International Country Music Association
March 2002 Update
Post Office Box 292937, Nashville, TN 37229
On The Web: www.radiocountry.org
Email: intlcma@aol.com
Publisher: Scarlett Vanek
Editor: Bobbie Patterson
Music Reviews: Rhett Ashley
Research Assistant: Dale Roberts

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The Following DJs Need Your Music

(The great majority of overseas radio stations are noncommercial. The closest thing we have to compare those stations to is our college radio stations. They provide a public service and are not allowed to sell or broadcast commercials. Most overseas DJs are unpaid volunteers who present a radio program one or two times per week. After publication in this newsletter, several have reported receiving over a thousand emails. They don't have time to deal with it. If you feel you must write the DJ before sending your music, please do so by regular mail. We will no longer publish their email addresses.)

Brian Amos, 7 Lynwood Ave, Ringwood East, Vic 3135 Australia

Bryan Burnett, 19 Marine Crescent, Glasgow, G51 1HD, United Kingdom

Sean Ison, PO Box 678, Hamilton, NSW 2303, Australia

Stefan Speckmann, Am Tummelbusch 11, 26607 Aurich, Germany

Kate Smyth, 12 Grey Street, York, WA 6302, Australia

Algirdas Klova, Arkiliu 20-11, Vilnius, Lithuania

Phil Parnell, PO Box 3388, N. Nowra, NSW 2541, Australia

Gwen Cunnane, PO Box 200, Innaloo City, WA 6918, Australia

Ron Hoysted, PO Box 452, Belmont, Vic 3216, Australia

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Don't Miss The Most Important Music Event Of The Year

Where can you meet hundreds of music people, in just 3 days? Where can singers audition for dozens of record companies? Where can you sit in on career building seminars? Where can songwriters pitch songs directly to the people who need them? Where can you have this much fun? Ambassador Charlie Ray's Nashville Music Festival is custom designed to allow all of these and more! For details, visit http://www.nashvillemusicfestival.com

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Don't Forget Your Free Listing In The Ultimate Country Music Source Book

No matter what you do, you need services and products from other music people. No matter what you do, other music people need the service or product you provide. How will they find you? Send us your name, address, phone number, email address, and tell us what service or product you provide. We'll include you and your information in our directory. People around the world will use it. Club owners will look for bands. Bands will look for booking agents, musicians, singers, instruments, instrument repair, producers, studios, record companies, CD duplicators, graphic artists, disc jockeys, and a ton of other needs. Publishers, record companies, and singers will look for songwriters. Songwriters will look for all the above plus demo companies, song pluggers, tip sheets, associations, co-writers, and a ton of other needs. There's just one problem. They can't find you, if you're not listed. Send us your information today. Email it to: intlcma@aol.com and please put "Source Book" in the subject line.

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Answer To Frequently Asked Songwriters' Questions

Several months ago, we published a thorough reply to our most frequently asked questions. We thought we could move on to other issues. However, we have added thousands of new subscribers. Many of them are songwriters and they ask the same questions our long term subscribers once asked. If you have already read this, please skip to the next article.

How Do I sell My Song? & Should I ever pay to have my song recorded?

The short answer to the first question is, "You don't ever want to sell a song you have written." Under the latest United States copyright laws, you own the song you have written and are entitled to a royalty each time your song is used for commercial purposes. If you were to sell the song, you would be giving up all rights, title, and interest in the song. You would be agreeing to accept one payment, and would forfeit all future earnings. A person who would take advantage of you in such a fashion would be highly unethical. The industry is full of stories about the bad old days, when people would take advantage of a writer's poverty and/or ignorance by buying a song.

One such story is told about Willie Nelson and Faron Young. The story states Willie Nelson was an unknown songwriter, in bad need of a few dollars. They say Faron Young was a major star near the peak of his career when Willie offered to sell him a song. Faron took the song and handed Willie the money he had requested. At that point, the song belonged to Faron. He was legally justified in putting his name on the song as writer and applying for a copyright. However, Faron was a highly ethical man. He listed Willie as the sole writer and recorded the song. The song was "Hello Walls." It became a number one hit for Faron and has earned tens of thousands of dollars for Willie. Some folks even say it launched Willie's career. If Faron had put his name on the song's copyright, nobody would have known Willie was capable of writing a hit song. If a person talks to you about buying your song or offers to help sell your song, one of two things is true. Either that person has very little knowledge of how the music industry really works, or has questionable ethics. Here's the proper way to earn income from a song you have written. Join a performance rights organization, pitch your song to people and companies who will use it for commercial purposes, convince at least one of them to use it, file all required forms with your performance rights organization, and collect your royalties.

There is no short answer to the second question. The writer should always expect to pay to have a demo recording made, but most of the time should not pay to have the song released to radio or any other commercial use. Your song is similar to any other piece of personal property. Let's use an example to help you understand the two situations. Assume you own a house and wish to earn income by renting it but you decide it needs work. You might hire a painter to apply a fresh coat of paint or a roofer to put on a new roof. You would be having these done to make the house more attractive to renters. You would not expect the painter or the roofing company to work on your house without being paid. If your song is not ready to be pitched, you might hire a demo recording company to make it more attractive. The company you selected would book studio time, hire musicians and a vocalist. Just as you would not expect to have your rental unit fixed for free, you should not expect a demo company to provide their services free. After the work has been completed and the workmen paid, you are ready to let potential users know what you have to offer. With rental units, this is called advertising. With songs, it is called pitching. In both cases, you are trying to accomplish the same thing. You are attempting to draw attention to what you have to offer. If you are trying to find a renter, you can do all the work yourself. You can advertise in newspapers and put up signs, call people to see if they know somebody who might rent your property, or take any number of similar approaches. On the other hand, you may decide to hire a rental agent. Rental agents are in the business of renting property. They have the knowledge and connections to do a much better job in a shorter period of time. Of course, they expect to be paid for their time and services. The same thing applies to pitching your song. You can do all the work yourself. You can subscribe to songwriters' tip sheets. You can make copies of your demo and mail them to every address you can find. You can come to Nashville and knock on record companies doors. You can fly to Hollywood, New York, and Toronto to talk to movie producers and television program producers. While you're in New York, you can spend days visiting advertising agencies trying to get your song used in the new Ford, Chevy, toothpaste, or soft drink commercial. You can spend as much time and money pitching your song as you can afford to spend. On the other hand, you may decide to hire a song plugger. They are in the business of pitching songs. They have the knowledge and connections to do a better job in less time. Of course, they expect to be paid for their time and services.

One closing thought. In most cases, you would not pay somebody to use your rental property. However, there are exceptions. Several years ago, the United Artists Tower in Nashville had suffered several years of neglect. It was in very poor repair and was not considered a good place to locate an office. The tower was sold, and the new owner did extensive renovations. But, years of neglect had left it with an undesirable reputation. The Nashville music community was unaware of the improvements. The situation demanded a creative solution. The owner had no idea what to do. In desperation, he hired a rental management company. They had the experience and connections required to solve the problem. They knew Foxfire Records was a well known company. They knew the company's President (Jason Hawkins) was a trend setter with a reputation for being a maverick. They approached him with an offer of six months free rent in the newly renovated United Artists Tower. He inspected the office space they offered and liked it but he couldn't justify the move because he had just signed a one year lease at the Young Executive Building. The management company countered with an offer of 1 year's free rent. Foxfire Records relocated to the United Artists Tower. In less than a year, other companies followed and the building was full. It has stayed over 90 percent occupied.

In most cases, you would not pay somebody to use your song. However; there are exceptions. Many years ago, Jimmy Crane was an unknown songwriter living in Providence, RI. He owned a jewelry business that made him a living, but his heart was in songwriting. He had great songs with killer demo recordings. He pitched them to everybody he could but had no luck. He was just one of thousands of unknown songwriters trying to get a break. Jimmy knew it was time for a creative solution. There was a well known pop singer named Eddie Fisher. Eddie had busted the charts several times, but had never had a number one record. Jimmy discovered Eddie was recording a new album in New York City. He caught a train to New York and a cab to the recording studio. He reached the studio just before noon and waited until they broke for lunch. He approached Eddie's producer and offered to buy his lunch at the nearby cafe. Over lunch, he pulled an envelope from his pocket and pushed it across the table to the producer. Jimmy told the producer there was two things inside the envelope. A hit song for Eddie Fisher and a thousand dollar bill for the producer. The producer kept the money and Eddie Fisher recorded the song. The song was, "If I Ever Needed You, I Need you Now." It was the first time a Jimmy Crane song was used in a commercial fashion. It was the first number one hit in Eddie Fisher's career. Jimmy Crane went on to a highly successful career as a songwriter. He wrote more hit songs than I can name here. He even wrote the sound track for the Elvis movie, "Kissing Cousins." Jimmy died a few years ago. He was a good friend and a great songwriter. His songs still earn tens of thousands of dollars each year. His children and grandchildren will receive royalties for many years after his death. Two conclusions can be drawn from this story. Creative people find creative solutions to everyday problems, and there is an exception to almost every rule.

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Music Reviews by Rhett Ashley

We never charge to review your music. As with the newsletter itself, our reviews are a free service to our worldwide country music family. We don't want to embarrass anybody with a bad public review. Any music receiving less than a 3 Star rating will not be mentioned in the newsletter. We will contact those people privately and offer our best advice. If you would like your music reviewed, please mail it to: International Country Music Association Music Reviews, POB 292937, Nashville, TN 37229.

Pennsylvania, David R. Moenich, "Bittersweet," 12 sides, This album grows on you. The more you listen, the more you like it. 4 Stars

Nashville, Jesse Goldberg, "Solid Goldberg," 13 sides, If this album doesn't make you laugh, check into the nearest funeral home. 5 Stars

Nashville, Kacey Jones, "Every Man I Love Is Either Married, Gay, Or Dead," 12 sides, There's an edge to her voice that cuts through to the truth. 5 Stars

Nashville, Kinky Friedman, "Pearls In The Snow The songs of Kinky Friedman," 17 sides, 17 artists including Willie, Marty Stuart, & others. 5 Stars

Nashville, Alan Rhody, "Journey," 13 sides, His songs tell a story you want to hear again and again. 5 Stars

Holland, Lisa Hewitt, "Lisa Hewitt," 12 sides, A solid hot country production and impressive vocals. 4 1/2 Stars

Texas, Tom Boehmer, "Don't Go Alone," 11 sides, First class songs and top notch demo production make this a must hear, if you need material. 4 Stars

Washington, DC, Honky Tonk Confidential, "Your Trailer Or Mine," 16 sides. This album is 99 & 44/100 percent pure ear candy. 5 Stars

Texas, Kacey Musgraves, "Movin' On," 14 sides, The former member of the Texas Two Bits is on her own. Great voice. 4 Stars

Texas, Jesse Dayton, "Hey Nashvegas," 13 sides, He's played with Willie, Ray Price, and Waylon. His professional approach creates a blue ribbon album. 5 Stars

Mississippi, Patrick Weathers, "The Queen Of Tupelo," 12 sides, If you put Bob Dylan with a hot Cajun band, you'd get something similar to this album. 4 Stars

California, Patrick Scott, "I Want My Earnhardt Back," 1 side, Good tribute to a lot of folk's hero. 4 Stars

Nashville, Hoot Gibson, "My Way Or The Highway," 11 sides, Dobro, banjo, & mandolin blended into an uptown production make this album shine. 4 1/2 Stars

Canada, Freddy Bolen, "Catfish Jam," 13 sides, Songs, vocals, production, & mix each excellent, but the whole is slightly less than the sum of the parts. 3 1/2 Stars

Texas, J. Hughes, "Heartache," 11 sides, Honky tonk country production is a little weak, but strong vocals make up for it. 4 Stars

North Carolina, Graylen Cook, "All Mine," 10 sides, Strong two stepping songs & vocals, but production needs a little help. 3 Stars

Germany, Ron Davis, "Waiting For The Weekend," 14 sides, This is the way country was during Nashville's golden age. 5 Stars

California, Michelle Rae, "Dance With Me Tonight," 5 sides, Great vocals and fiddle work weaving through a solid production. 4 1/2 Stars

Tennessee, Kent Gray, "I Know How She Feels," 15 sides, Careful attention to production details & solid vocals. 4 1/2 Stars

Texas, Libbi Bosworth, "Libbiville," 15 sides, Songs, vocals, production, and mix are polished to a high gloss. 4 1/2 Stars

Virginia, Eric Brace, "Last Train Home," 12 sides, Absolute professionalism from start to finish. 5 Stars

Tennessee, Cody Glen Allen, "Dealing With Love," 10 sides, A real country voice singing real country songs without any gimmicks. 4 Stars

Nashville, Bob Delenante, "Porchlight," 12 sides, This album is roots rock at its near best. 4 1/2 Stars

Washington, Nooners, "I Love Her That Way," 12 sides, Skillful use of horns accent the album in a delightful way. 4 Stars

Canada, Creative Harmony, "Reasons Why," 9 sides, Excellent traditional country vocals and productions. Song selection OK. 4 Stars

Nashville, Kris Allen & Southern Thunder, "Heroes Never Die," 15 sides, He makes you feel his pain. 4 1/2 Stars

Connecticut, Cindy Lou, "I'm Alright Now," 10 sides, In a fair world, she'd have a major label deal. 4 1/2 Stars

California, J. D. Wilson, "Women & Booze," 12 sides, Traditional instrumentation, arrangement, & vocals. 4 Stars

Washington, DC, Foreign Country, "One Left," 10 sides, Rocking country with fine vocals and production. 4 Stars

Nashville, Pat Ballard, "Ballard Country," 8 sides, If Willie Nelson was a better singer, he'd sound something like this. 4 1/2 Stars

Canada, Colin Amey, "What My Heart Don't Know," 13 sides, Real good new country. 4 1/2 Stars

Texas, Scott Whitaker, "One Place I Can Fall," 1 side, Country Twang with a capital T, it's good stuff. 4 Stars

U. S. A., Michael J. Hartman, "Slidin' Delta Blues," 15 sides, His guitar work and vocals make you wonder, is Lightning Hopkins back from the dead? 4 Stars

Nashville, Eric Horner, "Real Life," 12 sides, This album reminds of the way my lady likes her steak. It's well done! 4 1/2 Stars

Texas, Aubrey Ray Hobson, "Too Many Tomorrows," 13 sides, From traditional to new country, he does a fine job on it all. 4 1/2 Stars

Canada, Michael James Dickson, "Change In The Weather," 12 sides, Take good songs, a good production, a good singer, and mix well. 4 1/2 Stars

Colorado, Peter Britt, "That's What Living's For," 11 sides, Makes you want to sit your beer down and find a dance floor. 4 Stars

Florida, Crooked Mile, "Still Crooked After all These Years," 12 sides, Soft rock for the thinking man, it grabs your mind not your cajones. 4 Stars

Oklahoma, Itchie Cat, "Love Force" 12 sides & "Catatonic Cocktail," 10 sides, Expert use of technology creates an unusual but interesting form of music. 4 Stars

California, Lou Derr & Bootleg, "Sante Fe," 10 sides, It's the kind of country that goes well with long neck beers & long legged beauties. 4 Stars

Canada, Voyer Brothers, "Six Ways From Sunday," 7 sides, Hot new country Canadian style. Shania started something worth exploring. 4 Stars

Iowa, Storn Seymour, "Second Look," 1 side uptempo & "Ever So Slightly," 1 side ballad. I saw Storm on stage. He's as great in the studio, as there. 5 Stars

West Virginia, Jerry Williamson, "A Letter Home," 12 sides, Traditional mountain music about the heartbreak & destruction of the War Between The States. 4 Stars

Virginia, George Crouse, "On Wings of Love," 1 side, A simple songwriter's demo of an excellent traditional country song. 3 1/2 Stars

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