The search for a great song covers a wide range of possibilities. The hook line for one of Larry Gatlin's biggest hits was: "All the gold in California is in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills in someone else's name." Well, that lyrics often go through my mind when a student asks me where they can go find songs.
Great songs are like gold bars; They are not just lying there waiting to be picked up by anyone. They are valuable products, carefully stored and analyzed only for the supplier that promises the highest performance. And really, this is how it should be, the composer deserves to be well compensated for creating something original. Naturally, they will offer their best work to the most outstanding artists. The income from writing a hit song is quite significant, so a writer will be very selective about who can record it first.
So what should a singer do? I mean, after praying for a miracle. After all, you can't keep using your cover version of "On Broken Wing" or "Folsom Prison" as your demo forever.
This list of places where a singer can find a song covers just a few ideas; you also need to think outside the box. These are some of my suggestions on where to go troll for the right songs.
Album cuts
Make a list of artists whose music you can identify with. Everyone, including superstars, have had album cuts that received little or no aerial playback. Search your first albums for these songs, songs that might not have been box office hits, but were carefully chosen from hundreds of contenders and approved by many people before they ever made it to the album. They are called "deep cuts", songs that were never released as singles. These songs could also be original; They really haven't been heard.
Once a song has been recorded and made available to the public, you do not need permission from the writer or editor to record your own version. If you are considering recording songs for sale, contact rights organizations BMI, ASCAP, or SEASAC, or contact the publisher directly to determine the terms.
Gender change
If a singer looking for a good song covers one previously recorded by a male singer, or vice versa, it adds a whole new element and is not likely to be considered a cover. Just think what different results you would get if Toby Keith and, say, Alicia Keyes sang the same material. Now, I don't know about you, but I think it would be quite interesting.
Redo a classic
Classical songs River Sultan are part of our collective heritage. Take a classic song, make it unique and true, and you will create your own legacy. Again, you don't need the permission of the writer or editor, unless you're planning sales.
Songs from other genres
There is a century of good songs to choose from, all styles, sizes, and shapes. Find songs that resonate with you, but are recorded in a completely different style and format than the type of music you sing. Then make it yours. Michael Bolton made a career out of recording song covers. Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You", written by Dolly Parton, is an excellent example.
Single hit star
If you google single-hit wonders, you'll find the top 100 for every decade since the 1950s. These artists produced songs powerful enough to become modern classics. Who knows why they only had one hit? It could be that they exhausted all their creative guarantees on that song and never wrote a brilliant follow-up. But it could also mean that the band broke up during their first tour when the bassist's wife left with the drummer. You can still find good songs by searching through the album cuts.
As you can see, if you are looking for cool material and a good song, versions of unexpected resources can provide a treasure trove of possibilities. Be sure to sing them with your personal imprint.
No comments:
Post a Comment