Song in mp3.com top 50
David Kilpatrick
which has been on mp3.com since November 2000 has just hit No 2 for the
UK, No 7 for Europe, and no 43 for the entire mp3 chart worldwide *all
genre*. It just fell short of getting into the Top 40 which is the main
front listing on mp3.com - now that really WOULD have been something.
But anyhow, I've got a song sitting there in with all the commercial
chart material, Linkin Park, Chillis, Eminem and stuff. No 1 in Acoustic
Rock, No 14 Rock, No 19 entire Pop and Rock chart. It is not very
different from the songs I call 'Folk', I just chose to label it as
Acoustic Rock because that brings up the heading 'Acoustic'. Rock it
sure ain't!
http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/1043/1043121.html
It's a song which was sort of co-written with my daughter, 'She Left Her
Diary on the Bar'. Considering it is long, free from any FX or backing,
and has complex lyrics by today's standards I am surprised. Real
songwriting and plain guitar plus voice recording and still get through!
David in Scotland
Gary Lawrence Murphy
As a lap-dulcimer player, I know you should never underestimate the
power of a few strings and a good story. Congratulations.
So ... c'mon people, let's catapult David over into the top 40 and
strike a blow for Folk Music! :)
--
Gary Lawrence Murphy <ga...@teledyn.com> TeleDynamics Communications Inc
Business Advantage through Community Software : http://www.teledyn.com
"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."(Pablo Picasso)
David Kilpatrick
Gary Lawrence Murphy wrote:
> As a lap-dulcimer player, I know you should never underestimate the
> power of a few strings and a good story. Congratulations.
>
> So ... c'mon people, let's catapult David over into the top 40 and
> strike a blow for Folk Music! :)
>
Not sure about that... I've cleared a room in under seven minutes with
my lap dulcimer version of 'Baron o'Brackley'...
Unless there's about 2000 good souls out there with the patience and
trust to yield their soul to mp3.com's sign-up process, reaching that
Top 40 is unlikely. mp3.com successes are short-lived unless you
actually ARE a chart artist in Vivendi's 'free music' line up. This one
will be down back in the low thousands within days, I know that, but
it's nice to see one float up to the top occasionally.
Thanks for the thought!
David
Gary Lawrence Murphy
D> Not sure about that... I've cleared a room in under seven
D> minutes with my lap dulcimer version of 'Baron o'Brackley'...
There, you see what I mean? Now that's /power/ :) I can clear a
soccer field with my fiddle too ;)
D> Unless there's about 2000 good souls out there with the
D> patience and trust to yield their soul to mp3.com's sign-up
D> process, reaching that Top 40 is unlikely.
Well, I did. I also blogged your rec.music.folk post on
http://www.interhop.net/~teledyn which will reach a lot of "let's
stick it to the big guys" mindshare, so you just never know :) At the
very least, sir, you are an inspiration that is causing us to consider
posting our own ogg files to efolkmusic.com
I'm most curious to know if this sudden fame for a free mp3 has
affected the sales of your CD the same way it boosted Janis Ian's ...
David Kilpatrick
Gary Lawrence Murphy wrote:
> Well, I did. I also blogged your rec.music.folk post on
> http://www.interhop.net/~teledyn which will reach a lot of "let's
> stick it to the big guys" mindshare, so you just never know :) At the
> very least, sir, you are an inspiration that is causing us to consider
> posting our own ogg files to efolkmusic.com
Ogg Vorbis files... I think I can make those too. Never tried, I have
assumed that mp3 is a format which more people can listen to.
One interesting thing about mp3.com is the regional chart. I am
'Edinburgh' since that's my nearest city, and Edinburgh has as you would
expect a very high folk-celtic content generally - but still completely
obliterated, in terms of popularity, by locally brewed
dance-trance-techno-midi-whatever.
>
> I'm most curious to know if this sudden fame for a free mp3 has
> affected the sales of your CD the same way it boosted Janis Ian's ...
>
99 per cent of mp3.com users are there for free music. Very few buy CDs.
I had a message from one 'session' which set themselves up a page of
their Irish stuff live, and created a CD, about a year ago after
corresponding on the NGs and with me. They've sold two CDs. It can be
like that.
I do not expect to sell many CDs since I have a policy of putting every
recording in full, with hi-fi and downloads unrestricted, and every
track from each CD is there. Many artists just put half the tracks from
each CD on their page, and not the best ones :-) so you have to order
the CD to hear the rest. I've even got pdf files and JPEGs for the CD
artwork downloadable from my website, so people who have the time to
download every single track for a CD can also get the artwork and burn
their own, f.o.c.
The only CD track currently missing from my page is a version of Willie
o'Winsbury which has been annoying me so much I have decided to do
another recording, and this time to attempt to sing in tune, get the
pace right, and *not* add extremely badly timed bouzouki in the
background. Dave Freshwater makes lovely instruments, but it helps to be
able to play them (now sold!).
David
Gary Lawrence Murphy
D> I do not expect to sell many CDs since I have a policy of
D> putting every recording in full, with hi-fi and downloads
D> unrestricted, and every track from each CD is there. Many
D> artists just put half the tracks from each CD on their page,
D> and not the best ones :-) so you have to order the CD to hear
D> the rest. I've even got pdf files and JPEGs for the CD artwork
D> downloadable from my website, so people who have the time to
D> download every single track for a CD can also get the artwork
D> and burn their own, f.o.c.
You, sir, are not just a gentleman and a scholar, but a folk hero as
well! :) After a summer of going to overpriced Canadian 'folk'
festivals where it's hour after hour of "here's another 'free' sample
that you paid dearly to hear ... please buy my CD ... my lawyers will
draw and quarter you if you share my songs!" it is positively
theraputic to hear of someone who actually loves the music and just
wants to reach an audience and have their songs/stories _heard_!
I expect this is why I, who lives in rural Canada, has heard your
music, whereas I'd be surprised if /anyone/ on this NG _not_ from
Canada can name /any/ rural Canadian folk artists (and there are
thousands).
David Kilpatrick
Gary:
> I expect this is why I, who lives in rural Canada, has heard your
> music, whereas I'd be surprised if /anyone/ on this NG _not_ from
> Canada can name /any/ rural Canadian folk artists (and there are
> thousands).
>
Funny thing is that if you go to the next TOWN locally, Jeburgh, people don't know
any my stuff (here in Kelso they do, which is quite nice, getting asked
to do particular songs). Jedburgh has in the meantime EXPORTED its most
recent singer-songwriter to.... Canada. Can't remember his name, but he
came back for a vacation with family and did two or three local gigs,
and the papers here explained that he had a big reputation in Canada.
In exchange, our son has imported a Canadian girlfriend, who turned out
to be a highly qualified and competent engineer and is now busy
redesigning Scotland's water supply system.
David