Pomplamoose Commercial a 180 From Train

Pomplamoose is in the holiday commercial for Sonata.  I recently talked about the ill-conceived Train holiday commercial for Coke and the Sonata spot is the complete opposite of it.  It looks like Pomplamoose created, shot and edited the spot. It definitely takes a big cue from their music videos.  It's them; it's fun and it gets your attention. 

Is Epic Records Hearing A Death Knell?

The Hollywood Reporter has an interesting article on who killed Epic Records. Rob Stringer chairman of the Sony Music Label Group goes on record, yet there are quotes from others at the diminished label.  Amanda Ghost the songwriter (You're Beautiful -hit for James Blunt) is the main focus of the label's demise.  She was hired 20 months ago for the excitement and enthusiasm that Stringer though she would bring to Epic.  According to co-workers she showed excitement by throwing a CD across the room. 

Two of my top 10 favorite albums of all time were on Epic: Heaven Tonight by Cheap Trick and London Calling by The Clash.  It would be a shame to see a label with such a great past go down the drain.  This piece seems to think it's inevitable. 

Censoring the Internet

A post in TechDirt prompted this post.  Yesterday the Senate voted to censor the Internet. The bill they unanimously supported is Combating Online Infringement  and Counterfeit Acts aka  COICA.  The bill would allow seizure of domain names accused of aiding piracy.  No surprise that the RIAA and Hollywood were 100% behind the bill.  TechDirt listed some of the Senators who voted for the bill and some of these are real suprises including my senator, Chuck Schumer, Al Franken and Dianne Feinstein.  There is a bit of hypocrisy here.  While Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is chastising China for their censorship of the Internet, our senators are doing the same thing here. 

The following is the email I sent to Sen Schumer today.  If you think this is a violation of the First Amendment, it's time to contact your senator. 

Dear Sen Schumer,
I usually agree with your voting, but am very disappointed that you supported the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act.   I have worked in the music business for over 25 years and I've slowly seen the record companies destroy their own business.  Having them back a bill like this is just one more nail in their coffin and government officials like you should not support their efforts to censor.  They tried doing it with DRM and they will continue to do it, when all they need to do is listen to the consumer and put out quality product. 

Please rethink this bill. Censorship of the Internet is last thing we need in this country.  How can we chastise China, when we're trying to do the same thing here?

Sincerely,
Paula Sartorius

Pardoning Jim Morrison

It appears that Florida may pardon Jim Morrison for his indecent exposure conviction.  Governor Charlie Crist is strongly considering revoking the conviction.  Never underestimate the power of a fan.  According to CBS News:  The issue was brought to Crist's attention by Dave Diamond, a Doors fan from Dayton, Ohio, who wrote the governor last month.  There doesn't seem to be any hard evidence that Jim actually did expose himself.  He alluded it to it from stage.  The alleged incident happened on March 1, 1969 at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Coconut Grove.  Jim was appealing the conviction and decided to move to Paris to get away from it all. He died before his appeal would be heard.  Here is an account from a 16 year old who attended the trial.  Interestingly this is posted on the website for the Washington Squares, a band that was omnipresent in New York in the 1980's. Not sure what the connection is.  Of note:  their photo gallery is great fun.   

BIlly Joel on Howard Stern

Although he complained about the early hour's effect on his voice, Billy Joel was charming, frank and informative in his interview today with Howard Stern.  Howard warmed up the piano early in the show by playing Twilight Zone.  Billy wanted to take a bathroom break midway through his interview.  Howard was fearing that Billy would leave and not come back, so he instructed Gary to lock all the exits. Not only did Billy return, but it sounded like he was willing to stay all day. He'd love to come back as long as it was after 5pm.   What is Billy up to these days? He is the owner of a motorcycle shop that he does not expect to make any money.  20th Century Motorcycles opened this week in Oyster Bay, LI. 

Here are some interesting tidbits from the interview:

"Laziness can be a terrific ingenuity."  Billy was talking about how Scenes From An Italian Restaurant came about.  He referred to the B Side of Abbey Road.  George Martin took three unfinished songs and pieced them together as one. Billy said he spoke to Paul McCartney about this and that's exactly how that happened.  He also had three unfinished songs and pieced them together for Italian Restaurant. 

Billy dissected and later played Summer, Highland Falls.  He wanted the music to reflect his ups and downs, his sadness and euphoria.  He played the basic outline of the song which was musical ups and downs and then filled it in to what we now know as that wonderful song. 

Bob Dylan, always protective or over the top, depending on how you look at it, had a guy deliver a tape of the song To Make You Feel My Love that he wanted Billy to cover.  Billy said Bob sent the guy so he could take the tape back.  The song appears on his Greatest Hits Volume lll. 

There was a brief conversation about forming a one time super group with Sting and Don Henley.  It never got past the talking stage.

Allentown was originally going to be called Levittown, but the lyrics were so boring, he decided to change locales. 

Big Shot was written as if Mick Jagger were singing to his then wife, Bianca.  Billy went to dinner with the both of them and it seemed to him that Mick was over Bianca and her lifestyle. 

A little insight into a prolific career. 

The Phases of Bettye LaVette

This headline is a bit misleading. It might pertain to her career, but not her being.   There is an intriguing profile of Bettye LaVette in the New Yorker's Nov 15th issue by Alec Wilkinson.  She seems to have done things her way and without compromise. What you see is what you get.  She speaks her mind.  The piece describes an encounter with a fan who happens to be an ex-musician.  When referring to music, she says to him,  "Why do you white guys have to study it so much?"  He says, "I guess I do it for the love." Her response to him, "It's music.  It never saved nobody's life.  We still don't have a cure for cancer.  Honey, if I'm dying of cancer I don't want you to sing to me by my bedside."  This is probably the biggest clue into why it's taken till now for her to receive the adulation that seemed long overdue.  Her life isn't all about music.  Mr Parker asked her if it was true that she didn't listen to music.  She responded that she didn't want to sound arrogant,  but she's not a fan of music.

Bettye killed at the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, which I've already written about. This was most likely her crowning moment, singing a song she originally wanted nothing to do with. She has regrets. Mistake #1 as she called it, was demanding that Atlantic let her out of her recording contract.  This was very early in her career.  Her first record was released in 1962 when she was still a teenager.  The beauty of Wilkinson's writing is that he doesn't judge, he lets her story unfold.  Bettye's brashness is evident.  She comes across not so much as a survivor (despite getting pregnant at 15, her childhood seemed stable), but as a determined individual who goes with her gut.  Alec refers to her Kennedy Center performance as intended.  "I didn't come there to try anything," she told him.  "Whoever else in on that show, they have to die tonight.  I haven't had the opportunity to be adored already when I walk out onstage."  "If I have to rise to the occasion of killing you, I will."  That's determination.  That's honesty.  She performed like she was going to battle.  When she hit the stage, she commanded it.

Singing the Townshend song must have inspired her most recent record, Interpretations, in which she covers the British songbook.  She hated the British Invasion, as it took over the radio and knocked she and her fellow R&B musicians off the charts.  With new arrangements, she has clearly come to terms with the Brits.  It's another phase in her career, one that seems to put the spotlight on her. 

A Holiday Train Wreck

Hypebot is spot on.   They describe the new Coca Cola commercial, which uses Train's song "Shake Up Christmas":  (the spot) totally derails a perfectly good holiday moment. The song is a very odd choice for a Christmas ad. Train's lead singer Pat Monahan was quoted in Reuters as saying, "I think of what I did with 'Shake Up Christmas' as a 'how can I help'" spread some happiness."   The commercial is cluttered and noisy. His idea of spreading happiness is lost in the mix.

Here's a Christmas ad that got it right.  I managed Luscious Jackson when they performed "Let It Snow" for a Gap ad.  It's fun, it's grabs your attention and the ladies are all wearing Gap.  Kudos to Sparkle Beauty Studio for making the ladies shine. 

Good Karma from a Bad Bad World

Bad Bad World from Guster on Vimeo.

Guster engages their audience and therefore, they have a very loyal fan base.  The band recently asked fans to submit a video (in their quest to create 12 videos from 12 directors for the 12 songs on their album Easy Wonderful -they just accomplished that goal.) for the song Bad Bad World.  Guster crowned director Nora McCormack at Soft Shell Productions, the winner.  She randomly gave pedestrians in Portland, ME $10 and asked them to find a way to change a stranger's life with that money.  The resulting video renews your faith in humankind. As the band said "Nora, you made us weep, and you made us want to be better people."

These times are strange
I can feel it in the night
I'm standing in the dark
Holding up for the light
And here I'll remain
Til the great sun shines
Standing in the dark
Waiting up for the light    

Watch the video, listen to the song.  It will put you in a good mood.  

Barnabas Collins Is Back

I used to rush home from school to watch Dark Shadows. If memory serves, it came on after General Hospital at about 4pm.  Do we need a film version of it?  The show was so campy, so who else better to play the main vampire Barnabas Collins (originally played by Jonathan Frid) then Johnny Depp.  No surprise that Tim Burton is directing.  Will Kate Jackson be making a cameo?

What To Do With EMI?

Andrew Dubber has an interesting take on what to do with EMI's assets on his site Deleting Music.  He is suggesting the British government buy the assets from Citigroup at a fire sale price and nationalize the archives.  He argues that in the hands of the wrong people, the archives could be partially destroyed or lost.  He has a point. How many pieces of film or tape have been lost through corporate buyouts, mishandling or just plain negligence.  There is a trove of our past in those EMI archives.  I would love to be the one working on an archival project like that.  There is always the thought:  How much more stuff can they find that hasn't already been released?  I think we'd all be surprised what would be unearthed if someone had the respect for the music and the insight to archive and digitize the catalog.   I love the Beach Boys and I'd be happy to hear or see something I've never experienced. Let's hope it gets in the right hands.

Yesterday Citigroup won a legal dispute in New York against Terra Firma Capital Partners Ltd. over the U.K. firm’s 2007 acquisition of music company EMI Group. Read more at the WSJ.

I Want To Be Front Row At A Bon Jovi Concert

An Argument For Happy Birthday

Should the song Happy Birthday To You be in the public domain?  Ben Sisto at freeculture.org thinks so. He meticulously documents the copyright history of the song.  Ben points out that the song is a derivative work  using folk song lyrics and combining them with the melody to the song Good Morning To All written by and copyrighted to Mildred Hill in 1893.  The original lyrics to GMTA were written by her sister Patty Smith Hill.  Warner Music currently owns the copyright on Happy Birthday which expires in 2030.  As techdirt mentions, the song generates about $2 million per year.  I thought that Paul McCartney had the song in his publishing arsenal, but it turns out it is in the hands of the Patty and Mildred Hill estate.  McCartney's MPL does own the rights to the Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire).  Would love to know what that generates in royalties each year.

Scary

Game 2 World Series: The Theme Songs

As I was watching game two of the World Series, song titles popped  into my head to describe the action that was unfolding on the field.  The score looks worse than the game actually was for the Rangers.  The Giants had a huge 8th inning, scoring 7 runs to make it looks easy. 

Matt Cain-  Less Than Zero
Giants Pitching - Shut Down
8th Inning - Walk This Way
Texas Relievers - Free Fallin'

Baba Booey and Casey Kasem

Two media greats Baba Booey (Gary Dell'Abate) and Casey Kasem come together for this trailer for Gary's autobiography,  They Call Me Baba Booey.  Casey narrates the ad for the book which comes out November 2nd. Gary follows in the footsteps of boss Howard Stern and his co-workers who also penned books, Robin Quivers and Artie Lange.  Some of the funniest Stern moments were Jackie Martling's readings of Robin's book.  It would be great to bring him back to take on Baba Booey.  Fred Norris is the last hold out. He is also the least vocal of the group, except when getting fired up over whether Carol Alt is a supermodel or not.  Will he be the next to pen his life story?

World Series Tonight, I Hope You Can Watch It

I live in two places.  In one of them we subscribe to Cablevision, which means that if I were on Long Island tonight, I would miss game one of the World Series and most likely the whole series.  Fox has just turned down Cablevision's latest offer according to the LA Times.  Being a big baseball fan, I can't miss the World Series, which means I will be staying in New York City this weekend.  My plans are dicatated by two conglomerates who can't get their acts together.  Having 3 million homes cut out of the World Series is criminal. The FCC spent way too much time on Howard Stern and it seems like they are ignoring this issue.  Isn't it more important that 3 million people get to see baseball then worrying about Howard and Co talking to strippers?

The New York Times has a pictorial on baseball gloves over the years.  It's amazing that the early players didn't have a hand injury a game. 

Ari-Up Founder of The Slits Dies

Ari-Up founder of the 70's female punk band The Slits died of a serious illness on Wednesday. Her death was reported on Johnny Lydon's website.  He was her step father.  Arianna Forster was 14 when she founded The Slits.  According to the NY Times, she met drummer Palmolive at a Clash concert and they formed the band.  The Slits wound up opening for The Clash.  Whenever think of The Slits, the album cover for Cut comes to mind.  The ladies are clad in mud and loin cloths.  Ari-Up was 48 and had three sons. 

We Are R-A-T-T-L-E-S

Yahoo Kids debuts the new video R-A-T-T-L-E-S, from my favorite furry pop band, The Rattles. It will make Elvis Costello, The Ramones and The Bay City Rollers proud.

Last Play At Shea: Billy Joel's Candid Interview with Howard Stern

'THE LAST PLAY AT SHEA' Theatrical Trailer from D&E Entertainment on Vimeo.

Howard Stern has once again proved to be the best interviewer in media.  He engaged Billy Joel in a phone interview today that was revealing, passionate and funny.  Joel was on to promote the one night (October 21st)  in theaters only showing of Last Play At Shea, which is a documentary he financed about not only his last concert at Shea Stadium, but also takes a look at the history of Shea.  As Darryl Strawberry says so eloquently in the trailer, "Yeah it was a dump, but it was our dump."

It in his interview Billy said Shea Stadium is basically the point where Long Island meets New York City. He grew up a Dodger fan and moved over to the Yankees when the Dodgers abandoned NY.  When The Mets appeared on the scene, he was happy to have National League baseball back.  He's a New York baseball fan. 

When Billy saw the Beatles, he decided he wanted to be a musician.  He even wore a Wells Fargo badge during his performances as Shea, just as the Beatles had done in the 60's.  He said The Beatles were driven in a Well Fargo truck to Shea and the driver gave them the badges which they wore.  Billy describes driving to Shea for the last performance and gets a call from Paul McCartney saying "I'm not sure my flight will land on time to make it to the show."  Billy explained that air traffic control gave Paul's flight clearance to land before others, so Paul could make it to Shea for the show.  The thrill must have been unbelievable for Joel.  It all came full circle. 

It seems that every detail has been covered in this documentary.  Pete Flynn deservedly gets his due.  If you're a Mets fan, I don't have to tell you who he is.

On the non-baseball side, Billy talked about his father who was from Germany and left the family when he was 8.  His father's family lost a profitable business to the Nazis. His dad was a frustrated musician, although Billy said he loved hearing his father play the piano.  He has a half brother who is a musical conductor. 

Howard asked him about his favorite song from his catalog.   He named a few including  Lullabye,  New York State of Mind and Summer Highland Falls, which is probably my favorite Billy Joel song.   Surprising, Billy said his favorite albums are the later ones, from Glass Houses on.  Was his mother mad that he decided to be a musician and skip school?  He said she just wanted him to be fulfilled and happy.  Here is the money point:  Billy said, "I had the fire" which is probably why he was so successful after many pitfalls, including having the Cold Spring Harbor album incorrectly mastered. The whole album was sped up, making him sound like a chipmunk.  Of course no interview of Howard's would be complete without asking about groupies.  Joel said they didn't have those kind of groupies.  The Billy Joel groupies wanted to be the band's friends. 

"Don't take shit from anyone." Howard said the last line he utters to the audience must have been calculated.  Billy was happy that the bullying issue is being addressed. He hates bullies.  To counter the bullies that would torment him on his way to piano lessons, he took up boxing.  His distaste of bullies probably led to him closing the show with that line. 

Howard mentioned he only has 29 shows left on Sirius (I guess the talks to keep him there have ceased) and he wants Billy to come back.   They'll bring in a piano and he'll talk about his songwriting (he writes the music first and the lyrics come later).  I agree with Howard, I could have listened to Billy talk all day. Can't wait for him to return to the show. 

Goodbye Mr C

Earlier this week we lost Barbara Billingsly who was most famously June Cleaver, mom to the Beaver.  Tom Bosley, Ritchie Cunningham's dad Howard on Happy Days passed away also.  Mr C was the one who could always put the Fonz in his place.