What if you put out three albums and no one cared?
You lost your record deal. Do you give up or..?
History is littered with people in this exact same situation, those who were given their chance and then faded into obscurity. But not one David Gray...
David Gray spent his own money and recorded "White Ladder" in his apartment. A desperate move, that's for sure.
And the result went on to sell seven million copies.
But it didn't happen quite that fast. Recorded in 1997, Gray put "White Ladder" out himself in 1998, but it didn't really gain traction until the turn of the century, when it was rereleased on ATO and Gray opened for the Dave Matthews Band. Proving that just because it's in the grooves that does not mean it's gonna happen, go big, be successful.
BABYLON
With a jazzy groove akin to a Donald Fagen cut, one can honestly say that KCRW blew this up. "Babylon" is a track you hear once and love, if you're in the target demographic...educated, financially successful hipster. To tell you the truth, the resulting buzz turned me off. Kind of like the one on Hozier's "Take Me To Church." In both cases, the single is not the artist's best work.
But that's not to say "Babylon" is not good. After the album became ingrained in the culture, when "Babylon" was in the rearview mirror, it was a pleasant listen as part of the album.
WHITE LADDER
The title track. It's so intimate, so heartfelt, yet not a dirge.
The feel, the groove, it's enrapturing. You can get close, but you cannot touch the track, it lives in an alternative universe, like so much great music, you resonate and pay fealty, astounded that someone can feel this much and lay it down in a way that touches us so.
SILVER LINING
Slower than "Babylon" and "White Ladder," "Silver Lining" is hypnotic. You cannot listen without your head involuntarily moving back and forth to the beat.
"We were born with our eyes wide open
So alive with wild hope now
Can you tell me why
Time after time
They drag you down"
But it gets even worse...
"Down in the darkness deep
Fools in their madness all around"
You're licking your wounds, gaining the power to look for your silver lining.
Ain't that life, they kick you down, but instinct keeps you going. And nothing helps as much as music.
MY OH MY
"White Ladder" is the best track on the record, but it's "My Oh My" that touches me most.
"It takes a lotta love
It takes a lotta love my friend
To keep your heart from freezing
To push on till the end
My oh my"
Reflection. It's the human condition, but anathema in our winner-take-all society. It's hard to square the hurt inside with all the images and stories of success. How come they can do it and you can't?
The truth is we all struggle. And occasionally you're entitled to wallow, to kick back, take a drink or a smoke, lick your wounds, fortify yourself for the coming battle.
And when this happens, you want a track to ride shotgun, like "My Oh My."
SAIL AWAY
"Sail away with me honey
I put my heart in your hands"
Where did all the adult records go? Made by intelligent people with multiple emotions that evidence experience? There used to be one of these on a regular basis. Before the internet blew a hole in the music business, made it incomprehensible, leaving those looking for more on the outside looking in.
It's hard to convey how big "White Ladder" was. It dominated the airwaves and adult consciousness for years.
And we wanted more. But David Gray has been unable to deliver.
His later works are better than Alanis Morissette's, who also garnered unexpected success after toiling in relative obscurity, but none have equaled "White Ladder." It's like he had to struggle, be pushed to the wall, to create at this level. The same way we make crucial, life-altering decisions when we're so far down we've got nothing to lose.
Either you know what I'm talking about or you don't.
Either you've experienced loss or you have not.
Either you know the magic of David Gray's "White Ladder" or you don't.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/1FC0phR
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Friday 22 May 2015
Thursday 21 May 2015
The Stones At The Fonda
START ME UP
"You make a grown man cry"
Like the one out front, who offered four grand cash, so he could take his ten year old son to see the Stones. I saw the green. But today it's all about experiences, not possessions, and there's no amount of money that will prevent you from having a peak that may never come again, like the Stones in a small venue.
It was Jan & Dean who sang "They're coming from all over the world!" but Jan is gone yet his fellow stars from the "T.A.M.I Show" are still doing it so it was amazing who came from far and wide for this event. I haven't done this much business in one night since MusiCares. But this time there was no riff-raff. Ha!
And the band started on time and they were not over-loud and by beginning with the obvious opener...THEY BLEW MY MIND!
And that's what it was, a band. A relic from the sixties and seventies. When there were no hard drives and ELO was put out of business for performing with tapes. There was no fakery, no smoke and mirrors, just a few lights and a bunch of fellows with instruments and amps.
This is the way it used to be. When the British invaded and changed our world forever.
WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN
My second favorite track from "Some Girls," the first LP that fully integrated Ronnie Wood, who, like Charlie, was really good tonight.
Up close and personal he's a mere wisp of a person, but on stage Ronnie is a giant, a full-fledged Stone, he's never been better. You could see all the way back to those Rod Stewart records, where he switched from bass to lead.
I think it was on this song that Mick first played guitar.
ALL DOWN THE LINE
This was the first stratospheric moment, when Keith opened with the signature riff.
Despite the recent accolades, "Exile On Main Street" was an overlooked album. Number one while the band was on tour soon after its release in '72, it fell off the chart almost instantly thereafter.
But if you put in the time, "Exile" reveals its magic.
And I always thought "All Down The Line" was a throwaway romp, especially compared to "Let It Loose," "Ventilator Blues" and "Casino Boogie." But tonight I got it, because of Keith and that guitar.
We know those legendary sounds, they came out of the car speaker, through the KLHs and JBLs, into our headphones. And it used to be that you went to see the Stones and the sound was not exactly the same. But tonight it was, as if Keith channeled '72.
Made me grin from ear to ear.
SWAY
So that's the gimmick of this tour, the playing of the '71 classic, "Sticky Fingers," from start to finish.
But they still might not. Because there are so many slow cuts. Will the people tolerate them? After all, the Who performed "Tommy" and always left a couple of numbers out.
This was not the first time the band did "Sway" live. It was good to hear, but not transcendent.
DEAD FLOWERS
They locked into the groove.
That was what was surprising about this entire gig. How good the boys were. They're famous for being ragged, not quite as bad as the Grateful Dead, but there are always moments when it's not quite jelling. But not tonight!
I like "Dead Flowers" on record, I LOVED IT TONIGHT!
WILD HORSES
The same, yet different from the record.
You see Mick was selling it more.
It's hard to play live gigs. No matter how famous you are, you only get the benefit of the doubt for the first thirty seconds. After that, you've got to prove yourself night after night.
Ever since he did that solo turn on the Grammys a couple of years back, Mick has upped his game, he's as good as ever, if not better. He's comfortable with himself, his patter is cutting and insightful.
For example, you can't perform "Sticky Fingers" from start to finish, because then you'd have to begin with "Brown Sugar" and you'd end up squandering your momentum. So Mick said they were going to play it in the order from the 8-TRACK! You remember 8-tracks, don't you? Unwieldy cartridges where the songs were rearranged to fit the four sections of tape? Needless to say, Mick was lying/making a joke, but even better was his tossed off aside that next time they're going to do "Satanic Majesties" from start to finish!
But my point is it's Mick who's keeping it under control, everybody else is just playing, he's moving, prancing, not as much as in the seventies and eighties, but in more of a refined fashion these days, and this toned-down version works.
And during the breaks between numbers, the audience talked, but Mick soldiered on.
It's all about being a professional.
SISTER MORPHINE
And here's where it starts to get really good. When you start to hear songs you'd never think you'd ever hear live.
They were albums, and you played them from start to finish. And in the middle of "Sticky Fingers"'s second side was this magical track with that acoustic guitar and then wailing electric and the despair of a late night druggie. I always loved it then, and it was sensational hearing it tonight.
YOU GOTTA MOVE
The PIECE-DE-RESISTANCE! The highlight of the show, the moment I could not get out of my head.
So Mick says they're gonna sing a song they didn't write. Unlike so many of his brethren, he credits Mississippi Fred McDowell and then says Keith is gonna play the 12 string.
And from the wings a roadie comes out with an acoustic, Keith sits down and starts fiddling, smiling those pearly whites all the while. AND THEN HE STARTS TO PLAY!
Forget the record.
On "Sticky Fingers" "You Gotta Move" is a throwaway. Tonight, it was a thread from what was to what is and will always be. The essence of rock and roll, the blues!
Having not performed these album tracks on a regular basis, the Stones rehearsed the hell out of them. These deep cuts were better than the rest. And, "You Gotta Move" evidenced a groove not even touched on the record.
If you were a fan, if you know the Stones catalog, THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS!
BITCH
Listening to them play "Sticky Fingers" you realize how few hits it had. This was the album's second most famous cut, and how famous is this?
It was a different era. Where it was about the LP, listening to our favorites over and over again, the radio was secondary to our collection.
"Bitch" was good.
And is this the moment to say how Keith seems to have recovered from his fall, from his mental hejira? Not only was his guitar-playing on point, so were his background vocals!
CAN'T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING
Mick Taylor's tour-de-force.
Alas, Mick is not on this tour.
But what put this over the top was the instrumental section, featuring Karl Denson in the place of Bobby Keys. They changed it up just a bit, improvised just a bit, and that made all the difference.
For those who weren't born back then, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is seven plus minutes long, it was a journey to the center of your mind and back. And when you hear it today you're connected with back then and your whole life makes sense. It's not about money, but art.
The Stones are the last of a dying breed. Sure, they're making beaucoup bucks, but there are scores of wet behind the ears techie-punks who make much more. Instead of chasing what cannot be caught, the Stones are laying back into who they are, merging with their legacy, being first and foremost musicians, not stars. Tonight was all about the playing. You could tell they were having fun. And that's the reason we do it, right?
I GOT THE BLUES
Almost as good as "You Gotta Move." A track that never resonated with me on wax, "I Got The Blues" was exquisite perfection tonight. The groove and Mick's delivery. This was when he had the audience in the palm of his hand. He even had the assembled multitude singing along with and without him at the end.
You go for the hits, but it's the hidden gems that get you, that keep you coming back.
MOONLIGHT MILE
Just a bit faster, not quite as ethereal as the album-closing track, tonight's "Moonlight Mile" worked on its own terms. It dragged not at all, yet still had you pondering those nights lying in the grass looking up at the stars as your mind was blown.
BROWN SUGAR
So let me paint the picture.
The Beatles had broken up. Despite the career peak double-whammy of "Beggars Banquet" and "Let It Bleed" there were no hit singles, the Stones were an album band, a big one, but their days on the hit parade were behind them.
That's right, "Sympathy For The Devil" was too dark for AM radio.
And as haunting as "Gimmie Shelter" was, you'd never hear Cousin Brucie introduce it.
And then this.
"Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields"
Not that we could make that out. The lyrics were buried in the mix, it was all a sound, one that dominated the airwaves for most of the seventies. The party did not begin, the weekend did not start, until someone dropped the needle on "Brown Sugar" and we threw our hands in the air and sang "Yeah, yeah, yeah, WOO!"
And we did tonight!
ROCK ME BABY
B.B. King's first hit.
And the first encore.
The Stones were devotees, historians, they had roots, which they extended deep into history. They were not just stars, but blues acolytes who filtered what once was to create something new that infected the entire hearing world.
"Rock Me Baby" is a song everybody knows, even if they think they don't. A great way to put a capper on the evening.
JUMPIN' JACK FLASH
A 1968 summer smash with an indelible riff that burned itself into our collective brains.
And I'd like to tell you it was as good as the "Sticky Fingers" stuff, but it wasn't. Because they play "Jumpin' Jack Flash" every night, they didn't have to rehearse it, they didn't have to make sure they got it right.
But it was great to hear it!
I CAN'T TURN YOU LOOSE
The finale.
Mick says they're gonna do this one really fast. Reminding you that they're a band, not locked into hard drives or click tracks. It was just ragged enough to evidence humanity. It was done for them, they seemed not to care what we thought, which made us care that much more.
And then they were gone.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/1KlGJBS
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"You make a grown man cry"
Like the one out front, who offered four grand cash, so he could take his ten year old son to see the Stones. I saw the green. But today it's all about experiences, not possessions, and there's no amount of money that will prevent you from having a peak that may never come again, like the Stones in a small venue.
It was Jan & Dean who sang "They're coming from all over the world!" but Jan is gone yet his fellow stars from the "T.A.M.I Show" are still doing it so it was amazing who came from far and wide for this event. I haven't done this much business in one night since MusiCares. But this time there was no riff-raff. Ha!
And the band started on time and they were not over-loud and by beginning with the obvious opener...THEY BLEW MY MIND!
And that's what it was, a band. A relic from the sixties and seventies. When there were no hard drives and ELO was put out of business for performing with tapes. There was no fakery, no smoke and mirrors, just a few lights and a bunch of fellows with instruments and amps.
This is the way it used to be. When the British invaded and changed our world forever.
WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN
My second favorite track from "Some Girls," the first LP that fully integrated Ronnie Wood, who, like Charlie, was really good tonight.
Up close and personal he's a mere wisp of a person, but on stage Ronnie is a giant, a full-fledged Stone, he's never been better. You could see all the way back to those Rod Stewart records, where he switched from bass to lead.
I think it was on this song that Mick first played guitar.
ALL DOWN THE LINE
This was the first stratospheric moment, when Keith opened with the signature riff.
Despite the recent accolades, "Exile On Main Street" was an overlooked album. Number one while the band was on tour soon after its release in '72, it fell off the chart almost instantly thereafter.
But if you put in the time, "Exile" reveals its magic.
And I always thought "All Down The Line" was a throwaway romp, especially compared to "Let It Loose," "Ventilator Blues" and "Casino Boogie." But tonight I got it, because of Keith and that guitar.
We know those legendary sounds, they came out of the car speaker, through the KLHs and JBLs, into our headphones. And it used to be that you went to see the Stones and the sound was not exactly the same. But tonight it was, as if Keith channeled '72.
Made me grin from ear to ear.
SWAY
So that's the gimmick of this tour, the playing of the '71 classic, "Sticky Fingers," from start to finish.
But they still might not. Because there are so many slow cuts. Will the people tolerate them? After all, the Who performed "Tommy" and always left a couple of numbers out.
This was not the first time the band did "Sway" live. It was good to hear, but not transcendent.
DEAD FLOWERS
They locked into the groove.
That was what was surprising about this entire gig. How good the boys were. They're famous for being ragged, not quite as bad as the Grateful Dead, but there are always moments when it's not quite jelling. But not tonight!
I like "Dead Flowers" on record, I LOVED IT TONIGHT!
WILD HORSES
The same, yet different from the record.
You see Mick was selling it more.
It's hard to play live gigs. No matter how famous you are, you only get the benefit of the doubt for the first thirty seconds. After that, you've got to prove yourself night after night.
Ever since he did that solo turn on the Grammys a couple of years back, Mick has upped his game, he's as good as ever, if not better. He's comfortable with himself, his patter is cutting and insightful.
For example, you can't perform "Sticky Fingers" from start to finish, because then you'd have to begin with "Brown Sugar" and you'd end up squandering your momentum. So Mick said they were going to play it in the order from the 8-TRACK! You remember 8-tracks, don't you? Unwieldy cartridges where the songs were rearranged to fit the four sections of tape? Needless to say, Mick was lying/making a joke, but even better was his tossed off aside that next time they're going to do "Satanic Majesties" from start to finish!
But my point is it's Mick who's keeping it under control, everybody else is just playing, he's moving, prancing, not as much as in the seventies and eighties, but in more of a refined fashion these days, and this toned-down version works.
And during the breaks between numbers, the audience talked, but Mick soldiered on.
It's all about being a professional.
SISTER MORPHINE
And here's where it starts to get really good. When you start to hear songs you'd never think you'd ever hear live.
They were albums, and you played them from start to finish. And in the middle of "Sticky Fingers"'s second side was this magical track with that acoustic guitar and then wailing electric and the despair of a late night druggie. I always loved it then, and it was sensational hearing it tonight.
YOU GOTTA MOVE
The PIECE-DE-RESISTANCE! The highlight of the show, the moment I could not get out of my head.
So Mick says they're gonna sing a song they didn't write. Unlike so many of his brethren, he credits Mississippi Fred McDowell and then says Keith is gonna play the 12 string.
And from the wings a roadie comes out with an acoustic, Keith sits down and starts fiddling, smiling those pearly whites all the while. AND THEN HE STARTS TO PLAY!
Forget the record.
On "Sticky Fingers" "You Gotta Move" is a throwaway. Tonight, it was a thread from what was to what is and will always be. The essence of rock and roll, the blues!
Having not performed these album tracks on a regular basis, the Stones rehearsed the hell out of them. These deep cuts were better than the rest. And, "You Gotta Move" evidenced a groove not even touched on the record.
If you were a fan, if you know the Stones catalog, THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS!
BITCH
Listening to them play "Sticky Fingers" you realize how few hits it had. This was the album's second most famous cut, and how famous is this?
It was a different era. Where it was about the LP, listening to our favorites over and over again, the radio was secondary to our collection.
"Bitch" was good.
And is this the moment to say how Keith seems to have recovered from his fall, from his mental hejira? Not only was his guitar-playing on point, so were his background vocals!
CAN'T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING
Mick Taylor's tour-de-force.
Alas, Mick is not on this tour.
But what put this over the top was the instrumental section, featuring Karl Denson in the place of Bobby Keys. They changed it up just a bit, improvised just a bit, and that made all the difference.
For those who weren't born back then, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is seven plus minutes long, it was a journey to the center of your mind and back. And when you hear it today you're connected with back then and your whole life makes sense. It's not about money, but art.
The Stones are the last of a dying breed. Sure, they're making beaucoup bucks, but there are scores of wet behind the ears techie-punks who make much more. Instead of chasing what cannot be caught, the Stones are laying back into who they are, merging with their legacy, being first and foremost musicians, not stars. Tonight was all about the playing. You could tell they were having fun. And that's the reason we do it, right?
I GOT THE BLUES
Almost as good as "You Gotta Move." A track that never resonated with me on wax, "I Got The Blues" was exquisite perfection tonight. The groove and Mick's delivery. This was when he had the audience in the palm of his hand. He even had the assembled multitude singing along with and without him at the end.
You go for the hits, but it's the hidden gems that get you, that keep you coming back.
MOONLIGHT MILE
Just a bit faster, not quite as ethereal as the album-closing track, tonight's "Moonlight Mile" worked on its own terms. It dragged not at all, yet still had you pondering those nights lying in the grass looking up at the stars as your mind was blown.
BROWN SUGAR
So let me paint the picture.
The Beatles had broken up. Despite the career peak double-whammy of "Beggars Banquet" and "Let It Bleed" there were no hit singles, the Stones were an album band, a big one, but their days on the hit parade were behind them.
That's right, "Sympathy For The Devil" was too dark for AM radio.
And as haunting as "Gimmie Shelter" was, you'd never hear Cousin Brucie introduce it.
And then this.
"Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields"
Not that we could make that out. The lyrics were buried in the mix, it was all a sound, one that dominated the airwaves for most of the seventies. The party did not begin, the weekend did not start, until someone dropped the needle on "Brown Sugar" and we threw our hands in the air and sang "Yeah, yeah, yeah, WOO!"
And we did tonight!
ROCK ME BABY
B.B. King's first hit.
And the first encore.
The Stones were devotees, historians, they had roots, which they extended deep into history. They were not just stars, but blues acolytes who filtered what once was to create something new that infected the entire hearing world.
"Rock Me Baby" is a song everybody knows, even if they think they don't. A great way to put a capper on the evening.
JUMPIN' JACK FLASH
A 1968 summer smash with an indelible riff that burned itself into our collective brains.
And I'd like to tell you it was as good as the "Sticky Fingers" stuff, but it wasn't. Because they play "Jumpin' Jack Flash" every night, they didn't have to rehearse it, they didn't have to make sure they got it right.
But it was great to hear it!
I CAN'T TURN YOU LOOSE
The finale.
Mick says they're gonna do this one really fast. Reminding you that they're a band, not locked into hard drives or click tracks. It was just ragged enough to evidence humanity. It was done for them, they seemed not to care what we thought, which made us care that much more.
And then they were gone.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/1KlGJBS
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Tuesday 19 May 2015
Randy Phillips In Reverse
I just read the UT-San Diego article, That is such bullshit. Since this
was the first year, the permits were for a capacity of 65K and the place
was packed for Bruno so I am not sure that capacity is even realistic.
Bob, why is this article the truth and my response is not? To be fair and
balanced, you should print my response. You are doing the RIR team a
tremendous disservice for no reason.
Randy Phillips
CEO
Global Entertainment
________________________________________
Damn it, Bob, stop listening to other peoples self-serving agendas. What
I wrote is the fuckin' truth so print it!!! Please!!!!
Randy Phillips
CEO
Global Entertainment
________________________________________
Come on Randy, a self-serving post from someone who was there?
And everybody said it was 50% attendance.
Check here:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/may/17/rock-in-rio-releases-total-atte
ndance-figures/
Your reputation for veracity remains intact.
Like I said, you got paid. Be happy. Don't try to bend reality. You had a
good time. I stand by my comments.
Bob Lefsetz
________________________________________
So I guess you are not going to post this response?
Randy Phillips
CEO
Global Entertainment
________________________________________
There was no buzz.
You're in the echo chamber.
No one cared.
There was no unity of vision.
I'm glad you got paid.
Bob Lefsetz
________________________________________
Bob, it has been a while since I have felt compelled to respond to one of your postings. The inherent problem with you writing about Rock-In-Rio Las Vegas 2015, in the manner you did, is that you were not there. Reminds me of lazy Broadway critics who write reviews of shows that a member of their staff attend or who leave the show at intermission. To be completely transparent here, Phil Rodriquez and I were brought in to book the MainStage headlining talent (Taylor, Bruno, Metallica, No Doubt, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith - we missed him!, Mana, Linkin Park) so I am slightly biased. The inaugural year of any festival is not for the financially faint of heart so you should not be shocked to to know the massive losses those visionary pioneers and their partners suffered until Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza became the juggernauts they are today. Same for Jazzfest, the iconic grand–daddy of all American festivals created by George Wein and Quint Davis, which we rescued when I
was CEO of AEG Live.
Having attended both weekends of the first year of RIR Vegas, I have many suggestions to make the festival better like moving it to Memorial Day weekend and eschew the genre specific weekends so that it is just 3 great days of music. The site was actually quite good and the VIP offerings were some of the best I have seen at any festival which certainly matched the Las Vegas aesthetic. Roberto Medina, the creator of RIR, is so consumer focused and open-minded to both praise and criticism that he will fine tune and figure out what works in America like he has in Brazil, Portugal, and Spain. Like Paul Tollett, Charles Attal, and the others, he, too, will defy the odds and ultimately succeed in establishing his brand in America. "Disaster In The Desert" makes good copy and fodder for the naysayers, however, I can say that Roberto and his partners, Yucaipa, SFX, Cirque du Soleil, and MGM Resorts gave me the impression that this year was round one in a championship prize fight they
intend to win, which is the best analogy I can make for an event designed for the Vegas market. It is never a bad thing for our industry when another buyer joins the ranks and fans are given more choice, not less, of how and where to consume their music.
Finally, to set the record straight, the total paid attendance for the 4 days was approximately 172,000 which represented about 75% of sellable capacity, not 50%, all of the higher-priced VIP tickets sold out early, and the "investment" (I prefer that word instead of "loss") was not unexpected and manageable.
Cheers,
Randy Phillips
P.S. I direct your readers to Mikael Wood's review in the LA Times today (May 18, 2015) "Bright Lights, Pop City: Often Incoherent Rock In Rio USA ends with a bit of clarity". A more nuanced review of a festival the writer actually attended!
Randy Phillips
CEO
Global Entertainment
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was the first year, the permits were for a capacity of 65K and the place
was packed for Bruno so I am not sure that capacity is even realistic.
Bob, why is this article the truth and my response is not? To be fair and
balanced, you should print my response. You are doing the RIR team a
tremendous disservice for no reason.
Randy Phillips
CEO
Global Entertainment
________________________________________
Damn it, Bob, stop listening to other peoples self-serving agendas. What
I wrote is the fuckin' truth so print it!!! Please!!!!
Randy Phillips
CEO
Global Entertainment
________________________________________
Come on Randy, a self-serving post from someone who was there?
And everybody said it was 50% attendance.
Check here:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/may/17/rock-in-rio-releases-total-atte
ndance-figures/
Your reputation for veracity remains intact.
Like I said, you got paid. Be happy. Don't try to bend reality. You had a
good time. I stand by my comments.
Bob Lefsetz
________________________________________
So I guess you are not going to post this response?
Randy Phillips
CEO
Global Entertainment
________________________________________
There was no buzz.
You're in the echo chamber.
No one cared.
There was no unity of vision.
I'm glad you got paid.
Bob Lefsetz
________________________________________
Bob, it has been a while since I have felt compelled to respond to one of your postings. The inherent problem with you writing about Rock-In-Rio Las Vegas 2015, in the manner you did, is that you were not there. Reminds me of lazy Broadway critics who write reviews of shows that a member of their staff attend or who leave the show at intermission. To be completely transparent here, Phil Rodriquez and I were brought in to book the MainStage headlining talent (Taylor, Bruno, Metallica, No Doubt, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith - we missed him!, Mana, Linkin Park) so I am slightly biased. The inaugural year of any festival is not for the financially faint of heart so you should not be shocked to to know the massive losses those visionary pioneers and their partners suffered until Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza became the juggernauts they are today. Same for Jazzfest, the iconic grand–daddy of all American festivals created by George Wein and Quint Davis, which we rescued when I
was CEO of AEG Live.
Having attended both weekends of the first year of RIR Vegas, I have many suggestions to make the festival better like moving it to Memorial Day weekend and eschew the genre specific weekends so that it is just 3 great days of music. The site was actually quite good and the VIP offerings were some of the best I have seen at any festival which certainly matched the Las Vegas aesthetic. Roberto Medina, the creator of RIR, is so consumer focused and open-minded to both praise and criticism that he will fine tune and figure out what works in America like he has in Brazil, Portugal, and Spain. Like Paul Tollett, Charles Attal, and the others, he, too, will defy the odds and ultimately succeed in establishing his brand in America. "Disaster In The Desert" makes good copy and fodder for the naysayers, however, I can say that Roberto and his partners, Yucaipa, SFX, Cirque du Soleil, and MGM Resorts gave me the impression that this year was round one in a championship prize fight they
intend to win, which is the best analogy I can make for an event designed for the Vegas market. It is never a bad thing for our industry when another buyer joins the ranks and fans are given more choice, not less, of how and where to consume their music.
Finally, to set the record straight, the total paid attendance for the 4 days was approximately 172,000 which represented about 75% of sellable capacity, not 50%, all of the higher-priced VIP tickets sold out early, and the "investment" (I prefer that word instead of "loss") was not unexpected and manageable.
Cheers,
Randy Phillips
P.S. I direct your readers to Mikael Wood's review in the LA Times today (May 18, 2015) "Bright Lights, Pop City: Often Incoherent Rock In Rio USA ends with a bit of clarity". A more nuanced review of a festival the writer actually attended!
Randy Phillips
CEO
Global Entertainment
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Then/Now
THEN
Privacy
NOW
Everybody knows everything and despite protestations, you provide this information willingly, on Facebook, Instagram... We all want to be known, until we don't.
THEN
Skirts had to cover the knee.
NOW
Young women raise their shirts to show their boobies and sext their friends. Pornography used to be underground, now all you have to do is Google it.
THEN
The record company gave you a big advance and not much more.
NOW
The record company gives you a small advance and not much more.
THEN
The record company built your career.
NOW
You build your career, the label just blows it up.
THEN
You went to the club to hear live music, cover bands or record company supported acts.
NOW
You go to the club to dance. Live music is a special event in a large room, it's rarely even at weddings.
THEN
Saving the world came first, then you focused on money.
NOW
Everybody's out for themselves, and if you don't screw others you're left behind, leading to a coarse society wherein the winners extricate themselves from the masses and the masses fight amongst themselves.
THEN
African-Americans protested against injustice.
NOW
African-Americans protest against injustice. Only now they've got cameras providing evidence of said injustice.
THEN
We believed the government was on our side.
NOW
The government has been demonized and those in Congress pay fealty to their corporate bosses.
THEN
You went to a friend's house and perused their record collection.
NOW
You go online and peruse your friend's life via the aforementioned Facebook and Instagram. We want to know what people are doing, but not who they are.
THEN
Local newspapers had boots on the ground.
NOW
The "New York Times" is the only outlet with boots on the ground and provides news for the entire nation, even if it's disseminated through other outlets. Despite this, the NYT believes it's challenged by the online world when the truth is it's winning more than ever.
THEN
Save classical.
NOW
Save jazz.
THEN
We were interested in what musicians had to say.
NOW
We care what techies have to say.
THEN
Move to L.A. to make it.
NOW
Move to San Francisco to make it.
THEN
Movies were a reflection of the human condition.
NOW
Movies are an alternative universe populated by superheroes, part of the dumbing down of the culture to make sure those in power are not challenged.
THEN
Media executives were overpaid.
TODAY
Media executives are overpaid.
THEN
You never bought the first iteration, it was always flawed.
NOW
It works the first time, right out of the box. If you don't buy it now, you're just gonna live without it for that much longer. Sure, the products are improved over time, but in retrospect, don't you wish you bought an iPod the day it was released?
THEN
Entertainment reporters saw themselves as independent arbiters in search of the truth.
NOW
Entertainment reporters are idiots in it for the access. Such that no one trusts the hype complex.
THEN
College taught you how to think.
TODAY
College prepares you for a career.
THEN
Parents prepared you for the day you would be on your own.
TODAY
No one is on their own.
THEN
The goal was to go overseas before you started a family, to see how the rest of the world lived.
TODAY
Everyone just beats their chest and says the U.S. is the greatest country in the world and there's no reason to go anywhere else.
THEN
Science was king. We were all fascinated by the astronauts.
TODAY
Science is king when it comes to tech, but when it comes to the government it doesn't exist.
THEN
Politicians were leaders. We looked up to them.
NOW
Politicians' goal is to dismantle the government when they're not trolling for cash. The public has tuned out.
THEN
We believed in facts. And got our news from the same sources.
NOW
Facts are questionable, always in flux, and we only go to news sources that reflect our beliefs.
THEN
Emotions.
NOW
Data.
THEN
What was in your mind was key.
NOW
What's on your body is key. Fashion rules.
THEN
You were famous for something.
NOW
You can be famous for nothing.
THEN
You were out of contact weeks at a time.
NOW
You bitch if you've got no cell access.
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Privacy
NOW
Everybody knows everything and despite protestations, you provide this information willingly, on Facebook, Instagram... We all want to be known, until we don't.
THEN
Skirts had to cover the knee.
NOW
Young women raise their shirts to show their boobies and sext their friends. Pornography used to be underground, now all you have to do is Google it.
THEN
The record company gave you a big advance and not much more.
NOW
The record company gives you a small advance and not much more.
THEN
The record company built your career.
NOW
You build your career, the label just blows it up.
THEN
You went to the club to hear live music, cover bands or record company supported acts.
NOW
You go to the club to dance. Live music is a special event in a large room, it's rarely even at weddings.
THEN
Saving the world came first, then you focused on money.
NOW
Everybody's out for themselves, and if you don't screw others you're left behind, leading to a coarse society wherein the winners extricate themselves from the masses and the masses fight amongst themselves.
THEN
African-Americans protested against injustice.
NOW
African-Americans protest against injustice. Only now they've got cameras providing evidence of said injustice.
THEN
We believed the government was on our side.
NOW
The government has been demonized and those in Congress pay fealty to their corporate bosses.
THEN
You went to a friend's house and perused their record collection.
NOW
You go online and peruse your friend's life via the aforementioned Facebook and Instagram. We want to know what people are doing, but not who they are.
THEN
Local newspapers had boots on the ground.
NOW
The "New York Times" is the only outlet with boots on the ground and provides news for the entire nation, even if it's disseminated through other outlets. Despite this, the NYT believes it's challenged by the online world when the truth is it's winning more than ever.
THEN
Save classical.
NOW
Save jazz.
THEN
We were interested in what musicians had to say.
NOW
We care what techies have to say.
THEN
Move to L.A. to make it.
NOW
Move to San Francisco to make it.
THEN
Movies were a reflection of the human condition.
NOW
Movies are an alternative universe populated by superheroes, part of the dumbing down of the culture to make sure those in power are not challenged.
THEN
Media executives were overpaid.
TODAY
Media executives are overpaid.
THEN
You never bought the first iteration, it was always flawed.
NOW
It works the first time, right out of the box. If you don't buy it now, you're just gonna live without it for that much longer. Sure, the products are improved over time, but in retrospect, don't you wish you bought an iPod the day it was released?
THEN
Entertainment reporters saw themselves as independent arbiters in search of the truth.
NOW
Entertainment reporters are idiots in it for the access. Such that no one trusts the hype complex.
THEN
College taught you how to think.
TODAY
College prepares you for a career.
THEN
Parents prepared you for the day you would be on your own.
TODAY
No one is on their own.
THEN
The goal was to go overseas before you started a family, to see how the rest of the world lived.
TODAY
Everyone just beats their chest and says the U.S. is the greatest country in the world and there's no reason to go anywhere else.
THEN
Science was king. We were all fascinated by the astronauts.
TODAY
Science is king when it comes to tech, but when it comes to the government it doesn't exist.
THEN
Politicians were leaders. We looked up to them.
NOW
Politicians' goal is to dismantle the government when they're not trolling for cash. The public has tuned out.
THEN
We believed in facts. And got our news from the same sources.
NOW
Facts are questionable, always in flux, and we only go to news sources that reflect our beliefs.
THEN
Emotions.
NOW
Data.
THEN
What was in your mind was key.
NOW
What's on your body is key. Fashion rules.
THEN
You were famous for something.
NOW
You can be famous for nothing.
THEN
You were out of contact weeks at a time.
NOW
You bitch if you've got no cell access.
--
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--
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Monday 18 May 2015
More Cornyn & Benatar
Not to take anything away from Stan, who was a true trailblazer and visionary, but was what made WB great was so much more; Mo, Lenny, Thyret and the all to often forgotten Bob Regher
David Berman
__________________________________________
Hi Bob,
Thanks for these words about Stan Cornyn. I wholeheartedly agree.
In fact, that's why I published, together with my wife, the German version of his book, eleven years ago.
Unfortunately, outside of the music business, not many people were willing to read his story.
But the book is still available, in case some of your German-speaking subscribers would like to know more:
Explosiv! Helden, Hits & Hypes. Die abenteuerliche Geschichte der Warner Music Group.
http://amzn.to/1Fcgyt1
Greetings from Munich
Manfred Gillig
__________________________________________
I don't remember the name Stan Cornyn, but I have lots of these sampler albums ($2! mailed right to you!)
I'd have to go back and count, but I'm sure I got turned on to a dozen or more artists that I bought albums.
I've ordered his book.
---Dale Janus
__________________________________________
I remember when Phil Walden moved the Allman's distribution from Atlantic to Warner's in about 1972. Man, Warner's was the epitome of cool back then. Moe and Joe and all of that great supporting cast. Never again.
Willie Perkins
__________________________________________
One of the reasons I spent my life every day at 3300 Warner Blvd is because of this man... and all of the folks here before. The energy is still very much alive in this building and we're a team of music fans. Come and visit with us one day and we'll show you. Lenny was sitting on my sofa last night listening to a new Artist we are working on
Ever had a tour of our archive? I'd be happy to arrange... its great fun. we have a letter downstairs from Don Rickles to Mo complaining about the quality of the free tickets Mo sent him. There's a log entry in a "Demo's Received" book from 1974 written in perfect copperplate script that says "Peter Frampton - Shows promise"
Cheers
Dion Singer
__________________________________________
I purchased the Beach Boys "Holland" LP upon release. It was packaged with a bonus 7" that was taped to the rear cover. The problem was that the 7" record would slide out of the sleeve and tape residue would get on the record. Also, when you tried to remove the tape it would pull up some of the pasted-on rear cover. I called Warners to complain and was transferred to Carl Scott. I explained to him the situation and he said that his boss, Stan Cornyn, was in his office and asked if it was okay to put my call on the speakerphone. We discussed the situation and Stan sent me a replacement album plus he threw in a the current "loss-leader" selection. When I began to work in a record store a short time later I noticed that they were now putting the bonus disc inside the Holland jacket to avoid this problem.
Decades later, Stan included his email address in his book about Warner Music. I wrote him to provide an example of the adversarial relationship that had developed between the majors and their customers. I recounted to Stan the time that I received an envelope from WEA containing two policy letters. The first letter announced their elimination of the "longbox" and that they were immediately lowering wholesale prices by $0.20 to reflect this cost savings. The second letter included a new price sheet showing a $0.20 increase taking effect the first of the month. He loved that story.
Bob Paris
__________________________________________
I have my own story about Stan Cornyn. When was attending college in the middle of Kansas at the end of the 60's I wanted to get into the music business. Not as a musician, but in the business end of it. I didn't really know how the "business" worked, but wanted somehow to be a part. I had no clue how or where to start. I bought albums on Warner Brothers and Reprise blindly with full trust that they would be great, and they were. Warner Brothers/Reprise (and A&M) had that credibility. I kept seeing the name Stan Cornyn on the back jacket of these albums as well as the clever ads in Rolling Stone. So, I wrote him a letter using the Warner Brothers address listed on the albums. I had no expectations. But, he wrote me back! He explained about how record labels were distributed regionally throughout the country by independent companies. This was just before the formation of WEA. His suggestion was to go to work in a record store and learn the business from the bottom up and
through the eyes of the customer. So I did. That led to a long career in retail, distribution, and label sales. Some 30 years later when I was at Universal Distribution, the late Henry Droz knew my story and introduced me to the man himself. Mr Cornyn was warm and gracious and had a smile on his face as I recounted his letter to me many years prior. I give him much credit for taking the time to reply to a letter from someone he did not know, from the middle of nowhere and offer some encouragement. Warner/Reprise was one of a kind and so was Stan Cornyn. He made a life-long impression.
Curt Eddy
__________________________________________
I worked in the Ski Chalet from 2009-2011. I would love to tell you that I heard Stan's name often, but the truth is I never heard it at all. We used to hear the old timers talk about the Lenny and Mo Show, but Stan seemed to be a part of some hidden history. I was in my late twenties when I worked there, and I often wondered whether I was just too young to be in the club. Or maybe that history was just forgotten.
You're right, by the way: at one time it was the greatest label in the world.
I remember the first time I heard about the Warner Loss Leaders from a coworker, a veteran vinyl junkie (I always loved hanging with the guys who had been there for years). I HAD to have these. It wasn't until several years later when I had moved to Nashville that I got my hands on the collection (still incomplete). To this day they are one of the great treasures in my record collection.
I wish I had been there to see it back then. The label I worked at was just a completely different place. Still I couldn't help but walk those hallowed halls and daydream.
Mike Fabio
__________________________________________
Bob: What great response you got to the article on Stan Cornyn. He certainly deserved it. I had 5 artists on Warner Brothers in the early 1970's and always told people that for all the terrific people there, Mo, Joe, Lenny, etc., etc. the image of the company was a result of Stan Cornyn's wonderful, unique creativity. I also credit Art Director, Ed Thrasher with some of that. It was simply a terrific place to work or do business with.
Ken Kragen
__________________________________________
To Mr. Vallance - Bob didn't say Joan Jett wasn't the real deal, all he said was she didn't belong in the R&RHOF. Why is that an insult?
Art Masciocchi
__________________________________________
You've sold Mr. Benatar short, Bob.
Neil Giraldo threaded the needle of 80s pop and 80s rock, and counter-balanced her across that catalog of hits. Any dude caught rocking Benatar in his Z-28 could get nods of approval with "yeah, but the guitarist, man..."
Unlike Eddie VH, Neil's solos sound like they'd been composed, more in the mold of (Cars') Elliot Easton, Randy Rhoads, even Brian May. They weren't "shred" moments - they remained part of the story of the song.
A great example of all of this coming together (for me) is "Precious Time," which made their "Ultimate Collection," I was glad to see. The chorus is r-a-d-i-o ready, but the verses and solos are grindy and angular.
And in the video he's shirtless with a salmon BC Rich and a shiny green turban, wandering among giant hourglasses! It's worth it:
https://youtu.be/N-LaM-yS28A (2:48)
DLR had Eddie; Ozzy had Randy; Perry had Schon...
Put a notch in his lipstick case, Bob. He deserves it.
merrico1
__________________________________________
What timing ... Just went to see Pat & Neil for the 1st time last weekend at The Capitol Theatre. Last minute date night excursion, and was blown away at how great they were!! The show was fantastic, and Neil ripped and Patricia was so powerful. 35 years later, they sold out The Cap... It really says a lot about just how good those songs were. They have held up well.
Great show worth going to see.
Shawn Kilmurray
__________________________________________
I was the keyboard tech for Styx in 1997, and when I found out that Pat Benatar was going to be our opener all summer I have to admit I wasn't all that enthused. I was pretty unfamiliar with her catalog other than Hit Me With Your Best Shot and somehow had gotten the very mistaken impression that they were kind of a candy-ass pop band. Man was I wrong, they rocked it out hard every night - Pat sang her ass off and Neil is truly a force of nature on guitar. They had put out an album that year called Innamorata and one of the songs on it is a killer track called River of Love, if you're not familiar you can pull it up on Spotify. It's one of my favorite cuts of all time, no kidding. Great rock n roll song, Pat wails and Neil is absolutely ferocious on guitar. Give it a listen, I promise you'll be hooked.
Aside from that they are really great people and it was a pleasure touring with them. As for the R&RHOF who cares what they do, it's an interesting museum but other than that they're irrelevant.
Dan Farago
__________________________________________
How can you mention Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and not mention Myron Grombacher, one of the most influential drummers of that era?
Dean Marone
__________________________________________
Loved reading your post and the comments so far. Been a fan since the first LP came out and even more after the 2nd.
Among all the great hits she had...the one song that really blew me away was on CMT's Crossroads with Martina McBride. Martina's "Freebird" is her signature song "Independence Day". Pat takes the first versus and both chorus and literally robs Martina of her big song. She stood there in silence as Pat belted out the chorus. Still gives me shivers. I really doubt Martina could ever really sing that ever again after Pat's version. Check it out on YouTube.
http://youtu.be/Zbv5iJEDzN8
Brian Helgesen
__________________________________________
Pat Benatar made it cool for guys to like chick songs
rkoent
__________________________________________
My first job in music publishing was working for Frank Davies at ATV Canada, and Eddie Schwartz had recently become the top writer with "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." It was a thrill to meet Eddie, let alone be working with him. In our first meeting, he told me a great story about the writing, demoing, and circuitous route it took to getting cut that's a classic tale of music industry heroes and idiots. I can't do it justice so I will let him tell it to you someday.
I started rambling on and on about how much I loved the song, and how I was sure it was a political song about women's lib, and what an impact it's had, how did a guy show such sensitivity to the movement, etc. After listening to me prattle on for awhile, he developed a puzzled look on his face that clearly meant "what the hell is this guy talking about?" He finally spoke up to correct me. "It's not about women's lib - it's about SELF CONFIDENCE." He went on to explain that most great songs can be described in one word or phrase that is usually an emotion, and if you can't, it's probably not a great song. I've never stopped using that test since.
These days he is busy working to change the world for songwriters as one of the leaders of the Fair Trade Music organization http://songwriters.ca/fairtrademusic.aspx
Best,
Michael McCarty
__________________________________________
Carolyne Mas seems bitter. Must one play guitar on stage to be taken seriously as a musician? Did Pat "Benetar's" career come screeching to a halt when she approached 40? Some of Pat & Neil's best work came after the pressure to churn out hit songs & videos was gone, IMO. Just because the general public has moved on to (or been lead to) the next big thing doesn't mean your career is over. Pat still tours and still rocks. Real fans listen with their ears, not their eyes. Get over it Carolyne, a woman can be taken seriously with or without a 1/4" jack in her hand if she delivers the goods.
Michael Kimball
__________________________________________
Kudos to Carolyne Mas -- being a dude, I don't think you can possibly have a clue as to what young girls thought about Joan or Pat and how both in their own way empowered women - especially those who wanted to be musicians or backing musicians in a man's arena. For one, I always loved Pat Benatar from the moment I saw her in that yellow & black "bee" get up. BUT, Joan had the grit, the snarl, the drive and what you saw was what you got and what you got was a lot, AND without all the needless, traditional sex appeal, despite what you and the others have dismissively said about her and her talent. I saw Joan Jett as sexy AND a badass - the perfect combination for me. From the first time I saw Joan Jett I wanted to be her...and at 50, I still do.
Karen Votava
__________________________________________
Bob,
I had the chance to promote her at radio and she was always a pleasure to work with.
She and her family came to my home for dinner where I cooked my famous Bar B Q...
Just a real nice person..
Kindest Regards,
Jeff Laufer
__________________________________________
Bob--Neil Giraldo refers to the album he and Pat Benatar did called "True Love", which included B.B. King's "Payin' the Cost To Be the Boss". I really enjoyed the whole album which also included another B. B. Song, "I've Got Papers On You". Neil wrote three of the songs including the title track and the remainder are primarily jump classics by artists like Wynonie Harris, Albert King, Charles Brown etc.
Pat's gritty vocals were great, the band was tight and the concept worked but I did wonder at the time about who the audience might be for the album as there weren't many radio outlets available for that style of music. Neil said that it was a labor of love so I was happy and surprised to read that the album has sold 339,000 copies through 2014 with very little radio airplay.
If you are a fan of jump blues, find a copy!
Dan Guilfoyle
PS-the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a SHAME!
__________________________________________
Bob – really enjoyed your piece on Pat Benatar, thanks for some truth. When my band first got signed in 1981, before we went to LA to record, our manager made us attend one of those "catch a rising star" gigs that was happening our hometown. Some chick singer named Pat Benatar. The ticket price was 92 cents, a tie-in with the local FM station's frequency. Our manager, a very smart guy, said "go see this band and pay attention. This is your competition." I walked out of that show thinking that this music biz thing was going to be harder than I thought...
Saw Pat & Neil last summer and they are still bringing it.
Best,
Mark Spangler
__________________________________________
I was a young impressionable 13 year old who was big into hard rock, so when Roklahoma was announced with the Doobie Brothers, Van Halen, Pat Benatar and Sammy Hagar at the University of Oklahoma football stadium in September 1980, I was SO there! I was all into the Mighty VH but also intrigued by the other acts on the bill
Sammy ended up being OK (all I remember is that he dropped F-bombs everywhere and some dude near me offered up a cigar-sized joint) and I was already a mark for VH
But the real surprise of the day was Pat Benatar - her second album had just come out and she had all those pulsating songs that turned into rock radio hits - Heartbreaker, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Treat Me Right, You Better Run - she played the sexy vixen with the incredible voice and killed it, her guitar player wasn't EVH but he could still rock (who knew they were an item?), and her drummer, Myron Grombacher, balding red hair and all, was just absolutely insane - I still remember him standing on his drum stool when being introduced and kicking the gong behind his kit into submission - teenage me loved every bit of it - Pat Benatar and band were nothing less than awesome on that brutally hot day
Chris Perry
Norman, OK
__________________________________________
Please tell Neil that the quote he paraphrased ("It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.") came from Harry S. Truman, not Reagan. Ronnie probably thought he came up with that line also, but then again, he was babbling well into his first term.
Bob Gannon
Venice, CA
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David Berman
__________________________________________
Hi Bob,
Thanks for these words about Stan Cornyn. I wholeheartedly agree.
In fact, that's why I published, together with my wife, the German version of his book, eleven years ago.
Unfortunately, outside of the music business, not many people were willing to read his story.
But the book is still available, in case some of your German-speaking subscribers would like to know more:
Explosiv! Helden, Hits & Hypes. Die abenteuerliche Geschichte der Warner Music Group.
http://amzn.to/1Fcgyt1
Greetings from Munich
Manfred Gillig
__________________________________________
I don't remember the name Stan Cornyn, but I have lots of these sampler albums ($2! mailed right to you!)
I'd have to go back and count, but I'm sure I got turned on to a dozen or more artists that I bought albums.
I've ordered his book.
---Dale Janus
__________________________________________
I remember when Phil Walden moved the Allman's distribution from Atlantic to Warner's in about 1972. Man, Warner's was the epitome of cool back then. Moe and Joe and all of that great supporting cast. Never again.
Willie Perkins
__________________________________________
One of the reasons I spent my life every day at 3300 Warner Blvd is because of this man... and all of the folks here before. The energy is still very much alive in this building and we're a team of music fans. Come and visit with us one day and we'll show you. Lenny was sitting on my sofa last night listening to a new Artist we are working on
Ever had a tour of our archive? I'd be happy to arrange... its great fun. we have a letter downstairs from Don Rickles to Mo complaining about the quality of the free tickets Mo sent him. There's a log entry in a "Demo's Received" book from 1974 written in perfect copperplate script that says "Peter Frampton - Shows promise"
Cheers
Dion Singer
__________________________________________
I purchased the Beach Boys "Holland" LP upon release. It was packaged with a bonus 7" that was taped to the rear cover. The problem was that the 7" record would slide out of the sleeve and tape residue would get on the record. Also, when you tried to remove the tape it would pull up some of the pasted-on rear cover. I called Warners to complain and was transferred to Carl Scott. I explained to him the situation and he said that his boss, Stan Cornyn, was in his office and asked if it was okay to put my call on the speakerphone. We discussed the situation and Stan sent me a replacement album plus he threw in a the current "loss-leader" selection. When I began to work in a record store a short time later I noticed that they were now putting the bonus disc inside the Holland jacket to avoid this problem.
Decades later, Stan included his email address in his book about Warner Music. I wrote him to provide an example of the adversarial relationship that had developed between the majors and their customers. I recounted to Stan the time that I received an envelope from WEA containing two policy letters. The first letter announced their elimination of the "longbox" and that they were immediately lowering wholesale prices by $0.20 to reflect this cost savings. The second letter included a new price sheet showing a $0.20 increase taking effect the first of the month. He loved that story.
Bob Paris
__________________________________________
I have my own story about Stan Cornyn. When was attending college in the middle of Kansas at the end of the 60's I wanted to get into the music business. Not as a musician, but in the business end of it. I didn't really know how the "business" worked, but wanted somehow to be a part. I had no clue how or where to start. I bought albums on Warner Brothers and Reprise blindly with full trust that they would be great, and they were. Warner Brothers/Reprise (and A&M) had that credibility. I kept seeing the name Stan Cornyn on the back jacket of these albums as well as the clever ads in Rolling Stone. So, I wrote him a letter using the Warner Brothers address listed on the albums. I had no expectations. But, he wrote me back! He explained about how record labels were distributed regionally throughout the country by independent companies. This was just before the formation of WEA. His suggestion was to go to work in a record store and learn the business from the bottom up and
through the eyes of the customer. So I did. That led to a long career in retail, distribution, and label sales. Some 30 years later when I was at Universal Distribution, the late Henry Droz knew my story and introduced me to the man himself. Mr Cornyn was warm and gracious and had a smile on his face as I recounted his letter to me many years prior. I give him much credit for taking the time to reply to a letter from someone he did not know, from the middle of nowhere and offer some encouragement. Warner/Reprise was one of a kind and so was Stan Cornyn. He made a life-long impression.
Curt Eddy
__________________________________________
I worked in the Ski Chalet from 2009-2011. I would love to tell you that I heard Stan's name often, but the truth is I never heard it at all. We used to hear the old timers talk about the Lenny and Mo Show, but Stan seemed to be a part of some hidden history. I was in my late twenties when I worked there, and I often wondered whether I was just too young to be in the club. Or maybe that history was just forgotten.
You're right, by the way: at one time it was the greatest label in the world.
I remember the first time I heard about the Warner Loss Leaders from a coworker, a veteran vinyl junkie (I always loved hanging with the guys who had been there for years). I HAD to have these. It wasn't until several years later when I had moved to Nashville that I got my hands on the collection (still incomplete). To this day they are one of the great treasures in my record collection.
I wish I had been there to see it back then. The label I worked at was just a completely different place. Still I couldn't help but walk those hallowed halls and daydream.
Mike Fabio
__________________________________________
Bob: What great response you got to the article on Stan Cornyn. He certainly deserved it. I had 5 artists on Warner Brothers in the early 1970's and always told people that for all the terrific people there, Mo, Joe, Lenny, etc., etc. the image of the company was a result of Stan Cornyn's wonderful, unique creativity. I also credit Art Director, Ed Thrasher with some of that. It was simply a terrific place to work or do business with.
Ken Kragen
__________________________________________
To Mr. Vallance - Bob didn't say Joan Jett wasn't the real deal, all he said was she didn't belong in the R&RHOF. Why is that an insult?
Art Masciocchi
__________________________________________
You've sold Mr. Benatar short, Bob.
Neil Giraldo threaded the needle of 80s pop and 80s rock, and counter-balanced her across that catalog of hits. Any dude caught rocking Benatar in his Z-28 could get nods of approval with "yeah, but the guitarist, man..."
Unlike Eddie VH, Neil's solos sound like they'd been composed, more in the mold of (Cars') Elliot Easton, Randy Rhoads, even Brian May. They weren't "shred" moments - they remained part of the story of the song.
A great example of all of this coming together (for me) is "Precious Time," which made their "Ultimate Collection," I was glad to see. The chorus is r-a-d-i-o ready, but the verses and solos are grindy and angular.
And in the video he's shirtless with a salmon BC Rich and a shiny green turban, wandering among giant hourglasses! It's worth it:
https://youtu.be/N-LaM-yS28A (2:48)
DLR had Eddie; Ozzy had Randy; Perry had Schon...
Put a notch in his lipstick case, Bob. He deserves it.
merrico1
__________________________________________
What timing ... Just went to see Pat & Neil for the 1st time last weekend at The Capitol Theatre. Last minute date night excursion, and was blown away at how great they were!! The show was fantastic, and Neil ripped and Patricia was so powerful. 35 years later, they sold out The Cap... It really says a lot about just how good those songs were. They have held up well.
Great show worth going to see.
Shawn Kilmurray
__________________________________________
I was the keyboard tech for Styx in 1997, and when I found out that Pat Benatar was going to be our opener all summer I have to admit I wasn't all that enthused. I was pretty unfamiliar with her catalog other than Hit Me With Your Best Shot and somehow had gotten the very mistaken impression that they were kind of a candy-ass pop band. Man was I wrong, they rocked it out hard every night - Pat sang her ass off and Neil is truly a force of nature on guitar. They had put out an album that year called Innamorata and one of the songs on it is a killer track called River of Love, if you're not familiar you can pull it up on Spotify. It's one of my favorite cuts of all time, no kidding. Great rock n roll song, Pat wails and Neil is absolutely ferocious on guitar. Give it a listen, I promise you'll be hooked.
Aside from that they are really great people and it was a pleasure touring with them. As for the R&RHOF who cares what they do, it's an interesting museum but other than that they're irrelevant.
Dan Farago
__________________________________________
How can you mention Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and not mention Myron Grombacher, one of the most influential drummers of that era?
Dean Marone
__________________________________________
Loved reading your post and the comments so far. Been a fan since the first LP came out and even more after the 2nd.
Among all the great hits she had...the one song that really blew me away was on CMT's Crossroads with Martina McBride. Martina's "Freebird" is her signature song "Independence Day". Pat takes the first versus and both chorus and literally robs Martina of her big song. She stood there in silence as Pat belted out the chorus. Still gives me shivers. I really doubt Martina could ever really sing that ever again after Pat's version. Check it out on YouTube.
http://youtu.be/Zbv5iJEDzN8
Brian Helgesen
__________________________________________
Pat Benatar made it cool for guys to like chick songs
rkoent
__________________________________________
My first job in music publishing was working for Frank Davies at ATV Canada, and Eddie Schwartz had recently become the top writer with "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." It was a thrill to meet Eddie, let alone be working with him. In our first meeting, he told me a great story about the writing, demoing, and circuitous route it took to getting cut that's a classic tale of music industry heroes and idiots. I can't do it justice so I will let him tell it to you someday.
I started rambling on and on about how much I loved the song, and how I was sure it was a political song about women's lib, and what an impact it's had, how did a guy show such sensitivity to the movement, etc. After listening to me prattle on for awhile, he developed a puzzled look on his face that clearly meant "what the hell is this guy talking about?" He finally spoke up to correct me. "It's not about women's lib - it's about SELF CONFIDENCE." He went on to explain that most great songs can be described in one word or phrase that is usually an emotion, and if you can't, it's probably not a great song. I've never stopped using that test since.
These days he is busy working to change the world for songwriters as one of the leaders of the Fair Trade Music organization http://songwriters.ca/fairtrademusic.aspx
Best,
Michael McCarty
__________________________________________
Carolyne Mas seems bitter. Must one play guitar on stage to be taken seriously as a musician? Did Pat "Benetar's" career come screeching to a halt when she approached 40? Some of Pat & Neil's best work came after the pressure to churn out hit songs & videos was gone, IMO. Just because the general public has moved on to (or been lead to) the next big thing doesn't mean your career is over. Pat still tours and still rocks. Real fans listen with their ears, not their eyes. Get over it Carolyne, a woman can be taken seriously with or without a 1/4" jack in her hand if she delivers the goods.
Michael Kimball
__________________________________________
Kudos to Carolyne Mas -- being a dude, I don't think you can possibly have a clue as to what young girls thought about Joan or Pat and how both in their own way empowered women - especially those who wanted to be musicians or backing musicians in a man's arena. For one, I always loved Pat Benatar from the moment I saw her in that yellow & black "bee" get up. BUT, Joan had the grit, the snarl, the drive and what you saw was what you got and what you got was a lot, AND without all the needless, traditional sex appeal, despite what you and the others have dismissively said about her and her talent. I saw Joan Jett as sexy AND a badass - the perfect combination for me. From the first time I saw Joan Jett I wanted to be her...and at 50, I still do.
Karen Votava
__________________________________________
Bob,
I had the chance to promote her at radio and she was always a pleasure to work with.
She and her family came to my home for dinner where I cooked my famous Bar B Q...
Just a real nice person..
Kindest Regards,
Jeff Laufer
__________________________________________
Bob--Neil Giraldo refers to the album he and Pat Benatar did called "True Love", which included B.B. King's "Payin' the Cost To Be the Boss". I really enjoyed the whole album which also included another B. B. Song, "I've Got Papers On You". Neil wrote three of the songs including the title track and the remainder are primarily jump classics by artists like Wynonie Harris, Albert King, Charles Brown etc.
Pat's gritty vocals were great, the band was tight and the concept worked but I did wonder at the time about who the audience might be for the album as there weren't many radio outlets available for that style of music. Neil said that it was a labor of love so I was happy and surprised to read that the album has sold 339,000 copies through 2014 with very little radio airplay.
If you are a fan of jump blues, find a copy!
Dan Guilfoyle
PS-the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a SHAME!
__________________________________________
Bob – really enjoyed your piece on Pat Benatar, thanks for some truth. When my band first got signed in 1981, before we went to LA to record, our manager made us attend one of those "catch a rising star" gigs that was happening our hometown. Some chick singer named Pat Benatar. The ticket price was 92 cents, a tie-in with the local FM station's frequency. Our manager, a very smart guy, said "go see this band and pay attention. This is your competition." I walked out of that show thinking that this music biz thing was going to be harder than I thought...
Saw Pat & Neil last summer and they are still bringing it.
Best,
Mark Spangler
__________________________________________
I was a young impressionable 13 year old who was big into hard rock, so when Roklahoma was announced with the Doobie Brothers, Van Halen, Pat Benatar and Sammy Hagar at the University of Oklahoma football stadium in September 1980, I was SO there! I was all into the Mighty VH but also intrigued by the other acts on the bill
Sammy ended up being OK (all I remember is that he dropped F-bombs everywhere and some dude near me offered up a cigar-sized joint) and I was already a mark for VH
But the real surprise of the day was Pat Benatar - her second album had just come out and she had all those pulsating songs that turned into rock radio hits - Heartbreaker, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Treat Me Right, You Better Run - she played the sexy vixen with the incredible voice and killed it, her guitar player wasn't EVH but he could still rock (who knew they were an item?), and her drummer, Myron Grombacher, balding red hair and all, was just absolutely insane - I still remember him standing on his drum stool when being introduced and kicking the gong behind his kit into submission - teenage me loved every bit of it - Pat Benatar and band were nothing less than awesome on that brutally hot day
Chris Perry
Norman, OK
__________________________________________
Please tell Neil that the quote he paraphrased ("It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.") came from Harry S. Truman, not Reagan. Ronnie probably thought he came up with that line also, but then again, he was babbling well into his first term.
Bob Gannon
Venice, CA
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Where We're At
The means of production have come down in cost and we're overwhelmed by the resulting productions. Everybody's got a documentary, everybody's got a track, and other than their relatives, no one's got time to view or listen. Therefore, there's a rush to talent and publicity and those excluded are disillusioned while the public is overwhelmed by the tsunami of content.
Every week I get e-mailed a link to a new documentary. Not a Kickstarter campaign, but a fully-finished production. Once upon a time docs were exclusive, it took money to make one, but today with a camera in your phone and editing software on your computer, anybody can be a documentarian.
So I've given up watching documentaries. No, not completely, but it's hard to know what to spend my time on, since I have so little, so I wait for universal acclaim and an airing on HBO. Which is why I watched the Scientology documentary but did not watch the one on Kurt Cobain.
Huh?
The campaign turned me off.
This is where it gets tricky. Those in power know it's all about attention, so they double down with the press and we're so overwhelmed we get turned off. The press believes it must promote everything and is rarely critical. Just open the Sunday paper, whether it be the New York or Los Angeles "Times," there are endless features about this film or that, and you end up being disgusted.
Kind of like music...
The campaigns are brief and intense and the products come and go, so why should you bother checking them out, since time is precious?
Even if a track gets stellar press at this point it's irrelevant unless one hears about it from a friend.
So we've got an echo chamber wherein the insiders are clueless, believing the public loves Kanye when he ends up getting booed at the "Billboard" awards.
This is the "Tidal" story. I thought it was interesting that Jay Z freestyled his position until I saw it everywhere, realizing that was his intent, it wasn't a spontaneous rant, it was something done for the press corps. And once you get the press corps involved I'm out.
But Kanye and Jay Z are stars! What if you're just starting out?
Good luck!
That's where talent comes in. Since the barrier to entry is so low, it's not enough that you know how to play and sing, you need to be able to write too, or have access to Max Martin. Which makes the barrier to success incredibly high, frustrating the wannabe, who blames Spotify for this problem.
But the truth is the public is overwhelmed.
Everybody's a creator, everybody's a broadcaster, everybody's a writer, and that's just too much.
And the funny thing is the filters don't realize their power. All we hear about the press is the decline in profits, and the resulting cutbacks. But the truth is unless a screed is presented by an authorized outlet, I don't care. In order to be a nobody and penetrate my consciousness you've got to be better than the NYT or WSJ writers. Which is an incredible burden, but I'm only conveying the truth, don't shoot the messenger.
It will not be like this forever. At some point there will be a clear delineation between professionals and hobbyists. And the latter will expect neither attention nor profits.
And I hope at some point in the future the press will exercise some judgment, help the public wade through the crap to see the gems. But I'm not counting on that, because press and pros are all about relationships, scratching each other's backs.
Which is why when it comes to blowing something up we rely on each other.
The pros put their best on the line and we decide what works. It's not radio, as powerful as it is it's less powerful than ever before. It reaches some people, not everybody. And we're all concerned with what to watch on our flat screen, but we care not a whit where it's shown. It's about the content, not the channel.
So we no longer live in an era of spontaneous virality.
But we do live in an era of chaos.
But it won't last forever.
There will be a thin layer which many consume and then everything else.
Even fewer people will be successful than before, despite everyone being able to create.
This is what the internet and digital tools have wrought.
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Every week I get e-mailed a link to a new documentary. Not a Kickstarter campaign, but a fully-finished production. Once upon a time docs were exclusive, it took money to make one, but today with a camera in your phone and editing software on your computer, anybody can be a documentarian.
So I've given up watching documentaries. No, not completely, but it's hard to know what to spend my time on, since I have so little, so I wait for universal acclaim and an airing on HBO. Which is why I watched the Scientology documentary but did not watch the one on Kurt Cobain.
Huh?
The campaign turned me off.
This is where it gets tricky. Those in power know it's all about attention, so they double down with the press and we're so overwhelmed we get turned off. The press believes it must promote everything and is rarely critical. Just open the Sunday paper, whether it be the New York or Los Angeles "Times," there are endless features about this film or that, and you end up being disgusted.
Kind of like music...
The campaigns are brief and intense and the products come and go, so why should you bother checking them out, since time is precious?
Even if a track gets stellar press at this point it's irrelevant unless one hears about it from a friend.
So we've got an echo chamber wherein the insiders are clueless, believing the public loves Kanye when he ends up getting booed at the "Billboard" awards.
This is the "Tidal" story. I thought it was interesting that Jay Z freestyled his position until I saw it everywhere, realizing that was his intent, it wasn't a spontaneous rant, it was something done for the press corps. And once you get the press corps involved I'm out.
But Kanye and Jay Z are stars! What if you're just starting out?
Good luck!
That's where talent comes in. Since the barrier to entry is so low, it's not enough that you know how to play and sing, you need to be able to write too, or have access to Max Martin. Which makes the barrier to success incredibly high, frustrating the wannabe, who blames Spotify for this problem.
But the truth is the public is overwhelmed.
Everybody's a creator, everybody's a broadcaster, everybody's a writer, and that's just too much.
And the funny thing is the filters don't realize their power. All we hear about the press is the decline in profits, and the resulting cutbacks. But the truth is unless a screed is presented by an authorized outlet, I don't care. In order to be a nobody and penetrate my consciousness you've got to be better than the NYT or WSJ writers. Which is an incredible burden, but I'm only conveying the truth, don't shoot the messenger.
It will not be like this forever. At some point there will be a clear delineation between professionals and hobbyists. And the latter will expect neither attention nor profits.
And I hope at some point in the future the press will exercise some judgment, help the public wade through the crap to see the gems. But I'm not counting on that, because press and pros are all about relationships, scratching each other's backs.
Which is why when it comes to blowing something up we rely on each other.
The pros put their best on the line and we decide what works. It's not radio, as powerful as it is it's less powerful than ever before. It reaches some people, not everybody. And we're all concerned with what to watch on our flat screen, but we care not a whit where it's shown. It's about the content, not the channel.
So we no longer live in an era of spontaneous virality.
But we do live in an era of chaos.
But it won't last forever.
There will be a thin layer which many consume and then everything else.
Even fewer people will be successful than before, despite everyone being able to create.
This is what the internet and digital tools have wrought.
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Sunday 17 May 2015
Rock In Rio
It's not about the talent, it's about the EXPERIENCE!
Especially if you want me to schlepp across this great nation of ours to overpay to attend your festival.
In case you missed the memo, and seemingly everybody but those in the business did, Rock In Rio was a disaster. Garnering about half the attendance of a sellout. Because, after all, why do you need to go schvitz in the desert to see the same damn acts that are going to come closer to your town anyway?
Welcome to festivalitis. Wherein the promoters try to wrest control of the cash from the acts and the fans are the beneficiaries.
The truth is fans will pay boatloads to see superstars in arenas. After that... Good luck. It's hard filling the building.
But if you put everybody on the hit parade in one place, and throw in a few up and comers, going to the festival becomes a value proposition.
But headliners are not enough, not anymore, when there's a festival close to home.
Yes, it started with Coachella. Which lost so much money AEG had to rescue Goldenvoice. But if you think it's about losing money until you break through, you probably expect another Budweiser festival in the heart of L.A. That ain't gonna happen. You want me to go downtown and hang on the asphalt just to hear bands... I NEED MORE THAN THAT!
So what we've got right now is a turf war between AEG and Live Nation. They're dividing up the nation, territory by territory, festival by festival. And there's a dose of SFX, but we're all just waiting for that enterprise to implode.
So, there are country festivals. That's a culture right there. A big tent where everybody gets the concept.
And Coachella built its rep on cutting edge talent.
And ACL was built on location.
And the new Lollapalooza in Chicago was built on the brand name and location.
And Bonnaroo was built on the back of jam bands.
And then Outkast went on the road and headlined all the festivals and suddenly there was little reason to travel, other than to the brand names above. You could get the same talent everywhere. So why do you go?
FOR THE HANG!
We live in a narcissistic culture where it's all about me.
Want to know the number one thing you've got to provide at a festival these days?
CELL SERVICE!
Or wifi.
Because the attendees want to share the experience, with each other, with those at home. Isn't that EDM culture? That's why the Sahara Tent is so big at Coachella, literally and figuratively, it's not about the deejay but the revelers.
This is hard for oldsters to understand.
It's impossible for Brazilians to understand.
So...
Festivals are here to stay. They provide the two necessary elements delineated above, an experience and a place to see a ton of talent.
You can't cheap out, you've got to spend on attractions. BUT THEY'RE NOT WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE IN! Otherwise, Coachella wouldn't be able to sell tickets without announcing ANYBODY!
A few zip lines is not enough.
JazzFest has food... And New Orleans, which is party city to begin with.
If you expect Rock In Rio to come back in two years, then you believe hedge funds are winners.
But the truth is hedge funds are closing. They're a bad deal. And when you put on a festival it's all about the money, and no one can lose that much.
So, let me see... It's metal the first weekend and pop the second? Where's the culture in that? Now if Taylor Swift were gonna duet with James Hetfield, that would be interesting. But just a bunch of stars, who I can see everywhere else?
Not gonna fly.
Just ask everybody who didn't go.
And what gets people to go in the future is word of mouth.
And Rock In Rio is a dead zone. There's nothing to talk about.
People don't talk about the bands they saw but the experience they had.
Hanging out in a parking lot hearing the hits of the day is not an experience. It's just a concert.
AND FESTIVALS ARE SO MUCH MORE!
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Especially if you want me to schlepp across this great nation of ours to overpay to attend your festival.
In case you missed the memo, and seemingly everybody but those in the business did, Rock In Rio was a disaster. Garnering about half the attendance of a sellout. Because, after all, why do you need to go schvitz in the desert to see the same damn acts that are going to come closer to your town anyway?
Welcome to festivalitis. Wherein the promoters try to wrest control of the cash from the acts and the fans are the beneficiaries.
The truth is fans will pay boatloads to see superstars in arenas. After that... Good luck. It's hard filling the building.
But if you put everybody on the hit parade in one place, and throw in a few up and comers, going to the festival becomes a value proposition.
But headliners are not enough, not anymore, when there's a festival close to home.
Yes, it started with Coachella. Which lost so much money AEG had to rescue Goldenvoice. But if you think it's about losing money until you break through, you probably expect another Budweiser festival in the heart of L.A. That ain't gonna happen. You want me to go downtown and hang on the asphalt just to hear bands... I NEED MORE THAN THAT!
So what we've got right now is a turf war between AEG and Live Nation. They're dividing up the nation, territory by territory, festival by festival. And there's a dose of SFX, but we're all just waiting for that enterprise to implode.
So, there are country festivals. That's a culture right there. A big tent where everybody gets the concept.
And Coachella built its rep on cutting edge talent.
And ACL was built on location.
And the new Lollapalooza in Chicago was built on the brand name and location.
And Bonnaroo was built on the back of jam bands.
And then Outkast went on the road and headlined all the festivals and suddenly there was little reason to travel, other than to the brand names above. You could get the same talent everywhere. So why do you go?
FOR THE HANG!
We live in a narcissistic culture where it's all about me.
Want to know the number one thing you've got to provide at a festival these days?
CELL SERVICE!
Or wifi.
Because the attendees want to share the experience, with each other, with those at home. Isn't that EDM culture? That's why the Sahara Tent is so big at Coachella, literally and figuratively, it's not about the deejay but the revelers.
This is hard for oldsters to understand.
It's impossible for Brazilians to understand.
So...
Festivals are here to stay. They provide the two necessary elements delineated above, an experience and a place to see a ton of talent.
You can't cheap out, you've got to spend on attractions. BUT THEY'RE NOT WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE IN! Otherwise, Coachella wouldn't be able to sell tickets without announcing ANYBODY!
A few zip lines is not enough.
JazzFest has food... And New Orleans, which is party city to begin with.
If you expect Rock In Rio to come back in two years, then you believe hedge funds are winners.
But the truth is hedge funds are closing. They're a bad deal. And when you put on a festival it's all about the money, and no one can lose that much.
So, let me see... It's metal the first weekend and pop the second? Where's the culture in that? Now if Taylor Swift were gonna duet with James Hetfield, that would be interesting. But just a bunch of stars, who I can see everywhere else?
Not gonna fly.
Just ask everybody who didn't go.
And what gets people to go in the future is word of mouth.
And Rock In Rio is a dead zone. There's nothing to talk about.
People don't talk about the bands they saw but the experience they had.
Hanging out in a parking lot hearing the hits of the day is not an experience. It's just a concert.
AND FESTIVALS ARE SO MUCH MORE!
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