Would you have signed this....?

[Seshmeister]

It's 1988.

You just started your new job as head of A&R at Warner Brothers.

As you look across your desk at the new 'post it pad' invention you think "Shitty hair bands with catchy songs are selling like mad".

You look down and there is a demo tape with a ludicrous picure on the front.

http://www.diamonddavidleeroth.com/Misc_Downloads/LB.jpg

You give it quick listen and think "These people are even better and sexier than Warrant I must give them a million bucks!"

Back on planet Earth my brother emailed me these MP3's last night from a studio demo that we recorded when I was 18. At the time I was doing the rhythm guitar and keyboards thing. Amazingly we didn't get signed...:D

I'm spectacularly biased but listening again I think it's not bad for a bunch of 18-20 year olds.

Spot the use of the Roland D50 keyboard preset at the start which Roth copied on Skyscraper...:)

http://www.diamonddavidleeroth.com/Misc_Downloads/last_night.mp3

http://www.diamonddavidleeroth.com/Misc_Downloads/hot_summer_nights.mp3

http://www.diamonddavidleeroth.com/Misc_Downloads/cheatin_heart.mp3

Cheers!



:gulp:

[seenbad]

To make that million bucks, you need a singer that isn't tone deaf. He ruined you. If you had some pipes you could have been playing stadiums instead of arguing with me over the last 5 years. He sounds like a cross between Stephen Pearcy and Jim Morrison trying to do Def Leppard songs.

The guitar player had some chops...albeit they weren't his own. They were mutilated EVH licks with a pinch of Vito Bratta.

Kick ass drummer.

Sincerely,

Seenbad. :)

[MAX]

What the fuck are you two doing?

[Panamark]

Thankgod they didnt sign ya Seshman...
Otherwise you wouldnt be where you are now..
Dont forget the Seshmistress and the Seshlette :D

Good vocalists are essential. I would be too embarrassed
to even post our demos. (Unless I could remove the singer)

If you meet a good singer, then you have a chance..

The music was cool Sesh.

[Panamark]

Moral: You have done great, business, love everything..

Dont look back in anger !

hmmmm, I reckon we could flog that lyric to Oasis :p

[Panamark]

I would have signed ya if the singer was good ;)

[Full Bug]

I wonder if Sesh still uses hairspray....Or was it mousse?:D

[DlocRoth]

Dippity Doo...

[DrMaddVibe]

1st...I don't care what people look like. Its the music business not a modeling agency! Granted the better looking a band is the more the lil girls will spend!

I would've looked at who I had in a producing department that could recraft the material. With all of the editing effects that are out there I'm amazed that you weren't offered anything. The days of signing a band as a "project" and giving them the time and resources to develop is gone! Now its about corporate greed and hit songs.

If you want my honest opinion...The lead singer held you back. The background vocals were too much. The mixing of the tape didn't do a damn thing to push the musicians. It seemed very "flatlined". The solos weren't pushed to the front. The good thing, the music wasn't the problem, the instruments are played well. I'd blame whomever mixed that for you and the "singer"!

[Big Train]

Sesh, can I ask a question? What were you guys doing in 1988? Were you playing to large crowds, selling a lot of CD"S? That has a hell of a lot more to do with why you get signed than looks or sound does.

[nosuchluck]

hahah
great pic! which one is you?

[The Scatologist]

Originally posted by Big Train
Sesh, can I ask a question? What were you guys doing in 1988? Were you playing to large crowds, selling a lot of CD"S? That has a hell of a lot more to do with why you get signed than looks or sound does.



He was playing to a lot better crowds and selling a LOT more CDs then Ashlee Simpson before she got signed :D

[academic punk]

Originally posted by Big Train
Sesh, can I ask a question? What were you guys doing in 1988? Were you playing to large crowds, selling a lot of CD"S? That has a hell of a lot more to do with why you get signed than looks or sound does.

As the saying goes, "A good A&R person doesn't need ears, he needs eyes".

Attribute that to the guy who signed Motley Crue, who persued them after seeing how well they worked the crowd at a gig at the Rainbow.


(This has also been Dave's own advice to people who ask how they can signed.)

[Redballjets88]

he stage preformance and look does a lot...look at wasp they didnt have the billboard hits but they were famous bc they rocked the shows

[Redballjets88]

the*

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Big Train
Sesh, can I ask a question? What were you guys doing in 1988? Were you playing to large crowds, selling a lot of CD"S? That has a hell of a lot more to do with why you get signed than looks or sound does.

This was the late 80s there were no CD's...:)

We played maybe 45 gigs in small theatres, clubs and bars. Bigggest crowds were maybe 5 or 6 hundred. Biggest band we supported were The Almighty.

Fun times.

We actually replaced the singer but lost the good drummer. I'll try and get a hold of a later recording and post it.

Cheers!

:gulp:

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Panamark
Thankgod they didnt sign ya Seshman...
Otherwise you wouldnt be where you are now..
Dont forget the Seshmistress and the Seshlette :D



Not to mention the brand new SeshTwins.

It's true I wouldn't be here on the internet if we had got anywhere, not because it would be below me but because I would have been dead after drinking and snorting everything in sight...:)

You should put your old demos up, who cares it's all fun.

Cheers!

:gulp:

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by seenbad
To make that million bucks, you need a singer that isn't tone deaf. He ruined you. If you had some pipes you could have been playing stadiums instead of arguing with me over the last 5 years. He sounds like a cross between Stephen Pearcy and Jim Morrison trying to do Def Leppard songs.

The guitar player had some chops...albeit they weren't his own. They were mutilated EVH licks with a pinch of Vito Bratta.

Kick ass drummer.

Sincerely,

Seenbad. :)

I think that's fair comment.

5 years already?

Jesus...:D

Cheers!

:gulp:

[Rikk]

Not my kind of music, even then. So probably not. Not worse than anything big at the time...can't pick whether you'd sign something based on the demo and the pic.

[Big Train]

Originally posted by academic punk
As the saying goes, "A good A&R person doesn't need ears, he needs eyes".

Attribute that to the guy who signed Motley Crue, who persued them after seeing how well they worked the crowd at a gig at the Rainbow.


(This has also been Dave's own advice to people who ask how they can signed.)

It's true. I say to people all the time looking for my opinion "It doesn't matter what the fuck I think". I look for things that make sense. There are only two things that matter to me in the music business...

1. Money at cash registers.
2. Asses in seats every 18 inches.

Don't give a fuck what you do to accomplish those goals, but if you can, you move to the front of the line. It's a BUSINESS..

[Big Train]

Originally posted by The Scatologist
He was playing to a lot better crowds and selling a LOT more CDs then Ashlee Simpson before she got signed :D

Maybe not, but did Sesh have a famous sister and a deal for TV show that would be broadcast in over 100 countries? :rolleyes:

It's a BUSINESS...college will mention something about it to you someday..

[Panamark]

Originally posted by Seshmeister
Not to mention the brand new SeshTwins.

It's true I wouldn't be here on the internet if we had got anywhere, not because it would be below me but because I would have been dead after drinking and snorting everything in sight...:)

You should put your old demos up, who cares it's all fun.

Cheers!

:gulp:


Sesh Twins !!!!

Boys or Girls ??? Fucking *HUGE* congratulations to you and
the Seshmistress :D Well done old chap !!

As for our demos, your singer sounds fantastic compared to ours :p
Will have new demos for you later this year ;)

[The Scatologist]

Originally posted by Big Train
Maybe not, but did Sesh have a famous sister and a deal for TV show that would be broadcast in over 100 countries? :rolleyes:

It's a BUSINESS...college will mention something about it to you someday..


Well obviously, you guys aren't too good at your business at all.

It's so stupid that it stopped being funny a long time ago.

If you guys were doing things right, then you wouldn't be having to bitch about downloading this and downloading that now WOULD you?

You complain about your fellow record execs being laid off blah blah go cry me a fucking river. Like you said, it's a BUSINESS! If you suck at it, then why the hell should they keep you? Can you pull that shit at any other job? HELL NO!


You guys are trying to sell us SHIT OUTTA YOUR FUCKING ASS for the same price or MORE that we used to pay for gold.

Do you seriously think that you can continue pulling that shit for long and not suffer any consequences?


Also, it's obviously YOU guys since in Japan, bands such as the B'z STILL sell out arenas in a matter of a few hours to a few days, and then sell CDs out the shitload.

Oh wait, B'z are on their own label now.

THAT EXPLAINS A LOT!

[Big Train]

Whatever shitty band your talking about there, I'm glad for them.

Ashlee Simpson sold 3 M-I-L-L-I-O-N records. That will keep the lights on for quite awhile. I'd rather take that any day of the week than what some tastemaker comes along and sells me on 12 failure records from acts who are "big in Japan".

[The Scatologist]

LMAO, the fact that you, a record exec, doesn't know about the B'z, while many musicians all the way from Aerosmith to Billy Sheehan hold them in high regard, shows how truely underqualified you are for the job.


OH, by the way, they're richer then you, OR the whole Simpson family put together. You get the idea now? In fact, to give you a idea of how rich they are, they could probably just buy out your whole fucking useless record label.

[Big Train]

I know it's memorial day, but take it easy on the gangj son...

[The Scatologist]

Don't believe me?

Of course you wouldn't. You're a record exec. You don't know shit about music.

You can't even hande your own affairs right, why the hell would you have any idea that theres a band in this day and age that's had every one of their single's hit #1 on the charts, who's sold around 100 million albums, and can still fill out stadiums like this?

[The Scatologist]

I hereby announce Big Train to be owned.

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Big Train
Whatever shitty band your talking about there, I'm glad for them.

Ashlee Simpson sold 3 M-I-L-L-I-O-N records. That will keep the lights on for quite awhile. I'd rather take that any day of the week than what some tastemaker comes along and sells me on 12 failure records from acts who are "big in Japan".

Your soul is mine...

http://www.destinationhollywood.com/celebrities/robertdeniro/images/robertdeniro_angelheart_01.jpg

[The Scatologist]

Funny how this thread proved how fucking retarded record execs are these days isn't it? :D


BTW, Big Train. 3 Mil?


Wow OMG like WOW. That's like omg WOW 3% of what the B'z sold and that's not even counting all their chart topping solo stuff and collaborations and all the other bands Tak Matsumoto produced for. WOOOOOOOW WOOHOO you so rich now.

[Big Train]

Bitch, first off, I do quite well thank you. They are big in Japan ....yaaaaaayy. Doesn't mean shit here. Many acts do well overseas and never do well here. I work in the fucking United States music industry.

Owned, blow me...a gay term overused by ignorant fucks like you.

Before you go treat your brain like bubble wrap for the rest of the day smoking, understand what we were discussing: The viability of Ashlee Simpson. Her record sold an automatic 3 million because of her access and success to MTV. It's a no brainer, which is why the deal got done. Only a moron, or you, would NOT do that deal. That deal allowed the label to finance several baby bands that got their shot, whether like them or not. So shut the fuck up about what you know...it's pretty sad.

The only reason I commented on this thread is cause I like Sesh, not because I wanted to discuss your retarded theories on fine arts and commerce in other countries.

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Big Train
The only reason I commented on this thread is cause I like Sesh,

I've waited so many years for someone from a record company to say that.

Thank you. Thank you so much..:D

LMAO! I'm not joking...:)

I can die now.

Cheers!

:gulp:

[The Scatologist]

The whole point is that you don't know SHIT about your own fucking business. Hell, if you did the equivalent at any other job, you would be the first to get laid off in a snap.

But seeing how the recording industry is run by underqualified no talents, they can get away with that.

Thing is, ALL YOUR FUCKING TOP SELLERS SO FAR HAVE NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER BEEN A WORTHLESS LOAD OF SHIT LIKE ASHLEE SIMPSON!



They were all bands with integrity, which is one of the MAIN reasons why the B'z are doing so well in the East. Maybe you should FUCKING LEARN from them. Which was the whole fucking point of me pointing out that band to you.

But you were too stupid to figure it out.

FIGURES


YOU and all the people LIKE YOU are the #1 reason why the recording industry is doing so "bad" at the moment. Hell, all the shit you try to make us swallow these days can't even hold a CANDLE, hell they can't even hold a tiny little shit that's about to come out, compared to all the top sellers so far. The Ashlee SImpson CD ain't no fucking Appetite for Destruction, and the SALES NUMBERS PROVE IT!



Marketing? How the fuck are bands like SImple Plan marketing? DO people even fucking know who the band members are?

You wanna see fucking Marketing? KISS is marketing. CVH is MARKETING. Michael Jackson is marketing. NOT SOME FUCKING OVERPAYED NO TALENT HACKS PICKED OFF THE STREET!

[Big Train]

It's was fun talking to you Sesh. Scat...whatever, I'm done entertaining you. Is what it is. I do quite well in my business, I'm living well and that's all I need to justify, IF that.

Your potshots and theories are all amusing, but I have to get back to work now. Perhaps you have a class to attend?

[Susie Q]

Sesh,
You still continue to impress me. I don't think it was bad at all. The singer is what really did you in. It's nice that you still have some stuff to reflect on. Too bad you couldn't do some sort of reunion but with well....a different singer. Sure, you sound busy with everything, but it would be nice, even if it was a freakin' BBQ in your backyard with your old mates. :)

[Seshmeister]

16 years to the day I finally get around to copying another old demo from casette tape to MP3.

A lot of people in this thread didn't like the singer on the earlier one.

As it happened we got rid of him but ran into some other problems. We obviously weren't on the same planet as VH but it's interesting to compare the two because maybe it is super important to have it all perfect and that's why it's so difficult. Maybe drummers and bass players are more important parts of the jigsaw than you think...

I think it isn't too bad given...

1) Hey we're about 20 years old.
2) We really couldn't find a drummer...
3) We had management and they were telling us to be more commercial. Not easy to get signed in chilly Scotland.
4) The big irony is that in the last one I posted everyone said that we needed a new singer which was true. We got a guy that could sing but lost the good drummer. It's interesting because it really shows how important that shit is. If you have a shit singer people say 'Hey your singer is shit' BUT if you have a shit drummer people say 'Hey your band is shit!'.

If you can bear it listen to the first one a couple of times please do. I have been after all these years and I think it's pretty good. Looking back I think it was pretty fucking catchy and I'm proud of co-writing that one.

Where are they now?

Well I'm here...:)
Bass player is a forklift truck driver
The other guitarist is a medical scientist
The singer is a security guard at a nuclear base.
The drummer ended up as a stunt guy. He's in BraveHeart killing people and so forth. He's much better at that...:)

You'll notice a common theme here that it's never my fault that I'm not a world famous rock star...:D

Right Click Save As...

http://www.diamonddavidleeroth.com/Misc_Downloads/Time_To_Change.mp3

http://www.diamonddavidleeroth.com/Misc_Downloads/Bitchin.mp3

http://www.diamonddavidleeroth.com/Misc_Downloads/Shake_It.mp3

Comments plus and minus will be interesting to me at least.

I play lead guitar on the first two, rhythm on the third. Not to mention my shouty backing vocals. I cringe a litte listening back because the solos had to be first or second take because the drummer spent all the studio time we could afford trying unsuccessfully to get in time.

For the people that care about tech stuff I'm playing a shitty Aria Cat through a 1972 50 Watt Marshall head and 4X12 Marshall cabinet with a dodgy homemade distortion pedal and maybe some board chorus and delay, I cunt remember.

It was recorded and mixed in 20 hours in a 24 track studio onto DAT.

Cheers!

:gulp:

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Panamark
Sesh Twins !!!!

Boys or Girls ??? Fucking *HUGE* congratulations to you and
the Seshmistress :D Well done old chap !!

As for our demos, your singer sounds fantastic compared to ours :p
Will have new demos for you later this year ;)

Hey you're worse than me at least I posted this other demo within 18 months...:D

[PHOENIX]

Shesh ya drunken Scot!

Great tunes!

I'm gonna sticky this cause i miss you.:D

[Seshmeister]

LMAO!

Free new but flawed late 80s shit for everyone!

I still see you log on to MSN with a stupid new name every day...:)

[katie]

Originally posted by Seshmeister

I'll try and get a hold of a later recording and post it.
Cheers!
:gulp:

Don't bother

NEXT!

[VanHalener]

Katie

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[katie]

Hey why don't you try and talk dirty to me?

I might like it.

Love you long time LOL!

Thanks for the reply to ME!!!

[VanHalener]

Originally posted by katie
Hey why don't you try and talk dirty to me?

I might like it.

Love you long time LOL!

Thanks for the reply to ME!!!

You first baby.

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Post Script:

I think old Dee Snider had the biggest hair

[katie]

I own vanhalener, he just can't get enough of ME! LOL

[katie]

Oh dear Mr vanhalener has only got 2 votes.
Nevermind i still love you (long time) LOL

[VanHalener]

Originally posted by katie
Oh dear Mr vanhalener has only got 2 votes.
Nevermind i still love you (long time) LOL

I love you Katie. You mean you will not give me 5 stars?
It's so important to me.

Now I'm upset

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[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by katie
Don't bother

NEXT!

Damn I'm going to cry myself to sleep tonight.:)

Have you ever considered self harm, go saw on those fat arms...:)

[Diamondjimi]

Originally posted by Seshmeister
Damn I'm going to cry myself to sleep tonight.:)

Have you ever considered self harm, go saw on those fat arms...:)
:lol: nice one !

Hey Sesh , still makin music these days? If you are,throw some up.

Back in the day I knew a bunch of bands similar to yours. Nuthin but fun and good memories.

[DrMaddVibe]

I liked the last batch a LOT more than the 1st.

Did the same person produce both? The reason why I ask, is because you can hear the better singer. The bass and drums get muddied.

I can hear no reason why you didn't get signed.

[Diamondjimi]

A good A/R guy will recognise good songs and band potential regardless of the quality of the recordings. Judging by the shit that's been shoved out there over the years , a band with any originality and chops does'nt stand much of a chance of getting signed (to a major)unless they're a cookie cutter version of something that's already out there. Most A/R people are'nt musicians and it shows in the talentless udder SHITE they sign, push down our throats, sell some albums and then flush down the shitter because the creative tank is empty for these bands because they're one trick pony's.... The executives who run the industry could do themselves good by taking a page out Irving Azzoff' book. He was a guy who would see originality and potential in artists and let them develop and grow from album to album. These artists today ,some of them dead and the others not touring anymore STILL earn money for his company today. Independant is the way to go .........

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
I liked the last batch a LOT more than the 1st.

Did the same person produce both? The reason why I ask, is because you can hear the better singer. The bass and drums get muddied.

I can hear no reason why you didn't get signed.

Yeah same producer but in a different(a little better) studio. There was a gap of maybe two years between. We did a couple of other demos during that time but over the years I've lost my copies.

Cheers!

:gulp:

[Terry]

More fitting to me would have been would I have bought it once it came out...

Probably not.

Will echo what others have said in that the lead vocals were really, well, not TERRIBLE, but a little less than average. Thinking back to what was on the radio then, Rikk is right when he says that it really wasn't any worse than what other bands of the time were doing, but the other side of that coin is that it really didn't stand out or apart from what was going on then, either.

But considering your age then, it was a solid effort, Sesh, and I'm not saying that to be patronizing in any way whatsoever. Hey, fuck it. You guys ponied up to the bar and gave it a shot.

I've heard it said that telling someone their songs aren't good is like telling them their girlfriend is ugly, and I'm not saying your girlfriend was ugly. Don't really have the mindset or pretend to know what an A&R rep at a record label uses as a yardstick, but I can say that just as a listener it was tough for me to get past the blandness and grating voice of your singer.