Levels of commercial success - who's here?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mrx
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dafduc said:
crawdad had a #1 10-12 years ago for Leroy Parnell - I forget the title.

craw's my new idol...:D

Daf
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I have heard alot of Crawdad's stuff and he is incredible. I didn't know he had a #1 though. Leroy was a great slide player..
 
Have you written songs that any of us may have heard on the radio? No.

Have you written album tracks for commercial artists? No.

Do you write for a signed band that hasn't broken through yet? No.

Do you sell a fair number of CD's at gigs? Yes I have in the past... however they were on Cassette and Vinal (OK so now y'all KNOW I'm old)

However I did write two short stories that were published in Twilight Zone Magazine in the Mid 80's... but I guess that doesn't count here eh? hehe


Something to ponder: Ray Stevens once said in an interview that he was approached by someone who told him they were a song writer and he asked them "Really? What did you write today?"

He went on to state that a true writer writes every day. Even if they only come up with one usable line, write every day!

- Tanlith -

Webmaster: Super Loop Library
 
alexspetty said:
recorded a number of cd's and had regional success and airplay in the mid atlantic states.

i still write for myself and others in virginia.

-alex
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As well you should my friend! You are one of the most talented folks on this board (although I haven't seen you around much lately). BTW, I've been trying to get over there and catch another open mic, I just can't seem to get the time... it's a very busy time of year for me. I did write a song with you in mind. I'd love to hear you sing it. I'll try to get out there and hook up with you real soon.

bd
 
dafduc said:
crawdad had a #1 10-12 years ago for Leroy Parnell - I forget the title.

craw's my new idol...:D

Daf
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"What kind of fool do you think I am" was the title. Crawdad is the man!


bd
 
I am not a professional but I would say semi-pro, is that allowed?

I have a song prominently placed in the recent Jeff Daniels indi-film "Supersucker" which is not likely to make me any money.

My songwriting has been favorably reviewed in Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, The Detroit Free Press & several regional papers in the midwest.

I've done so many "demo-deals" that proved fruitless that I have vowed never to do one again. I've never gotten a publishing deal but I've had some regional college radio play.

No one signed or well known has ever performed my material but my old band's CD was recently certified Aluminum!

love on
-small
 
mrx said:
Is anyone here a 'pro' writer? If so, to what level? (By that I mean, have you written songs that any of us may have heard on the radio?, have you written album tracks for commercial artists?, do you write for a signed band that hasn't broken through yet?, do you sell a fair number of CD's at gigs?, etc.)
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I guess I could answer 'yes' to all of the above except the radio part unless you listen to public radio. I started as a writer around 1970 working for Screen Gems and the like and have managed to stay pretty much unnoticed ever since.
 
Have you written songs that any of us may have heard on the radio? Possibly, but unlikely. I got a song that I actually mixed on the clinic put out on an indie compilation that goes out to numerous college radio stations. It's been played a handful of times, but not likely close enough to get a cut.

Have you written album tracks for commercial artists? No.

Do you write for a signed band that hasn't broken through yet? No.

How much does a song have to play to get a cut? It's not like BMI will cut you a check for $1 if you were played 10 times right?
 
small said:
I am not a professional but I would say semi-pro, is that allowed?

I have a song prominently placed in the recent Jeff Daniels indi-film "Supersucker" which is not likely to make me any money.

My songwriting has been favorably reviewed in Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, The Detroit Free Press & several regional papers in the midwest.

I've done so many "demo-deals" that proved fruitless that I have vowed never to do one again. I've never gotten a publishing deal but I've had some regional college radio play.

No one signed or well known has ever performed my material but my old band's CD was recently certified Aluminum!

love on
-small
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Daniels? Freep?

Now hold up your palm and show us where you're from...

Daf (base of the thumb, halfway over... little farther... little farther... THAT'S IT!!!)
 
powderfinger said:
How much does a song have to play to get a cut? It's not like BMI will cut you a check for $1 if you were played 10 times right?
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To "get a cut" means one of your songs has been released on an album. But just because you "get a cut" doesn't mean you get "mailbox money."

To get "mailbox money" from your performing rights organization for radio play, you essentially have to have a song that is a) released as a single, and b)charts.

If your song doesn't appear on any of the recognized charts, you're not going to see any money from your PRO.

Of course, if you do get a cut, you still get your 8 cents (4 cents for you, 4 cents for the publisher) for every unit sold. :)
 
bdbdbuck said:
As well you should my friend! You are one of the most talented folks on this board (although I haven't seen you around much lately). BTW, I've been trying to get over there and catch another open mic, I just can't seem to get the time... it's a very busy time of year for me. I did write a song with you in mind. I'd love to hear you sing it. I'll try to get out there and hook up with you real soon.

bd
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Yeah Alex... when / where will the next Open Mic be? You should do somekinda mailing list we can subscribe to man :p

hehehe

- Tanlith -

Webmaster: Super Loop Library
 
I get a check twice a year from BMI for about $36.00. A few needle drop tunes that I wrote and recorded for Sonoton (a library music publisher) 5 years ago.
 
bdbdbuck said:
Tanlith,
Check out his website:

www.drumfish.com

I think he's planning on doing some regional touring again soon.


bd
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Sweet! Thanks for the heads-up! I'll go there right now...

And Alex... if yer entertaining the idea of comming up through the Windsor area in Canada, lemme know. I'd be happy to do some footwork for ya here (talk to some club owners and shop yer demo around etc...). The way I see it is if we can do stuff like that for eachother we all benifit.

- Tanlith -

Webmaster: Super Loop Library
 
Well, my friend Daf spilled the beans about my success, so I won't belabor the point. What I'd like to say is this: success is pretty relative and we should never let charts or money or the public dictate what success is to us. If you are writing stuff that moves or amazes people, that's success right there. If you are doing it part time for fun and you enjoy it, thats success too. Likewise, if you got off the road and raised a great family and have a stable life, count your blessings--even if you are the only person who ever records your own songs.

Yeah,, there was an initial rush after having a hit song and some personal validation--but I have to tell you, had the dice rolled differently on a different day, fate might have provided a different outcome. Would it have made me any less of a writer? No. Would I have felt like less of a writer? Hell yes. What we have to remember is that there are many writers with pro, top notch stuff that are still hoping for their first break. The only reason I got lucky was that I did not quit and I was persistent and determined--for what its worth.

A lot of the fun of having a dream is in dreaming the dream and working to achieve that dream. When it does get achieved, there is a sort of vaccuum. Was the sacrifice worth it? For me, yes and no. Three years later, I was without a publisher due to business circumstances beyond my control (Nashville was changing big time) and was thrown into the worst depression of my life. Its taken me 7 years to come to the point where I want to give it another shot.

We SHOULD dream and strive to reach our dreams, but always ask: will this dream really fill that missing part of my soul? The answer is--no, it won't, although it will bring some limited happiness. My point is that, in between the moments of our greatest achievements, is the rest of our life. That life should be lived and enjoyed--not squandered for the sake of a dream. Love your wife, play with your children, call on your friends, visit mom and dad, read a book, see a good movie or concert, have a picnic, do a little soul searching or take a nice vacation. Make dreams a PART of life and never at the expense of life. Its too short folks.
 
crawdad said:
Well, my friend Daf spilled the beans about my success, so I won't belabor the point. What I'd like to say is this: success is pretty relative and we should never let charts or money or the public dictate what success is to us.
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I have to agree with you on that statement 1000000%

Although I toured Canada with a Band for a year and recorded (independantly) 2 albums (on Vinal :p ) I've never signed a deal, and never got air time on anything other than local Universities of towns/cities we played... but I would say I was successful.

I probably couldn't build a full blown music career and earn a living at playing, but I wouldn't really want to... I like the freedom of doing it when and how I want... the second someone tells me "OK Tan, time to pick up the guitar, we need you to do this this this and that by this date." it becomes work... and I like it just fine as play. Whoever said "Take what you love and make it your career." was full of crap... either that or their favorite pass time was sex and they went into porn... then yeah... i could see that... ok ... I'm going on a tangent here... sorry...

Anyhow. if I have to do it ALL the time then I will grow to hate it. Even though I do play every day, I know in my heart, if it came down to being forced to play I'd hate it...

... ok... I'm gunna shut up now :p

- Tanlith -
 
crawdad said:

We SHOULD dream and strive to reach our dreams, but always ask: will this dream really fill that missing part of my soul? The answer is--no, it won't, although it will bring some limited happiness. My point is that, in between the moments of our greatest achievements, is the rest of our life. That life should be lived and enjoyed--not squandered for the sake of a dream. Love your wife, play with your children, call on your friends, visit mom and dad, read a book, see a good movie or concert, have a picnic, do a little soul searching or take a nice vacation. Make dreams a PART of life and never at the expense of life. Its too short folks.
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Preach it Al!Thats some of the best free advice I've seen on this board.

p.s. I just downloaded ALL of the Bluecat Bands tunes on mp3.com.....You guys were a a tight blues unit.
 
tanlith--You are so right. Anything done to excess loses its glory and joy. Especially when you are under the gun to produce. It works for some--Don Henley and Glenn Frey used to call themselves the "pressure brothers" because they would wait until the last minute to write the new record. It worked for them, but not for me.

I find that acting on a good idea when I have the inspiraion and energy is the best way for me. Its more fun that way too. If we aren't having fun and enjoying creation, it kind of seems like a waste of time when there are so many things to do in life.

Kramer--Hey, thats all stuff learned the hard way! I've seen others like me who are so consumed with the payoff of their dream that they forget to enjoy all the things that come with the journey. A hit record, becoming famous or achieving any goal is not the be-all and end-all of living. We still wake up the next day and have to create tomorrow and today anew. Success doesn't erase our weaknesses or our faults. Its not a magic fix for all that ails us. It has its good sides, for sure, but it can't be assigned powers that it can never provide. Glad you liked the Bluecat stuff! How many songs are up there?
 
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