Taxi say this platinum artist has tuning issues?

[billg]

I think it may come down to whether or not you use (or if your used to ) using some auto tune software.Ok funny story . . . When i posted a work version of a song once here on P2P. A "tough love" friend let me know that there were pitch problems (i knew there were, it was just a bit beyond my limited vocal capabilities). So this friend offers to pitch correct the track for me. Actually he did a really good job. I got the track back & was pretty impressed at how there weren't really any noticeable artifacts etc. Anyway, a listing came up and I submitted. Beyond the fact that it wasn't right for the listing it was also noted that there were some pitch problems. I think my voice is immune to pitch correction software here, for laughs;http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30969073/

[michael11]

Andy was one of my favourites and I am pleased he's achieved the level of success he has.To me his voice seems tired and is defiantly flat on some parts of the verses,it's great when he gets going though.I think it's a bit mean asking Taxi for a $5 refund,it's tax deductible isn't it???!!!

[christig]

Jun 2, 2009, 1:40pm, mazz wrote:Does the mind influence what the ears hear? I say yes. Anyone else?MazzInteresting thread. Yes, I agree with you Mazz. I believe drugs and alcohol, food, sleep, no sleep, exercise etc. also have an impact. If you look at a non musical example like speech this is easily proven. (If you've ever raised a teenager you know what I mean).

[euromantix]

Thanks Syke, it scares me too.Number of posters who agree with Taxi about the singer: 6Number of posters who don't agree with Taxi about the singer: 9It is indeed a subjective thing.

[mazz]

Jul 18, 2009, 11:19pm, goulash wrote:@EuromantixI've just had a listen to this and sounds fine to me, like the way it builds, an excellent tune with a strong vocal performance imho. I can see that the start feels a tad light compared to the rest of the song but pitch issues, gimme a break. I sometimes wonder what the reviewers hear tbh but then i'm also starting to see something else. Sometimes it's the category you're pitching to or listing. The same song can be returned and forwarded to different listings and there lies the key.I've had this with some of my work as well, and with members of Nazareth and Uriah Heep in my stable, i think those boys know a thing or two. An example of the inconsistencies at TAXI are summed up thus in a recent submission, "element that could possibly help this song better work for this listing is the vocal delivery. An honest persuasive performance that really sells that character to match the lyrical delivery". Yeah right, and then the same song for another listing is forwarded without issues. So who is right here? One reviewer thinks it's rubbish, another says it's fine.So after all this, how is one to know what's right or wrong? I think the secret is simply to carry on submitting tracks but really try to match the song to the listing which is where i feel plenty of us are going wrong, me included. I can't moan too much as i've only submitted 8 songs so far but 5 of those have been forwarded. With over 20yrs in the industry i can make up my own mind what sounds good or not and i really don't pay much attention to the critiques tbh.This posting, IMO, really hits the heart of the matter. If a song is not right for the listing, no matter how great a song we all agree it is in isolation, it won't get forwarded.I have to remind myself all the time that we're not necessarily selling songs as stand alone entities, but as "lifestyle accessories" meant to accompany visuals and dialog, and sometimes to provide the moral to a story or to amplify the emotional content of the scene. From that perspective, to the producers of the content, a song is either right or it's not, no matter how much love, sweat and tears (and money) we put in to it. At that point, it's a commodity that either works or it doesn't. You could have the greatest rock singer in the world on your piece but if you submit it to a listing that it's wrong for, chances are it won't make the cut.Of course the decision is based on someone's educated and experienced opinion and the same screener listening to the same song for two different listings had better be using different ears and criteria based on the listing in front of them at the time. But it's still "art" and open to interpretation, which is why I believe it's healthy to be able to step back and take the point of view of the producers and see our music as the commodity it is to them. It's difficult to do, but the most successful commercial writers have developed that skill. It's a worthy skill to work on, if for nothing else, for our own sanity!! Cheers!Mazz

[andreh]

Jul 8, 2009, 1:22am, euromantix wrote:Thanks Syke, it scares me too.Number of posters who agree with Taxi about the singer: 6Number of posters who don't agree with Taxi about the singer: 9It is indeed a subjective thing. Add one to the "agrees with Taxi" tally. More importantly, how many people who are actually getting regular placements with their pop vocal productions would agree? André

[devin]

Thanks for bringing this excellent example to the forum...it's a great case study!My first observation (prior to reading any posts, including the OP) was:Whether it's in tune or not, I found the falsetto running into the 1st chorus awkward to listen to.And I totally noticed the lack of support for the final syllable of "say". I should know, I do this all the time I can see the highlighter on my lyric sheet now....Just my $0.02 of course.P.S. Was this a song from those 3 releases that Simon has claim to? If not, he would have at least had the opportunity to hear it before us, I would imagine. Our good Mr. Cowell would have locked up global rights pretty quick if he saw potential? I don't know how the Europe/North America division of ownership would work, so I'm in the dark on pushing songs across the two markets (my ignorance).