Feed back welcome for dispatch listing due 12/10

[montster]

Here's the listing description:A FOLK-POP/ROCK SONG a la JOHN DENVER's "COUNTRY ROAD" (found on many of his greatest hits releases) is needed by the Music Supervisor of a new major network TV show that's a cross between "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Entourage." They need the right song for a montage scene where two of the characters are playing around in an apartment while pretending to be outside in the country, enjoying nature. Think nostalgic, light, amiable, and a bit quirky. I have it uploaded to my myspace profile:http://www.myspace.com/earthtoneproductionsongsany comments welcome!!These are raw tracks: we still have yet to do the real vocal takes and the production needs to be mixed and mastered. Looking for feedback specifically regarding the content and vibe of tune as matching what the listing is after.We've had fun with it!!Thanks Y'all

[paults]

nice - I like what I've heard so far. Do you have a finished track yet? Noon is looming - with a specific time mentioned in the listing, I don't think there will be much of a chance to submit, and then send updated files after the deadline.I put something that is hopefully “nostalgic, light, amiable, and a bit quirky”, together for this one, too. I like it when these really specific listings come along with instant deadlines. Much less boxing in the dark than on the usual type of listing I sent mine in this morning, "as is". I had Friday and Saturday night gigs, and took my daughter to two birthday parties yesterday. With such a short turnaround, there was little time to fine tune anything – so, if its not my winning lottery ticket for this listing, I can ‘de-cliché’ the lyrics, sing it sweeter (and more in tune )when I haven’t been up for almost 24 hours, add some harmonies, etc. for the next singer/songwriter or Americana listing. Here’s the “normal” version: http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... rue“Quirky” always makes me think of adult alternative stuff, so I added some drums, and it instantly becomes AAA:http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... ream=trueI like it better with the drums, but they’re probably not “on target” for the listing. Just in case they are, I sent it in both ways…

[montster]

Hi guys,Thanks for the "heads up"!There's a new mix on myspace:http://www.myspace.com/earthtoneproductionsongsI believe the vocals are stronger and out front! Also had time to throw in some harmony at the end.Got it in before the deadline, down to the wire......... Am I in school again? University of Life Thanks again Monty

[twilsbach]

Nice job on getting something up and done with a quick turnaround. I wasn't as diligent. I didn't get mine quite finished in time. Tried to sneak it in at 3:03 for further tweakage later but the listing was already gone.It still needs to be mastered and I planned a little acoustic guitar lead that I didn't get to...I took the 'quirky' direction and interpreted it in the lyric which is why I'm "blowing kisses to the squirrels' If anyone wants to hear my unmastered (and super-quiet version) here it isCountry Time (still digitizing, might not be there yet)Not quite heaven, is where I'm goingJust leafy trees and in the land of sky blue waterMaking up a memory of growing up hereGrass Keeps gettin' greener, soaking up the sunSnow capped mountainsOn a winding riverI've seen the bright lightsstill I can't find nothing betterThan country timeBig sky opens up I feel at homeBack yards, barns and time to burn I'm homeMisty Momma its countrytime lets go, lets goEverything's alive hereField's all full of crittersI harmonize the birdsong, blow kisses to the squirrelsWaterfalls and MountainsI can never get enough ofWith the waving what I'm shaking hands helloSnow Capped Mountains, on a winding riverI've seen the bright lights, still I can't find nothing betterThan country timeBig sky opens up I feel at homeBack yards, barns and time to burn I'm homeMisty Momma its countrytime lets go, lets go

[twilsbach]

Sounded good Big D, I'd be surprised if you didn't get forwarded. Your production skills are leaps and bounds beyond mine. I gotta get better, long way to go.As far as mine, I guess I buzzed it a little to close to the tower this time I didn't actually get it submitted, so its a bit of a moot point.Sidenote: I used a track from the Killer Tracks library a week or two ago on a corporate video I cut and it was without question "inspired" by John Mayer's "Bigger Than My Body". From the chord progressions, to the instrumentation, to even the sound of the guitars and effects it might as well have been a carbon copy minus vocals.

[bigdrisk]

Quote:Great song Gary. Even if they don't take it for this listing - It should be able to placed somewhere (that fairly large fee would be nice though - wouldn't it)TrentWell, I think the production is there, but the title is pretty blah and some parts of the verses are rather corny. I mean . . . "Deer and Elk drinking from a stream, a flock of geese come and join the scene"? Give me a break, right? That's where I was trying to touch on the quirky part. Assuming they probalby wouldn't use the whole song anyway, I tried to give them a more serious verse, and then a little bit over-the-top on the 2nd verse just in case that was more fitting for what they are wanting the scene to emulate. But, assuming the title were marketable, I would still want to rewrite that 2nd verse to something a little less "Disney - Snow White in the forest". But thanks for the kudos, Trent. It DID turn out better than I expected when I first started hammering out the idea.All other things being equal, I think "Country Mile" is the TITLE with the most commercial potential in this thread. But this listing doesn't seem to be too concerned with commercial marketability - just a very specific one-time hole to fill.And yes, that large fee makes the effort worth the risk.

[montster]

Since starting this thread Ive read so many great comments and heard awesome stuff! Sorry for not getting a chance to add input directly to the discussions as they were happening I tried to check out BigD's thing but it would not play from the link to the page.The production clarity of Country Livin' on my Mind was amazing and the content was very appropriate for the listing.The "quircky" thing seems to be they key to make these pieces fit and that which is the "unknown" factor. I went for tempo and content imagery and the simple instrumentation was also something that seemed to support that idea.I followed a great idea regarding submitting something by the deadline to get it in and then reload a finished product after final touches. I was one of the last submissions and figured I had a little time to remix before anyone would actually get around to listening to my submission. I was more confident with the edited upload, thanks for the tips!(By the way there were 80 submissions to this listing mine being the last one posted at 11:30 on 12/10 as I was on the phone to Taxi.)If anyone's interested in hearing the final mix of my submission all comments are still very welcome. Click below! http://www.myspace.com/earthtoneproductionsongsThanks guys and good luck!!Monty

[paults]

"paults I think you came closest to what I imagined when I thought about what the listing said specifically, e.g. "quirky." That word in the description threw me so much I called Taxi for clarification. The woman I spoke to said to aim for something very true to the original, so that's what I did, but when I hear your track I can imagine the TV scene taking place with the characters pretending to be out in the woods in kind of a tongue-in-cheek spoof. I think you have a great shot"DJ - Thanks for the compliments! I was thinking about the montage described in the listing while I put this together - I was specifically going for that kind of tongue in cheek feel, in both the lyrics and melody. Its good to know that I pulled that off I like your tunes - they sound like you're in the running to me!

[bigdrisk]

Yeah, I always wonder about these things. Whether the spot is actually still open after the deadline goes by. I mean . . . these are creative people. I would be surprised if they just sit on their haunches while the world takes a few days to write and submit song ideas. I would think that sometimes they come up with what they want from somewhere else before they even hear our stuff. Twould be a shame, but I don't know how Taxi could prevent that.Anyway, if that were to be the case here, and the person doing the screening is someone involved in the TV show, then there might not be a rush to listen to the submissions.

[paults]

Those are the kind of things you can't worry about, since they're completely out of our control. So, "we places our bets, and takes our chances".One thing I *do* know- the next screener for a singer/songwriter/americana listing is going to wonder why there are 80 John Denver wannabes sending stuff in