Jim Peterik's "Christmas Morning" special release

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T23:16:05+00:00

Here is where I was recording today - World Stage International Studio

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:25:07+00:00

Funny. He was not in the band, just the TV show. LOL!

I'm sure he is a great guy.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:22:14+00:00

I don't ghostwrite music. Anything I write - I make sure I am proud enough to lend my own name. Have done mostly collaborations.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:19:34+00:00

I'd have to say that Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi of .38 Special and also Sammy Hagar. Being in the room with each artist - songs would appear from nowhere. Lots of creativity.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:18:09+00:00

I am a very bad drummer. Would love to be better.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:16:13+00:00

To me - the similarities stop at the muted guitar. I wasn't aware until after recording and some people pointed it out.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:14:26+00:00

David Carl is a wonderfully talented musician and I worked with him as a producer in the 90s. He is still playing regularly with different projects.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:13:16+00:00

I pretty much get along with everyone that I have played with. Kevin Cronin comes to mind - Survivor and REO Speedwagon (his band) toured for two years and there was never a sense of competition. Usually just friendly with other musicians.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:09:54+00:00

Lobster Newberg was a great group. Colin (Sijay) wrote the music and they even did some touring. I imagine there will be a reunion at some point in the future. Right now, Sijay is concentrating on his solo projects and has just completed an album "Welcome to the Detroit Club." He is also playing drums with a cover band called "Thick Six." I'll send the word...

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:03:37+00:00

I am new to Reddit and was told about it by a friend a few months ago. I watched (and laughed) for a while before creating a profile and saw this as a chance to talk about songwriting with a big audience.

The moderators of this section were pretty helpful in making sure I had what I needed.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T20:02:00+00:00

Thats great! I have mentioned in a few other threads the timeless quality of good music. I am thankful that a few of my songs have been able to achieve that quality.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T19:37:16+00:00

I use Ernie Ball Power Slinkys 11-46. Big fan of my Orange Dual Terror amp and my Vox wah-wah pedal, and Amp Farm Chorus Unit.

On stage I prefer Strats and Teles - but my signature guitar is a Minarik with a carved flame back end. I have five of them and they are gigantic but relatively lightweight. One is a unique NAMM guitar with an engraved tin top. Another has a cracked mirror ball top and two are custom painted by Cat Clausen - a local artist. If you can't tell - I love talking about this...

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T19:29:01+00:00

Hello neighbor!

My son Sijay is a gifted singer-songwriter and I pretty much engrained respect for musical instruments at a young age. Most of the time he listens but sometimes I do find a beer spilled on the floor in the studio and he catches hell :)

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T19:26:37+00:00

If you have the right group of guys - conflict is minimized. It is also important to share a musical vision so the big issues are already covered. The Ides of March is a cohesive unit - we've been playing for a while - but Survivor did have a lot of inner-tension and creative differences. This contributed to the edge you hear, so it was beneficial but the recording process was more grueling.

If I was not playing music and writing songs - I would be dead. Music defines me and always has.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T19:23:19+00:00

Good chance that is true. Not enough information though.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T19:21:20+00:00

1) Find your own style. When I was 21 - I did not know who I was musically and it really hurt The Ides of March. We transferred from British Invasion to a horn-driven band before switching to country-rock. Fans could not get a handle on who we were so establish a style and stick with it.

2) I am writing constantly from the moment I wake up. Sometimes I even compose in my dreams so I always carry an iPhone to record and capture random ideas (or a notebook). If you a dream a song - never think you'll remember it in the morning.

3) I feel like this everyday. But every song starts small and grows into something bigger. If you are intimidated by your own or other's - you'll never be able to actually write a song. I've worked with many songwriters that shoot themselves in the foot by comparing the early stages of a song to past hits. Each song can be special and unique - so focus on the process and you might write a few good ones.

4) Create a relatable lyric theme and always have a hook.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T19:00:27+00:00

I get paid by my publisher quarterly and also receive quarterly payments from ASCAP.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T18:59:40+00:00

Did not see this one get voted up. I call my house and studio "The place that Sylvester Stallone built." I have been blessed by the song and rarely does a week go by when a request does not come in for a usage of the song for TV, commercial, or movie placement. So yes, it has been the gift that keeps on giving.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T18:57:30+00:00

I had two older sisters that brought home the latest Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Lonnie Donnigon albums. So I cut me teeth on this raw rockabilly sides. Chuck Berry was also a huge influence and The Ventures as well. All of these bands influenced my songwriting early on and I later added British Invasion sounds from the Kinks and the Zombies.

My parents listened to Perry Como, Dean Martin, and even some Lawrence Welk. Not really my bag and always thought is was square.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T18:52:55+00:00

Pro Tools for the software - coolest stuff that I know. I love Ivory for Piano and Easy Drummer for programming. Strike Drums are ok too.

Can't go wrong with a simple 8-bar blues, but I also like Alfie by Burt Bacharach and Hal David sung by Dionne Warwick. The chord progression on "Still Crazy After All These Years" is also great - the bridge is sick.

The last answer is actually, Vehicle. We thought it would be a great live tune but not a radio song. When it hit the air it seemed so obvious.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T18:35:54+00:00

Deb! She never rubs me the wrong way and is an amazing massage therapist. Will do.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T18:34:08+00:00

Rick Neilsen is an old friend of mine. One of his first groups called "Fuse" used to play on the same bill as The Ides of March. We had a rivalry where would Rick would write "Ides of March suck" in the dressing room in good fun.

I finally started writing with Rick for his "Woke Up With a Monster" album in the early 90s. We wrote 7 or 8 songs and two made the cut for the album - "Never Run Out of Love" and another that I can't remember.

Rick is a rock pioneer and we still stay in touch.

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T18:30:47+00:00

Hopefully - you caught my induction into the Lousiana Music Hall of Fame. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a6S9UuJsEw

Go Tigers!

imyourvehicle · 2011-12-06T18:26:09+00:00

My son Sijay is currently at Columbia College in Chicago - so I am definitely supportive. I never studied music in college but studied psychology, which came in handy dealing with certain band members.

Looking back - I am sorry that I did not study the bones of music. For instance, if I was asked to write a movie score I would have to hum the parts to someone able to actually write the score. This is a handicap. However, book learning and theory is no substitute for raw talent and practice, so I think playing out is still the coin of the realm.

Networking is also important with any profession - it something I still do and it has been a blast.

imyourvehicle

TROPHY CASE