Has anyone seen this documentary???

[BigRedButton]

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/o...arts/film.html

I saw it the other night on PBS, and it's one of the most fascinating, disturbing, funny, depressing, and above all, interesting films I've EVER seen.

It's called "Off the Charts", and it's about the Song-Poem recording industry, here's how the business works:

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You find a company's ad in the back of a music magazine, comic book or supermarket tabloid. The ad suggests that fame, fortune and artistic immortality may be in your reach, for the creative genius lurks within us all.

You send the company your lyrics (usually in the form of a poem) for a professional totally absolutely free evaluation. Soon after, you get the good news that your lyrics reflect real talent, have earned a top rating and are poised to be rushed into production.

You decide to set your future hit to music. That means first selecting a genre (rock, country, rhythm and blues, folk, etc.) and then sending $200-$400 for the "production charges".

A staff composer processes the poem, slapping the words to a tune from the selected genre, organizing the poem into stanzas and chorus, and sometimes making instant edits in the name of grammar or rhyming.

A crack team of brutally efficient studio musicians, vocalists and an engineer record your song - usually in one take and often as part of a multiple back-to-back song-poem recording marathon.

The finished recording is shipped off to a manufacturing plant to make a record, cassette or CD.

You receive a handful of cassettes, records or CDs, depending on the agreement. Some companies promise to mail out recordings to the big labels; All congratulate you heartily and invite you to rush the company new material, anytime.
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I honestly didn't know who to feel more sorry for; the burn out hasbeens "producing" this stuff, or the hopefull, yet totaly whacked out, "song writers".

This thing is a trip. I think I'm gonna buy the video.

[mlemos]

Hey, i'm a hopefull, yet totaly whacked out, "song writer". How can I get in touch with these folks who are waiting to take my money?
Oh wait, I have the 001. I don't need them.

Sounds cool. Do you know when it will be on again?

Marc

[Phil O'Keefe]

"Vanity pressings" under the guise of a talent search. Oh brother... [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Still, it's a pretty shrewd business move on someone's part.

[silence_of_stone]

hehehe.... like those funny little recording booths at the amusement parks...
no I havent seen that, but will be looking for it to rerun.
I am surprised someone here hasnt thought of that.... where is dA bAsStARD??? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]