Comments on: “Daywind Deadend”

By: Trent

Trent — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:25:30 +0000

SM, great point. Everybody loves a good ballad, but SG radio is saturated with them. The biggest void in the genre right now is in the area of inventive, original up-tempo tunes. And I am talking about both lyrically and musically.

I want to challenge you guys to step back and listen to up-tempo songs on the radio today. Do you remember the song by the Crabb Family called, “The Lamb, The Lion, and The King”? If you’ll just listen, there are an incredible amount of up-tempo songs that have come out in the past 3-5 years that have the EXACT same melody line in the chorus. Not only the exact same chord structure, but the EXACT same melody line. Listen to SG radio for one month and count them. It’s unbelievable.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 01:21:18 +0000

cdguy, I understand completely, and I’m not picking on Daywind. Just using examples. I could replace Daywind with Crossroads, Spring Hill, Canaan, Curb, MCA, and the same rules [should] still apply.

By: SM

SM — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 23:35:24 +0000

I think the criticism directed toward Daywind that Doug and others (including myself) have had is not whether they market the artist, but in how they’re doing so. I remember a few years ago they released three or four LONG slow ballads by Greater Vision to radio, and by the third one, we were tired of that sound and thus didn’t play anything current by GV. One compilation released during ratings period even had 6 out of 8 songs as 4+ minute long ballads, which isn’t good for a southern gospel station that’s trying to compete with top 40 Christian and country stations for audience share. It’s almost like somebody assumed (and you know what that does) that because a ballad wowed a concert audience that it would be a great song for radio. Yeah, right, hardly the case. If the concert ballads are going to drive the industry, then sg radio will continue to fall short of every other genre.

By: Trent

Trent — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:01:26 +0000

I think over the last year or two Crossroads has really started to overtake Daywind as the label of choice in SG music. Multiple radio hits, multiple Singing News fan awards…..

By: cdguy

cdguy — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:49:48 +0000

Kyle, you’re exactly right. And Daywind is therefore a record company. Read the credits on the cd’s and you’ll see listed an “executive producer”. That indicates whose budget. On most Daywind projects, Dottie Leonard-Miller is listed as executive producer. Daywind does lease some projects, as well. Those pieces would not list Dottie’s name.

Clear as mud?

By: cdguy

cdguy — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:40:27 +0000

Art - A&R stands for Artists & Repertoire. They are the people who are supposed to help the producer match the artist with the song. I know some fine ones in s/g, including Norman Holland at Daywind, who do a fine job. They do artist development, as well as a lot of other behind-the-scenes jobs nobody sees.

Some may not do all you think they should, but apparently they do what they’re paid to do, or their bosses wouldn’t keep them around.

I would also add that not only does Daywind have a good track record of getting Dove and Grammy nominations, they also have a proven track record on radio hits and Singing New Fan Awards. Look at any airplay chart, and you’ll see Daywind artists consistantly at or near the top. Look at the nominees and winners of the SN awards, and you’ll find Daywind artists consistantly listed.

And you can talk all you want to about Grammys and Doves being rigged, stations being added or dropped at will, but the fact is, their artists are loved by the fans.

I’ve also noticed a few artists have left Daywind just before their careers died. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Is that what you meant by “dead end”?

By: Kyle

Kyle — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:54:17 +0000

“….in order to get the best recording they can have for the budget they have.”

Whose budget? Daywind’s or the Artist? I thought a true record company was supposed to set the budget for the artist. Otherwise, the label is doing nothing more than, as stated above, handing distribution and optics.

If an artist is coming to a record label and saying, “Here’s my budget, what can I get for this,” they’re not a record label; they’re a studio. If a label is coming to an artist and saying, “We’re gonna give you this budget for a recording, but here are the stipulations, then they’re a label.

There is a difference between a distributor and a record company.

By: John

John — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:43:19 +0000

To Art(#3)….

Here is a definition of A&R(which stands for Artists and Repertoire)from Wikipedia…

In the music industry, Artists and Repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label company that is responsible for scouting and artist development. It is the link between the recording artist/act and the record label, generally to help with the artistic and commercial development of the label’s artists.

By: art

art — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:11:46 +0000

OK, Avery, do this industry outsider a favor and tell me what A&R means. Sometimes it feels like your site needs a glossary for your various abbreviations.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:10:08 +0000

Point taken. Not much I can add here. Good job!!

By: cynical one

cynical one — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:00:03 +0000

I’ve seen this diatribe from you before, and I still think you’re full of . . . let’s say “prunes”. Daywind (and the other major s/g labels) do have active A&R folks, who do what A&R folks are supposed to do. They also hire producers (either in-house staff producers or work-for-hire people) who work with the artists to select the best songs (no matter who writes them) and the best studio musicians, in order to get the best recording they can have for the budget they have. The A&R folks and the producers generally ARE honest with the singer/songwriters, and help steer them in the right direction.

You are correct that many artists have egos that will not allow as much direction as they really need, but I’m not sure they’re the ones you’ve mentioned in your blogs.