STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

The Story Behind the Song
By Kathy Unruh

Learn how to play Stairway to Heaven

Stairway to Heaven was the song that everyone wanted to learn when I first started playing the guitar. It was the one song that could define you as a good guitarist among your peers.

Stairway to Heaven was written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. They began recording in 1970 and the project was slowly brought to completion one year later in 1971 (after the lyrics were added.) Here are some interesting facts about Stairway to Heaven...

• It was performed by Led Zeppelin for the very first time in conjunction with the first concert they gave in Northern Ireland at Belfast's Ulster Hall.

• It is cited as the most played song on FM radio stations in the United States, despite never being released as a single there.

• Stairway to Heaven is one of the most well-known popular songs in rock and roll history, despite the fact that it was never released as a single.

• It is the biggest-selling single piece of sheet music clocking up an average of 15,000 copies yearly.

• It is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock and roll songs of all time.

• The opening chord progression in Stairway to Heaven is nearly identical to the 1968 instrumental "Taurus" by the group Spirit.

Some critics have accused Led Zeppelin of recording a hidden Satanic message in Stairway To Heaven that can be heard when it's played backward. The band has ignored such claims for the most part. Singer/composer Robert Plant replied to a question on this subject by saying:

"To me it's very sad, because 'Stairway To Heaven' was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that's not my idea of making music."

Swan Song Records also issued the following statement at the time which said:

"Our turntables only play in one direction—forwards."

I personally don't believe there is anything sinister at all about the song Stairway to Heaven. The words are really quite thought provoking. It begins with words about living a life that is only satisfied with material things...

"There's a lady is sure,
all that glitters is gold,
and she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows,
if the stores are all closed,
with a word she can get what she came for."

As the song progresses it becomes more reflective and even somewhat spiritual...

"Your head is hummin' and it won't go, in case you don't know,
the piper's calling you to join him.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run,
there's still time to change the road you're on."

I guess everyone must decide for themselves how they feel about this song. As a guitar teacher, I definitley think it's worth learning because it is a true rock and roll classic.

If you're just beginning to learn guitar, you might find Stairway to Heaven a bit of a challenge to play, but it's not impossible. Those of you who have been playing for awhile shouldn't have any problem. Of course, if your in a band, then this song is a must to know as it is a great crowd pleaser. You will definitely gain recognition and a good response if you can play it well.

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Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 25 years.

For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com

Music Promotion

Four Online Promotional Steps
Every Band Needs To Implement

By Lance Trebesch

Today’s artists have a wide range of possibilities to promote themselves, especially online. But that means you must compete with other groups to gain an online presence. There are four key steps in online marketing to gain a successful start with promoting your music on the internet.

1. Submit to Directories

The first step is to submit. Submit to directories, online radios, and online magazines – anywhere that plays or features music. The more places that play your track, the more people will hear and recognize your music. Thousands of people listen to free online radios daily and most of these stations allow artists to submit their music to them. Similarly, directories permit you to add your website with a brief description, which is then added to the directory site. An even better idea is to make a friend submit your site or music for you so you are not always pushing your own music.

You must be careful when submitting to sites, however, because search directories like Google will downgrade you if your incoming links look unnatural. This means that when someone performs a search for your site, it will not show up in the top search results because the search engine is punishing you. Try submitting your site or music to a couple sites weekly with various anchor texts. For example, the words “an awesome rock blog” are the anchor text to the link www.motorcityrocks.com. Also, do not always submit your site with a link pointing to your homepage. Sometimes submit your site with a link to the secondary page of your website to make the links seem more natural.

* Anchor text – visible, descriptive text you click on for a hyperlink.

2. Give Away Music

Secondly, offer your music at no cost. With the plethora of options available to users to download free MP3s, strictly offering your music for purchase hurts your online status. When a listener gets your MP3 for free, he or she has a greater possibility of returning to your site to hear more music by you if they liked what they heard. Only after listening and liking your music will they purchase your album. You have to be sure not to give away too much music, though, because the listener will have no reason to purchase your album if they can find everything for free.

Adding a podcast or MP3 to your sites also allows users to hear your music without paying anything for it. The hardest part in adding music to the site, however, is the recording, so start by focusing on a quality recording of your music. To add music to the site:

• Find a computer with audio input capability and an easy to use audio encoding application. This is easy if your music is on CD, just rip it with iTunes or a similar application. If it is in some other analog or digital (mini-disc) format, it gets a little harder, but applications are freely out there.

• Then with MP3 file in hand, you can upload the file to your web site and link like you would link a web page or other media/image file.

• From there, there are more complicated ways of doing it so it is more "presentable" with a nice embedded player, etc.

3. Make Business Friends

The third step is to build professional online relationships to boost your online presence. You know a lot about music, so comment on it. Look up blogs related to rock music and add meaningful comments to help others reading the blogs. Most of the time the comment box asks for your URL, which is a great way to promote your own website or blog while helping others by posting comments.

Blogger ethics state if one blogger comments or links to another’s site, the other blogger will comment or link back. This is a great way to build an online relationship and promote one another’s music. An additional option, besides just commenting on their blogs, is to help them out somehow. When you find online radio stations to submit your music to, compile a list and send the list to them. They will in return promote your music to thank you for your help.

Besides commenting on blogs, creating a blog can prove very beneficial in online rock music marketing as well.

4. Utilize Social Networks

Connect yourself to tons of different social networking sites. YouTube, Yahoo Video, and Google Video allow you to post different videos onto the site at no cost, like the OKGo video that was fairly inexpensive and still receives views daily. Post all your music videos and add links to your website to these videos.

MyBlogLog allows users to share different sites and build a community based on various interests. You can also add your site to your profile and view who else has your site as their favorite. Although just over a year old, MyBlogLog is quickly gaining popularity, which presents a great way establish yourself early in the community. Similarly, Ning allows you to create a social network for any topic. Joining and commenting on various rock music networks and creating your own network for group provides the best methods to get the most out of Ning.

Finally, joining the additional social network sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace are all necessary in promoting you or your band. Finding friends and friends of friends can boost you music and be helpful in additional ways. Network as often as possible both online and offline.

These four simple steps provide a great way to start promoting your music online. Remember to submit, give away, and comment. Online marketing is a continuous process you must constantly work on, but it pays off in the end.

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This article was contributed by Lance Trebesch of TicketPrinting.com

Contact: lance@ticketprinting.com

"Jordin Grows Up"

By ANNE MARIE CHANDY

The girl who put Glendale, Arizona, on the map is working hard to earn her keep as the American Idol 6 champ.

SHE may not have been the favourite to win the American Idol (AI) extravaganza earlier this year, but Jordin Sparks proved she had the guts to create her own destiny. A record 74 million votes were cast in May, heralding Sparks as the youngest AI winner and setting in motion a series of events that would drastically change her world.

Over the phone from New York in a recent interview, she sounds mature. Her answers are not the type you’d expect from a typical American high school student. And indeed, she is not. From July to September, Sparks – along with nine other AI finalists – went on a 56-city tour. She’s managed to record an album in that time as well. And she hopes to graduate along with her classmates soon.

Not bad for someone who only turns 18 in December. But Sparks is not your average teenager. She’s had “success” written all over her for a long while now and she has a long list of accolades to prove it, too – from the Coca-Cola Rising Star 2002 to taking the top spot at Glendale, Arizona’s Youth Fest in 2003, to NBC/PAX America’s Most Talented Kids, 2005.

Her debut album, Jordin Sparks, under the 19 Recordings/Jive Records label, is set for release in the United States on Nov 20.

Jordin Sparks: ‘It ( American Idol) opens so many more doors than just singing – there’s acting, going to Broadway, being able to write songs – you really don’t have to win to be successful. I mean, look at Chris Daughtry.’

“The process was really very crazy,” she says. Because you’re an Idol winner, you have to put out an album in half the time it usually takes. Most people have nine months to a year and we really had, like, five months. So it was really crazy.”

Music: Blown away by genius

By ERROL DE CRUZ

Paul Ponnudorai: Right On Time (Ethnobeat)

Hello everybody, todays article is abaout PAUL Ponnudorai. You know, he was just featured very impressively in the latest issue of Time magazine.

Right On Time is this Malaysian musician’s debut album, recorded and produced in mid-2005 and now re-released and available throughout Southeast Asia.

The 15-track delight of 14 interpretations and one original (the instrumental, Henry Koh’s Lullaby) opens with the gospel number, Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho. It’s a rollicking version that showcases both his fretboard virtuosity as well as his wide-ranging vocals, quite an introduction to what the rest of the album is about.

Ponnudorai’s magic is how he interprets the hits because none of them sound like the originals. He doesn’t cover anything and it’s not a do-you-have-any-requests outing. It’s the Malaysian guitarman sounding just like he would at any pub show, minus the irritating, annoying chatter.

Right On Time is unadulterated Paul Ponnudorai at his best, and what you’d need to do is sit down and get blown away by his sheer artistic genius.

What’s amazing about this studio effort produced by European guitarist Enrico Crivellaro is that all 15 tracks are one-take performances. There was no going back to redo a line, no heavy mixing; just Ponnudorai having fun. You could almost hear him say: “Hey, it’s my way or the highway!”

On Right On Time, this Ipoh-born, KL-bred fretboard virtuoso takes you on a journey, not just of the hits of several decades, but of their musical influences, too.

You can hear Jose Feliciano somewhere in there, Chet Atkins in The Theme From The Godfather, Jerry Reed in Sitting On Top Of The World (a live pub recording), a little Joao Gilberto and Carlos Jobim, and some awe-inspiring flamenco-ish strumming, too.

Ponnudorai’s forte is that he can switch grooves in midstream, always keeping you entertained and excited, following him on one of his heavenly-inspired escapades.

Halfway through Speak Softly Love, just as he clicks from a contemporary, predictable reading to a Chet Atkins country-jazz canter, you virtually detect the Ponnudorai glint as the guitarman knows he’s got you grooving along.

Crivellaro’s production is clean, allowing the guitar work to come across very crisp and the rough edges of the artiste’s vocals to cut through naturally.

Don’t feel embarrassed if you suddenly find yourself whooping or applauding after one of Ponnudorai’s solos. That’s the effect the album has on you.

Tracks include Can’t Buy Me Love, Misty, Delta Dawn, One Room Country Shack, Killing Me Softly, House Of The Rising Sun and Five Hundred Miles.

You can buy the CD on www.cdbaby.com/ponnudorai. To legally download, go to www musicnet.com or www.musicishere.com.

A evening with Sean and Spanish tenor

Sean Ghazi.

THE annual Toyota Classics musical showcase is back, with yet another spell-binding orchestral and classical music treat for Malaysian fans.

The Cadaques Orchestra.

The 16th Toyota Classics will take place at 8.30pm in the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) Auditorium, Shah Alam on Nov 18.

This year, Spain's mesmerising Cadaques Orchestra returns, having last performed in 2002.

For the first time, a vocalist will croon evergreen operatic songs as well as modern numbers. The singer will be none other than Sean Ghazi, the star of the recently-concluded P. Ramlee - The Musical.

Sean will be joined by acclaimed Spanish tenor Salvador Carbo.
"This is our first collaboration and I'm really excited about it. I'll be singing one song made popular by Tan Sri P. Ramlee, and that's going to be a surprise," Sean said.

On his role a Ramlee, Sean said: "He is one of my all-time heroes and I worked really hard to be like him on stage," he said.

The actor/singer is happy to participate in Toyota Classics as he has great respect for the orchestra led by conductor Pablo Gonzalez, and Carbo.

Toyota Classics is organised by UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd and is in aid of Rumah Kanak-Kanak Taman Bakti in Kepala Batas, Butterworth; the Klang Handicapped Children's Care Association; the Manjung Handicapped People's Welfare Association in Sitiawan; and Yayasan di-Raja Sultan Mizan of Terengganu.

The home in Butterworth has 168 children and 52 staff. An institution under the Welfare Department, it protects abused and neglected children. It is in need of two vans.

The children's Care Association has 66 children and 30 staff. It is in need of a gymnasium and laundry.

The association in Sitiawan has 945 members and 60 volunteers. It plans to acquire newer and larger premises.

The foundation, established by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in 2005, plans to revive handicraft around the country, particularly wood-carving and batik.

It is also involved in a nationwide handicraft skills training and entrepreneurship programme.

Since its inception in 1990, Toyota Classics has introduced to Malaysian audiences world-famous orchestras such as the Sapporo Symphonic Orchestra of Japan, the Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra of Hungary and the Vienna Volksoper Symphony Orchestra of Austria.

UMW Toyota executive director for strategic planning Aminar Rashid Salleh said over RM4.4 million has been collected from the annual concert for 32 charities around Malaysia.

The concert will be attended by Tuanku Mizan and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, and the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

By : Dennis Chua
Tickets are priced RM70. Call 03-5123-6688.

Right time to stay Kool

(From left) Dennis Thomas, George Brown, Robert 'Kool' Bell and Khalis Bayyan.

Big names are on the bill for a series of concerts in KL beginning next week. SHUIB TAIB gets the rap on a long-time favourite.

SO many big names are part of the Live and Loud KL concerts that even Kool & The Gang are impressed by the illustrious company they will be keeping.

"What? Whitney Houston is going to sing there too? Good God! Wish we could extend our stay but we have commitments planned months before. Still, it's good to know that we're a part of this big music event," said Robert "Kool" Bell in a telephone interview recently.

Famous for hits like Get Down On It, Ladies Night, Celebration and Jungle Boogie, Kool & The Gang will be one of the many international stars at Live and Loud KL's concerts from Nov 23 until Dec 2.

The group is scheduled to perform at Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, alongside James Ingram and Malaysia's Hazami on Nov 27.
Kool & The Gang have performed in Kuala Lumpur before.

"That's right. But that was so many years ago and after all these years, we're looking forward to coming back to Malaysia again. Unfortunately, we won't have that much time to check out interesting places in Kuala Lumpur," said Kool, adding that the band would stop in Jakarta first before coming to Kuala Lumpur, and would continue with performances in Germany and a host of cities in the United States.

Next year, however, the band plans to hold concerts in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong "and all the areas around there".

The band has been around for more than four decades, but only four original members are left: Robert "Kool" Bell, his brother Khalis Bayyan (formerly known as Ronald Bell), their longtime friends Dennis "DT" Thomas and George "Funky" Brown.

Kool attributes good communication between members, including being one with one another, as the reasons the four have stuck together.

"In this business, it's easy to get distracted by all kinds of things but as long as you remain true and loyal to your pals, everything will be all right," said Kool.

The band's brand of music is best described as a mix of jazz, R&B, funk and pop.

Kool & The Gang's story started in the housing projects of Jersey City, New Jersey. They were teenagers, who, aside from listening to Miles Davis albums and James Brown singles for inspiration, also held jamming sessions in basements.

In 1969 they made their first record. Still teenagers and full of confidence, they named that first record after themselves. Their creativity produced a string of loose-but-tight, "fun" records, culminating in the pop chart smash Jungle Boogie.

Kool & The Gang didn't need a singer then: the horns were the lead voice and the fans chanted along. Their songs were featured in films like Rocky and Saturday Night Fever.

Thanks largely to songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame, they've earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits and 31 gold and platinum albums.

Kool & The Gang has performed continuously for the past 35 years, longer than any R&B group in history.

With the explosion of hip-hop in the '90s, Kool & the Gang's incredible catalogue of grooves made them DJ favourites, and they were second only to R&B icon James Brown as sources of rap-music samples.

In 2004, the album The Hits Reloaded found the band collaborating with such "new" acts like Lil' Kim, Sean Paul, Ashanti, and Blackstreet, among others. Last year, the band re-entered the Billboard R&B chart with Steppin' Into Love.

What kind of performance can Malaysians expect? "Well, we're going to sing some new stuff but more of the old songs. Basically, we're going to have a party!" said Kool.