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	Jeff has a virtual NO. 1 on the net

Ex-Sundog Jeff Payne has found stardom on the Internet - and hopes it will lead on to success in the real world. Clare Robinson logs on.

Plymouth musician Jeff Payne is celebrating his first national No. 1 hit single - on the Internet.
Woman, a song written and recorded by Jeff at his home studio in Plymouth has made the uksounds.com Top 10 and for the past two weeks has held pole position.
The chart, updated daily, is based on the number of listens and downloads each individual song generates.

Jeff, best known on the local circuit as a founder member of the rock band Sundogs and whose website goes by the name of purplehealer.com, gave up his day job last August to concentrate full-time on writing music.
He said "I started up my website, purplehealer.com, in January. I uploaded one of my songs, Fire & Ice, on to whichever music sites would take it for free.
"It just disappeared into the annals of the digital world, but a few weeks later I tried another song, Woman. I was amazed when I learned that it had gone into the top 10 at uksounds.com, then topped the chart for two weeks.
"The charts is updated daily, so it's good to know that it has justified its position, based on the number of times people listened to it.
"Each day they reckon that well over 1000 new listeners will get to hear my song."




	WEB’S WONDER: 1,000 people a day hear Jeff’s music online

Woman is just one song in a new collection that Jeff has released on his virtual album, Fire & Ice, currently at No. 38 in the Alternative/Modern Rock genre of the World Music Charts. This is also updated daily, and is compiled from the amount of hits on an artist's official website.
The album contains 10 acoustic tracks, currently in 70's tinged singer/songwriter form, which demonstrate his ability to pen strong melodic songs which could transfer to almost any genre given the right production job.
Vocally Jeff has a lot to offer, and his mellow rock style is incredibly versatile, distinctive and professional.
Track 1, When You Cry, is arguably the most commercial - it is the most instantly accessible. But others, obviously Woman, Peace of Mind and possibly the folksy Lady of the Rose, are also contenders.
Two tracks are songs first recorded with Sundogs when he was lead vocalist with the band.
He said "Family Tree was released by the BBC for the compilation tape Bear Tracks to raise money for Children in Need. There may even be a few others lurking in the background that could be revived."
But writing is an art form that comes relatively easy to Jeff.
"It's not something that I do, it's something that I can't help doing. Quite often the chords, vocals and melody all come instantaneously.
"The problem is remembering them all. Sometimes I can forget them before I have a chance to record them, which is why I am glad to have these 10 tracks out at last."

Greatly encouraged by his success, Jeff hopes eventually to start making money from his songwriting. As many have discovered, the Internet is proving a great way of getting music across to thousands of people who would not otherwise hear it, and other offers are staring to come through including one from a satellite and cable company.
The Now.com website, available worldwide, is to feature Jeff's single in a section of the site dedicated to top ten downloads.
In a way, he is now doing things the opposite way from when he was part of Sundogs.
Jeff said, "Then we would work very hard gigging to try to create a demand. This way I'm hoping to create a demand via the Internet, then do some gigs and take it from there.




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