Submitting original song lyrics to JB

[AndyBeaulieu]

I have an original song that I think would be quintessential JB (although I realize it's a longshot!). I know I'm not going to get his e-mail address or cell phone, but does anyone have a clue how I could get the material to someone who might handle this kind of thing?

TIA

Andy

[HD18JBGuy]

Send it addressed to JB to the original Margaritville in Key West.

[ph4ever]

Andy have you got it copyrighted? Before you submit to any artist I'd be sure to have any material copyrighted. Then, like HD18JBGuy said, send it to KW Margaritaville.

[HD18JBGuy]

Good call on the copyright.

[ccmatt]

Don't get your hopes up. Buffett will never see your lyrics, and he really isn't interested at all.

[HD18JBGuy]

Don't get your hopes up. Buffett will never see your lyrics, and he really isn't interested at all.

You're probably right, but you don't have to p*** on the guy. Hey, JB has covered pretty much every other person out there. Why stop now.

[Skibo]

Send it to anyone but Jimmy. If they record it and Jimmy likes it he will cover it.

[PA PAR8 HED]

Usually artist will send that kind of stuff back unopened.

I worked at a TV station, and we had to return every unsolicited "show idea" that was sent to us because we didn't want to be charged with stealing an idea if something similar came up.

I think you'd have to try to find someone else to take it to him.

[ccmatt]

Don't get your hopes up. Buffett will never see your lyrics, and he really isn't interested at all.

You're probably right, but you don't have to p*** on the guy. Hey, JB has covered pretty much every other person out there. Why stop now.

I didn't mean to p--on the guy. It did read that way though. I'm only saying from experience that he has no shot at Buffett even recieving his song. Also, do you realize how many aspiring beach artists think they have the next Buffett gem? No shot. The only way to do it is with an inside connection, and that is even shakey, as very few people bother him with this stuff. That's all I'm saying.

[JustDucky]

It's copyrighted as soon as you write it. Lyrics are on paper? Copyrights. Music notation on paper? Copyrighted. Music recorded in some medium? Copyrighted.

Registered copyright is different but a piece of paper with your handwriting, date, etc...all stands up in a court of law.

In fact, a cassette or CD mailed to yourself and left "unopen" is just as much of a copyright as anything else.

Jimmy usually gets his ideas from listening to:

someone's record that he likes and wants to cover
someone at BMI handed him a record or a song that he likes that he wants to cover
an artist that he likes that he knows that he wants to cover
an artist that he likes that he wants to cover

So....good luck. I'm not even gonna ask what the lyric is about.

[capndar]

Just a thought....I have a song that I believe is a Buffett gem (along the lines of lic to chill) I agree - the chances of JB even seeing it (any proposed song)are really slim....so We made a video and posted on You tube - ya never know

[TropicalTroubador]

Just a thought....I have a song that I believe is a Buffett gem (along the lines of lic to chill) I agree - the chances of JB even seeing it (any proposed song)are really slim....so We made a video and posted on You tube - ya never know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmibGfkBIGs

Well, there *is* an entire subculture around Trop Rock music by other artists, and you might consider getting more involved in that - your odds of achieving some degree of success there are greater than trying to get a song to Jimmy.

And if I were writing primarily for other artists, I'd write for a Kenny Chesney rather than a Jimmy. Kenny takes more outside songs, and he sells more records. Which is how a songwriter gets paid. But you have to write something *better* than what they can write themselves.

I just watched the video. Once it got to the song, it was very clever - you do a very good job of matching video to lyrics and throwing in cute quirks. You could probably do well making music videos for other artists.

And I like the chorus of the song. While a bit wordy, it's catchy - I've still got the hook somewhat in my brain, and that's a good thing. You've written something that a lot of people will relate to. Overall, your song was a pleasant experience. I like it, and I hope you're writing more and getting them out in front of your local fans.

A couple of things *didn't* work for me, and would get in the way of you marketing the song via this video:

1) It takes 1:10 to get to the music. For someone trying out a total unknown artist, that's a *long* time. You've got fifteen seconds when pitching a song, and if the plugger or producer likes that, they may listen through the first verse and chorus. An easy fix would be to lose the radio "frame" and go directly from the grumpy guy opening the shed to the song. Or just cut directly to the music. This would also let you bring the song "up front" sonically, rather than have it be AM radio quality throughout. This video will work for your existing fans; it probably won't make you a lot of new ones as-is, because of the length of the intro/setup.

2) Your verse and your chorus sound too much alike. This is a basic songwriting issue called "contrast." You need to make the sections of your song contrast to each other. They need to sound different from each other. You have done it somewhat with your chords and harmonic progression in the bridge, just as an example - the bridge actually sounds like a different section.

Take Margaritaville as an example: The rhythm of the lyric is different between the verse and the chorus. The melody is higher on the chorus, and hits the highest notes of the song. The harmonic rhythm - rate at which chords change - is different. It starts on a different chord than the verses do. Five O'Clock Somewhere is an even better example, and was a *much* more successful song commercially.

If you're currently playing the song in D (for example), try starting the chorus on a G chord and raising the melody by 3-4 notes.

One of the more successful songwriters of our time - I never can remember his name, but my songwriting mentor quotes him regularly - said, "Great songs aren't written; they're rewritten." Don't be afraid to rewrite and rewrite some more - every songwriter who's made it has done it too, including Jimmy.

And don't give up on this one. It's got promise.

I hope this helps, and apologize if I've annoyed you by suggesting changes.

[JollyMon66]

Hey - sell it to Jimmy & the Parrots or similar band...you can definately get in front of them.

[capndar]

what do you mean sell it? They can perform it all they want (live)for free! And if Kenny Chesney (or Zac Brown) gets to it before Jimmy, well that's the way it is...)

Loren - no offense taken - may not change anything, but I'll give it another look/listen

[The Lost Manatee]

My late sister was the program manager for a community radio station some years ago and she would and still does (well, her widower) receives between 5 and 10 CDs every day from artists that she didn't know already. When she would attend things like Folk Alliance and sit on panels discussing what artists should do in order to get their music played on the radio, she would always tell them, put your 3 strongest songs on the first 3 tracks and make sure that you hook the listener in the first 15 seconds. Her reasoning was simple, she didn't have time to listen to every track even at 15 seconds a pop, so she would listen to the 1st 15 seconds on the 3 tracks. If she wasn't hooked by then she would put it in a pile that now has over 10,000 cds in it. I go and raid it periodically and I've found one or two artists that I wouldn't have heard otherwise, that I've come to appreciate.

In my opinion, you've got the start of something here yet it still needs some more work lyrically. The production values aren't great but for a demo, they aren't too bad. The video works pretty well, although it is a long time until one gets to the music. If you really want to make something of this song and I think that you should, I would suggest attending a song school at any number of music festivals around the country and at the same time, find a songwriting circle or group to work with. These will help you to hone your writing chops and give you new ideas on how to approach songwriting.

[TropicalTroubador]

My late sister was the program manager for a community radio station some years ago and she would and still does (well, her widower) receives between 5 and 10 CDs every day from artists that she didn't know already. When she would attend things like Folk Alliance and sit on panels discussing what artists should do in order to get their music played on the radio, she would always tell them, put your 3 strongest songs on the first 3 tracks and make sure that you hook the listener in the first 15 seconds. Her reasoning was simple, she didn't have time to listen to every track even at 15 seconds a pop, so she would listen to the 1st 15 seconds on the 3 tracks.

Alternately, if you're sending a commercially-released album, your cover letter should suggest 1-3 tracks that they should listen to first, with a sentence about why. I do that in a bulleted list.

[capndar]

My experience has been that there are so many good, deserving artists out there who go un noticed, and some real crap that gets recorded, I am now a believer in pure dumb luck

[palmettopirate]

My experience has been that there are so many good, deserving artists out there who go un noticed, and some real crap that gets recorded, I am now a believer in pure dumb luck"

You beat me to it. I hear better stuff at my favorite beach bar than some stuff on the radio. I've read that it comes down to who's got the most money to get their stuff promoted and played. If you have enough and pay the right people it'll get out there. I've even seen reports on TV and read other reports that there's a criminal element in this game. I'm not talikng about Jimmy now or Mailboat so don't get excited. Sure, there are talented folks who do get lucky and submit stuff that gets recognized without the big bucks, but you're right, that takes lots of luck.

[Bwana Paul]

It's copyrighted as soon as you write it. Lyrics are on paper? Copyrights. Music notation on paper? Copyrighted. Music recorded in some medium? Copyrighted.

Registered copyright is different but a piece of paper with your handwriting, date, etc...all stands up in a court of law.

In fact, a cassette or CD mailed to yourself and left "unopen" is just as much of a copyright as anything else.

As someone previously in the legal profession, I can tell you this is myth and not fact.

[sonofabeach]

I don't think there's much chance of Jimmy getting it or recording it.
I'd just record it and release it myself, maybe put it online.