Sound Bouncing Everywhere

Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal Performing Seventh Avenue

Last night's show, The Bottom Line Presents:  New York On My Mind, was moved from an outdoor show at Rockefeller Park to the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center (it rained), which was unfortunate.  It's a glass enclosed atrium with ceilings reaching to the sky.  Sound bounced everywhere.  Mojo Mancini was the house band.  Their dark (what other kind should there be?) arrangement of Summer In The City somehow cut through the acoustically challenged room.  I loved it.

Performers included Bottom Line staples: Garland Jeffreys, Christine Lavin, Willie Nile and Loudon Wainwright III.  I only saw Rosanne Cash at the Bottom Line once (it was a wonderful songwriters in the round night with the very talented Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter).  She too was a part of the evening and fully played out the New York theme by performing her own Seventh Avenue with John Leventhal on guitar and brought the band out to sing The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy).

Pete Fornatale hosted and Vin Scelsa read Walt Whitman (inaudible in the atrium).  At any given time, there was at least one DJ from WNEW-FM at the Bottom Line.  

My friend Sean and I left after Rosanne.  We had been there for over an hour at that point and couldn't deal with the cacophony. The show was intimate and should have been in an intimate venue.  Unfortunately the rain can't be stopped in NYC.

Happy Birthday Kris Kristofferson

Some people just don't age (clarify:  they do not become old thinkers, rest on laurels or washed up), whether musically, physically or mentally.

Kris Kristofferson is 75 today.

Friday Morning Music Wars

Kenny Chesney wins.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

On Friday mornings I tune into the three network morning shows to see who's performing. 

CBS is perpetually struggling to come remotely close to GMA or Today.  I think they hit rock bottom today.  It's not because the music they had was bad, it's just that Jennifer Hudson was on GMA last week!  They couldn't have a exclusive?  There is so much music out there.  Why not try something completely different?  Not much is expected of them so they can experiment.  Make a positive statement.   They message I'm getting is we're so low on the totem pole, we can only get guests that have already played the other  shows the week before.  Yikes. 

Good Morning America had the Disney girl, Selena Gomez.  Makes sense.  ABC is part of the Disney World, she has a new movie and album out.  Lots of young girls in the audience with their parents. There's nothing new here.

Kenny Chesney is a seasoned performer.  It showed in his Today performance.  He puts on a show. 

The Obit Column

I'm almost afraid to get the latest from Bob Lefsetz.  It seems like everyday someone new has gone to rock and roll heaven.    I wrote about Andrew Gold and Gil Scott-Heron.  Two behind-the-scene guys, without household names passed away and are worth mentioning.

First Martin Rushent best know for producing the Human League and the ubiquitous Don't You Want Me?  He worked on so much music that was part of my collection: T. Rex, The Buzzcocks, The Stranglers, XTC, the Go-Go's, Generation X and Pete Shelley's first solo single Homosapien.
Here's the Telegraph's obit. 



Steve Popovich started the label Cleveland International.  Without him, there would be no Bat Out Of Hell.  He signed the Jacksons to Epic Records when they left Motown. He was instrumental in the careers of Cheap Trick and Ian Hunter. Here's the Plain Dealers obit.

These are the people that mean so much to music and the music business.  You may never know their names, unless you are like me and read every word from every liner note, but they left an indelibile mark on your ears.

Thank You For Being A Friend

There were many rituals, rites of passage, events whatever you want to call them at my high school.  One of these was ring day. It occurred when we were juniors and it was a ceremony to get your high school ring.  Buying a ring wasn't an option, you had to do it. I didn't want one, knowing full well I wouldn't wear it. I chose the cheaper silver version. I think I was the only one in my class that didn't have the gold ring. It cracked in the back about a month after I got it.  So much for the Jostens' ring.

Girls (there was no male students at my high school) would perform songs. If I remember correctly we wore the rings on a red ribbon around our necks and when the ribbon was cut, we were presented with our rings.  It took place in the school auditorium.

Having learned to play the guitar, I joined forces with two others to perform. We really wanted to sing Hall and Oates' It's A Laugh, but we couldn't get that song choice approved, so we went with Thank You For Being a Friend.  It was all about having fun and turning the song into a clap-a-roo.  Anything to shake up an otherwise, slow moving, predictable event.

Thank You eventually became the theme song for The Golden Girls.  For my birthday this year, my  high school friend Jill, gave me a card that played the song.  It's been in my DNA since it came out.

Andrew Gold, the writer and singer of that song died after a battle with cancer.  I seem to expect musicians to live forever (think Keith Richards), so it always comes as a surprise.  Andrew's other hit was Lonely Boy.  I always liked the sweet Never Let Her Slip Away.  He knew how to write a hook.  He was a multi-instrumentalist who played on, wrote and/or arranged songs for Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, Celine Dion and James Taylor.



What I didn't know about Andrew was his musical lineage.  His mother is Marni Nixon who was the singing voice for Natalie Wood in West Side Story and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady.  His father is Ernest Gold, the Oscar winning film composer. 
 

Online Theft of Music Killing Musicians Says Universal Music Group Distribution President

Universal Music Group Distribution President, Jim Urie is back on the trail to enlist his mailing list to support the passing of bill S. 968.  The bill is also referred to as PROTECT IP.  This is really a bill to protect the RIAA (otherwise known as the lobby group for the major record labels), not musicians.  This is the second go round for Jim.  I do not support the bill as I think it's an innovation killer.

Below I'm posting the letter I sent to Jim, which explains my concerns.  Here's the link to the letter Jim is asking his music industry colleagues to send to their representatives.  

As Techdirt points out, online theft of music is not killing artists or songwriters, which is what Jim states in the letter he wants me to put my name to and forward.  Nothing going on in the music business is killing musicians that I know of.  Yes piracy is illegal, but it's at the point where it's a non-issue.  There is no turning back for the record labels. I'm sure if illegal downloads were killing people, Dateline would have been all over the story. 

I've alerted both my Senators, who unfortunately are co-sponsors of the bill, that I do not support the bill and I'd like them to distance themselves from it.  If you're a musician or anyone who believes in creativity, I urge you to do the same. 

Dear Jim,

I've worked in the music industry for over 25 years, so I've seen lots of changes.  I knew the major record labels were going to have a rough time years ago because they refused to innovate, collaborate or release better music.  Supporting S. 968 is a mistake for the music business and any other business.  Stifling creativity and innovation under the guise that this will save the music industry is wrong.  The industry itself is fine.  It's the major record labels that you refer to and the difference should be noted . 

Online piracy is probably affecting 2% of the musicians and that % may be high.  A healthy music business is important to my livelihood, whether the major labels survive, is not.   I managed bands for years and despite having gold and platinum records, they never saw a dime in record royalties from their record labels.  Grant it, the labels did provide services for the musicians as well as rack up extraneous promotion, marketing and entertaining expenses without the full knowledge of the artists.  My experience is that not selling CDs means nothing to 98% of the musicians. 

I will contact my Senators (Senators Gillibrand & Schumer represent my area and sadly both are co-sponsors of the bill) and Representatives and ask that they DO NOT support S. 968. 

I believe your take action message is misguided as written and there is no way for me to amend it. 

Sincerely,
Paula Sartorius

Note:  I sent this letter to Jim yesterday.  As of my posting today, I have not gotten a response.

Faye Treadwell Former Manager of the Drifters Dies

The Drifters was a prophetic moniker.  The band was a revolving door of personnel, but there was one person who had the rights to the Drifters and that was Faye Treadwell.  The Hollywood Reporter announced that Faye passed away at age 84.  She is being hailed as a pioneer.

I was surprised I never heard of her so I did some research.

• She was one of the first African-American female entertainment managers. 
• Her husband George, who died in 1967, had control of the Drifters after buying out original member Clyde McPhatter.  
• Faye bought out her husband’s former business partners and assumed management and control of the group.
• She moved to London in the 1970's and took the Drifters with her.
• In 2006 she won a legal battle to retain control of the Drifters' trademark.

The Drifters most famous alum are McPhatter and Ben E. King.  Their hits include Under The Boardwalk, There Goes My Baby, Up On The Roof and Save The Last Dance For Me.  It's a legacy worth fighting for.

Gil Scott-Heron RIP

I remember reading the profile on Gil Scott-Heron in the New Yorker about a year ago and thinking it's amazing he's still alive.  Sadly he passed away on Friday.  Read the obit from the Alec Wilkinson author of that profile.

Adele's Jerk Ex-Boyfriend Feels Entitled To Royalties

As Techdirt points out, this is a few weeks old, but still worth mentioning. In this litigious society we live in, it seems that exes are taking it a little too far.  As if a breakup isn't bad enough, the person who caused the heartache tries to sue you for ownership of the songs you wrote because of the breakup.

Adele's ex is claiming he "inspired" the songs and therefore should get partial ownership. Isn't he embarrassed to make such a claim?  Isn't he embarrassed that he caused such pain?  Guess not.  He wants a cut of the royalties.

Adele's response to him: Well, you made my life hell, so I lived it and now I deserve it.

Gaga For A Dollar

Lady Gaga's album Born This Way is available on Amazon for a $.99 download today.  The only way to secure the download is to load it on to the Amazon cloud.  From there you can download to your computer.  Let's assume that this was the biggest way possible for Amazon to get consumers involved in their cloud service. It does one up Google for the day. 

Follow this link to get the offer. It's not that easy to find.

Wendy Corsi Staub on Writing, Optioning And The Importance Of A Dog

Inspiration comes in many places.  Realizing that Grand Central Station no longer had baggage lockers, author Wendy Corsi Staub thought about where she could stash a bag while she went about her business in the city.  As she walked through the terminal, she passed the sign for the Lost and Found, which got her thinking about the process of turning something in to the Lost and Found and then trying to retrieve it.  Wendy now had the opening of Live To Tell, the first in a trilogy of thrillers. 

Wendy was the guest author at book club last night. She is a prolific writer having authored books in different genres:  thriller/mystery, chic-lit, young adult as well as ghost writing biographies. 

Authors have so many different writing processes.  John Irving always knows the ending of his book before he starts writing. Wendy explained her method. “I edit during the writing process.  The story is ever evolving and I'm constantly rereading, rewriting, cutting and pasting, adding and deleting.  When I reach the end of the manuscript, it's DONE.  I wish I could be one of those authors who writes a complete first draft, then goes back and does a second draft and then a third, but that's just not comfortable for me. I edit as I go and the first draft is my final draft, then it goes straight to my husband for a read. I tweak for typos and continuity per his feedback and then it lands on my editor’s desk.”   She said that when you first get published, you have to turn in outlines. She’s not big on outlines. Her editor, Lucia Macro (book club member) said it’s rare that any of her authors work with outlines; in fact she could only think of one who plotted a whole book before writing it.  Wendy submits story summaries and a first chapter.

Surprisingly Lucia told us that authors do have the final say on their content. (Not always the case for musicians working with a record label.) The editor and author share the same vision for the book, but it’s the editor’s job to make sure the author is not taking it in a very wrong direction. Wendy was once an editor and she believes in working with her editor.  As with most musicians, I’m assuming most writers are precious with their art.  Editors are there to make the art more sellable and readable.  Artists don’t always see it that way.  Aren’t two heads better than one?  Wendy thinks so. 

Live to tell is set in New York City and it’s suburbs.  Lauren Walsh is recently divorced from Nick, the on again/off again dad.  She’s in what she thought was her dream house, a sprawling suburban Victorian in need of upgrades.  Is she a little woe-is-me?  Probably, but she had the rug pulled out from under her. Her husband leaves her for an older woman, gets an apartment in a doorman building in White Plains and takes the kids whenever he gets around to it.  She’s got the responsibility and he has the girlfriend. 

Her youngest daughter Sadie loses Fred, her beloved stuffed animal.  It’s more than a toy.  It was a gift from Nick and it’s one piece of her dad she can hold on to.  Nick reluctantly goes to the Lost and Found in Grand Central to claim what he thinks is Fred.  It’s not Fred and it’s filled with more than just stuffing. 

As with any good thriller, Live To Tell engaged me.  It’s hard to write about the story without giving it away.  To coin a phrase, the plot thickens, the kids are involved and a ruthless politician needs to get his way.  There seems to be no shortage of inspiration from stories in the news regarding politicians and their sordid lives.  Wendy mentioned that when she was writing this book, the Eliot Spitzer scandal was in full swing. 

Live to Tell would be a perfect cable TV movie, actually it would perfectly play out as a mini-series.   I asked Wendy if she was approached about optioning her work for film or TV and she said there has been interest. A lot of times she’s told what I have heard too many times as a manager and it’s ridiculous, “You need to have a strong male lead.  We can’t have just a female lead.”  I’ve worked with many female musicians and used to hear from radio stations,  “Even though we love the record, we can’t add it this week as we already have two female musicians on our play list”.  Why is the entertainment industry still so female-phobic?  A look at today’s iTunes chart shows who is leading the pack.  Six of the Top 10 downloads are from female artists (I’m including Black Eyed Peas).  At number one is Adele and Lady Gaga has two slots. Get over it Hollywood. We love our female leads. 

The characters are very believable, the story is cohesive and I was cheering for the good guys. I can’t think of a better summary for a mini-series. 

Apparently you can judge a book by its cover.  Lucia told us that the book cover is really important, especially in the thriller and chic-lit world.  People do buy a book based on its cover.  Buyers at stores pay a lot of attention to book covers.  A few authors have told me that if a book cover is approved and it isn’t a true representation of the story, it is easier for the author to amend his/her story to include something from the artwork rather than change the cover.  Art influencing art? 

Since many of us in book club are dog lovers, we had to ask about Chauncey, the Walsh’s pet.  I won’t say what happens to Chauncey, but I will say that once Wendy had a dog killed in one of her books. She got so much negative mail that she would never go down that path again. 

Wendy Corsi Staub’s most recent book is Scared To Death, the follow up to Live To Tell.

Fascinating piece on Grand Central's Lost and Found and other secrets.  

Oh my god. Who let me out of the house?

This exclaimed Rosanne Cash after finding some publicity photos of herself at age 20, 21.  At the time she was promoting her first record which initially came out in Germany.  Read full tweet.

I think we've all had that moment.   I look back on photos from 6th, 7th, 8th grade where my hair was all over the place or pulled back in a pony tail. It looks awful. I once asked my mother why she didn't insist on cutting my hair.  Her response, "I had to pick my fights."  

Here is the cover of Rosanne's first record.  She looks pretty amazing.  She's giving Linda Ronstadt a run for her money.

Record Labels Settle with LimeWire, What Does That Mean For The Artists?

According to the NY Times,  the major record labels won a $105 million settlement against the file-sharing network LimeWire.  The article asks the age old question: What will the artists see?  As most lawyers, managers or artists will tell you, they will see nothing.  Legal fees have to be paid first and I'm sure those are hefty, but what the labels keep and what gets to the artists are two different amounts.  I'd love to hear from any musician who saw money from a record label after his/her label successfully sued a company in a case where money should have gone to the artist. 

John Carter: A Great Music Man

 Carter, as everyone seemed to call him, was one of those rare A&R guys whom really knew his stuff. Talk about putting in your hours.  He was about as well rounded in the music biz as one could be.

• He was a musician
• He wrote songs (Incense and Peppermints)
• Worked as a promotion man for Atlantic Records in the 70’s in San Francisco
• Was an A&R man, first at Capitol Records
• Produced records, first being Sammy Hagar who he signed to Capitol
• Signed Tina Turner and produced Private Dancer
• Managed artists

I’m sure all of the above made him the perfect A&R guy.  He knew what songs to pick for the artist and he knew when a song needed help.

On co-writing songs with artists he produced, “I really harassed and harassed people to improve their songwriting over the course of a project...and maybe in the eleventh hour, I finally said, "That's it. I can't stand it anymore. Here's a lyric. What do you think?" So really, it was usually as a last resort—not a first choice.”  (Read more of this interview on Taxi’s website)

Carter passed away from cancer. I never had the pleasure of working with him, but people I know did, and loved him. 

For a personal account, read Bob Lefsetz column.

Musicians: Make The Effort For Yourselves

The life of a musician can be solitary.  If you're in a band, you can collaborate with band members, you're on the road with them, but when it comes to the end of the day, it's you.  Seth Godin's Self Directed Effort is the Best Kind, got me thinking about the musicians that have a career and those who don't.

Seth asks if you need a boss, trainer, etc to stand over you to make you go the extra mile.  Do you need incentives to reach your goals?  Can you attain your goals by yourself? Are you motivated and regimented enough? 

Seth writes:
Effort's ephemeral, hard to measure and incredibly difficult to deliver on a regular basis. So we hire a trainer or a coach or a boss and give up our freedom and our upside for someone to whip us into shape. Obviously, you give up part of what you create to the trainer/coach/boss in exchange for their oversight.

Do we need the taskmaster? 

I've been a freelancer for quite a few years now and sometimes it would be nice to have a taskmaster telling me what to do.  It is easy to look at the check list and keep moving items around that you don't necessarily want to deal with.  But what about the satisfaction of crossing those items/tasks off your list?  Doing it yourself.  That's a great feeling. 

Do musicians have lists?  Being a musician these days means more than just making music.  Each day a musician needs to send out emails, update twitter/blog, make a new video, write a song, prepare for a tour, get to the next venue, etc.  I could argue that this is where a manager comes into play, but the manager can't force a musician to do something. She/he can suggest things and point out what will help  a career and propose great deals, but ultimately it's up to the musician to make it happen for herself.  

The successful musician does not give in to leaving it up to others or the taskmaster to make it happen. Where is the satisfaction in that?  If the musician believes in what she is doing, then she must  ultimately be the one to carry out her plan/ideals.  She is the one who has to go the extra mile, not because someone is monitoring her, but because she believes. 

Surrender To The Mariachi

American Idol Sells Records

The April 27th episode of American Idol featured the songs of Carole King.  Billboard reports that on the heels of that show, her records "Live at the Troubadour" and the iconic "Tapestry" have both re-entered the Top 200:  "Troubadour"  at No. 170, up 106% and her No. 1 1971 effort "Tapestry" No. 178, up 135%.  There are still people out there who do not own Tapestry?

 Great songs endure. 

BMG & Universal Want In On Warner Music AND EMI

According to Bloomberg, BMG Rights Management and Universal Music Group might make a joint bid for Warner Music AND EMI.  There are two other groups in the bidding.  Both Live Nation and another group led by Sean Parker have backed out of the race.

Albums are for fans, singles are for newbies

Albums are for fans, singles are for newbies.

Don't make an album expecting to reach a new audience.  If you want to reach a new audience, focus on the single.
-Bob Lefetz

Bob is so spot on.  Consumers stopped buying music because they were sick of getting one or two good songs on an album and the rest were mediocre.  They still had to plop down $12-$15.  When you anaylize the cost, they paid about $7 per song, if there were two good songs on the CD. 

When I was growing up, all we really had were singles.  I did buy, or my parents bought for me Meet the Beatles and the rest of the Beatles albums through Help. I owned all the Monkees albums.  It probably wasn't until the 1970's when I started buying albums on a regular basis. Up to that point it was all singles.  When I bought Build Me Up Buttercup, do you think I was wondering if the Foundations had a whole album of songs like that?  No.  I had three Bobby Sherman singles, but no albums, same for the Supremes. 

I remember the lyrics to all those songs to this day, even if I haven't heard the song in years.  Music sticks with you whether it's a song or a whole album full of them.  Put out music when you make it.  Don't save it for an album.  There are only a few amazing concept albums that are meant to be listened to as a whole.  Keep your fan base active.  There should be no downtime when it comes to enlightening your fans.  No one is waiting three years for your next album. 

Read Bob's full post here. 

Mavis, A Tribute to Ellie and Bettye

Lincoln Center Out Of Doors just announced their summer lineup and it's chock a block with morsels for your ears.  The women come on strong.  Lesley Gore, La La Brooks, background singer extraordinaire Ula Hedwig and Toni Wine are just  a portion of the females performing on July 30th, which includes a tribute to Ellie Greenwich.

Mavis Staples takes you to The Damrosch Park Bandshell the following day.  Did you see the profile of her on CBS Sunday Morning this week?  Laurie Anderson brings along some friends on August 10th.  Closing out the summer on August 14th is Steve Cropper and friends Tribute To The “5” Royales.  Joining them will be powerhouse Bettye Lavette.

Phoebe Snow RIP

Just listening to the Wrap Up Show on Howard 100 and was sad to learn that Phoebe Snow passed away.  According to ABC News, she died from complications of a brain hemorrhage she suffered in January 2010.  As her manager Sue Cameron put so well, "The loss of this unique and untouchable voice is incalculable."  Gary Dell'Abate said he loved having her on the show. She always came on reluctantly, but loved the feedback she received.  She was a devoted mom to her daughter, who was brain damaged and died at age 31. 

Don't Believe Anything You've Heard About This Band

PR gets one over on journalists. Ann Powers demystifies the "band" Delicate Steve. It's actually one guy, Steve Marion who records instrumental music. He's on the Luaka Bop's label.

It's hard enough to get any press attention for your band. It's that much harder to convince someone to write about instrumentals.  Steve's label thought it would be a great idea to get Chuck Klosterman to write the bio. Chuck is a music writer and has written several books which  include one about visiting musician death sites.  He was given free reign to write whatever he wanted. He didn't even have to listen to the music.  The idea paid off.

Publicists have told me that nobody really reads past the first few lines of a press release.  Well the headline of Delicate Steve's is a winner.  THE CRITICS UNILATERALLY CONCUR: DELICATE STEVE IS A BAND WHO CREATES MUSIC.  This basically tells you that Delicate Steve perform and more than likely write their own music.  Ann pondered this.

My favorite line of the bio:  "Delicate Steve was signed to the label before anyone at Luaka Bop heard even a moment of their music – all he needed to experience was a random conversation about what they hoped to achieve as a musical five-piece." The "he" they are referring to is a real person, but not an A and R guy as mentioned.  I wonder if Chuck was thinking The Rutles when he wrote this.  The Rutles was filled with so many brilliant stories.  There were strict security measure taken for The Rutles first play at Che Stadium:

As a security precaution the Rutles arrived by helicopter a day early. This enabled them to be safely out of the place before the audience came in. It was a brilliant public relations coup. The kids were screaming so hard that thousands never noticed the difference. Promoter Syd Bottle described it as the most exciting twenty minutes of his life.


Delicate Steve - "Wondervisions" Video (Feat. Nat Baldwin) from stereogum on Vimeo.

Sammy's Alien Abduction

In my last post, I reviewed Sammy Hagar's book.  I did not mention his encounter with aliens, which seems to be the part of the book getting the most attention.  I would be remiss if I didn't post the recreation of that scene as shown on Jimmy Kimmel's show.

Rockstar & Entrepreneur Does It Get Any Better?

Being a rock star is a dream so few people achieve.  Being a successful entrepreneur is probably an even bigger dream now.  Being both, well does it get any better? Sammy Hagar appreciates what he has. 

He has such passion for music and life, which is what makes reading his book Red My Uncensored Life In Rock so much fun. 

He grew up in California.  His grandparents were migrant farm workers. His mother, a first generation American (Italian parents), married his father when she was 15 years old.  His father “could beat up anyone.”  Sammy is the baby of his family.  The mother, with kids in tow, would flee the father more than once.  His father was an abusive alcoholic.  When his dad was sober for nine months, it was the happiest time of Sammy’s childhood. 

As with a lot of musicians, when he heard the Beatles, his career path was decided.  Sammy saw the Rolling Stones in 1964 in San Bernardino.  He and a friend (who taught him to play guitar) snuck in the venue right behind the band. He was at the band's first US show.  His mother told him if he learned how to play Never On Sunday, she would buy him a guitar. Not wanting this opportunity to pass, he learned the song and got his guitar. 

Great lesson for aspiring musicians:  If you want something bad enough you’ll get it.

“I got a record deal because I went to bed writing songs.  I woke up in the morning writing songs.  I spent every second of my waking hours trying to write songs.”  He’s a great songwriter. He’s writing the lyrics to I Can’t Drive 55 as the cop is giving him a speeding ticket. 

He never stopped touring.  After he left Montrose and embarked on a solo career, he opened for bands like Boston.  On nights off he would play smaller venues.  He was on the road constantly.  He befriended promoters such as Bill Graham and Louis Messina.  He was selling out arenas, but Capitol Records couldn’t get him past the 350,000 records sold mark.  When he signed with Geffen Records, the hits followed. 

The cliché story is the one where the musician becomes popular, has success and then it goes to his/her head.  He/she becomes complacent.   Sammy does a 180. “Success really motivated me.  When I was hungry I lacked confidence.  I was faking it.  It took fame and fortune for me to become myself.” 

No matter how famous he was, his mother reminded him that he needed something to fall back on.  He took this to heart and the entrepreneur took over. He co-founded the second largest fire sprinkler company in the US. He owned a bike shop.  He funded a travel agency.  It didn’t make him a lot of money, but he had no travel costs on the road.  I worked for such a company that was co-owned by John Telfer who was managing Joe Jackson at the time.  He funded it for the same reason. 

One of Sammy’s financial disasters was a clothing company.  He turned his “red” branding into a line of clothing.  They didn’t meet deadlines and it went under. 

His best-known ventures are the Cabo Wabo Cantinas and Cabo Wabo Tequila.  The history of both is worth the read.  A few years ago he sold 80 percent of his Cabo Wabo tequila business to Gruppo Campari for $80 million. 

Oh, there is also a band called Van Halen.  If you want rock star tales, there are plenty of them in this section. Sammy as it seems is  always looking for something to stimulate him.  He took a pay cut to join Van Halen.   The band’s best songs came during the Sammy years. Why Can’t This Be Love and Right Now are the standouts. 

It was not easy reading about the decline of Eddie Van Halen.  Sammy doesn’t paint a rosy picture.  Although he appears to have loved working with him, Eddie’s misery was too much to deal with.  After Sammy was pushed out of the band, you’ll wonder why he ever wanted to try a second time.

This book is inspiring for someone who wants to be a musician and/or entrepreneur.   If you’re willing to put in the hours and are passionate about your craft/project, it can be done.  Stay positive and grasp life.

Coachella Live Streaming On YouTube

The music starts here at 4pm PST. 

Here's the schedule, which is subject to change:

Tonight, April 15th
Channel 1
4:10PM • The Drums
4:55PM • Cee Lo Green
5:45PM • Moving Units
6:30PM • Ozomatli
7:25PM • Interpol
8:35PM • Ms. Lauryn Hill
9:55PM • Kings of Leon
11:15PM • The Black Keys
12:05AM • Gayngs
Channel 2
4:00PM • !!!
4:50PM • Warpaint
5:35PM • Cold Cave
6:25PM • YACHT
7:10PM • Cold War Kids
8:00PM • Titus Andronicus
9:00PM • The Pains Of Being Pure ...
10:00PM • Tame Impala
10:55PM • Monarchy
12:00AM • Flogging Molly
Channel 3
4:30PM • The Morning Benders
5:45PM • Ariel Pink's Haunted Gra...
7:25PM • Interpol - surveillance
8:20PM • Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
12:00AM • Scala & Kolacny Bros.

Saturday April 16th
Channel 1
4:00PM • Freelance Whales
4:50PM • Erykah Badu
6:05PM • Broken Social Scene
6:55PM • Here We Go Magic
7:40PM • Gogol Bordello
8:30PM • Mumford & Sons
9:25PM • The Swell Season
10:20PM • Bright Eyes
Channel 2
4:30PM • Two Door Cinema Club
5:20PM • Cage The Elephant
6:10PM • The Foals
7:00PM • The New Pornographers
7:55PM • The Kills
9:05PM • Big Audio Dynamite
10:05PM • Elbow
11:00PM • Raphael Saadiq
11:55PM • Scissor Sisters
Channel 3
4:00PM • Black Joe Lewis & the Ho...
5:45PM • Jenny and Johnny
6:35PM • Yelle
7:30PM • Brandt Brauer Frick
8:30PM • ENCORE PERFORMANCES
10:25PM • Empire Of The Sun
11:30PM • ENCORE PERFORMANCES

Sunday April 17th:
Channel 1
4:00PM • Wiz Khalifa
5:00PM • Nas & Damian Marley
6:10PM • Death from Above 1979
7:25PM • The National
8:30PM • Ratatat
8:55PM • The Strokes
Channel 2
4:00PM • Jack's Mannequin
4:50PM • Jimmy Eat World
5:55PM • Fistful of Mercy
7:25PM • Duran Duran
8:35PM • Chromeo
9:45PM • PJ Harvey
11:05PM • She Wants Revenge
Channel 3
4:00PM • Angus & Julia Stone
4:45PM • HEALTH
5:35PM • MEN
6:05PM • Best Coast
6:55PM • Foster the People
7:40PM • Ellie Goulding
8:30PM • ENCORE PERFORMANCES

It's Friday

It's Friday!  The Rebecca Black video Friday has hit the 100 million YouTube views mark in one month.  This is faster than Justin Bieber's Baby achieved the same milestone.  He took 2 months and 8 days.  Earlier in the week we heard that  Glee will cover Friday in their prom episode.  Hey, it's Friday!

Does Buying A Music Company Make Financial Sense?

Bids are coming in for the Warner Music Group.  The sale includes the publishing arm, which is profitable.  The other half is the record label and we all know record labels do not make a sound financial investment or could they?  It all depends on the price you pay for it.

The NY Times is reporting that bids are around $3 billion.  Richard Greenfield, an analyst at the financial services company BTIG is quoted in the article as saying,  “Warner hasn’t traded to a $3 billion valuation since 2007 and as far as I can tell, the music environment is getting worse and worse, not better. So assuming the price talk is real, why is somebody willing to pay that much?”

That money doesn't make sense.  If the stakes were lower, it would not be that crazy to turn the assets into gold.  I've been trying to get a music project off the ground, which in simple terms would be a music database.  If someone or company was willing to put the Warner assets (and they are extensive and credible) to good public use, I'm sure they would see financial rewards.   People would love access to the archives as well as good new music.  Warner had a reputation for being the artist friendly label.  They cared about their acts. 

Whoever buys this company should not hire the men who've been running the business for too long now.  Hire those who believe in the integrity of the music, who have passion, not just big eyes for a way too big paycheck.  The business has lost it's sparkle and I believe it can regain it.   It all depends on the price paid and the people running it.

When Harry Met Sharon

When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren from Billy Crystal

Billy Crystal's daughter, Lindsay did this piece on Rob Reiner and her Dad pitching a sequel of When Harry Met Sally to young film industry execs.  Poor Sally is dead and Harry needs to find true love. Look for many cameo appearances. 

Music Leaders Surrendering To Their Management Team

In Fred Wilson's blog today, he talks about 360 Reviews for CEOs. He says they should be done regardless of whether you have 10 or 1000 employees.  I have never heard of a music company attempting one. 

A 360 review is a great way for the senior management team to anonymously evaluate the CEO, President, etc of the company.  More times than not, this person is usually isolated from day-to-day happenings.  Many times employees won't share certain information for fear of losing their jobs or being put on the sh*t list. This information would, in the majority of cases, strengthen the CEO as well as the company. 

Fred suggests that the  CEO should be present when results are revealed and therefore, can explain his/her self.  It's helpful if you have a management coach run the proceedings.  For a small sum, don't you think a company like Sony Music, Live Nation or Universal Music would benefit from hiring a management coach to conduct such a review?  I'm guessing that unless the board mandates it, no one in upper management will suggest conducting such an inquiry of his or herself.  What does this say about those in charge?  Has anyone heard of a music company conducting a 360 Review? 

Death Cab's Live Streamed Video

Last night, Death Cab For Cutie shot their scripted, one take video and simultaneously streamed it live.  You Are A Tourist was directed by Tim Nackashi. The video opens with the lead singer entering the screen, within seconds it looks like a male and female streaker run in the back of the set. There are ladies dancing (think the June Taylor Dancers), lots of illumination and a series of lit rooms which all have a hidden little story. Lots of overhead shots accompany a hypnotic song with a mesmerizing drum beat. Death Cab will have you under their spell. 

Mashable interviewed bassist Nick Hammer about the video before they shot it. 

Friday On My Mind

By now, I think everyone has heard or heard of Friday by Rebecca Black. Her mother paid Ark Music $4000 (according to the agreement with Ark,  Black has 100 percent ownership and control of Friday, including the master recording and the music video) to come up with the song and shoot the video.  YouTube views are over 84 million.

Everyone knows who she is.  This of course has led to a possible lawsuit..  Black and her mother are accusing Ark of copyright infringement and unlawful exploitation of publicity rights according to CNN.   Ark founder Patrice Wilson said Black will get her master and will be removed from the Ark Website (As of this writing, only the video is posted on the website),  as she is no longer with them. 

The song now seems to have a life of it's own.  Watch Stephen Colbert and friends' version from the Jimmy Fallon show.  Make sure you play it till the end to experience the extravaganza.

What News!?

Lefsetz on Rebecca Black signing record deal, Madonna to star in Spiderman, Nirvana to perform and more. 

Music Ally:  Farmville's Zynga to bid on Warner Music.  This one almost makes too much sense.


Huffington Post introduces digital subscription for employees of the NYTimes and residents of Winnepeg Canada. 

NJ.com reported that Rutgers University paid Snooki of Jersey Shore Fame $32K to appear at a Q&A at the school. 

Which is the true story?  I feel like Mike Walker of the Gossip Game.

Zilch

If you have anything to do with the music business, read Zilch: The Power Of Zero In Business. Nancy Lublin, the founder of Dress for Success and the current CEO of Do Something takes the reader through a very organized and well thought out process of how to get more from your company with less.  Many times it’s the overlooked little things that when paid attention to, have wondrous results. 

Using a not-for-profit model to run a major record label may have prevented the labels from the decline they are experiencing.  Having worked with major labels for many years, I know that it’s not the piracy that’s killing them.  What has gradually done them in is ignoring the customers, losing site of quality music, excessive spending and having staffers and executives make decisions or indecisions just to save their jobs.  It’s no way to work. 

In the 15 years I managed bands, none of them saw a penny from record royalties.  This includes artists having both gold (over 500,000 units sold) and platinum (over 1,000,000 units sold) albums.  Making money from selling records was never part of the equation when mapping out a career path.  This is why I find it interesting that the “new” paradigm is being touted as touring, selling merchandise and licensing music.  That’s the way it’s always been as far as I’m concerned and I started managing bands in 1988.

Lublin’s practices can work for any company, but I see them as being so right for the music industry, especially major labels as they seem to have lost focus.   Each chapter closes with helpful questions that summarize what you’ve read and how to apply this knowledge. 

So many important and relevant points are covered, that it’s worthy of a long post.  The book is mainly aimed at company leaders, but it applies to everyone. 

Brand: Here’s a hard one, but so important: If a partnership doesn’t make sense for your brand and your goals, turn it down even if it means money.  Keep your brand simple and focused. Use your story. Image is everything. Bring your group together to discuss data and re-evaluate your brand. When someone buys your product what is she getting?   Answer in 3 words and do not describe the product.

After hearing Jac Holzman, the founder of Elektra Records at the 92Y, he hit on all of the above at his label.  His goal was to make available music that needed to be heard.  The original focus was on folk music.  His audience knew that and if you wanted to hear good folk music you brought the latest Elektra release, many times unheard before a purchase.  Jac spent hours each week looking for those special artists for his label and his audience.  There was a time when people bought music just because of the record label that released it.  That’s how much respect a label like Elektra garnered. 

Uniqueness:  Can your organization claim any of these?

1. First
2. Only
3. Faster
4. Better
5. Cheaper

Lublin calls these the five.  If you can use any of these words, you’ve found an all-important niche. 

Employees:  Include every level employee in the pursuit of purpose and make sure that each division has clearly stated goals.  When goals are accomplished, it builds morale. 

Stimulate people.

Endorse communal work places.  Don’t segregate employees by job title.  Eliminate executive floors.  Segregation encourages isolation for both executives through assistants. Celebrate employees’ energy.  If the energy lies in one direction, encourage that person to pursue that path.

External Believers:  Use external believers in your company and never forget that anyone could be your brand ambassador.   This is now easier than ever with social networking.  There is no much info and music out there, it’s almost easier to rely on your old tastes than to explore something new.  No one has that kind of time.  This is why external believers are so important.  You are always going to take the word of someone/company whose taste/ideals you respect.  See Elektra Record above. Take care of your fans.  Make them lifers. Turn advocates into staffers.  They won’t be paid, but they will be out there on your behalf. 

Sales Staffers:  Everyone is a potential sales staffer in a company as well as a brand ambassador.  When I interned at MTV in it’s infancy, we couldn’t keep MTV logo merchandise in the house.  Everyone at the company wore it (I still have my red pullover sweatshirt with the yellow MTV logo) outside the office.  Everyone was so excited to be working at MTV. Everyone was a part of the company.  It was new so there was an element of winging it.  My first day as an intern, I had to go to the studio to have Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs sign a release for his taped interview.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.   Everyone felt like they were contributing.  Everyone was proud to work there. 

Ex-Employees: Why have ex-employees be resentful and hateful?  They should be excited about their time at your company.  Alumni can be useful. Use an alumni relations’ director.  Make them advocates.  Think of ways to reconnect with employees, send them coupons or concert tickets or discounts.

Gratitude:  Be responsive and show your consumers and fans gratitude.  Send updates, progress reports, photos, info, etc.

Innovation:  Do the culture and processes that are in place make it difficult to come up with breakthrough approaches and turn them into real products and services? 

Open your innovation circle of trust and it will set you closer to your end user. Employees must share a sense of purpose with their colleagues.  There must be a sense of urgency. Don’t let employees wilt in their cubicles.  Create pet projects.  I know there were flag wavers at the labels, but their take on file sharing and the internet were largely ignored. 

Community: Celebrate local elements. Get the community involved.  Partner for a purpose.  Grant all-access passes.  Is your brand important to a customer?

Do more with the corporate board, have them involved; tap into their resources and knowledge.  Communicate directly with staff and have them love your purpose.

Notes To Leaders:

Say thank you.

Be Consistent.

Remember your core idea and have guidelines. 

Be relevant to your audience.

Limit tedium.

Be transparent.

Find and cultivate passionate employees.

Use fun as an incentive. 

Give good titles that make sense.

Financial Considerations:

Live in fear of overhead.

Be disciplined.

Budget multi-year.

Diversify your revenue streams. How important is this for labels now?

Barter and make it a fair exchange.  Formalize the agreement.

Bob Lefsetz said the business started to die once a label exec (Doug Morris) hired his own PR person (Ron Shapiro). It was no longer about the music. The shareholders, board members and higher-ups became the focus. Nancy Lublin is saying put the focus on building a winning, happy team (how much did people love working at WB during the Mo Ostin/Lenny Waronker years?).  Connect with your fellow employees and audience. Make sure your goals meet their goals. Don’t hide from the truth.   Use common sense.  You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. 

Keith Richards' Incredible Life

“I get an incredible raging glee when they (the audience) get out of their seats.”

 - Keith Richards

It’s conversational. Keith is telling his stories to you.  I felt like I was in a bar talking with him about pieces of his life. The book is aptly titled:  Life.  It’s solidly assembled.  That credit may go to co-author James Fox.  (Note: I thought this book flowed, others in my book club though it was all over the place.  I’m not sure if my years of working with musicians, has led to me to think like they do, but I had no problem following this book.)

Keith’s enthusiasm for music is what really drives Life.   He’s still curious about styles, about improving his playing and finding out what’s next. He’s insightful and observant.  Nothing is a better example of this than his take on the music business.  “It’s the sleaziest business without being a gangster.”  This guy has seen it all and this is what he deduces.

The biggest statement he makes in the book is “We turned American people back on to their own music. And that’s probably our greatest contribution to music.” It’s a humble quote from a member of one of the greatest rock and roll bands. 

As hoped for Keith takes you through the writing of songs such as Satisfaction and Tumbling Dice. “Great songs write themselves.”  I’ve heard this from other musicians.

The slices of life from his early days are eye opening in a cultural way. Keith kept diaries and the reader benefits from it.  His Aunt Patty saved letters he wrote to her, which included a description of the first time he met Mick. He credits the Boy Scouts with building his self-esteem.

He thought Americans were brash and extremely self-confident, but that’s not what The Rolling Stones experienced on their first tours here.  He sensed that Americans were insecure.  His band had longer hair, spoke with British accents and dressed differently.  “The only hostility I can recall on a constant basis was from white people.  You got the impression you were a threat.” I recently watched an interview with Leiber and Stoller who said the same thing Keith did, that the blacks embraced them and were more at ease.  Both camps are big blues fans.

There is a bit of guitar-speak in the beginning third of the book. Even though I used to play guitar, I had no idea what he was talking about.  He is Keith Richards, so it’s necessary that this be part of the book. It should not discourage a non-player from reading Life.

Having been a manager, I love that he is so dedicated and loyal to his manager Jane Rose.  She’s done right by him and he appreciates it.  He credits her with helping him kick his heroin habit. 

Miscellaneous anecdotes which I found to be interesting and surprising:

• Bobby Goldsboro (of Honey fame) showed him an elusive guitar trick.
• Ronnie (Spector) Bennett took Keith to see James Brown at the Apollo Theater.  The discipline in James Brown’s band impressed him more than anything.
• Wilson Pickett used to keep shotguns on both sides of the stage.
• Jumping Jack Flash was named after his gardener.  What you hear on the record is acoustic guitars recorded on a cassette.  It’s his favorite riff. 

Keith also talks about his relationships with band members, his family and his crew. He is not shy about telling it like it is.  Mick Jagger is taken to task a few times. 

Somehow after all Keith has been through, he doesn’t come off as crazy as I was expecting.  He’s well aware of his surroundings and circumstances. He’s very loyal to friends and family.  Most people think he has more lives than a cat.  His longevity must be attributed to the strict regiment he adheres to before a tour. “All I do to train and preserve energy is keep breathing”.

More About Ms Taylor

This just reaffirms what I was writing about yesterday.

Martha Frankel's piece in the Huffington Post describes an enchanting encounter with Elizabeth Taylor that should have never happened. 

Rosanne Cash on Twitter mentions that Ms Taylor sent a birthday telegram to her Dad every year on his birthday. 

A Hollywood Icon and Humanitarian

By now, everyone is aware the Elizabeth Taylor died this morning.  Besides having the most perfect eyebrows and the most beautiful eyes, she was apparently was a beautiful soul.  She was loyal to her friends,  She stuck by Montgomery Cliff after his accident. She didn't leave Rock Hudson's side while he was dying of AIDS.  She remained friends with Michael Jackson until his death. She has seen a lot of her friends die before their time.

She appreciated those she worked with. I've heard stories of her sending cards or giving gifts to crew members of projects she worked on.  Liz was a tireless advocate for finding a cure for AIDS and raised lots of money for the cause. 

The BBC has a really nice interview with Liz Taylor, which I can't embed so I'll post the link. 

Last year I finally watched a Place In The Sun.  Liz is incredibly beautiful and persuasive in that film.  Apparently she was the same in the real world. 

RIP Pinetop Perkins

Pinetop Perkins one of the last of the original Mississippi bluesmen has died at age 97 in Austin, TX.  Know mostly for playing piano in Muddy Water's band, his solo career seemed to take flight in the 1980's and 1990's.  He received a Grammy in 2010 and therefore, became the oldest person to receive one.  He named himself Pinetop after his admiration for the music of Pinetop Smith.  He originally started on the guitar, but after being stabbed in the arm and incurring tendon damage, he moved to the piano.  Up until just last month he had been playing shows in Austin. 

Watch the full episode. See more Austin City Limits.

It Sounds Like Fine Young Cannibals

As mentioned in  SoulCulture, there's a trend for 'blue-eyed-soul over futuristic production' at the moment.  Record of the Day's choice is Alex Clare. He fits this mold.  The sound borrows from what the Fine Young Cannibals were doing in the 1980's.  It would be great to see a surge in powerful vocals, great melodies and if it's danceable, it's icing on the cake.  I'm not sure of the concept of this video. I suggest just listening. 

A Look Back At The Look Of Punk

It's the 1980's all over again.  It seems like everywhere I look, recent fashions remind me of a lot of the clothes I was wearing in high school and college.  Yesterday while browsing in Orva, I saw these Bass shoes, which put a smile on my face.  They reminded me of what my friends and I used to call Dirty Angel shoes.  The first time we saw someone wearing them was on the Boston band Dirty Angels (they had a minor hit with a great pop song called Tell Me).  They were playing a free WLIR show at My Father's Place.  The shoes worn then were  Capezios and were made for dancing, which we did a lot of.  I went through two pairs. 

Westwood Tartan Worn By Johnny Rotten

It's timely that the Fashion Institute of Technology is exhibiting the clothes/creations of Vivienne Westwood, who defined the look of Punk.  The exhibit covers the 80's and is on view until April 2nd.  Vivienne along with Malcolm McLaren opened the SEX boutique on King's Road in London. It started as record store and quickly evolved into a store full of her bondage and fetish inspired clothing.  The Selvedge Yard has a piece on the history of the shop. 

This Time Live Nation Has Hit Rock Bottom

Live Nation signed Charlie Sheen to a a licensing and merch deal.  According to Encore,  The merchandise deal will include t-shirts and mugs and similar items, emblazoned with some of Sheen's more notorious public statements.


This is a man who waves a machete in public and his wife has a restraining order against him for threatening her with harm, among other things.  His statements are not cute. He is not cute.  What is Live Nation thinking?

Librarians Fight Back So You Can Read Your E-Books

It's been widely covered.  HarperCollins book publishers have set a limit on how many times a library can "lend" an e-book.  After 26 times, the "book" will self destruct.  Obviously this does not appeal to librarians or people who frequently use libraries like myself.  E-books are the future.  Heck, e-books are happening now.  They are the future of the libraries. 

Librarians are now fighting back. I was alerted to this by Techdirt.  In support of the Readers' Bill Of Rights, I'm posting their logo and linking to their site.  Their goals are to

1. To increase awareness of the ways that e-books are unique in terms of readers' rights.
2. Revisit DRM and it's consequences (the music industry has had their share of this pie).
3. To invite discussion.
4. To provide alternatives to closed technologies such as DRM.  

For more info follow them on Twitter
Use the hashtag  #readersrights
We are sharing updates as @readersrights via Twitter and Identi.ca

Jac Holzman Is Still The Record Guy You Want To Work With

I'm a fan of Jac Holzman and I've written about him before.  There is an insightful profile of him by Fred Goodman in the NY Times.  How does he seem to be the only high level music executive out there who gets it?  He is currently an adviser to Edgar Bronfman Jr who runs WMG.  Read the whole article, but I'm just going to pull a few worthy quotes.

• “Marketing is nothing more than connecting something interesting to willing ears. I like being sent music, and that’s one of the great advantages of the Web. If I have something I think is a great song, I send it to 20 friends. But making that connection through the Internet is one of the problems that the record industry has not figured out.”
• He is concerned about the absence of what he called “first filters”: the online equivalent of the radio stations and disc jockeys, the publications and writers who, in Elektra’s early days, acted as guides for the larger public and helped shape tastes. “They have to happen,” he said. And until then, he added, the best thing a company can do is emulate the way small independents, like the early Elektra, did business and try anything to survive.
• “Did I care when Jim Morrison passed out in the office?” he said. “No. We would have put those orange cones around him if we’d had them. We’d just let him lie there, and eventually he’d get up and dust himself off and go home."
• “The reason indies beat majors as a rule is that the people who own these companies can make decisions and move,” he said. “I can tell you story after story about hearing something and making the deal that day, while it took Columbia six weeks to process the demo and decide they wanted the band. Hey, too bad. They’re in the studio for Elektra.”

I know there are rumors of Edgar selling WMG.  He's still at the helm though, so I hope he's heeding Jac's advice.  Jac's a smart man with a stellar music history.

Gotham: The City of Simple-Minded Fools

When hearing NY described as Gotham City, Batman of course comes to mind.  Commissioner Gordon was in charge of fighting crime in Gotham City, a vague rendition of New York City.  Turns out the nickname was given to New York by writer Washington Irving over 200 years ago.  The word Gotham dates to 1600's England. 

According to Carmen Nigro's blog post at the NY Public Library,  "English proverbs tell of a village called Gotham or Gottam, meaning “Goat’s Town” in old Anglo-Saxon.  Folk tales of the Middle Ages make Gotham out to be the village of simple-minded fools, perhaps because the goat was considered a foolish animal."  I guess if the shoe fits.

Gotham City sure had it's cast of characters: The Penguin, Catwoman, Mr Freeze and The Riddler to name a few.  None were able to take down the Cape Crusaders or destroy Gotham City.   I guess that still holds true, whether you call it Gotham, New York or The Big Apple, it's not going anywhere (despite the NY Daily News Headline from 1977:  Ford To New York:  Drop Dead).