Volume 1                               Issue 2                               August, 1997

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Table of Contents

SHOCK VALUE, A Prelude
SÂDÊS REALM, Artist of the Month
How to Choose a Recording Studio
88 Songwriting Wrongs, & How to Right Them, A Review
The Dead Zone
Just for Laughs
CATS
Around the World in August
MTV Video Music Awards
Songs Of Love
CD Review
Mainstream

SHOCK VALUE
A Prelude

     Welcome back folks. This is issue number two for Shock Value Music Webzine. It's C.J. again. We're back for another month, and not one cancellation, that has to be a good sign. We're very impressed with the success of SHOCK VALUE's first issue, but, we're still hoping to make it bigger and better with your help. We welcome anyone to submit articles, especially if you consider yourself an expert on a particular subject. Feel free to contribute as often as you like. Also keep in mind that bands and singers can always advertise for FREE here. You can advertise your CD(s) for sale, or advertise your concert dates for that month. Other businesses, like recording studios, managers, equipment sales, etc. all get a low advertising rate. We appreciate your patronage of our advertisers that help keep us going. Don't forget, SHOCK VALUE is always FREE to readers, so if you know anyone that would like a subscription, have them send us e-mail with the word subscribe in the subject to: SVwebzine@AOL.COM

     We also appreciate any input you may have. We need you to help us make SHOCK VALUE better. We would appreciate international assistance as well. SHOCK VALUE is read all over the world, but living in America all of my life, I don't know a lot about the foreign music scenes, so please feel free to submit an article on your experiences. We are looking for someone that fancies him or herself a technical wizard to submit a continuing tech help articles. We'd also be interested in hearing your stories, you can always remain anonymous. Perhaps your story of being taken, or even the opposite can help another not-so-rich-and-famous music maker make better decisions in his/her future. That's what SHOCK VALUE is about, helping not-so-rich-and-famous music makers get ahead in this dog eat dog business. People are so reluctant to help someone face to face because that person could be their competition. We need to put an end to that practice, we need to help each other because there is no one else out there gunning for us.

     Just last week my friend asked someone for advice about jingle singing--which, by the way, is a great way for singers to make extra cash--and she flat out refused to "help the competition". That's also the attitude of a lot of musicians, and singers, but it doesn't have to be that way. We can all help each other get ahead. Helping someone out is never going to hinder you. Helping out "the competition" is not going to keep you from that big record deal. So, anyway, I'm off on a Rodney King "can't we all just get along" tangent here, so I'll wrap it up. SHOCK VALUE is by musicians, for musicians, to HELP musicians, so please help out if you can. We hope you are gaining valuable information, entertaining information, and some amusing information as well.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH
SÂDÊS REALM

     This month's artist of the month is Sades Realm, a band out of Durham, North Carolina. That's Sâdês as in Hades, those are supposed to be straight lines over the a and e, but that's the best we can do with AOL. They've been earning their keep at local venues in Raleigh/Durham, like Lizard & Snake and Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, and Captured Live Studios' Area 51 in Durham, as well as getting some local radio airplay. What can I say about a band whose incredibly modest press release expressed mass-hysteria in anticipation of their CD? From their humble beginnings at a meeting at the local mall, to their impressive show at last year's Starbound National Talent Competition at the Ryman Auditorium, (former home of the Grand old Opry) this band has come a long way in a short time.

     Sades Realm consists of: lead singer, Brendan Davies, drummer, Chad Olds, lead guitarist and singer, Brad Olds, bassist, Todd Eastep, and rhythm guitarist and singer, Jessie Sharpe. Their mottoes are "Tear it up. Wear it out. Guaranteed!", and "BECOME A CLONE!" (as in Clone Records, Clone Enterprises, and their song, Clone). They have their own bumper sticker, "Sades Realm - What Is". And, Cosmo, G105's #1 Disc Jockey in Raleigh had this to say about the up and comers: "I loved your album, man...It was killer and real diverse.. It covered a lot of musical ground. You guys really show a great sense of maturity...I hope I get to introduce you guys at Madison Square Garden one day."

     Their first release, 'Not Enough Swings', combines heavy rock, with metal, and a few tunes on the lighter side as well. As I mentioned in last month's CD review, my favorite cut is number five, "Wise Norlina". This sultry ballad mixes reflections of Hootie and the Blowfish, with influences of The Doors. Davies has a Morrison quality to his voice in this tune, and even resembles him in the band pic. Actually, he resembles Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison, but no one's perfect. The CD goes from a mellow instrumental, 'With Her', to the hard rock sounds of 'Capture', to the metal tones of 'Clone", and 'Rage for Deliverance'. The lyrics to 'Capture' are a little crude, but very effective. 'Not Enough Swings' covers a lot of bases.

     One of the things that impressed me the most was 'With Her'. Just about any band can write a catchy thrash tune, but it takes true talent to write a tune of this caliber. It also takes a lot of guts to put a laid back, gentle instrumental amongst those harder tracks. This CD contains a lot of diversity, both musically, and verbally. They have the ability to tell small tales in their lyrics. I also found the CD to be top sound quality. They have the sound, they have the talent, and it seems, they have the gift. There are people with talent, but not the right look. There are people with looks, but no talent. And there are people who may have one of those attributes, but are not marketable. Sades Realm has all three of these qualities, and that's what you need to get that record deal. They made waves with a few record companies at the Starbound National Talent Competition, so don't be surprised to see 'Not Enough Swings' in a record store near you, in the near future. If you're in the Raleigh/Durham area, check them out, so you can say "I knew them when...".

     'Not Enough Swings' by Sades Realm is on sale now at many locations listed at the end of the article. You can also order by mail, just send a check or money order for $10 for the CD or $6 for the cassette (includes S&H) made payable to Sades Realm to:

Sades Realm: Become a Clone!, P.O. Box 15171, Durham, NC 27704.
For more information on Sades Realm, contact by phone at the Sade Hotline: (919) 990-1394, or via e-mail at: sadesrealm@hotmail.com or sadesrealm@aol.com
You can also visit their soon-to-be web site: http://www.sadesrealm.com

You can purchase "Not Enough Swings" In the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Areas:
Sam Goody at Raleigh's Crabtree Valley Mall (look for them to perform their soon also)
Blockbuster Music of Raleigh, Durham, and soon to be Chapel Hill
Record Exchange of Chapel Hill and Raleigh
Monster Records in Chapel Hill
Poindexters of Durham

For booking information, contact Kristen Wilson with Clone Enterprises:
P.O. Box 15171
Durham, NC 27704
919-990-1395

How To Chose A Recording Studio

     I know what you're thinking--"this is for beginners". Not necessarily! How many of us have gotten screwed in one way or another by a recording studio we were using? I know I was. I was so naive when I recorded my first demo that I let them charge me for the time that they took to set up their equipment. DOH! There are many things to keep in mind when looking for a recording studio, whether you're recording your first demo, or your fifth album. First of all, before you even start looking for a studio, you need to make sure every single song you are going to record is copyrighted. I cannot stress this enough. TRUST NO ONE. If your songs are not copyrighted, anyone and everyone can steal them, and believe me, they will. And, don't listen to people that tell you all you need to do is send your songs to yourself via registered/certified mail. That will not hold up in court. That said, the second thing you need to do is call around. Don't rely on the yellow pages alone, many people have studios in their homes that they can't advertise in the yellow pages. Check out the music stores, most studios leave cards on the bulletin boards. Word of mouth, of course, can often be the best method, ask around. Before we get to what questions to ask, there are a few things to keep in mind.

     First, no matter how good your demo is, you WILL be recording the whole thing again, so don't be so picky. For that same reason, you also don't want to put a whole hell of a lot of money into it. When you get a record deal, the record company foots the bill for everything (if you get an offer from one that doesn't, RUN). Let them pay for the number one studio with the number one equipment set-up. You need good quality sound, but the A&R guys and gals don't expect your CD to sound top of the line. Also, contrary to popular belief, A&R people do NOT want a whole CD, they actually prefer one to three songs MAX, and they don't want to have to fish for them. They don't have time to mess with a 10 songs CD looking for the three you want them to hear. You put your most marketable (not necessarily your favorite) tune first, then two back-ups. If you are going into the studio and want to record 10 songs, that's fine, just make sure you make a separate CD that has three songs on it to send out to record companies, or at the very least, put your three most marketable songs first.

     The first question you need to ask is how many tracks they have. I would not go with anything under 16. A lot of people think digital is very important these days, but I still prefer analog. (For those who don't know, in simple terms, analog is tape, and digital is computer) Certain types of music, like rap, might lean toward digital, but I think pretty much everyone can still get by with analog. However, if it's a CD you are producing, it might be a lot easier to go digital, especially if the studio has a CDR on the premises. A studio with a CDR is great, but not necessary as most people end up going somewhere else to have their CDs pressed. Just as a footnote, almost everyone seeing this webzine has a computer, or access to one, so I suggest you save a lot of money printing your own CD cover. All you need is a printing program, a printer, and a scanner. If you don't have a scanner, there are places like Kinko's that will scan pics for about $5.

     When you decide it has the equipment you need, find out about the PRICE. Most not-so-rich-and-famous music makers can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on their demo, and you really don't need to. I, personally, spent only a couple hundred on my first demo. I was lucky to find a collaborator that owned a studio and worked cheap. (you'll find a feature article about collaborating in the next issue of SHOCK VALUE) You CAN get a quality demo in a $20/hour studio if the engineer knows what he/she is doing. Toad the Wet Sprocket used a $15/hour studio and spent a total of $750 on their first full album, Bread and Circuses. And record companies not only liked it, but they paid money to own it. But, I don't suggest you asking record companies to pay for your demo just yet.

     Next, you need to find out how long they've been engineering sound equipment, and how many years the studio has been in business. Also very important is asking to hear their work. Listen to several selections that they engineered. Any good engineer will have several samples of their work. You don't have to be an expert to hear if their work is good. When you listen to the samples, you might want to make sure you know if the song was part of a demo or a complete CD. It makes a difference because on a demo, the vocals should be louder than the music, and a complete CD will be more evened out.

     Finally, you NEED to visit the studio before you decide to use it, or sign any papers. Believe it or not, the first studio I checked out was great in every way, until I visited it and saw that it was NOT sound proof. It had a lot of equipment in a regular old bedroom. Check everything out, if you don't know much about it, bring someone along that does. You will also be carrying on a conversation with the engineer. You can tell a lot about someone's character and ability that way. Watch out for dominant personalities, they may try to make all of your demo decisions for you, don't let that happen.

     It might be wise to invest in a four-track recorder, but if you don't have access to one, a regular old tape recorder will work. You should record your song(s) before hand and give a COPY (never an original) to the engineer to let him/her know what they need to be prepared for. Also talk over what you'll be needing with them. The engineer should be completely prepared, and the studio should be set-up and ready when you get there. Don't let anyone charge you for time that they took to set-up. Once you've finally picked the right studio, and you get in there, make sure you're in charge. I've found this arrogant bossiness in engineers a lot, they will try to run the show, make sure they know it's YOUR show, and they work for you. Don't get me wrong, they can be a great source of advice, take it to heart, but don't let them make all of your decisions. This is your demo and it should be recorded the way you want it to. Don't let anyone tell you how to do things. If you're in a band, don't let one band member make all of the decisions either. That happens a lot. You should all be in charge of your project.

     When recording, you want to be a perfectionist, but don't let that rule you, and if you're on a budget, watch the clock. If you're lucky enough to find a studio that will record on a $$$/per song basis, take advantage of it, but don't over do it. You could piss them off, and you don't want to burn any bridges in this business. No matter what kind of pain in the neck someone can be, you never want to cut off contacts in the business. In closing, use your head and your money wisely. Don't open yourself up to being taken. These are shark infested waters, some people throw you life preservers, some people sit by helpless, and some people laugh as you go under. I hope this is a life preserver in your ocean of decisions.

Book Review
88 Songwriting Wrongs & How to Right Them
by Pat and Pete Luboff

     I'm very skeptical about How To songwriting books, especially the step-by-step kind. Pete and Pat Luboff have had a few hits in the movies, with Patti LaBelle, and Bobby Womack, and they've been teaching workshops since 1979, but who are they to tell me how to write from my heart? Well, that's not exactly their plan. The title is a little deceiving. It should be more like "The dos and don'ts of songwriting" or something similar.

     This book covers the gambit from simple things that most of us know like, always have a pen and piece of paper with you to capture song ideas as they come to you at any time, or picking a title, to more sophisticated ideas about collaboration, (there will be an article all about collaboration in the next issue of SHOCK VALUE) and not mixing up your pronouns. They go from song foundations to lyrics, melodies, rewriting, collaboration, the demo, pitching, airplay, and post-problems. This book is very informative to the beginner, it covers all the bases.

     There is one section that bothered me. It was all about performing rights organizations, but they only mention ASCAP and BMI and not SESAC at all. There was a lot of emphasis put on ASCAP. Do you think they're ASCAP writers? I don't like that kind of favoritism. I am registered with BMI, but in last's month's article about performing rights organizations, I did not show them any favoritism. It's one thing to write a book to be informative, that's what we're doing at SHOCK VALUE, but it's another to write under those pretenses and then favor companies that you do business with. That's not being informative at all. I also found their information on those agencies to be somewhat false, although that could be due to the 1992 copyright.

     There was one section that I was impressed with because you just don't see much about it, and that's the section on writing songs for films. Remember what it did for Lisa Loeb? This can be a very profitable way to get your songs out there, and you don't need a recording contract. Everyone sends their songs to record companies, but how many of you have ever thought of sending a song to Steven Spielberg or Penny Marshall? It's a great idea, and this section goes into pretty good detail about the pros and cons.

     I think any book about songwriting or making it in the music business is worth looking at, because you can always learn something new. I think "88 Songwriting Wrongs & How to Right Them" is also worth a look, if just for the section on writing for movies alone. There were some things that annoyed me, like their advice to "avoid writing songs that are too philosophical, emotionally removed and cerebral" or "don't be intentionally obscure in your lyrics". How many times have you heard a song on the radio where you couldn't understand what the hell they were saying, or what it meant, but you loved it and sang right along? I think there is a such thing as being too structured. Sometimes the words just flow and you've gotta do it just like that. There is a good section on collaboration in here, which not a lot of books go into, and I learned something from the section about songs for movies, from people who have done it.

     Last month I listed the top five books about the biz. Those are books that I think every not-so-rich-and-famous music maker should own. This, however, is one of those books that you should check out from the library. It's definitely worth a gander. Rating: B-

The Dead Zone

Jerryfest '97

     Jerryfest '97 kicks off today, August 1st, in Washington County, Pennsylvania at the KOA Campgrounds. Some of the featured bands performing will be; JGB, Gungus, Flowerchild, Pied Piper, Hogstomper, Donna Jean Godchaux, and Left for Dead. The two day, B.Y.O.B. festival costs $40 to attend. Camping and showers available through the campground facilities. You can call the KOA campground office at: 412-225-7590 to make campsite reservations.

Gathering on the Mountain

     Well, Pennsylvania is apparently the place to be for festivals this August. The 2nd Annual Gathering on the Mountain will take place August 9th and 10th at the Big Boulder Ski Area near Blakeslee, Pennsylvania. That's in north eastern Pennsylvania in the western part of the poconos. Gathering on the Mountain is a tribute to psychedelic San Francisco bands of the 60's, which, of course, includes the Grateful Dead.

     The festival features "Bizarre Bazaar" a vendor's paradise, chairlifts to enjoy the beauty of this scenic area, and plenty of great food and good times, not to mention great music. You are allowed to tape the audio portion of the concerts, and take pictures, but the artists ask that you not bring Video Cameras. For a total list of dos and don'ts for this year's fest, go to: http://www.big2resorts.com/gathering/.

     The artist performing on Saturday will include: JGB, Government Mule, Moby Grape, Max Creek, Toni Brown Band, Country Joe McDonald, and Sideshow Bob. The acts for Sunday include: Dave Mason, Merl Saunders, Matt Kelly's King Fish, Commander Cody, Zen Tricksters, and Splintered Sunlight. There will also be Workshops. Tickets are $23 in advance, $28 at the gate, and groups of 25 or more get in for $18 each.

     For more information call: 1-800-475-7669 for recorded information, or 1-800-468-2442 to talk to a human at Big Boulder and Jack Frost Mountain.

- - - - - - - - - -
You Know You're A Deadhead When...

You spend more money on blank tapes than you do on rent.

None of your tapes have names on them, just dates.

You prefix every noun with "Kind", or "Ice cold".

On forms you list your occupation as "?".

And, At any given moment you can compute how many days, hours, minutes, and
seconds it's been since ALLIGATOR has been played.

Just For Laughs
Top Ten STUPID standing laws in the U.S.

10. In Alabama, it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.

9. In Vermont, lawmakers made it obligatory for everybody to take at least one bath each week, on Saturday night.

8. Also in Florida, A special law prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday.

7. In Indiana, bathing is prohibited during the winter.

6. In Kentucky, by law, anyone who has been drinking is "sober" until he or she "cannot hold onto the ground."

5. In Massachusetts, Taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of their taxi during their shifts.

4. In Nebraska, a parent can be arrested if their child cannot hold back a burp during a church service.

3. In New Mexico, females are strictly forbidden to appear unshaven in public.

2. In Pennsylvania, no man may purchase alcohol without written consent from his wife.

1. In Texas, it is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.

CATS

     If you tell a New Yorker you're going to see CATS, you'll usually get a little chuckle. But don't take it personally, they just think you're an uncultured twit ;) Well, I'll admit it, not only did I see CATS for the first time, it was also my first Broadway show. THERE, now my closet is as empty as Ellen's. CATS was both impressive and slightly disappointing at the same time. Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first.

     Even though CATS is one of the most talked about musicals, not to mention one of the longest running in history, I still went in not knowing what to expect. I did have glimmers of Betty Buckley in my head, and of course, I knew it was about cats, but that was it. The plot was kind of a let down. It's about a group of energetic cats, called Jellico cats, based on the "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Eliot. They get together one night a year for The Jellicle Ball, with their leader, Old Deuteronomy, played by Doug Eskew. The purpose is to decide what elder cat will move on to the next level. During their deliberations, we get to hear the stories of certain cats. One part of the plot that was particularly strange was when a rebel cat, Macavity, played by Taylor Wicker, kidnapped Old Deuteronomy, the leader, who was rescued five seconds later, and very easily I might add, by Magical Mr. Mistoffelees, played by Randy Andre Davis. It was basically reminiscing about different cats or cat pairs, like Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, partners in crime, and Gus, the theater cat.

     Another thing I didn't expect was the small stage. I guess I always had visions of grandeur, wanting to be a Broadway singer myself. I always pictured a huge, extravagant stage, and set. I should mention that I did not see CATS in the Broadway theatre, it was part of the 5/3rd Bank's Broadway Series at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The actual Broadway stage may be larger. Another disappointing aspect was not being able to follow the plot. When the performers sang in unison, you could not understand everything they were saying. You had to get what you could from the solos.

     Well, that's enough of the bad stuff. Cat's star, Natalie Toro, who played Grizzabella, was wonderful, although I still think Betty Buckley was one of the best singers to ever sing Memory. While in town, Toro appeared on FOX 19 in Cincinnati performing her own Latino rendition of Memory that was outstanding. Toro has a strong, trained voice and didn't miss a note. One of the highlights of the show was the performance of David Villella as Rum Tug Tugger, the cat stud. His energy and unfaltering voice were the stars of the show. He had the women swooning. Of course, the best part of the evening was the complete version of Memory at the end of the musical. Toro's booming voice belted it out like a pro. The flawless orchestration by Stanley Lebowsky complimented her voice perfectly, and his transitions were excellent.

     I may be biased since Memory was one of the first songs I ever sang on stage, but CATS was worth all these years of waiting. While CATS wasn't everything I expected, I am still glad that I saw it, and gladder still that it was my first Broadway show. So get out and get a little culture you twits! ;)

Around The World In August

This section of previous concert dates has been deleted. For current concert dates for unsigned/independent music makers, please visit the latest issue of Shock Value Music Webzine. If you'd like to know about mainstream tour dates, visit POLLSTAR. Please send us your concert dates: SVwebzine@AOL.COM

MTV Video Music Awards

     The nominations for the September 4th MTV Video Music Awards are in. No Doubt, Beck, and Nine Inch Nails received several nods, but it was British dance band, Jamiroquai, that topped the list with a whopping 10 nominations. The awards will be hosted by Chris Rock at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Look for a boatload of great performers! Here are some of the nominees, for a complete list, AOL members go to keyword: MTV.

Best Video of the Year
Beck - The New Pollution
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug
No Doubt - Don't Speak

Viewer's Choice
Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
Prodigy - Breathe
Puff Daddy f/Faith Evans & 112 - I'll Be Missing You
Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There
The Wallflowers - One Headlight

Best Group Video
Blur - Song 2
Counting Crows - A Long December
Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me
No Doubt - Don't Speak
The Wallflowers - One Headlight

Best Rap Video
Blackstreet f/Dr. Dre - No Diggity
Dr. Dre - Been There, Done That
Missy Elliot - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize

Best Dance Video
The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats
Freak Nasty - Da Dip
Prodigy - Breathe
Spice Girls - Wannabe

Best Rock Video
Aerosmith - Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)
Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench
Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me
Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
Rage Against The Machine - People of the Sun

Best Alternative Music Video
Beck - The New Pollution
Blur - Song 2
Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench
Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug
Sublime - What I Got

Best R&B Video
Babyface f/Stevie Wonder - How Come How Long
Erykah Badu - On And On
Blackstreet f/ Dr. Dre - No Diggity
Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart
Puff Daddy f/Faith Evans & 112 - I'll Be Missing You

SONGS OF LOVE

     "Songs of Love are really what we need/To take away our fear" Those lyrics were written by Julio Beltzer, and echoed in the mind of his twin brother, John when he started the not-for-profit organization a little over a year and a half ago. Songs of Love started as a passing thought while John Beltzer, an accomplished singer/songwriter, was walking down the street in early 1996. Since then, it has grown into a successful non-profit organization that writes, performs, and records songs for and about chronically and terminally ill children and young adults. Songs of Love uses the medicine of music to brighten the lives of these sick children with original, personalized songs.

     John Beltzer and his brother Julio were not-so-rich-and-famous music makers for many years, until Julio jumped to his death in 1984. After his twin's suicide, John continued as a not-so-rich-and-famous music maker for many years, trying to keep their music alive. He and his band Cinema even made an appearance on Star Search in the late eighties. However, it wasn't until 1996 that he found his true calling. Now, along with a volunteer group of over 50 talented artists, Songs of Love produces musical portraits for hundreds of young people every year.

     Not-so-rich-and-famous music makers are invited to help out. You'll need to submit your demo tape for consideration to the address below. If you are chosen as a volunteer, Songs of Love will then send you a profile of a child, including their name, hobbies, family, friends etc. You would then write and record an original composition that's custom made for the patient. Call around, there is bound to be a studio in your town willing to donate their time and equipment to the cause. Keep in mind that Songs of Love asks that all copyrights be donated as well. The organization boasts that this will protect against commercial exploitation of the song. You will be credited on the cassette, though, and your song will make a bigger difference to a child than any song to any record company.

     Songs of Love always accepts monetary donations, but they are also selling their compilation CD to raise money. All proceeds from the sale of the CD goes towards continuing to provide sick children with their very own song. You can receive the CD with a minimum donation of $15, plus $2.50 shipping and handling, or you can obtain a cassette for $10 plus $2.50 S&H. So, please help out this worthy cause. If you do donate your talent, while you're not making any monetary gain with your music, you will obtain a lot of exposure, not to mention giving your time to a wonderful cause, and making a difference in the life a sick child. You can contact Songs of Love via snail mail:

Songs of Love
108-12 65th Rd.
Forest Hills, NY 11375

Phone or fax (718) 997-8482

E-mail: SongsLove@aol.com

And visit their web site: http://www.songsoflove.org

Songs of Love
Various Artist

     The very nature of this CD is worthy of praise. Did you ever have one of those days where nothing is going right, and you're not where you want to be? Well, when you're feeling sorry for yourself, this is the CD you need to pick up and put in the CD player. The article about Songs of Love in this issue of SHOCK VALUE told you about the organization that writes songs for critically and chronically ill kids. Well, this is their compilation CD for 1997 and it's the perfect thing to remind you that your life isn't so bad. And, if you have kids, they will love it.

     First, I must say bravo to the president and founder of Songs of Love, John Beltzer, for starting such a wonderful organization. The proceeds from the sale of this CD goes toward continuing the cause to bring personalized music into the hearts of sick kids. All of these tunes carry the child's name and the lyrics consist of the child's interests, family, friends, etc., based on a profile provided by the parent or hospital. The first cut you may have heard before on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. It's 'Precious Feliciano', sung by Ruby Collins, and 48 Youth Division Officers of the NYPD. This is one of my favorite cuts, probably due to the full choir. It's soulful gospel sound is the same quality as a contemporary song.

     The second song to strike me was 'Toni Mazariagos'. It's like something out of a Disney movie, and mentions several Disney films. Angela Workman performs the vocals as well as any Disney female lead. Angela was recently a back up singer for Ray Charles. My favorite cut has to be 'Blake Vito', beautifully performed by 8-year-old Gabrielle Kotkov. The catchy little tune was written by Gabrielle's parents. It's like a classic kids tune that I can see every little kid singing and dancing along to.

     Another sweet tune is 'Haley Tebo-Janzen'. Kathy Hart has a sweet child-like voice, and she harmonizes with herself beautifully, in this fairy tale-like song. Danny Obadia did a great job on 'Marvin Harris', not only with the words and music, but with the arrangement as well. Susan Youngblood sings 'Victoria' as well as Karen Carpenter sang "We've Only Just Begun". Her voice was very reminiscent of the seventies' star. In 'Crystal Lee', John Beltzer puts a creative spin on Beethoven's "Fur Elise". The final cut is the only one not written for a child, 'Song of Love' written and performed by Julio Beltzer. It was one of the last things he recorded before his death, and, the non-profit organization started by his twin brother, John, is it's namesake.

     I call this my "if" theory: If you like 'Butterfly Kisses', you'll like 'Corrina'. If you like lullabies, you'll like 'Haley Tebo-Janzen'. If you like classical, you'll like 'Crystal Lee'. If you like country, you'll like 'Chris Jones', or 'Stedman Lee Harris'. If you like classic Spanish tunes, you'll like 'Eduardo Olvera'. If you like soft seventies Carol King-type tunes, you'll like 'James'. If you like the Carpenters, you'll like 'Victoria'. If you like the Monkees, you'll like 'Angel Durak'. If you like rap, you'll like 'Marvin Harris'. I could go on and on with the "if" list.

     This CD has a little bit of most of the major music genres. It even has the aforementioned rap and Spanish tunes. (sorry Metallica fans, no metal, after all, it's for little kids) This CD is for everyone. If you don't think you'd like it, imagine you're three rambunctious nephews showing up unannounced. This is the perfect emergency entertainment kit. Also, this compilation includes many not-so-rich-and-famous music makers just like ourselves, and we need to help each other. If you are interested in contributing, it can be a great guide.

     I wish I had space to go through all 22 cuts because I think each child's song is special, and they all deserve to be mentioned. For that reason, you will find a list of the cuts following this article. Some of these children didn't make it, and being the parent of two deceased children, myself, I know how important it is to the parents to make their child known. By the way, Gwendolyn and Gabriel Cauley would have been two on February 10 of this year. Please read the names, and buy the CD if you can. There is a lifetime, family, and friends behind each name. I've written a lot about both of our children, but this CD really encouraged me to write songs about each of them, just for us. Thanks Songs of Love.

1. Precious Feliciano 2. Brooke Nuttall 3. Demi Lada 4. Nicholas Proman 5. Toni Mazariegos 6. Blake Vito 7. Roy Fisher 8. Kimona Bacchus 9. Corrina 10. Haley Tebo-Janzen 11. Chris Jones 12. Kelly Dolan 13. Jerry 14. Eduardo Olvera 15. Marvin Harris 16. Victoria 17. Stedman Lee Harris 18. Angel Jurak 19. Katherine Thomas 20. James 21. Crystal Lee 22. Songs of Love