Blog: Working For The Man

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As mentioned several times already, I'm having a go at writing some Songs To Order at the moment. Some of these have been done for a Viral Marketing Company and some have been via John The Publisher - John's just signed up with a Synchronisation Agency (the people who put music together with films, adverts and that) so we've had quite a few of these just lately, and last night he sent me an ADVERT which required a new song to go on it.

Usually with these things you get a BRIEF, like it says "Must be frisky, hinting at freshness but also value for money, with a lightweight beat and including the words 'wholesome', 'bluey-whiteness' and 'fuel efficient'. 10 seconds long", but this time it just said that the previous version was a bit BLAND.

THUS I set off to Mr E Munro's drinks trying to think up some ideas, and got a bit waylaid by thoughts of DINOSAUR PLANET, the proposed SHOW for next year's Edinburgh Fringe. Mr S Hewitt was there and we DIVVIED UP the money which had (finally) arrived from The Fringe Office, then fell into DISCUSSION. Steve has historically been a bit wary of DINOSAUR PLANET (although ALARMINGLY KEEN whenever the idea of him dressing up in a dinosaur costume has entered the conversation), but he's had a FANTASTIC idea which surely makes it INEVITABLE. Instead of flyers, SMALL PLASTIC DINOSAURS!

How can it fail? Anyway, all this talk, also some BEER, put me a little of course, so I ended up getting out of bed just after 7am, sitting down in front of the computer, and COMPOSING in my dressing gown. I spent several hours AT IT, most playing on the BASS GUITAR until it all fell together, before DAUBING other bits on top. The only idea from the night before which got through was to have a lead guitar MOTIF "singing" (it was an instrumental, see) the name of the company. You know like how the theme tune to The Sweeney goes "The Sweeney! The Sweeney!"? Like THAT.

It all sounded surprisingly GRATE, ESPECIALLY when I SYNCED IT UP with the advert itself. It all fitted! WHOO!

I sent it off to John The Publisher, who also seemed to like it, tho with the Usual Caveat: there'll be LOADS of people putting in songs, so it's highly unlikely mine will get picked. It is a TRUTH I am very aware of - NONE of the other songs I've done have been used, and it's not terribly plausible that a Major High Street Retailer will end up using a song recorded in our spare room, featuring ukelele and STOMACH SLAPS, but still, it's bloody good fun trying!

posted 9/10/2008 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

I would like to state for the internet record that this is almost a precise reversal of my actual views on dinosaur planet...

8 for 90p...
posted 10/10/2008 by CarsmileSteve

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