Anyone use Taxi

[lindsaysings]

A friend referred them to me. I figured you guys probably tried them being songwriters and all. Is it worth the money to send them songs? I'm hoping for some entry into the music business.

[Lee Knight]

Well...

 

Funny enough we just had a little tiff around here regarding this. I myself, have not used them. But... a friend, a very, very good songwriter, has. The first thing I can tell you is they are very commercial centric. If that's not your gig, you will be very disappointed. However, and I'm sure others will quickly disagree, if you are interested in moving in a direction that is commercial, they can be very helpful. A strange case in point...

 

My buddy I mentioned. He's been written up worldwide as a pivotal songwriter in the power pop old school classic songwriter tradition. Think Costello, Crowded House, John and Paul, etc. Though he's never had any real success (more on that later), the critical take on him is "where's this guy been?" Japan, Spain, (I produced and played on this stuff) and a few other pockets, love him.

 

But... when he would submit tunes for placement for movies or commercials with Taxi, he had the attitude that he'd spitball it. Send a few things. He's great. They should love it. And they did. But never picked his stuff up because it was never right for the particular, specific need. He really did not get the concept of placement.

 

To find or write the perfect tune for the particular need.

 

Their feedback? Very, very good. I'd read it and think, "Thank God!" But he'd dismiss it. And more power to him. But... he is and remains a very good undiscovered artist. Even after being signed to MCA and Bizzare. So... (and others will disagree with me), if your desire is to sell your music, to learn to create music that can compete in one of the many outlets that is selling music, Taxi, from what I've seen, can be good. If you listen.

 

However, you may not want to listen. And maybe for very good reason. So you really need to understand what it is they're really offering.

 

If you're just starting? Hang here for a while and save your money.

[Marshal]

Nice, Lee.

[blue2blue]

I've known a handful of folks who have subscribed to TAXI for a year or two. I don't know any of them who feel like they were cheated or fooled. TAXI seems to be quite straightforward about what they do and don't do.

 

Of course, folks' expectations can get wrapped up in there and color their perceptions. But most of the folks I've known who were with TAXI for a while but decided it wasn't for them for various reasons have been quite forthright about suggesting the 'problem' (if there was one) was simply that they didn't completely fathom the tightness of the constraints and requirements of commercial pop writing, seeming to feel that they had been naive about their own commercial potential -- and that might just be considered a valuable lesson.