"Maybe I'm Not Dreamin' After All"

Greetings and Good Day from RMJ Productions!!

John has already privately thanked each and every individual and organization who has contributed to the making of the new CD, "Old Man Dreamin'". John would also like to publicly thank each individual and organization in order of contribution as follows: John and Donna McTernan, Tom Greuling, Douglas West, Jim Weiss, Paul H Mannes, Jeff Ferguson, Kelpie Powers, RMJ Productions, Mother Hen Promotions, Russ & Julie Paris, Bruce Hackett, Charlette and Phil Fuggetta, David Platt, Steve Smith, David Schoolman, Jeff Robertson, Joseph Cooper, Stan Little, Sigi Nagys, Pierre and Leigh Marchal, Mark Tamashiro, Michael McLean, Kevin Hains, Ilene Reinhart, Meet Me In the Music, Hollie Ashworth.

Many things have been accomplished on this CD to date, including drums via Tom Walsh, vocals from Bill Batstone, Andrea Robinson, Matt Batdorf, and George Merrill. All of the acoustic guitars are done as are all of Johns' own vocals. Phil Parlapiano played accordion, Mark Browne and Bill Batstone played bass, and Michael Dowdle added electric, acoustic guitars and mandolin. John has also added some dobro and other instrumental overdubs as well.

The production aspects of the CD keep moving forward:

Yesterday (Friday, 4/3/09), John added fiddle, mandolin, and vocals with Gary Falcone.

Monday (4/6), more vocals with hopefully Dan Navarro and Lily Wilson

Tuesday (4/7), electric guitar overdubs with James Harrah,

and Wednesday (4/8), pedal steel and lap steel with Greg Leizs.

From that point forward, John will be going through the ODs and getting everything in its place before David Appelt will begin the mix process which normally runs 1 to 2 songs per day so we are looking at another week. After that will come the mix review and fix process in preparation for mastering. The final CD is almost within our grasp but we still need lots of help and contributions to get it done.

Money-wise, the above work will cost around $6,000. plus another $2,000. for manufacturing and $3-5,000. for print magazine ads and professional radio promotion. These amounts may be daunting in total but individually, we can all make a difference; remember that this CD belongs to all of us as contributors as much as it does to John, as creator/producer and artist.

In addition to the awards that have already been offered up till now (reiterated below for your reference), John would now also like to offer a pre-mastered full song mix with every $100.00 contribution going forward. If you are interested in trying to get together a contribution co-op with your friends, please email rmjprod@gmail.com to get another copy of the co-op letter for your use.

Investment Participation Levels

ALL CONTRIBUTORS will receive:

-updates as to the progress of the CD together with an exclusive "work-in-progress" mix of three of the songs,

-an mp3 download of the new CD as soon as it is mastered,

-a contribution credit on Johns' website.

In addition:

$35.00 1 CD

$50.00 1 CD and Poster

$100.00 1 Signed CD and Poster and from this date forward a pre-mastered full song mix of "What D'ya Got?"

$250.00 2 Signed CDs, T-Shirts and Posters

$500.00 5 Signed CDs, T-Shirts and Posters

$1000.00 Johns Entire CD Collection Signed

$1500.00 Johns Entire CD Collection Signed, T-Shirt, Poster And DVD

$3500.00 A New CD Directly From The Mastering Lab Four Weeks Prior To Release, Johns Entire CD Collection Signed, T-Shirt, Poster And DVD.

$5000.00 A New CD Directly From The Mastering Lab Four Weeks Prior To Release, Johns Entire CD Collection Signed,T-Shirt, Poster And DVD ANDA Free Concert in Your Home!

$3500.00 and Up Contributors Anyone who contributes $3500.00 or more will receive a “Special Thanks” credit on the CD.

$5000.00 and Up Contributors For those who contribute $5000.00, along with everything previously mentioned, you will a receive a Co-Executive Producer credit on the CD.

We would prefer if all contributions go directly to John via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com) using this account: johnbatdorf@att.net

If other arrangements are necessary, please contact us with any questions or for Johns’ mailing address: RMJProd@gmail.com

Thank You,

RMJ Productions

(Richard Mike Jeanette)

on behalf of John Batdorf

An Evening with John Batdorf: 4/18 Los Angeles CA

Saturday, 18 April 2009 @ 8pm
An Evening With John Batdorf
With Guest Performers Michael McLean and Bill Batstone
Boulevard Music
4316 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 398-2583
http://www.boulevardmusic.com/
Price: $15.00
It's Not the CD Release Party - but it's pretty darn close!
Reservations Recommended!

"What's New" from John Batdorf 3/26/09

What's New...

Thursday, March 26th, 2009 10:23 AM

Batdorf CD Update

Hey guys!

The CD is progressing nicely. I am now in the "add drums" part of the process. Tom Walsh will be providing that instrument. I am still waiting for two singers that are sick to sing backgrounds on the CD. All the acoustic guitars are done and so are my vocals. Bill Batstone, Andrea Robinson, Matt Batdorf, George Merrill, and Lily Wilson are all singing or will be singing soon. Phil Parlapiano played accordion, Mark Browne and Bill Batstone played bass, and Michael Dowdle has added electric, acoustic guitars and mandolin. I have some dobro and a few other instrumental overdubs to do and that will be that.

For those who have been so generous to support, I have just sent them an mp3 comp of the earliest demo of three new songs with me just throwing out random lyrics mixed with melodic "do dos" for reference. That demo cross fades about half way through right into the latest version of the song which still isn't mixed or finished but I thought that this might show how the song writing/producing process goes. This is a part of the making of a CD that very few people that aren’t directly involved rarely hear. I hope you enjoy this. It’s something I have shared with only a few before! It’s kind of like seeing someone who has always looked great in the past, and now you are getting your first glimpse of them with bad morning hair and before make up!

We are still trying to raise additional funds and I again want to personally thank those of you who already have supported this project!

John

"Oh, Let Me Live the Life"

Hey to all John Batdorf Fans & Friends

We thought you might want to get your friends involved in “the cause”, so we came up with the following flyer that you can cut-and-paste to an email and send to all of the acoustic music-lovers in your life who might be interested in being a part of music history with you:

To My Music-Loving Friends

I am sure you remember one of my favorite music duo’s of all time: Batdorf & Rodney! Well, John Batdorf is embarking upon a fantastic solo venture that looks and sounds better than anything he has ever done. The NEW CD, entitled "Old Man Dreamin' In A Young Man's World", is seeking financial support to finish this project, and also so that John can properly promote and distribute to the masses. The music industry, such as it is today, offers little other choice for independent musicians that care about producing a quality product. John is seeking investment co-ops, anywhere from $35.00 on up (the sky is the limit), and for this, there are some great personal perks, including getting a personally-signed copy of the new CD hot off the press, an MP3 download of the CD as soon as it is mastered, newsletter updates as to the progress of the CD giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the producing and promoting of a CD, and exclusive “work mixes” of the music in progress that no one other than us will ever get to hear. There is even an opportunity to be listed on the CD liner-notes as Co-Producer.

May I suggest you visit the following website(s) to learn more about investing in this project:

John Batdorf “What’s New”

RMJ Productions: “Don’t You Hear Me Callin’”

And if you want to know more about John Batdorf, please click here to see his one-sheet (in pdf format).

I would love it if you were interested in joining in this project with me as a co-op effort (or on your own, if you want) so that we can share in this exciting opportunity and to be part of something so memorable, meaningful (and downright cool!).

Thank You.

Your Friend in Music,

____(Insert Your Name Here)____

--

rmjprod@gmail.com

http://www.rmjproductions.net

"What's New" from John Batdorf 3/10/09

What's New...

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 3:12 PM

Old Man Dreamin' In A Young Mans' World

My new solo CD, “Old Man Dreamin’ in a Young Mans’ World”, is weeks away from being "mix ready" and I need some help. The state of the economy forced me to be creative and I have asked supporters of my music to help financially in the making of this CD. The troops have rallied behind the idea and several have jumped in and contributed, but I am still well short of my goal. I really felt funny about asking and did try to get a government grant but music doesn’t appear to be high on the governments' priority list and I was turned down. I figured that if all the fans who were going to buy my new CD after it was released, paid in advance and threw in whatever extra monies they could afford, I could make this CD the way it should be made. I had a few choices. 1. Not make the CD at all. 2. Make a cheaply produced scaled down CD or........ 3. Ask for help. I was just on a weekend road trip to Phoenix and my brother-in-law Steve was with me and we filled up the time listening to the “work mixes” of my CD and also enjoyed listening to CDs by Lowen and Navarro and Berkley Hart. As we were listening I thought, this independent music must get made, otherwise all we have is what the big guys want us to hear. I come from the era where there was so much new and exciting music released that probably wouldn’t see the light of day in todays’ market! I am still well short of my goal and if anyone reading this would be kind enough to help out, please click on the link below. I am so certain that once you hear the finished product you will be thrilled, but if by chance you are not, I will refund every dollar that you contributed.

http://rmjproductions.net/Don%27t_You_Hear_Me_Callin%27-1.pdf

Thanks for the years of continued support!

-John Batdorf

John Batdorf: A Call To Arms

To: John Batdorf Fan Base

From: RMJ Productions(Richard Curiel, Mike Hays, Jeanette Lundgren)

Re: Johns' NEW CD---Your chance to support one of your favorite artists!!

As recent Executive Producers of the John Batdorf/Mark Rodney, Still Burning: Live CD in 2008, and now current Executive Producers on John's upcoming, NEW solo CD, Old Man Dreamin', we would like to present the following opportunity to any and all of you John Batdorf fans: A chance to personally participate in this project, as a co-collaborator with possible Co- Executive Producer status.

Read More Here -- John Batdorf: A Call To Arms

Early Review - the 2009 CD - John Batdorf

As John said to me yesterday - when I went to his studio to listen to 10 out of 12 new songs that he is working on for his new CD - the finances of our country and our world are pretty much shaken to its roots and people are only spending when they have to. As we all know - it's not going to get better before it hits rock bottom and then it can only go up from there.

BUT. There is music. And where there is music, there is hope and inspiration. Music is one of those aids that buoys us up from rock bottom and holds us there till there is hope on the horizon.

It is - and always has been - music that has lifted our spirits and inspired us to keep our head above water to move forward and get us through our days. This is actually truer for me, who discovered Johns' music right after ALL WOOD AND STONES was released. "I Will Not Be Afraid" and "It's Not Heavy" are still at the top of my list of favorite JB songs. Both of those songs got me through some pretty rough times, and still do so to this day.

With that said - after having listened to the rough cuts (i.e. Johns' vocals and guitars are all recorded and each song awaits further "outside" work) of these 10 songs - I am literally blown away. No, seriously. Most of you have heard me say this before with each of Johns' previous CD's in recent years. But I mean it now more than ever. This CD comes completely and totally from John; a good percentage of the lyrics, the ideas for the songs, the music, thoughts, and opinions. Oh, yes - opinions. In this record John bares his soul and his thoughts via his music. Johns' music has always been cutting edge; he has always sought to create new and innovative (and difficult to play live) guitar licks, but he has surpassed himself yet once more ... I think this record is a culmination of everything he has experienced and learned via the music industry since his own beginnings. While the songs he wrote as a 16-17-18-19 year-old were brilliant and cutting-edge for someone so young (and each of those songs still hold water -- for us as his fans and John as the musician/creator -- to this day) -- these new songs give a whole new meaning to the phrase "cutting edge" and could only have been written from his point-of-view today. The songs are not written from the point of view of someone who knew without really knowing and hit the nail on the head -- that was the brilliance of the young John Batdorf in the 1970s ... THESE songs are written from the point of view of the John Batdorf in 2008 and 2009 - who has spent his life doing what he loves and is writing about it from this end of the spectrum, from the point of view of someone who has lived and loved and worked hard and is here to sing about it. All the songs are full of knowledge and conviction and truth as well as love and inspiration and survival.

All of you here are going to LOVE this CD -- from how he plays it to how he sings it to what he has to say. There are love songs because one thing that Johns' music has always been about right from the get-go, is love. And these love songs speak about love in a way he hasn't spoken about it before. Two of the songs give me goose bumps every time I hear them and both of them should really be love themes for some grand big screen big budget movies. There's comedy on this record, there's comments on this record and there's loads of inspiration; inspiration being the other thing that Johns' music has always been about.

There's one song on this record that I once heard - accidentally - about 2 years ago. It was an early version but the minute I heard it, I burst into tears and it has done the same to me ever since, in whatever form I've heard it. It will finally be released to Johns' listening public on this CD and it, too, is a VERY powerful song (and I'm speaking from memory since it's not one of the 10 I heard today). In point of fact - every song on this CD is very powerful - and there's one song that's hit-material: it's got a riff that will knock your boots off, it's opinionated without insulting anyone, it's catchy, it's a love song, and it's powerfully strong!

EVERY song on this CD is a very powerful song whether it's inspirational, thought-provoking, or about love. Every song is pure John Batdorf in his vocals, in his music, in his riffs, in the little things he adds to a song ... and there are parts still to be added. But with Johns' blessing, I wanted to let you - Johns' core fans - know about the impending release of this CD now - to whet your musical appetite for it - to give you something to wait for - to cheer John on while he works on it further - to tell everyone you know who might appreciate it - to think of ways to help us get this one heard by an even wider public than ever before. THIS CD is Johns' next level...

Please know that what you are waiting for? Is pure cutting-edge John Batdorf, as you HAVE heard him before and as you have NEVER heard him before.

-Jeanette Lundgren, 2/13/09
Mother Hen Promotions