Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hot on the heels of the first Rickenbacker Resource Forum CD, I’m pleased to announce that Peter McCormack has given his official stamp of approval for a 2nd RRF member compilation. I’m excited about being able to do the compiling and mastering of the music for RRF CD 2, as well as doing the cover art layout using forum member photo submissions. The first run at this type of project was a learning experience for those of us who participated in seeing it to fruition. Many lessons were learned throughout that process that will assure a much smoother and timely release on this second compilation. Like the first CD, this will be a compilation of ORIGINAL songs exclusively. As with the music, all artwork submissions must be created by RRF members.

DEADLINE FOR MUSIC AND COVER ART SUBMISSIONS: NOVEMBER 1st, 2008.

SCHEDULED CD RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 1st, 2008.
(That’s right, kids - Just in time for Christmas!)

The concept is the same – all RRF members are welcome to submit their recordings featuring at least one Rickenbacker instrument, and at least one established RRF member. There is no time limit on the length of the song submitted, but due to the 80-minute time parameter on audio CDs, shorter songs make take precedent in regards to the selection process.

I hope to represent as many of the different and unique voices that make up the RRF as I can with this 2nd CD. Variety is one of the strong points of the first RRF album, so I’m running with that concept. Bearing all that in mind, I’d like to stress these points:

*** ALL STYLES ARE WELCOME ***

I don’t think I need to run down the list of known musical styles to illustrate that point. If you play music, you know what it is you do, and I’m sure you understand that “all styles” includes you.

*** ALL RICKENBACKER INSTRUMENTS COUNT ***

This is pretty much self-explanatory as well. My reason for even bringing it up: There wasn’t one Rickenbacker lapsteel or acoustic guitar on the last CD. I don’t think there were any banjolines, either. Hopefully a wide variety of instruments and musicians will make it onto this 2nd CD.

*** MAKE YOUR RICK HEARD ***

Whatever your Rick instrument is, the more it plays a prominent role in your song, the better. This is a gray area of course – some songs styles are more “Rick-tone-friendly” than others. But if you’re the sole Rick player in a metal band laying down the bottom end with a 4001 behind two guitars with their Marshall stacks cranked to 11, make sure that bass can be identified in the mix.

*** NO LIMITATION ON RECORDING AGE OR QUALITY***

Songs can be from your first acetate roll recorded back in 1931, or a demo you recorded yesterday or have yet to even record. Recordings with good sound quality are preferred, of course, but some marginal recordings can be “fixed in the mix” to some degree. So if all you’ve got is an old cassette with tons of hiss, it’s still worth consideration.

*** NO SOCIO-ECONOMIC PARAMETERS ***

YES, that’s right. This compilation isn’t just for us little guys without a contract or professional representation, all the big time RRF members are welcome to participate in our neighborly audio Ritual, too. It doesn’t matter whether you’re well known or unknown. Parallels between all songwriters and musicians telling their Wonderous Stories has been evident since well before the Turn Of The Century. It doesn’t matter if you’re from the South Side Of The Sky, the Heart Of The Sunrise, or Close To The Edge down by the river. Those from any and all walks of life are welcome to participate – be you a Starship Trooper, Astral Traveller, Siberian Khatru, (which still pays pretty well from what I understand,) a Preacher, a Teacher… ALL are welcome to submit. So if you’re thinking about participating, don’t let it be a mere Mood For A Day and just wait for it To Be Over, simply Hold Out Your Hand and pass me your song Soon; And You And I both know just how easy that is. There. Your Move. (Have I made that pointed invitation blatantly obvious enough?)

*** MUSIC AND COVER ART FORMATS ***

Please submit songs in the following formats: Audio CD, Wave file on CD-ROM, DAT, or Cassette. * PLEASE NO MP3s. *

For artwork submissions, I can use pretty much any photo file format, but you can make my life a little easier if you convert it to either jpg or tiff before sending it to me. Hi-res files are preferred, 240-300 ppi, however, I’ve made large 72 ppi files work, too. Artwork can be emailed to me at the address below. There is a 20meg attachment size limit on that account, so if your image is greater than that, please send it on CD-ROM to my office address listed below – OR – if you have your artwork available to grab from an ftp server, give me that URL.

*** MAIL YOUR MUSIC AND/OR COVER ART SUBMISSIONS TO: ***

Mark Walker
287 McLean Ave. Suite 3S
Yonkers, NY 10705
United States
[email protected]

*** MUSICIANS: SUBMIT 3 SONGS MAX ***

If you’re sending songs on a full-length CD, please indicate which top three you want heard.

*** INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFO WITH YOUR SONG SUBMISSION ***

1. Your name (and all other RRF members involved in your project)
2. Your RRF moniker (as with above, list all of those involved)
3. Band’s name
4. Songwriting credit
5. Copyright owner
6. Model number of the Rickenbacker instrument(s) used on your recording, including year of production.
7. Your contact info including email address

If all you have is ONE COPY of your precious musical moment, please get it duped before sending it to me. The USPS out in my neck of the woods here is ineffectual and irresponsible at best, so if your recording is a rare commodity, I highly recommend FedEx-ing it, or using whichever shipping service you trust the most. I’d hate for anyone’s music to get lost or damaged in the mail. I will notify all who submit when I have received your music. If you don’t hear from me within 2-3 weeks after you sent it off, notify me and we’ll see what we can do about it.

I think that should cover it. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here. Your query may offer clarity to others as well. Now then -

BRING IT ON.

Thanks Mark.

I've been getting some GREAT submissions! Keep them coming, guys.

~ HOWEVER ~

It would behoove those of you sending your music to me on disc to ship it in a full-size jewel case. The Postal carriers here in my neck of the woods are horribly lacking in the use of their opposing digits, and appear to have no interest in heeding conditional package warnings like: "FRAGILE" or "Do Not BEND" or "It would really be a major inconvenience to a lot of people if you broke my CD, you ham-fisted lummox, so how about being careful when putting it in my mailbox!!!" The bubble-wrap mailer was so badly battered and torn on two CDs I received that it looked like the mailman used them for some kind of bizarre Mongolian fisting ritual before cramming them into my mailbox. Those CDs were only covered by soft plastic envelopes inside the padded mailer, and it was a miracle that they weren't busted into splinters. I don't want anyone to go crazy with their shipping costs, but as a caution, I HIGHLY recommend AGAINST using the United States Postal Service. Sending wavefiles via YouSendIt.com has proven to work fine thus far, and it's free for basic level use.

Thanks for your consideration in this matter.

M
W

Item #2: I've been receiving a lot of great music, but so far no cover art submissions! Where are my graphic artist and photog peeps? Jeff? Paul? Mark? Got anything brewing?

I'll see what I can cook up this week Mark. My life returns to normal (using the term loosely!!!) after today and I'll be sending something, whether art or music or both, by Friday.

Awesome, Jason. Looking forward to hearing/seeing it.

Mark, I'll be sending along a link or two very soon

Great, Kira! Looking forward to hearing them.

I guess I missed this, but is there a cost associated with submitting a song for the CD?

Will you accept .flac lossless files?

* * * There is no fee for submitting * * *

And FLAC files should be fine.

tbplayer wrote:I guess I missed this, but is there a cost associated with submitting a song for the CD?

hmmm.... OK, does the lack of an answer mean:

1) If I have to ask, I couldn't afford it anyway.
2) I'm not in the club yet... newbies aren't invited.
3) Most members have already have me listed as a "foe".
4) I don't own enough Rickenbacker guitars to warrant an answer.
5) I made enemies of many of the regulars by spelling out "Fender" in a previous post.
6) I'm black-listed because I live in the wrong part of California.
7) The new server is working, but I'm the only one who can access it.
8 ) All of the above.

None of the above, Ruben.

It's all free, man, but just send it in a lossless format. Mark recommends a particular file transfer service above and it worked fine for me.

you're not that far from me and PW, in the right part of California

Ruben - Maybe there's something wrong with how my answer translated on your browser. Below your original query and Wes Mitchell's post, I responded in big bold letters flanked by asterisks: "There is no fee for submitting." It's right above the part where I remarked that FLAC files should be fine.

Is this mic on?

walker wrote:Ruben - Maybe there's something wrong with how my answer translated on your browser. Below your original query and Wes Mitchell's post, I responded in big bold letters flanked by asterisks: "There is no fee for submitting." It's right above the part where I remarked that FLAC files should be fine.

Is this mic on?

DOH!

You're right, it's there. I think because the text is bold I skipped over and didn't read it, thinking it was just part of the header. Thanks for ***both*** of your responses!