Ray,

Another miss understanding of facts. Producers, record labels, artists, are NOT PUTTING out listings for songs. They have all they need and are not asking for anything. Tip sheets are compiled by resource locations much like "head hunters" compile job listings."

Every studio has logs, every label have inside sources on dates and who is doing what on what project. The Unions have information on every major session, there are dozens of sources, assistants, for assistants, scuttlebutt, etc. These are compiled by orgainizations like Music Row Magazine and put out as a guide for people to shape their overall catalogues. But they are very often out of date, misstated or simply wrong.

They are viewed as a nessasary evil by record companies, they can't do everything in private and dealing with 300 e-mails, phone calls and personal contacts on a project that was finished 6 months ago is not exactly how you want to spend your day.

And what do they really say? "Need hit songs?" Wow.that is really a heart stopper. "Great songs only." Man, never thought of that one. "The next big hit." Why did I go pitch my crappy song? Should have known THAT was what they were looking for. They are very vague and again totally unreliable.

When I get the Row Fax (which is about the only credible one for Nashville) I look and see who I know personally on a project. If I see someone like Ted Hewitt, who produces Rodney Atkins, I see him out and find out first hand how far into something they are. Then I can decide what I have in my catalogue I can get it to him. But only if it is PERFECT.

Most of the information is second or third hand and the producers get frankly a little sick of them. But a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while. It is more to shape a catalogue, keep your music in the bounds of the industry standards and to advise up and coming and new artists.

I personally know of three artists who are on the pitch lists who are accepting NO outside songs. Period. They don't even know why they are on the pitch sheets. Their attitudes are universally, I worked my butt off for years to get here, have earned my way into the party, and now why am I expected to take anything from someone I don't even know?

I know it gets maddening. You should know about half these people and still not be able to get anything in. Think you deal with frustration? I deal with HIT WRITERS almost every day, trying to GHERM ME, to get me to hook them up with my own artists or projects.

And that is really the deal Ray. I have been in Nashville 21 years. I have written with dozens of hit writers and artists, watched many of them go on to great success. In some cases, things that I have done have gone on with them, gotten pitched, cut, dropped off projects, or gotten on projects that go no where. I have sacrificed my own success at times, or finding another life for security,money, life, etc. I chose to do all this. If I were to help anyone place some songs, particularly if the songs were not as good as my own,I am putting them in PLACE of my own. That is what my kids go to college on. That is what I pay my bills with. It goes against human nature to sacrafice yourself to help others.

So my personal solution was to provide a business where I introduce many of those people to others, help them in their writing, help them in their understanding of the business and the other side of the business. That is what I do on threads like these. I try to explain why things work the way they do and get people to look for options.

I don't know everything. I don't know why some people do the things they do. What many see as greed, I see as self preservation. Because I know what it takes to get there, how short the time you have up there is and how fast you can fall off and dissapear forever.

A lot of this is pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz.The more you know about the music business, the less you want to know about the music business.
But I'll tell you the honest truth Ray. In 21 years in Nashville I have seen so many artists and writers, publishers, pluggers, producers, label people, etc. I have seen almost every single one of them, at seminars, showcases, private meetings, golf outings, business meetings, etc. all asking the VERY SAME questions you are asking on these threads. Everybody was nobody sometime. They are all trying to do the same things. And for everyone that succeeds, there are hundreds that don't. But they all have to go through the same doors.

Today, there are dozens of people around Nashville,Chicago, New York, LA, Des Moinse, etc. that you have no idea who they are, that one day are going to be in the music business. There are people out there who are going to make noise and money. They won't quit, they won't let anyone dissuade them from anything. Those are the people who succeed.

And there will be amazing songs and artists, who never see the light of day. That is reality. You can either curse it, deal with it, form your own network or universe, or quit. But reality doesn't change for anyone. It is what it is, ain't what it ain'.

I know this probably isn't what you want to hear. But I don't know what else to tell you. And people are always welcome to prove me wrong.

MAB