The Musician... see you among the stars

I went back into the drapery business and I had to find some accounts. I had visited many drapery stores to introduce myself and drop off some business cards. One of the stores was interested in using me and it turned out to be a big account. I started making good money again with this new account. They kept me very busy.

However, I was still into this depression and I needed to break it. I met this beautiful young 16 year old girl on my block named Teresa. I was washing my car while listening to music on the radio when Teresa passed by and said hello. Teresa was tall with a slim body with a beautiful full ass. I was turned on immediately upon looking at her. We chatted for a bit and before leaving she said, Maybe I´ll see you later tonight. I got so excited. I was hanging-out in front of my house early that evening when Teresa and her girlfriend intentionally walked by my house. They asked me if I would give them a ride. I said sure. We all got into the car and took off. Teresa was playing with the radio and they were both acting very wild. I couldn´t stop smiling. I asked them where they were going and they said that they just wanted to cruise. They told me to cruise up 86th Street. My cock was going crazy, because Teresa was sitting close to me and they were acting very hot. Teresa would occasionally brush-up next to me. Then while we were cruising, a song that Teresa and her girl friend like started playing on the radio. The song was Dreaming a dream. The girls went nuts and the car was rocking back and forth. I could not stop laughing. We stayed out past 11:30pm and the whole night was a blast. Teresa liked me a lot and was edging me on all night long. I had such a great time that it suddenly pulled me right out of depression. I and they had so much fun that the girls wanted to get together with me tomorrow night.

The next day I went to the record store to by the record, Dreaming a Dream, by the Crown Heights Affair. I had learned that a new music style was breaking and they called it, Disco. While I was in the record store the salesman turned me on to a new style of record that was called an [External Link »»12 inch Extended Mix.««External Link] The song was called, Ten Percent, by Double Exposure, on a label called, [External Link »»Philadelphia International Records. ««External Link] The extended mix was almost 9 minutes long, and it was smoking. (Smoking, is a term used in music that defines high energy and continues driving rhythms.) It was nothing like I ever heard. It was on the R&B order with a tremendous rhythmic percussion. It was termed the new Disco. I had bought ten records that day and then I went home to put it on cassette tape. This way I could surprise the girls tonight. While I was making the cassette tape the music inspired me very much. Actually, Teresa inspired the music back into my life. She made me feel alive again. I felt great. It was the first time in six years that I had ever bought music on a large scale. Meaning that there were so many good records in the store that I had to buy ten of them.

That night Teresa and her friend were waiting for me and again we went cruising. I then slipped the cassette into the stereo and played it. Again they went wild and we spent the whole evening together. I wanted to fuck Teresa so badly. She was so incredably hot! She was very beautiful and a hot sexy body, but she was only sixteen. We all partied almost every evening for the next few weeks. The only thing that was on my mind was Teresa and the music. Disco was getting more and more popular and it was on the radio in full force. The 12 inch extended mix had started to pour-out into the market, and I continued to buy more and more records. Teresa was still the inspiration.

I received a surprise phone call from the organist Felix, from Joey Dee and the Starlighters. He told me that he was going into the recording studio to record a couple of his songs. Felix loved the way I played his songs when we were with Joey Dee and he wanted to know if I was interested. I told him yes, and he set-up a rehearsal in the Manhattan. I had asked my nephew Thomas if I could borrow his guitar and he told me, no problem. Then I asked Joey in Jersey if I could borrow his amp, and he said, no problem. I picked-up the instruments and waited for the call of rehearsal.

Felix contacted me and we started rehearsal. It was great to see him again, and finally playing again. He was setting-up a big group for this recording. I had started to hang-out with Felix who lived in upper Manhattan on 118th Street on the West Side. He had some beautiful Latino groupies who we started to date. I spent a great deal of time hanging-out in upper Manhattan.

We entered the recording studio and rehearsed the tunes to get a sound check. The studio was located in the Village, and it was apart of New York University School of Music and Business. Felix had a friend who worked there and they had set-up a session. They didn´t really seam like they knew what they were doing. We played all day in the recording studio for a sound check. Felix had this black female vocalist named, Charlotta sing the songs. Charlotta had a powerful beautiful voice and she could sing with great improvisation. The rehearsal went well and I received a tape of the event.

Then I got a call from Felix at my home in Brooklyn. Felix told me that we were going into the studio tomorrow for the final rehearsal. He told me that if I had any tunes that I had written that they would be able to record them. I told Felix that I would let him know if I had anything tomorrow. After I had hung-up the phone, I had said to myself, This is a chance to get a tune recorded for nothing. However, I had nothing to record. Then I thought, How could I come-up with a song by tomorrow? What the fuck was I to do? I was sitting in my basement thinking. I thought and thought and I picked-up my guitar and nothing came to mind. Then I tried to relax and I closed my eyes. The only thing that I was thinking about was Teresa. Then I thought about how I arrived back from a disaster marriage and suddenly meeting-up with Teresa, and how it changed everything. My eyes were still closed and then I hummed to myself while I was thinking of Charlota´s voice., You are my inspiration, my hopes and dreams. You filled my empty heart with love and energy. Where did you come from baby, you know you saved my life. I want you always, DO YOU WANT TO LOVE ME? There it is. A song. I grabbed a pencil and paper and wrote it down quickly. Then I went back into that state again. I closed my eyes and thought, I thought my life was easy, just playing the games. I sold my soul too fast (my marriage), I made a mistake. My head was spinning, spinning around, until you kissed my lips. Your all what I needed, DO YOU WANT TO LOVE ME. I again quickly wrote it down. Then I said to myself that I needed a bridge. I went back into the state without interruption, First, we must communicate, and understand our ways, I´ll take good care of you, I´ll be the strength, I´ll be so true, I´ll give you love so beautiful, but DO YOU WANT TO LOVE ME. The music was easy. I just played four basic chords while I closed my eyes and put my self into a spiritual state. The chords were 1maj7,6,4,4/5 in the key of D. For the bridge I went into the relative minor, but I released to the break using Cmaj7th. Now all I needed was a final verse. I went into the state and thought carefully, Come lets walk away, and leave the past behind (The depression from Jim and Kitty), we´ll make our own new friends, it´s all a matter of time. Maybe I´m dreaming a dream (Teresa´s favorite song), or talking out of line (because she is only 16 years old), but I know how I feel, DO YOU WANT TO LOVE ME. Now for the hook, I´ll just repeat, DO YOU WANNA LOVE ME, with different chords. That was it. Now I have a song for tomorrow, and I wanted to tell Teresa that I wrote a song about her.

The following day at rehearsal, I displayed the song. Everyone fell in love with it. Charlotta freaked. I told her that while I was writing it I had her voice in mind. The song changed everything. They decided to have more rehearsals in order to perfect it. Finally we went into the studio and recorded the song. The producer was having a secret conference with Felix. Then the producer and Felix had asked me if I had copyrighted the song. I told them not yet, because I just wrote it for this session. They went into a huddle and when I asked them for a copy of the song they refused. I got pissed-off and put on the pressure until they finally gave me a copy. When I left the studio to go home I got very scared. I was thinking that they were going to try to rip-it-off. I quickly had to find someone who could write sheet music. The sheet music is the only way to copyright songs. I searched and searched until finally I found someone. We made a basic sheet music form and sent it out for copyright. Felix was not able to continue the recording session after that. I was able to, at least, get a copy of my song. I also had a copy of the rehearsal of Felix´s song, I´m A Person Too, and someone else´s written song, Big City Hick. I never heard from Felix again. He just faded away.

Meanwhile, I told Teresa that I had wrote a song about her and she got embarrassed so I dropped the subject. I didn´t want her to know how much I wanted her, but I thought that the time would someday come. Teresa is hot! Through Teresa, I met a lot of hot young girls ranging from 14 to 18 years old. I had never met a whole bunch of hot young girls before who had nothing else on their mind except sex and playing with guys. Things were happening again. The Disco music is exploding and the girls are going out of their sexual mind. I had also heard about a new drug called Cocaine is on the rise and many people are using it, but drugs are not for me. In any case, music is happening again big time.

I went out with Teresa and her friend again cruising. Another song came on the radio and again the girls freaked-out. The song was, More, More, More. It was about having sex and Teresa got hot and went nuts over it. She was rubbing her body close to me and giving me sexual looks. I knew that I had to buy a copy of it for the car. The song came on the radio almost every hour no matter what station I was playing. The next day, I went to the record store to see if they had it. The salesman told me that it was not available on a 12 inch, but that it was on the album. I looked at the album by Andrea True and bought it. I had also bought another ten records and my collection was growing and stacking-up. I then went home to make a cassette, and on further inspection of the album of, More, More, More, I went into shock. It was Jim Gregory and Gregg Diamond. I didn´t know what to do. I then remembered Jim giving me Gregg´s number and asking me to call him because he needed a guitar player. I then remembered how I swore I would never get involved in music again, and threw the number out the window. I was supposed to be the guitar player on this album which was becoming the number one record in the world.

The next day I had found Jim Gregory´s number and I gave him a call hoping to try and get involved somehow. Jim´s answering machine picked-up and I left a message. Jim never returned my call. The song had definitely made Number One on the charts and it was the hottest song in the world. I kept calling Jim at least once a week, but I could not get through. I kept on leaving a message and again Jim never returned my calls.

Then my cousin Joey Drapes came over to my house to introduce these two guys who also had a record out on TK Records. TK Records was the hottest record label along with, Philadelphia International. Joey introduced these guys and they were, John Lagana and Louie Valdes. Joey brought them over because of my growing record collection. I had almost every Disco record of importance that ever came out. They wanted to get my opinion of the song they produced and released. After hearing it, I wasn´t very impressed, but I thought the guitar solo was fantastic. Johnny and Louie were very nice and they liked me very much. Then I played my song that I recorded with Felix, Do You Want To Love Me. They thought the song was beautiful and they wanted to come visit me again, and I told them anytime.

When Johnny and Louie left I got really depressed. I was shocked that they had a song out on TK Records, and I was pissed that Jim and Gregg had the Number One song. Here I am jerking-off. All these people were making it and getting notoriety and all these years I spent in the music business I had nothing. Not even a mention of my name. It was then I said to myself that I was going back into the music business and try to develop some kind of notoriety. I don´t want to die without at least some mention of my name in the business. I can´t believe that I had quit the music business to develop a stable life and I wound-up in the end with nothing. What did I wind-up with? A photography diploma which really amounts to nothing. A drapery business with very few accounts which I´m beginning to dislike. A loss of good friends in Colorado and a marriage that failed. That´s what I quit the music business for. I can´t fucking believe it. It might be late, but I am never going to quit the profession I love again. Even if it means starving or homelessness. Now it´s time to regroup.

I took a membership at Jack Lalane to workout and get a little fit. I was running, doing sit-ups, pumping iron, swimming, and relaxing in the hot tub. One day I was relaxing in the hot tub for two hours. I exited the hot tub and felt a little dizziness. I proceeded to go into the men showers and from being a little confused, I mistakenly went into the woman´s showers. I was walking right through the center with showers on my left and right. All these girls were showering nude and nobody ever noticed me. I had quickly exited the other end and when I walked out, a few girls stopped in their tracks staring at me. I just kept on walking calmly.

I had also taken dancing lessons at Fred Astaire´s dance studio. I wanted to learn how to Disco dance. It was a complicated dance step. After awhile I had learned it fairly well and I was able to go out to the clubs and try it out. I heard that there were many clubs opening again one after another in New York City again. A new music scene is blooming. I wonder how long this is going to last before it becomes destroyed. That is the way things seemed to me.

Johnny and Louie returned to visit me. They told me that they were interested in recording my song. They wanted to listen to it again. I played the song for them again, and they asked if I could get the singer Charlotta. I told them that I could give her a call if they were seriously interested. We hung-out for awhile and talked and the they said that they were going to put something together. They told me that they will be in touch with me. I was very excited. I asked my cousin Joey about these guys, and if they were cool. My cousin Joey told me that they were legitimate and that I should go with it.

The singer Anthony from my block had approached me. He told me that he had a gig and he wanted to know if Joey and I were interested in doing it. I asked my cousin Joey and he said yes, but we needed a drummer. Joey Drapes asked Louie if he knew of a drummer and Louie recommended
Mike Micara. I told Anthony that we would do the gig and everything went off without a hitch. Mike was great on drums and the band sounded good. Again, it was nice to be playing live again even if it was only temporary. Mike was a real nice guy to talk, play, and get along with.

Gregg Diamond and Jim Gregory are hot! They had just come out with two new albums at the same time on different labels. How the fuck did they do that? Their songs are playing all over the radio. I tried to call Jim Gregory again and this time I was able to talk with his wife Nancy. She had apologized for Jim that he didn´t return my calls, and she went on to say that he was very busy with Gregg. I had told her that I was getting ready to record a song and I asked her to have Jim give me a call as soon as he is free. She told me OK.

Louie and Johnny visited again and told me that they were about to receive a budget to go into the studio. They asked me to get in touch with the female vocalist Charlotta. I had told them about Jim Gregory and Gregg Diamond. They asked me if I could get those guys for the record and I told him that I would try to talk with them. Then I asked Johnny and Louie about the contracts. They told me that they were in the process of putting them together. They asked me if I had the copyright to the song, and I told them yes. I asked them if I was going to get publishing on the song. They assured me that I would. I asked them that as soon as the contracts were available, I wanted to see them. They told me OK. Then I asked them about the arrangements to the song. They told me that they were going to use Mike Micara the drummer. I was shocked. I told Louie and Johnny that the song was already arranged and that I wanted the arrangement credit. (It is necessary for me from now on to develop some kind of notoriety. I´m not going to get stiffed again. I´m going to make sure that my name gets mentioned. That is money in the bank.) Johnny told me that it was too soon at this point for him to make a decision, but that they would consider it. Then they asked me if I knew how to write charts for strings and horns. I told them yes even though I really didn´t. I asked them how many horns and strings? They replied that they were leaving that up to Mike. They told me that they would get back with me concerning that subject.

I had called Charlotta and told her to get ready for the session. I then tried to get in touch with Jim Gregory and told his wife that I wanted to use him for the session. Jim finally returned my call. I guess because now money is involved. I spoke with Jim and instead of talking with him on the phone, I used some common sense to get to meet with him directly to talk about it. I told him that I was going to be in his neighborhood on Friday and asked if he was free to receive me. Jim said yes. Great I´m in. I used my head this time to get where the action is and to develop our friendship again especially since I´m entering the music business one more time.

I traveled all the way to 72 Street and Amsterdam Ave. and I rang Jimmy´s bell. He answered and I was finally in his apartment. He greeted me just like old times. He asked me why I didn´t call Gregg when he asked me to and I told him the truth about everything. Jim understood everything and he was very compassionate about the whole matter. I then asked him how he and Gregg got started.

Jim said that after he had last seen me at Mrs. Trainers apartment the Kiss style group shortly thereafter, broke-up. He and Gregg tried to start a group but they could not find work. Jim told me that actually they were starving and they had no place to stay so the checked into a dive hotel. Jim said that they were living on bread and water. At the same time, Gregg´s brother was attending film school in California and he was trying to get into the porno movie business. Gregg´s brother, after making a few porno flicks, called Gregg and asked him if he could make some music for the porno films. Gregg then got on the piano and wrote More, More, More. It was a simple song without very many lyrics. Jim said that it was just a groove. Gregg then sent the song to his brother and nothing ever came of it. It seems that Gregg´s brother shortly thereafter dropped out of the porno film scene, because he could break into it. A couple of years later, when Disco was starting to brake loose, Gregg received a call from a porn star, Andrea True. She was calling from Jamaica. She wanted to record the song and had a studio set-up in Jamaica. She then asked Gregg if he would fly down to help record the song and that she would reimburse him for the trip. Jim said that he and Gregg then flew down to Jamaica and when they arrived at the studio there, they realized that they had no musicians waiting for the session. Jim said that because they didn´t have a guitar player Jim played the guitar using the only chords he knew and he only knew a few chords. He said that Gregg played the piano and the percussion. They wanted a horn section. Therefore, we set-out to look for some horn players on the island, and all we could find was one trumpet player. We used him. Just one trumpet. Andrea had some connections to a label, they liked it, and it became a world-wide hit. Jim continued to say that when the song became a hit, they got offers to do other records and the rest is history. "Wow, " I said, "What a story".

Jim then made some coffee and I asked him if he had any special mixes of their records. Jim told me that he didn´t. He said that the labels don´t give them any free records. He told me that the labels gave Gregg one box, but Gregg gave them out immediately to cab drivers and everyone he came in contact with. Then I got a little pushy with Jim and asked him if I could meet with Gregg. I´d like to see him again and say hello. Jim told me that Gregg was running around all the time and was constantly busy. He told me that it wouldn´t be possible, but he did give me Gregg´s number if I wanted to try. I then told Jim about the project that I was doing with Louie and Johnny and Jim was interested in playing on the song. I then told Jim if he and Gregg needed a guitar player to let him known. Jim stated that they had a guitar player now and that they he is steadily used on all the records. After a great meeting with Jim and meeting his wife Nancy, I returned to Brooklyn. My foot was back in the door, but it was appparently too late. I´m going to have to live with that disappointment for the rest of my life. However, Jim is going to play on my record so there is still always a chance.

I contacted Louie and Johnny and told them that I had spoke with Charlotta and Jim Gregory. Johnny told me that he wanted to hear the musicians. I told Johnny that these guys were very busy and Johnny asked me to contact them and ask if he could possibly hear them. I then contacted Jim Gregory and relayed the message. Jim told me that on the following weekend they were going to play a gig with someone at the Lone Star Cafe. Jim said that if they wanted to come down to see them it was OK. Gregg was not apart of the gig. I relayed that info back to Johnny and we all went to see them play at the Lone Star. We were all shocked to see that they were terrible. The guitar player that played and sounded great on the records was awful. Louie and Johnny couldn't believe it. We stayed for a set and then we left. Johnny said that he wanted only to hire Jim Gregory. I then contact Jim to relay the final word. It was only he that they wanted to hire.

The next day we all took a visit to the recording studio where we would do the recording. It was a nice place located in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I was looking forward to the session. The engineer was a very nice guy, and then we all went out to dinner. During dinner I asked Johnny about the arrangement of my song and Johnny told me to write out my arrangement.

The next day I started to write the arrangement. I spent the next week doing it and putting all my knowledge together from all the books I had. Instead of doing it on one sheet, I had put it together on separate sheets as if it was written for each musician. Johnny told me that they were going to use four horns and eight strings. Twelve musicians altogether. Therefore, I wrote the arrangement on twelve sheets. This way they wouldn´t be able to figure out the arrangement if the tried to rip-it-off. When the arrangement was finished I called Johnny to let him know. Johnny and Louie then picked-me-up and we drove to Mike´s house. Once we were at Mike´s house I handed the twelve separate sheets of music to Mike and he became surprised. Mike asked me why I did it in that manner, and I told him that they were ready for the individual instruments. Mike didn´t know what to do. I then quickly asked Mike where his arrangement is, and he said that he hadn´t started it yet. Then Mike put one of the sheets on the piano and played a few of the notes. He suddenly stopped and said that this arrangement was wrong. I looked at Mike and I knew what he was doing. He was trying to convince Johnny and Louie that I didn´t know what I was doing. I told Mike that there was nothing wrong with the notes. I had it checked by a qualified arranger and it was ready to roll. Of course I was bullshiting them. I had to stick up for my ability and rights. Mike and I started to argue back and forth, because I didn´t like the fast one he was trying to pull. Johnny quickly stepped in and stopped it. Johnny asked me to leave the arrangement with Mike. I told Johnny that we were each supposed to put together an arrangement and Mike didn´t even start his. In matter of fact, Mike just doesn´t know what to do. I told Johnny and Louie that the original arrangement was done before I did these charts, and therefore he should give me the arrangement credit. Johnny asked me again to leave the arrangement with Mike. I told Johnny that if I leave the arrangement then he will make his own arrangement based on the one that I leave with him. Johnny said nothing. I went on to say that if I leave my arrangement, then I want at least, guaranteed half arrangement credit, whether he uses the arrangement or not. Let´s share the credit on the arrangement of the song. Johnny asked Mike if he was willing to accept that. Mike said, why should I give you the arrangement credit on the song if I do not use your arrangement? I told Mike, If I do not leave my arrangement then take all the credit for whatever you come up with. But if you want me to leave my arrangement with you, then I want half credit whether you use my arrangement or not. You decide. Johnny and Louie were lost for words and waited for Mike´s reply. Mike looked at Johnny and Louie as if he didn´t know what to say. Mike then agreed and it was settled. I had left my arrangement with Mike. We all then departed.

Now one can see why I haven´t had credit on any of the songs that I played on in the past. Everyone wants to take the glory away from you. If you don´t stand-up for it then you don´t get it. It´s that simple, but actually it´s that complicated. It´s a whole argumentative process you must go through. Many times they involve lawyers. This business is fucked up. They´ll rip-you-off all the time unless you stand-up for your rights. Sometimes when you stand-up for your rights then they won´t or stop to hire you all together. It´s a chance one has to take. If Gregg´s name wasn´t on the album then he would have the offers and be where he is today. Protect yourself at all costs. I played for years free and easy, and all I did was get ripped off. Fuck that shit. I´m not going to go through that again.

A week had past, and I had just woke-up and had my coffee when I get a knock on the door. I opened the door and it was Johnny, Louie, my cousin Joey, and an unknown friend of theirs. They dropped the contract on the washing machine and asked me to sign it. I asked them if I could read it. They said go ahead, but make it fast because we are going in the studio tomorrow and we have a very busy day. I started to read the contract and the first part was very basic. They told me to sign it. I told them that I didn´t finish reading it yet. Louie told me to sign it quick so that they can go on their way because they were really busy. I told them I´ll be a few moments more. They said that if I wanted my song to be recorded to sign it now. They all ganged-up to rush me. My cousin Joey said, Chuck, just sign the fucking thing! The vibes were very strong, and I asked Johnny if I received publishing, and Johnny replied yes. I said OK and signed it. As soon as I signed it they picked it up and started to leave. I said, What about a copy? They replied that I would receive one later when we make copies. The whole event took place in five minutes, and I didn´t like it. Then I asked my cousin Joey what the fuck was that, and Joey told me not to worry. Your getting your song done, he replied. I was anxious to receive a copy and see exactly what I had signed.

The next day the session finally had begun. I had heard that some real important people were involved in high places and the song would be a hit whether it was good or not. It scared me a little. They hired one of the great female singers, Jocelyn Brown, and her crew. She would sing lead on one of the songs and do the back-ups with two other girls on the other tunes. Jocelyn´s voice and improvisation was unbelievable. Boy, can the girl sing. The recording session went very well and they would get to my song last. When they finally got to my song, Mike brought the arrangements out for the string and horn players. I looked at the sheet and Mike had written on the sheets, Arranged by Mike Micara. I said in front of everyone in the studio, Hey Mike, How come you didn´t put my name down on the sheet? Johnny looked at me as if to say don´t start trouble. Mike replied, Because I didn´t use your arrangement. I replied in front of everyone in the booth, Didn´t we have an agreement to share the arrangement credit if you used it or not? Mike nodded yes. I then said, Well, where is my name. Johnny and Louie looked on as Mike wrote my name down on the sheets. It now read, Arranged by Mike Micara and Chuck Granatelli. The session continued. There is an example on how people in the music business are always trying to get one over on you. Just like you have to keep on practicing to stay loose to play well, you have to constantly be on your toes for the shit that people try to pull over your eyes. If your guard goes down for a moment then they´ll try to fuck you.

We were into the first half hour of recording the song when one of the string players raised his hand. Johnny asked him what he wanted. The string player said he had to leave. Johnny said, What! The string player said that he and another string player had to leave for another session. We all looked at each other in the booth. These fucking musicians are very difficult to deal with. We had no choice but to let him go. We had to finish the remainder of the session with two string players short. We then had to adjust the charts to reflect the loss. We continued and in the end we got what we needed.

At the next session, the big shots came down to the studio to see and hear what was going on. They were indeed powerful people. They were all very nice. Johnny had received some bad news. It seems that the FBI was coming down hard on certain people in New York and the people who had backed the project were among that group. When I heard the news my first reaction was, Here we go again. The system is fucking-up another project.

I have been constantly after Johnny and Louie for a copy of the contract that I had signed. They kept on telling me they would get me a copy, but still nothing yet. I´ll just keep on hounding them. The session went well and the song went to the final mix. Mike´s arrangement was very similar to mine in some ways and in other instances it wasn´t. I would not pursue or try to receive credit on an arrangement that was not close to mine. Therefore, I welcomed the credit. It was partially rightfully mine. I really wasn´t happy with the final product. I thought that the arrangement I had was much more powerful. Jim Gregory and Charlotta did an excellent job on the song. Even though I didn´t feel that the song was executed to the fullest extent, I had to wait and see what would happen to it.

A week had past after the session and under pressure from me, Louie finally gave me a copy of the contract. Actually, Johnny and Louie wanted a copy of my copyright and I wouldn´t give it to them until they gave me a copy of the contract. They arrived at my house for the switch. They would give me the copy and I would give them the copy. They arrived at my house. The switch took place and the left. I finally read through uninterrupted slowly. Johnny and Louie took all the publishing. They actually took entire control of the song. It was one of those, sell your song for a dollar, contracts. I went nuts. They promised me and lied. I quickly went over to my cousin Joey house across the street to tell him what the contract read, and they all were there. When I saw Johnny, I let him have it. I said you mother fucker lied to me and took all the fucking publishing. We went at it almost to the point of a fight. I threatened them with a lawsuit and they threatened me with wise guys. I didn´t give a fuck, go ahead, and kill me. I was not going to get screwed anymore by anyone. Even if it means my life. My cousin Joey broke the near fight up and told Johnny that he better leave so that Joey could talk with me. They all left and Joey sat me down and said, What the fuck are you doing? I said, Joey, its not you´re fucking song. They just spent $5000.00 on your song, he replied. Hey, I don´t care how much they spent. It´s their problem. They stole the whole fucking song. Without the publishing the song is useless to me. They promised the they would give me some of the publishing. I didn´t want much. Maybe 20 or even 10 percent. I wasn´t asking for a lot. I had asked them for a copy of the contract to read through before they recorded the song. Instead they came to my basement and wanted a signature in a flash. Then they wouldn´t give me a copy until the recording was completed. They weren´t honest. Therefore, they are a piece of shit. I don´t give a fuck who they know. I´m tied of people in the industry ripping me off. Now if they were up front and came clean about the matter then maybe we wouldn´t have had to go through this. However, this kind of bullying I am not going to tolerate. Joey kept on defending them saying, You just got your song recorded. I had my song recorded before they recorded it with a better arrangement and groove. What are they going to do with it now that the backers are behind bars. Nothing. I just gave them a song for nothing. Joey said, I would have gave them a song for nothing. That´s you, not me, I replied. I continued, Listen Joey, are you trying to stick-up for them. I am your cousin. Who are they to you? Do you have a special interest that I don´t know about? Joey said, No. I just want you to make it and have a song recorded. It´s just one song. What the fuck is one song. So what! They ripped you off. Big Deal. The whole business rips you off and everyone else. Maybe they will make it a hit and your name will get recognized, and something else would come of it. That is what I´m talking about. I understand Cous. Your right in a way Absolutely right. However, if they do nothing with the song then I have a better chance in doing something with it. I wrote the song about a girl who brought me out of depression and whom I wish I could have for the rest of my life. She brought music and direction back into my life and she probably doesn´t even know it. She means that much to me. The song is something special to me and they robbed it. I didn´t give it away. They robbed it. I gave them the Writing and Publishing for one dollar. Fuck those guys. Joey asked me who the girl was. We both smiled and I told him it was Teresa. Joey said, Yea, she´s hot! Joey then ended it by telling me to give it some time. Try not to make waves at this time. Let´s just see what develops. I told him OK. See you later.

I went home to my basement and looked at the contract again. I read it over and over and then I noticed something. Johnny at the signing asked me to print my name at the top in this certain space and sign it at the bottom. It´s seems that I printed my name in the Publisher spot and he printed his name in the Writer spot. That makes me the Publisher. There is a flaw here which makes this contract not good. Great! I will keep this information to myself. Under the pressure Johnny fucked up. Good for them. They deserve it.