Merry Christmas and A Funky New Year
Merry Christmas and a Funky New Year
A Big Thanks to all of our Fatback fans that joined us in the UK at Street Sounds 30th Anniversary and the Party People at Hoochie Coochie in Newcastle you Guys really know how to make a Band feel good, we had a ball. For you guys that didnât get free copy of our new music you can go to our web site and join our mailing list. I will e-mail you a download and if you want any of the old music and if I have it, I will send it too.
The Fatback Band would like to take this time to wish all our friends and fans Happy Holidays and may 2013 be the year all your dreams come true. Weâre so graceful to have fans like you that have supported us for so many years and thanks for telling your kids about the music you danced to, how else would they know, when some wasnât even born when we made âDo the Bus Stopâ I know, because I hear it at the gigs they coming and tell me my Mother or Father used to party to your music. We thank you!! âBus Stopâ was recorded four decades ago and Sunday night in Newcastle we had to do a âBus Stopâ encore and there wasnât that many people in there over the age of thirty five. Thatâs whatâs good about soul music, it never dies. Long live the funk!!
The first of the year I want you to take a good looking at yourself (I will too) see where you are in your career. Are you still living in the past, are you exploring the future? If you arenât looking forward, youâre gonna be like the Buffalo⌠extinct. As you know weâre living in the information age, everything you want know is at your fingertips online. Donât be out of the loop, know for yourself whatâs happening, and that goes for music, too. Listen, see what they are playing and buying in jazz, funk, R&B, and Neo-Soul. The young musicians out there are createing new music with all those new tools at their disposal. We didnât have them when we was coming along; theyâre making music that fits the modern day market. A lot us say thereâs no good new music out there, like it was back in the days. Well, they said that about be-bop when Dizzy and Bird started changing the course of jazz music.
We happen to be living and watching the dying of an old mode of doing things. New frontiers are opening up, and weâve got to get on board. I for one was reluctant about gettin on board, I had one foot in the past and one in the future. Now I have both in the future but a lot of lessons was learned from the past. If youâre still making albums or even thinking about doing one— wellâif you just want to do one for yourself and few friends or you got money you just want to burn, go ahead and do it. This is the Future (no pun intended) no one has the time to listen to albums. Weâre living in on-demand world, an overload of anything. If you want to hear something, just go to YouTube⌠Voila!
Ownership is not the thing now. Fans want to custom-make their own album mixes. If you do make an album, donât release as an album, feed it to fans one track every month or two; youâve got to stay in there heads with some new music all the time. I remember when Fatback was releasing something every four months. That was unheard of then, to stay in the fansâ minds. The way to draw fans is to write a great song.
Merry Christmas and a Funky New Year!
FREE MP3: “Freaky Friday (Dub Remix)”
Here’s something new by “Bill Curtis and Friends W/ The Fatback Band”:
“Freaky Friday (Dub Remix)”
Places on the internet you can find Fatback Band music
For the albums back in the days:
⢠Ace Records
⢠Amazon.com
For all the new music âBill Curtis and Friends w/The Fatback Bandâ:
⢠iTunes
⢠Reverb Nation
⢠YouTube
Love,
Bill
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Keep Your Live Show Fresh
Hi Guys, itâs been three years since we been in the Uk. Iâve been out with a foot operation that took longer than expected. In the mean time we were playing a lot of local gigs in the Carolinas and doing some experimental recording with Bill Curtis and Friends. Also, weâve been working a couple new members into the Fatback Band mode and freshening up our sound; as you & I believe a band should stay fresh but stay true to your fans core, thatâs very hard to do.
Some fans you lose along the way they because they just want to keep it like it used to be. I can understand that too, but I also know you have to attract new fans to your basic fan core. The churches had to do something to keep their membership up as youâve noticed…the church is not like it was when I was growing up but the message is the same. Theyâve spiced up the old hymns and brought a contemporary feel in the house. If they had not they would have been like the buffalo extinct. Donât let your fan base die on you; keep pumping new life and energy. When I say new life, I mean up date your arrangement, energy & add some younger people to the group. If youâre a young or old group with a few hits under your belt…you got to keep people coming to your live shows. So how do you keep them coming? Keep improving, give them lots of music and let them see how youâre maturing.
Your goal is to get people talking about how good you are and what others are missing, since you canât count on records sales. A live show is where the money is as long as you donât over price yourself. As an old act, how long do you think you live on your hits from 20 or 30 years ago? Those old hits are classics just like the old hymns in the church. One more thing you wanta think about when pumping up your new life is recording them again. Recording is as cheap as it ever was now. You can do it yourself, but I donât advise it unless you have the skills and equipment. But you would own your Masters, then you will be able to licenses them out. Why not? Nobody said you canât…get in the game…you canât score unless youâre in the game.
We will be in London November 17th doing show at The Coronet 28 New Kent Road 9:00 pm London time. I would like see all the old fans out and extend a special invitation to new oneâs as well. See Ya in a week!!!
BTW if any you guys want stop by the Hotel and have few drinks with the guys, weâre staying at Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt Hotel 68 Cromwell Road so we can hangout. I am also looking for help in building new fans base in the UK. if anyoneâs interesting in helping…please contact me. After the show in Newcastle Nov 18th at the Hoochie Coochie Lounge… there will be a meet and greet table set up and you can take a few pictures with the Band.
Below are songs for show: Newcastle weâre doing a 90 min show. In London weâre only doing a 60 min show.
⢠Spanish Hustle
⢠Wicky Wacky
⢠Money
⢠Keep on Stepping
⢠Bus Stop
⢠The Future
⢠Feel the Fire
⢠King Tim
⢠Back Strokin
⢠I Found Lovin’
FREE MP3: “Freaky Friday (Dub Remix)”
Here’s something new by “Bill Curtis and Friends W/ The Fatback Band”:
“Freaky Friday (Dub Remix)”
Places on the internet you can find Fatback Band music
For the albums back in the days:
⢠Ace Records
⢠Amazon.com
For all the new music âBill Curtis and Friends w/The Fatback Bandâ:
⢠iTunes
⢠Reverb Nation
⢠YouTube
Love,
Bill
> > The new music industry in some ways is like the old music
> > industry, but with a newer approach, that addresses today’s
> > technology. The techie builds a whole new industry for themselves
> > by using our music to sell their product. Think about it. The
> > tech companies out in Silicon Valley were not in the music
> > business, so they didn’t have the creative artist in mind when
> > they started out (willing to bet you). I feel like if they
> > did…why didn’t they build a way the artist could get something
> > for use of their music? As I said, music wasn’t their thing, and
> > please don’t get me wrong, I love all the new technology. I just
> > want know why is it so hard to remove the third party out the
> > picture for independent? If steaming is the next big thing…
> > where does Indy fit in? We need our own Spotify/Mog for the small
> > Indy’s that will pay each individual in their own account. No,
> > Spotify is not for the small Indy’s… never was and will never
> > be for the Indy. Ok, so why did they go to old gatekeepers and
> > give them all that front money… (That the artist will never
> > see)? Who are they sending royalties to? The labels, which will
> > never pay the artist because of the way they have their account
> > system set up (only a few of top artists will see some). There is
> > nothing out there that I know of that musicians can get paid
> > directly for sale of his music without going through a third
> > party and believe me, that third party is not kicking down any
> > doors or breaking his neck to get your music heard. What you are
> > doing is just placing your music on their site and it just sits
> > there. No, that’s not their job to get you heard…creating new
> > apps for you to buy and think you getting your music heard. I’ll
> > take that back, nobody buying That’s what it’s all about, selling
> > you apps.
> >
> > When Label was king, they use to pay to get what they wanted
> > heard. They controlled distribution and that’s the whole
> > key…distribution. Yes we all are on an equal playing field in a
> > way; let me explain what I mean. I don’t care how great your
> > music is if you can’t get it heard it ain’t worth a damn. The
> > labels lost control when the internet came along but the net
> > haven’t figured out how get your music heard and you get paid.
> > And the labels are blocking and buying anything that looks like
> > it’s getting close to getting in the marketplace. Distribution,
> > This is where the money is and the label knows that. Why don’t
> > you think Spotify want just come out tell us exactly how they
> > pay? It’s because the labels are in partners with them. What they
> > want to do is, put the old school into the new school, where they
> > can just give us what they want us to have. No transparency.
> >
> > Spotify know not to do anything that will upset their partners.
> > Believe me if a tech company came up with an ideal how each indy
> > artist could get paid from steaming, what I mean negotiate your
> > own deal worldwide if they did (1) They couldn’t get the backing
> > financially (2)if they did get money they would put them out of
> > business, mafia style. When all the old gatekeepers are gone and
> > out of the picture, maybe then we might see a new music industry
> > and music people running the industry again and not techies.
> >
> > If you haven’t notice, old music is out-selling new music for the
> > first time. I wonder why, anyone have any ideas? Is it because
> > there’s too much new music to choose from or is it because they
> > are just making good music and not great music? Could it be that
> > new music has too much competition with texting, video games and
> > computers? Maybe young buyers are losing their interest in new
> > music or could it be because the prices went down on the old
> > catalogs. On the other hand electronic music is gaining grounds
> > and feeling no pains. They are drawing more people than the so
> > call big acts. Why, because of the experience. That’s what the
> > people want; an experience, they want be in it and music can give
> > you that when it’s done right. Go out and get caught up in a
> > musical experience and see what I’m talking about. If it doesn’t
> > happen then that act sucks, Oh! I didn’t mean that, I meant they
> > are not quite ready for prime time.
> >
> > Outta here! Bill is still running his mouth. Just writing what I
> > feel and tell it how I see it! “An Old Frame with a New Picture.”
> >
> > Will be in the Uk for two shows:
> >
> > November 17th
> > The Coronet
> > 28 New Kent Road
> > London SE1 6TJ
> >
> > Newcastle November 18th
> > Hoochie Coochie
> > 54-56 Pilgrim Street
> > Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6SF
This is my kind of weather…âSummertime,â âGirl watching timeâ…the butts are hanging Baby!! I havenât loss my eye for those big leg girls and when you lose that you might as well hang it up.
I hope you go out this summer and hear some good music, whatever your taste may be. The experiences of being at a live performance are one of a life time and youâll never forget them. I still recall my first live dance! We didnât have concerts in my days they were called âdancesâ. The band was Buddy Johnsonâs Big Band and the music was dance music. Donât ask me what kind of music is dance music. To me all music is dance music! Blacks have been dancing to all kinds of music since the beginning of time. I donât know exactly when they started breaking music down in categories. To me itâs just music. Music is music and itâs all dance music. Those experiences of losing yourself and letting the music take you there. âThereâ is anywhere you want to be! Music has that power and once youâve had that experience…youâll never forget it! Wow, the magic of music.
Fatback Band will be coming to UK London on two dates:
November 17th 2012 at The Coronet – 28 New Kent Road, London SE1, 6tj – Show Time: 9:00 pm â Occasion: Celebrity Street Sound Records 30th Anniversary http://www.streetsounds.co.uk
This will be our first time back in the UK since 2009 and weâre looking forward hanging out with old friends and making new ones.
November 18th 2012 we will be headed to Newcastle:
Hoochie Coochie – 54 Pilgrim St up on Tyne NE 1 6sf. This is my friend Warren Thomsonâs Hoochie Coochie Luxury Bar, very intimate and funky. I love playing in small rooms. If you can, catch us…Ph: 0191 222 0130 or Email: info@hoochiecoochie.co.uk
Weâre still putting together our Europe tour. Dates are still open. Now is the best time to book…around these dates. You can contact me via email at Bill.c32@hotmail.com or call me 910 476 6007. Letâs see if we can make it happen.
I will be telling you more about these dates as time draws near, especially the Street Sounds gig!!! Thatâs the exciting one! They are meshing different genres all together in one big live show…Electro/Hip Hop, Funk and Jazz Funk with Djâs and somewhere in there, they throw in a little âFatbackâ!
Places on the internet you can find Fatback Band music
For the albums back in the days:
⢠Ace Records
⢠Amazon.com
For all the new music âBill Curtis and Friends w/The Fatback Bandâ:
⢠iTunes
⢠Reverb Nation
⢠YouTube
Love,
Bill
>
>AT THE CROSSROADS
>
>Where are we now? From what I see we are at the cross roads.
>Which path do you want to take? Like more of us, you have tried
>them all and none of them really worked as a real benefit for
>created artist especially for the musicians. They have created
>all of these platforms, claiming that they are helping us, but in
>the meantime their pockets are getting so fat. Oh yes we have
>more control, we are on an equal playing field…On a field where
>they have devastated our music to the extent that we can’t make a
>living in the playing field. We are seeing now a 360′degree turn
>around and how it all started.
>
>You see, once upon time, we controlled all of our music. When I
>say we, I mean black music. We managed and booked our own right
>from Harlem…the Rhythm club (Google it). If anyone wanted black
>music or entertainers they had to come uptown to Harlem to hire
>them or you had to call the club. They booked all over and they
>had the control.
>
>Joe Glaser saw a great opportunity to introduce black
>entertainment to the “white world” and also to control it. He
>persuaded a few at first to come with him downtown , but Jimmy
>Lunceford and few more thought it would be end of their control
>and also felt like it wasn’t a good idea. They talked against
>going downtown. Joe ended up pulling everyone downtown with him.
>He had most all top black Entertainers at that time. That was the
>beginning of the end of our control and the beginning of the
>middleman.
>
>Black Entertainers built Associated Booking Corporation (A.B.C.),
>the agency that Joe Glaser owned. Joe did a lot great things to
>bring Black entertainment to forefront and to the world…even
>long after some of their careers were over, Joe still looked out
>for them.
>
>Now that we are back in control, somewhat, so what are we going
>to do? We got all these things at our finger tips and none of
>them really work to generate any real income for us. The social
>media (facebook, myspace) is not what you think. That’s created
>just for gossip and not about music. Maybe one day it will be
>more music friendly and youtube is your best bet right now. The
>old fashion way is still the best way to get your music out there
>and heard…radio, sending files and word of mouth, is still
>king. Radio is losing it power but it could be more effective if
>it could get out of the past. I am not saying forget about the
>past but you got to make radio more exciting One thing they
>should do is lets stations create their own format for there own
>community, put it back in jocks hand. Why should I have to paid,
>to get good radio? Radio should be the place to discover new
>music.
>
>Right now the only place you can hear new music is online
>(internet) radio. It’s our life line to world and it’s free. I
>feel like one day this will be the media for music. As long as
>they keep the music and the people frist.
>
>Whatever path you choose you can’t do it alone, you got to have a
>team. In the old days, you had a record company, an agent and
>very few, sometimes had managers. In the new music industry, you
>need a specialist, legal advisor, an agency or promoter and a
>manager. That’s if you have gotten yourself in that position. You
>have to build your community up to where you have about 30,000 or
>more. That’s why I said you can’t be just good; you got to be
>great! I know you’re saying to yourself… if I have that many
>supporters, why do I need anyone? Now you have bargaining power,
>you didn’t come to the table empty handed. The record company has
>that infrastructure that the internet doesn’t have, yet now you
>have the power to demand what you want or you can walk.
>
>Now the question is when do I get this team? You will know when
>you have something that is different and your community is
>telling everyone about you and they can’t wait until your next
>release. When you play, they bring other people and pack the
>house. When they purchase all CD’s you brought with you and your
>merchandise. Now you’re ready for the next level. You are not a
>star, but you know where you going.
>
>Hey, Spotify never said they were Artist friendly. In 2008, when
>they were founded, it was to combat piracy. They have paid the
>labels over $250 million for licensing of our music when they
>know damn well the artist ain’t gonna see any of that. Like I
>said, they never stated they’re making a platform for the artist.
>It was designed to stop piracy.
>
>Whenever I have this discussion about Spotify… there’s no
>different than radio here and juke box man. So they feel like
>whatever they are giving…you take it and shut up. The other two
>are not right either. No I wouldn’t want anyone to steal my
>records and not get paid! I wouldn’t want anyone to openly steal
>either and try to make me think they helped me. Yes piracy has
>hurt the industry (but we were doing fairly well before the
>internet) and it also helped too, but not for the new up and
>coming artists. I know I’m going to get a lot of feedback from
>this ,but this is the way I see it and that’s from the bottom
>looking up.
>
>Love and Music,
>Bill
>
>
>VIDEO OF THE MONTH: âGIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WAN
âSummertime is girl-watching time. Iâm gonna watch ‘em, baby. I havenât lost my eyes for them big-butt girls. I like the girls, y’all.â A little tune we did back in the days is still a great dance song. Go to acerecords.co.uk, that is where you will find all of our albums, if anyone is interested.
Hey I want to remind you not to add Spotify play Buttons to your Facebook page, Twitter, tumbir blog, etc. I âm not a lover of Spotify, because it doesnât pay the artist that much money. If you are an artist it takes 200 streams equal one iTunes download and one to three years to get paid. To me, Spotify is just another great way to get rich off of the artist and songwriters. I have nothing against people making as much money as they can, but not at the expense of others. But, they keep telling you itâs better than piracy, youâre getting something, 0.04cent per stream. Well, you are right, but you canât make a livelihood off that. My question is why everyone gets paid decent money except the creator and the artist. Tech-slavery is what I call it.
But one good thing, you donât have to do it if you donât want too. Putting Spotify play buttons on your page is giving free advertisement to Spotify and Facebook. Once you get a fan to your page, you have a potential sale. Someone might just buy your stuff. If you want to send them somewhere else, send them where they pay more. To your download site: iTunes, Tunecore, Amazon. Spotify pays a fraction of a penny. I could see if they were paying you to put their button on or giving you something for pointing a potential customer their way. We have got to get smart and stop falling for that Bull s—. You know how they feel about us.
I havenât heard of any major yet stepping up to the plate to bat for the artist or express any concern that they feel our rates are to low. On their end, they are getting paid big time and keeping it on the down-low. Hey, Iâm not saying you donât need Facebook page, apps, Twitter accounts and blogs. However, you do not need to point your fans to places only paying a fractions of a penny. Your own site is very valuable property where you sell and do business. You have your fans in your store who dig your music and want to know about you. Okay they say Spotify is better than piracy, well it might be so, Iâm gonna tell you this. Piracy is one of the best free advertisements you can get in the world, one thing they donât piracy junk.
I hear and read about the state of Black music culture or Black Music, whatever. Maybe they are talking about the commercial side. Yes, I do think Black music(funk), is on the decline on the so call âpop or commercial music. The funk it is alive and well in the Churches. If you want to hear good funk go to church or listen to gospel radio, its there. Thatâs where our music culture started. Black music has always been an experience, just like the church. When we go to concerts thatâs what we looking for that one time experience. Something we can talk about the next few days. tell your friends what they missed thatâs what made the early Black Entertainer connect so well. They took their church experiences to the stage and build on that. I often tell people there was a very thin line between James Brown and a country preacher.
Some of our new and upcoming Entertainers need to go and check out that experience that Iâm talking about( got to find the right church). I guarantee you will be talking about it to your friends the next day. This is what todayâs audiences are looking for, that experience. They want to be involved. Back in the days in my Hometown when I was growing up I knew most of the acts that came to town I had met them before and they knew me, (they act like they did). They stayed in the hood, ate in the local cafĂŠ and you could walk up and talk to them. And when they took a break, they were out in the audience, (maybe because there were no dressing rooms), talking and going on. As a Entertainer you got to get back to that kind of thing. The people want to know about you. YOU want them to, so they can go and tell others. Everyone wants to be involved they want to have that one time experience.
Ok, if you donât believe me go to Church and get your groove on, come back and tell me about your experience.
Hey, if you want to lose some of those pounds you are carrying around and stay healthy at the same time and make money take a look at billcurtis011.bodybyvi.com. We are doing it over here, it works. If you want know more email me Bill.c32@hotmail.com
Bill
. I know a few of you out there wonât admit it, but it did; sale wise. The down fall started in 1998 with Rap, Hip Hop is a spinoff of Rap. Nine out of the top fifteen pop albums was Rap. Ten years ago the white teenagers were into Rock big time. Rock was their thing. Now they are down loading Hip Hop. Percentage wise, Hip Hop has outpaced all genre of music in the last few years and is still growing.
Music, if you look back in history, has always set the pace of the period of what was going in the world. Jazz is called an America culture, but it was really a Black Culture. The 20âs had it fashion and jazz dancing. Jazz had a great influence within the Black community during the Harlem Renaissance period. It was redefining the Black America Culture, âThe New Blacks,â one that was proud of his African Heritage. Jazz then did what Hip Hop is doing now, crossing over all ethnic boundaries. Jazz put Harlem on the map for Black entertainment.
Today when foreign tourists visit New York, one of the first places they want to visit was Harlem. During the Renaissance most all the patron at that time was white and the entertainers were all Black. When the white musicians started interpreting jazz and claiming it as their own, they made more money than the black musicians who was playing the real jazz. You get where Iâm coming from wonât even going into that —-.
Then out of jazz came the swing era, from swing came Bebop music. Oh yea, letâs not forget, R & B. All of these were Black influence culture changes. What made Hip Hop different; it was expressing what was going on in the Black community. All the violence, crimes, drug stories and police brutality; they were able to put in a rhythmic form with a beat. This is what Rap was about before it went gangster.
Hip Hop has unified the youth worldwide in fashion, slang and music. It has crossed all ethnic boundaries rich and poor. Hip Hop is big!! All of this came out of the Black youth neighborhood streets of New York, to suburbs, and to corporate America. I still remember the first time I heard it, we were playing a block party in the Bronx. Rap wasnât new to me, but the subject matter was. How they rapped about everyday life in a form that was entertaining and exciting was new. I never dreamed it would be as popular as it is now.
About 75 percent of the Rap and Hip Hop audience are nonblack. Not only Blacks are doing Hip Hop music, you have White, Asian, and Latino. Just about every nationality is into Hip Hop.
Letâs not forget about Hip Hop fashion styles which came out the prison system. You see, they were not allowed to have belts and shoes laces. So when guys came back from prison they continue to wear their pants with no belts and shoes untied.
I know all this isnât new to you, but I wanted you to know it hasnât changed that much. The power of music, if used in a positive way, can make a change, just like it has in the past. Music connects ethnic groups together and can build bridges for racial harmony to make the world a better place to live, if we just let it. I love the power of music.
On March 21, 1952 my late friend Paul (Hucklebucker) Williams played the first all-black R&B concert of this kind, paving the way for all of the festivals that came after it. Two-thirds of audience was white, a first at that time. That’s the power of music!
John DeBerry Join the Band 1985 don’t remember how long he was member he did that” So Delicious” album on Atlantic Records with us. Below is
â2012, A New Yearâ
February 1, 2012
What did you do to bring in the New Year? Well you know it depends on your age how you bring it in. I remember back when if you didnât have a gig on New Year’s Eve that was a bad thing, that meant you couldnât play well, and no one wanted you on the bandstand. I will never forgot my first New Yearâs gig in New York, I think I was the only drummer available that year, so they called me.
I didnât get another gig until the next New Yearâs Eve, but from that gig my New York career took off and I never looked back. That was my first gig, I had just returned from military service. I could play, but I didnât know what it took to be a club date drummer in NY. To play is one thing, but in order to be a cabaret musician you have got to be able to play all genres of music. When I say all genres, I mean every form of music there is.
That year while I was off, I spent my time woodshedding and going to jam sessions. Practicing is one thing and playing with others is another thing. You can practice at home for hours and hours, but if you never get a chance to play with others musicians, you will never get a chance to put in practice what you have learned. Thatâs why jam sessions are such important part of your musical education. School gave me the tools and skills, but it was that street school that taught me how to play.
Sitting at home this New Yearâs Eve made me go back in time. I am very thankful for still being here and very graceful to our fans for the many years they have supported us.
Got an e-mail from a dear friend of mine whose son is aspiring to be a hip-hop artist. He was asking for a few pointers to further his career. The first thing he should do; is to get an education, take a dual major if you can so you will have some way of making ends meet, while you’re building a music career. There are no short-cuts if you want to have a long-lasting career.
The one thing you have got to be is great, not good. Greatness doesnât come by short-cuts. Just ask any of your superstars, the few that are still around, and Iâm not talking about the ones who have a hit today and are gone tomorrow. In order to be great, you can not sound like or act like someone else. You have got to march to your own beat. Be yourself, and most of all be true to yourself and listen to those who have been there and made it. This is the kind of foundation that you have to have to build on.
Looking back on the way we did it, if I had to do it all over again, I think I would it the same way, with only a few small changes. First, I would find me some musicians who thought like me, and who wanted to play. It’s about the music not the money. I wanted to play with musicians who would take any gig just to play and played any and all kinds of music. I wanted to play with musicians who would bring something new to the bandstand by adding something new to the old songs we have been playing every night. Guys who were willing to play out of their comfort zone, Guys who were willing to go out on the edge. From that, you will start finding your identity. Before you know it, the band will be making new arrangements and jelling together.
Believe it or not Fatback made five songs off of one song. Just for the fun of it, see can you name the five songs and what songs did they come from? That is the way I did it. We put in the time, thatâs all Iâm saying. The first album we recorded, we did it in less than four hours and mixed it in three. All the albums on Perception Records were done in less than eight hours. That was all the money they gave me. We were just that tight. That is what happens when everyone is on the same page wanting the same thing, just playing music.
We never had any idea that the music that we made back in the Seventies that they would still be dancing to it in 2012. You say, “Bill, that was then, times have changed.” Well, youâre right; the thing that really changed the most is technology. But you have still got to build a fan base. You have to still be accessible to your fans. For years we built a Fatback community just in the NY, NJ, Connecticut and Philadelphia area. When we started recording, we had our followers. And they went out and sold the band, by word of mouth, to their friends around the country.
Hey I donât want to write an epic here, so at a later date Iâll you tell how we built up our UK fan base.
â2012, A New Yearâ
February 1, 2012
What did you do to bring in the New Year? Well you know it depends on your age how you bring it in. I remember back when if you didnât have a gig on New Year’s Eve that was a bad thing, that meant you couldnât play well, and no one wanted you on the bandstand. I will never forgot my first New Yearâs gig in New York, I think I was the only drummer available that year, so they called me.
I didnât get another gig until the next New Yearâs Eve, but from that gig my New York career took off and I never looked back. That was my first gig, I had just returned from military service. I could play, but I didnât know what it took to be a club date drummer in NY. To play is one thing, but in order to be a cabaret musician you have got to be able to play all genres of music. When I say all genres, I mean every form of music there is.
That year while I was off, I spent my time woodshedding and going to jam sessions. Practicing is one thing and playing with others is another thing. You can practice at home for hours and hours, but if you never get a chance to play with others musicians, you will never get a chance to put in practice what you have learned. Thatâs why jam sessions are such important part of your musical education. School gave me the tools and skills, but it was that street school that taught me how to play.
Sitting at home this New Yearâs Eve made me go back in time. I am very thankful for still being here and very graceful to our fans for the many years they have supported us.
Got an e-mail from a dear friend of mine whose son is aspiring to be a hip-hop artist. He was asking for a few pointers to further his career. The first thing he should do; is to get an education, take a dual major if you can so you will have some way of making ends meet, while you’re building a music career. There are no short-cuts if you want to have a long-lasting career.
The one thing you have got to be is great, not good. Greatness doesnât come by short-cuts. Just ask any of your superstars, the few that are still around, and Iâm not talking about the ones who have a hit today and are gone tomorrow. In order to be great, you can not sound like or act like someone else. You have got to march to your own beat. Be yourself, and most of all be true to yourself and listen to those who have been there and made it. This is the kind of foundation that you have to have to build on.
Looking back on the way we did it, if I had to do it all over again, I think I would it the same way, with only a few small changes. First, I would find me some musicians who thought like me, and who wanted to play. It’s about the music not the money. I wanted to play with musicians who would take any gig just to play and played any and all kinds of music. I wanted to play with musicians who would bring something new to the bandstand by adding something new to the old songs we have been playing every night. Guys who were willing to play out of their comfort zone, Guys who were willing to go out on the edge. From that, you will start finding your identity. Before you know it, the band will be making new arrangements and jelling together.
Believe it or not Fatback made five songs off of one song. Just for the fun of it, see can you name the five songs and what songs did they come from? That is the way I did it. We put in the time, thatâs all Iâm saying. The first album we recorded, we did it in less than four hours and mixed it in three. All the albums on Perception Records were done in less than eight hours. That was all the money they gave me. We were just that tight. That is what happens when everyone is on the same page wanting the same thing, just playing music.
We never had any idea that the music that we made back in the Seventies that they would still be dancing to it in 2012. You say, “Bill, that was then, times have changed.” Well, youâre right; the thing that really changed the most is technology. But you have still got to build a fan base. You have to still be accessible to your fans. For years we built a Fatback community just in the NY, NJ, Connecticut and Philadelphia area. When we started recording, we had our followers. And they went out and sold the band, by word of mouth, to their friends around the country.
Hey I donât want to write an epic here, so at a later date Iâll you tell how we built up our UK fan base.
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January 9, 2012
