Carl Dixon 60s soul project

[Guest SteveJohnston]

Exactly! If you think about the soul groups from the past, they did not even need music to sound great, yet today, there is so much manipulation of sound, it loses the soul - just like a notch filter!

I'm not a frayed to admit a lot of this is going over my head but could it be the reason why I would rather listen to a 1966 recorded track than a 2008 remake of the same track?

If I had to listen to 2008 music I'd would rather it be live with real instruments played by musicians say like the Five Aces than some one using a drum machine and something to correct there voice there is just no comparison

And yes if someone cut a record using a 60st retro recording studio I would defiantly buy.

A record "kick the bucket" i have in my collection is by the Five Aces made in 2007 and to my ear sounds just fine.

Steve J

[Guest Carl Dixon]

I agree Steve. I think there was an innocent sincerity with yesrdays music. It had politics and ambitions like any other, but the finished product even though often recorded in makeshift studios, had craftsmanship at all levels, but without too many electronics. I like the tracks that do not sound so polished though. They have another ambience embedded within them, that a discerning ear can pick up on and enjoy.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Finally, the wheels are in motion for a March recording session in Detroit. We fly out next week for a short vacation then into Detroit where co producer, writer and guitarist, the legendary Dennis Coffey, will help me achieve the dreams of recording my compositions with that all important 'Detroit' vibe. Some of the musicians on the session have amazing pedigrees and a respected status in the business. These people are the ones who breathe life into the words and music that originate on a piece of paper or demo recording. Just a few of the names read like the cream of Detroit's finest - Dennis Coffey on guitar, Spyder Turner on vocals, George Katsakis (The Royaltones) on sax, Ray Monette (Cool Jerk, all Invictus recording, hundreds of soul records etc and Rare Earth member) on guitar, Gil Bridges (Rare Earth) on sax, members of The Funk Brothers and John Trudell and the Motown horn section. In addition legendary arranger David van de Pitte is involved and I am thrilled that all agreed to come on board and contribute to the session.

There will be a day cutting the band tracks and horns, another for the vocals and backing, and a day mixing. I will be able to see how the songs are crafted into final mixes by the experts. I must admit I have been a little ambitious with my notion of future proofing the songs. With today's technology I see a demand for alternative mixes and solo instrumentals. With that in mind there may be a chance to lay down some arrangements to give extra potential revenue streams should I decide to go down the route of making the songs available for purchase. That was never the intention all those years ago when I first realised I wanted to emulate and pay homage to these musicians. But now I realise these artists have to be seen and heard with fresh new songs and recordings because of their outstanding contribution to the music business over the years. I am starting to feel a resurgence of decent music which employs the phenomenal talents of those who have perfected their instruments over the years. And retro soul grooves seem to be appearing in a number of chart releases these days so why not use the real deal on the sessions rather than a sample of a CD, for example?

More news soon.....

[Guest Carl Dixon]

The Detroit session is complete! The process was completed this morning with the mastering of the four songs at the studio. In addition there are instrumental band track mixes of each song. The sound is refreshing and soulful. The musicians were fantastic. Dennis Coffey has graced one of the tracks with an amazing guitar solo. Bob Babbit has provided some great bass licks on all tracks remeniscent of his previous work back in 1960's Detroit. The original Motown Horn section peformed too - out of this world. The likes of John Trudell, Ed Gooch and George Benson! The were 2 sax, 1 trombone, 2 trumpets plus the solo's.

And drums....Uriel Jones and Spider Webb doubled up in true Detroit style. David van de Pittes arrangments were terrific. His horns dance around the tracks making them come alive with amazing hooks. Ray Monette and Dennis Coffey played guitar back beats etc, and Gil Bridges from Rare Earth and George Katsakis from The Royaltones did two fantastic sax solos. The guys still have a great Detroit vibe and feel to the music and I think it is time to hear them again doing what they do best... being creative. And dare I mention Spyder Turner and Pree did some fantastic vocals on the songs. Their vocal arrangments just stunning.

Now the mission is to get this stuff played and heard with a view to generating some interest with sound created over there. In anybody wants to go out there and cut quality soul, the guys are waiting, just like they always have been!

Edited March 29, 2008 by Carl Dixon

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody -

If anybody is interested there is a feature in the Detroit News regarding the session. There are photos and a video inside the studio as we cut one of the songs. It is also front page of the printed media on Saturday:

https://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...ENT04/804120363

Please excuse some of the quotes, as they read a little ambiguous. They are hilights from longer conversations and debates about music, wine, records etc. It was a very positive effort and it has created some promising sounds.

I must say though, it is the Americans who are more interested in this than the UK. There has been no interest by any UK media at all. They were all primed before I went. I tried to get The Arts Channel to do a documentary about the session and musicians. This is about them, not me. I am sad that my own TV company have not been interested, as many there know this quest has been on the cards for the 18 years I have been here. The prejudice I have recieved is disgraceful and disrespectful about the musicians and genre of music from broadcasters who I am sure rely on news and features to keep them on the air. Thanks god the Detroit News, musicians and singers can see the bigger picture.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody again -

if anybody is remotely interested in hearing a snippet of one of the songs from the session, go here:

https://carlsmusic.blogspot.com/

This track features no synths, 2 drummers and vibes in addition to guitar, bass horns and percussion! It is the latest post I have done on the blog.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody -

I just increased the bandwidth as it was far to low. Now it should sound much better:

https://www.carlsmusic.blogspot.com/

Thanks to those who have sent me a private message or email. It is much appreciated. If this works out, maybe others may be tempted to record new songs with a melody and traditional instruments. But, it needs support. It is a quest of mine to have done this and it has been fun, but there are other ramifications.

On March 31st, it was the Detroit Tigers opening baseball game and there was a party atmosphere down at the stadium. We watched the morning show on Fox local news in the hotel room which had a crew doing live transmissions injects and we saw John Trudell, one of the original Motown trumpet players from the early sixties , playing with 2 others, 1 on drums and the other on upright bass outside the stadium! Six days earlier, he was in the studio recording on my compositions. It is criminal that these musicians are not in the studio at least once a week doing a gig.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody -

Due to the lack of interest by those in the music business over here, I am contemplating the next move I make with the 4 masters I own. Bearing in mind the musicians alone include some notable names, I thought some bespoke soul production company may have been curious to meet up and discuss. However, it seems I am faced with another challenge ahead...the release and marketing of the product in a world full of digital ramifications and prejudice against this type of project. One person actually advised me to use the masters as demo's and seek UK artists who could at least perform the songs on stage if they were successful! Can you believe that? Spyder Turner on a demo? Quite clearly these people do not have a clue how passionate I am about this music and why I went to Detroit in the first place.

I am now negotiating with a US pressing plant the possibility of 45rpm's for the UK market (I am not allowed to release the records in the US), so will have to ship them over here and sell direct via pay pal or something. Then I am considering one of the download aggregators who can get the product to the various digital stores. The more I sell, the more residuals go to the writers of the songs and 'label', for more possible investment in recording new songs in the same style over there. In fact one of the ideas I have is to advertise in the Detroit News that I am seeking young musicians and singers who have a preference to the soul sound before that awful warbling voice era from the 1980's! I would be happy to include on the session a younger generation who can stimulate their colleagues into performing traditional soul that I might even like!

I would like to thank some members who have taken the trouble to offer interest in the project via private messages. It is their encouragement that will take the project to another level. I do not want to let Detroit down either, so I have to make this work. By acknowledging that the musicians and artists are still there performing, I am paying homage to a style of music steeped in history, but with a future as well as a past. Making things fresh, but with respect for the old style of production still makes me feel there is more mileage in the creative process with music like this.

Don't forget there is a longer snippet on my blog of 'Tell me (crying over you)'. Maybe once I get my act together I can cut an appropriate video and use it as a promo for the project. I have 9 hours of studio footage in 16:9 - pity it was not HD!

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody -

If anybody is interested in watching a short promo video of the Detroit session, go here:

https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UKuRfjNmY-E

[Dave Moore]

Fantastic! Great to see Spyder having a good time. Great stuff Carl.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody -

Now that my Detroit session is over, it is time to concentrate on my up and coming Philly session next month. The plan was always to go to Detroit and Philly and pay homage to those that helped create the music I cherish. Philly producer, writer and guitarist Bobby Eli is helping me out this time and I am hopeful of attracting some original musicians from the Philly sessions back in the day. This will be the TSOP/Salsoul sound rather than recordings made at Cameo Parkway or Reco Arts in the 1960's. In addition I am hopeful of having a full string section and horns, the same as how it was done back then! I am mindful that the likes of Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, Karl and Roland Chambers are no longer with us, but this is for them as well and their families will know that their grooves and melodies affected a generation and inspired them to be creative. I owe them all a big debt.

The tracks I am hoping to record are not quite finished, but two of the demos are on YouTube:

https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-mU-aP8q_D0&...t=18&fmt=18

https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9A99iZoRs5o

Vocalists are yet to be decided, and each day this last few weeks I have been concentrating on lyrics for the songs. Once again I am anxious about the use of synths and will strive for that organic analogue sound without the hindrance of a click track!!

Stay tuned......

Edited August 19, 2008 by Carl Dixon

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody -

I am experimenting with 7digital, the UK based digital aggregator in preparation for the release of my Detroit material. As I do not have a clue about this technology I have put up for sale a track I wrote in 2004, sort of funky and modern rather than traditional. This will give me the heads up for how this functionality works and if I can tweak it for the eventual sale of digital versions of my Detroit recordings. Go here to see the 'group' web page and hear a snippet:

https://indiestore.7digital.com/cdo/

I am hoping to advertise the track and see the process how this all works!

Thank you

Edited October 7, 2008 by Carl Dixon

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody - a quick thanks to those who visited the CDO 7digital site recently. The stats are building up and I can now see where I must concentrate on my functionality issues on there. For those interested I have just uploaded 2 more tracks - they are sort of retro Detroit, but were written as TV Ryder Cup (Detroit 2004) bubble music for when a presenter talks over a music bed to pictures. 'The Swing' has been on my YouTube channel for some time now and has had some nice response. The other track called 'Flaming pie' is much slower and roughly based around how I think the guys from Detroit would have performed on it.

Also I would just like to mention thanks to a number of informative people on Soul Source. I know I do not respond as much as I would like on certain threads and that is because the last 18 months have been extremely busy with one thing and another. What I do know is that comments have been made about records labels, artists royalties, the business in general etc. Today I read some posts a few weeks old about Salsoul (?) from Ian Dewhirst, and some royalty and session cost stuff from Ian Levine. I think in one of the threads Ian D you mentioned what had happened with your scenario and I am so grateful that you have shared this on here. Frankly I have been on a rollercoaster ride with my endeavours and I know what you and Ian were saying in that thread must be true. It cannot be easy doing this - making music for profit! Not that I originally intended to exploit the material, but I am now realising what people must have gone through to get their music heard and played etc in the past only to find they have issues with everybody involved...even the paying public. I did not realise the cost of session work and the organisation it takes to get something done. It is fun, but very stressful. Also trying to create retro soul is not easy. I am finding out that studios no longer have a piano, organ, resident vibes etc in them like they used to. Even if they did, who is about to play them? I remember when I visited Sigma in 1994 - there was the B3 behind a glass partition doing nothing. So now I realise as much as I have tried to be faithful to the sounds of the 1960's, it takes a whole lot of organisation and money which I do not have to accomplish what they did so easily back them. Imagine the harp player coming in and bashing out 4 tunes a day, maybe on overdubs. she/he would maybe leave the instrument there overnight until the end of the gig which could be the following week! For me, it was just about impossible to find a vibe player in Detroit....and it was me who did...eventually. I felt as though I was living in the past especially when so many said it is not common any more to use the real deal. So I have learnt my lesson. One of the biggest allies in the creative process of new music is...and I hate to admit this after all these years...is the synthesizer. I now look at real instruments as a bonus, or icing on the cake and not a pre requisite. But believe me, that breaks my heart to admit. Now....should releases make money and the kitty has proceeds in it that could help plan and record the real deal...that's another story.

And Paul Mooney, your expertise is invaluable. Your help has been much appreciated as indeed some of the pm's of encouragement I receive now and then. So even though sometimes those comments are fleeting on the earlier threads, I am reading them and taking note. They are priceless

Edited October 7, 2008 by Carl Dixon

[Guest Carl Dixon]

At the expense of repeating myself, would there be more worth in pressing up my Detroit material at a Detroit pressing plant rather than the UK? With the dollar rate affecting things right now I thought it may be easier over here, but my heart tells me Detroit for a number of positive reasons, even though I would pay shipping, duty and vat before I get them delivered here in London.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi everybody, if I am lucky tonight I will be getting 'Suddenly there's you' played on Salford City FM. I sent this sort of circular out earlier today, but thought if anybody is interested on Soul Source, feel free to have a listen. I think the track will be played about 8pm when the programme starts.....

Hi Everybody -

If anybody is interested, this evening (21^st December) on Harry Grundy's soul programme 'The Right Track', which is FM transmitted locally in the Salford area on Salford City FM and via the World Wide Web, one of my Detroit songs 'Suddenly there's you', performed by the wonderful Pree, will get its world exclusive pre release airing somewhere between 8pm and 10pm. This is not an oldie, but in airplay terms a new song and melody crafted firstly in London as a demo, then exquisitely produced in Detroit by Dennis Coffey in March this year with the help of Pree on lead vocals. In addition Pree offered some wonderful lyric enhancements to the song which takes it too another level and helps me appreciate that collaboration in circumstances like this, really pays off. Just listen to the production and vocal delivery to hear something so special that it could easily be a track recorded today or even back 1968!

For Americans don't forget the time difference reads like this:

On air 3pm Eastern Time

Off air 5pm Eastern Time

If you want to hear one of the early demos of the track go here:

https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XRW9L88wY00&...re=channel_page

If you want to see a snippet of the rhythm section and Pree singing the Detroit recording go here:

https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UKuRfjNmY-E&...re=channel_page

The url for tonight's is here:

https://www.salfordcityradio.org/

Cheers

Carl Dixon

Edited December 21, 2008 by Carl Dixon

[MarkWhiteley]

Hi Carl, just viewed the Detroit Session Video - Buzzin,

Whats the story on releases

Regards

Mark

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi Mark - and thank you.

I really want vinyl before mp3, but the dollar rate and my funds are tight right now. So I am organising for early next year Detroit pressing(s) of a few of the cuts. Of course, I am not in the music business per se, but believe me, some of the guys on Soul-source have been great with ideas and advice. Paul Mooney is one hell of a publisher and without his advice I would be lost for example. He has helped raise my bar a little and I echo his and many others about the music business on here. The creativity that went into this project was fantastic and it is important that I try and a) recoup my initial investment and ensure I do justice to the guys in Detroit that helped me out. There has been a wealth of private messages in the past that have helped me to keep going because it is tuff and quite stressful at times. Once the cat is out the bag you will know about it via these pages. I also hope to deliver some of the 45's personally to some venues that may be interested in playing the songs.

Edited December 21, 2008 by Carl Dixon

[Guest]

Today I read some posts a few weeks old about Salsoul (?) from Ian Dewhirst, and some royalty and session cost stuff from Ian Levine. I think in one of the threads Ian D you mentioned what had happened with your scenario and I am so grateful that you have shared this on here. Frankly I have been on a rollercoaster ride with my endeavours and I know what you and Ian were saying in that thread must be true.

Not only is it true, but the real "bitch" is that you can make the greatest record in the world, and when you listen back to it, you know damn well in your heart that it really sounds wonderful, and you're really proud of it, and you broke yourself doing it and went into debt, and then some blind fools just rubbish your every effort and dismiss it because it wasn't on some obscure Detroit label released in 1967. It's a no win situation, but no Trouble-maker can ever take away your pride in your work.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi Ian -

I agree with your comments. It is almost heartbeaking to think that many projects like this are truly a labour of love in the first place, yet they generate little or no response, even with your own family in the early days. Even worse, I work for a TV station and absolutely nothing over the years to support or exploit what I was about to do. I even offered them permission to video the Detroit session in HD, as long as they made a good gesture to all the musicians and performers on the tracks. I did not want a penny. I dread to think how I will feel when the MP3's go for sale at 99 cents each and I get something like 79 cents to split with those I will pay royalties too. A roll of toilet paper in Tesco's costs more. A packet of fags £7! It sometimes feels like I am wasting my time, but I do not want to let anybody down, especially those that helped me out, plus like you say, in your heart you know something special happened on the session. It really is a fascinating business and more so with these class actions against YouTube etc for all the copyright infringements. It may well be in future that those investing their savings into a passionate music project may actually get something financial in return one day.

[Guest]

It really is a fascinating business and more so with these class actions against YouTube etc for all the copyright infringements.

These class actions are horrendous.

They have removed Erma Franklin singing "I Get The Sweetest Feeling", which I filmed, I own, and I re-recorded with her before she died. It's on there to promote it being on sale on The Strange World Of Northern Soul, and now on Northern Soul's 200 Greatest Floorfillers, but YouTube have removed it completely, despite my BITTER objections, even though I own it outright, because the publisher of the song complained. And Erma had an advance which was now worthless because the video has been removed and can't be seen by anyone.

It makes me bloody sick to my stomach, especially as YouTube have done a deal with PRS and writers now get paid anyway, although granted it's a very small amount.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Hi Ian -

I don't think we have heard the end of the YouTube saga. I reckon in a year or so, it may well be brought to it's knee's a little in the pursuit of trying to iron out all the intellectual property rights issues it breaches. It is a fabulous tool, but the tail wagging the dog I feel. I think the business model for labels and music exploitation needs to change, but not at the expense of the investors, artists, producers, musicians etc, seeing their work copied, downloaded and streamed for a pittance. I don't think many would walk into a sweet shop and pinch a bag of Maltesers, yet they would quite easily copy a song from somebody else or download it and not even blink an eye. Even worse, some would not even acknowledge who wrote the song or performed on it, never mind paid for the session!

I also got the 'Floorfillers' for Christmas by the way. Something I will look forward to watching over the next month or so.

[Little-stevie]

Not only is it true, but the real "bitch" is that you can make the greatest record in the world, and when you listen back to it, you know damn well in your heart that it really sounds wonderful, and you're really proud of it, and you broke yourself doing it and went into debt, and then some blind fools just rubbish your every effort and dismiss it because it wasn't on some obscure Detroit label released in 1967. It's a no win situation, but no Trouble-maker can ever take away your pride in your work.

Maybe some would not like it whatever lable it was on Ian..... You can't play god with this stuff, its art at the end of the day..

It can't be easy for any artist to read a bad review...You just have to take it that some think its the best thing since the moon landings and others think its like the box set of crossroads..

Sorry back on topic

[Denbo]

Maybe some would not like it whatever lable it was on Ian..... You can't play god with this stuff, its art at the end of the day..

It can't be easy for any artist to read a bad review...You just have to take it that some think its the best thing since the moon landings and others think its like the box set of crossroads..

Sorry back on topic

Off topic Ste. Has John Kelly contacted you yet? If not, give him a call. PM me if you ain't got his number.