blog| Any suggestions? | |
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I'm choosing songs for yet a 3rd demo album. An idea I came up with awhile ago before Barry Manilow put out The Greatest Songs Of The 70s. I honestly came up with the idea for him, but of course since I don't work for him or any record company, it was just something I shared with fellow fan club members. The idea basically was - if he must do another cover album instead of an all original album like we fans want (remember he is a composer and even said in his autobiography, Sweet Life, he didn't set out to be a singer - he wanted to compose and arrange music) - then instead of a decade album, do a tribute to singers, musicians, and/or composers whom died young. Since it's obviously something I can't pitch to Barry Manilow or Clive Davis, I thought I'd just use the idea myself for a demo album. I need to do some new songs already and why not do a theme sort of thing? So far I've picked out the following - Glenn Miller: Moonlight Cocktail Elvis Presley: You Don't Have To Say You Love Me Buddy Holly: Raining In My Heart John Lennon: Yesterday Billie Holiday: Mean To Me Then there's two I'm sort of iffy on, not sure if I can do them well enough - they are - California Dreamin' - Mama Cass Rainy Days And Mondays - Karen Carpenter Thing is - these are all slow songs - mostly ballads! (Well, Mean To Me is kind of an in-between beat, not fast but not slow enough to be ballady.) Okay, I'm good with ballads and slow songs. Heck, that's my strong point. Let's face it, my version of Unchained Melody is a lot better then All Of Me or I'll Never Fall In Love Again. But I'd still like to get something a wee bit faster in there. I couldn't find a single Ritchie Vallens or Eddie Cochran song I felt I really wanted to do. I'm tempted to do a Michael Jackson number. Thing is, it would absolutely have to be a Jackson 5 number, something that could be done as a solo. (I know California Dreamin' is usually done as a group, but it could probably be done as a solo. Or I suppose I could learn to sing the background part too and sing with myself on it. Barry Manilow's done it, so have The Beatles and the Carpenters and many others.) I just don't know. I mean, I suppose the ones I've picked out would be more then enough anyway. I can only upload so many to MySpace for one thing. I was also thinking of recording a few others here and there just to upload that would be different from what I've got now, but not be put on that particular demo CD. I've been working on I've Gotta Be Me, for instance. A song that really resonates with me, especially lately when so many people are trying to change whom I am to fit with what they think I should be. Anyway, I'm open minded to a few suggestions as far as the original subject goes. Has to be people from between the Big Band to Disco eras. No Kurt Cobain or any of that stuff. No rap, heavy metal, or country. (That's why I rejected Top Of The World in the end. There just doesn't seem to be a way to arrange that song to be a little less country sounding.) I'm just not a country kind of girl. It would be nice to find just one song a little on the faster side I could do that fits with the theme. Oh sure, there's faster Glenn Miller numbers, but seems like I've never heard anyone do a cover of Moonlight Cocktail. And yes, there's faster Elvis and Buddy numbers too, but those two songs are the ones I really liked the best. Besides, Raining In My Heart paired with Yesterday seems like a good thing. The Beatles were HUGE fans of Buddy Holly & The Crickets. (Why do you think they named themselves The Beatles?) I understand Paul McCartney owns all the publication rights to all of Buddy Holly's songs, in fact. So I kind of want to pair them up on the album. If nothing else appeals I'll stick with what I've got though. It's a good selection and it's not like I'm selling the album. Just using it to show the world I can sing and that they should hire me. |
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| If I could get some tech help, I could make some YouTube clips. | |
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I'll make this as "short & sweet" as I can. I finally recorded a performance. I want to use clips of my best numbers from there to make clips for places like YouTube. I've managed to get the files transfered to my computer, but I cannot get my editing program to agknowledge they exist. The details - My operating system is Windows Vista. The DVDs were recorded with a Cannon D210. The file extention on them is VRO. My editing software is Roxio Videowave & Photosuite - I was told this was the easiest stuff to use even for a tech-ditz like me. Roxio's player will OPEN the files. It will not, however, allow me to edit them. For that part of the program it claims that the folders are empty. I cannot find instructions in the manual on how to convert. I sent a help ticket into Roxio but God only knows how long that'll take to get answered. So could someone please help me figure out how to convert these files so Roxio will allow me to edit them? Pretty please? |
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| I guess I'm just an old fashion girl. | |
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I love "the old songs." To me they're the best. Best lyrics, the singers are terrific. I mean, back then they didn't have computers to alter the voices like today where they can make it sound like the most tone deaf person has talent. You had to actually be able to sing to get a deal. It's not just that though. See, I've got a couple of little problems cause of my tendancy to hold onto "old" things. 1: My computer is very slow. I don't have a DVD-drive so I can't make videos because I can't upload movie editing software. I have a DVD type video camera, but I'm unable to put it to use. 2: Because I don't play, I just sing, most of my background is pre-recorded - onto metal tapes. However, the store I used to get them, Sam Ash, doesn't sell them anymore. They won't even special order them. I know I need to upgrade to CDs, but I don't have the equipment for that. The computer problem I intend to fix ASAP. But in the meantime if anyone knows any place, even online, where I can order metal cassette tapes I'd really appreciate a lead. Thank you. |
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