Soul, Song Writing And Technology Podcasts -

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Hi Everybody -

I was wondering if anybody who knows about my Detroit and Philly sessions, would be interested in a couple of podcasts which would include original demo material from the songs, showcase the actual released versions, talk about the incarnation of the melody and groove on the recordings, the eventual finding and contacting the co producers and musicians to perform on them etc. I have audio that would be of interest maybe, plus stories of how things came together, including items like a Detroit Musicians Union deal to pay appropriate rates to the musicians, and help with their pension contributions.

If anybody is interested, post here and suggest things you would be interested in. It's another tool to profile both Detroit and Philadelphia and hopefully generate sales income from the vinyl and digital download facilities I am responsible for. From this, I would be paying royalties to featured artists etc, whilst the pod cast would be a free feature. I could also use it to profile new material I am writing, which right now I am considering hiring Detroit horns and recording in the same studio in Detroit. As for the strings....not certain...there is something brewing, but it is not cheap. Sales are variable, and all this is part of the learning curve. I could also discuss technology and how it has helped and hindered the process.....

Let me know...

Carl

Hi Carl

I think that's a great idea.

After hearing the Spyder Turner and Pree tracks I automatically thought 'How has he got to these! I think just as Sharon/Daptones have assimilated certain styles then so must you have studied old detroit tracks. I'd love to know what the influences were, though I can here 'In Orbit' throughout 'Suddenley There's You'.

I for one would be interested in all the decisions/processes made. Who influenced who. How much of the decision making was yours or the producers/anecdotes from studio sessions etc.

Hope this project goes further.

Best

Kev

great idea Carl

Thanks Kev and Has -

I will let you know should I proceed. Of course Harry, you would feature somewhere regarding 'Suddenly there's you' ha ha......After listening to your programme on Sunday night, and Soul Gang last night, I wonder whether it is ever worth writing new songs. Those that I heard are perfect, and can never be replaced! But.......there was a time when even those songs and ideas were just a fleeting moment in somebody's head in the 1960's. Thank God they used whatever skills they had and pursued the recordings and releases. The stories that keep cropping up are priceless. I too have interesting tit bits about meeting some of these people especially Uriel Jones, because I cleaned his shoes no less than 3 times during the transition from meeting him to actually having him on the Detroit session etc...Meeting Joe Hunter, the lavender deodorant Jack Ashford asked me to find for him (after he bought some in the UK in the 60's!!).

Anyway, more news whenever....

Thanks Kev and Has -

I will let you know should I proceed. Of course Harry, you would feature somewhere regarding 'Suddenly there's you' ha ha......After listening to your programme on Sunday night, and Soul Gang last night, I wonder whether it is ever worth writing new songs. Those that I heard are perfect, and can never be replaced! But.......there was a time when even those songs and ideas were just a fleeting moment in somebody's head in the 1960's. Thank God they used whatever skills they had and pursued the recordings and releases. The stories that keep cropping up are priceless. I too have interesting tit bits about meeting some of these people especially Uriel Jones, because I cleaned his shoes no less than 3 times during the transition from meeting him to actually having him on the Detroit session etc...Meeting Joe Hunter, the lavender deodorant Jack Ashford asked me to find for him (after he bought some in the UK in the 60's!!).

Anyway, more news whenever....

I met Joe Hunter in the dressing room of Ronnie Scott's and he immediately tried to sell me an 'invisible' t-shirt. Honestly you couldn't make it up.!

Kev

That's funny! I saw Jack and Joe there too! I remember Joe saying to me that Jack had put his mallets down during rehearsal and could not find them. I suggested he used his fingers....

That's funny! I saw Jack and Joe there too! I remember Joe saying to me that Jack had put his mallets down during rehearsal and could not find them. I suggested he used his fingers....

That's probably why he was using my mate Mark's 'Shakey egg' on stage. using as a fill in while he located his mallets......

That was a great night especially meeting Joe & Jack Ashford. Tight band he had!

Talking of pod casts, there is a Gaurdian Newspaper Motown one on iTunes right now (free download) where Steve Levine talks and plays Motown isolated tracks and discusses recording techniques from back in the day...

Hi Carl!

If memory serves, in connection with you joining another forum (quite some time ago now) I sent a message but don´t think I ever got a reply. A question I asked in that pm was if you have a promo list with a selected number of djs to which you send promos to feature in radio shows, podcasts, club gigs etc. If so, referring back to my previous message, I´d be more than willing to help out since I love your music and it would fit in with the musical format that I work with, so would love to promote your products if you´re interested.

Looking forward to your future projects, Carl, as I have very much enjoyed what I´ve heard from you hitherto.

Best regards,

DJ Melismo

Hi DJ Melismo

I do not have a demo list per se, but now with my contacts on Facebook and other social networking sites, I will try and create a comprehensive list of those interested in promoting any future releases. In the first instance I tend to put new compositions on YouTube (55motown), but they are early incarnations of songs and low bandwidth for obvious reasons. I have also learnt that even those who don't like the songs/productions are often vocal so much about it, they create a flap, and others join in with positive responses. and hey presto!, at least a dialogue takes place. If that gets the song noticed...I am happy. Better still, if there is a resultant sale, a royalty is generated which I pay back to the States......as well as helping recover my costs.

Through this difficult journey I have chosen, I now realise that allies and ambassadors of the music are those I engage with. In the past I have been a little reluctant to distribute my works for free, because 1) I did not really know how to do it effectively and 2) I never pressed 100,000 copies of 'Tell me' for example and therefore by definition was not expecting a success where I would benefit shipping off thousands of pressings to DJ's etc free of charge, and me incurring another postage expense! I am learning.....

Forgive me for not getting back to you previously. As you can imagine, my head has been in a whirl and only the last 6 months I am beginning to reap some interesting side chains cropping up because of what I did in 2008, similarly to your comments here. Indeed the most interesting was not because of the WWW or social networking, it was old fashioned WOM (word of mouth) because of Funky Feet Records https://www.funkyfeetrecords.co.uk/ . It was only a few weeks ago that I contemplated putting my Detroit session to bed and concentrate on new projects, which would not include studio sessions featuring proper musicians and indeed some of TheFunk Brothers. I feel that as I cannot really shift almost authentically recorded retro style melodies with musicians like them and artists like Spyder Turner, I don't stand a chance with anything else, therefore pointless going down that route again. I have the melodies and chords, lyrics are a little more complicated, but the technology helps me do my demos and always has. I may just have to release free demo versions of songs and alternative mixes/takes/lyrics/bass lines etc for sale digitally. If a decent artist with a management who like melodic soul hear my stuff and want a song, I can do it! Can you believe originally Spyder Turners 'Tell' me' was to be a demo, so I could take it around to publishers in the UK under the moniker of 'BandTraxs'! I am happy to say that I was always against that, as my celebration of Detroit music was about those in the business there and certainly not about UK artists/publishers and the general music business here wanting to use the song from my 'demo'.

Thank you for your support and comments. They really are appreciated. Please contact me again if you see or hear I am releasing something. I am not perfect with my administration. I work full time and even do overnight shifts, so I fit the music passion in where I can, so I make mistakes.....

Cheers

Carl