Book on crafting pop hits

August 7, 2014 2:16 PM

Hi, can you identify this post? It was about a songwriter who wrote a book on composing high quality popular songs. The FPP included a rare interview he gave the Guardian and the thread consensus was that the interview was very poorly done. It's for a niece who's making demos. Thanks everybody!
posted by CyborgHag to MetaFilter-Related at 2:16 PM (10 comments total)

Surely this one on Bill Drummond of the KLF?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:19 PM on August 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

And the book was The Manual.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:20 PM on August 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

Just coming here to post that. In a nutshell the advice is 'listen to the top 40 and make something that sounds almost, but not quite, exactly like those songs'. It's good advice.
posted by Sebmojo at 3:02 PM on August 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Here's a post on The Manual, and here's a bigger post on KLF, with a different link to The Manual.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:06 PM on August 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

You guys are awesome, thank you :-)
posted by CyborgHag at 5:50 PM on August 7, 2014

Then, when you make a bunch of money, (claim to) burn it.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:56 PM on August 7, 2014 [4 favorites]

I'm pretty sure they did. They are proper mental.
posted by Sebmojo at 11:41 PM on August 7, 2014 [4 favorites]

Then, when you make a bunch of money, (claim to) burn it.

But then secretly sent it to Matt to keep MeFi on the air for EVARRRRRRRRR!

Love The KLF.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:40 AM on August 8, 2014

Not quite MetaTalk, since this didn't yet show up in MeFi: Another alternative to the Drummond Manual, but also on similar lines, and book that's worth a read if you like this sort of thing: Luke Haines' Britpop and My Part In Its Downfall.

Luke Haines previously, but as yet without a fpp, which I figure he probably deserves at some point.
posted by Joeruckus at 4:21 PM on August 11, 2014

Has anyone here actually read The Manual? I tried, but it wasn't very good, and I gave up in the end. Is it worth finishing?
posted by marienbad at 7:12 AM on August 16, 2014