S210729YR Feedback requested

[Surfgtr]

ORIGINAL, 1970's-to-1980's-Style YACHT ROCK SONGS with Male Vocals are needed by an Indie Label with Major Distribution. This client is currently on the hunt for Songs to include in one of their incredibly popular compilations!

This Label is looking for original Songs that could be found on a playlist with the following references we got directly from them:

"Lido Shuffle" by Boz Scaggs

"What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers

"Peg" by Steely Dan

"This Is It" by Kenny Loggins

This Record Label would prefer to hear original vintage pieces that actually date back to the 1970s or 1980s with reasonably good sound quality. They will also consider recent recordings; however, they must authentically sound like they were recorded around the same time as the references. They’re not looking for in-the-box Pro Tools Projects that sound like they were recorded recently. They want to hear raw and real performances by authentic musicians.

Please submit great Yacht Rock Songs that could transport listeners back to the 1970s and 1980s. Your submissions should have great melodies, engaging rhythms, and instantly memorable choruses. Instrumentation that's in the general vein of the references will suit your submissions best – if you're planning on using any virtual instruments, they need to sound like the real thing and not stiff or synthetic. Super compelling, well-performed vocals (nothing pitchy, please!) that capture the style of the genre and era are essential for nailing this pitch. Please be sure that your vocal performances are spot-on if you want to get this Label excited about your Songs!

Lyrics that avoid references to specific names, dates, times, brands, and profanity would be optimal for this pitch.
https://youtu.be/J0vbD1lK6Go
https://www.taxi.com/members/w3I4_kPfTF ... hey-loreli

[DouglasKnight]

ORIGINAL, 1970's-to-1980's-Style YACHT ROCK SONGS with Male Vocals are needed by an Indie Label with Major Distribution. This client is currently on the hunt for Songs to include in one of their incredibly popular compilations!

This Label is looking for original Songs that could be found on a playlist with the following references we got directly from them:

"Lido Shuffle" by Boz Scaggs

"What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers

"Peg" by Steely Dan

"This Is It" by Kenny Loggins

This Record Label would prefer to hear original vintage pieces that actually date back to the 1970s or 1980s with reasonably good sound quality. They will also consider recent recordings; however, they must authentically sound like they were recorded around the same time as the references. They’re not looking for in-the-box Pro Tools Projects that sound like they were recorded recently. They want to hear raw and real performances by authentic musicians.

Please submit great Yacht Rock Songs that could transport listeners back to the 1970s and 1980s. Your submissions should have great melodies, engaging rhythms, and instantly memorable choruses. Instrumentation that's in the general vein of the references will suit your submissions best – if you're planning on using any virtual instruments, they need to sound like the real thing and not stiff or synthetic. Super compelling, well-performed vocals (nothing pitchy, please!) that capture the style of the genre and era are essential for nailing this pitch. Please be sure that your vocal performances are spot-on if you want to get this Label excited about your Songs!

Lyrics that avoid references to specific names, dates, times, brands, and profanity would be optimal for this pitch.
https://youtu.be/J0vbD1lK6Go
https://www.taxi.com/members/w3I4_kPfTF ... hey-loreli

This definitely sounds like what they're looking for -- sounds like it was recorded back in the 80's and really fits the yacht rock vibe. Good luck!

[irthlingz]

Yes, great! However this listing seems to be long gone. Did you already submit this, or waiting for the next similar listing?

===
Michael

[Surfgtr]

Hey Michael.....thanks ....the answer is both.........it was rejected with the following only: "Listing mentioned to avoid specific lyric ideas so some generalizing of your theme is a suggestion to appeal more to this request."
So the line quoted in the listing by the reviewer used to reject appears only to be a suggestion BY TAXI not the client......."el camino" too specific?? headed to RENO....Too specific...??? ok maybe the Jekyll & Hyde line...the title Loreli??.....well Steely Dan's "PEG "was given as an example......but when u think of that era, and I was around LOL!, being more descriptive was definitely required......boring generic middle of the road meant nothing to anybody. and the client requested 70's to 80's ..in fact I saw an interview some years ago with Steely Dan talking about lyrics and how important it was to be more descriptive....Think "Chesterfields" instead of cigarette...."dilaudid "instead of dangerous drug....u get the idea.........anyway just my opinion........thanks again for checking it out!

[irthlingz]

Hey Michael.....thanks ....the answer is both.........

Aha, ok, I understand now.

As to your point about specificity, there's been discussion of this on the forum, and my conclusion is that it depends on how the piece is going to be used. If it's for placements in films, TV shows, advertisements, etc. you probably won't get the forward if you have those kinds of specifics. Even though there are exceptional cases where songs with specifics have been used in those contexts, the probability is greatly reduced, so in most cases the TAXI listing recommends against it, and screeners will not forward it.

Of course, there are some exceptions, like perhaps a Christmas song mentioning Bethlehem.

There are also listings where they're looking for artists/bands. In that case, I would think specificity could be a good thing.

===
Michael

[cosmicdolphin]

In fact I saw an interview some years ago with Steely Dan talking about lyrics and how important it was to be more descriptive....Think "Chesterfields" instead of cigarette...."dilaudid "instead of dangerous drug....u get the idea.........anyway just my opinion........thanks again for checking it out!

Your opinion goes against what's needed for this industry. This is sync licensing not Steely Dan - If you put very specific place / person /brand names into your songs you will automatically disqualify them from 99% of placement opportunities because they will be limited to the place / person / brand name you used.

It also mentions it at the bottom of many listings , including this one.

Mark

[Surfgtr]

Hey Michael....thanks for the feedback!...I do agree .... the client did not emphasize the track was to contain generic lyrics... with the examples given by the client I felt it would be desired.....yea the reviewers are on automatic pilot sometimes.....this is a subjective business to an extent.....impossible to know exactly what's in someone's head.......

[Surfgtr]

Hey Mark....thanks for the response....I do agree with you.....just not completely......the disclaimer as I said is Taxi....not the client.....the client was asking for Steely Dan feel.....I have had forwards with some specifics already..........however for the reasons you state I do not as a rule spend the time and energy required for a complete song for a particular listing.........on occasion I will submit from my catalogue but very cautiously....the tune I submitted here however I didn't feel the lyrics were a deal breaker.......and the reviewer did not object to the music....which I'll take........considering one time I got knocked for adding a vibra-slap...LOL......I find the cues and short instrumentals more fun to write for which account for the majority of forwards I've received........appreciate your thoughts.....Thanks!!

[Surfgtr]

ORIGINAL, 1970's-to-1980's-Style YACHT ROCK SONGS with Male Vocals are needed by an Indie Label with Major Distribution. This client is currently on the hunt for Songs to include in one of their incredibly popular compilations!

This Label is looking for original Songs that could be found on a playlist with the following references we got directly from them:

"Lido Shuffle" by Boz Scaggs

"What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers

"Peg" by Steely Dan

"This Is It" by Kenny Loggins

This Record Label would prefer to hear original vintage pieces that actually date back to the 1970s or 1980s with reasonably good sound quality. They will also consider recent recordings; however, they must authentically sound like they were recorded around the same time as the references. They’re not looking for in-the-box Pro Tools Projects that sound like they were recorded recently. They want to hear raw and real performances by authentic musicians.

Please submit great Yacht Rock Songs that could transport listeners back to the 1970s and 1980s. Your submissions should have great melodies, engaging rhythms, and instantly memorable choruses. Instrumentation that's in the general vein of the references will suit your submissions best – if you're planning on using any virtual instruments, they need to sound like the real thing and not stiff or synthetic. Super compelling, well-performed vocals (nothing pitchy, please!) that capture the style of the genre and era are essential for nailing this pitch. Please be sure that your vocal performances are spot-on if you want to get this Label excited about your Songs!

Lyrics that avoid references to specific names, dates, times, brands, and profanity would be optimal for this pitch.
https://youtu.be/J0vbD1lK6Go
https://www.taxi.com/members/w3I4_kPfTF ... hey-loreli

This definitely sounds like what they're looking for -- sounds like it was recorded back in the 80's and really fits the yacht rock vibe. Good luck!

Yea .....knocked me out ONLY for having a specific name in the title.....confusing because the client supplied a reference with a specific name in the title and in the listing it says avoiding specific names would be optimal......the listing should have been specific and say those "sins" if committed would be an immediate rejection!

[Telefunkin]

Yea .....knocked me out ONLY for having a specific name in the title.....confusing because the client supplied a reference with a specific name in the title and in the listing it says avoiding specific names would be optimal......the listing should have been specific and say those "sins" if committed would be an immediate rejection!

But the listing clearly says:

Lyrics that avoid references to specific names, dates, times, brands, and profanity would be optimal for this pitch.

If that's what the client asked for, then that's what Taxi will give them and nothing else, otherwise they could have the client complaining. Non-specific or generic lyrics is pretty much always the requirement if the song is being requested for sync, even if it is the opposite to natural songwriter instincts. Its a shame because its a good song and you did capture a lot of Steely Dan feel. The guitar playing and sound is great! You could argue that TV editors could use clips of the your song that don't include the specifics, but its probably easier for them to find another song where they don't have to. Or they could wait for a movie with an 80's setting that happens to feature a girl called Loreli who's leaving for Reno in a beat up El Camino after a failed relationship. That paints a pretty specific picture to me. Just my thoughts, but I can understand why you got the knock-back.