Artpop

Live by the hit, die by the hit.

Phil Solem told me people had no idea how much work it took to have a hit record.

With a long history of less than successful projects between them, Phil Solem and Danny Wilde reunited in the latter's garage on the wrong side of the hill to have fun and cut demos.

Everybody wanted what ultimately became known as the Rembrandts.

But the duo signed with Derek Shulman at Atco, because he was the only person who didn't want to change them, didn't want them to start over with cowriters and be something else. Furthermore, Derek said he liked the demos just the way they were, and wanted to release them that way, which he did, and suddenly, Phil and Danny had success.

Years of hard work paid off. Their old audience embraced them, new people respected their amalgamation of harmonies and changes, a newfound iteration of power pop, and they sold records and played live. Sure, "Just The Way It Is, Baby," garnered some chart success, but it never went to number one, the fans owned the band, they were growing via grass roots virality, they had credibility and a career.

And then came "Friends."

Oh, there was another album in between, without hits, but the band's audience sustained them, to the point where their visibility caused the nascent sitcom's producers to ask them to write and record the show's theme song.

No.

It would ruin the band.

Eventually yes. As long as their name wasn't involved.

They helped write the song, received a pittance of the credit, because when you're talking big business, there are a lot of interests who need to profit, ever heard of Morris Levy?

And lo and behold, the show took off. And a radio station looped the theme song. And eventually the Rembrandts were outed. Everybody knew, it was them.

And the new head of their record company gave them an option. Either strip the track into the new album or be dropped. They chose the former, this was during the era when indie was a license to starve.

And therein began a year-long juggernaut. Flying all over the world to wake up early and stay up late answering questions like..."Who's your favorite Friend?"

Huh? We're musicians! We've got nothing to do with the show!

And attendance burgeoned at their gigs. 5,000 people would show up. Wanting to hear "I'll Be There For You," knowing nothing else about the act.

Which decided to play the hit first.

That's what the Rembrandts did. Gave the people what they wanted. Opened the show with the theme from "Friends" and shortly thereafter the audience streamed for the exit. By time they were done, there were only a handful of people left. The hard core Rembrandts fans, who proceeded to abandon them in the wake of this mainstream success.

And now the band's a footnote. Can play an oldies gig here and there for so little money it's oftentimes better to stay home.

So beware of having your wishes granted. You think you want a hit, but maybe that's not so.

Maybe you want credibility and a career, maybe you have to say no.

That's Lady Gaga's problem. She had some gigantic hits. And if she doesn't in the future, her career is going to contract to a size so tiny she might be embarrassed to go on the road, playing little venues to a small audience.

Do you want to be a star or a musician?

Sometimes they're the same, oftentimes they're not.

P.S. Please watch this video, wherein Charlie Hunter delineates what it is to be a musician, he nails it: http://bit.ly/1akEE5f


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