GOODING

At the Silverlake Lounge...

2011-06-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

Dusty Roads, Open Skies and Chuck Berry!

2011-04-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

These last couple months of tour have been the best yet! We opened for Chuck Berry in St. Louis, 86 years young and Little Red got to pay his respects :) We met some amazing and brilliant people at the Conference on World Affairs in Boulder, including fellow panelists David Crosby and Graham Nash, Jello Biafra, and OKgo video director and mastermind Jeff Leiberman. We have had great runs through CO, OK, KS, TX, MO and NE. Thanks to everyone for making us feel welcome out here in Little America.

"Back to the Heartland"

2011-03-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

Gooding returns to what the band does best with its Motherland Tour and latest CD

BY G.K. HIZER

2011-03-17T05:31:00.001-07:00

WHAT WOULD WILLIE DO?

2011-03-17T02:01:00.000-07:00

SXSW part 1- The Sky Eats the Land tour rolls on through Austin for SXSW. The Penske and van and trailer are safe and sound. Sat in Live w/ Micky and the motorcars on guitar, we drank some whisky and Jesse danced. You might of seen Billy riverdance, but I bet you didn’t know Jesse could cut a rug :) It is quite impressive.

Couple days later Micky and I worked on a song called “LONG ROAD TO NOWHERE”. I don’t co-write enough, it was a blast. We grew up with Micky’s drummer Shane Vannerson, a near and dear friend. It’s great to see him rocking and rolling across the countryside. Another colorful character from Micky’s band of gypsies, their soundman Logan. A fan of Poodie Locke, (Willie Nelsons soundman), the boys love the phrase ”No Bad Days”. With that kind of positive energy you can get a lot done.

Let me make a quick mention my respect for Willie- with the exception of smoking weed, I believe lock stock and barrel in everything willie wrote in his fabulous book THE TAO OF WILLIE. Go buy this book- it’s simple, fun and filled with cowboy shaman wisdom.

I drove home after the show with Laura Sisul, a wonderful friend of ours who kindly let us crash with her aunt and uncle, Pete and Betty Golde. Pete and Betty live next door to Michael Dell (Dell computers) and as you can imagine, security is tight in this area. Once while walking the neighborhood, Pete and Betty were stopped by Uzipoint (now that's worse than gunpoint). Reminds me how I would like to be very successful in this life, but to be known as uber rich comes with it's own set of problems. Like Russell Simmons says, the goal is to make a TON of money and give about 95 percent of it away :) Within 2 mins of arriving with our lovely busted up van of 270k miles....A sheriff arrives and puts his brights right in our eyes. These LA and NY licenses don't seem to get you very far here in Tejas. My plea of being a KS boy dosen't mean much since in TX even Kansans are considered Yankees. "TX first, America second...". I am happy to report that the gear in the trailer is quite safe tonight people and all is well.

VAN HORN, TX

2011-03-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

We rolled through the pitch black Texas night to get here. I10E filled with border patrol and red sodium stoplight security checkpoints. New Mexico’s desert landscape still bleeds into the Western side of this relentlessly large state. Texas First, America second baby. Out of cell range, I listened to a book on tape called “Game Change” about the last election. Nothing says Rock n Roll like a good book on tape.

Jim Madden is like Willie and BB, he refuses to fly, he will only take a bus. We are told that Madden and Willie both make constant stops right here in Van Horn. A much safer place to park your van and trailer for the night than El Paso (which JR has re-coined “El Death”). The Chuy’s in Van Horn has Madden’s favorite meal on the menu (I’m gonna try for Gooding’s favorite Veggie meal here in South Tejas but the odds are thin). We will get to leave an 8x10 here for the wall even though no one has any idea who these Kansas boys traveling with dogs and cats could possibly be.

Van Horn is the town some of the scenes from “NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN” were filmed in. We are very close to Marfa, TX and on the lookout for air powered cattle guns. Beautiful, desolate country. Plenty of space to dream in. We love and miss you all and we are now only 7 hrs away from the mania that is SXSW.

Do me a solid and cross your fingers for our #1 road dog, friend and confidant, Stoney Langley, who is going through a rough spell in OKC. Stone has stuck with us through thick and think and protected us at God only knows how many shows. We are coming to see you soon Stone…..

Contest!

2011-03-16T06:19:00.000-07:00

Baseball Fans. Surprise, AZ

2011-03-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Full nights sleep. Eating oatmeal and drinking coffee here at the Windmill Suites, reading Jerry Weintraub’s fiercely entertaining book “When I stop Talking You’ll know I’m dead”.

Surprise, AZ is humming like a wire with baseball families (Rangers VS Dodgers). A kid smashed into me screaming at his sister “I don’t want to play puppy tag!”. I don’t know what that is but I feel like I just played it.

The whole world is a stage here at the Windmill…as JR pointed out, a wonderful mix of quirky sports fans. The Hobby Lobby decorative fans: with sports logos on their earrings and their favorite team’s colors as their shoelaces. The old curmudgeon fans: who recite statistics and to the ballpark knowing they are just gonna be pissed off and let down the whole day long. The stoner fans in the parking lot, who we chatted up about our friends in the Texas music scene, ”Micky and the Motorcars”.

We are out of LA in a hotter more widescreen desert, the sun is platinum bright. Time to return some calls and eat up some miles. All eyes on Van Horn, TX for tonight’s next stop with the van and Penske.

“I play in a band” LA to PHX

2011-03-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

The week or so before a tour is a blur. Once you hit the open road, things have no choice but to settle down. Planted in a van barreling down the highway, cell service waning, no more time to tinker and obsess over the last %1 of a recording. You are forced to realize there is a world outside the studio and office, and a hell of a lot of gorgeous countryside rushing by you.

Welcome to the first leg of the THE SKY EATS THE LAND tour, spring 2011.

I have done us both a disservice by reporting to you only through twitter and facebook lately. I’ll stop filling up my black and white dollar journals in my illegible lefty handwriting and use the laptop to do my best to dictate the trails and tribulations of a road family setting out on it’s 9^th year of touring.

This tour blasted out of the gate a little different than any other My sister, Jenny, is moving to Austin at the same time we are heading there for SXSW. Billy drove her Penske with her car and cat in tow, Jesse and I drove the big white freightliner with her dog, Army, in the back.

I10 East is desolate and peaceful- the sun dissolving in streaks of pink and burnt orange in the rear view. Saguaro cactus and sagebrush. Two hours from Surprise, AZ, a tire blew on the Penske and Jenny and Bill were stuck out on the highway. Everyone met up again around midnight, visiting with Danny Dark, the most passionate radio promoter in the West, and eating veggie pizza with enough Garlic to kill anything that ails you.

I got on the landline at the hotel and spent a great hour on the phone with Gary Hizer from the Urban Tulsa. I talked about the new record and my hopes for this tour, and Gary and I geeked out about the force that is Bruce Springsteen. I haven’t heard a bad thing about Springsteen EVER. A former manager of ours said he was once at a party with Bruce, and this very old and well to do woman walked over and asked Bruce, “so what is it that you do?”…Bruce answered…”I play in a band”. When things get heavy out on the road, that’s a pretty good way to find your footing and remind yourself how simple it really is... “I play in a band”. It’s more than enough.

MARCH NEWSLETTER!

2011-03-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

--- Gooding Spring Tour Dates
--- Help Us Build A Green Bus
--- NEW LP THE SKY EATS THE LAND
--- New Placements
--- Little Red T-Shirt Contest!

MARCH/APRIL TOUR DATES:
The boys are rehearsing for tour and will be kicking off the next run at the Viper Room in LA on March 12th. Here are the dates so far...
3/12 The Viper Room – Hollywood, CA
3/18 Heart of Texas Fest – Austin, TX
3/25 Belle Isle – Oklahoma City, OK3/26 Treehouse – Tulsa, OK
4/1 and 4/2 Rock Island Live- Wichita, KS4/4 Conf. on World Affairs- Boulder, CO
4/6 Laughing Goat - Boulder, CO
4/9 Café Athens - Fort Collins, CO
4/12 Cicero’s - St. Louis, MO
4/13 Blueberry Hill - St. Louis, MO
4/14 Your Mom's Downtown Bar - Omaha, NE
4/15 Zoo Bar - Lincoln, NE
4/16 Record Bar - KC, MO
4/19 Borders - Wichita, KS
4/22 Cowgirl Hall of Fame - Santa Fe, NM

HELP US BUILD A GREEN BUS!
The old van is about to go to the great gig in the sky. We are raising money to build a eco-friendly bio-diesel shuttle bus for 2012. For the next 120 days we are giving away a TON of merch to those of you kind enough to help us raise up some funds. Check it out HERE.

NEW GOODING LP: THE SKY EATS THE LAND
We have been locked in the lab laying down a new collection tracks... here a few of them right HERE. We are enjoying a thrilling departure from THE RETURN, as this record captures more of the LIVE sound than ever!

NEW PLACEMENTS
Our music has recently been heard on VH1/Pepsi's Superbowl Fanjam, Harry Potter 6 (Blu Ray), and A&E's Breakout Kings (Trailers and commercials - Thanks to Expansion Team NYC). Still recording new music for CNN International and will be launching 14 new trailer tracks with Sonoton soon.

LITTLE RED T-SHIRT CONTEST
Ever had a great idea for a GOODING T Shirt? Click HERE and you could win an autographed guitar!

Thanks and see you on the road!
G

GOODING at the Viper Room : Saturday, March 12, 2011

2011-02-08T06:40:00.001-08:00

GOODING 50 State Tour, State #21 WEST VIRGINIA

2011-02-06T13:35:00.001-08:00

GOODING 50 State Tour, State #12: Tennessee

2011-01-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

GOODING 50 State Tour, State #19 NORTH CAROLINA

2011-01-08T06:11:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

---Thank you... 
---Free Gift from Little Red's Vault 
---2011 Tour Dates

THANK YOU FOR A GREAT YEAR

We appreciate everyone who kept us rolling this year. It was our busiest year yet...6 months on the road, 107 shows in 48 States, invited to Walter Reed and THE WHITE HOUSE.

Thanks for dropping us notes telling us how we are doing, for buying the merch and making the donations that keep us rolling out here. To kick off 2011 we have a gift for you...

LITTLE RED'S VAULT- FREE MUSIC
We just launched a new section of our site where Little Red's keeps bootlegs, b-sides, radio interviews and all kinds of incriminating information on your boys from Kansas. Go here right now for 3 FREE albums of bootlegs from the 2010 tour..... http://www.goodingmusic.com/music - click on LITTLE RED'S VAULT.

2011 TOUR DATES

Here are a few of the first dates locked in for 2011. Each of these links to our event pages on Facebook. Please let us know if you will be front and center and help us invite others. If you haven't joined us on Facebook yet just hit "like" at http://www.facebook.com/goodingmusic and we will continue to post 2-minute videos of every state in the union!

March 12, 2011 at The Viper Room in Los Angeles, CA  

March 16 - 19, 2011 at the Texas Rock Fest in Austin, TX 

March 25, 2011 at the Belle Isle Brewery in Oklahoma City, OK 

April 1st and 2nd at Rock Island Live in Wichita, KS 

April 4 - 8, 2011 at the Conference of World Affairs in Boulder, CO  

April 6, 2011 at the Laughing Goat in Boulder, CO 

April 12, 2011 at Cicero's in St. Louis, MO 

April 15, 2011 at Zoo Bar in Lincoln, NE  

April 22, 2011 at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Santa Fe, NM

Holidays 2010 update!

2010-12-05T05:11:00.000-08:00

--- NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE full length
--- GOODING ON IRON MAN 2 DVD/Blu Ray
--- 48 STATE RECAP
--- NEW MUSIC AND TOUR

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season. Here's the latest and greatest from Little Red's world...

--- NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE: THE FULL LENGTH!
How many bands have a short film based around their music? Check out this out people... Written and directed by the fabulous Wade Hampton (Little Red's creator) - we got Rock n Roll music, Creepy Rabbits, Creepy Scores and a ton of good people from Wichita, KS that made this all happen on a shoestring budget. All the music in the film is by the band. Please forward this link on to anyone and everyone:

GOODING "No One Gets Out Alive" - The Entire Film from Wade Hampton on Vimeo.

http://www.vimeo.com/12577834

---- GOODING SONGS ON IRON MAN 2
Thrilled to report we have 4 songs on the special features of the recently released Iron Man 2 DVD/Blu Ray disc!

---- 48 STATE RECAP
Watch us fly through the Lower 48 in 3 mins flat:

---- NEW MUSIC AND TOUR
Recording like crazy and booking for spring 2011. CA, NM, OK, KS, MO, NE, and TX dates will be posted soon. Let us know where you want us. We will have some new and free music on the site soon!

That's all the news that fits. Love you fools....

Gooding, JR, Billy and the studio dogs.....

geek alert- from s3 studios...

2010-11-17T12:47:00.001-08:00

taking a break from working 10 hrs straight on a song called "horseshoes and hand grenades"- here are some more things I find to be true that may help others of you in the fight to get a great sound out of less than ideal recording environments.

1- garbage in/garbage out- (IE_ the you cant polish a turd rule) we all know this rule- but everyday we still think the compressor, eq or enveloper will fix this SOB when really I should of sang it better, played it better, or wrote a cooler part

2- less dammit. less. - a mastering guy told me once- if you would take away about 3 instruments and resend this to me I will remaster it for free cause you have a great tune but you buried it. knowing me I probably added 5 more parts and paid him overtime. but he's right. most of these guys are right we just never listen. please god listen.

3- perspective- taking a break is cool. walking away is cool. path of least resistance. einstein used to take lots fo breaks. he would go back and the goods would arrive. we cant hear anything if we have been working solid without eating or sleeping. those mixes sound like hell. and half the time that brilliant idea only makes sense to you cause you were hearing it after turning green obsessing over some other problem no one really cares about. in recording as in life- we spend 90% of our time on the 10% of stuff no one else gives a hell about. I think glen ballard said this first. I notice that coming in after a day off I can hear everything that sucks in my mix alot more clearly than if I would of worked 7 days a week straight.

4- finish the song B4 you record it...if you have a great song (and we all know somewhere inside whether it is good or not) the song itself will tell you what it needs- sometimes so fast you can barely keep up. The times I struggle it's cause I didn't conceive a great tune BEFORE putting it in the computer. If the song or itself is crap no part is gonna make it sound right- and nothing in your arsenal of gear can fix it. the trap of all this great software is thinking some premade loop is gonna save us. the heavies make their own loops anyway- and you can hear in a heartbeat when someone is working off someone else's creation. it dosent ring true. it is a beautiful law of nature that when someone is channeling something new others can sense it in the work (and don't give me that nothing is new under the sun- they day I stop getting goosebumps at a concert/film or reading a new book... shoot me).
if I would spend more time out in my yard with a journal and an acoustic and less time in the studio- all my gear would magically sound better- cause I would have the song before I started messing with 1000 patches. this dosent always apply to soundtrack work or treatments on songs where the sounds inspire the next step- but if you are basing your recording around chords and lyrics and a band sound- get the tune right and dont be afraid to push against a song for weeks if you believe something really is there. sometimes "great" only appears after "very good" has been cursed at several times.

4- it aint the gear. I physically write on my gear with sharpies. I write the settings on the tube pres- I scribble on the guitars- keyboards- who cares. I learned this from wade hate. the second you make things to sacred you have erected a pillar that gets in the way of creating. making things a little messy subconsciously reminds me that the whole process is organic. the gear isnt the currency- heart and soul is (dont lay up treasures on earth etc.)- I am the worst about this... DO NOT buy and sell the stuff thinking it will save you. the big machine has us convinced we need more shit to make things work. I think we need less shit. I have tried a million mics and I am recording most of my new record with sm57's on several insts (guitars- banjos- percussion and sometimes vocals). some mics sound amazing BECAUSE they sound "bad" and think out the sound in the right places to make the guitars sit in the mix. I used to record everything with good pres when sometimes crappy pres sound cool. sometimes the poor recording from the road has more soul than the redo at the studio with the right gear- and people want soul not precision. my last record was waaay too perfect- too cold - too thought about- and I'm having a blast getting it "wrong" this next time. I am also getting to record about 5x more songs by not thinking every song has to be the HIT. no one can judge what is gonna move people worse than the artist themselves. don't let the gear be the excuse and get back to work. moby recorded all of PLAY with a 57. chili peppers did all the drums on blood sugar sex magic with 57's. they are good enough. my first mic was a 57. it will be my last one too. ok- well that sm7b does look cool too...

5- keep your gear when you can- I just used a $90 classical guitar I bought at jim starkey music center in wichita, ks eons ago. it was the perfect sound and worked better than a nice acoustic I have. I have sold off all kinds of things for road cash over the years and I miss some of it. IE dont sell all your old gear- especially if you can't get real money for it. I find myself looking for old things that had a unique vibe all the time. If really know what a piece of gear does or who it plays- that has a value to it. if it's got your love in it then dont get rid of it. new stuff sounds new sometimes. yes this may be in my mind- but whatever sentimental hocus pocus keeps you moving forward will help get the track done and keep you from burning out or spending all your time at the music store- which I HATE.

6- dont drink 5 cups of coffee and not eat and expect not to rush the drummer

7- screw removing that noise in the background. it's fine. more and more people like REAL over clean recordings every day- and pop radio being so sterile only pushes us to want to hear REAL recording environments. I got computer hum and barking dogs trying to creep in all the time. use a noise gate and forget about it. I am recording all my electric guitar amps out in the laundry room beside my studio so I can hear myself think. it sounds awesome in there. of course I have been wearing the same jeans for a week but...

8-creating latency- here is a way to hear your guitar tone while you are playing through a loud amp in the same room without having to record and play it back- put a delay in line and set it for as long as possible- play and then listen- adjust pick ups- amp etc- play - listen. I wish someone would of told me about htis one years back. all of you probably knew this but it's exciting when you first find it.

if any of this helps please buy a shirt, little red doll or donate a few bucks to the cause here.. http://www.goodingmusic.com/music

thanks and good luck brothers and sisters..
gooding la,ca nov 2010

The Wichita Sessions

2010-11-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

GOODING • Tainted Love from Wichita Sessions on Vimeo.

GOODING 50 State Tour: THE LOWER 48

2010-09-29T12:56:00.001-07:00

Gooding, Billy and Jesse visiting with The Pentagon Channel

2010-09-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

GOODING 50 State Tour, State #17: GEORGIA

2010-09-26T04:40:00.001-07:00

GOODING 50 State Tour, State #16: FLORIDA

2010-09-14T06:19:00.001-07:00

GOODING 50 State Tour, State #15: ALABAMA

2010-09-12T03:29:00.000-07:00

50 State Tour, State #14 LOUSIANA

2010-09-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

Stoney's Trip To New England

2010-08-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Gooding at The White House, NYC showcase and more dates...

2010-08-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

90 shows down and 30 to go for 2010. We are in DC this week playing Walter Reed Hospital and Fort Meade, as well as getting a tour of the White House. We are honored that we have been invited to see the heart of where our country is run. Little Red is looking for a suit as we speak...

More info at goodingmusic.com

8/18 Walter Reed Hospital DC
8/20 Fort Meade, MD
8/21 Tour of The White House
8/21 The Saint - Asbury Park, NJ
8/24 Crash Mansion, NYC
9/3 and 9/4 Rock Island - Wichita, KS
9/7 Meet and greet at Borders - Wichita, KS
9/8 College Hill Coffee - Winfield, KS
9/9 Zoo Bar - Lincoln, NE
9/10 Offutt Air Force Base NE
9/11 Westport Coffeehouse - KC,MO
9/15 and 9/16 Play STL Fest - St. Louis, MO
9/17 Flytrap - Tulsa, OK
9/18 Eskimo Joe's - Stillwater, OK
9/23 Bluewater Grill - Phoenix, AZ
9/24 Marine Corps Air Station - Yuma, AZ
9/26 Coronado Speed Festival - San Diego, CA
9/28 El Cid - Los Angeles, CA - TOUR WRAP PARTY

Crash Mansion NYC: August 24, 2010 @ 9PM

2010-08-16T06:37:00.001-07:00

Washington DC, here we come!

2010-08-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

90 shows down and 30 to go on this tour. And we are honored to announce we got invited to the white house :)

At The Laughing Goat, Boulder CO; 7/28/2010

2010-08-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hanging out with our friends at Kirtland AFB!

2010-07-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

GOODING Live at Kirtland AFB: July 23, 2010

2010-07-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

2010-07-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

GOODING: No One Gets Out Alive - Music Video from Wade Hampton on Vimeo.

No One Gets Out Alive

2010-06-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

GOODING: No One Gets Out Alive - Teaser Trailer from Wade Hampton on Vimeo.

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Airing Now: CNN's theme song for the world cup that Gooding worked on with expansion team NYC's Alex Moulton and Eric Stamille

Lower 48 Wrap Party!

2010-06-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

Get your Lil Red here...

2010-06-02T14:14:00.001-07:00

http://www.merchdirect.com/gooding

Jesse's Drum Solo

2010-05-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

50 State Tour, State #10: MISSOURI

2010-05-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

50 State Tour, State #7: OKLAHOMA

2010-05-01T19:11:00.001-07:00

50 State Tour, State #6: TEXAS

2010-04-30T18:08:00.001-07:00

50 State Tour, State #5: NEW MEXICO

2010-04-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

50 State Tour, State #4: ARIZONA

2010-04-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 15th, Hartford CT: A free tribute concert to honor our Veterans

2010-04-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture to see the flyer...

Check out Kirsten Price...

2010-04-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

Kirsten is playing 3 shows at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. Click on the photo to learn more!

Live on FOX2 in St Louis!

2010-04-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

Czar Bar; Kansas City MO

2010-04-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

Photos by: Brandon Moon

Zoo Bar; Lincoln NE

2010-04-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

Some shots from our show at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln NE. Photos by: Miranda McCarthy

Rock Island Live; Wichita KS

2010-04-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Photos by Dave Turner

From Scott Gregory Photography...

2010-04-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

At the 2010 Texas Rock Fest, Austin TX

50 State Tour, State #4: ARIZONA

2010-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Photos by: Sean Claes of INsite Magazine http://www.insiteaustin.com

2010-04-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

Live at the 2010 Texas Rock Fest, Austin TX

50 State Tour, State #3: UTAH

2010-04-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

50 State Tour, State #2 NEVADA

2010-03-31T05:49:00.000-07:00

50 in 5 Tour 2010 STATE #1: CALIFORNIA

2010-03-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Winning Coffee ALB NM

2010-03-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

On the road to St George UT; Mojos Underground

2010-03-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

Blue Martini, LAs Vegas NV

2010-03-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

Camp Pendleton CA

2010-03-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

2010-03-05T05:51:00.003-08:00

2010-03-05T05:51:00.001-08:00

2010-03-05T05:50:00.001-08:00

2010-03-05T05:49:00.000-08:00

2010-03-05T05:48:00.000-08:00

Poster for the Eskimo Joe's gig!

2010-03-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

Fort Irwin CA

2010-03-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

Instrument free rehearsals part 1

2010-02-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

Rehearsals still going good - knocking all the barnacles off the boat. Great to be out of studio mode again.

Hamilton High School

2010-02-19T11:02:00.001-08:00

Spent yesterday speaking with 5 classes of students at Hamilton High School here in LA. Thanks to the students and teachers for a great time and some amazing questions. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

www.operationhope.org

Your bassman can't dance like this...

2010-02-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

Crying devils...

2010-02-10T13:11:00.001-08:00

My man Matt Schwartz just hung up the new band banners outside on the garage to spray a water proof coating on them so we can play in the rain. The neighbors are seeing all these crying red devils and wondering who just moved in. We are a peaceful bunch I swear it...

Latest newsletter! GOODING 50 STATE TOUR, PCRM, QUINCY JONES...

2010-02-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

RSVP FOR ALL 50 STATES

Here are the cities we have booked; click on any city you are close to and RSVP on Facebook! Please forward these events to anyone and everyone.

Camp Pendleton CA, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, St George UT, Mesa AZ, Phoenix AZ, Albuquerque NM, Denton TX, Fort Hood TX, Austin TX, Wichita Falls TX, Tulsa OK, Oklahoma City, Stillwater OK, Wichita KS (3 shows in Wichita; check them out: one, two, three), Lincoln NE, St. Louis MO, Festus MO, Fort Smith AR, Germantown TN, Lafayette LA, Birmingham AL, Savannah GA, Richmond KY, Barboursville WV, Roanoke VA, Washington DC, NYC, Dover NH, Portland ME, Bennington VT, Cranston RI, Dayton OH, Dubuque IA, Saint Paul MN, Bismarck ND, Broadus MT, Denver CO, Boulder CO, Bozeman MT, Edwards AFB, Kirtland AFB Summer Bash!, MCAS Cherry Point, Gulfport MS, Yuma AZ, Coronado Speed Festival,

If you don't see your city or state, don't worry; we're adding new shows every day!

These shows includes a chance to give back to the kids through Quincy Jones' "5 Million Kids" initiative with Operation Hope, plus give back to the troops by playing several army and air force bases in the coming year.

We are also thrilled to announce Gooding has also been named an honorary committee member for the PCRM (http://www.pcrm.org/gala2010/vips.cfm) alongside such greats as Woody Harrelson, Alec Baldwin, Tobey McGuire and Ellen DeGeneres. PCRM is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.

Drop us a line on Facebook anytime and tell us what you want to hear on the tour! Here is our link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GOODING/18894518484

50 STATE VIDEOS

We will be documenting every moment of this tour so make sure to check goodingmusic.com for photos and videos from every state in the union.

GET THE NEW GOODING ALBUM "THE RETURN" FOR FREE

The new record is still available to download FREE here. If you like what you hear please make a donation.

See you soon people!

Gooding, Billy and Jesse

www.goodingmusic.com

wow... Imogen Heap blows my mind...

2010-02-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

2010-02-09T05:30:00.001-08:00

Headed to Toyota studios to tape an interview for OPERATION HOPE to talk about the importance of education and staying in school. All hail John Hope Bryant and Quincy Jones and their amazing crew.

2010-02-02T14:32:00.001-08:00

Thrilled to announce I have been added to PCRM's honorary committee (alongside Woody Harrelson, Alec Baldwin, Tobey Macguire, Ellen DeGenres)
http://www.pcrm.org/gala2010/vips.cfm

CNN International

2010-02-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a reel of the work we have been doing for CNN International with Expansion Team NYC.

Road Trip...

2010-02-01T13:01:00.001-08:00

How it was and how it will be…

2010-01-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

396 dennys, 30 ihops (no veggie burger), 200 village inns, 2000 convenience stores, 3 breakdowns, 2 fires, 2000 motel rooms, 100 hotel rooms…

500 floors with sleeping bags, 100 nights on the van floor (no more), 3 speeding tickets, 5 trailer tickets (I think jesse got them all), waaay too much money to oil companies, 5000 stickers in dressing rooms…

3000 free drink tickets, 10,000 bottles of water, 3 tom waits cd’s, 1 lionel richie cd and all four heads waking and bobbing gently in sync at 3am – “it’s easy like Sunday morning”…

750 late checkouts, 50,000 stolen apples from the front desk, 100 radio stations, 20 tv stations, 100,000 infomercials, 2000 earplugs (for JR and I) 2 earplugs (billy still wearing the same pair), 100 gyms, 10 farmer’s markets, 20 whole foods….

12 national parks, 15 scrapbooks, 50 disposable cameras, 200,000 phone calls, 1000 postcards, 35 bottles of makers mark (most from steve Jordan)…

300 free breakfasts and free papers, 300 sets of guitar strings, 3 vans, 2 trailers, 5 flashlights, one banjo and corbett’s temporary teeth, one map, 2 garmins, 2 iphones, west wing seasons 1-7….

2 tornados, 65 thunderstorms (all in OKC when we play), 2 roadfires, 1 ufo (well billy believes all that stuff…), 1 haunted room in flagstaff, AZ (they drained the videocam battery!!), a dozen drunk club owners, and last but not least- the greatest friends on the road any band could have.

Jackson Hole, WY!

2010-01-27T17:56:00.001-08:00

Who wants to have a house party in Jackson Hole, WY? We need a stop here and so far the clubs have wanted cover bands only. We are gonna do a few covers (Cash, Willie, Dylan, Cohen) but we are not a cover band… somebody help me here and we will be there with bells on! Email us at: goodingarmy@gmail.com

2010-01-24T07:53:00.001-08:00

My old realistic cassette recorded finally failed me people. After all these years I say goodbye. Couldn’t get the cassette out either or remember the jam on the tape. Could have been the case cracker on there… next.

2010-01-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

Delaware

2010-01-23T05:50:00.000-08:00

Who knows the coolest place to stop in DE between shows in DC and NJ? I am looking towards Winterthur gardens and library on route 52? Nothing says rock n roll like gardens, antiques and books people!

Gooding performing Jesus Comin'. Filmed by our good friend Phillip Anthony; thanks Phillip!

2010-01-19T21:50:00.000-08:00

by Martin Luther King, Jr.

2010-01-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

There are some things in our social system to which all of us ought to be maladjusted.

Hatred and bitterness can never cure the disease of fear, only love can do that.

We must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation.

The foundation of such a method is love.

Before it is too late, we must narrow the gaping chasm between our proclamation of peace and our lowly deeds which precipitate and perpetuate war.

One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.

We shall hew out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.

2010-01-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

Stocking up on guitar cables, strings, sharpies. A new dolly, couple new pedals, sticks, new tires, oil, hats, veggie food, old books, blank journals. You know this means we are firing up the road show ladies and gentlemen...

2010-01-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

Guilty pleasures...

2010-01-14T07:27:00.000-08:00

Guilty pleasure revisited over New Year’s break: The Electric Horseman. Redford and Willie in one movie? Hell yes. Time to revisit West Wing; but we’re proud of that one…

2010-01-13T07:36:00.001-08:00

Want to see a cool red pattern engulf your new laptops screen? Spill a full cup of coffee on it. Yes I did this and it’s an expensive experiment to undertake.

The Montana Crew

2010-01-12T07:57:00.001-08:00

Listen up; I’m giving you pearls here: ain’t nobody works harder than the Montana crew. Thanks to Diny for yet another hand putting a house together from scratch. And to the great Ruslin AKA “Real Handly” for “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE”.

2010-01-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

Billboard just got the new press release release and the first single to AAA radio is "I'm Not Listening". We posted the track at Facebook and MySpace for you fine folks. The campaign is off and running!

http://www.billboardpublicitywire.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3422344.htm

Billy’s New years Resolutions…

2010-01-11T06:18:00.001-08:00

Find a starlette.
Eat 1 chicken fried steak a week instead of 5.
Ghost hunt in all 50 states.

Jesse's New Year's Resolutions...

2010-01-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Completely dominate any hiking experience possible, like I do the Monopoly board, in all 50 states.
Make a friend out of at least 50 strangers, in all 50 states.
Beat a drum, really really hard, in all 50 states.
Hold closer to Gooding's diet than Billy's, in all 50 states.
Be the smile. Every day. In all 50 states.

How do you get your music into film and TV?

2010-01-08T19:52:00.001-08:00

Welcome brave souls.

I am an independent musician who has proudly played over 600 shows in 60 cities. I have done countless radio and TV interviews and built my own indie label, publishing and licensing company brick by brick. I have placed over 100 songs in films and television programs including The Matrix: Revisited and Animatrix, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, DVD’s of Nip/Tuck, The Closer, Ice Age 2, We Are Marshall and recently helped with the sonic re-branding of CNN, CNN international and PBS through Expansion Team NYC. I have accomplished this without corporate or major label support through a decade of borrowing, begging and stealing (i.e. writing, recording, saying yes to every live show I can play, making calls, asking questions, and generally showing up and soaking up everything I can). I also accomplished some of this long before moving to LA from Kansas. With major label funding becoming a thing of the past, more and more artists are asking how I landed placements in film and TV. Here are some of the things I have done over the years; I hope they save you some time and money.

RESOURCES
I put these first as they include the nuts and bolts of sync and master licensing which I will not be covering here. We are going into this conversation assuming you have registered with a PRO (Performing Rights Organization) like BMI, ASCAP or SESAC. If you don’t know what this is, definitely read the suggested books listed below and get signed up so you will receive royalties if you get a song placed.

Watch:
http://www.artistshousemusic.org/node/5369/129

Read:
“Everything You Need to Know About the Music Business” by Donald Passman
“Music Money and Success” by Jeffrey and Todd Brabec

When you read these, you might sit down with a legal pad and pen and study it as if it were a college course. Don’t skip the hard parts like I did the first 3x. Ok, I am still glazing over a couple sections :)

Unrelated but totally related…
“The Tao of Willie” by Willie Nelson
“Don’t Worry, Make Money” by Richard Carlson
“Catching the Big Fish” by David Lynch

Attend:
If you are in LA area, my publishing administrator, attorney and often voice of reason, Steve Winogradsky, teaches a great night class at UCLA on music publishing.

Various Resources:
IMDB, Film Music Network, soundtrack.net; there are a ton of sites you can check depending on your style of music, whether you are an artist trying to pitch songs with lyrics, or composers with more score based tracks looking for background placements. Grab the latest Musicians Atlas and look under catalogs and music supervisors. Start watching the end of every film and TV show and find out who the heavy hitters are. You most likely won’t get a hold of them at the start, but it’s crucial to know who is working on what. You could get an on online subscription to billboard (my head of operations for K2, Deb T. has one) and there are alot of mentions of what is going into production, who is working where, what the trends are, etc.

Getting to know the editors on a project can be a great resource too. It was actually an editor friend of mine who went on to become a fantastic director who gave me some of my first ops here in LA. I met him at a show I played at the Cat Club for about 5 people. We became fast friends and have been ever since. Sometimes editors will put something in as a temporary track and the director/producer falls in love and gets the rights to the temp secured (AKA- “temp love”). If you are in high school or college and not in a major market where there are industry events and people to network with, score everything that your friends produce. Tell them they won’t be able to clear that track by the Beatles or Radiohead and that they should let you rescore it at once! o

Doing your homework on who is doing what is a HUGE part of showing the industry you care enough not to waste their time, or ours. Figure out what artists are in your genre and where they are getting placed. When you talk to people in the biz you must have some understanding of what is going on and what their needs are you are gonna have some really short and uncomfortable phone calls (I’ve had ‘em and you don’t want ‘em). Some of the music sups are becoming gatekeepers and tastemakers in today’s music biz, and in order to succeed in music licensing we must accept that part of our job is to provide them what they need and do some of their legwork for them. To put it simply: you MUST show them you have spent the time researching them before you blow up their phones.

If you are in LA or NYC and have a resume I would suggest signing up for the following organizations. All have events to give you the opportunity to network, find mentors and soak up current info.

SCL (The Society of Composers & Lyricists) www.thescl.com
AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) www.aimp.org
NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) www.grammy.com
CCC (California Copyright Conference) www.theccc.org
ASMAC (American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers) www.asmac.org

Also, if you are already working in the business, I find linkedin is a great way to get a sense of who runs with who and start to build your network. As musician’s we have a built in and painful empathy to take everyone on that comes to us. We want attention at some level and say yes very quickly. Whether it’s the kindness of your heart or sheer desperation, linkedin is one place you don’t take everyone who wants to connect with you since you are opening up your network to them and possibly tempting them to use your name to use with others. Be selective with your reputation and your time.

THIS IS NOT THE END ALL, BE ALL… AND BEWARE OF SHARKS
It’s never one thing that makes a career in the music business. Everyone has a different balance of skills used in making music their full time job. I grew up on KISS, Prince, Queen, my dad’s Motown records and my mom’s classical piano lessons. In my mind I was never put on earth to run a publishing company or indie label, I figured I would be breathing fire like Gene Simmons by now (and not just on Halloween). Still, at the end of the day I am extremely grateful I make a good living doing what I love, and I get to see this amazing country year round. If you are performing artist, don’t make the mistake of letting licensing consume your entire business plan. The music business is filled with people ready to take your money. I think any site where you have to pay to get licensed (including and maybe especially, SonicBids) MOVE ON. If you are a performing artist, music licensing is not a replacement for touring, merch, sponsorships etc, but if done right, it can be a huge source of revenue for artists that have sounds that support picture.

PATIENCE – GIVE TO GET
When I finally moved to LA after working 18 hour days for years to find success in the Midwest, I sat with anyone that would talk to me to try to get a hold of the scene and who I might fit with. I learned quickly a lot of factors were simply just doing good work and being at the right place at the right time. Also, unless you have a great manager or great industry connections (in which you probably wouldn’t be reading this long sucker) people have to like you first, and then your work. There is enough music in the world and enough artists that would love to work in this business that few people are taking the time to deal with jerks. If they are, they might be jerks themselves and you don’t need the aggravation. Good people attract good people, and when you establish a relationship with someone who needs your music, the word will get around. Like anything good, it takes times and it requires a lot of patience. It is extremely competitive. There is a seemingly infinite supply and limited demand for new music, but if it is what you love and you are being honest in your work, you will find your niche.

There is no more truth than the adage: GIVE TO GET. That’s a spiritual discussion best left to another time, but it’s worth mentioning. Like all of life, you will do 1000% percent better licensing your music if you take time understand and empathize with the other person’s perspective and needs. Get to know a music supervisor and understand what their day to day is like. I went so far as to take a class on music supervision with the amazing Thomas Golubic (Six Feet Under, Breaking Bad) even though I have ZERO intention of ever trying to become a music sup.

RELATIONSHIPS
We have all heard this 100 times but it’s true... “Everything is relationships.” There are a billion tracks on the market now. Everyone has a record. Everyone can cobble together some ½-way decent sounding Apple loops and say they have a catalog. The only way to cut through all of this after we do the best and most honest music we can, is to get out there and meet people in the field. Do a search for music conferences and film fests and attend them. Then, follow up. Really provide value to the first few clients you get in hopes that your reputation will lead you above the pack. I have pitched for 1000 things, and I still do, but 90 percent of my business comes from a handful of people who know and trust my work.

COLD CALLS
It doesn't sound fun cause it ain’t! Cold calls and emails are tough, but sometimes if you have exactly what they want at the right time they are looking you can get in the door. Alot of people say never cold call, but I started my business this way and still get work from some of those first calls. DON’T DRIVE THESE PEOPLE CRAZY! BUILD YOUR RELATIONSHSIPS! DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

It helps to have ANY kind of resume built up before you call; even if that resume is your friend’s tiny independent film. I made my first few calls with nothing but placements in my friend’s student films at University of Kansas, but I rattled them off like they were great pieces of art. Be confident but polite. You are making the call to them asking for their time so get your pitch down fast, and if they are kind enough to point you in the right direction or even give you a piece of good advice, be appreciative and move along. If you had presence and handled things well they will remember even if it takes a few calls over a few months. Also, don’t take it personally if the bigger supervisors don’t return calls or emails. There are simply too many people coming at them to get back with you but that does not mean they don’t remember. I sent a CD in for a huge show and sent a follow up email every couple months for a year and a year and half later I got a 30 sec call asking for a track and within that afternoon the paperwork was drawn up.

STAY POSITIVE AND DON’T TALK BEHIND ANYONE’S BACK – CAREFUL WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE GONNA SUE

Although I’m sure I don’t need to tell YOU this but nothing will kill you worse than negativity. If someone is quick on the phone or doesn’t call you back, my God do not bad mouth them to ANYONE. I had someone once license my stuff to a large network without clearing it; they called after it aired and apologized, offered some money and I happily took it and went on my way. Soon after they licensed a lot more and the relationship is great to this day. It was an honest mistake. Being litigious or angry would have only killed any of my future business with them and everyone they know. I find this business is so small the further I get. I took a meeting at a large TV station and on the cubicles of the music sups were lists saying “THESE ARE LITIGIOUS ARTISTS. WE WILL NOT USE THEM.” The movers and shakers know each other and many of them are friends. You’ll never win by bad mouthing or burning a bridge.

As my pops always says “don’t step over a dollar to make a dime.” Be really careful what battles you take on. Having a great lawyer will help in this area.

One foot after the other; do not stop.

USE WHAT YOU HAVE
Once you have one marquee placement (for me it was bugging everyone on mp3.com in 2000 and getting $200 to be in the Matrix: Revisited) send a quick newsletter and call your best contacts. Give them the good news to try to get leads for more. Having one thing to start the conversation off is critical. Momentum is everything.

MEETING THEM FACE TO FACE
This is crucial, and where I think artists that perform live, especially in major markets, may have an edge. It helps to play gigs outside of town, go to conventions and film fests. Slowly build your address book and follow up. I have found living in LA makes this alot easier but of course the cost is considerable and it took me a long time to get a foothold here. It still has to be said, if you are not near a city center, get to one. People say the internet has changed all that but in this case I do not find that to be true. There is simply a different energy in the major music cities; and, you will be forced to “do or die” and really focus on your career.

MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM
Make sure you provide them exactly what they want in a way they can get right to it. Mark the track you want heard. Don’t send too much material. I know you are excited that you have new tracks and want to give them plenty to pick from. I do it too but we gotta STOP IT. It comes off as desperate and no one but your most diehard fans are gonna listen to all those tracks. (I made this mistake for years and I probably made it again this morning because I don’t take my own advice). Make sure your contact info is clear. Make sure they know ONE WRITER and NO UNCLEARED SAMPLES. They can’t think there will be any trouble using your track. I have been lucky that a lot of my catalog has been 100% writer and publisher and therefore they know they can clear a song with me by the end of the business day.

They want the song cleared fast and want to know you don’t have 30 writer’s waiting to come back and ask for a piece. Only send what you think fits them. Be concise when you follow up; they have 1000 people hitting them up. Ask them: “what do you need right now?” Like it or not, we need the airwaves more than they need new music. There is a lot of music in this world. Wait, a cricket just came up to my desk and is pitching me his new disc full of apple loops…

GET YOUR OWN VOICE
Do you write hammer dulcimer music only? Well, if it is killer and you push it to the right places; I believe you can be totally successful with that one instrument. I am actually working on a new record of just Drums and Mallets. I expect it to license perfectly as long as I put my whole heart into it and find the right uses for it.

Follow your voice no matter what, but know that you will only fit for certain ops. Even the most prolific person can’t cover it all. If you are known for something great in a niche, brand yourself in that way and they will eventually search you out. It’s better to be known as being amazing at one thing than being mediocre at 10 things.

CAREFUL WITH YOUR TIME
If you can convince a friend you trust to help you with this, do it. I have walked the line between business and artist and I think both sides of my brain have benefited from the other, but if you spend all tour time plugging your music you are not making music. This asks a fundamental question too: if you like the business or the “score” of landing a spot and making money with music, maybe you should be the manager and let someone else make the art. By the way, I preach and don’t always practice, but I’m giving you pearls here…

BUILD A TEAM
Scratch that. BUILD THE RIGHT TEAM. I prefer lawyers over managers. I am still great friends with most of my former managers but for starting out, build a relationship with a lawyer (this happens naturally by doing good work and by paying them well to look over your contracts WHICH IS WORTH EVERY PENNY).

I signed a deal with Rhino where I gave away most of my digital rights to a song cause of one small sentence that I didn’t understand at the time (you can believe I understand it now). I trusted my manager at the time to handle all my paperwork and he did not have a lawyer look at it. We were too excited and signed too quickly. The manager was young and at the end of the day it’s MY career. Rhino was doing what companies do; they get as many rights as they can to protect their bottom line. This isn’t about blame, it’s about the importance of lawyers, and above all else, educating yourself as much as possible. The vision of an artist just recording and touring and a staff of people handling everything else is a romanticized vision that sharks love to talk to musicians about before they sign on the dotted line. Ever read U2 by U2? Every member of that band is on the phone solving problems, attending meetings. Larry Mullen was on the phone himself trying to solve a ticket scalping problem on a tour just a few years back. Watch your business, but don’t do everything yourself if you have people who will help you, and of course, treat them like kings and queens if they back you.

One more note on having a lawyer before a manager: you pay a lawyer ONCE for a service; not for years after the contract. Plus you pay them on what THEY are working on, not what you yourself might be working on. If you are a go-getter yourself, you might sign with a manager that you run circles around and you still have to send them a cut. This doesn’t happen with lawyers. And some of those lawyers know a lot more people in the biz than the managers. That being said, I have met some managers that are about 10x more talented than their artists (no hate mail dammit) - and I don’t know of a single banner act that dosen’t have a great and connected management team.

Regarding licensing (aside from the team I have assembled for my recording and live career) I was extremely fortunate to find a passionate Director of Operations for my catalog, Deb Tuinei. She receives a percentage of everything that comes in for licensing and publishing, and from time to time we hire others to do hourly work. We also have a publishing administrator (the aforementioned Steve Winogradsky) to handle contracts and negotiations, and tell me when I am headed in the wrong direction. Since we are working full time now, we also take interns that have provided their time in exchange for learning the knowledge that Deb is acquiring (I do not work too “hands on” with the interns or the music would not get created). I still do a fair amount of work for hires (covered in the books mentioned above) where I am paid well to create something I will no longer own. This is tricky as it provides no writer/publisher income, and while it generates a good deal of working capital and helps with a resume, it does not help build my catalog to relicense or possibly sell the entire catalog down the line.

Just starting out it was only me and a few loved ones close to me making every call and sending every package. It’s always this way and bless the families and partners of entrepreneurs who are willing to get behind someone’s dream. One of the hardest things for me to learn is delegating (I am still learning this one slowly and painfully). I owe a great debt of gratitude to everyone that has been patient with me as I was, and still am, learning the ropes (in this biz I think we are always learning the ropes to some degree).

IN CLOSING
To those who are selling stakes of your writer’s shares for placements (i.e. not work for hires, you are giving up writer’s share just to get a credit), or paying music supervisors to use your tracks: You are not only making someone else money off YOUR work but you are devaluing the business for those of us who work full time; therefore limiting your ability to work this business full time in the future. And yes, Pump audio broke the 50/50 rule and is offering only 35 percent to artists. Please don’t send them anything.

Now that we’ve cussed and discussed let’s just go write some music. Unplug the phones and write til the candles burn out. There is a necessary evil of artists having to learn now to be great business people… but here’s to us all keeping the music first in our hearts. The old model is dead and we must not fear the new one. There are opportunities everywhere, though we are still shaking out what replaces the revenue streams we once had. If someone loves what you do there is always a way to monetize it, but I am getting into another conversation and another blog…

When you are done combing through the internet sites and books, magazines, and calling everyone, just don’t forget to enjoy making the music. With a little planning and elbow grease you will hear a song on your TV set or at your theatre soon.

Heading back into the headphones… hope to see you on the road in 2010! Please come say hello and let me know if you made it all the way through this!

Gooding

http://www.goodingmusic.com
http://www.kingdom2music.com

50 state tour starts March 6, 2010

Download my new record for free here: http://www.goodingmusic.com/music

And if this was helpful drop me a line and let me know how the fight goes at:
goodingarmy@gmail.com

BRILLIANCE

2010-01-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

Now the rovin gambler he was very bored He was tryin to create the next world war He found a promoter who nearly fell to the floor He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before But yes I think it can be very easily done We’ll just put some bleachers out in the sun And have it on highway 61
-Bob Dylan

Every Tuesday in the valley at Las Hadas is the Johnny Vana Band.

2010-01-07T16:25:00.001-08:00

Featuring big band players from Count Basie Orchestra, Buddy Rich Band, Harry James, Woody Herman, Nelson Riddle, Stan Kenton Orchestra, you name it, they've done it. You swing dance with the senior citizens and eat a nice lunch. Wow and I am horrible dancer...

Yuma AZ, January 2010

2010-01-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

GOODING Voted one of Music Connection's Top 100 Hot Live unsigned performers in the nation....

2010-01-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

http://musicconnection.com/

Meet Our New Press Agent!

2009-12-31T14:28:00.001-08:00

Gooding joins Quincy Jones, 5MK, CNN, PBS....

2009-12-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

First off, thanks to everyone giving us ideas, good faith and donations for our upcoming 50 state run. No band exists without friends like you.

Here's a little holiday gift for those who haven't found it yet. Download our new record FOR FREE here at: http://www.goodingmusic.com/music/

It is an absolute honor to announce that I have been named by John Hope Bryant as the latest Celebrity Ambassador for Operation HOPE; America's first non-profit, public benefit, investment banking organization. John has worked with Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama to bring financial literacy to America's underprivileged. S3 Records, the boys and I will be working with and supporting HOPE along side other Ambassadors such as Quincy Jones through personal appearances and mass media presentations focusing on their Five Million Kids (5MK) initiative.

You can learn more about John Hope Bryant, Operation HOPE and their work at these websites:
http://www.operationhope.org
http://www.5millionkids.org
http://www.johnhopebryant.com

We are also proud to announce the work we have done for Expansion Team NYC's sonic re-branding of CNN, CNN International and PBS are airing NOW. That's right, if you're watching those channels you're hearing some of our new music!

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season. Please drop us a line and help us spread the word. The tour kicks off March 6th and we can't wait to come and visit!

Gooding, Billy and Jesse
www.goodingmusic.com

Love Will Never Rest (live acoustic)

2009-12-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

GOODING performing "Love Will Never Rest" at a BMI event. Video recorded and edited by our good friend Phillip Anthony of 316Films. Thanks, Phillip!

GOODING EPK

2009-12-14T09:22:00.000-08:00

Gooding Plays a Song with Three Guitars at Once

2009-11-15T15:07:00.000-08:00