Absolutely valid point. But,
1. the same opportunites presented to the artists in question beg to speak
to the business. Inequity.... is sorely understating it.
2. moreover, the main crux of my long winded tireade spoke to the
difference between being a consumer and being in the industry trying to keep
sh*t alive. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the indies to compete
with the mega-merged out entertainment conglomerates that peeps like S&D are
wholeheartedly vested with and the propaganda it spins off.
Try to understand what it was like to suddenly be eliminated.....like the
conspiracy which killed 'Disco' music and simultaneously spawned the birth
of the CD. Vinyl based music (black music) was quintessentially being
eliminated so the majors could price fix and gouge the world's music buying
public, spawning the most outrageous (what's the legal term for it??)
"price-fixing public lawsuits which, correct me if I'm wrong, may still be
litigating till now. Scandal....
Disco was eliminated at the height of Donna Summer's 10 million selling
"Greatest Hits" lp. The label, Casablanca Records, closed down forever.
That was in 1979-80?? I think, geeesh I forget, but will never forget as I
was working for an minority/independently owned broadcast company called
"Inner City Broadcasting" (WLBS-FM/Detroit, WLIB-FM/San Francisco and the
still hangin/ WBLS-FM/NYC).
A year or so later, WLBS in Detroit was sold.
You must understand that I've been on the receiving end o'dis sh*t before as
Promotion Director for WLBS at that time. America has not evolved
at'all...devolve really IS now Jayson/Steve, which is why, more than ever,
apathy is distasteful to me with regard to the business.
Loooooong before Mojo, it was WLBS that BROKE/introduced the following
artists to Detroit radio (when radio really WAS coolgroovycoool): Prince,
Kraftwerk, Eddie Grant, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Gary Numan, Tina Marie,
Phyllis Hyman, Donna Summer, Tata Vega, Change (ftg. Luther VanDross) and
many, many more. ONLY Detroit radio stations like WLBS were allowing for
the Prince's of the music industry to have their outlet.......and finally
their careers.
Were it not for Detroit's WLBS...Prince woulda been dropped--period--end of
story. Warner Bros. put him on as the opening act for the Rolling Stones
tour in 77 or 78 (can't remember) and he was literally booed, caned, and
thrown trash and bottles at by irate--white rockers already grasping the
anti-dance/soul propaganda conspiracy underway.
That began the end of indie radio in America, simultaneous to the end of
indie disco/dance labels. Now that those independently owned stations have
been eliminated...the vehicle for music like ours is gone.
I am not unique folks...perhaps to you I am, however the history is
well-documented by innumerable legal, cultural watch-dog groups like the
ACLU.
When I say that Juan Atkins broke down social barriers....I mean HUGE
anti-dance--separatist barriers. The funk would not be denied however.
Once upon a time, rock n' roll was all black American artists and was the
dance music of its day too! Look what happened to that. Once again the
black rock n'roll/soul artists like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Ike Turner,
Chuck Berry had nominal success before fading into obscurity.......but not
before being covered, copied and repackaged as the British Invasion a la the
Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc.
We are in this business to win...not just show up to parties and tap-dance
for y'all. I cannot understand how you cannot connect these dots...........
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: <313@hyperreal.org>
CC: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [313] The Great White Hype...was IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!
Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2002 13:10:04 EST
I totally agree with you Jayson. If you don't like them (sasha and
digweed), don't support them. don't go. Energy spent whining about it is
pointless. Instead, use that energy and go make a fucking record of your
own if you want to really do something about "the scene". All of this is
falling on deaf's ear. And why are people worried about how much Juan
Atkins make$$$ anyways? Let Juan worry about that. That's Juan's business.
People, you are always going to be broke if you're worrying about someone
else's income.
Steve
Emphasis Recordings
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