18 months ago I started Calendar Songs writing one song a month for anyone, anywhere to remix. You can listen to the spectacular results on this site by navigating through each month's pages. The challenge was to make a record of the 12 best remixes - and today I am very pleased to introduce Calendar Songs Volume 1!
This is what you get for your money:
- Brand new vocal recordings of each month's original song
- Each remix has a new arrangements with additional backing vocals, arrangements and instrumentation
- Each remix has a new mix and master
- Beautiful limited edition CD digipack
- Stunning artwork by Jonathan de Villiers and design by Nim Ben-Reuven
- A personal message from Calendar Girl outlining the Calendar Songs project
- All tracks mastered by Eric Breton to exceptional quality
All for only £10! And all profits are equally split between Calendar Girl and each Remixer - see below for more details on this unique new approach to Open Music!
It has been what feels like a lifetime since I sat around the dinner table with three friends and told them about my idea for posting songs online and allowing them to be remixed. Every single moment since then, from discovering Creative Commons licensing and ccmixter to doing live shows and making videos has led me here. I can't quite explain how proud and pleased I am to finally look at the view from the top of the hill after such a climb. Even at the hardest moments I knew the view would make it all worthwhile.
So I'd like to introduce this record. I've talked elsewhere about the process (see the Interviews page just added) but once again I want to say that each of these tracks was revisited for the record. When you buy the CD or download you are buying tracks that have had new vocals, backing vocals, arrangements, mix and master. Some have been almost completely transformed - like Ross Lorraine's mix of the April song. Some have new vocal arrangements, like IMT's February mumblemix, where I now sing off the beat and then back on it again. Some have new outros, some have new intros. Some have new tempos! Each one has had a new mix and was mastered by Darkroom, the amazing genius behind the honeyed, magical 'Secret Smile' mix of March.
On the more technical side of things I'd also like to take the opportunity to tell you how I came to license each track.
I published all the original songs to the web with a Creative Commons license that allows for modification but not for commercial exploitation. That was integral to opening up my music for remixing and more importantly sent up a more general signal - Open Music Here Everybody!
Carrying on that signaling was crucial to me. I felt that the Calendar Songs record should reflect the collaborative way in which people discovered and contributed to this website. So I fashioned a commercial agreement with each of the remixers that reflected this philosophy. I asked for a license to use and sell the remixes, and in return I stated that each remix would be a co-write. I retain my rights to the original song but the remixes are new recordings with all new music and arrangements against my lyrics and melody. As well as this being generally fairer than a one-off fee without any publishing shares this agreement reflects my understanding of how Open Music works. In short, if you open up your music to invite collaboration, you arrive at a participatory creativity - you're making new material collaboratively. From there it seems obvious that you should open up your business model and make everybody involved an equal partner.
Why split hairs?
So here it is: open music = participatory creativity = participatory business model (thank you Spinmeister for your help in getting me there!)
Please let me know what you think of the record. I'm going to be sending out the CDs myself so allow me some time to get them to you. And once again, THANK YOU for all the remixes, enthusiasm and support you've given this project. I'll make sure to let you know what I'm up to in the future and when the next Calendar Song is being written!
Lots of love from Calendar Girl x.