It is the five year anniversary of Rupert’s passing, a moment memorable to most people that knew him. Less well known, it is fifteen years and three weeks since he started collating his thoughts, anecdotes and experiences of making, producing and releasing music, with an aim to release a book.
Over the past two years, we have been collating, structuring and distilling Rupert’s unique take on the art of song—or as he put it, how to change somebody “four minutes later”. This means recognising what we have to say, then creating the most unique version of that realisation: as he put it, “The best song that you can write is the song that only you can write.”
Rupert left several drafts, as well as numerous blogs, essays, speeches and interviews. These have been distilled into a single draft, across the nature of art, the structure of song, lyrics and hooks, recording tricks and traps, and the way to build and keep an audience that cares. The book empowers readers to look inside themselves for the answers, based on practical, pragmatic advice learned over decades in the studio.
In parallel, we have been speaking to many of the singers and musicians, producers, engineers and other collaborators that he worked with. This wealth of material is being worked through, to support Rupert’s key points, show the process, and build a comprehensive picture told by those who knew and loved him the most.
What separates this book from typical how-to guides, is Rupert’s unique mix of experiences across the decades of modern music — working with major artists such as Tina Turner and Stevie Nicks, Howard Jones and Suzanne Vega, arranging and producing an unprecedented 120 albums for both Grammy winners and less well known songsmiths. He worked with artists that had something to say, above all.
Within the business, Rupert was a luminary, a mentor, a counsellor, part of the fabric with decades of hands-on experience both making and producing. Outside of it, he is less well known: this book will enable the broadest audience to gain from his knowledge, and learn more about what he brought to so many through his artist-centric approach, unique personality, production expertise and musical gift.
Rupert was passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience, and this book will enable it to live on. “Can listening to just one song change the way you feel? Unsure as to whether you really have ‘anything to say’ as a songwriter? Are you having trouble expressing ‘the real you’ through your words and music? This is the book for you.”
