Well my vacation is over and my kids and I are back from what is becoming an annual tour of minor league parks. And I have heard from a few regulars....., so it is time for SOTT 17. The last few SOTTs have been incredible - lots of participants and lots of amazing mixes. But SOTT has reached a level where its own success has made it somewhat harder to add new participants. SOTT 17 will be forming over the next two plus weeks - I will wait until a week or so after Labor Day to close the members for this round, just in case any regulars are away. For those that don't know, SOTT is a CDR tree that I periodically run, where you make a brilliant mix CDR (we started with tapes but have moved to CDRs). Once you make the mix CDR you dub a copy for everyone else in the group, mail all the copies to me, and once I get them all, you get a package containing one from everyone in the group. We have had over 100 people join SOTT at one time or another from at least a dozen countries. If you are interested in participating in SOTT, please read the guideline/rules below and contact me at billm45s@pipeline.com. The due date for my receipt of the completed CD-Rs for this round will be around October 20th - though earlier is OK. I will receive responses and may post an update on availability. I'd like to determine how many people are in this round by September 8th at the latest. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOON The base rules and guidelines for SOTT are as follows: * Everyone in the group makes a brilliant mix CDR ( please use an 80 minute CD) * The mix should be power pop/rock pop/pop related, but we all like to push the envelope, which is encouraged. I usually include some of my garage 45s or an old rockabilly cut. * The mix need not be all rare stuff. A lot of people use this as a consumer guide for stuff they don't know, so it shouldn't be real common either, but common is often different from one person to another. From my own take the best mixes have a variety of sounds and genres and mix rare things with newer things and older things and create a flow. Some perfectly good mixes lose it for me because they have too much of a sameness of sound and lack flow. Also, different people like different mixes - I am more on the Bill Lloyd jangle side or garage side of pop and lots of the progressive stuff just doesn't do it for me, others love that stuff - the openness and eclectic nature of SOTT is one of its best features. * Once you make the mix you dub a copy for everyone else in the group. * Most of us post liners/set lists with comments to the other members - this is often fun and informative. The liners don't have to be elaborate but they raise anticipation levels and gives a sense of the different directions people have taken, especially if you post liners early in the process. * Some people do elaborate and wonderful jewel case inserts, but for the less artistic among us (like me) a simple jewel case insert from one of the many programs available for download on the net is fine. Blank CDs or handwritten inserts are not fine - people have complained about both. Jewel cases need not be sent - but use an appropriate substitute if you don't send jewel cases - a number of people send thin-line cases, send what you want I do adjusting to make mailing easier and really like John's containers that he sends from the UK. * Once you finish all your dubs mail them to me hopefully in a box that I could reuse to send them back to you. * Include return postage in an appropriate amount in American funds for our foreign participants. I prefer well hidden cash or stamps to checks. The amount will vary depending on the size of the SOTT and I'll give an approximation, which will be slightly higher to cover my limited expenses - tipping 4 doormen, packing materials, CD sleeves, etc. Please do not forget the return postage, I don't like to chase it. * Once I get everyone's mixes, I repackage and send everyone a package with all the dubs - which is like a second Christmas. * Please understand that SOTT is a commitment, a commitment that is a lot of fun, but a commitment nonetheless. A very very few people have been difficult in the past and made it harder than it need be and delayed the enjoyment for some others. 90%+++ of the people in SOTT have been great. But please if you want to join, do so only if you can make the commitment and get the CDs to me on time. * Remember you want to work on having the best sound quality possible on your master, because you will be using it to dub the copies for the group. * I strongly suggest that the creation of the CDR begin early to give you plenty of time to make dubs. So as I said, if you want in, email me at billm45s@pipeline.com. If you have any additional questions just ask. I'd like to figure out whose in and whose not and send out a list to all participants within the next two weeks - so let me know soon. Bill