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M4 pro Mac mini 1tb HD 24GB mem M3 MacBook Air 16GB mem casio wk7500 presonus audiobox i2 usb interface
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Very interesting. The band I was in during that era almost got caught up in a very bad recording contract. Thankfully we turned it down.
Thanx for sharing.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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We were offered a bad contract, but while our manager was negotiating for better terms, Motown quit talking to us and picked their second choice.
Rod Argent seems to have had a nice career after the Zombies.
In rare moments, I wonder what would have happened if we signed. Would I have met the right people to stay in the record industry? Would we have been one hit wonders and then completely forgotten? And so on. Of course, there is no way to know.
On the other hand, for me, it turned out pretty well. I'm still making a living doing what I love to do. I met the future Mrs. Notes in a small, lounge band, and we are happy together. We formed a duo in 1985, and have been gigging since then. The only time we were out of work was during the COVID lockdown. Plus we are best buddies, and if we could spend 24/7/365 together, it wouldn't be enough.
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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That was interesting. I knew there were 2 fake Zombies touring and that the boys from ZZ Top were in one of them. That kinda filled in a few hazy spots.
The interesting thing is that they kinda make it sound like record companies were only screwing the musicians and writers back then..... Here comes Spotify to say, "Hold my beer, let me show you how it's really done"
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Well, that was just terrible. Besides the horrible, sped up narration, many of the details are flat out wrong. One of the many fake Zombie bands hired had members who went to my high school and had a hit with their cover of "I Love You".
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Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture
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It's not very good, not very accurate and more than a bit annoying because of it.
I've been an huge The Zombies fan from just after they folded. Their O&O reunion concert DVD is fabulous - only one member was missing from it too.
I must admit I didn't buy their most recent album...afraid of disappointment really.
Theirs is a cautionary tale with a very late twist.
Not unlike Rodriguez, lots of people made a lot of money through them and not much of that made it to the band.
Then again, Searching for Sugarman was also "It's not very good, not very accurate and more than a bit annoying because of it." but even moreso as it deliberately peddled lies.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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That was interesting. I knew there were 2 fake Zombies touring and that the boys from ZZ Top were in one of them. That kinda filled in a few hazy spots.
The interesting thing is that they kinda make it sound like record companies were only screwing the musicians and writers back then..... Here comes Spotify to say, "Hold my beer, let me show you how it's really done" In the arts, the gatekeepers always screw at least 95% of the artists. It has always been thus. But then, Bezos, Music, and others are making a fortune while paying their employees less than a pittance. When I was working for Motown, there were four different Temptations, 4 Tops, and other groups touring the country at the same time. Smokey Robinson is quoted as saying, "If we ever have a Miracles reunion, we'd have to rent a football stadium." The first and second time we opened for "The Association" they were two different groups. Perhaps 1 or 2 of the members were the originals. I worked with a guy who toured as the lead singer of one of the touring "Platters", and no, he wasn't Tony Williams. He was a great singer, and made a modest but not extravagant life touring as "The Platters". The deal Motown offered us, was 2¢ per record/cut in royalties. Out of that 2¢ came exaggerated recording, distribution, and promotional fees. Plus, we would have to change our name to something Motown would own, and they would have the right to hire, fire, and tour with multiple groups. For any songs we would write, they would have all publishing rights, and assign a 'ghostwriter' who did nothing but collect half the songwriting royalties. While our manager was trying to get us a slightly better deal, they just quit talking to us, and quit hiring us. There were plenty of other groups willing to sign a bad contract. It's supply and demand. Their second choice took whatever bait Motown offered, changed their name, and had a couple of hit songs. I doubt they made any money from them, but I don't know that for sure. And that's why there are so many one-hit or one-CD wonders. They didn't make enough royalties to pay the exorbitant fees the labels were taking out of those royalties. Of course, there are the few who go viral and have smash hits, first time out. They can negotiate a better deal for their second release. These become Beatles, Billy Joels, Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklins, and so on. In the 'old days' the labels controlled everything. Especially after the big few bought up all the indie labels to reduce the competition, and they become a cartel. If you wanted exposure on the dominant listening platform at the time, the radio, you had to play the record company's game. Now, anyone can put their music on the Internet, but without the label 'gatekeepers', there are so many out there, you have to get very creative for people to find you. And the streaming services like Spotify don't want to even pay 2¢ per play. So I didn't quite make it, but I played with the heavyweight hitmakers of the industry, and as a 19-21 year old kid was treated as an equal by them (welcome to the club). I 'dated' more than my share of females in my life, and made a lot of money for a short time (and blew most of it). Plus, I played for huge audiences in venues, and that was thrilling. After that, I managed to make a living doing music and nothing but music for almost all the years that followed. I met my soulmate who is also a musician and now Mrs. Notes, and we are still gigging, making music together. I did try two different day jobs, while still playing on the weekends. I did this to see what being normal was. Neither one lasted that long, I went back to full-time music, because normal doesn't suit me. I live modestly, we don't own luxury items, but the mortgage is paid off, we have no debt, and we are happy. I don't do the blue Monday to TGIF routine, and when we are on the job, we are doing our second favorite thing.  Nobody owns me. Being a star isn't the only way to enjoy a life making music, and if I had a chance to do it all over again, I'd do it the same way. So although the labels ripped off the Zombies and so many other groups, if the musicians got a lifetime supporting themselves making music, and if they are happier doing that than a 9 to 5 gig, they are still successful. How many others of us here are full-time musicians? Do you regret your choice? I don't regret it at all. Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
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