Chapter 65

It can be said that fame is truly a good thing. With fame, even someone as proud as Wang Jingsnow took the initiative to seek out Li Qian, hoping to obtain his work. With fame, when Li Qian said he was willing to write songs for Wu Xing Wu Su and produce their new album, Huage Records immediately agreed. Li Baolong directly led a team south, also because of fame. Despite Li Qian being just a seventeen-year-old big boy, since he started working with Huage Records, whether it was with producer Li Baolong or the other girls of Wu Xing Wu Su, their cooperation was smooth and pleasant. All of this was brought about by just five songs.

However, converting fame into more real-world benefits and continuing to gain greater fame, even transforming this fame into a solid position in the industry, is not a simple matter. Li Qian, who had been rooted in the entertainment industry for over a decade, had long been clear about this and was well-prepared mentally.

People in the industry need to eat, drink, wear clothes, and have a place to live, and in the future, they need to support their families. Who doesn't want to earn money? In the circle, everyone is a peer, and who doesn't want to be respected?

Given Li Qian's current situation and his personality, he definitely isn't thinking about becoming a big tycoon, but he must earn the money he should, gain the fame he deserves, and secure his position in the industry. Whether it's ideals, dreams, or hobbies, in the end, art, money, and fame are not contradictory; they complement each other.

Now, with the surge in fame brought about by the five songs that directly topped the hit list, what Li Qian needs is to establish his first-stage position in the industry: a master of lyrics and music, a top producer!

Wu Xing Wu Su is the first shot he wants to fire!

Therefore, there can be no failure.

...

September 5th, Sunday, afternoon.

Lao Dou Records, Studio A1.

Before 1:30 PM, Li Qian arrived on time. When he pushed the door open, the musicians and sound engineers invited by Lao Dou Records, the girls of Wu Xing Wu Su, their agent Aunt Wu, producer Li Baolong, and the boss of Lao Dou Records, Fu Zhenbang, were all present. Even the sound engineer who had specially rushed from Shuntianfu had already arranged the positions for the musicians and instruments.

The agreed time was 2:00 PM, so Li Qian certainly wasn't late; it just showed how much everyone valued this.

Upon entering, Li Qian, as always, smiled and greeted everyone, whether he knew them or not. Being polite is always good, no matter which circle you're in, and politeness never hurts.

Seeing the main person arrive, everyone greeted him. Fu Zhenbang even led Li Qian to introduce the musicians he had invited one by one.

The arrangements for "Sisters and Brothers Stand Up" and "Let's Row Our Boats" were both handled by Li Qian. The former's arrangement emphasized a lively and playful rhythm, a very youthful style, similar to about 70-80% of the original version in his memory. The latter's arrangement highlighted a heavenly choir feeling, with the entire song being a chorus without any solo parts, making the arrangement light and ethereal, mainly featuring piano and guitar.

It can be said that although this was almost the final version of the arrangement, it was relatively simple, requiring only a few instruments.

Among them, the bass was what Li Qian was most concerned about.

In his previous life, when he listened to "Sisters and Brothers Stand Up," he was particularly impressed by the bass at the beginning of the arrangement. So when it was his turn to arrange, he kept it without hesitation.

However, in his mind, this bass had to be extremely cool. A few days ago, he had specifically contacted Li Jinlong and Fu Zhenbang to find a high-level bassist.

The reason was simple: the bass is inherently cool!

And what Li Qian wanted was cool!

Musicians, especially rock musicians, know that a band must have at least a bassist, a drummer, a guitarist, and a lead singer. This is the basic configuration. However, with rock music having cooled down for many years, guitars, being easy to learn and fun to play, have a large market, while the bass is relatively niche. For those who don't pay much attention to music and instruments, they don't even know what a bass is or which sound in a song is the bass. And such people would make up the majority of the fans who like "Sisters and Brothers Stand Up"!

Therefore, starting with an extremely cool bass solo would immediately make them feel the song is very cool! Then quickly transitioning into a lively and playful rhythm, combined with the catchy lyrics... this is the way to directly capture people's attention!

Moreover, in fact, when Li Qian thought back to the original arrangement and considered the overall style and rhythm of the song, he had to admit that adding a bass to the intro was very fitting!

So, based on this consideration, when Fu Zhenbang introduced the bassist, Li Qian, while bumping fists with him, also patted his arm and said with a smile, "Brother Da Bing, make sure to bring it out!"

The bassist was named Da Bing, reportedly the top bassist in the Jinan music scene. He looked very confident, with long hair and sunglasses, and while bumping fists with Li Qian, he was also fiddling with a toothpick in his mouth, responding to Li Qian's words with a dismissive attitude.

But Li Qian didn't mind.

He had seen many musicians, especially rock musicians, with this attitude.

As long as the performance is good, everything will be fine. After all, the song only needs two bass parts in the intro and outro, and as long as they are good, that's enough.

After Li Qian got to know everyone, Li Jinlong said, "Since everyone is here early, shall we... start early? Let's start with 'Sisters and Brothers Stand Up'?"

Li Qian had no objections, nodded, and said, "Let's start early. Teachers, thank you for your hard work! Everyone got the sheet music for the two songs yesterday, so you should have seen it. Let's go through it twice, starting with 'Sisters and Brothers Stand Up.' Everyone can find their feel and get used to working together."

Then, he smiled at the bassist Da Bing and specifically pointed out, "Brother Da Bing, your solo part is crucial. It must be so captivating that people will fall in love with the sound and the instrument at first listen!"

Da Bing tilted his head, nodded carelessly, and said, "I'm a pro!"

The meaning was, "You don't need to tell me!"

Li Qian just smiled and didn't say anything, but turned to instruct the girls of Wu Xing Wu Su, asking them to not sing at first but to follow the rhythm and find their feel. Once the band was well-coordinated, they could join in.

The girls nodded in understanding, and Li Qian clapped his hands. "Everyone, thank you. Let's go through it once! Ok, everyone, 'Sisters and Brothers Stand Up,' ready... go!"

A deep bass sound rose, instantly making everyone in the recording studio subconsciously squint their eyes.

Those who have heard live performances know that the bass sound is really powerful and impressive.

But... Li Qian frowned.

He played well, but he dragged out several notes!

This was just the first rehearsal, so Li Qian just noted it in his mind and then focused on the other musicians.

The first rehearsal was naturally bumpy, with the drummer sometimes starting too early and the keyboard player hesitating a bit. Although the differences were slight, even ordinary people could notice something unnatural if they paid attention.

But it didn't matter. At least Li Qian confirmed that the musicians Lao Dou Records had found were all above average, and recording a demo was definitely no problem.

So, when the song ended with the bass, Li Qian smiled and said, "Very good, everyone did a great job!"

Then, starting with the keyboard, he pointed out some issues beyond the need for coordination, and finally mentioned the bass, "Brother Da Bing, your bass is indeed cool, but please don't drag the last two notes, ok?"

Da Bing frowned, fiddled with his toothpick, and said, "You want it? How else?"

Li Qian was taken aback and laughed, "Can't do it without dragging the notes?"

Da Bing shrugged.

Honestly, although Li Qian had grown tall, he was still only seventeen, and no matter how much he shaved, he still looked young. The musicians Lao Dou Records had invited, while not big names, were all experienced and well-versed, and were well-known in the local music scene. Li Qian's leadership naturally seemed a bit weak.

But fortunately, he was well-prepared for this, so he just smiled and said, "Find your feel. I believe you can do it. Boss Fu told me you're the best bassist in Jinan!"

Fu Zhenbang, who had been in the industry for many years and was good at handling people, immediately spoke up, "Of course, no exaggeration. Da Bing is not just the best in Jinan, but in the entire province! Da Bing, follow Li's requirements!"

Da Bing reluctantly nodded.

Thus, the mediation was complete, and the second rehearsal began.

This time, the bass did not drag the notes, but as Da Bing had said, the cool and impressive feeling was gone. Following the rules was fine, but this time he didn't go overboard, and it completely lacked the flavor Li Qian wanted.

Li Qian couldn't help but frown again.

Of course, the second rehearsal was much smoother than the first.

Only the bass.

It was the beginning and the end, and if it didn't stand out, the entire arrangement of the song would drop a notch in Li Qian's mind!

So, when this rehearsal ended, he couldn't help but walk over to Da Bing and quietly said, "Brother Da Bing, what's the deal? Can't play without dragging the notes? Brother, show us your best moves!"

Da Bing spat out the toothpick.

"Best moves? I gave you my best moves, but you didn't want the dragging notes!"

Li Qian was speechless.

Yes, he had played in a band before and knew that bassists often like to drag and slide notes because the bass can sound particularly cool. But clearly, a top-notch bassist is not just about arbitrary expression; he must be able to dance within the constraints of the sheet music.

And this Da Bing, if placed in a rock band, especially in a live setting, would be an excellent bassist, but in the more rule-bound recording studio, he clearly didn't meet the standards.

At least not in Li Qian's requirements.

Especially, when he reconsidered, he felt that Da Bing seemed to dislike him from the beginning?

This was strange!

Li Qian nodded faintly, gradually putting away his smile.

"Ok, let's go through it again. Everyone, please focus. We're starting to record two songs today! After we finish, I'll treat you to dinner! Ok, everyone, ready... go!"

The bass sound rose, a bit wild and a bit aggressive.

He was indeed not a bad bassist.

When this round ended, Li Qian took a deep breath and turned to Fu Zhenbang and Li Jin