Archives 4/05
April 1, 2005-
New review- Check out the review page for a review of John Lanier's Soul Desire.
How does a blogger's post not get mentioned on SGblognews?
1. Be Averyfineline. 2. Mention anything good about the Southern Gospel Lovers site.
It's really kind of funny. And I ask myself why I would expect anything else? Really, why do you think this is the way it is?
April 2, 2005-
"April Fools" in simple terms- In Avery's "April Fools" post he is talking about the Hendrix over-aggressive promotion of Heirline's song into the #1 position on the SN chart and SN's Ken Kirksey being ticked off about it. Avery articulates all this very well and you can read all about it on his site. But, as usual, I've got to add my two cents. This time it will be more like my dollar. Let me just go straight to the bottom line. If a promoter can, by over-aggressive unethical promotion, get radio stations to unethically report false information to the SN. Information that is used to compile their charts. To me this renders their chart absolutely meaningless. It is a faux chart. I could go on and on about this but I won't. On charts in general I would say that the SN fan awards and the like are probably the most accurate measuring tool for a chart. Let the fans pick who is #1.
April 9, 2005-
I get the feeling that SGMblogger is not trying too hard to like my blog-
He says:"I want to like his blog, I really do. But I get the impression he starts his writing by thinking “What can I do to get a reaction?” rather than “What do I want to say?”. That's never a good thing."
Sorry, but this is not right at all. Actually, "what I can do to get a reaction" never enters my mind. However, I am only human and sometimes my brain goes faster than my fingers. Not being as articulate as Avery and SGMblogger, sometimes I have a hard time making my point. However, in this case-
"And finally: (Bad songs on the radio) would never be able to happen if the labels would have strict quality control and not record anyone bad in the first place. Absolutely false. The overwhelming majority of SG groups who record are not affiliated with a label at all, they finance their own recordings and send them to the radio stations. I’ll grant you that most of the music played on radio comes from labels, but I bet most of the bad music comes from independents, usually regionals who are buddies with the DJ.. Claiming that all bad music flows from labels is ridiculous."
-he makes my point for me. Bad music would not be able to be played on the radio if recording studios (in the Independent realm-what I should have said in the first place, Sorry) wouldn't record the folks in the first place. Recording anyone that walks in the door with money is not a "business practice" for a studio. It is evidence of someone who cares nothing about the music they are recording.
I started to go into a point by point rebuttal of SGMblogger's comments, but I won't. I am not in a blog competition. I have a right to my opinions just like everyone else. If SGMblogger does not have anything better to do than try to tear my posts apart. Have at it. If he is trying to constructively criticize my posts, he'll have to do a little better. Apparently he was writing "to get a reaction". I guess he got one. I still like him and his blog. The way I see it we are on the same team. Maybe one day he'll figure that out.
I've been called out by who?- I don't know what is the motivation for SGMblogger's latest posts? To my knowledge I have done nothing to him. I'm not saying that it is wrong to disagree with anyone, but this seems a little deeper than just disagreement. It's almost as if there is some underlying animosity towards me. Since I can't read minds I will try to explain my opinion of why studios shouldn't record bad singers even though SGMblogger thinks they should.
First of all I work part-time in a local studio where the owner has just been in business for 3 years. In the last year that I have worked there we have turned down one soloist and one group. Keep in mind that the owner relies totally on the studio to put food on his table. Both times he said that he needed the money, but looking to the future he thought it would be bad for his business to record the artists (there is just so much that Antares can do). SGMblogger logic says we should record these bad artists just to make a buck because it is not our fault that they can't sing. Sorry, but I will have to agree to disagree with you on this one. These bad artists would be selling CDs with the studio logo stamped on the CD and liner notes. Even if we left off the studio name people are still going to ask them where they recorded. This example is not my sole reason for thinking the way I do on this issue. Recording is simply different than selling lumber or potatoes. It is more personal and more closely scrutinized. Artists wouldn't pay $10k plus to a studio that they heard one bad project from. Why because the one bad project sheds a bad light on the studio. In the same way that one bad artist sheds a bad light on SG as a whole. Especially to those who are not regular listeners.
Now about being "called out". I guess this is what you call being "called out" by Chuck Peters in his email to me:
I didn't want to divulge my source for two reasons. 1. I made a promise that I wouldn't. 2. To keep my anonymity secure.
April 10, 2005-
I am being an extremist- A highly respected gentleman that has been in the recording business since 1970, Ben Harris (and who is a member of Southern Sound, a very underrated quartet), emailed me his take on the issue of recording and promoting bad artists. He does agree with SGMblogger on this issue, although I believe he is a little more discretionary when it comes to who he records. Here is Ben's email:
April 11, 2005-
A memory of George- The last time I saw the Cathedrals live was right before they recorded the project that had the song Healing on it. I believe it was right around the time that George's health problems first started. George was always one of the best emcees that I had ever witnessed. He always held the audience in the palm of his hand and was in control. On this night he lost control. Right after singing the song Healing George was at a loss for words (something that you didn't see often) and broke down crying. There was not a dry eye in the house and in the silence a man about half way back in the auditorium yelled out "sing it again, George!". When George composed himself he said "we don't normally do this, but we are going to sing it again". A young lady that was with us had cancer, was very bitter about it, and had even stopped coming to church. She was profoundly touched that night and to this day is doing well and attends church every time the doors are open. This is only a drop in the bucket of how many lives the Lord touched through George Younce. I'm sure that George is receiving many rewards right now and I bet him and JD are having a great time.
April 16, 2005-
The Crabb Example- The Crabbs' success at the Dove Awards and just their success period is an example to all of SG. It is an example of what it takes to really be a major success. I'm not talking about having a bus, booking agent, top label, 250 dates a year, and group members make $25k a year. I'm talking signing bonuses, large flats, singing to a broad range of age groups, not having to do 250 dates a year, and most important of all spreading the Gospel to a broader range of people. Country has jumped into the pool of southern rock and pop, Bluegrass has even gotten more edgier and some call one kind of Bluegrass, Newgrass (ie, Nickel Creek). It is time for SG to get wet in someone elses pool also. It is time to step out and do a different kind of SG that is more progressive with a smidgen of contemporary here and a smidgen of southern pop rock there. I know to a lot of SG loyalists, even some of my close friends, what I'm saying is akin to blasphemy. I'm sorry, but I keep seeing the same ole SG year after year. That same ole SG is booked at the same ole places year after year. Some SG artists have realized to get into larger more progressive churches and venues you need to incorporate some more modern progressive material into your program. They are having success with this. There is nothing wrong with it. They sing the modern progressive material and throw in middle of the road SG songs also. To me this is what will keep SG alive. I think the Crabbs have set a good example for us all to follow. Not necessarily to do their style of music, but to do something different from what we have been doing. Are we going to sing SG to death or keep it alive with something new. Maybe we ought to call it New Gospel?
April 21, 2005-
In need of support- This post will be of more interest to artists and their families than fans. One of the most important things that an artist needs is support from his or her family and church. I've experienced myself and seen other artists experience both extremes of support (very supportive and not supportive at all) from their spouse or their church. We cover all sorts of topics on message boards and blogs from money to song selection to PA equipment, but at the very heart of any SG artist should be a God-given calling to minister God's word to people in song. This is not about the ministry vs. entertainment issue, so don't even go there. If God has truly called an individual to minister and that individual is married, the spouse is a part of that same ministry. You know, two become one. I know a young woman who is very talented. She could be in a major group in SG right now winning female singer of the year, but her spouse did not support her. He made her choose between him and singing fulltime. Trying to do the right thing, she chose him. Over the next couple of years their love died (probably due to bitterness) and he chose to be with another woman. An awesome voice that God could have touched thousands of lives through is not even singing because her husband didn't accept the ministry. I believe he is the one who will be held accountable. In another situation a good friend of mine was a talented baritone with an up and coming regional group. I know without a doubt that God called him into this ministry. His wife got tired of him singing and getting attention. She also gave him an ultimatum. Now God's calling is not being fulfilled in his life, but he is doing what he should and she will be accountable. I would dare say that behind every successful SG group there are no non-supportive spouses. They realize "their" calling and are involved in one way or the other.
Support not only applies to an artist's spouse and families, but also to their churches. Likewise, I have experienced both extremes. There is nothing worse than having some time off from the road, attending your church, and getting the comments like "where have you been?". To an artist that has been away from their home church for awhile, coming back is like coming back home to your parents to eat some good homecooking. I've come back to my church wanting that feeling but instead was treated like I was just released from prison. One well known group received negative comments straight from the pulpit about being gone for so long. This is totally uncalled for. On the other hand I have witnessed churches that treat members that are artists in the right way. They consider the artist's ministry, since the artist is a member of their church, as an extension of their church's ministry and support them with regular prayer. That is the way it should be. Spouses and churches, support the artists/ministers in your lives. God will bless richly if you do.
April 28, 2005-
DBM CD reviews (where credit is due)- CD reviews are many times a touchy subject. Everyone has different opinions. The artist whose project is being reviewed always expects the good and sometimes can't take constructive criticism. Sometimes if even a small negative comment is made fans or family get mad. I've wrote before about SGN CD reviews. I guess you could say I critiqued a couple of their reviews because I didn't agree with them and questioned their objectivity. I later came back and digressed because I realized a few truths with the help of James Hales and David Bruce Murray. Today I was reading a review of Max Murphy and True Annointing by David Bruce Murray and as I went down through the comments I came to something that is a true show of class. There were a couple of negative comments about the review and DBM responded in a very Christian classy way. DBM's response or something similar could be used on every review as a disclaimer. It might stave off some of the bad comments that CD reviews seem to always bring out. His response was:
"the review is not an attempt to say whether or not a person is worthy to make a CD, and it's not a judgment of whether or not the CD can be used to bless people. Clearly, she felt led by the Lord to record this CD and the Holy Spirit can use it to bless people despite any technical faults. All this review (or any review I write) does is show how the CD compares in terms of TECHNICAL quality to other recordings. It's not a judgment of ministry value or potential."
I have always respected DBM and this post is to give credit where it definitely is due. If there was a way to measure accuracy and objectivity of CD reviews, I'm sure that DBM would rank very high. Read the review and all comments here: http://sogospelnews.com/index/cdreviews/comments/3656/
Again, a disclaimer similar to the response above would be a good idea to put on every CD review.
April 30, 2005-
Anonymous again?- I was checking my site stats the other day and came across something that was kind of funny to me. Everyone knows that Avery is the king of SG bloggers and sometimes is not just that but king of SG "news" also. Everyone also knows of his identity being revealed by Susan Unthank (I don't know if she ever owned up to it but that is a whole other story). What my site stats have to do with this is the fact that 4 different people got to this site the other day by typing "averyfineline identity" or "identity of averyfineline" in google. At least to some people you are still anonymous, Avery. I wonder if this means someone will have to out you again?
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