Yo! Only a few minutes into this episode but re: the CD Baby Podcast shirts…y’all should buy one! They’re awesome Don’t make them move them!

I’m glad that towards the end of your discussion on cover songs you pointed out the difference between doing a sound alike note for note copy and an “interpretation”. Compare Al Green’s version of “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” to the original Bee Gees’. While it’s the same source material it sounds like almost as much work went into the remake as writing a song from scratch would have. Jose Feliciano’s cover of “Light My Fire” is very different from The Doors’ and was a big hit in its own right. And who could forget Marvin Gaye turning the National Anthem into a sexual experience at the NBA All Star game? I’d rather hear Van Halen’s version of “You Really Got Me” than The Kinks’. So the point is it’s possible to do covers and actually enhance your uniqueness in the process.

That was some hit to the head poor Henry got. I’m glad to see he recovered. We can all get carried away sometimes but that was something else! baby bassinets

This episode describes my music career. I’m a songwriter with four independent CD releases and make virtually the entirety of my musical income by playing in a cover band. The money I make in the band can then cover a nice chunk of studio time when I record. I think I still have it both ways in my town, known for both my solo work and my band work, but the solo side has certainly taken a hit as I almost never play solo shows any more. I manage two websites (yes, I use hostbaby), one for me and one for the band (13thhourmusic.com), but admittedly the band site gets the most attention. More visits, more hits, much larger list, etc. On the plus side, my bandmates and I are now writing material for the band and injecting these originals into our sets. It’s a slow process but seems to be working for now. All in all I’m happy where I’m at, but there’s no doubt that it’s a fine line to walk.

I don’t think you need to do a separate thing or group to do cover songs. I had the same worries about “confusing” people but I started adding some covers to my set and it has been nothing but good. I find that I am able to catch peoples attention by singing a few covers and then they actually listen to my originals since they are now connected to me. I think it is a good thing to try out and I make more money as well.