HOW TO USE FACEBOOK TO THE MAX!

When my friend music producer Art Munson, asked me if I was on Facebook, I told him I was wary of social networks. I dismissed them as places to go if you want an illusion of popularity or if you’re nosy and want to peer into the lives of other people you may or may not know.

When I joined Facebook I expected a commercial, manipulative atmosphere. Instead, I found a friendly site that easily connects or reconnects people with each other. In the past five months, I’ve reconnected with about 400 people from my past, while I constantly meet new people that I want to know more about and communicate with.

I don’t join any clubs, attend any events, become a fan, play games, take quizzes, give or receive presents through Facebook, because that would expose me to the possibility of my e-mail addresses and private information being compromised.

Even though I live in the middle of the desert, I’m now able to travel again and see the world through the eyes of my friends on Facebook. This week alone I joined Patti Dahlstrom and Ollabelle Hall on their trip to Paris, Artie Kornfeld in New York making plans for Woodstock ‘09, Dan White walking his dogs in the park, Ann Munday in the yard painting another great water color, travel guru Peter Greenberg flying into Atlanta, Don Oriolo returning from Nashville, and Felix the Cat (who Don draws), just “cattin’ around” (on his very own Facebook page)!

I also have found that Facebook is also a place where I can submit songs to artists within minutes of them posting that they are going into the studio. I can also see what Patti LaBelle, Ron Dante, B.J. Thomas, and Dwight Twilley are up to. I can follow record producers Elliot Mazer, Ron Haffkine, Elliot Randall, Nile Rogers, and see what they are looking for. Although my efforts haven’t paid off yet, I remind myself that I had over 122 turndowns before Ringo Starr finally recorded “You’re 16” and sold five million units!

I’m starting to collaborate on a series of radio spots with Facebook pals Normand Kurtz, songwriter/artist Alan O’Day (“Undercover Angel”) and DJ Paul Payton, designed to help freshen up Classic Hit Radio. I’m also developing internet campaigns for Tommy James (“I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Crimson and Clover”) who’s book, “Me, the Mob, And the Music,” will be released soon and Felix The Cat, who I am hoping to develop as a character featured in rap music videos.

I was talking to my friend and former client Joe Klein (now known as New Media Joe), the radio and TV spot producer, whose award-winning spots helped sell over one billion records, cassettes and CDs. It was Joe who suggested that I start blogging, and was the first to tell me about Facebook and Twitter.

New Media Joe says, “It’s exciting to see Artie has now received well over a million views on his blog and also chose to hop on board the social networking bandwagon as well! Artie has an unbridled passion to promote (whether it be music, media or songs) and he has been a master at it for as long as I have known him (which is 35 years now).”

“The internet, through blogging, social networking, viral videos and audio podcasts, has opened up a whole new world of communication and media delivery. I really am happy to see that Artie is as excited about all this–and new media in general—as he is, and is so enthusiastic about developing new ways of promoting EVERYTHING online!”

“I only first put my own Facebook page up late last year and have not, to date, used it as extensively as I should. Still, to punctuate how effective Facebook has become, I‘ve been contacted by several long lost friends (some of whom I haven’t spoken with in decades) and they, in turn, put me in touch with other friends. One Facebook contact from an old friend dating back to my high school days reconnected me with another friend of forty years, Ron Fair. Ron was a deejay on my high school radio station. He was a composer, arranger and keyboard player as well. Ron was passionate about music. After high school, I gave him his first job at a little demo recording studio I in L.A. where I was a partner, and taught him the basics of recording music. To say that Ron has come a long way since those days is an understatement. After spending decades as an A&R man for several major labels and a stint as the president at A&M Records, Ron is now the chairman at UMG’s Geffen Records. He also happens to be the guy who brought in artists like Christina Aguilera, the Black Eyed Peas and Keisha Cole. Thanks, in the most part, to a Facebook contact, Ron and I got together recently at his home in L.A. for the first time in over twenty years! It was pretty cool, because I had a few old tapes he had left in my studio and it was nice to finally return these old “lost tracks” to him! Guess I need to start using Facebook a little more!”

(To Be Continued next Tuesday)

Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne  http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/

You can reach New Media Joe, founder of New Media Creative at joe@newmediacreative.com

You can also read his company blog at  www.newmediacreative.com/blog

New Media Joe’s Twitter page www.twitter.com/newmediajoe

Art Munson http://munsongrecords.com/

Don Oriolo and Felix the Cat http://www.felixthecat.com/

BACK TO ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB http://artiewayne.wordpress.com

The top picture of Felix The Cat drawn by Don Oriolo copyright 2009

THE DEAN PITCHFORD VIDEO JUKEBOX

Before there was a “High School Musical” One, Two, or Three, “So You Think You Can Dance”, “American Idol” and “Glee”, there was the little movie that was a blueprint for them all, “FAME”! This 1980 musical, featured a cast of unknowns, who chronicled the lives of a group of students attending the High School of Performing Arts in New York City. It showed what it takes for young talent to pursue an artistic dream in a world filled with bores and whores.

“FAME” was not only a number one film around the world, it spawned a TV series “The Kids from Fame” that ran between 1982 and 1987…and the remake opens this weekend. I’ve only seen short preview clips, but I’m positive the world won’t be disappointed by what looks like a long MTV music video.

The musical glue that holds each of the franchises together is the Academy Award winning theme song “Fame” by my pals Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore, which I still consider one of the most inspiring anthems ever written!

When I asked Dean about the whole experience he said, “The idea behind “Fame” — that the journey to artistic expression and fulfillment has many, many routes — is timeless; it’s wonderful to know that the very material that excited and inspired me and Michael Gore twenty-nine years ago (!!!) can still fascinate a new generation.”

As I watched Irene Cara sing “FAME” from the first film again…I thought about all the hits Dean Pitchford has had in his career and decided to put together THE DEAN PITCHFORD VIDEO JUKE BOX

Now here are his hits including “FAME” and “FOOTLOOSE” in no particular order…

copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne

FOR THE STORY BEHIND “FOOTLOOSE” http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/celebrating-the-25th-anniversary-of-footloose-and-genghis-cohen/

To reach Dean Pitchford http://www.deanpitchford.com/

BACK TO ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB http://artiewayne.wordpress.com

ARTIE IS BACK ON THE BLOG ON FRIDAY!

PLEASE TRY TO CONTROL YOURSELVES UNTIL THEN!

IS TIME-WARNER CABLE SCREWING YOU TOO?

For the last two nights TIME-WARNER in Desert Hot Springs, California has been transmitting “Dancing With The Stars” out of synch, with the picture ahead of the sound! IF THIS IS NOT CORRECTED by tonights show…THE CLIPS OF THE 3 SHOWS WILL BE POSTED ON YOUTUBE IN THE MORNING!

The last time that this happened I didn’t have a blog that’s had over a MILLION VISITORS… SO IF TIME-WARNER CABLE IS SCREWING YOU TOO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND MENTION THE PROBLEM YOU’RE HAVING…YOU CAN BE SURE SOMEONE AT THE COMPANY WILL SEE IT BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY!

Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/

YOU CAN’T PUSH A BULLET BACK INTO A GUN ‘09

You Can’t Push A Bullet Back Into A Gun

You say that you’re sorry, but the damage is done

You may as well try to blow out the sun

You Can’t Push A Bullet Back Into A Gun

Little Jenny skippin’ rope in front of school

Starts to cry when a gang drives by, shootin’ at some fool

But they miss their mark, escape through the park

While Jenny’s on the ground, watchin’ the world get dark

You Can’t Push A Bullet Back Into A Gun

You say that you’re sorry but the damage is done

You may as well try to blow out the sun

You Can’t Push A Bullet Back into A Gun

A truck cuts crazy Bobby off out on highway four

Reaches into his pocket, gotta’ even the score

Meanwhile, at the mall, back against the wall

Some guy with a grudge says, ” I’m gonna’ show ‘em all

Make ‘em fall, watch “em crawl.

You Can’t Push A Bullet Back Into A Gun

You say that you’re sorry but the damage is done

You may as well try to blow out the sun

You Can’t Push A Bullet Back into A Gun

Is it the stranger we should fear the most?

Or family and friends, the ones who are close?

It’s brother kills brother makin’ the news

A murdering wife, tired of being abused

It’s a frustrated lover who just can’t go on

It’s a careless grandfather cleaning his gun

it’s a molested daughter who couldn’t escape

It’s a six year old son who finds dad’s ‘38

[Instrumental]

It’s a tale of envy or a tale of lust

It’s the monster hiding in everyone of us

Now everyday, we all have to pray

That some little country won’t blow the whole world away

You Can’t Push A Bullet Back Into A Gun

You say that you’re sorry but the damage is done

You may as well try to blow out the sun

You Can’t Push A Bullet Back Into A Gun

Copyright-2009 by Artie Wayne