So You Write Song Poems

[TapperMike]

If you haven't yet I encourage you to watch this.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x25472p_off-the-charts-the-song-poem-story-2003_creation?start=12

[DonnaMarilyn]

This was delightful! Thanks for posting the link.

 

Pity the video was so full of ads, but it was worth watching.

 

Donna

[TapperMike]

Back in the 80's I did work as a recording engineer at a studio which specialized in "song-poems" and local advertising. Tire stores, pawn shops, you name it. If someone wanted a cheap and corny production they'd come to us.  I too used a pseudonym "Clarence Michaels" and I tried my damndest to hide it from the outside world.  

[Rudi]

So that's whats behind some of these crazy ads?

At least they got 'something' for their money. I had just assumed they would be completely ripped off.

[DonnaMarilyn]

In fact, I thought a couple of the songs were kind of neat. For instance, 'Nightime Whispers', and that rocking boogie song.   And all the songs certainly had top-class musicians and singers. As one of the guys said, they had to be on top of their game because it was necessary to work quickly.

 

Donna

Edited December 16, 2014 by DonnaMarilyn

[TapperMike]

They were entertaining.  

 

I think that documentary was edited down I can recall it being much longer before but the main gist remains.

 

I joined songstuff because...I'm not a lyricist and never will be. However I do enjoy reading lyrics and trying to write music for them. Not that I share my efforts with anyone as the lyrics aren't mine for sharing.

[TapperMike]

Think about this for a minute,,,, Friday as (ahem) sung by Rebecca Black was a lot of work for a a relatively small amount of money (the 4k)  In the age of youtube it did what song poems of the past couldn't. Reach millions of listeners. You can hate it to high heaven but it wasn't a small time production.  In the long run the producers made out "Okay, not great".  

 

 

I wouldn't mind a producers life like that at all. And to a certain extent that was part of the goal of my failed studio. Make money producing others whether I thought they were good or not.

 

 

I'm stopping myself from telling or retelling my life story right now.

 

 

When I came to songstuff, I came for the lyrics as I'm not a lyricist. Put a interesting lyrics in front of me and I'll break out a guitar and write music for it.(good, bad, indifferent)  Since they aren't my lyrics that's about where it ends. I try to sing/play the song and move on to the next or other things.

Edited December 16, 2014 by TapperMike

[Rudi]

Put a interesting lyrics in front of me and I'll break out a guitar and write music for it.

 

Careful what you wish for. There are zillions who will bite your arm off for that.

[TapperMike]

That's why I never hit record/

 

I'll just sit with my guitar work out a chord progression and try to sing my way through it.

I've thought about just releasing my work as.... Backing tracks or an instrumental without any reference to the lyrics. But never have. 

Edited December 16, 2014 by TapperMike