Lots of Time Has Passed!!

I cannot believe how long it's been since I checked in here on blogger.com! Woah. Reading my last blog, so much has happened. Yes I created that "album in 3 weeks" and produced it myself. It's called "The Vehicle". I was planning on releasing it independently but a record label came along through an old friend in the UK named Laurie Jay and I signed the deal to release "The Vehicle" worldwide on Right Recordings distributed through Nova/Universal, excluding the States, back in February of this year. It was officially released on April 22nd and the first single called "Good Girl Down" was simultaneously released on that date as well. I can tell you, it's better to have a team behind me. I'm more of a creative type and even though I o participate in social marketing, I wouldn't exactly call myself tenacious about it. I do Facebook mostly, and a little bit of twitter. I'm still not resting on my laurels though, I will continue to do my due diligence when it comes to promo. It's just nice to have a team behind me that has connections to radio and press in the UK and worldwide. I went over to the UK at the end of April after a songwriting week in Santorini, Greece, hosted by a writer and entrepreneur, Leonidas Chantzaras. It was a good writing trip in most ways, especially that I met and worked with some people that I'm still in touch with, one named Paul Drew who is a great writer and sound designer. We wrote two songs in one day with another great writer from Denmark named Marcus Winther-John. I went on to London to do several shows around the country and lots of interviews. I did a popular tv show called "Loose Women" which is very much like "The View" over here in the States and they requested an exclusive on the video for "Good Girl Down"which was good. Then I did the shows with a group of musicians from the Allstars Collective who are all FANTASTIC and I got lots of help from the guy who manages them and even plays a little harmonica, Paul Pacifico. I had a great time. When we all got back home, Paul Drew worked on the demos and really made them sound like records. When it came time to have my newest [about to be released] single mixed, I contacted Paul and asked if he would mix it. He agreed and helped me prepare the files for him to mix which was a bit of a process only because I don't really work in the program that everything was recorded on, Protools. I work in a software program called "Logic", but Paul walked me through it and was able to receive all the necessary files and I have to say, he really did a great job. It needed to be edited down as it was pretty long and now it's much more "radio friendly". Plus I had to add a few more things, some background parts as you know a "painting" is never done and I wanted to add some more colors to the song. What else can I tell you? Our house is like a factory today, here on the Sunday, the day before Labor Day. We've been working on mixing a b-side for the new single and I decided it would be a song I've had around for a while called "I Adore You" which I've always loved. I just never got the demo sounding great. FINALLY, it sounds like I wanted it to sound in my mind. I'm sending it to the label tomorrow or Tuesday to see what they think. Also, speaking of Factory, upstairs my hubby Lance is working on the video for the single which he got a good grip on today, concept wise. Additionally, my APP is finally finished! It's taken about 8 months to complete it, but it's worth it and was created by a friend of ours named Roberto Montesinos who has the mind to do it, lots of minutia to cover, but we are finally there. He's just sent it in to Apple for approval. It used to take 3 weeks for them to get back and approve it but now, apparently, it's only 5-10 days which is great. And my son and his girl friend are working on some animation for the video. Alls' good, b-side playing in the background and I'm leaving for London in about 6 days to do some writing and more gigs around the launch of "The Vehicle". Phew, lots going on, no wonder I'm tired!! But I adore it and the opportunity to continue to do what I love today. As my fortune said in the cookie tonight: You lead a useful life no matter what riches are coming to you. I feel very wealthy and fortunate in SO many ways. Amen!! Peace Out.....xoxoxo

The Making of 2011 Blog 14

Yep, it's been a while. About a month actually. I have no idea how that happened. But it's not because nothing's been going on. And by the looks of it I'm gonna need a clone this summer.

New and noteworthy: things are about to get very exciting indeed. My "album" is now turning into a double album, haha! yes, here's how: I'm going into a studio with some of my favorite musicians at the end of this month to do 10 songs which I am producing myself. I wrote some new songs recently, played them to a few people and the report: "this is gonna be funky!". indeed it is. I've got my old fave rhythm section lined up: James Gadson on drums [Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Paul McCartney] Reggie McBride on bass [Keb Mo', Ricki Lee Jones, Taj Mahal], Johnny Lee Schell on guitar [Bonnie Raitt and my old pal, aussie, Renee Geyer and others] Luke Miller on Keyboards, [soulful young LA player around town with the best of the LA musicians, namely saxophonist Paulie Cerra] and additional guitars by the very talented and tasteful Sam Meek, also a member of Paulie Cerra's band. The goal: let's do a 10 song album in 3 weeks, like they used to do it in the old days. YEAH.

I'll resume working with Larry Klein after my production is finished. I'll do 5 more songs with Larry. Release date for the entire collection TBD but I'm thinking this fall for sure!!

We'll be filming both adventures and will place footage on youtube as we go as well as making a documentary about it all. So, please stay tuned. Check me out on youtube as well under "Marcella Detroit".

I'm very excited about it all!! And grateful. Thanks for reading. xoxoxo

The Making of 2011 Blog 13, lucky?

Yes i am!! very lucky girl, woman, of the human species.

what's new you might ask? well, I'm off to Chicago tomorrow to join Corky Siegel and his group called Chamber Blues. An eclectic mix of his harmonica playing [ps. he know that thing so well, it's really like a mini piano in his mouth, haha!] and a string quartet, plus a percussionist. they are all lovely people and dear friends. it will be a year since the last gig i did with them nearly. always fun to see them and i have to say corky has enough enthusiasm for a million people. what a showman!!

then what? i'm back here in cali to figure out what's gonna happen next with my "record". i'm also planning some very exciting music stuff/rehearsals/possible gigs when i get back.

been doing some writing with a very cool new guy I met named klaus derendorf. v talented. we're writing for some very big artists right now. names will be disclosed later. don't wanna jinx it, hehe!! i know i know, not very evolutionarily evolved to b superstitious; i ain't perfect...:-)

i did a vocal on a "dance" record, co-wrote it with a cool dj who is american via the uk named gina star. that will be out sometime this summer. you know me, I love all kinds of music.

my heart is in my eternal love for "soul". found a cool station on satellite radio called 'soultown" love it.

oh, and sporting a new haircut by a gr8 stylist i just got turned onto named krystal @ guy matthew salon, she roxxxxx!!

all in all, things are good and i am very fortunate. wishing much love and happiness for all our brothers and sisters here in the us in overseas in recent killer storms and quakes.

BIG love, peace and out xoxoxoxo

The Making of 2011 Blog 12

Well, I'm up to my usual antics: it's 1:32 am and I'm wide awake...what's new??

i haven't blogged recently cuz there wasn't much new to tell. but just a little update: last week I went to my publishers and we had a "listening" session to the 5 tracks that larry produced. everyone seemed to really enjoy them. there's talk about doing another 5 which will be determined a few weeks from now.

meanwhile, i'm writing some new songs for myself and working on some demos on some of my songs in my home studio which is just great fun and easily transports me to a fantastic mood.

i'm also writing some songs with other writers for other artists which is going well. i'm getting antsy to do some gigs in the LA area very soon, over the summer. I have already been invited to do a gig at a very cool venue which i'll divulge soon....

that's it for now, until i get the next urge to do a new blog..

much love, always xoxoxo

The Making of 2011 Blog 11

They call me the night owl; and for good reason. It's 1:31 am, Friday morning. I've just gotten in from going to a jam to hang with some good friends of mine and got up and sang and played some cool old tunes by Denise LaSalle ["I didn't take your man" which was also recorded by the great Ann Peebles] and a woman named Yvonne Fair [ A song called, "It shoulda been me", very cool, very gospel. And no, it's not the same song Ray Charles did. But Gladys Knight recorded it and her version is very good, what a voice. But Yvonne's Fair's is less slick and I like that, yeah]. The latter I haven't sung for many years but thought of it today and how much fun it would be. And it was....Why is it that I feel so awake right now when I have to be like a normal person and get up at a reasonable hour? I was born at night, some things will never change...

So, tomorrow I'm going to the studio, where mixing is taking place. In fact, tomorrow we will be finished with mixing all 5 songs. I heard a few mixes today that sounded really good, just got to do a little tweaking on one or two of them. And that will be that. Then we shall play them for my publishers.


Wish me luck people, if you're reading this. Send me a comment if you like, let me know what you think, how is your world, what kind of music really inspires you; really makes you think, what makes you feel good, excited, what makes you forget what you wanna forget and remember the times you've treasured? Talk to me!!

Much love;

Marcy xoxox

The Making of 2011 Blog 10

My tenth blog about this, well, happy 10th blog anniversary!

This coming week: All overdubs are finished. Two mixes have been done, we will go back and review those. Now this coming week I think the last 3 songs will be mixed and done. There may be a few tweaks here and there, but for the most part, finished.

I'll report on the results in a few days.

Thanks for tuning in.

Peace, love and all that good stuff

Marcy xoxoxo

The Making of 2011 Blog 9

About to start what will most likely be the last week of recording for these 5 songs. I only have a few things left to add, some acoustic guitar on one of the songs and a few backing vocals on some of the others.

Then it's on to mixing. In fact, they will be starting a mix tomorrow, the last of the overdubs, I will add on wednesday. I'm looking forward to hearing what EL does with the mixes, ie, what he leaves out, leaves in, turns up or down.

In the famous words of Arnold Schwarznegger, "I'll be baaaaaaaaack!" in a few days with an update. Feel free to follow me on twitter @marcelladetroit. I've been tweeting from the stuuuudio.

Much love;
Marcy xoxo