Downloading covers: what is the APPEAL??

[Barandine Vondenger]

I have many tunes and dittys that i made up myself. all me as it were.

I'm proud of all my tunes. so what is the deal with folkes downloading my covers of somebody elses tunes.

would'nt they want the ORIGINAL from the original artist?

I forgot that i even had covers of real songs and folkes keep clonkin and a'clankin' on 'em.. which is nice, .

basically NOW I just do covers for fun.(read record) I guess folkes can just listen for fun too?

could folkes like my versions of classic covers MORE than the original? I know they ain't great or historic or nothin'. still....

theys a WHOLE lot of clonkin' going on..

since I have no money and I ain't really no one special in the great scheme of thangs musical I'm thankin about doing a bunch of covers. I mean what can be done AGAINST ME from the big wigs? I know I can be kicked out of certain pages and sites for doing covers but what can be done to a no one like me for posting covers of famous songs..

I got a bunch that I can do but I never really thought about doing other folkes tunes other than playing out live.

I've had covers up for years and folkes have CLONKED and clanked on 'em but ain't really had any negative issues arisen from me doing them.

so why not?

[AlanThomas]

Most people aren't very adventuresome. They want to feel safe. And seeing that you have done a song that they already like makes them feel that it's safe to give you a listen. If you can get anyone to listen to you for whatever reason, that's a good thing.

 

And I don't think it refelects on your own songs either. I mean, plenty of phenominal songwriters have done, or do, cover songs. Half of the reason to cover a song is because you like it. The other half is to get people to listen to you so you can spring the originals on 'em when they're not looking!

[Fendercaster]

As a guitarist, I'll frequently listen to other peoples' versions of covers for fresh ideas. If it's a song I've been playing out for years, I'm probably pretty bored with playing the same basic solo forever, and it's interesting to get someone elses take on the song, and maybe cop a few new licks. And to those from whom I've copped, Thank You!

[Barandine Vondenger]

hey hey! you're a UTARD?

ME TOO! I 'mean I'm a metard..

I went to your site. Cool beans. very cool site.

I thought dial-up sucked JUST on my site . I guess it foks everbodies sites up.

ahahaha!

But seriously folkes;

It took a while but I finally heard one of your tunes.

I really liked the intro on the first one.

Are your ceedees selling well? if I may ask?

i have'nt sold any of my music but one cat said he would buy some, only I sent him a free copy instead.

How did you get that site?..

[AlChuck]

For one thing, not every singer or instrumentalist writes well, no matter how well they might sing or play.

 

For another, in a certain echelon of the music business -- all the folks working in bar bands and cruise ships and weddings and parties -- doing covers is the only way to get work.

 

Of course about 80% of recorded jazz music could be called "cover songs." Well-known standards provide a common body of material to work with, and draw in listeners who would ordinarily not listen to instrumental improvisation -- a frame of reference for the audience.

 

As a listener, I'm often interested in how an artist I admire is going to envision the song they're covering. Sometimes they have a different take on it that is really different.

 

Sometimes there are songs that are so closely identified with an artist that is seems almost sacrilegous to record your own version. Can you imagine putting out a version of "I Left My Heart In San Francisco?"

 

Some examples:

 

I always love to hear Jeff Beck cover tunes (Lennon & McCartney's "She's a Woman" and "A Day In the Life," Ashford & Simpson's "I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel For You," Mingus's "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," to name a few).

 

Despite my raising an eybrow at the gumption it takes to record a cover of Van Morrison's "Moondance," when I heard it, I really liked Bobby McFerrin's take on it (on his debut album).

 

I also thought it was cool to hear Jeff Berlin do a cover of "Crossroads" wherein he played Clapton's solo note-for-note... on the electric bass.

 

I can listen to Bill Evans or John Coltrane or Sonny Rollins or Pat Martino play standards all night long...

[Blue Strat]

Arell,

 

The thing I like about your music is the fact that it's lo-fi. It's refreshing to hear something raw and underproduced these days. Your production could stand a little polishing, but not much is needed to give it that finishing touch. Just a little constructive criticism, I don't mean to offend you.

 

If you narrow your selection for downloading to just song snipits (say a 500k or so?), you can save space on your site, and folks would have to buy the CD to get the full song and they could still hear part of it to see if they want to buy a CD.

 

Just a few things to consider.

[Barandine Vondenger]

Originally posted by bluestrat:

Arell,

 

The thing I like about your music is the fact that it's lo-fi. It's refreshing to hear something raw and underproduced these days. Your production could stand a little polishing, but not much is needed to give it that finishing touch. Just a little constructive criticism, I don't mean to offend you.

 

Just a few things to consider.

Oh yeah i'm very raw and under produced.

way underproduced. OY! and i am very unpolished.

 

thats out of the way..

no offense taken missah bradley.

I listened to that stand by me cover again.

I now have more skill as far as recording and mixin' go and better equiptment so I could do much better. it was an experiment mostly. and a litle HOMAGE'.