[What are you listening to at the moment?]

Yeah!!! Love that song and the band. Their first album got me through some lonely times as a GI stationed in Alaska during the 70's.

[Photographs and Memories, Jim Croce 1974]

This one was made for you Rene. It's the best I've ever heard you sing and play. "Time in a Bottle" was one of the first tunes I ever learned to play.

["Little Sister"]

http://ebookpioneers.com/junk/little_sister.mp3

 

Just singing and playing (electric guitar for a change) over a backing track i found somewhere. I did this a few years ago for kicks. Nothing earth shattering, that's for sure. Wish I would have played something a little more aggressive and less traditional on the guitar but it's not terrible or anything.

[Grandma's Hands, by Bill Withers 1971]

Nice job Rene and a nice choice for a song. I always liked this one.

[Rolling Stone Article on Hugh Presswood (songwriter) and His Bought W/ Near Homelessness]

I've posted a few things here. It's not that people don't like my songs and arrangements. I typically get a thumbs up for every 10 or 12 hits. It's just that I seldom get more than 30 or 40 hits in a year with the vocal tunes. I got thousands of hits on guitar oriented videos, but those are what I started out doing over twelve years ago. I was always just a guitar player / side man. I only started writing vocal stuff a couple of years ago. So my entire audience was nearly all guitar guys to begin with.

 

 

[Rolling Stone Article on Hugh Presswood (songwriter) and His Bought W/ Near Homelessness]

VoiceEx, the only videos that do well for me are guitar reviews and how-to videos. And electric guitar stuff far out performs acoustic. I could make some bucks just doing that kind of thing and I may have to resort to it more one day. But try getting views as a songwriter. Taint easy.

[Rolling Stone Article on Hugh Presswood (songwriter) and His Bought W/ Near Homelessness]

That's a lot to take in John. I understand it but I'm not sure what we can do about things. It would be nice if some of the musicians at the top, the Paul McCartney's and Brian Wilson's etc. would invest their scads of money into owning radio stations, record and publishing companies and so on instead of it being in the hands of the mobsters that we all know have run the entertainment industry since the days of vaudeville. But trying to cut in on the mob's business is bad for your health which is probably why no one has done it.

 

At least in the old days we could sell cassettes and records from a table at the gig. Now nobody buys music. They just steal it from YouTube. I guess if you get incredibly lucky you can have enough people buying legitimate downloads where you can make a good profit. I think though that for me just being a writer and not having the vocal chops to be a performer, that trying to write for publishers might be my only hope.

[Rolling Stone Article on Hugh Presswood (songwriter) and His Bought W/ Near Homelessness]

"Yet, as long as musicians remain eager to put themselves first at all costs, other industries will keep taking all the ground we keep being prepared to cede. As long as we keep acting entirely as individuals the value of music and musicians will continue to plummet. Sad but true."

 

I don't quite understand this part John. Can you explain what you mean here for a dumb old geezer?

[Rolling Stone Article on Hugh Presswood (songwriter) and His Bought W/ Near Homelessness]

Lot's to think about there John. I'll get back to you later in the day. I could use your advice on some things.

[Rolling Stone Article on Hugh Presswood (songwriter) and His Bought W/ Near Homelessness]

We'll all have a lack of action at 78. I can't really blame him too much there.

 

Part of me thinks gigging is the most lucrative direction for musicians these days. Trouble is that the while touring musicians can make pretty good money, the local bar bands are still making about the same bread I was back in the early 90's. But songwriting for a living these days is looking more and more like a thing of the past.

[Rolling Stone Article on Hugh Presswood (songwriter) and His Bought W/ Near Homelessness]

Bought - bout. (Hey,it was late.)

[Rolling Stone Article on Hugh Presswood (songwriter) and His Bought W/ Near Homelessness]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/hugh-prestwood-country-songwriter-homeless-1289233/

[What are you listening to at the moment?]

Just started listening to the new Julian Lennon album. Pretty good, with a decidedly French feel. 

 

[You, Aged 20]

[Rest In Peace, Your Majesty]

["I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"]

Me too!

["I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"]

Thanks Buck. Believe it or not, Bernadette Peters sang the best version I ever heard on the Tonight Show when Carson was still hosting. It's on YT.

[Lately, Stevie Wonder 1980]

Lovely rendition of a great song that suits you well.

["I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"]

Thanks dude. I hope people will look past my goofy delivery and like the arrangement anyway.

[Peaceful Easy Feeling, Eagles 1972]

I only know them from the radio mostly. Never owned their records.

[Peaceful Easy Feeling, Eagles 1972]

The first few albums they did were the best in my opinion. This cut along with Lying Eyes" and "Take it Easy" were the cream of the crop I thought. Good job on it.

 

PS: People thought Bernie was nuts for leaving the band but I thought he left at just about the right time.

[Entangled, by Genesis 1976]

Not a big Genesis fan although I loved Anthony Philips' solo stuff back in the 70's - 80's, but this is pretty cool. I don't know how you got an SM58 to sound non-boomy on acoustic but it's recording too.

[I Never Cry, Alice Cooper 1976]

I'm not familiar with the song but I really like that and you did a really good job with it.

["I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"]

 

[Thom Shepherd on How the Music Industry Works for Songwriters]