September 18, 2000
STUFF!
It was the kind of phone call we love to get. Director Chas Kutchinsky of CCP in Wayne, Pennsylvania gave us the assignment of creating music for new :30 TV spots for Stuff Magazine. Chas felt the music should reflect the taste and attitude of the magazine's target audience---young males---and that it should "drive" the spots as if they were music videos. MONSTER TRACKS music director Chuck Butler believed it was essential that the track sound like a real song by an existing band---so Chuck decided to tap the services of local Philadelphia area alt-rock band Mercy River for the production. After recording sessions in New York and Philadelphia, Chuck and the band created "Stuff", a hard-driving rock piece (think Green Day and Blink 182---two staples of contemporary college radio) that has the raw energy of an album cut, yet delivers message and name recognition for the client. "It's sort of the anti-jingle," laughs Chuck, "we tried to find a way to function as advertising, without sounding like advertising. It's the same philosophy behind using a popular song in a spot---except we're able to control the message. The trick is to keep the production sounding as "real world" as possible, in order to catch the ear of the target audience." Director Kutchinsky married the music to a highly stylized, quick-cutting video treatment featuring intense graphic design (not to mention some very attractive women). "This is the kind of image related stuff a composer can really sink his teeth into", says Chuck. "Music has always been a powerful way to drive a message, and that's more true now than ever. Chas is a director who understands this, and always brings the composer on board from the get go. This allows for the best possible integration of the elements of the production---it's one reason why CCP's stuff looks great, sounds great, and most important, gets results." The spots, which are currently airing as back-to-back :30's, were produced by Marshall Evans of CCP for Dennis Publishing of New York.
Listen to the Stuff jingle now...
MONSTER TRACKS SCORES DOCUMENTARY "WOMEN IN POLITICS"
When producer Beverly Kuhn-Moyer contacted MONSTER TRACKS principal composer Chuck Butler about scoring her documentary film "A Woman's World: Women In Politics", she asked why he thought he would be the right person for the job. "Because I follow politics, and I've had so much experience scoring political ads, I felt I could bring something to the project. From the very beginning, Beverly and I shared the same vision about how music should function in the film," recalls Chuck. "We had numerous discussions about the style and tone of the music, but we always came out in agreement on the role music would play." The thirty-minute film, which features interviews with prominent women in federal, state, and local government, focuses it's message in a way that should prove appealing to young women who might be inclined to get involved with politics, but may feel intimidated by the system. "Beverly and I discussed the way that MTV producers infuse their programming with music in order to generate momentum---the idea of a constantly changing musical soundtrack that pushes each scene forward," relates Chuck. "At the same time, we felt that there was an importance to the subject matter that should not be trivialized by the music." Chuck's experience in scoring political advertising was invaluable in choosing the right moments to drive the program with music, as well as deciding when to pull back and allow the audience to focus on a particular issue. From the beginning, producer Kuhn-Moyer knew that music would play an important role in helping to reach her target audience. "We felt it was important to try to motivate young women to want to become involved in the process. We certainly didn't want to create a film that would seem academic or slow-paced to a younger audience. I think music is a key component in keeping the attention of the young women we hope to motivate." The film, which will be shown at a variety of political functions and used for educational purposes, features a full score by MONSTER TRACKS, including an original song by Chuck, and another original song produced by MONSTER TRACKS in conjunction with local artist/songwriter Vanaida Gail.
LITE WHIMSY RELEASED
It all started over dinner last summer at Circa on Walnut street in downtown Philadelphia. Chuck and Baker Sound president Gary Moskowitz were asked to join U.S. and German representatives of the Sonoton music library (part of the APM family), to discuss potential "gaps" in the library. The conversation soon turned to the lack of light, swinging jazz that has become particularly popular in retail advertising, and it wasn't long before Chuck was literally singing examples to the amusement of nearby diners. The result of these musings can now be found on Sonoton CD#397 "Lite Whimsy", a new release from the APM music library. The disc is a collection of light-hearted swing music, and features a number of cuts performed live by local jazz musicians including drummer Joe Nero, bassist Kevin McConnell, clarinet/saxophonist Ron Kerber, and composer Chuck Butler on piano. This marks the first time MONSTER TRACKS has accepted an assignment from a music library. Asked why this project was different, Chuck responds, "It was a combination of things. I'm used to composing music for a specific project---I allow each individual assignment to motivate and inspire me for a particular piece of music. Over the years I've been asked to do work for different libraries, but I wanted to make sure that when I accepted, I'd be able to create music that would be appropriate in absence of the constraints of a specific client or project. I feel that my years of production experience, including working with music libraries myself, has brought me to a place where I can understand how library music needs to function in order to be effective. In addition, I've been very impressed with the quality of music on the Sonoton label, and the people involved. They were extremely supportive throughout the project, and allowed me to assemble a very fine group of players. I fully anticipate that we will continue our relationship with Sonoton, and hope to work with them on future releases."
CHUCK ROCKS THE GOP LIVE!
MONSTER TRACKS Music Director Chuck Butler performed as a member of the live band at the Republican National Convention this past July at the First Union Center in Philadelphia. It was a thrill for Chuck, who has scored dozens of political spots and is quite a "political junkie" himself. "I couldn't help but feel awed by the sense of history, and the power of the American system," quotes Chuck. The orchestra was led by Los Angeles conductor/arranger Artie Butler (no relation), who has served as music director for numerous live broadcasts including the Grammys. Artie was under constant pressure during the 4 day live event, as the line up of planned speakers was constantly in flux. "It's a lot of pressure," relates Artie, "but I was thrilled to be asked to do it. I've certainly been impressed with the quality of musicianship here in the Philadelphia area. Coming from LA I'm used to working with the best---but the guys here in Philly are second to none". Thanks, Artie; but that's something MONSTER TRACKS Original Music has known for years!
