Re: your worst fears realized
Bob Sorum writes: Have any reporters made anything up, or is it limited to columnists? Just Smith and Barnicle that anyone knows about, though the bad press that the paper got gave it a black eye that'll take years to erase. It kind of cast a pall over the credibility of a lot of other stuff in the paper, too. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: your worst fears realized
Everything evil you've ever believed about the record biz is true, according to this, at least. Yeah, so much so you wonder whether the piece is legit Oh, it's legit alright...just read "Hit Men" which confirms everything in that article in spades. Buddy Where's The Money Rockets * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Buddy Woodward - [EMAIL PROTECTED] THE GHOST ROCKETS - "Maximum Rhythm Bluegrass" http://www.hudsonet.com/~undertow/ghostrockets * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -Original Message- From: Todd Larson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, March 31, 1999 5:31 PM Subject: Re: your worst fears realized
Re: your worst fears realized
April 1. It's part of a special music issue that also includes "Downloading the Future - the mp3 revolution - the end of the industry as we know it." (hello Mojo N.) A full page pic/ad of/for Shania at the Hollywood Bowl.
your worst fears realized
This from the current LA Weekly. Everything evil you've ever believed about the record biz is true, according to this, at least. Pretty amazing stuff. -- Neal Weiss --- The Suit An Anonymous Executive Talks by Sarah Luck Pearson "Youre writing about dropping bands, right?" says a major-label president who randomly answered his phone. "But I cant do it. And you know why." Later he agrees to a rare interview if his name is forever guarded in anonymity and if none of his bands are examined. Arnold, as Ill call him, wants the description of a different man, black rectangles to mask his eyes and an underwater TV gurgle attached to his voice. "Im only doing it because when we drop a band it means that weve failed them," he whispers. "And because if I were you, this would be the article I would want to write." A week later, Arnolds face is hidden behind an ergonomic throne. Posters of his victory bands decorate the walls. When he barks into the phone, "Yeah, Ill be happy to call the monster and argue with her I love her," he sounds momentarily happy, like a dog trying to get a ball out of a tight spot. That the monster in question is extremely well known doesnt make him sweat: He is expert in diva resolutions. But you get the impression that his sleep is fitful, that his vacations are slightly paranoid. He has the alluring air of an uncle who has done well for himself but still takes a moment to bounce you on his knee. It would be hard to hate him, easy to hold his hand if he were in pain. You get the feeling he always has a long- winded joke ready to tell and a closet not as spiffy as his title. "Listen," he pronounces, "I have a job to do, but my heart and soul are with the artists." He pauses, allowing a long search in his eyes for sincerity, then continues matter-of-factly. "Besides, its just a matter of time for me." A phone rings on the other side of the wall, and he freezes, leaning forward only when the sound stops. "But if Im identified," he warns, "the stocks would probably go down an eighth of a point, and they would go fucking insane." Above all, Arnold is intent on differentiating himself from other record kings he is a benevolent dictator, a personable ruler who gives out his home number to bands, fights to give a dropped band their master recording back, even drives elderly Democrats to the polls. "Youre getting a very liberal account from me," he explains. "You should go to Tommy Mottola at Sony for the real right-wing corporate point of view. But I almost dont want to put you through the misery. You see, if we had all the record-company presidents in this room," he says, settling onto the couch, "I guarantee you I would be in the minority." Such an assembly of record presidents, he says, would be no Michael Moore picnic: "It would be disgusting. Most of them dont give a shit about artists. Most of them spend more time choosing what cigar theyre gonna smoke than in promoting an artists career." Arnold, and in turn his label, is also in the minority on the pivotal subject of band turnover: Whereas majors typically sign 20 to 30 new acts annually with only the budget to market about six of them effectively, Arnolds company generally signs fewer bands. "I believe you shouldnt just throw everything against the wall and see what sticks, and then choose that. On the one hand, it doesnt usually work very well, and on the other hand, its very cruel to the other artists." He maps a devastating cycle: AR shark attacks on new talent, he says, create mammoth bidding wars (making it impossible for artists to later recoup royalties); too many acts are signed, whittling away at the precious resources of time, attention and budgets; the labels release too many records on top of each other, and come fourth quarter, everybody is screwed. The labels havent recouped their band advances, artist development has been snuffed out, and new talent lands on the corporate chopping block under the mighty budgetary steak knife ready to trim off the fat, their dream. "Without what we call prioritization," he cautions, "the artist has almost no chance. Everybody gets a little, which means that nobody gets enough. Therefore, everybody will fail." Arnolds recommendation that bands sniff out how a label is investing their time and look for a label that truly believes in them is only partially helpful: What about the kid straight out of Wichita who hasnt even broken eight guitar strings yet doesnt it sound to him like they all believe? Perhaps Arnold hasnt been privy to the schmooze dinners where every ingenuous rock fantasy is preyed upon by fast-dancing AR blokes who were hired by their stepfathers and live in the perpetual Goodfellas fantasy of "I can make ya or break ya." "Many artists are naive," he concedes. "They dont know the difference between someone who lies and someone who tells the truth. Ive seen people who werent interested in a band, got a demo, didnt like it, and
Re: your worst fears realized
Neal, Thanks for posting that article. Hell of a world we live in and industry some of us work in. Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
Re: your worst fears realized
Everything evil you've ever believed about the record biz is true, according to this, at least. Yeah, so much so you wonder whether the piece is legit TL
Re: your worst fears realized
I can't believe I said all those things to her and she printed it. Jeez. I thought it was some college student doing a paper... -Original Message- From: Todd Larson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, March 31, 1999 5:30 PM Subject: Re: your worst fears realized Everything evil you've ever believed about the record biz is true, according to this, at least. Yeah, so much so you wonder whether the piece is legit TL
Re: your worst fears realized
Everything evil you've ever believed about the record biz is true, according to this, at least. Yeah, so much so you wonder whether the piece is legit Well, I can vouche for LA Weekly being a credible journalistic voice. (I used to write for them, how could they not be? g) Heads would roll in the halls of that there publication if this article was a fraud. NW
Re: your worst fears realized
On Wed, 31 Mar 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Well, I can vouche for LA Weekly being a credible journalistic voice. (I used to write for them, how could they not be? g) Heads would roll in the halls of that there publication if this article was a fraud. Well, it wouldn't surprise me if it was real. Then again, I'm a cynical bastard.g BTW Neal, what's the cover date for that issue? Just curious.--don
Re: your worst fears realized
Neal Weiss writes: Well, I can vouche for LA Weekly being a credible journalistic voice. (I used to write for them, how could they not be? g) Heads would roll in the halls of that there publication if this article was a fraud. Yeah, I remember when I used to think the same thing about the Boston Globe. "The Globe? Make up stories? It'll never happen" Oh, we were innocent then! We had a song in our hearts and a spring in our step! But it *is* an interesting piece, if true. Now I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out who the anonymous executive might be. Any irresponsible theories anyone? --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: your worst fears realized
Well, it wouldn't surprise me if it was real. Then again, I'm a cynical bastard.g BTW Neal, what's the cover date for that issue? Just curious.--don Vol 21, Number 18, March 26-April 1. It's part of a special music issue that also includes a great story on the rise and fall of one-time local buzz band Mary's Danish. Actually, it's some of the best music journalism that paper's done in some time. NW
Re: your worst fears realized
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 31-Mar-99 Re: your worst fears realized by "Jon E. Johnson"@juno.co But it *is* an interesting piece, if true. Now I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out who the anonymous executive might be. Any irresponsible theories anyone? Seems like someone younger than Seymour Steinis Danny Goldberg heading a label at the moment? Carl Z.
Re: your worst fears realized
But it *is* an interesting piece, if true. Now I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out who the anonymous executive might be. Any irresponsible theories anyone? I tried to find out from my Weekly connex. Was told that even the publisher wasn't divulging. Think major label with smaller roster, right? At least it has to be a bigger player if he's making seven figures and answering to people who make eight or nine. What about pre-merger Interscope? Iovine? Or Hollywood Records. Or... Maybe it's just Deep Throat. Neal Weiss
Re: your worst fears realized
Neal writes: I tried to find out from my Weekly connex. Was told that even the publisher wasn't divulging. Think major label with smaller roster, right? At least it has to be a bigger player if he's making seven figures and answering to people who make eight or nine. What about pre-merger Interscope? Iovine? Or Hollywood Records. Or... There are a bunch of clues littered throughout the article. I'd guess that the individual is in his fifties, since he seems to have once had the idealism of the '60s generation. He also works for a label that has one of the divas under contract. Though Sony has Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion, we can probably count out Mottola, unless it *is* Mottola and that was thrown in to throw armchair sleuths like us off the track. Who else? Whitney Houston at Arista? Madonna at Warner? Reba McEntire at MCA? There's also the suggestion that he didn't come up through the ranks at his current label; that he was a middle-level staffer somewhere else who was lured to his current job for whatever reason. I'd also guess that he's a fairly prominent liberal Democrat, though that doesn't exactly narrow it down in the entertainment industry. Bono is also mentioned; someone who was associated with Island or Polygram at one time, perhaps? --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: your worst fears realized
whew! I guess I'll stick with my little homespun Vermont Beef Farm label where my biggest gripe is that she didn't do as much radio promotion as I hoped because the calves were being born. Must be a lot of damaged musicians walking around those battle fields. God bless 'em. - Elena Skye
Re: your worst fears realized
On Wed, 31 Mar 1999, Jon E. Johnson wrote: There are a bunch of clues littered throughout the article. Indeed there are. I'd rule out some of the labels Jon mentioned though and focus on the ones whose presidents are based in LA. I doubt the LA writer flew out to New York or Nashville to interview a label head when she lives in Weasel City. I bet some LA insiders have a damn good idea who it might be. Get on it, Weiss, and do some detective work -- your LA weaselcred is in jeopardy.g--don
Re: your worst fears realized
Vol 21, Number 18, March 26-April 1. It's part of a special music issue that also includes a great story on the rise and fall of one-time local buzz band Mary's Danish. Actually, it's some of the best music journalism that paper's done in some time. NW So, what DID ever happen to the Danish, Neal? I remember them becoming an unfocused mess within a couple of years of forming, but early on they sure seemed like a solid blend of X and Thelonious Monster (and torch-bearers for both). As I recall, the blonde singer in the band--Gretchen Seager?--started a band called Battery Acid. I'm going to assume they went nowhere fast. However, what about the--hubba hubba--brunette, Julie Ritter? During MD she spent a lot of her time trading insults with Bob Forrest (Her "you Beat Up" for his "Politically Correct Song For a Girl From the Valley," for instance).
Re: your worst fears realized
At 6:28 PM -0400 on 3/31/99, Jon E. Johnson wrote: Yeah, I remember when I used to think the same thing about the Boston Globe. "The Globe? Make up stories? It'll never happen" Oh, we were innocent then! We had a song in our hearts and a spring in our step! Have any reporters made anything up, or is it limited to columnists? Bob
Re: your worst fears realized
At 6:28 PM -0400 on 3/31/99, Jon E. Johnson wrote: Yeah, I remember when I used to think the same thing about the Boston Globe. "The Globe? Make up stories? It'll never happen" Oh, we were innocent then! We had a song in our hearts and a spring in our step! Have any reporters made anything up, or is it limited to columnists? Bob I have a confession. As a reporter on my high school newspaper, circa 1973, I fabricated a band, The Froglegs, and their debut album, "Tastes Like Chicken," and wrote a review about them. I tried to make it as outlandish as possible, for instance, describing the music as a hypnotic mix between Yes and CCR. The next day, a guy came up to me and wondered why his record store had no knowledge of this record. I told him it was an import. He was disappointed because he thought it sounded like a great record. So, I guess I broke the mold in journalism -- I started as a cynic and wound up as an idealist. That article Neal posted was pretty amazing, and depressing. And the obvious question, for me at least, is does this picture of the music business represent a tailspin into bottom-line greed, or is it just more of the same old shit? And, if it's the former, is there a corresponding reduction in the product at the end of the assembly line? That is, of course, assuming that differences in quality do exist in music, and it's not all just equivalent mush that only takes on character when we opinionated human beings decide whether it sucks or not. -- Terry Smith ps I'll vouch for the LA Weekly, too. A good paper, which I'm hoping would double and triple-check the veracity of the reporter's tale. This thing looks so much like it could be a hoax that any responsible (and observant) editor would make absolutely certain it's not before letting it get in the paper.
