Shakedown Band - Canadian Rock And Roll

"The Shakedown Newsletter" #3

Well, well, well, WELL.... Seems the "Shakedown Band" is going ‘incognito’ this week as… "THE THREE MUSKETEERS".

Q. Where’s Stevie-Keys… ?

A. YO!…

Yup.. While the rest of us are working our butts off. OL’ Stevie will be doing something else with his… However, we will push on for now. Won’t we guys?.

I was thinking while I was having a listen to the practice tapes from last Jan.3rd rehearsal (I’m in the car all day…) and was reflecting on us as a band and about our product we want to sell to the "listener-ship" that we would want to have.

I’m not certain I’m all together clear as to just what each of us individually would want or even what your expectations each are from the project and band we call, the "Shakedown Band".

What I am certain of is this. All I can think about is what I would want and like personally in the near future… say even having us ready by mid-spring and us being able to present the music and this music-band to the "listener-ship" by then.

As far as I’m concerned I would not want to present it without it being ready as to my opinion along with yours.

I want a product that sells itself musically and is being presented really well on stag by us as the "Shakedown Band".

We are all here for our passions and to try and fulfill them from this project. So we need to be on the same page and so therefore here goes…

I want to write my music and orchestrate it through a band of people that are well fitting together, and hopefully friends, and are willing to help me do so by allowing me to direct and tell them all what and how I want it and I need to have the final say on the outcomes. Simply because I view the songs that the band plays as very personal. As well as the creation and the fellowship that the band has gelled. So I would like you all to understand me better in that this is what is swilling around in my head a lot of the times when I’m around you guys and that maybe it is why I act and do the things I do the way I do.

There has to be a work ethic from me and all of you guys in order to achieve.I know what I believe deeply… that we can and will achieve as the "Shakedown Band". Hopefully you would like that too.

As stated before. All band members are encouraged to contribute either their own songs to the band’s repertoire and also to freely invent their own ideas which sometimes are to be noted into my songs. I assure you that this is how I will respect your own writings. If your song(s) fit us then those songs are done your way.

I want to start by saying that I firmly believe we all have the skills and the abilities to put this together and that we will, by starting as of right now, step into the structuring of each song and each players licks on various parts of each song. Along with tones and volume settings from us all. I want to make us very conscience and aware of what the product must sound like. We require listener-ships in order to have future bookings and followers who will party and join us at various gigs to exist as performers. Which is unusually very satisfying to us each somehow… Right? Plus we all agreed that we wanted to have a decent product on CD. Right? Well fuck it… That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Maybe for beer and a couple of bucks included…it’s not ever about the money in the start.

As I listen to the tapes I get to know what I liked on the songs. Pieces, sounds, levels, licks and bits that come from you during rehearsals and I have to now ask you to cooperate fully on these aspects of the songs. So don’t be taken aback when I ask you to stop while in the middle of playing a song and not do this but instead do that, blah, blah, blah… It’s the dreaded work part of rehearsals and I’m only trying to move in the direction that my songs are telling me too, and I happen to have these guys in a band that I know can deliver it if they see the same page the same way I do, and are willing to work with me on it.

Bottom line you guys is that I need to lead and direct this project and have you all support me and except this very important aspect. To do this, you have to have noticed that we are following a fixed, listed, song set in its order. That is to help us become familiar with the songs more easily. The repetition will work. Each song individually needs to be picked apart somewhat and then tweaked starting right now in order for us to push on forward. Once we have it all well in hand then we can start the loose jams and what not. For right now though, we need to stay well focused on the above mentioned and put our heart felt passions into the songs and presentation that we practice of them. That will require us too work hard at rehearsals and put out and push ourselves. I was thinking maybe I would start E-mailing you each separately or all at once, a personal direction on each song that I wanted you to look over and make sure you changed it to that which I’m feeling is needed in that part of the song. The challenge is then left up to you to be on it. That’s where the upcoming MP3 feature that Peter and anyone else that can convert analog tapes into wave and MP3 files of the songs that we do record will be an important key. They will be sent to you electronically along with the subject matters for you to personally hear back as per that recording taken on that particular song as they are occurring during rehearsals. We should be able to be on the same page and communicate the issues best with that.

Q. Oh man, what is he on about they ask…

A. You’ll see.

News Update:

Here is one that I definitely want feedback on from all you guys. I inquired on this from a musician’s website I visit from time to time. I would like you guys to let me know quickly if you are at all interested in doing this or things similar to this. Also, if you have any experience with the pros and cons of these advertisements, then I really want you to let me in on this info…

By the way… What’s a "DAT" ? What’s a "COMPILATION" ?

I sent:

Hi J.

We are a band who plays mainly original materials and we are interested in finding out more about what’s doing in your Residence Records Compilation CD.

Wasssuppie on that? We have about 8 tunes and 2-3 are ready for presentation at this time. What do you need from us to involve ourselves in your project? We are experienced players with worthy music that should be heard. (70's sounding) Great hooks.

Madcowjack Band

They sent back:

From: Residence records 1/3/2002

We would like to thank you for your interest in our debut compilation disc. This email is to let you know a little bit about the disc and what we require from you. The compilation CD, which is currently untitled, will consist of eighteen tracks by artists from the GTA. There is no specific genre that we are looking for, however, originality and style are essential.
What we require is a cd or dat with at least four songs. Any songs that contain recognizable samples from other artists
will not be accepted. The deadline for these submissions is now January 21st. In order to drop of your cd or dat you must
arrange a time to meet with us before the 21st as our P.O.Box has not been set up yet.
For submission drop-offs please contact Mitchell at one of the following numbers.
email: residencerecords@music.com
residencerecords@hotmail.com
phone: 416-964-3571

We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, J.