stopping that practice. So they then got their pals on and hit it many times therby hiking it up the charts. I think even that practice has stopped as the new system counts multiple visits from the same source as one hit.
The present system is still not ideal as it only counts visits to the song and not plays. Some folk just play a few seconds and abort. This present system although fairer does not take that into consideration nor does it judge from feedback how well or badly the song is rated. It goes purely on how many visits.

Hi Mark,

Congrats. It's great to have a #1 anywhere. I've been on soundclick a while now without a #1, so I know it ain't easy. I think you could do the song about 10 BPM slower and get more out of it. I do like the way it's done, but the lyric feels a bit rushed at times. Just my thoughts, keep 'em or can 'em.

Good job, you youngster.

And well deserved - you have created some magic with your recording. The guitar is tasty and done well and you are able to do some very nice double tracking on the chorus vocal. As well as channeling Johnny. You were listening to Johnny and you found your own voice. {:-)

Pete

Congrats, Mark Nice song, too!!

Emily

Whoa, thanks everyone! The biggest joy is the excitement my daughters feel. One of Madeline's friends emailed me to tell me "You are a very great artist" and I just about fell off my chair laughing. Man, I sure wish I could pay my bills.

John Selleck, I agree. This track is really rough, and although I pulled off a better Cash imitation than I thought I could, it is still a big stretch. I'll try another cleaner and tad slower version one of these days.

Appreciate all the support! Thanks folks. Oh, and I've already been knocked down from the top...#2 on Rockabilly now. But I still remember being #1...as if it was only yesterday...

-Lyle

Hey man..this is a good song..many people will like it..."write it and they will come"...good job!!

Hey Lyle,


Like everybody else I thought it was a very good song but just found out you were the singer. Wow Get yourself a black shirt and get out there as a tribute. Well impressed.

Hi Mark,

Don't laugh! Keep impressing those young starry eyed impressionable girls. Now I'll go listen---think I remember reading that lyric and I liked it whether I posted or not. And congratulations. Sounds like you have a healthy balanced understanding of what is does and doesn't mean to get a number 1 hit on Soundclick. But, it surely must be fun. Enjoy!


Vanessa

I'm back. I LOVE this Mark!

this is perfectly accentuated with the melody and I'm really diggin' your musical interpretation. I think Johnny Cash would have smiled very big if he could have heard it.

Don’t care if they trash it
Or tell me it’s a smash hit

You really have the vocal to pull this off imo. Also, that riff there was lots of fun.

And don't laugh at my 'starry-eyed' review. I don't given 'em very often 'round here. Honest.

Vanessa

Just Listened-in, AND you're Again at #1 Today, Amigo!

Sounds Great..Well-Done..& Good Luck with this Good'n', Mark!

Congrats!

Big Guy-Gug,
Stan

Big Jim, impressing you with a vocal is like winning some kind of award. Yes!

Thanks Laddie! But black shirts just accentuate my dandruff...

No laughter here, Vanessa...your good review means more to me than a position on Soundclick. Thank you!

Much appreciated, Stan. And I'm back on top today, much to my amusement.

Big Guy Gug right back atcha!

Thanks for that info, Jim. I discovered that with Soundclick within the first year and even emailed their tech support this observation, but I never got a response and finally pulled my stuff off the site. I figured if people were going to try and cook the numbers that way, I had better methods of marketing my stuff than sit at my computer all day trying to fool people into thinking I was hot s**t. I'm glad to see the site owners have taken a step to cure the problem, even if it didn't solve it completely. At least they are thinking now.

I have a different discomfort with the site, Doc. For me, Soundclick is merely a cost-free means of posting my ROUGH recordings so I can discuss and improve them on JPF. Sometimes I post embarrassingly rough and unfinished stuff (check out Sweet Country Woman!), because I'm really not shooting for a chart topper.

In fact, seeing "I Wrote This Song for Cash" do well makes me a little nervous...because the next thing I do might be some half finished project, and I would want it to fly under the radar. Now I suddenly have "fans" who want to be my friend...

Ah well, not sure what I'm worried about. Truth is, I'm more interested in writing than performing. Sometimes I forget that.

Hi Doc Most folk I know do not use Soundclick as anything other than a storage place to put rough or unfinished things on so that other musicians can take a listen for critiques etc. Chart positions are completely irrelevant. I only use it for JPFs to have a listen. Everything on it is rough and available "free". Serious stuff should be paid for on one of the more commercal download sites. We musicians give away too much for free.

I agree with you mostly, Jim. That's how I use the site.

But I also think Soundclick would be a very attractive place to sell music, because there is no limit to the number of songs you can put up. All the other sites including MySpace have space limitations.

I have always been surprised why JPF does not have its own boards where we can post Mp3 for critiques, collabs etc. Brian gave a reason once but I cannot remember the exact details.

It's gotta cost a fortune...

Now I remember that was the reason. LOL

OF COURSE it's a 1, not sort of, specially if it encourages you
congratulations

I love it when guys with a great attitude get pumped up, the sky's the limit when that happens. Stay up, write great, be well...congrats on the song...MJ

Huh! ?????

She's referring to the title of this thread, Big Jim...

Priscilla, thank you very much! Wait...I mean Gracias! Hello to Spain, and best wishes to you.

Moker, I'm still putting most of my time into running a restaurant (six days a week), and very little spare time goes to music. Having so little time to devote slims my chances of doing much with music commercially...but when my daughters think I'm better than Elvis, maybe that brass ring is already in my pocket.

(Hmmm...all right everyone, I'm claiming that hook... )

-Lyle

I understood what she was referring to just did not quite get her meaning. I was thinking about the posts re the importance or relevance of number one. The relevance of "If it encourages you" is clear now.

Howdy Mark!

Wow! Congratulations! I remember reading the lyric and thinking you were pretty clever!

Nicely done!!

"Uncle" Chuck

Thanks Uncle Chuck!

Got knocked off my high horse today, though.

Lyle,
that is the best song I've heard in a while. It's a shame it had to end. Now with people doing Eagles covers and what not on country radio I don't see where this couldn't fly. Josh Turner could do it proud although your singing is right fine. It would be wildly ironic if it made you a little dough.

Have fun,
John