News for 2001

News Letter January 2001

The Dirt: News From Beneath Your Feet
All the Dirt that's fit to print. (Well, most of it anyways)
January 1, 2001 - Vol. 1, No. 1

Happy New Year, happy new millenium, and happy everything to you and yours.
Written and edited: Frank Gellar, Publicist to the Dirt.
You cannot put fences around the dirt beneath your feet.

--- 'BACK TO THE DIRT' LISTED #116 ON MAINSTREAM WORLD CHARTS ----

'Back to the Dirt' is still considered a new release, and became somewhat buried in the mass of obligatory seasonal music which dominates the airwaves this time of year. Nevertheless, the CD is still listed for a fourth consecutive week on the WORLDWIDE MAINSTREAM Most Played Artists Chart. This chart is based on radio play received, and was compiled from playlists posted on Nashville Showcase (Nashville USA);
DCDJA (Dutch Country DJ Association); ECMA (European Country Music Association); and DCDJA (Denmark Country DJ Association). And Brian keeps repeating 'Im stuck in the 60s. Im not country dude!" Well, whatever.

WORLDWIDE MAINSTREAM Most Played Artists Chart for the two week period from Dec 1 - 15, 2000. On this chart, Back to the Dirt is listed as No. 116 on the listing. Previous best was number 86 on the chart a few weeks prior. http://www.mainstreamcountry.com/chart_mm_12_15.htm

'Back to the Dirt' was the highest ranked release among Comstock's artists. Many of the other artists listed have numerous CDs out - Back to the Dirt has 14 songs, of which 13 are original. It is expected that the listing will drop - since stations are typically playing Xmas music for the last half of December - and Back to the Dirt is expected to climb further in January of 2001. Signing with Comstock Records directly coincides with airplay dates received, so it looks as if they are starting off quite well.

------ BACK TO 'BACK TO THE DIRT' -----------

YEAR IN RETROSPECT - It's really been quite a busy year for Brian Gladstone and his first CD release 'Back to the Dirt'. From an unknown guy who spent two years in his basement writing and recording a CD, to worldwide airplay is quite an accomplishment within the span of a year. Brian claims is just a matter of diligence, perseverance, and mainly belief in yourself. The CD was released in late 1999, and got first airplay from Toronto Legal Blues Man Eddie B. on his CIUT Eddy's Place Blues Radio Program. 'That was the first time I knew if anyone liked it', stated Brian - a strange but not unreasonable comment from the perspective of a man who live his life from within his own personal vacuum.

Apparently the 'Back to the Dirt' theory was an intellectual endospore, and we continue to get much positive feedback on the concept. Radio play continued to expand over the year to the Folk Radio organization, and even into the country music world. Brian's writing and attitude are difficult to categorize, sort of non-genre specific, as such its not really folk, nor country, nor mainstream. Many radio people like the CD, but aren't sure what to do with it. So the radio programs which have been airing tracks are typically eclectic in nature. 'Outlaws for Peace' Texas DJ and all around great guy Eddie Russell, http://www.paralegalator.com/eddie.html member of the FAR (Freeform American Roots) charts, was so impressed by Back to the Dirt on first listen, that he was instrumental to introduce 'Back to the Dirt' to his global pipeline of influential radio people around the world. He told Brian that 'his life could change on a heartbeat now.' We get playlists daily now from all corners of the globe - except Canada! (go figure)

Its been a great year for Back to the Dirt - in retrospect, "During the two years writing and recording" states Gladstone, "if anyone would have told me the CD was going to be played on mainstream radio around the world, and a record label would sign me -- there is no way I would have believed it. But I really had no expectations at time, I hadn't really thought it through that far." We can say that good luck is sometimes a matter of intuitive planning, and apparently there was a wealth of it on this endeavor.

"The best part of being in the music business is all the great people you meet." Brian said "It's a people oriented business, and we have been fortunate to cross paths with many great ones over the year - including musicians, journalists, DJs and radio people, club owners, promoters, record people -- and especially friends and fans - all the great support from the people who buy the CDs, come to the performances, write the letters -- they are really what it is all about. I get letters every day - people even write to let me know if the are attending a gig! Thanks to all for adding so much spice to our day. That's the number one payback, always."

Of all the great things that happened in 2000, the highlight has to be the signing with Comstock Records in Arizona. Thanks to Frank Fara for your confidence in us. Other memorable moments include reviews in Guitar-9 Magazine, HHGI Magazine, TO Nite Magazine, Nail Online, International Country Music Association Newsletter; favorite performance (not best attended though) was the Back to the Dirt Benefit for Earthday Canada; radio play on the Rock'n'Roots Radio Network (twice); and listing in the Worldwide Mainstream Charts.

One notable moment of wakeup however is interesting - Special thanks to Sony Records for returning our promotional material unopened. That was a very valuable message - which was the moment we realized we would have to work hard for any success - and any assistance received would be deemed as an unexpected bonus.

All negative highlights are hereby discharged and set free --- and will not be carried into the future. (And we wont even mention about the night that Jack De Keyzer unplugged Brian's guitar cable in the middle of a song at Grossman's)

----- COMSTOCK RECORDS SIGNS BRIAN GLADSTONE -----------

(Nov 11, 2000) This is old news -- Award winning independent label Comstock Records of Fountain Hills Arizona today announced the signing of Brian Gladstone of Toronto Canada to it's carefully selected artist repertoire list. Comstock founder and president Frank Fara, voted 'Country Music Personality of the Year' for 1999, a 20 year veteran in the music industry, announced today that Brian's CD 'Back to the Dirt' will be added to their global radio pipeline marketplace next week. A leader in country music radio promotion for over 20 years Comstock Records is one of the USA's most visible and established Independent Country Music Labels.'

The complete Press Release File with more details is Available at:
http://www.backtothedirt.com/press%20release.htm

------ FOLK MUSIC IN MEXICO --- Join Us March 2001 ---

There is an active following for 'American Style' folk and acoustic music in the Mexican interior. We have agreed to play at the small scenic mountain retreat of Valle de Bravo - situated in the mountains just outside of Mexico City. The promoters are looking for strong guitar playing, and luring musicians down there with promises of fresh mountain air, hang gliding, horse back riding, and a little fishing. However, it is likely the quiet serenity, which attracts the folk types - a great atmosphere to get away from life and indulge in some creative writing. Brian and friends will be playing during the week of March 11 to 18. Dates require confirmation; details are available at this website.

Confirm performance dates -

http://www.backtothedirt.com/schedule2.htm

Information about the town of Valle de Bravo - http://www.valleonline.com/english/indexenglish.htm

------ SEE YOU IN NASHVILLE -----------

Now confirmed is a booking at Ambassador Charlie Ray's Music Festival -This is the first large-scale festival Brian has been booked into, and we are all looking forward to it. The outdoor festival is one of the largest on the east coast, and is held annually on the Memorial Day weekend. (May 25, 2001). Charlie Ray is a representative of Millenium Records, a successful promoter, a member of many Country Music Halls of fame, and was deemed 'Ambassador' by Bill Clinton.

Festival Details - http://www.radiocountry.org/

Confirm Booking and Dates - http://www.backtothedirt.com/schedule2.htm

----- PSYCHEDELIC PFOLK PSONGS -----------

The new CD, tentatively titled 'Psychedelic Pfolk Psongs' is being recorded at this very moment. Brian has done a lot of work in the last year - notably improvements in the vocal performance, and as well guitar playing has reached a new plateau. (He has practiced 3-5 hours a day since the last CD was released). Brian delayed the recording for a few months in order to get some of the picking smooth and up to speed. There are about ten new songs written, a few live cuts, and will feature some other musicians this time. The recording engineer is still Robert DiGioia, since he did such a good job on the first CD. We hope it will be released in the summer of 2001.

------ WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? -----------

We have determined that 'time' is the final frontier (not space, Kirk. daaaaa).

Peace and sunshine to all, and to all a good night.

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*About This Newsletter*
It's written by Frank Gellar, who is a free-lance publicist working for local artists. Please send all comments to him. If you want to unsubscribe hit return and tell us.