the AMP Issue 24

"A lot of country music is sad. I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times.  It applies to music. Three chords and the truth— that's what a country song is. There  is a lot of heartache in the world." 
― Willie Nelson

In This Issue... [12 pages, approx 18 minutes to read] You'll Get... 

• REMINDS— (Again) the Group and the Book 

• RECOMMENDS— Dick Cavett: the Music Interviews 

• the 100 GREATEST SINGER SONGWRITERS of All Time— Willie Nelson

• BACKSTAGE PASS— How To Be Featured on Spotify, by Rick Barker

• FEATURE— The Bristol Sessions: The Untold Story Of the Birth of Country Music 

• PS from PS— On Jimi Hendrix

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Here’s the playlist

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 • REMINDS— the Group and the Book 

Re-mind, prompt, nudge, nag, a cue. a clue... Whatever! There are two valuable and  useful, fun and entertaining Resources New Music Lives™ gives you that not all of you are making use of: the GROUP and the BOOK.  

the GROUP— the New Music Lives Group on Facebook is our .comUnity— or it will  be when more of you go and engage with us and with each other. The group is the AMP that's published everyday. News, Resources, Ideas, Turn Ons, Edutainment, Just for Fun, Learning and more. It's a rich resource— but only if you use it. So... Please... 

And...  

the BOOK— a Singer Songwriter's Story is Paul's work-in-progress book. It's unlike  any book you've ever read before. Really. You'll see. It's the story of Reely, a young  Singer Songwriter who calls Paul for help with her career. The latest edition is up for down loading in the FILES section of the New Music Lives Group. AND...  

If you seen the cover before... Notice the subtle change? AND... 

Hey Jude, Paul is wide-open to making the book better, better, better... with your feedback, comments, suggestions. Readers helping write is an idea he loves! So...

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• RECOMMENDS— Dick Cavett— the Music Interviews 

We recently posted a video in the New Music Lives™ Facebook Group 
from Rick  Beato, titled The Most INSANE Music Interview, where Rick broke down what thinks is  the greatest music interview ever: Dick Cavett interviewing Oscar Peterson in 1979. 

Unless you're a 'Baby Boomer' you probably don't know who Dick Cavett was (and still  is). And that's a shame, because Cavett was arguably (not by us) the most hip, literate  and intelligent (and funny) interviewer ever— and, he knew how to LISTEN... and he  knew music and loved it...  

His Dick Cavett Show was a series of television programs that aired on the ABC, PBS,  USA and CNBC networks hosted by Cavett— who was a comedian, comedy writer and  author— between 1968 and 1995 in New York. ABC pressured Cavett to get prominent  

celebrities on the show, although subsequent shows without such guests got higher  ratings and more critical acclaim. Foremost among those classics were the programs  Cavett did with musical legends such as George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Woodstock, David Crosby, Jefferson Airplane, Stephen Stills, Joni Mitchell, Sly & The Family Stone, Gary Wright, David Bowie, Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Frank Zappa, Paul Simon and Ravi Shankar. 

HASSLE WARNING: Although you can purchase The Dick Cavett Show Rock Icons  from Amazon (for $33.70) if you're up for some surfing-and-scrolling, here are some  links that'll get you to a bunch of short and long clips with many of the above artists. Tap the underlined hyperlinks below: 

• Musicians On the Dick Cavett Show from Mojo Magazine. 30 interviews with George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Woodstock, David Crosby, Jefferson Airplane, Stephen Stills, Joni Mitchell, Sly & The Family Stone, Gary Wright, David Bowie, Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Frank Zappa, Paul Simon and Ravi Shankar. 

• Musicians | The Dick Cavett Show 77 videos featuring Janis Joplin,  John Lennon, Paul Simon, David Bowie, Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison  and many more.  

AND if you're oh so persistent, Google 'The Dick Cavett Show,' there are lots (and lots) more. 

One More Thing! Consensus of NML experts is the Jimi Hendrix interview is THE one to watch. 

• the 100 GREATEST SINGER SONGWRITERS of All Time— Willie Nelson 

"Willie Nelson is an American institution— a songwriter, performer, anti establishment outlaw, political activist, and a philanthropist. His songs tell stories of  everyday people, and his personal actions support the welfare of American life." — Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Willie was inducted in 2023 

with his guitar Trigger 

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist,  activist, and actor. He was one of the main figures of the progressive and outlaw country subgenres that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions  of the Nashville sound. The critical success of his album Shotgun Willie (1973),  combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and  Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.  Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in  activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.  

Nelson wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten. During high  school, he toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar player.  After graduating from high school in 1950, he joined the U.S. Air Force but was later  discharged due to back problems. After his return, Nelson attended Baylor University  for two years but dropped out because he was succeeding in music. He worked as a disc  jockey at radio stations in his native Texas, and in several radio stations in the Pacific  Northwest, all the while working as a singer and songwriter throughout the late 1950s.  During that time, he wrote songs that would become country standards, including Funny How Time Slips Away, Hello Walls, Pretty Paper, and Crazy.  

In 1960 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price's band as a bassist. In 1962, he recorded his first album... And Then I Wrote. Due to this success, Nelson signed in 1964 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year. After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Nelson grew weary of the corporate Nashville  music scene, and in 1972 he moved to Austin, Texas. The ongoing music scene of Austin motivated Nelson to return to performing, appearing frequently at the Armadillo World Headquarters.  

In 1973, after signing with Atlantic Records, Nelson turned to outlaw country, including albums such as Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages. In 1975, he switched to  Columbia Records, where he recorded the critically acclaimed album Red Headed  Stranger. The same year, he recorded another outlaw country album, Wanted! The  Outlaws, along with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. During the  mid-1980s, while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and recording hit songs like On the Road Again, To All the Girls I've Loved Before, and Pancho and Lefty, he joined  the country supergroup The Highwaymen, along with fellow singers Johnny Cash,  Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. In 1985, he helped organize the first Farm Aid concert to benefit American farmers; the concerts have been held annually ever since and Nelson has been a fixture, appearing at every one.  

In 1990, Nelson's assets were seized by the Internal Revenue Service, which claimed  that he owed $32 million. The difficulty of paying his outstanding debt was aggravated  by weak investments he had made during the 1980s. In 1992, Nelson released The IRS  Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?; the profits of the double album— destined to the IRS— and the auction of Nelson's assets cleared his debt. During the 1990s and 2000s, Nelson continued touring extensively, and released albums every year. Reviews ranged from positive to mixed. He explored genres such as reggae, blues, jazz, and folk.  

Nelson made his first movie appearance in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman, followed by other appearances in movies and on television. Nelson is a major liberal activist and the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), which is in favor of marijuana legalization. On the environmental front, Nelson owns the biodiesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, whose product is made from vegetable oil. Nelson is also the honorary chairman of the advisory board of the Texas Music Project, the official music charity of the state of Texas. 

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To visit on the MusicThisDay.com website, tap the link: the 100 Greatest Singer  Songwriters of All Time

• TALKABOUT— How To Be Featured on Spotify, by Rick Barker 

Got this brilliant bit from an email Rick sent the other day. Brilliant... Really? You'll be  the judge. And if you try it, let us know how it goes. 

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Hey, would you think I’m crazy if I said you could instantly get featured on a Spotify  playlist? 

“No, Rick, that doesn’t sound crazy at all.” 

Cool. How about 5 Spotify playlists? 

“What?! C’mon, Rick, that sounds a little crazy.” 

Okay, now what if I said you could get featured on as many playlists as you wanted in 4  easy steps? 

“OK, Rick, you officially sound crazy now.” 

I get it, getting featured on a bunch of Spotify playlists can seem a little out of reach. Here’s how you do it… 

• Go to Spotify and create a playlist. 

• Add some of your favorite songs to the playlist. 

• Now add one of YOUR songs to the same playlist. 

• Repeat. 

Seriously, it’s just that easy! 

Because anytime your music is added to a playlist, Spotify isn’t looking at who added  it. 

Their algorithm just sees that your music was added. 

You want to do this because it means you can stop buying fake, BS followers and start  controlling your destiny. 

Here’s to making this your best year ever... 

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So... Brilliant or no? As said, let us know. 

You can learn more and connect with Rick Barker tapping is name link and Seth Mosley at his Full Circle Music Academy 

in partnership with Jason Blume 

• FEATURE— The Bristol Sessions: The Untold Story Of the Birth of Country Music 

This feature is in two parts: The article below and a link to watch the 49 minute  documentary, Born In Bristol, on DittyTV. 

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The Bristol Sessions, which took place from July 25 to August 5, 1927, were a historic series of recording sessions that played a pivotal role in the development of country and early country blues music*. These sessions were organized by the Victor Talking Machine Company (later known as RCA Victor) and took place in Bristol, Tennessee Virginia, near the Tennessee-Virginia border. 

* And more, the Bristol Sessions were the beginnings of Record and Radio industries that have lasted for nearly 100 years. 

Some high points about the historic Bristol Sessions: 

• Talent Discovery— The sessions were aimed at discovering and recording local talent from the Appalachian region. This area was rich with musicians who had developed their own unique styles of music, blending folk, blues, and other influences. 

• Influence on Country Music— The Bristol Sessions are often considered the "Big Bang" of country music because they introduced some of the earliest recordings of influential country artists, including the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. 

• The Carter Family— One of the most significant outcomes of these sessions was the recording of the Carter Family, which consisted of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara Carter, and her cousin Maybelle Carter. Their recordings became immensely popular and had a lasting impact on country music. 

• Jimmie Rodgers— Known as the "Father of Country Music," Jimmie Rodgers was another artist discovered during these sessions. His recordings included a blend of  country, blues, and yodeling, setting the stage for the evolution of country music. 

• Regional Music Styles— The Bristol Sessions showcased the diversity of musical  styles in the Appalachian region, from ballads and gospel songs to blues and folk tunes. 

• Influence on Recording Industry— These sessions marked an important  turning point in the recording industry, as they demonstrated the commercial potential of country music and helped establish the format for future recording sessions. 

The Bristol Sessions of 1927 hold immense historical significance in the development of American music, particularly in the emergence of country and country blues as influential genres in the decades that followed. They are considered by many musicologists as the birth of the record music industry. 

To read or listen (8 mins) to Ed Ward's NPR original review (Tap the link)...  How The Bristol Sessions Changed Country Music 

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Watch: Born In Bristol

The documentary, Born In Bristol, tells the story of The Bristol Sessions, a 12-day  period in the summer of 1927 when recording pioneer Ralph Peer brought now legendary artists such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers into a warehouse to  record, capturing what is now known as the “Big Bang” of country music, the genesis of a genre that would help define generations. Commemorating country music’s origins of recorded sound with A-listers like Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, and Vince Gill and more.. 

The Bristol Sessions have long been considered the blueprints of what country music is, “…ordinary songs about ordinary people…told in such a sweet, extraordinary way,” as Parton put it. Or, as Eric Church stated: “It was the first time it [country music] was recorded, it was documented, and it was the bible of country music. It is still the bible for country music.” 

Directed by Anthony “Chusy” Haney-Jardine, Born In Bristol is a stunning, one-hour experience that will change the way you think about country music simply by bringing you closer to its roots and a pivotal time when “hillbilly” sounds were captured like lightning in a bottle, forever changing the course of American culture.

Help us spread the word about the AMP. 

There's one BIG reason we give it away Free. No strings. 

Because... Our Mission & Purpose is to 'Put Success In Your Singer Songwriter Career.' We know cost can be a barrier for aspiring creative artists to get the knowledge, resources and inspiration they need to succeed. So... the AMP is free. 

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We're a word-of-mouth-movement because: It's Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time. We're asking you to help us make that happen. 

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• PS from PS— On Jimi Hendrix 

Please, make the time to look and listen to Jimi Hendrix on the Dick Cavett Show as we recommended. You might be in for a surprise. While Hendrix is regarded as a Guitar Legend, this interview reveals a remarkably honest and humble guy who is simply embarrassed by his fame. 

Jimi has always been a huge milestone in my musical journey. I saw him on the Isle of Wight in 1970, when I was 13. I always saw Jimi the Singer Songwriter, rather than 'just' the extraordinary guitarist. I wish there was more video of Jimi playing acoustic guitar. I know of only a couple of clips out there. He was such a rare talent. 

So, please— I'm beggin' you— make a few moments to listen to a couple of Jimi's tracks. First, do Voodoo Chile. Then Hey Joe. Really listen to them and as you do realize that they were recorded before 1968 in Jimi's too-short career as a solo artist. Of course, he was with a number of bands before making it with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Both these tracks will, to use a sixties expression 'blow your mind' in a good way, opening you up to what's truly possible. Then grab a listen to Jimi Hendrix— The Star Spangled Banner  he played at Woodstock. (Tap the link.) A daring and powerful example of how to take a song— any song— to be your own. 

Dick Cavett's interview highlights that most Singer Songwriters like Jimi are simply seeking to do what they love to do. Not chase fame. Here's Jimi at the height of his powers simply seeking to do what it is that he does— which in Jimi's case is play guitar and sing as no one ever had before or has since. 

The world has been forever changed by Jimi Hendrix's remarkable talent and humble human spirit. 

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...