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INDEX/SECTION B Herald photo by Scott J Brooks Friday, September 27, IMS Section B ' Author gives advice on making rec< By Joe Agnew Herald staff writer f - You're in a band that's been play­ ing together for several years, you've got a lot of original material, and you're finally thinking about making a record. How do you go about putting your sounds on vinyl or tape? Better yet, how do you know peo­ ple are going to buy that recording once you've put out all that time, .effort and money into making it? ; And is it possible -- even if your band's music is considered experi­ mental, political, avant-garde or ;anything generally out of the mainstream? ! Provided you have the sufficient 'number of fans -- as well as a good "idea of the planning and details it takes to do it -- making and selling your own independent record is pos­ sible. At least that's the opinion of Diane •Rapaport, author of "How to Make and Sell Your Own Record." ($12.95 Headland's Press). Rapaport was in Chicago last weekend to promote the recently updated book, as well as to participate as a seminar panelist at the Hotel Continental's Chicago Mu­ sic Expo. Rapaport believes the major revo­ lution in independent record labels has given musical artists the ability to take control of their careers; that instead of waiting to be discovered, they can take charge at each step of the recording process to achieve their goals. "The ticket is to do it yourself," she said. Independent recordings were con­ sidered amateur 10 years ago," Ra­ paport said. "Now there are hun­ dreds of labels that are considered respectable alternatives to the ma­ jor ones." In her book, Rapaport takes the reader step by step through making and selling their own record, and starts them off "backwards." This means she deals with such details as promotion and sales first, which she claims is where the aspiring record­ ing artist's thinking should start. "A person should have an idea how much a record costs to make," she said, citing one band that used all its money to produce a record, but found itself without any money to promote it. Other considerations in those chapters include having the interest­ ed recording artist decide how many records they think they can sell in a year, plus where they can sell them and at what price. "Those are issues a lot of folks never think of," she said. The following chapters include ad­ vice on printing and graphics, which she claims play a very important role in selling a record; manufactur­ ing, which deals with the issues of record pressing and cassette dupli­ cation; and another chapter dealing with recording and copyright laws. The book also provides budget "worksheets" to plan out the mak­ ing of the record from beginning to end. Under Graphics, for instance, cost planning is emphasized for such things as art direction, photography and illustration. The worksheet for Business includes expenditures for letterheads, telephone, postage, sup- Idles and rent., There is also an appendix In the back of the book that gives informa­ tion for recording artists who might be considering going the cassette tape route, including the best re­ cording techniques and tape duplica­ tion methods, plus tips on how to go about using graphics. said she's* gotten great >ack from those who've read her book. "Musicians tell me it's been their bible," she said. But before even thinking about going into the recording studio, Ra­ paport cautions that musicians should first consider whether they have a large enough following -- namely fans -- who will buy their record. Musicians should also be ready and willing to perform. RECORDS- Page 16B Diane Rapa PEOPLE TALK 'Creator' is actually quite a disaster joints; it wants to discuss the at other times It seems to be tfyihgto For a movie, "Creator" is a strange creation. Overall, it's supposed to be a science fiction drama about reincarnation. But at some points, it wants to bea -playful sex comedy~ Atstill other points, ijt wants to fllscuss importance and ironies of love, be the "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" of the 1980s; Perhaps its writers thought they were be­ ing creative by pulling this movie in so many directions. Maybe they thought they were being realistic by having its younger cast members pepper their dialogue with obnox­ ious four-letter words. Maybe Mariel Hem­ ingway secretly wants to be the next Marilyn Monroe.. Whatever the case, "Creator" turns out to be an uneven disaster that is only redeemed by some truthful observations it makes about relationships, and by the always classy Peter O'Toole, whose mannered performance is the only good thing about this movie. "Creator" stars O'Toole as Dr. Harry Wolper, an eccentric Nobel-laureate scientist and college professor. Wolper is obsessed with recreating his wife -- who has been dead for 30 years -- from her preserved living cells, and takes on a student assistant named Boris (Vincent Spano) to help him. Boris isn't the typical goulish lab assistant. He's a handsome young man who is longing to meet the girl of his dreams, and who has constructed and a homemade robot who constantly lectures him about his Joe Agnew Herald staff writer programmed inadequacies. men could easl id out that: After a few shallow experiments with Wolper, the movie switches to focusing on Boris' wooing of another lab assistant named Barbara. In a relate to, he helps her move a thtfeame" time chronicling their sexual relationship. Mea....»«, . , has begun advertising around campus for a young woman who will one of her "eggs" to his experiment, which turns out to be a foul-mouthed free spirit named Meli (Hemingway). Hemingway plays Meli like an 80's version of Petulia Clark's character in "Chips." She has one very effective scene where she laments the the sometimes sorry results of men and women who live together* and -- besides showing her great body -- that's about it. Wolper's nemisis -- played by David Ogden Stiers - becomes suspicious of Wolper's experiments, and hopes to expose him so Wolper will be transferred to another school. Stiers' character, however, only comes off as a buffoon who is merely in this film to provide some conflict. As Wolper's "wife" incubates in the lab room, "Creator" then continues focusing on Boris and Barbara's bedroom antics, while Meli finds herself falling in love with Wolper. They all take turns pondering the meaning of life and love, and soon not even they seem to know what this movie is supposed to be trying to say. The only way director Ivan Passer can keep the audience's attention is to have Spano, his girlfriend and Hemingway show their skin or spew some more profanities. Spano also lets his character degenerate into a bellowing idiot -- to the point that many may want walk out of the theater, find him in person, and strangle him. O'Toole is the only person in this film who's in control of his character, which is why he's the only one who comes off as real and entertaining. He's living proof that actors don't have to swear, take off their clothes, or jump into bed in order to be interesting. It seems the focus on his character -- as well as the plot -- was sacrificed for "Creator's" sex scenes, which movie execs thought would help make it appeal to the younger movie-going audiences. MPgi •pjVPf hid^WI tliyt Tartlkoff, the network's entertainment pre ilden^*remei old days. He's presided over several disasters, includi but Brandon remembers the bad including the lowest*; rated night in television history, Jan. 16/1962, which included a variety special with Meryl Streep and another show featuring Pladdo Domingo. "It's not like you've been rejected by your wife or your boss or your friends," Tartlkoff told Gentleman's Quarterly. "You've been rejected by an entire country " Tartlkoff, 34, listed his favorite television shows (excluding his own) as "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Leave It to Beaver," "The Twilight Zone," "The George Burns and Grade Allen Show," "The Untouchables," "Amos 'n' Andy," "Perry Mason," "Bonanza" and "The Fugitive." The latter made an especially strong impression on young Tartikoff. "During its run I spotted a one-armed man at La Guardia Airport and urged my parents to have him arrested," he said. Writers read Norman Mailer paid writer Joyce Carol Oates what he probably considers the ultimate compliment when introducing her Sunday night at the PEN Celebration lecture series in New York. He said her recent story in The New York Times Magazine about boxing was so good "1 said to myself, 'My God, I could have written this piece'" and called It "one of the most creative acts of feminism I've ever encountered." Oates took the podium and smiled, saying, "There's nothing like that supreme accolade to be told that you write like a man -- not lust any man, but Norman Mailer." Pulitzer Prize-winning writers Saul Bellow and Eudora Welty were the guest readers for the night and the audience included actresses Diane Keaton and Jennifer Beats and writers Susan 8ontag and Gay Taleee Rated 'D' for dirty Country singer Baitoara Mandrell Is out with a new poster, but this is not to be compared with others by Hollywood sexpots. Headlined "A Baby Is Born," the colorful poster features a teddy bear, a couple of ragdolls and a color snapshot of Mandrell's newest work, Natnanlei Mandrell Dudney, her third child. The birth announcement comes In the form of a movie poster, and says "A Baby Is Born" was produced by Barbara and husband, Kenneth Lee Dudney, co-starring Mandrell's two other kids, Matthew and Jaime, and directed by Dr. H. Newton Loworn. Copyright Sept. 6, showtime at 10:04 a.m. Film length: 20 W inches Film size: 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The poster says young Nathaniel was produced "on location at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee." The poster announcing the birth also comes with a rating of D -- the dirty diaper division. All rights reserved." A well-placed word Flattery apparently goes a long way with Cybill Shepherd She met Bruce Willis, who eventually won a co-starring role with her on "Moonlighting," at an audition and liked him from the beginning "1 thought he was just wonderful," she said in an interview broadcast Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning, America." "I thought real attractive." Shepherd recalled how Willis helped his first meeting. "You looked at my eyes and said, 'How Tuetday on ABC's "Good Morning, America." "1 thought he was real, case at that can 1 work? You're so beautiful -- staring into those eyes.' I knew right then he was right for the part." As for Willis's recollection of the meeting, he said, "My heart started going boom, boom, boom." 0. to r.) Sherry Flora, Nicci Mishler, Megan Porter and Laura Chelini. "Country" -- spon­ sored by the National Forum for Women - will be held this Sunday, Sept. 29 from 11 am. to 5 p.m. at the Woodstock Conference Center. Among the actvities planned for children are face painting, free games, races and a petting zoo. Bingo will be available for adults, and square dancers will be performing to add to the country atmosphere. Sure to appeal to all booths. There will be artisans featuring a wide range of talents -- from stained glass and water colors, to stitchery and wooden wares. Restaurants and organisations will offer a variety of foods, including home baked Items. Beer and wine coders win be on the menu at ' the "beer garden," along with soft drinks. The Center is an 86-acre facility with a lake, tennis omrts, meeting and dining rooms. There will be tours of the tenter during the fair. Europe comes to Itasca For those who have always long­ ed to visit another country, the Nordic Hills Resort and Con­ ference Center in Itasca, Illinois, is offering a "Taste of Etfrope" festival each weekend throughout the month of October. * The resort will be highlighting the food, fun and excitement of four romantic European coun­ tries, including Italy, Germany, France and G reece. Nordic Hills kicks off its tour Oct. 4»to 6 with a taste of sunny Ita­ ly, followed by. a Bavarian weekend Oct. 11 to 13. France will be highlighted Oct. 18 to 20, and Greece will bring the Mediterra­ nean to the resort October 25 to 27. Nordic Hills Resort and Con­ ference Center, located 11 mUes from O'Hare International Air- Ert and 5 minutes from Woodfield all, has just completed a multi- million dollar renovation of guest rooms, suites and common areas. The hotel features 220 guest rooms, 9 spacious suites, S restaurants and lounges and 22 meeting and banquet rooms ac­ commodating groups up to 400 persons. Resort facilities include an 16- hole golf course and a complete . Racquet and Pin Club with • rac* quetball courts, billiards, 6 bowl­ ing lanes, sauna, whirlpool and massage.