Anyone familiar with current country artists? HELP.

[erick...@hotmail.com]

Hey everyone...
Getting ready to start another round of sending to publishers. I think I
have a decent country tune here, might get a listen or two.

One thing I'm not sure of, though, is possible names to throw around in
cover letters when saying, "I think this song might be suited to
_________." If you have a good working knowledge of the country landscape,
I'd really appreciate the help.

Yes, yes, I know I should be listening to country radio, checking charts,
whatever, doing my homework on the genre I'm submitting songs for... I've
done some of that, but Twin Cities country radio is about 70-30 ads to
music. I honestly can't get an idea of who's doing what aside from the
obvious current trend in country music toward inspirational (like, God and
values-related) subject matter. This song is not that, but I think it's
got a promising hook, structure, and lyric. I see it as upbeat and
hummable. See for yourself at http://www.soundclick.com/erickalenze or at
least check out the lyrics below and let me know what you think. And, of
course, please offer a name or two I could put in cover letters as suitable
artists. I'm a little lost on that one.

Thanks in advance!

-Eric

GOODBYE AGAIN
VERSE
Look at you, standing over there
Your red-hot boots, curls everywhere
My eyes burn through you, baby but you don't care
Way you throw your head back, you call that fighting fair
Last time I saw you you were all in tears
What a difference a year makes
In the rear-view mirror I got here
You're so much smaller than you now appear

CHORUS
All this time, I never even missed you
All this time, I'd never seen this you
Making me want to kiss you
Goodbye, goodbye again

VERSE
I don't want what we had before
We both know how that turns out
You pretend I never called time with you a chore
And I'll pretend you're the one I can't live without
Try to think back to when I was your one and only
And tell that guy you're going out to play
'Cause there's no man so lonely
As the one who's staring at the one he let get away

CHORUS
All this time, I never even missed you
All this time, I'd never seen this you
Making me want to kiss you
Goodbye, goodbye again

BRIDGE
Don't know if it's the low light
Or the beer in my glass
Come on baby, one more night
I swear, it'll be the last

CHORUS OUT
All this time, I never even missed you
All this time, I'd never seen this you
Making me want to kiss you
Goodbye, goodbye again

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[magmike]

Eric --- It doesn't really matter who you tell the publisher which country
artist you envision this for. The publishers are very familiar with the
scene and will submit it to who they think would fit the song and/or pick it
up. All you need to tell them, is that you believe that this is a country
hit. --- magmike

<erick...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:20030607001553.111$D...@newsreader.com...

[Mike Frandson]

And, of
> course, please offer a name or two I could put in cover letters as
suitable
> artists. I'm a little lost on that one.
>

Hi Eric;
Thought I'd add a comment or two since I, too, have been dealing with
Nashville for about 10 years from 'a distance'.

1) Maybe you should bite the bullet and listen to country music more; there
aren't any songs on current country radio (or in the immediate past) that
have a 'rockabilly' tempo and beat like this tune. Yeah, I know, hurrah for
originality, independence, and 'maybe they will change' but the fact is a
publisher who is gonna be interested in you will be interested only if you
have something he can pitch immediately and get someone's attention. That
means mainstream radio 'format'. There's nothing wrong with that, either.
They call it formula writing but it must be hard because few can do it well
. . .

2) That being the case, one of the things a recording artist looks for in a
song is something that he/she can sing to the crowd (on radio or in
person-radio is a 'crowd'). Do country music fans (females mainly, too, by
the way-read the demographics on country radio listeners and CD buyers) want
to be able to sit in the crowd and have their 'boy/girl friend' sing a) 'I
love YOU' song or b) I want to kiss you goodbye again? Pitchability to an
artist is dependent on what image a song leaves of the artist with the
audience (i.e. first person, positive, point in time song). That's why you
don't hear many songs about abusive drinking or cheating on country radio
(any other format's have much of this? disfunctional relationships as
opposed to functioning ones? Most of the'sex' songs I hear are about wanting
it; not turning it off . . .) Anyway, an artist wants songs that he/she can
get up and sing directly and personally to that $40 a seat paying fan in the
front row and make the fan believe that he/she is singing to THEM and them
alone.

Before I'd pitch anything in Nashville, I'd have NSAI or some other major
songwriter's associate say the song was 'Ready to pitch'. Even then, the
odds are incredibly against anything happening. I have sit in on a dozen or
so of NSAI's pitch nights and listened to songs deemed 'ready' and few get
picked up for a second listen.

Years ago one of the main income streams for artists and writers was the
jukebox. Dance halls, beer joints, etc. were filled with beer drinking folks
who wanted to dance. Ernest Tubb made a fortune because people would say,
'Heck, I can sing better than that' and go plop a dime into the jukebox to
'sing better than that'. Every 4th or 5th song on the radio was a waltz
because people could dance to it. It's been 10 years since I've heard a
waltz on the radio. (Tracy Lawrence did one; I can't even remember the name
of it now). Early R&R and rockabilly catered to this market. Today's market
is the radio listener on the way to/from work. What does a person want to
hear stuck in traffic at 7:00 am in the morning?

My opinion, of course, but listen to ASCAP's Ralph Murphy sometime if you
want the nuts and bolts of the music 'business'

[Snabbu]

Mike Frandson wrote:

> <snip>

>
> My opinion, of course, but listen to ASCAP's Ralph Murphy sometime if you
> want the nuts and bolts of the music 'business'

And you know I am a pop writer and write a bit of accidental country, and I say
with my hand on my heart that Ralph Murphy is a genius. If he speaks shut up
and listen if he writes read it twice.

Cheers

Gary

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