Hope I'm not abusing the polls, but Chucky knows I'm trying to get more artists to take another step with recording.  I am very happy with the results so far. . .but know there are many more out there wanting or thinking about joining in. . .I am going to be making many threads here and on my personal site to try and encourage further development in recording of parodies.  These polls I'm doing right now are to gather info as to what is most important in that goal to help people start getting their parodies online.

I put 'supporting vocals' since it's hard to do when your singing partner is 7000 miles away... ;)

Time constraints and decent (or even available) background tracks are my two biggest problems at the moment.

I've searched the 'net for backing tracks to Alice in Chains songs: there are very few, and the ones I have heard are really awful. (scratch a good 30 songs right there)

Same with most other alternative/grunge-era /obscure stuff I have written (scratch another 60 or so songs).

Then there's the problem of genuine pacing issues with a fair amount of my pre-October '05 works (especially my newbie works: Feb/March '05): scratch another 60 songs (unless I rewrite them somewhat, which I don't have time for at the moment)

Inside/Amiright parodies (due to limited audience): scratch another 20 or so.

Factor in songs that are really hard to sing well (Led Zeppelin, Eminem, Soundgarden, and so on): wipe another 20-30 from my catalogue.

That still leaves me with roughly 100 parodies that would be recordable, and hopefully funny, but again time is the major issue right now. Also, I would like the backing tracks to not sound like a drunken 2nd grader mashing away at a K-Mart keyboard with dying batteries. I can't really knock them since I'm not musician myself, but there are scores of songs I've done that have really crappy available backing tracks, if any at all.

Dave, there are a few parodies I've made that I'd be honored if you recorded. If you are interested, send me a PM.

I'd like to add "Crap temperamental PC that's always crashing" to the list, although hopefully that's fixed now.

Time is always the big one for me. After I did my first recording, I got all excited and planned to do a recording about every two weeks: hasn't happened. Perfectionist that I am, I want to take time to make the best recording I can, but sadly it's not often available (damn you, capitalist economy that forces creative people to work!)

Good backing tracks are difficult to find: I had a bit of luck with my first two, but alot of the parodies I'd like to record just don't have any good tracks to support them. I try to avoid midis if possible, because by and large they don't sound great to my ears (that's just a personal opinion)

Having said that, getting some cheap recording/editing/mixing software (I use Magix Music Maker 6) gives you much more creative contol over what you produce

I WILL start recording once I have a decent amount of time, now that Dave has very kindly provided me with some backing tracks...

And I will do my own singing. I actually think I have a rather nice voice! Dunno what you guys will think...but I'll try!

I WILL start recording once I have a decent amount of time, now that Dave has very kindly provided me with some backing tracks...

And I will do my own singing. I actually think I have a rather nice voice! Dunno what you guys will think...but I'll try!


I'm confident it will be as beautiful as your work. . .and the backing tracks I was more than happy to fine tune them--anyone who needs backing tracks I will try my best. . .I have worked out a Project with a few other artists as well. . .hopefully this poll will help get me the info I need to assist others in getting started as well. . .thank you for that post Cat--and Red Ant--and Kristof--and Meriadoc, this is showing me the interest is there. . .and the reasons I thought off back before I started singing, the same exact fears/reasons (all of the above except the writing part) were my own fears/reasons. . .so I will work on helping people with each of them--I've got ideas for all of them.

I put Time Restraints, Background Music, and Copywright questions, although several people (BADave, Merry/Pippin, Ethan) have pointed out that my fears are probably unfounded.  With the background music, I'm learning guitar, and switched to a Mac (which probably saved my Windows PC from getting chucked off a high building).

1. Fear of Horrid Voice
2. Lack of Equipment
3. Lack of Money for Equipment (I'm a college student, what do you expect)
4. Lack of Backing Tracks
5. Lack of Location (My neighbors are very loud here, and I don't want them to be in the song)

Well, that's the Top Five Reasons why I don't record
A lot of these are easilly fixed, but then again.... Some are not so easy to fix

I too have a few parodies that I would love to see recorded, and would absoutely love for you to record if you find the time Dave

10 of the Main Top Song that I would love to hear recorded are...

1. Airline To Dayton: http://www.amiright.com/parody/70s/ledzeppelin53.shtml
2. Bar Fight At The Redneck Saloon: http://www.amiright.com/parody/60s/thebeatles1624.shtml
3. Can't Take These Final Exams: http://www.amiright.com/parody/70s/rockyhorrorpictureshow3.shtml
4. Full Graveyard of Cliched Screams: http://www.amiright.com/parody/2000s/greenday333.shtml
5. Frat Play: http://www.amiright.com/parody/2000s/danielpowter16.shtml
6. Underage Strippers Are Never Good: http://www.amiright.com/parody/misc/lydiamariachild0.shtml
7. I Have No Career: http://www.amiright.com/parody/90s/johnnycash3.shtml
8. Oompa Loompa Riot: http://www.amiright.com/parody/misc/handel2.shtml
9. Poodle Puddle Cleaner: http://www.amiright.com/parody/60s/shebwooley1.shtml
10. She Loves Meat: http://www.amiright.com/parody/90s/disney27.shtml

Time restraints - there are only certian times when EVERYBODY is out of the house. When they are all out of the house, it means i can steal my brothers mic and record my best aprodies which tend to have naughty words in them.

Time restraints - there are only certian times when EVERYBODY is out of the house.
I know just what you mean...

Though in my case it's children that interrupt any attempt at recording.

There was a period when I had no usable PC for recording, but now I reckon three or four of 'em would do the job.  What I could really do with now, though is a decent condenser mic/preamp to record the guitar: the pickup for the acoustic gives a very dead sound when recorded :(

The other thing I'm going to have to try at some point is recording using real drum backing - we've got a real drumkit downstairs now :D

For me: Time Restraints (it's called school), Lack Confidence (I think I can sing, others think I can sing, some don't, and I don't deal well with criticism) and definitely Background Music. Three main probs with the last one:

1. I can't find a place to download instrumentals free.
2. I can't find free kareoke-maker software that works.
3. I wanna download the one here: http://www.make-your-own-karaoke.com/karaokedownload2.htm but it costs $30, which I'm saving for THP8 and my Weird Al concert ticket.

What WOULD be cool is if someone got that program and offered to get background tracks to whoever wanted them...