Chris Stein is the co-founder and guitarist and songwriter for the band Blondie. Chris talks about growing up in Brooklyn, school, trips to San Francisco, Andy Warhol and drugs, as well as Blondie's career. Listen to an intellectual tell the story of the New York scene.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/chris-stein-95575679/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/chris-stein-95575679/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uFfPvPRmVTlejVFRkK4vU?si=5_pOShSrS8CZdC4uWsCYjw
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/14157059-34dc-4de3-a6ac-d5c5028f1f78/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-chris-stein
https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast/episode/chris-stein-202365793
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Thursday 14 April 2022
Elon Musk Offers To Buy Twitter
People have too much money.
This is what happens when belief in the American Dream runs amok.
The American Dream is dead, statistically your odds of moving up the economic food chain are higher in Europe than they are in the United States. But a disinformation campaign by the rich, those in control of our country, has kept the dream alive so the underclasses won't revolt. So you hope you can make it, you believe you can make it, and if you work that hard to make it you don't want to be taxed. But the end result is you don't make it and those with wealth, often continuing through generations, keep it.
But it gets worse. A lot of the rich are tied to multinational companies, and as a result don't pay the low taxes they should, i.e. they hide their revenue abroad. Ever hear of the Panama Papers? Read Bill Browder's new book, the Russian oligarchs moved all their money to "neutral" Switzerland. But it's not only Switzerland, it's Cyprus and the Bahamas and... If you've got a lot of money you can afford to come up with schemes to avoid taxes, parking your cash in places where it oftentimes can't be found, and if it is your army of lawyers will keep the government at bay possibly indefinitely. Even U2 takes advantage of tax schemes, parking their money in the Netherlands. You don't want to give back to Ireland, the country that bred and supported you, made you who you are.
There's a fiction that the rich make this money independently. This could not be further from the truth. If people stop buying Teslas, Elon Musk's fortune rapidly decreases. And SpaceX is supported by the government and the companies which employ it to launch satellites.
But it gets even worse. Musk thinks he's more powerful than the government, that he's immune. Yes, he was supposed to file with the SEC when he purchased a certain amount of Twitter stock but he didn't. He has a long history of making deals with the government and then breaking them and/or asking for relief.
As for Twitter... Sure, every company can be improved. But do we really want one guy in charge of an enterprise deciding what to do? it's one thing if you built the company, it's quite another if you go around buying and changing companies on a whim, because you're so damn rich.
Best/worst example being Peter Thiel and Gawker. He put the company out of business because it outed him as gay. Thiel did it by funding Hulk Hogan's lawsuit. When you're a billionaire there's more than one way to skin a cat.
And when it comes to the government... It's controlled by the rich. Because they are the ones with money. There was a big exposé of this in the paper recently but people don't know it, they're too busy worrying about hip-hop beefs and enjoying rooting for the team on Fox News. They don't want you to know the truth, you might get angry, you might revolt.
Rupert Murdoch, an Australian citizen, comes to the U.S. becomes an American citizen and lobbies for the rule limiting TV station ownership to be changed. You don't even have any change in your pocket!
They keep saying it can't happen here. But Trump evidences that authoritarianism is at our doorstep. It can happen here, and it seems to be happening, look at the changes in voting laws, never mind the evisceration of abortion rights.
It all comes down to money. Fat cats. Not only the Kochs, but hedge fund money too. The names are out there, but they rarely get traction. The biggest scapegoat is George Soros while Elon Musk takes action in plain sight and gets away with it.
I don't want to live in a country where billionaires can change the course of history on a whim.
I don't want to live in a country where you can work for an established company and make fifty or a hundred million a year or more. It's one thing if you start it, but why should you get paid this kind of cash if you're just managing it? There are a zillion offenders, even Tim Apple. Cook is running what Jobs built, the true innovation is in the rearview mirror, but when his tenure at Apple is done he'll be a billionaire. And Cook's name is one you know, there are many more which you don't.
And it's an insiders club. They sit on each others boards and grant these paydays and they lobby the government to approve their behavior. As for the government, the financial industry crashes the government and they don't get penalized, they get rewarded! They're given money to keep the country afloat. No one goes to jail, no one pays a price, which has these wankers believing they're immune. Which to a great degree they are, unlike you.
And you are whipsawed by their whims.
And then there's the b.s. that the poor don't pay taxes. They may not pay income taxes, but they're paying a slew of taxes every day, and they have to spend all of their income to stay alive, whereas the rich do not.
So Putin is waging a war against Ukraine nearly with impunity. It's on the front page of every newspaper, it's on cable TV, but it's remote, you're focused on what's in front of your face and there's nothing you, or to a great deal anybody, can do about it. Everybody's afraid of causing a nuclear conflagration. So Putin's troops commit war crimes, what happened in Bucha is horrifying, but the experts believe he will skate.
And they cracked down on the Russian oligarchs. Who might have stolen their assets, Putin being complicit, but somehow the rest of the world's oligarchs are immune. They're buying big yachts, they're flaunting their wealth, they're nearly untouchable.
Musk is a madman. Intelligent, yes. Responsible for successes, yes. But look at the actions in his personal life. The multiple marriages, the multiple kids. The statements on Twitter. Is this who we want in charge?
OF COURSE NOT!
And his goal is free speech on Twitter... I.e. no penalties for himself and the allowance of disinformation on the site, like allowing Trump back on. We need guardrails in society. We need limits. We need laws. We can't have free-for-alls.
This has got to stop.
But it won't. Because these same people are in control and don't want to give up power. Talk to anybody with a buck and they'll say they need to pay fewer taxes, that they earned the money and they deserve to keep it and the government wastes it. Well, once again, they didn't earn it in a vacuum. And if you think you want to live in a country without laws...,you don't. You like the laws, you like to be protected, you like having the police.
But they can't even nail Trump, Congress is afraid of the backlash and in New York City the new DA whittled down the case and those responsible for the prosecution left their jobs. It's always the same, the people invading the Capitol on 1/6...they're going to jail, thank god, but the big people, those in charge, they're getting away scot-free. Just like Wall Street in 2008.
People will wake up. When it's too late. When their freedom is compromised. It's like boiling a lobster, you don't realize you're being cooked until it's too late.
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This is what happens when belief in the American Dream runs amok.
The American Dream is dead, statistically your odds of moving up the economic food chain are higher in Europe than they are in the United States. But a disinformation campaign by the rich, those in control of our country, has kept the dream alive so the underclasses won't revolt. So you hope you can make it, you believe you can make it, and if you work that hard to make it you don't want to be taxed. But the end result is you don't make it and those with wealth, often continuing through generations, keep it.
But it gets worse. A lot of the rich are tied to multinational companies, and as a result don't pay the low taxes they should, i.e. they hide their revenue abroad. Ever hear of the Panama Papers? Read Bill Browder's new book, the Russian oligarchs moved all their money to "neutral" Switzerland. But it's not only Switzerland, it's Cyprus and the Bahamas and... If you've got a lot of money you can afford to come up with schemes to avoid taxes, parking your cash in places where it oftentimes can't be found, and if it is your army of lawyers will keep the government at bay possibly indefinitely. Even U2 takes advantage of tax schemes, parking their money in the Netherlands. You don't want to give back to Ireland, the country that bred and supported you, made you who you are.
There's a fiction that the rich make this money independently. This could not be further from the truth. If people stop buying Teslas, Elon Musk's fortune rapidly decreases. And SpaceX is supported by the government and the companies which employ it to launch satellites.
But it gets even worse. Musk thinks he's more powerful than the government, that he's immune. Yes, he was supposed to file with the SEC when he purchased a certain amount of Twitter stock but he didn't. He has a long history of making deals with the government and then breaking them and/or asking for relief.
As for Twitter... Sure, every company can be improved. But do we really want one guy in charge of an enterprise deciding what to do? it's one thing if you built the company, it's quite another if you go around buying and changing companies on a whim, because you're so damn rich.
Best/worst example being Peter Thiel and Gawker. He put the company out of business because it outed him as gay. Thiel did it by funding Hulk Hogan's lawsuit. When you're a billionaire there's more than one way to skin a cat.
And when it comes to the government... It's controlled by the rich. Because they are the ones with money. There was a big exposé of this in the paper recently but people don't know it, they're too busy worrying about hip-hop beefs and enjoying rooting for the team on Fox News. They don't want you to know the truth, you might get angry, you might revolt.
Rupert Murdoch, an Australian citizen, comes to the U.S. becomes an American citizen and lobbies for the rule limiting TV station ownership to be changed. You don't even have any change in your pocket!
They keep saying it can't happen here. But Trump evidences that authoritarianism is at our doorstep. It can happen here, and it seems to be happening, look at the changes in voting laws, never mind the evisceration of abortion rights.
It all comes down to money. Fat cats. Not only the Kochs, but hedge fund money too. The names are out there, but they rarely get traction. The biggest scapegoat is George Soros while Elon Musk takes action in plain sight and gets away with it.
I don't want to live in a country where billionaires can change the course of history on a whim.
I don't want to live in a country where you can work for an established company and make fifty or a hundred million a year or more. It's one thing if you start it, but why should you get paid this kind of cash if you're just managing it? There are a zillion offenders, even Tim Apple. Cook is running what Jobs built, the true innovation is in the rearview mirror, but when his tenure at Apple is done he'll be a billionaire. And Cook's name is one you know, there are many more which you don't.
And it's an insiders club. They sit on each others boards and grant these paydays and they lobby the government to approve their behavior. As for the government, the financial industry crashes the government and they don't get penalized, they get rewarded! They're given money to keep the country afloat. No one goes to jail, no one pays a price, which has these wankers believing they're immune. Which to a great degree they are, unlike you.
And you are whipsawed by their whims.
And then there's the b.s. that the poor don't pay taxes. They may not pay income taxes, but they're paying a slew of taxes every day, and they have to spend all of their income to stay alive, whereas the rich do not.
So Putin is waging a war against Ukraine nearly with impunity. It's on the front page of every newspaper, it's on cable TV, but it's remote, you're focused on what's in front of your face and there's nothing you, or to a great deal anybody, can do about it. Everybody's afraid of causing a nuclear conflagration. So Putin's troops commit war crimes, what happened in Bucha is horrifying, but the experts believe he will skate.
And they cracked down on the Russian oligarchs. Who might have stolen their assets, Putin being complicit, but somehow the rest of the world's oligarchs are immune. They're buying big yachts, they're flaunting their wealth, they're nearly untouchable.
Musk is a madman. Intelligent, yes. Responsible for successes, yes. But look at the actions in his personal life. The multiple marriages, the multiple kids. The statements on Twitter. Is this who we want in charge?
OF COURSE NOT!
And his goal is free speech on Twitter... I.e. no penalties for himself and the allowance of disinformation on the site, like allowing Trump back on. We need guardrails in society. We need limits. We need laws. We can't have free-for-alls.
This has got to stop.
But it won't. Because these same people are in control and don't want to give up power. Talk to anybody with a buck and they'll say they need to pay fewer taxes, that they earned the money and they deserve to keep it and the government wastes it. Well, once again, they didn't earn it in a vacuum. And if you think you want to live in a country without laws...,you don't. You like the laws, you like to be protected, you like having the police.
But they can't even nail Trump, Congress is afraid of the backlash and in New York City the new DA whittled down the case and those responsible for the prosecution left their jobs. It's always the same, the people invading the Capitol on 1/6...they're going to jail, thank god, but the big people, those in charge, they're getting away scot-free. Just like Wall Street in 2008.
People will wake up. When it's too late. When their freedom is compromised. It's like boiling a lobster, you don't realize you're being cooked until it's too late.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Wednesday 13 April 2022
Mailbag
Subject: Re: John Martyn
Hi Bob...I was so surprised to see you reference John Martyn's "Head and Heart" as you developed this topic, so had to write. He was a British "folk singer" and quite a trip...talented, fun and outspoken! We were so fortunate to work with and become friends with John during those embryonic beginnings of our band in England in 1970-71. His album, "Bless The Weather" was released at the same time as our 1st album "America" in the U.K., and of course that is the album that included "Head and Heart". We would hear him sing it often when we did shows with him in those days, and when he sang his voice carried such heart and emotion it could bring tears to your eyes. Like you, this song stayed with us so much that we had to record it ourselves when we returned to the U.S. recorded our second album, "Homecoming"! He had a prolific career making lots of music, and a tragic life in the end but we remember him fondly. Thank you for reminding me of those days.
best always, Dewey Bunnell
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: John Martyn
Hi Bob,
After seeing the reference to John Martyn, I had to chime in. I worked at a small label in the early 90's called, Mesa/Bluemoon. We released a John Martyn album in 1993 called, No Little Boy. It was a really great album. I got to spend some time with John, spoke with him a lot on the phone. He was funny, friendly, really delightful. I took him to an interview at KCRW back then. He did a gig at McCabe's guitar shop in Santa Monica around that time. Tiny place, but it was packed to the brim. Not only was John a legendary songwriter, he was an amazing guitarist. One of the best of his time. Sorry we lost him. Thank you for bringing him to your readers' attention again!
Bud Harner
_______________________________________
Re: John Martyn
I was John Martyn's agent in 1975/6.
One of the most extraordinary talents I've ever worked with.
When he was clean and sober he was absolute charmer.
When he wasn't he could be nightmare.
He's never had the acknowledgement his work deserves.
Richard Griffiths
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: John Martyn
john martyn, 'solid air', play what would have been the first side back in 73. the lyrics are unintelligible, the guitar playing like a fred neil acid trip----and it will blow your mind. i wanted to see one of his last shows before he died. played for 20 people, was in a wheelchair with both legs gone and so drunk he fell out of it. i couldn't bear to be part of this freak show-----but that's rock and roll.
Chris Spector
Midwest Record
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Leo Sayer Responds
Hey, Bob. I was at Leo's original showcase for Warners above a fish and chip restaurant in Brighton, England. We got reacquainted when he supported Foreigner on an Australian cruise a few years ago. He's right, he's still got it with great songs, a strong voice, and all his own hair!
Best, Phil Carson
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Leo Sayer Responds
Love Leo. I did like 5 albums with him back in the day starting in the late 70's.
A great singer/writer and an even nicer guy!
Luke
_______________________________________
Re: Wolfman Jack
My son, age 21, a self taught musician, a bit of a savant (high functioning autism), absolutely loves Todd Rundgren. He knows everything about him (and other music icons of many genres). Spotify said he was the second most frequent listener of Todd Rundgren in the whole world in 2019. Like Todd, he does it all himself.
I've been reading you for years. Thank you for staying real.
Marit Sathrum
_______________________________________
Re: Todd & the Wolfman
Your podcast with Todd Rundgren was the best interview I have ever heard with him, and I highly recommend it to your readers who haven't yet listened.
I was Wolfman Jack's last Program Director in 1996 for the Liberty Broadcasting Network. We had him on fifty stations. Early in our relationship, he asked me to join him in his limo to critique an aircheck from the previous week. I expressed my admiration for him and my hesitancy to review tape with a legend. He just laughed and said, "Come on, man....I wanna hear what ya have to say. Everybody can get better, including me!" I've been expressing that simple thought to talent ever since, and while not everyone listens, those who do invariably achieve greater creativity.
"Look me in the eyes baby, now you cut that jive
You know the Wolfman's just about
The number one cat alive"
Whenever I listen to Todd's song, I feel like I'm back in that limo with The Wolfman.
Keep up the excellent work, Bob,
Mark Lapidus
Fairfax, Virginia
_______________________________________
Re: Wolfman Jack
Todd has been a good friend for years.
Unique in every way and wonderfully unpredictable.
There is a lesser-known album of his called "Healing"
It is profound from the first note.
Recommend head-phones of you want to be in the room with him.
Joe Walsh
_______________________________________
From: Tony Hawk
Subject: Re: The Tony Hawk Documentary
Thanks Bob! I was hoping you'd see it because you know the mindset it takes to do this stuff at a high level. I was excited to hear your take and it did not disappoint. We are driven, determined and obsessed - sometimes to a fault - with an activity that was largely misunderstood for decades. And I look forward to returning to it as soon as possible.
Tony
_______________________________________
From: PORKFOOT and The One Man Boyband
Subject: Re: The Tony Hawk Documentary
I once met Frank Hawk when I as 15 years old. We helped him set up for a skate contest and he took my friend and I to 7/11 for slurpees. We hung out around him all week, and I only found his strictness to be complete dad vibe. You are right. Tony was so lucky to have a father that was so invested in his son's own interests.
_______________________________________
From: Tony Hawk
Subject: Re: The Tony Hawk Documentary
That sums up my dad; gruff but warm and giving.
Tony
_______________________________________
From: Wendy Waldman
Subject: Re: Mailbag
In Warsaw right now and reminded in a million different ways that many Americans have absolutely no clue. My Polish friends are stepping up to the plate even when their stupid government lags behind. The PEOPLE of Poland are sheltering more than a million refugees themselves. Everyone is helping.
Cause these guys lived under communism- Mietek wasn't allowed to record until after the wall fell- then he had hits out of the box- he remembers standing in line for cabbage with his grandmother and he speaks excellent Russian which was forced on him— yeah they remember and they hate the Russians. They know how it can be and they're rallying like they did in Solidarity. The head of one of the big centers downtown personally brought back 70,000 people in his car back and forth to the border.
Everyone is helping in whatever way they can.
As the brilliant and well known here composer bassist Marcin Poszpieszalski said, this is a historic moment.
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Dann Huff-This Week's Podcast
Bob, the podcast with Dann Huff was one of the best yet. No wonder it went almost three hours — could've gone for eight!
Such a brilliant guy, but so humble and (comfortably) introspective. Loved the bit about what he had learned from his first co-production stint — for just one example.
Also really fun to hear how the conversation built momentum all the way til the end. Together you guys got to the very core of things.
When he asked you "Bob, how long do you plan on doing this?" it was like a perfect ellipsis had been reached.
Hope he gets U2 as a result of your show with him. I'd love to hear the result.
Stev Lindstrom
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Book Recs/Bonnie Raitt
I first heard Bonnie Raitt late one night while attending college. I had just discovered my girlfriend was cheating on me with the big drug dealer on campus.
Call it love, call it infatuation, or maybe it was just the sex but I was in love with that girl some kinda bad. She had long blonde curls and I had a huge fro. This was '69/'70 and our relationship was very much taboo in Virginia.
"Love Has No Pride" made me cry a river. Even listening to it now is like a time trip. So I fell in love with Bonnie (naturally).
I had a friend who ran Whisper Concerts and was fortunate enough to catch whenever she played the DC/Richmond/ Norfolk region. Usually with Little Feat and/or Jackson Browne.
I got to meet her backstage (it was my birthday) and someone tipped her off. She came over and said "Ok Tom, the jig is up" and gave me a peck on the cheek. I almost peed my pants.
And much later when she was was signed to Capitol I mentioned the incident to her and she laughed. I think she was just being polite.
Bonnie is one of those REAL artists.
Genuine and true. It's nice to grow old with her music.
Tom Cartwright
_______________________________________
From: Arny Schorr
Subject: RE: The Grammy Ratings
I watched parts of it because my wife wanted to see it but I just couldn't bring myself to endure the entire show. I was trying to explain to her why it was so horrendous and it came to me...it was over produced (too slick, too busy, too schmaltzy). When announcing the nominees, you couldn't focus on the artist because there were so many graphics laid over the artist visual and the "in memoriam" was just too busy, too much camera movement, too many distractions from acknowledging those who passed.
And with all due respect, the fact Taylor Hawkins got 90 seconds and Charlie Watts got 3 seconds encapsulates a major problem with the Grammys and the RnR Hall of Fame. The Taylor Hawkins of this world rode in on the path laid down by Charlie Watts, Neal Peart, Keith Moon, Ed Cassidy, Ginger Baker and others of their ilk who'd been around for years and were also cultural icons.
The Hall of Fame recognizes more current artists while shunning artists who had a massive cultural impact...Steppenwolf, Jethro Tull, Bad Company, King Crimson, New York Dolls, DEVO, Link Wray, Dick Dale all have had an impact musically and culturally but Journey, Def Lepard, ELO, Dells and (solo) Stevie Nicks are in?
Just the whiny ramblings of an old man who views the concept of musical 'justice' differently....
_______________________________________
Re: Spotify's Share
I'm certain that Apple completely dropped the ball re: music by making iTunes a completely unusable piece of orphan software. As a Gen Xer, I tried all sorts of ways to leverage my huge ripped CD library, punctuated by Napster-era stolen music and infrequent MP3 purchases from Amazon and other sources), but it was a complete mess to manage. I am convinced that "synching" anything is the biggest software lie ever perpetrated.
Despite all its flaws, after my kids hoodwinked me into setting up a famils membership two years ago, Sporify's been nothing short of transformational. Now that's had time to stew, it's suggesting stuff I'd long forgotten about ... especially "Yacht Rock" era gems such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMlB0302S50 . After your recent Todd Rundgren piece, I backfilled elements of "Something, Anything" I hadn't heard in 35 years since college, and now they're once again part of my daily listening rotation. Magic.
In addition, its usefullness as an incredible podcast organization tool is not to be underestimated (that's how I listen to you, by the way, including the back catalog).
Sincerely,
Gunnar Miller
Frankfurt, Germany
From: Dan Millen
Re: Spotify's Share
In the olden days you wanted to sell a revolutionary new widget you needed:
Cash - The widget itself cost $ - cash you need to pay upfront in order to even manufacture the widget and / or to hire the employees to make it and sell it.
You sold it to someone else at 50% off list (not 30% or less which is what apple takes) or you sold it to a distributor sometimes at an even sharper discount.
You pay the shipping, either to the distributor or to retail.
You hired a sales force to knock on doors to get your widget placed into stores even if you go through a distributor, because chances are the distributor isn't going to go out of their way to push your widget to retail unless it's a big smash hit. And you've got to give the salespeople incentives, spiffs and bonuses.
You make volume discounts and net terms to retailers (30 day payment saves you 1%)
At the end of the day you're lucky if you're making 15% margin on your widgets.
With physical records the artist got screwed even more.
Cost the same for the label to make, but they'll only pay you mechanicals on up to ten songs.
Maybe you get 10-13 points on your albums after deductions.
Packaging deductions
Breakage deductions
Holdback against returns
Holdback against marketing
If you have a shitty attorney they cross collateralize your mechanicals with your record royalties, and maybe even publishing if they can get their mitts on it.
Nowadays they want a piece of your merch and touring too.
You never recoup, it costs you more than it's worth to audit, and all you see is publishing.
If you are selling apps as widgets on IPhones you are still making 15-20% more gross margin than if you were shipping the widgets to retailers.
If you are putting music up on Spotify without a label you have a chance of making much more than you'd make on a traditional deal - you just need to be heard.
The level of ignorance around this is stunning, but wilful ignorance and finger pointing is what passes for culture around the world.
Pandemics and wars apparently are not enough to quell the selfishness, entitlement mentality and finger pointing of humanity.
Perhaps next a zombie apocalypse will get humans back to basics?
/end of rant.
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Hi Bob...I was so surprised to see you reference John Martyn's "Head and Heart" as you developed this topic, so had to write. He was a British "folk singer" and quite a trip...talented, fun and outspoken! We were so fortunate to work with and become friends with John during those embryonic beginnings of our band in England in 1970-71. His album, "Bless The Weather" was released at the same time as our 1st album "America" in the U.K., and of course that is the album that included "Head and Heart". We would hear him sing it often when we did shows with him in those days, and when he sang his voice carried such heart and emotion it could bring tears to your eyes. Like you, this song stayed with us so much that we had to record it ourselves when we returned to the U.S. recorded our second album, "Homecoming"! He had a prolific career making lots of music, and a tragic life in the end but we remember him fondly. Thank you for reminding me of those days.
best always, Dewey Bunnell
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: John Martyn
Hi Bob,
After seeing the reference to John Martyn, I had to chime in. I worked at a small label in the early 90's called, Mesa/Bluemoon. We released a John Martyn album in 1993 called, No Little Boy. It was a really great album. I got to spend some time with John, spoke with him a lot on the phone. He was funny, friendly, really delightful. I took him to an interview at KCRW back then. He did a gig at McCabe's guitar shop in Santa Monica around that time. Tiny place, but it was packed to the brim. Not only was John a legendary songwriter, he was an amazing guitarist. One of the best of his time. Sorry we lost him. Thank you for bringing him to your readers' attention again!
Bud Harner
_______________________________________
Re: John Martyn
I was John Martyn's agent in 1975/6.
One of the most extraordinary talents I've ever worked with.
When he was clean and sober he was absolute charmer.
When he wasn't he could be nightmare.
He's never had the acknowledgement his work deserves.
Richard Griffiths
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: John Martyn
john martyn, 'solid air', play what would have been the first side back in 73. the lyrics are unintelligible, the guitar playing like a fred neil acid trip----and it will blow your mind. i wanted to see one of his last shows before he died. played for 20 people, was in a wheelchair with both legs gone and so drunk he fell out of it. i couldn't bear to be part of this freak show-----but that's rock and roll.
Chris Spector
Midwest Record
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Leo Sayer Responds
Hey, Bob. I was at Leo's original showcase for Warners above a fish and chip restaurant in Brighton, England. We got reacquainted when he supported Foreigner on an Australian cruise a few years ago. He's right, he's still got it with great songs, a strong voice, and all his own hair!
Best, Phil Carson
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Leo Sayer Responds
Love Leo. I did like 5 albums with him back in the day starting in the late 70's.
A great singer/writer and an even nicer guy!
Luke
_______________________________________
Re: Wolfman Jack
My son, age 21, a self taught musician, a bit of a savant (high functioning autism), absolutely loves Todd Rundgren. He knows everything about him (and other music icons of many genres). Spotify said he was the second most frequent listener of Todd Rundgren in the whole world in 2019. Like Todd, he does it all himself.
I've been reading you for years. Thank you for staying real.
Marit Sathrum
_______________________________________
Re: Todd & the Wolfman
Your podcast with Todd Rundgren was the best interview I have ever heard with him, and I highly recommend it to your readers who haven't yet listened.
I was Wolfman Jack's last Program Director in 1996 for the Liberty Broadcasting Network. We had him on fifty stations. Early in our relationship, he asked me to join him in his limo to critique an aircheck from the previous week. I expressed my admiration for him and my hesitancy to review tape with a legend. He just laughed and said, "Come on, man....I wanna hear what ya have to say. Everybody can get better, including me!" I've been expressing that simple thought to talent ever since, and while not everyone listens, those who do invariably achieve greater creativity.
"Look me in the eyes baby, now you cut that jive
You know the Wolfman's just about
The number one cat alive"
Whenever I listen to Todd's song, I feel like I'm back in that limo with The Wolfman.
Keep up the excellent work, Bob,
Mark Lapidus
Fairfax, Virginia
_______________________________________
Re: Wolfman Jack
Todd has been a good friend for years.
Unique in every way and wonderfully unpredictable.
There is a lesser-known album of his called "Healing"
It is profound from the first note.
Recommend head-phones of you want to be in the room with him.
Joe Walsh
_______________________________________
From: Tony Hawk
Subject: Re: The Tony Hawk Documentary
Thanks Bob! I was hoping you'd see it because you know the mindset it takes to do this stuff at a high level. I was excited to hear your take and it did not disappoint. We are driven, determined and obsessed - sometimes to a fault - with an activity that was largely misunderstood for decades. And I look forward to returning to it as soon as possible.
Tony
_______________________________________
From: PORKFOOT and The One Man Boyband
Subject: Re: The Tony Hawk Documentary
I once met Frank Hawk when I as 15 years old. We helped him set up for a skate contest and he took my friend and I to 7/11 for slurpees. We hung out around him all week, and I only found his strictness to be complete dad vibe. You are right. Tony was so lucky to have a father that was so invested in his son's own interests.
_______________________________________
From: Tony Hawk
Subject: Re: The Tony Hawk Documentary
That sums up my dad; gruff but warm and giving.
Tony
_______________________________________
From: Wendy Waldman
Subject: Re: Mailbag
In Warsaw right now and reminded in a million different ways that many Americans have absolutely no clue. My Polish friends are stepping up to the plate even when their stupid government lags behind. The PEOPLE of Poland are sheltering more than a million refugees themselves. Everyone is helping.
Cause these guys lived under communism- Mietek wasn't allowed to record until after the wall fell- then he had hits out of the box- he remembers standing in line for cabbage with his grandmother and he speaks excellent Russian which was forced on him— yeah they remember and they hate the Russians. They know how it can be and they're rallying like they did in Solidarity. The head of one of the big centers downtown personally brought back 70,000 people in his car back and forth to the border.
Everyone is helping in whatever way they can.
As the brilliant and well known here composer bassist Marcin Poszpieszalski said, this is a historic moment.
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Dann Huff-This Week's Podcast
Bob, the podcast with Dann Huff was one of the best yet. No wonder it went almost three hours — could've gone for eight!
Such a brilliant guy, but so humble and (comfortably) introspective. Loved the bit about what he had learned from his first co-production stint — for just one example.
Also really fun to hear how the conversation built momentum all the way til the end. Together you guys got to the very core of things.
When he asked you "Bob, how long do you plan on doing this?" it was like a perfect ellipsis had been reached.
Hope he gets U2 as a result of your show with him. I'd love to hear the result.
Stev Lindstrom
_______________________________________
Subject: Re: Book Recs/Bonnie Raitt
I first heard Bonnie Raitt late one night while attending college. I had just discovered my girlfriend was cheating on me with the big drug dealer on campus.
Call it love, call it infatuation, or maybe it was just the sex but I was in love with that girl some kinda bad. She had long blonde curls and I had a huge fro. This was '69/'70 and our relationship was very much taboo in Virginia.
"Love Has No Pride" made me cry a river. Even listening to it now is like a time trip. So I fell in love with Bonnie (naturally).
I had a friend who ran Whisper Concerts and was fortunate enough to catch whenever she played the DC/Richmond/ Norfolk region. Usually with Little Feat and/or Jackson Browne.
I got to meet her backstage (it was my birthday) and someone tipped her off. She came over and said "Ok Tom, the jig is up" and gave me a peck on the cheek. I almost peed my pants.
And much later when she was was signed to Capitol I mentioned the incident to her and she laughed. I think she was just being polite.
Bonnie is one of those REAL artists.
Genuine and true. It's nice to grow old with her music.
Tom Cartwright
_______________________________________
From: Arny Schorr
Subject: RE: The Grammy Ratings
I watched parts of it because my wife wanted to see it but I just couldn't bring myself to endure the entire show. I was trying to explain to her why it was so horrendous and it came to me...it was over produced (too slick, too busy, too schmaltzy). When announcing the nominees, you couldn't focus on the artist because there were so many graphics laid over the artist visual and the "in memoriam" was just too busy, too much camera movement, too many distractions from acknowledging those who passed.
And with all due respect, the fact Taylor Hawkins got 90 seconds and Charlie Watts got 3 seconds encapsulates a major problem with the Grammys and the RnR Hall of Fame. The Taylor Hawkins of this world rode in on the path laid down by Charlie Watts, Neal Peart, Keith Moon, Ed Cassidy, Ginger Baker and others of their ilk who'd been around for years and were also cultural icons.
The Hall of Fame recognizes more current artists while shunning artists who had a massive cultural impact...Steppenwolf, Jethro Tull, Bad Company, King Crimson, New York Dolls, DEVO, Link Wray, Dick Dale all have had an impact musically and culturally but Journey, Def Lepard, ELO, Dells and (solo) Stevie Nicks are in?
Just the whiny ramblings of an old man who views the concept of musical 'justice' differently....
_______________________________________
Re: Spotify's Share
I'm certain that Apple completely dropped the ball re: music by making iTunes a completely unusable piece of orphan software. As a Gen Xer, I tried all sorts of ways to leverage my huge ripped CD library, punctuated by Napster-era stolen music and infrequent MP3 purchases from Amazon and other sources), but it was a complete mess to manage. I am convinced that "synching" anything is the biggest software lie ever perpetrated.
Despite all its flaws, after my kids hoodwinked me into setting up a famils membership two years ago, Sporify's been nothing short of transformational. Now that's had time to stew, it's suggesting stuff I'd long forgotten about ... especially "Yacht Rock" era gems such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMlB0302S50 . After your recent Todd Rundgren piece, I backfilled elements of "Something, Anything" I hadn't heard in 35 years since college, and now they're once again part of my daily listening rotation. Magic.
In addition, its usefullness as an incredible podcast organization tool is not to be underestimated (that's how I listen to you, by the way, including the back catalog).
Sincerely,
Gunnar Miller
Frankfurt, Germany
From: Dan Millen
Re: Spotify's Share
In the olden days you wanted to sell a revolutionary new widget you needed:
Cash - The widget itself cost $ - cash you need to pay upfront in order to even manufacture the widget and / or to hire the employees to make it and sell it.
You sold it to someone else at 50% off list (not 30% or less which is what apple takes) or you sold it to a distributor sometimes at an even sharper discount.
You pay the shipping, either to the distributor or to retail.
You hired a sales force to knock on doors to get your widget placed into stores even if you go through a distributor, because chances are the distributor isn't going to go out of their way to push your widget to retail unless it's a big smash hit. And you've got to give the salespeople incentives, spiffs and bonuses.
You make volume discounts and net terms to retailers (30 day payment saves you 1%)
At the end of the day you're lucky if you're making 15% margin on your widgets.
With physical records the artist got screwed even more.
Cost the same for the label to make, but they'll only pay you mechanicals on up to ten songs.
Maybe you get 10-13 points on your albums after deductions.
Packaging deductions
Breakage deductions
Holdback against returns
Holdback against marketing
If you have a shitty attorney they cross collateralize your mechanicals with your record royalties, and maybe even publishing if they can get their mitts on it.
Nowadays they want a piece of your merch and touring too.
You never recoup, it costs you more than it's worth to audit, and all you see is publishing.
If you are selling apps as widgets on IPhones you are still making 15-20% more gross margin than if you were shipping the widgets to retailers.
If you are putting music up on Spotify without a label you have a chance of making much more than you'd make on a traditional deal - you just need to be heard.
The level of ignorance around this is stunning, but wilful ignorance and finger pointing is what passes for culture around the world.
Pandemics and wars apparently are not enough to quell the selfishness, entitlement mentality and finger pointing of humanity.
Perhaps next a zombie apocalypse will get humans back to basics?
/end of rant.
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Spotify's Share
Apple is under scrutiny for taking a huge slice of in-app purchases and the belief that it favors its own applications over others. This is a fight that has garnered headlines when it comes to gaming, i.e. the Epic Games (Fortnite) lawsuit, but the heavy lifting is being done by the Europeans.
And thank god for that, but I don't agree with everything the European Commission proffers. Like the standardized connector. Tech moves at light speed and you don't want to hold back innovation. Also, the iPhone is much more secure because of Apple's vetting process, to open the iPhone up to third party app stores is a recipe for disaster.
But what I'm talking about today is music streaming services.
In order to back its position, Apple commissioned a study:
"The Success of Third-Party Apps on the App Store": https://apple.co/3E8Q5Rw
I got wind of the report via MusicAlly, a newsletter from the U.K. that I get every day. But I haven't seen reference to it anywhere else. The music press is focused on the minutiae. Who's going up, who's going down, the petty wars. Meanwhile, the big stories are ignored. All we hear about Spotify is that artists are starving. I'd beat this dead horse, but no one can convince people otherwise, so I won't.
But Spotify is not the only music streaming service in the game. Perception is that Apple is a significant rival. But the research says the opposite:
"Focusing on dedicated streaming services (i.e., not including YouTube), Spotify is by far the most popular music streaming service for iPhone users in the US, UK, France, Germany, and Australia and New Zealand, based on listening time. In the US, iPhone users spend more than 50% more time on Spotify than on Apple Music, and more than double the time on Spotify than on Pandora, followed by Musi, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud. In the UK, Germany, and Australia and New Zealand, the gap between the largest player (Spotify) and other streaming services is larger. Across these countries, Apple Music's share out of the top music streaming apps among iPhone users ranges from 19% in Australia and New Zealand to 29% in Germany.
In Japan, Apple Music is the most popular, followed by Spotify and regional player LINE MUSIC."
We've been hearing all this b.s. about Apple catching up with Spotify, but just the opposite appears true, Spotify is pulling away from Apple where it counts, in listenership. Furthermore, the report says that Spotify is especially popular amongst the young, who listen most and are most responsible for the breaking of new artists.
Now in truth Amazon is a stealth competitor. But in reality, Spotify is the world's default streaming music app.
So if more people are listening more...the payment per stream is less. Not that any of these streaming services pay per stream, it's all a percentage, but people want to translate payment into an old metric, when streaming is a new method of consuming music.
Distribution is king. Far more powerful than content providers. Because if you can't hear it, it doesn't exist. And the most people hear it on Spotify, giving the Swedish streaming service the most power in the music business.
So, if you want to be heard, you need to be on Spotify. Same deal if you want to get paid. You can rail against this all you want, but in truth the distributor always has more power than the individual. I could analogize to straight business...it's very hard for independent companies to get their products in grocery stores unless they align with a distributor. The stores only want to deal with the distributor, for numerous reasons, for payment and accounting if nothing else Furthermore, distributors/manufacturers pay slotting fees, yes, they pay to have their wares on the shelves.
So...
Spotify is a business. And it's the biggest business in the sphere. It won via a first mover advantage and constant innovation. There's an illusion that brand names mean everything online, but they don't. If you don't continue to innovate, you die. This is how Facebook was superseded by TikTok.
If you're a music maker, don't complain about Spotify, use it to your advantage. The rock sphere has been hobbled by constant beating up of Spotify, almost always with false facts spewed by uninformed performers. It's not that complicated, but I've rarely dealt with a successful musician who truly understands. An on demand stream pays more than one from radio, like Pandora, and Spotify has a radio feature too. Also, free tier streams pay less than paid tier streams. And you might say to get rid of the free tier, but it's the free tier that undermines piracy and also converts listeners to paying customers. Statistics tell us this.
So Spotify won. Apple Music is an also-ran in music streaming.
And Spotify continues to innovate.
Amazon is leveraging its regular consumer goods business to make inroads in not only video, but music. The company's inroads should be watched, even though they do little self-promotion, they reveal little.
But right now Spotify is where the action is, where the people are listening, where the money is.
These facts were known by insiders, but now they're public.
You don't want to complain about Spotify, you want to embrace it.
But I know you still hate it.
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And thank god for that, but I don't agree with everything the European Commission proffers. Like the standardized connector. Tech moves at light speed and you don't want to hold back innovation. Also, the iPhone is much more secure because of Apple's vetting process, to open the iPhone up to third party app stores is a recipe for disaster.
But what I'm talking about today is music streaming services.
In order to back its position, Apple commissioned a study:
"The Success of Third-Party Apps on the App Store": https://apple.co/3E8Q5Rw
I got wind of the report via MusicAlly, a newsletter from the U.K. that I get every day. But I haven't seen reference to it anywhere else. The music press is focused on the minutiae. Who's going up, who's going down, the petty wars. Meanwhile, the big stories are ignored. All we hear about Spotify is that artists are starving. I'd beat this dead horse, but no one can convince people otherwise, so I won't.
But Spotify is not the only music streaming service in the game. Perception is that Apple is a significant rival. But the research says the opposite:
"Focusing on dedicated streaming services (i.e., not including YouTube), Spotify is by far the most popular music streaming service for iPhone users in the US, UK, France, Germany, and Australia and New Zealand, based on listening time. In the US, iPhone users spend more than 50% more time on Spotify than on Apple Music, and more than double the time on Spotify than on Pandora, followed by Musi, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud. In the UK, Germany, and Australia and New Zealand, the gap between the largest player (Spotify) and other streaming services is larger. Across these countries, Apple Music's share out of the top music streaming apps among iPhone users ranges from 19% in Australia and New Zealand to 29% in Germany.
In Japan, Apple Music is the most popular, followed by Spotify and regional player LINE MUSIC."
We've been hearing all this b.s. about Apple catching up with Spotify, but just the opposite appears true, Spotify is pulling away from Apple where it counts, in listenership. Furthermore, the report says that Spotify is especially popular amongst the young, who listen most and are most responsible for the breaking of new artists.
Now in truth Amazon is a stealth competitor. But in reality, Spotify is the world's default streaming music app.
So if more people are listening more...the payment per stream is less. Not that any of these streaming services pay per stream, it's all a percentage, but people want to translate payment into an old metric, when streaming is a new method of consuming music.
Distribution is king. Far more powerful than content providers. Because if you can't hear it, it doesn't exist. And the most people hear it on Spotify, giving the Swedish streaming service the most power in the music business.
So, if you want to be heard, you need to be on Spotify. Same deal if you want to get paid. You can rail against this all you want, but in truth the distributor always has more power than the individual. I could analogize to straight business...it's very hard for independent companies to get their products in grocery stores unless they align with a distributor. The stores only want to deal with the distributor, for numerous reasons, for payment and accounting if nothing else Furthermore, distributors/manufacturers pay slotting fees, yes, they pay to have their wares on the shelves.
So...
Spotify is a business. And it's the biggest business in the sphere. It won via a first mover advantage and constant innovation. There's an illusion that brand names mean everything online, but they don't. If you don't continue to innovate, you die. This is how Facebook was superseded by TikTok.
If you're a music maker, don't complain about Spotify, use it to your advantage. The rock sphere has been hobbled by constant beating up of Spotify, almost always with false facts spewed by uninformed performers. It's not that complicated, but I've rarely dealt with a successful musician who truly understands. An on demand stream pays more than one from radio, like Pandora, and Spotify has a radio feature too. Also, free tier streams pay less than paid tier streams. And you might say to get rid of the free tier, but it's the free tier that undermines piracy and also converts listeners to paying customers. Statistics tell us this.
So Spotify won. Apple Music is an also-ran in music streaming.
And Spotify continues to innovate.
Amazon is leveraging its regular consumer goods business to make inroads in not only video, but music. The company's inroads should be watched, even though they do little self-promotion, they reveal little.
But right now Spotify is where the action is, where the people are listening, where the money is.
These facts were known by insiders, but now they're public.
You don't want to complain about Spotify, you want to embrace it.
But I know you still hate it.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Tuesday 12 April 2022
Re-Wolfman Jack
Todd is God
Alan Childs
_____________________________________
Love Something/Anything! One of my favorite albums of all time.
Didn't get hip until 1987. (I'm 53) I worked for Record World in Waterford CT. One day, I mentioned to my manager (who is my best friend to this day) that I loved "Hello It's Me" but didn't know much else about Todd. I gave him a Maxell XLII 90 and he taped me "Something/Anything". I fell in love with it immediately. Everything about it was fantastic and I, like you, was impressed with the fact that he had done all of it himself. (Side 4 aside) I hipped a twenty something musician to it about 4 years ago and its one of his faves now too. Glad to have "passed it on".
It is one of the VERY few studio double albums that has no filler. I speak of course of double albums from the classic era. Pre "vinyl resurgence". ("Songs In The Key Of Life", "Physical Graffiti", "Sign Of The Times")
It took a few years before I did a full on deep dive with Todd. But I did. And I am all the better for it. One of my favorite artists.
Ed Toth
_____________________________________
I can't pretend to be conversant in "Something/Anything", but "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" has a slew of absolutely wonderful tunes. "Wailing Wall" is as good as record-making gets. It's brilliantly written, beautifully performed, brilliantly arranged, and beautifully recorded. For that one song alone I'd be willing to put Todd up there in the Pantheon.
Berton Averre
_____________________________________
We called him Todd. Like he was a bud. And we felt him in the room with us when we blasted his stuff to whatever it was that we were doing. Every listen was like a home visit. You could feel him. Great songs, one after another, all of them evoking different feelings. And he's still doing home visits with me, all these years later. And I could tell stories and meander on. But I'm short on words despite my excitement. And you never could capture him with words, anyway. Could you? Thanks for this piece. I'll settle in and "take a few of these….." And fans of Todd know what I mean.
Bill Nelson
_____________________________________
This is fun. Some footage for a music video?
https://youtu.be/nX_KXEKY7y0
Bill Seipel
_____________________________________
I've always loved this song.. To me it was a throwback to Motown back in the 60's.
Jeff Laufer
_____________________________________
Believe it or not but in the early 60's this boy, in his early teens…in Queens NY (!) was able to pick up Wolfman Jack on my transistor radio in the wee hours of the morning…@ 2 AM EST.
Sometimes it was fuzzy, sometimes the reception went in and out but using micro fiddling with the plastic tuning circle I was sometimes able to get a clear signal from Mexico.
I am still amazed.
Alan Crane
_____________________________________
The Mighty 1090 XERB out of Chula Vista is how I remember first hearing Wolfman Jack back in 1966 ~ Seems he was taking away listeners from all the local rock LA radio stations with that voice that made him famous ~ Also his playlist was different ~ He sounded crazy to most listeners so although as I remember it if your transistor radio wasn't powerful enough or your battery was low you could hardly hear him ~ Not really as crazy as say Howard Stern but he did stand out from the norm back in the day ~
RS
_____________________________________
When I opened my first office upstairs in the Whisky a Go Go in August, 1969, Rundgren was one of my first customers, seaching for a keyboardist for his band, "Runt". He only came in once, and I never knew if he found someone through me or not.
Sterling Howard, founder/owner
https://www.MusiciansContact.com
_____________________________________
Nice!
Something/Anything is a desert Island LP/CD/Stream for me.
Michael Becker
_____________________________________
Back in the 1960's, we had a radio unit made by a company called Telefunken. It was state of the art/high tech at that time.
Late at night on the East Coast, we could get radio stations as far away as Laramie, Wyoming. And in Laramie, there was a station on which you could catch the Wolfman Jack radio show. And so we were among the very few high schoolers who not only knew who he was, but heard him live. It was cool to be in such a select club.
R. Lowenstein
_____________________________________
Along with the "do it yourselfers" McCartney, Rhodes and Rundgren, let's not forget the amazing Roy Wood. Founder of The Move, ELO, Wizard and curator of two brilliant early 70's albums, "Boulders" and "Mustard". He did everything and played everything on those two albums, including cello, saxes, banjo and much more. I was so thankful that he was inducted into the RRHOF with ELO. A truly gifted musical artist.
Dan Sturtevant
_____________________________________
Bob, don't forget that Stevie Wonder was also a one-man band back then!
JimV
_____________________________________
He was a fun guy to hang with ...he stopped by my club on a promo tour .....I blew his mind mixing records ....he came back later that night and had a blast hanging with the Disco folks .. 1977 @ Celebration / Boston
Joseph Carvello
_____________________________________
Oh, contrare ….
In 1965, we listened to Wolfman Jack (from Del Rio, Texas) while in college in Fairfield Iowa - and he came in crystal clear (on clear nights).
He was somewhat a religious experience in those day.
A long time ago
Onward …
Alan Newman
_____________________________________
One of my favorite albums. "Marlene" is my go to song. I knew Todd in Phiadelphia during his Woody's Truck Stop days. He was the first person I knew with multi-colored hair. He was always a star.
Rich Arfin
_____________________________________
Thank you, sir, for the lesson! Wow what a track!
Joshua Hall
_____________________________________
Ah yes. Wolfman Jack.
I knew I wasn't the only one who looooooved that one. I was also a "real" Wolfman Jack fan. I used to imitate him when I was a teenager, who wanted so bad to get in to radio.
As I recall, there was also a single of that glorious song released and they had Wolfman add his little adlibs throughout the song.
As a kid, I was living in Grand Forks North Dakota, and as was my usual thing, I stayed awake nights with my transistor radio under my pillow looking for those songs, and DJ's who told us what we wanted to know about the music. I first heard The Wolfman when he was doing his shows with the transmitter in Mexico so they could blast his show to all of us who wanted to hear what he would play and the crazy things he would say.
Nothing beats those good old days for listening. Give me the Wolfman over any Spotify playlist any day.
Bill live from MN.
_____________________________________
Bruno Mars should do a cover of this song. He could definitely bring this to life again!
Anita Heilig-Zaccaro
_____________________________________
The Wolfman magic captured 4 thirteen year old teenage imaginations' thousands of miles away in an industrial town on the river Thames (Gravesend) Great Britain - we listened to the soundtrack for months. Knew every song off by heart. There's a story behind the songs chosen by George Lucas. Please get him on the Podcast :-) Thanks Bob..
'The songs and music of American Graffiti were all Poetry In Motion to us boys who knew off by heart everything Wolfman said on the record. "Those Green Onions are hanging around the studio, especially to keep them Vampires away - you understand" in his husky, gravel voice as he cued-up the Booker T and MGs instrumental organ twister Green Onions'.
Eddie Gordon
_____________________________________
You nailed it. For me, Wolfman Jack was *exactly* something from the early 60s, pre-Beatles.
As an adolescent in what seemed to me to be the ultimate stagnant backwater town in Florida, I was truly thrilled to discover his late night show on XERF, blasting out at 100,000 watts from Mexico across the river from Del Rio, TX. This was years before FM and AOR came on the scene, and I was perpetually searching for better music than the Bobby Vee-Little Peggy March fare cycled endlessly on the local Top 50 station. The black radio station that played the stuff I liked went off the air at night, and that's when I began scanning the AM dial and found the marvelous pre-FM clear channel AM stations like XERF and WLS out of Chicago. I had to sneak my very 50s style pink plastic clock radio under the covers to listen, as I was around 12 or 13 and was supposed to be asleep. My mom never knew I was listening to Bobby Blue Bland instead of getting my shuteye.
Long time reader, and always enjoy your thoughts and insights.
Marty DeHart
_____________________________________
Wolfman Jack on XERB, coming through the transistor radio in my Cupertino, California bedroom, when I was supposed to be sleeping, dancing between the static. It felt like audio contraband, the Wolfman was breaking the rules, emanating from below the Mexican border.
Ecstasy.
One more thing - the search for copies of all three Nazz albums and Todd's two Ampex releases consumed a big chunk of my teenage years. The SGC red vinyl of Nazz Nazz was the biggest prize; it contained "Under the Ice," a song that would have fit Black Sabbath quite well.
Thanks for the memories. I still listen to Something/Anything fifty years on.
Cheers,
Michael Witthaus
_____________________________________
I was working at a college clothing store in Madison, WI in 1972 when a local FM DJ I knew walked in with the radio demo copy of S/A. He handed it to me and said it would blow my mind. I went home, put it on the turntable. Sat in low light on the top bunk of my bunk bed. Listened to it track by track and followed with lyric sheet. I was astonished the each successive song was better than the last one. Became a lifelong TR fan. All the songs on S/A ARE memorable.
Agree that Ballad is as good or better.
But S/A changed my life. Even sounds fresh today.
And the opening track is classic, no matter how you slice it.
ed.wolfman
_____________________________________
Hey Bob -
It's so great to see you writing about Todd.
He's such an incredible artist, and he's known among the musician community but lesser known--at least currently--among the younger music fans.
And "Wolfman Jack" is an amazing piece of art.
Incredible that he played all the instruments on most of that album.....
Mark Feldman
_____________________________________
Hi, just read your piece about Wolfman Jack and was wondering if you'd heard the version by female-fronted Tiny Demons on the tribute album Someone/Anyone? Changes the context a little bit when a woman is singing it.
That whole album is pretty cool if you haven't heard it yet! Reinterpretations and straight covers galore of the songs we know and love.
https://toddtribute.bandcamp.com/track/tiny-demons-feat-bobby-strickland-wolfman-jack
Holly Duthrie
Note: Entire tribute album here: https://bit.ly/36aDgJU and here: https://spoti.fi/3O7DnXK
_____________________________________
In the military in Germany, early 1970s, on Armed Forces Radio (actually it had been renamed American Forces Radio) we heard this crazy guy called Wolfman Jack. He wasn't on any of the Philly radio stations. Totally new, nuts and refreshing and we all got into him. My company commander's last name was Jackson, so of course he was nicknamed accordingly. And then American Graffiti and Midnight Special. And I still occasionally pull up Guess Who's Clap For The Wolfman....
Dave Thorn
_____________________________________
and of course there is the great Guess Who track, "Clap For The Wolfman"!
Bill Migicovsky
Montreal
_____________________________________
Very cool. Wasn't even aware of the Wolfman track! Thanks for unearthing it from the mothballs. Wolf was one of the first celebrities I ever met as a very young person in Sacramento radio at the time. I was familiar with him based on our syndication of his weekly show and my tuning into XERB during summer camp near Yosemite. Less than a decade later, as a DJ on XTRA (The Mighty 690), broadcasting from a coastal shack about 10 miles south of Tijuana I sorta felt his spirit. What a legend!
Rob Tonkin
_____________________________________
To me, one of the true highlights is the "conversation" that happens before "Slut".
The cocaine references (way before the general populace had any idea) are hysterical.
And then, of course, the shining moment: "I just decided I'm changing the name of the album to "Throw Money."
"Something/Anything" LIVES ETERNAL!!!
Matt Auerbach...
_____________________________________
I have been a reader for ages and always look forward to what you have to say.
I enjoyed this riff a lot. Made me smile.
I was at UCSD when "Something Anything" came out. It was right at Todd's transition to more of the fusion jams of bands like "Yes." One of my bandmates loved TR.
I also remember when I discovered wWolfman Jack at 13 years old in Vista, California (hipped to him by the older brother of one of my close friends.)
He was the coolest underground disk jockey.
I think you might have missed a track on "Something Anything" that hasn't aged too well. "S-L-U-T." Wasn't that on there?
Big ensemble chorus shout:
S (S!) L (L)! U (U!) T!
She may be a slut but she looks good to me!
Times change.
Will Anderson
_____________________________________
Have always loved all Todd's Nazz and early solo work. Something/Anything was a huge influence on me as a multi-instrumentalist and session player. Wolfman Jack is such a great cut and totally catches the sound and feel of that era.
Wonder if it provided any inspiration for the Guess Who's Clap For The Wolfman.
Michael Gregory
_____________________________________
50 years ago I took a chance based on a friends half stoned suggestion that we move to D.C.- but actually ended up in Arlington ,VA in a large house with 14 bedrooms with 15 others trying to "find ourselves". The reason we went? Jobs, construction jobs to be more exact- being laborers at almost twice what we were paid back in Michigan being busboys and gas station attendants. So while cleaning the buildings of wood, drywll,nails etc, we would listen to WGTB -Georgetown Broadcasting-and more specifically the "Spiritus Cheese Show". This is the station and the show that introduced me to so many bands and artists from Tom Waits to Jim Kweskin to Bob Marley and everything in between. This was also the station where I heard so many songs from Something/Anything. I heard all the songs you mentioned and more from that album and on a Friday payday I stopped at a record store on the way home, bought the album and spent most of the weekend in my room playing it loud on my Columbia stereo. Later bought an 8 track tape for the car. Those songs were such a part of my late teens. Thanks to your email, I guess I know what I will be listening to a great part of this weekend. (I still have the original vinyl I bought then)
Jeff Appleton
Marathon Entertainment
_____________________________________
You didn't have to live in SoCal to listen to Wolfman Jack. His taped broadcasts were on XERF in Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, on the border with Texas. XERF had 250,000 watts and could be heard in 48 states. I listened to him in both Texas and Arizona.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfman_Jack#Film,_television,_and_music_career
"Though Smith was managing a Minneapolis radio station, he was still broadcasting as Wolfman Jack on XERF via taped shows that he sent to the station" 1962-64.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XHRF-FM (this is a cool story)
One of Freed's fans was Bob Smith, a disc jockey who also adopted the Moondog theme by calling himself Wolfman Jack and adding his own sound effects. Smith took his act to Inter-American Radio Advertising, who sent him to the studio and transmitter site of XERF. It was here that Wolfman Jack invented his own style of border blasting by turning the airwaves into one long infomercial featuring music and off-the-wall products.
Wolfman Jack gained a huge audience which brought in enough money to not only pay the bills, but to cause bandits and corrupt officials to also take enough interest in taking over his promotions for themselves. As a result, Smith began to pay his own security force to protect him, because although he lived in Del Rio, Texas, because of the Brinkley Act he had to actually broadcast from the station itself in Ciudad Acuña in Mexico.
Bill O.
_____________________________________
Yeah. Todd. A B&W Bearsville promo poster of Todd hangs over my studio desk at all times, gazing at me, reminding me to do better; to go in harder. The bar has been set higher.
And just to remind us how chock full o' song Todd was during this period, "Wolfman Jack" is followed on "Something/Anything" by the Nyro-esque gem "Cold Morning Light"- a full on heart melter. C'mon.
I'm with you- I always preferred "Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" to "Something/Anything?— perhaps there was just too much content to unpack on the latter? Dare I say: too much brilliance? Dunno. At now age 50, I discovered all Nazz and 70's era Todd after the fact, and in random order… first really discovering the Todd WTF-ness with a random Dr. Demento spin of "Lockjaw" from A Cappella when it was released, and then picking up the 12" single of the same album's "Something To Fall Back On" at the glorious Record Trader 5/$1 parking lot sale shortly thereafter. Instantly hooked. I worked backwards, mind constantly blown. It still is.
I get the same feeling of "throw off" 60's psychedelic whimsy from Runt's "I'm In The Clique". But where to begin and where to end with Todd?
I guess I'll be buying those tickets to the Daryl Hall with Todd show coming up here in L.A. after all, damnit. Maybe I'll see you there.
Thank you Todd/thank you Bob
-Jeff Babko
the valley
_____________________________________
As we used to say in the day: Todd is God.
queenie taylor
Alan Childs
_____________________________________
Love Something/Anything! One of my favorite albums of all time.
Didn't get hip until 1987. (I'm 53) I worked for Record World in Waterford CT. One day, I mentioned to my manager (who is my best friend to this day) that I loved "Hello It's Me" but didn't know much else about Todd. I gave him a Maxell XLII 90 and he taped me "Something/Anything". I fell in love with it immediately. Everything about it was fantastic and I, like you, was impressed with the fact that he had done all of it himself. (Side 4 aside) I hipped a twenty something musician to it about 4 years ago and its one of his faves now too. Glad to have "passed it on".
It is one of the VERY few studio double albums that has no filler. I speak of course of double albums from the classic era. Pre "vinyl resurgence". ("Songs In The Key Of Life", "Physical Graffiti", "Sign Of The Times")
It took a few years before I did a full on deep dive with Todd. But I did. And I am all the better for it. One of my favorite artists.
Ed Toth
_____________________________________
I can't pretend to be conversant in "Something/Anything", but "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" has a slew of absolutely wonderful tunes. "Wailing Wall" is as good as record-making gets. It's brilliantly written, beautifully performed, brilliantly arranged, and beautifully recorded. For that one song alone I'd be willing to put Todd up there in the Pantheon.
Berton Averre
_____________________________________
We called him Todd. Like he was a bud. And we felt him in the room with us when we blasted his stuff to whatever it was that we were doing. Every listen was like a home visit. You could feel him. Great songs, one after another, all of them evoking different feelings. And he's still doing home visits with me, all these years later. And I could tell stories and meander on. But I'm short on words despite my excitement. And you never could capture him with words, anyway. Could you? Thanks for this piece. I'll settle in and "take a few of these….." And fans of Todd know what I mean.
Bill Nelson
_____________________________________
This is fun. Some footage for a music video?
https://youtu.be/nX_KXEKY7y0
Bill Seipel
_____________________________________
I've always loved this song.. To me it was a throwback to Motown back in the 60's.
Jeff Laufer
_____________________________________
Believe it or not but in the early 60's this boy, in his early teens…in Queens NY (!) was able to pick up Wolfman Jack on my transistor radio in the wee hours of the morning…@ 2 AM EST.
Sometimes it was fuzzy, sometimes the reception went in and out but using micro fiddling with the plastic tuning circle I was sometimes able to get a clear signal from Mexico.
I am still amazed.
Alan Crane
_____________________________________
The Mighty 1090 XERB out of Chula Vista is how I remember first hearing Wolfman Jack back in 1966 ~ Seems he was taking away listeners from all the local rock LA radio stations with that voice that made him famous ~ Also his playlist was different ~ He sounded crazy to most listeners so although as I remember it if your transistor radio wasn't powerful enough or your battery was low you could hardly hear him ~ Not really as crazy as say Howard Stern but he did stand out from the norm back in the day ~
RS
_____________________________________
When I opened my first office upstairs in the Whisky a Go Go in August, 1969, Rundgren was one of my first customers, seaching for a keyboardist for his band, "Runt". He only came in once, and I never knew if he found someone through me or not.
Sterling Howard, founder/owner
https://www.MusiciansContact.com
_____________________________________
Nice!
Something/Anything is a desert Island LP/CD/Stream for me.
Michael Becker
_____________________________________
Back in the 1960's, we had a radio unit made by a company called Telefunken. It was state of the art/high tech at that time.
Late at night on the East Coast, we could get radio stations as far away as Laramie, Wyoming. And in Laramie, there was a station on which you could catch the Wolfman Jack radio show. And so we were among the very few high schoolers who not only knew who he was, but heard him live. It was cool to be in such a select club.
R. Lowenstein
_____________________________________
Along with the "do it yourselfers" McCartney, Rhodes and Rundgren, let's not forget the amazing Roy Wood. Founder of The Move, ELO, Wizard and curator of two brilliant early 70's albums, "Boulders" and "Mustard". He did everything and played everything on those two albums, including cello, saxes, banjo and much more. I was so thankful that he was inducted into the RRHOF with ELO. A truly gifted musical artist.
Dan Sturtevant
_____________________________________
Bob, don't forget that Stevie Wonder was also a one-man band back then!
JimV
_____________________________________
He was a fun guy to hang with ...he stopped by my club on a promo tour .....I blew his mind mixing records ....he came back later that night and had a blast hanging with the Disco folks .. 1977 @ Celebration / Boston
Joseph Carvello
_____________________________________
Oh, contrare ….
In 1965, we listened to Wolfman Jack (from Del Rio, Texas) while in college in Fairfield Iowa - and he came in crystal clear (on clear nights).
He was somewhat a religious experience in those day.
A long time ago
Onward …
Alan Newman
_____________________________________
One of my favorite albums. "Marlene" is my go to song. I knew Todd in Phiadelphia during his Woody's Truck Stop days. He was the first person I knew with multi-colored hair. He was always a star.
Rich Arfin
_____________________________________
Thank you, sir, for the lesson! Wow what a track!
Joshua Hall
_____________________________________
Ah yes. Wolfman Jack.
I knew I wasn't the only one who looooooved that one. I was also a "real" Wolfman Jack fan. I used to imitate him when I was a teenager, who wanted so bad to get in to radio.
As I recall, there was also a single of that glorious song released and they had Wolfman add his little adlibs throughout the song.
As a kid, I was living in Grand Forks North Dakota, and as was my usual thing, I stayed awake nights with my transistor radio under my pillow looking for those songs, and DJ's who told us what we wanted to know about the music. I first heard The Wolfman when he was doing his shows with the transmitter in Mexico so they could blast his show to all of us who wanted to hear what he would play and the crazy things he would say.
Nothing beats those good old days for listening. Give me the Wolfman over any Spotify playlist any day.
Bill live from MN.
_____________________________________
Bruno Mars should do a cover of this song. He could definitely bring this to life again!
Anita Heilig-Zaccaro
_____________________________________
The Wolfman magic captured 4 thirteen year old teenage imaginations' thousands of miles away in an industrial town on the river Thames (Gravesend) Great Britain - we listened to the soundtrack for months. Knew every song off by heart. There's a story behind the songs chosen by George Lucas. Please get him on the Podcast :-) Thanks Bob..
'The songs and music of American Graffiti were all Poetry In Motion to us boys who knew off by heart everything Wolfman said on the record. "Those Green Onions are hanging around the studio, especially to keep them Vampires away - you understand" in his husky, gravel voice as he cued-up the Booker T and MGs instrumental organ twister Green Onions'.
Eddie Gordon
_____________________________________
You nailed it. For me, Wolfman Jack was *exactly* something from the early 60s, pre-Beatles.
As an adolescent in what seemed to me to be the ultimate stagnant backwater town in Florida, I was truly thrilled to discover his late night show on XERF, blasting out at 100,000 watts from Mexico across the river from Del Rio, TX. This was years before FM and AOR came on the scene, and I was perpetually searching for better music than the Bobby Vee-Little Peggy March fare cycled endlessly on the local Top 50 station. The black radio station that played the stuff I liked went off the air at night, and that's when I began scanning the AM dial and found the marvelous pre-FM clear channel AM stations like XERF and WLS out of Chicago. I had to sneak my very 50s style pink plastic clock radio under the covers to listen, as I was around 12 or 13 and was supposed to be asleep. My mom never knew I was listening to Bobby Blue Bland instead of getting my shuteye.
Long time reader, and always enjoy your thoughts and insights.
Marty DeHart
_____________________________________
Wolfman Jack on XERB, coming through the transistor radio in my Cupertino, California bedroom, when I was supposed to be sleeping, dancing between the static. It felt like audio contraband, the Wolfman was breaking the rules, emanating from below the Mexican border.
Ecstasy.
One more thing - the search for copies of all three Nazz albums and Todd's two Ampex releases consumed a big chunk of my teenage years. The SGC red vinyl of Nazz Nazz was the biggest prize; it contained "Under the Ice," a song that would have fit Black Sabbath quite well.
Thanks for the memories. I still listen to Something/Anything fifty years on.
Cheers,
Michael Witthaus
_____________________________________
I was working at a college clothing store in Madison, WI in 1972 when a local FM DJ I knew walked in with the radio demo copy of S/A. He handed it to me and said it would blow my mind. I went home, put it on the turntable. Sat in low light on the top bunk of my bunk bed. Listened to it track by track and followed with lyric sheet. I was astonished the each successive song was better than the last one. Became a lifelong TR fan. All the songs on S/A ARE memorable.
Agree that Ballad is as good or better.
But S/A changed my life. Even sounds fresh today.
And the opening track is classic, no matter how you slice it.
ed.wolfman
_____________________________________
Hey Bob -
It's so great to see you writing about Todd.
He's such an incredible artist, and he's known among the musician community but lesser known--at least currently--among the younger music fans.
And "Wolfman Jack" is an amazing piece of art.
Incredible that he played all the instruments on most of that album.....
Mark Feldman
_____________________________________
Hi, just read your piece about Wolfman Jack and was wondering if you'd heard the version by female-fronted Tiny Demons on the tribute album Someone/Anyone? Changes the context a little bit when a woman is singing it.
That whole album is pretty cool if you haven't heard it yet! Reinterpretations and straight covers galore of the songs we know and love.
https://toddtribute.bandcamp.com/track/tiny-demons-feat-bobby-strickland-wolfman-jack
Holly Duthrie
Note: Entire tribute album here: https://bit.ly/36aDgJU and here: https://spoti.fi/3O7DnXK
_____________________________________
In the military in Germany, early 1970s, on Armed Forces Radio (actually it had been renamed American Forces Radio) we heard this crazy guy called Wolfman Jack. He wasn't on any of the Philly radio stations. Totally new, nuts and refreshing and we all got into him. My company commander's last name was Jackson, so of course he was nicknamed accordingly. And then American Graffiti and Midnight Special. And I still occasionally pull up Guess Who's Clap For The Wolfman....
Dave Thorn
_____________________________________
and of course there is the great Guess Who track, "Clap For The Wolfman"!
Bill Migicovsky
Montreal
_____________________________________
Very cool. Wasn't even aware of the Wolfman track! Thanks for unearthing it from the mothballs. Wolf was one of the first celebrities I ever met as a very young person in Sacramento radio at the time. I was familiar with him based on our syndication of his weekly show and my tuning into XERB during summer camp near Yosemite. Less than a decade later, as a DJ on XTRA (The Mighty 690), broadcasting from a coastal shack about 10 miles south of Tijuana I sorta felt his spirit. What a legend!
Rob Tonkin
_____________________________________
To me, one of the true highlights is the "conversation" that happens before "Slut".
The cocaine references (way before the general populace had any idea) are hysterical.
And then, of course, the shining moment: "I just decided I'm changing the name of the album to "Throw Money."
"Something/Anything" LIVES ETERNAL!!!
Matt Auerbach...
_____________________________________
I have been a reader for ages and always look forward to what you have to say.
I enjoyed this riff a lot. Made me smile.
I was at UCSD when "Something Anything" came out. It was right at Todd's transition to more of the fusion jams of bands like "Yes." One of my bandmates loved TR.
I also remember when I discovered wWolfman Jack at 13 years old in Vista, California (hipped to him by the older brother of one of my close friends.)
He was the coolest underground disk jockey.
I think you might have missed a track on "Something Anything" that hasn't aged too well. "S-L-U-T." Wasn't that on there?
Big ensemble chorus shout:
S (S!) L (L)! U (U!) T!
She may be a slut but she looks good to me!
Times change.
Will Anderson
_____________________________________
Have always loved all Todd's Nazz and early solo work. Something/Anything was a huge influence on me as a multi-instrumentalist and session player. Wolfman Jack is such a great cut and totally catches the sound and feel of that era.
Wonder if it provided any inspiration for the Guess Who's Clap For The Wolfman.
Michael Gregory
_____________________________________
50 years ago I took a chance based on a friends half stoned suggestion that we move to D.C.- but actually ended up in Arlington ,VA in a large house with 14 bedrooms with 15 others trying to "find ourselves". The reason we went? Jobs, construction jobs to be more exact- being laborers at almost twice what we were paid back in Michigan being busboys and gas station attendants. So while cleaning the buildings of wood, drywll,nails etc, we would listen to WGTB -Georgetown Broadcasting-and more specifically the "Spiritus Cheese Show". This is the station and the show that introduced me to so many bands and artists from Tom Waits to Jim Kweskin to Bob Marley and everything in between. This was also the station where I heard so many songs from Something/Anything. I heard all the songs you mentioned and more from that album and on a Friday payday I stopped at a record store on the way home, bought the album and spent most of the weekend in my room playing it loud on my Columbia stereo. Later bought an 8 track tape for the car. Those songs were such a part of my late teens. Thanks to your email, I guess I know what I will be listening to a great part of this weekend. (I still have the original vinyl I bought then)
Jeff Appleton
Marathon Entertainment
_____________________________________
You didn't have to live in SoCal to listen to Wolfman Jack. His taped broadcasts were on XERF in Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, on the border with Texas. XERF had 250,000 watts and could be heard in 48 states. I listened to him in both Texas and Arizona.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfman_Jack#Film,_television,_and_music_career
"Though Smith was managing a Minneapolis radio station, he was still broadcasting as Wolfman Jack on XERF via taped shows that he sent to the station" 1962-64.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XHRF-FM (this is a cool story)
One of Freed's fans was Bob Smith, a disc jockey who also adopted the Moondog theme by calling himself Wolfman Jack and adding his own sound effects. Smith took his act to Inter-American Radio Advertising, who sent him to the studio and transmitter site of XERF. It was here that Wolfman Jack invented his own style of border blasting by turning the airwaves into one long infomercial featuring music and off-the-wall products.
Wolfman Jack gained a huge audience which brought in enough money to not only pay the bills, but to cause bandits and corrupt officials to also take enough interest in taking over his promotions for themselves. As a result, Smith began to pay his own security force to protect him, because although he lived in Del Rio, Texas, because of the Brinkley Act he had to actually broadcast from the station itself in Ciudad Acuña in Mexico.
Bill O.
_____________________________________
Yeah. Todd. A B&W Bearsville promo poster of Todd hangs over my studio desk at all times, gazing at me, reminding me to do better; to go in harder. The bar has been set higher.
And just to remind us how chock full o' song Todd was during this period, "Wolfman Jack" is followed on "Something/Anything" by the Nyro-esque gem "Cold Morning Light"- a full on heart melter. C'mon.
I'm with you- I always preferred "Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren" to "Something/Anything?— perhaps there was just too much content to unpack on the latter? Dare I say: too much brilliance? Dunno. At now age 50, I discovered all Nazz and 70's era Todd after the fact, and in random order… first really discovering the Todd WTF-ness with a random Dr. Demento spin of "Lockjaw" from A Cappella when it was released, and then picking up the 12" single of the same album's "Something To Fall Back On" at the glorious Record Trader 5/$1 parking lot sale shortly thereafter. Instantly hooked. I worked backwards, mind constantly blown. It still is.
I get the same feeling of "throw off" 60's psychedelic whimsy from Runt's "I'm In The Clique". But where to begin and where to end with Todd?
I guess I'll be buying those tickets to the Daryl Hall with Todd show coming up here in L.A. after all, damnit. Maybe I'll see you there.
Thank you Todd/thank you Bob
-Jeff Babko
the valley
_____________________________________
As we used to say in the day: Todd is God.
queenie taylor
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George Thorogood-This Week On SiriusXM
George Thorogood calls in to talk about his new album "The Original George Thorogood."
Tune in today, April 12th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
Tune in today, April 12th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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Wolfman Jack
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KuS44V
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3rksmbN
This was before "Midnight Special." This was even before "American Graffiti." You had to live in Southern California or be an ardent music fan to know who Wolfman Jack was. Wikipedia tells me that he was also on Armed Forces Radio but that was before being a soldier was cool, back when the goal was to stay out of the army, long before the slew of Vietnam movies began. But still, "Wolfman Jack" was the third track on Todd Rundgren's 1972 double album opus, "Something/Anything?"
It was a year and a half before "Hello It's Me" was released as a single and became a hit. And I've always preferred the initial version, with Nazz. And I'm also a heretic in liking Todd's previous album, "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren," more than "Something/Anything?" But that does not mean "Something/Anything?" was not a masterpiece. Todd was one of a trio, including Paul McCartney and Emitt Rhodes, who did it all themselves. Although he fourth side of the album did contain a band.
The advantage of doing it all yourself is you can do it your way. With no interference. You can take your time to get it right. And today others do this, then again others buy beats, but fifty years ago home recording equipment was nonexistent, at least four tracks plus. And a record deal separated the wheat from the chaff. And speaking of record deals, Todd's first two LPs were distributed by Ampex, a noted tape manufacturer with a fledgling record distribution arm which ultimately failed. So you couldn't find Todd's first two albums, and there was little promotion, but if you needed them, if you knew who he was and wanted more, you ultimately laid your hands on them, And about the time "Something/Anything?" appeared, distributed by Warner Brothers, the first two LPs showed up in cutout bins.
The opening track was made to be a hit and it was a mild one. I'm speaking of course of "I Saw the Light." And it's good, and it's catchy, and I like it, but there are better numbers on the double album. As a matter of fact, the second cut on the first side, "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference," was superior.
And on the second side there was "The Night the Carousel Burned Down," which had the up and down feel of riding the ponies. And "Marlene," with the lyrics:
"Marlene, Marlene
Who'd believe that you're only seventeen
I'm in trouble if your folks get mean
And if they do
Then I don't care if they bust me
And I guess that means that I love you"
It was a different era, but we all knew under eighteen was a problem, yet Todd admitted it, and owned it! I never heard of any prosecution. But doing research I just found out her name was Marlene Pinkard and after changing her moniker to Marlene Morrow she was "Playboy"'s Miss April of 1974. I love the internet.
Side three had the indelible power ballad "Black Maria." It also contained "Couldn't I Just Tell You," which was a single, and good, but not as good as some of the rest of the tracks on the album.
Like "Dust in the Wind," a Moogy Klingman original on side four.
Side four also contained the memorable "Piss Aaron," then again all the songs on "Something/Anything?" are memorable.
So you've got the bouncy "I Saw the Light" opening the album, and then the meaningful, mid-tempo "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" following it up. But then...
"Hey baby, you're on a subliminal trip to nowhere
You better get your trip together before you step in here with us"
"Wolfman Jack" sounds like something from the early sixties, pre-Beatles. And it's just as catchy. And a revelation after what came before, an injection of adrenaline just when your mind was drifting, thinking about past relationships. And it was the opening cut on a Spotify playlist someone sent me yesterday.
I was traipsing through the e-mail last night, I had over two hundred to go through, and unlike those who work at the company all my e-mail is directly to me, I'm not cc'ed constantly, kept in the loop on things I don't care about. And I was intrigued by the e-mail, so I clicked and while I'm on to the next missive out of my computer speakers come the above words, and I know immediately that it's "Wolfman Jack"! And my mood changes completely.
It was a gray day. Everyday life can be kind of boring. But then this sound emanated from the substandard speakers in my MacBook Pro and still I got it, my mood lifted, I started shimmying in my chair, this was the best I felt all day!
And of course I know "Wolfman Jack," but listening fifty years later reinforced how great it was, how much better than today's dreck it was. Maybe because it was channeled directly from Todd to the listener. There weren't twenty writers. There weren't endless remixes, comped vocals. "Wolfman Jack" was alive, even if the Wolfman himself passed away in the last century.
Maybe if you're under thirty you don't get it. "Wolfman Jack" is not bass heavy. It's got more than one chord. And Todd sings as opposed to talks. And it's not a diva-esque pop song, bland, made to pull your heartstrings. "Wolfman Jack" is a tear, a throw-off, a comet blistering across the sky which shines brightly for under three minutes then disappears. Whew!
"If you want yourself a day man well I don't mind
You just ditch him when the sun goes down
'Cause the moon shines bright and everything's all right
When the Wolfman he creeps into town"
Nothing good happens during the day, unless you're still in bed with your significant other. The sun shines bright into every corner, everybody's working. That's one of the reasons you become an artist, because you don't have to work during the day. Don't confuse this with being a businessman. For some reason they have to attend the gig at night yet be in their office early in the morning. You can only burn the candle at both ends for so long, but sometimes you want to, if you're an artist, you want no restrictions, you just want to follow your muse.
That's right, everything good happens at night. When the straight people retire. When everything does not have the light upon it. When you can hide in the dark and do not only nefarious things, but fun, meaningful ones too!
"Now you'll maybe want a man who throws 'round his money
But he ain't as cool as Wolfman Jack
You might want yourself a man who don't act so funny
But he ain't your fool like Wolfman Jack"
A rich man can't compete with an artist, a musician, a performer. Come on guys, you've seen it, you've experienced it, you're giving it your all but your heart's desire is infatuated with the dirty, greasy, sometimes even broke, musician on stage. You've got no chance.
"I don't mean to treat you evil
I'm just a good boy gone bad
But if I catch you after dark walking through the park
I'm just liable to do something mad"
There's that after dark precept once again.
You can't escape Wolfman Jack. You don't want to!
And really the song isn't about the lyrics so much as the feel, the changes. Like an amusement park ride you're at attention, the whole time, a few minutes go by, it's over and you ask yourself...WHAT WAS THAT?
Not that I expect that to have a renaissance. I don't expect the younger generation to discover "Wolfman Jack," never mind the rest of "Something/Anything?" As for Todd himself, he's shifting the show constantly, playing to fans. Hard core fans will keep you alive, if there are enough of them.
So it's a small movement. As is the case with so many acts of yore, assuming they're not dead. But there are so many who can't tour at all, the economics prohibit it, there just aren't enough passionate fans out there.
But Todd has them.
And if you listen to "Wolfman Jack" you'll know why.
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This was before "Midnight Special." This was even before "American Graffiti." You had to live in Southern California or be an ardent music fan to know who Wolfman Jack was. Wikipedia tells me that he was also on Armed Forces Radio but that was before being a soldier was cool, back when the goal was to stay out of the army, long before the slew of Vietnam movies began. But still, "Wolfman Jack" was the third track on Todd Rundgren's 1972 double album opus, "Something/Anything?"
It was a year and a half before "Hello It's Me" was released as a single and became a hit. And I've always preferred the initial version, with Nazz. And I'm also a heretic in liking Todd's previous album, "The Ballad of Todd Rundgren," more than "Something/Anything?" But that does not mean "Something/Anything?" was not a masterpiece. Todd was one of a trio, including Paul McCartney and Emitt Rhodes, who did it all themselves. Although he fourth side of the album did contain a band.
The advantage of doing it all yourself is you can do it your way. With no interference. You can take your time to get it right. And today others do this, then again others buy beats, but fifty years ago home recording equipment was nonexistent, at least four tracks plus. And a record deal separated the wheat from the chaff. And speaking of record deals, Todd's first two LPs were distributed by Ampex, a noted tape manufacturer with a fledgling record distribution arm which ultimately failed. So you couldn't find Todd's first two albums, and there was little promotion, but if you needed them, if you knew who he was and wanted more, you ultimately laid your hands on them, And about the time "Something/Anything?" appeared, distributed by Warner Brothers, the first two LPs showed up in cutout bins.
The opening track was made to be a hit and it was a mild one. I'm speaking of course of "I Saw the Light." And it's good, and it's catchy, and I like it, but there are better numbers on the double album. As a matter of fact, the second cut on the first side, "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference," was superior.
And on the second side there was "The Night the Carousel Burned Down," which had the up and down feel of riding the ponies. And "Marlene," with the lyrics:
"Marlene, Marlene
Who'd believe that you're only seventeen
I'm in trouble if your folks get mean
And if they do
Then I don't care if they bust me
And I guess that means that I love you"
It was a different era, but we all knew under eighteen was a problem, yet Todd admitted it, and owned it! I never heard of any prosecution. But doing research I just found out her name was Marlene Pinkard and after changing her moniker to Marlene Morrow she was "Playboy"'s Miss April of 1974. I love the internet.
Side three had the indelible power ballad "Black Maria." It also contained "Couldn't I Just Tell You," which was a single, and good, but not as good as some of the rest of the tracks on the album.
Like "Dust in the Wind," a Moogy Klingman original on side four.
Side four also contained the memorable "Piss Aaron," then again all the songs on "Something/Anything?" are memorable.
So you've got the bouncy "I Saw the Light" opening the album, and then the meaningful, mid-tempo "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" following it up. But then...
"Hey baby, you're on a subliminal trip to nowhere
You better get your trip together before you step in here with us"
"Wolfman Jack" sounds like something from the early sixties, pre-Beatles. And it's just as catchy. And a revelation after what came before, an injection of adrenaline just when your mind was drifting, thinking about past relationships. And it was the opening cut on a Spotify playlist someone sent me yesterday.
I was traipsing through the e-mail last night, I had over two hundred to go through, and unlike those who work at the company all my e-mail is directly to me, I'm not cc'ed constantly, kept in the loop on things I don't care about. And I was intrigued by the e-mail, so I clicked and while I'm on to the next missive out of my computer speakers come the above words, and I know immediately that it's "Wolfman Jack"! And my mood changes completely.
It was a gray day. Everyday life can be kind of boring. But then this sound emanated from the substandard speakers in my MacBook Pro and still I got it, my mood lifted, I started shimmying in my chair, this was the best I felt all day!
And of course I know "Wolfman Jack," but listening fifty years later reinforced how great it was, how much better than today's dreck it was. Maybe because it was channeled directly from Todd to the listener. There weren't twenty writers. There weren't endless remixes, comped vocals. "Wolfman Jack" was alive, even if the Wolfman himself passed away in the last century.
Maybe if you're under thirty you don't get it. "Wolfman Jack" is not bass heavy. It's got more than one chord. And Todd sings as opposed to talks. And it's not a diva-esque pop song, bland, made to pull your heartstrings. "Wolfman Jack" is a tear, a throw-off, a comet blistering across the sky which shines brightly for under three minutes then disappears. Whew!
"If you want yourself a day man well I don't mind
You just ditch him when the sun goes down
'Cause the moon shines bright and everything's all right
When the Wolfman he creeps into town"
Nothing good happens during the day, unless you're still in bed with your significant other. The sun shines bright into every corner, everybody's working. That's one of the reasons you become an artist, because you don't have to work during the day. Don't confuse this with being a businessman. For some reason they have to attend the gig at night yet be in their office early in the morning. You can only burn the candle at both ends for so long, but sometimes you want to, if you're an artist, you want no restrictions, you just want to follow your muse.
That's right, everything good happens at night. When the straight people retire. When everything does not have the light upon it. When you can hide in the dark and do not only nefarious things, but fun, meaningful ones too!
"Now you'll maybe want a man who throws 'round his money
But he ain't as cool as Wolfman Jack
You might want yourself a man who don't act so funny
But he ain't your fool like Wolfman Jack"
A rich man can't compete with an artist, a musician, a performer. Come on guys, you've seen it, you've experienced it, you're giving it your all but your heart's desire is infatuated with the dirty, greasy, sometimes even broke, musician on stage. You've got no chance.
"I don't mean to treat you evil
I'm just a good boy gone bad
But if I catch you after dark walking through the park
I'm just liable to do something mad"
There's that after dark precept once again.
You can't escape Wolfman Jack. You don't want to!
And really the song isn't about the lyrics so much as the feel, the changes. Like an amusement park ride you're at attention, the whole time, a few minutes go by, it's over and you ask yourself...WHAT WAS THAT?
Not that I expect that to have a renaissance. I don't expect the younger generation to discover "Wolfman Jack," never mind the rest of "Something/Anything?" As for Todd himself, he's shifting the show constantly, playing to fans. Hard core fans will keep you alive, if there are enough of them.
So it's a small movement. As is the case with so many acts of yore, assuming they're not dead. But there are so many who can't tour at all, the economics prohibit it, there just aren't enough passionate fans out there.
But Todd has them.
And if you listen to "Wolfman Jack" you'll know why.
--
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--
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Monday 11 April 2022
Re-Feel The Benefit
LOVE 10cc!
Love Graham.
We toured together in Ringo's band a few years back and I got to play those songs you mentioned with him. Graham is an amazing talent and what a songwriter. Think of the hits he wrote PRE-10cc! Bus Stop for the Hollies- Heart full of Soul for the Yardbirds to name 2 of many...
Also one of the nicest cats I ever met. Old school English gentleman. The opposite of me. hahaha We get on great! 10cc is doing shows with us in Europe this summer and I look forward to seeing him again.
Amazing band as well!
Luke
(Steve Lukather)
_______________________________________
long-time reader, first time commentor (I think... ).
I was born in the UK in the mid-60s and therefore grew up with 10cc in the 70s. I live in Norway now, on a stretch of the coastline in the south known for its temperate climate, and a couple of summers back I went to see Graham and the boys (I hope they won't mind me calling them boys, as someone of a not-dissimilar age I practically invite its use) at one of the two towns local to me (Tønsberg, the oldest town in Norway).
It's worth commenting that the band put on an amazing show, packed with songs that were great to hear live after so many years. The venue was not massive, but the energy and enthusiasm for the music coming from the band was palpable. I mean, why wouldn't it be with that catalogue to call on...!? But we've all seen bands going through the motions and this was as far from that as it's possible to be.
It's quite a thing to get normally reserved Norwegian audiences to whoop and holler, but 10cc managed it on that balmy summer night.
Both band and audience could feel the benefit (sorry, not sorry).
All the best from the fjords,
Dave King
_______________________________________
Such pop brilliance!!
Kim Bullard
_______________________________________
Best thing ever. Brilliant song. Brilliant song writer.
Joe D'Ambrosio
_______________________________________
Always consistently great music from 10CC. And it started with Hotlegs' fantastic 'Neanderthal Man' - did that ever appear in the US charts?
Hugo Burnham
_______________________________________
Hi Bob - Have been a Graham Gouldman fan since his early songwriting days (Yardbirds, Hollies, Herman Hermits) which led me to 10cc and Rubber Bullets (great rhyme with balls and chains and balls and brains). My flatmate and I listened to the first several 10cc albums cover to cover and really locked in on the Original Soundtrack side 1 opener Une Nuit a Paris fading into I'm Not in Love. Plus the cover art was cool as well as the next couple of covers by the Hipgnosis team. Miss that fantastic LP art and packaging. Agree with you on Deceptive Bends. Thanks again for your writing and observations.
Boyd Allen
Exeter, NH
_______________________________________
That whole album is a work of genius. I got it in grade 9, 1978. Wore it out, got it on cassette, CD, and iTunes. Still play it. Only recently did I come to know that Graham Gouldman wrote Bus Stop, when he was just a kid. A hidden gem on Deceptive Bends is 'I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor' which - via clever segways in the lyrics - tells you all of the chord changes to play the song, right on time. 'I bought A flat, *diminished responsibility, you're D9th person to C, to B suspended...' Honestly, I love it.
Kind regards,
Rob Whittaker
_______________________________________
Nice one Bob.
10cc is one of the 10 most underrated Brit bands ever.
And Graham Gouldman should be in the Songwriters Hall of Fame For Bus Stop, Look Through Any Window, Heart Full of Soul and For Your Love alone.
Stephen Dessau
_______________________________________
Totally agree with you Bob, 10cc was a ridiculously good band with fantastic clever lyrics that consistently surprised the listener while beautiful melodies stuck in your head. I bought everything they did from Rubber Bullets to Bloody Tourists. Thanks as always for the great deep cut dives that transport us back!
Dan Butler
_______________________________________
Great props to very deserving ARTISTS.
Dennis Pelowski
_______________________________________
Bob,
Headline Hustler!! Holy Macca!
When they sing "under my plastic mac, under my plastic mac" ... man!
Thomas Quinn
_______________________________________
I have always LOVED 'Feel The Benefit', especially the live version on the double live LP, 'Live And Let Live'. It even has a bass solo in the coda of the song? Love the build at the end. 'Bloody Tourist' is a great record, too. I still pull out the 10cc vinyl on a regular basis.
bfletcher28
_______________________________________
HONEYMOON WITH B TROOP (from 10cc Deceptive Bends lp)
DON'T HANG UP (HOW DARE YOU lp)
superb band
etc etc etc
Don de Brauwere
_______________________________________
Great to feel the love for 10cc's "Deceptive Bends" particularly their epic closer "Feel The Benefit" which had always been a fave. These days, only Graham Gouldman remains as an original member (2.5cc) but he's surrounded by long time compatriots who do just fine making their music sound terrific. Gouldman's side project with Andrew Gold was also an interesting listen.
When you get a chance, put on "Blue Guitar" by Justin Hayward and John Lodge. That's 10cc as their backing band. Oh, to think what that ensemble could have created.
Dave Logan
_______________________________________
"Feel the benefit" a great song.
I always liked their "Queen meets Gershwin" mini rock opera "Un nuit a Paris" too. "Pretentious? Moi?" (Fawlty Towers.)
Thought 10cc basically fell between 2 stalls.
Too poppy for the prog fans.
Too proggy for the pop fans.
It's all folk music anyhow. "I ain't never heard no horse sing a song" (Louis Armstrong.)
Art for art's sake...
Mark Hudson
Schenectady, NY
_______________________________________
"I'm Not In Love"…had the disc on my turntable playing the morning after I broke up with my first real love post high school. I realized she and I weren't getting along and broke it off. "Just because…"
"Big boys don't cry…
Big boys don't cry…"
It was bleak time for me…
Tim Pringle
_______________________________________
10cc are a band whose album tracks I've warmed to over the years. Their singles were some of my faves, but the ultimate jukebox of Spotify has allowed me to dip in to their catalog and fall in love with a batch of their LP.s I then started picking up vinyl copies of their albums; their s/t debut, its follow-up Sheet Music, and just last week their double live Live and Let Live ($2.50 at Arroyo Records in Eagle Rock).
Like XTC, they're often too clever by half, taking their songs towards obscure, proggy directions, and obscuring their insane facility crafting hooks. But that's also the point. They don't always make it easy for you, and their knotty, intricate songs reward repeat listens.
I included "Honeymoon With B Troop", also on Deceptive Bends, on a playlist, and have listened to the track over and over.
Come to think of it, guess I have to buy that album one on vinyl too.
Michael Krumper
_______________________________________
The "young" fellow in 10CC (i.e. the one who isn't in his seventies) is a guy called Iain Hornal. I don't know him or anything, but he's also a touring member of ELO when the play live, so you know he has to be a bit good, and he has a couple of solo albums that well worth checking out - the latest one is here:
https://open.spotify.com/album/00DQNg2BQSyKpE8Q6qteiF
The title track is not a bad place to start to get an idea.
Matthew Best
_______________________________________
Deceptive Bends is among a number of vinyl albums I've kept from back in the day. From Good Morning Judge to Feel the Benefit, it remains one of my favorites.
A few years back I attended my third or fourth Ringo and his All Starr Band concert primarily to see and hear Graham Gouldman perform the 10cc songs.
Hoping for a 10cc tour of the States.
Andrew Paciocco
_______________________________________
Long time reader from France. Always listen to your great podcasts. We listened to 10cc after your podcast with Kevin Godley. I was never really a fan (aged 58 now) as I was more of a rocker at that age but I did always love Feel The Benefit…..great song and I had to explain to my French wife, the meaning of the title (I was born in Cocker country - Sheffield, up north). I think my explanation to her was, word for word, like the one below (except for the Graham bit !).
All the best - keep up the great work !
Cheers
Mark Shaw
_______________________________________
First of all "Feel the Benefit Pt. 1, 2 & 3" is a masterpiece that doesn't get its due. Still love the simplicity, but power of that guitar solo at the
end.
Side note-A million years ago, I was at Johnson's clothing store on Kings Road in London. I was literally the only person in the store and I was trying on some clothes when I heard voices. Four guys walked in, and from the dressing room stall which was enclosed by the kind of doors you see in Western movies, I peered over to see Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Lol Creme and Kevin Godley perusing the garments in the store.
I couldn't believe my fly-on-the-wall perspective and what I was witnessing. If social media had been around then, a short video capturing the scene might have inspired rumors of a reunion. It was then, after hearing the banter between the four guys for a minute or two, that I surmised that Lol and Kevin were looking at potential wardrobe for a video for their former bandmates.
Great band, in every way. They need to come back and play in America!
Brian Diamond
_______________________________________
Thank you for validating my playing of "Deceptive Bends" continuously for the past 45 years.
I also owned the previous four LPs; my best friend and I thought we were in some exclusive private club where 10cc (and Roxy Music, Supertramp, etc.) existed.
I really thought that the departure of Godley and Creme would end one of my favorite bands... boy, was I wrong.
You are correct - "Bloody Tourists" is a superior LP, but for some reason I don't revisit it quite as often.
Seeing 10cc at Santa Monica Civic in 1978 remains one of the concert highlights of my life.
Thanks, Bob
bkilgour
_______________________________________
I too have the full 10cc set on vinyl from my younger days. Currently laid up convalescing from foot surgery, and immediately threw on the headphones to listen to this again after so many years and feel the full benefit of your spot on newsletter. Thanks for the reminder of why these guys are so great. Have a great Monday!
Ralph Covert
_______________________________________
Every few months a high school buddy sends me a FB message on how he just put Feel The Benefit on his excellent stereo and cranked it to 11. We were in high school when Deceptive Bends was released and we had become album guys, through the benefit of our local still free-form FM station (circa '78-'79). Used to cruise around in my Honda Civic with FTB at ear-splitting volume...probably at least part of the reason that I have hearing aids.
The entire album was great, if a bit clever at times (I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor - loved it as a guitar player though). But FTB was the gem of the bunch. And you are spot on about the guitar solo. Still one of my favourites to this day. Couldn't believe an "unkown" like Eric Stewart could deliver a Page/Clapton/Beck worthy solo like that.
Regards,
DFinley
_______________________________________
Hi, Bob. Thanks for your email about 10cc and Feel the Benefit. Folks interested in learning more about the band can check out the Consequences Podcast, which started out as an homage to the Goldey and Creme triple LP but morphed into all things 10cc.
Tim Wood
Chatham, MA
_______________________________________
Greetings Bob,
10cc has long been one of my favorite bands. I was immediately drawn in by "The Wall Street Shuffle" when it was released as a single from their second album, Sheet Music in 1974. I rushed out to buy the album and was thrilled to find that the entire album was excellent. I subsequently bought their first album (which admittedly, was an acquired taste), and continued buying their albums until the band's breakup. Their tongue-in-cheek lyrics and incredible melodies have held up really well, and I frequently revisit those first six 10cc albums. The four musicians (Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman & Eric Stewart) in the original 10cc band are simply incredible, with each player bringing extensive credentials to the group.
Upon first hearing Deceptive Bends, the fifth 10cc album and the first to be released after the departure of Godley & Creme, I was struck by the opus "Feel the Benefit pts 1, 2 & 3" and was amazed that rock radio hadn't picked up on it. We played it many, many times at Long Island's non-commercial alternative, WUSB, Stony Brook, where we have no designated playlists (one of the few stations where truly anything goes - visit wusb.fm). And come to think of it, I'll be playing "Feel the Benefit" again on Saturday, April 23rd as part of WUSB's Vinylthon (collegeradio.org/vinylthon) on Record Store Day (recordstoreday.com/). I can't wait to "Feel the Benefit" yet again.
Thanks for the reminder, Bob!
P.S. I had the pleasure of interviewing 10cc's Graham Gouldman a few years ago. He's a delightful chap, and it was a wonderful conversation. BTW – Graham's favorite 10cc albums are Sheet Music and Deceptive Bends.
Bob Duffy
Senior Programmer
WUSB-FM, Stony Brook, NY
_______________________________________
…….10cc = 4 creative geniuses under one roof……spectacular!
Tommy Allen
_______________________________________
"Sheet Music" was a great album. "Do the Wall Street Shuffle" is well, very today. "Three yids and a yod" they called themselves…In 1979 I got Graham to write the songs for "Animalympics" (now running on Amazon Prime) and he wrote wonderfully catchy, tuneful numbers that the animators had a great time with (one of them, Roger Allers, wrote "The Lion King". Another (an "in-betweener") was Brad Bird. Very talented bunch….Graham was a smart hire!
Michael Fremer
_______________________________________
Thank you Bob! You thoughtfully articulated a feeling and emotion which has been buried in my memory. I do focus on the lyrics, words and even the meaning. A regular activity I also do with my daughter. However, long gone are my days of laying on the floor or ground, headphones on or off, staring at the ceiling or sky, and just getting lost in the music as it "washes" through me. You are absolutely right, "...the music sets them (us) free:" "They (We) don't feel the benefit". So true... music heals.
Best,
Judi Helfant
_______________________________________
I love 10cc. I had tickets to see them in Pittsburgh back in the 1970s but the show got cancelled for reasons that I can't remember.
I may be an old fart but I still lie on the floor and let the music take me away and now I go to the gym regularly so I'm still able to get up.
Harold Love
_______________________________________
"but no one lies on their bed or the floor and stares at the ceiling anymore as the music sets them free"
I still do.
Mike Marrone
_______________________________________
I was going to suggest that rather than being a casino, life is actually a minestrone.
Vince Welsh
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Love Graham.
We toured together in Ringo's band a few years back and I got to play those songs you mentioned with him. Graham is an amazing talent and what a songwriter. Think of the hits he wrote PRE-10cc! Bus Stop for the Hollies- Heart full of Soul for the Yardbirds to name 2 of many...
Also one of the nicest cats I ever met. Old school English gentleman. The opposite of me. hahaha We get on great! 10cc is doing shows with us in Europe this summer and I look forward to seeing him again.
Amazing band as well!
Luke
(Steve Lukather)
_______________________________________
long-time reader, first time commentor (I think... ).
I was born in the UK in the mid-60s and therefore grew up with 10cc in the 70s. I live in Norway now, on a stretch of the coastline in the south known for its temperate climate, and a couple of summers back I went to see Graham and the boys (I hope they won't mind me calling them boys, as someone of a not-dissimilar age I practically invite its use) at one of the two towns local to me (Tønsberg, the oldest town in Norway).
It's worth commenting that the band put on an amazing show, packed with songs that were great to hear live after so many years. The venue was not massive, but the energy and enthusiasm for the music coming from the band was palpable. I mean, why wouldn't it be with that catalogue to call on...!? But we've all seen bands going through the motions and this was as far from that as it's possible to be.
It's quite a thing to get normally reserved Norwegian audiences to whoop and holler, but 10cc managed it on that balmy summer night.
Both band and audience could feel the benefit (sorry, not sorry).
All the best from the fjords,
Dave King
_______________________________________
Such pop brilliance!!
Kim Bullard
_______________________________________
Best thing ever. Brilliant song. Brilliant song writer.
Joe D'Ambrosio
_______________________________________
Always consistently great music from 10CC. And it started with Hotlegs' fantastic 'Neanderthal Man' - did that ever appear in the US charts?
Hugo Burnham
_______________________________________
Hi Bob - Have been a Graham Gouldman fan since his early songwriting days (Yardbirds, Hollies, Herman Hermits) which led me to 10cc and Rubber Bullets (great rhyme with balls and chains and balls and brains). My flatmate and I listened to the first several 10cc albums cover to cover and really locked in on the Original Soundtrack side 1 opener Une Nuit a Paris fading into I'm Not in Love. Plus the cover art was cool as well as the next couple of covers by the Hipgnosis team. Miss that fantastic LP art and packaging. Agree with you on Deceptive Bends. Thanks again for your writing and observations.
Boyd Allen
Exeter, NH
_______________________________________
That whole album is a work of genius. I got it in grade 9, 1978. Wore it out, got it on cassette, CD, and iTunes. Still play it. Only recently did I come to know that Graham Gouldman wrote Bus Stop, when he was just a kid. A hidden gem on Deceptive Bends is 'I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor' which - via clever segways in the lyrics - tells you all of the chord changes to play the song, right on time. 'I bought A flat, *diminished responsibility, you're D9th person to C, to B suspended...' Honestly, I love it.
Kind regards,
Rob Whittaker
_______________________________________
Nice one Bob.
10cc is one of the 10 most underrated Brit bands ever.
And Graham Gouldman should be in the Songwriters Hall of Fame For Bus Stop, Look Through Any Window, Heart Full of Soul and For Your Love alone.
Stephen Dessau
_______________________________________
Totally agree with you Bob, 10cc was a ridiculously good band with fantastic clever lyrics that consistently surprised the listener while beautiful melodies stuck in your head. I bought everything they did from Rubber Bullets to Bloody Tourists. Thanks as always for the great deep cut dives that transport us back!
Dan Butler
_______________________________________
Great props to very deserving ARTISTS.
Dennis Pelowski
_______________________________________
Bob,
Headline Hustler!! Holy Macca!
When they sing "under my plastic mac, under my plastic mac" ... man!
Thomas Quinn
_______________________________________
I have always LOVED 'Feel The Benefit', especially the live version on the double live LP, 'Live And Let Live'. It even has a bass solo in the coda of the song? Love the build at the end. 'Bloody Tourist' is a great record, too. I still pull out the 10cc vinyl on a regular basis.
bfletcher28
_______________________________________
HONEYMOON WITH B TROOP (from 10cc Deceptive Bends lp)
DON'T HANG UP (HOW DARE YOU lp)
superb band
etc etc etc
Don de Brauwere
_______________________________________
Great to feel the love for 10cc's "Deceptive Bends" particularly their epic closer "Feel The Benefit" which had always been a fave. These days, only Graham Gouldman remains as an original member (2.5cc) but he's surrounded by long time compatriots who do just fine making their music sound terrific. Gouldman's side project with Andrew Gold was also an interesting listen.
When you get a chance, put on "Blue Guitar" by Justin Hayward and John Lodge. That's 10cc as their backing band. Oh, to think what that ensemble could have created.
Dave Logan
_______________________________________
"Feel the benefit" a great song.
I always liked their "Queen meets Gershwin" mini rock opera "Un nuit a Paris" too. "Pretentious? Moi?" (Fawlty Towers.)
Thought 10cc basically fell between 2 stalls.
Too poppy for the prog fans.
Too proggy for the pop fans.
It's all folk music anyhow. "I ain't never heard no horse sing a song" (Louis Armstrong.)
Art for art's sake...
Mark Hudson
Schenectady, NY
_______________________________________
"I'm Not In Love"…had the disc on my turntable playing the morning after I broke up with my first real love post high school. I realized she and I weren't getting along and broke it off. "Just because…"
"Big boys don't cry…
Big boys don't cry…"
It was bleak time for me…
Tim Pringle
_______________________________________
10cc are a band whose album tracks I've warmed to over the years. Their singles were some of my faves, but the ultimate jukebox of Spotify has allowed me to dip in to their catalog and fall in love with a batch of their LP.s I then started picking up vinyl copies of their albums; their s/t debut, its follow-up Sheet Music, and just last week their double live Live and Let Live ($2.50 at Arroyo Records in Eagle Rock).
Like XTC, they're often too clever by half, taking their songs towards obscure, proggy directions, and obscuring their insane facility crafting hooks. But that's also the point. They don't always make it easy for you, and their knotty, intricate songs reward repeat listens.
I included "Honeymoon With B Troop", also on Deceptive Bends, on a playlist, and have listened to the track over and over.
Come to think of it, guess I have to buy that album one on vinyl too.
Michael Krumper
_______________________________________
The "young" fellow in 10CC (i.e. the one who isn't in his seventies) is a guy called Iain Hornal. I don't know him or anything, but he's also a touring member of ELO when the play live, so you know he has to be a bit good, and he has a couple of solo albums that well worth checking out - the latest one is here:
https://open.spotify.com/album/00DQNg2BQSyKpE8Q6qteiF
The title track is not a bad place to start to get an idea.
Matthew Best
_______________________________________
Deceptive Bends is among a number of vinyl albums I've kept from back in the day. From Good Morning Judge to Feel the Benefit, it remains one of my favorites.
A few years back I attended my third or fourth Ringo and his All Starr Band concert primarily to see and hear Graham Gouldman perform the 10cc songs.
Hoping for a 10cc tour of the States.
Andrew Paciocco
_______________________________________
Long time reader from France. Always listen to your great podcasts. We listened to 10cc after your podcast with Kevin Godley. I was never really a fan (aged 58 now) as I was more of a rocker at that age but I did always love Feel The Benefit…..great song and I had to explain to my French wife, the meaning of the title (I was born in Cocker country - Sheffield, up north). I think my explanation to her was, word for word, like the one below (except for the Graham bit !).
All the best - keep up the great work !
Cheers
Mark Shaw
_______________________________________
First of all "Feel the Benefit Pt. 1, 2 & 3" is a masterpiece that doesn't get its due. Still love the simplicity, but power of that guitar solo at the
end.
Side note-A million years ago, I was at Johnson's clothing store on Kings Road in London. I was literally the only person in the store and I was trying on some clothes when I heard voices. Four guys walked in, and from the dressing room stall which was enclosed by the kind of doors you see in Western movies, I peered over to see Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Lol Creme and Kevin Godley perusing the garments in the store.
I couldn't believe my fly-on-the-wall perspective and what I was witnessing. If social media had been around then, a short video capturing the scene might have inspired rumors of a reunion. It was then, after hearing the banter between the four guys for a minute or two, that I surmised that Lol and Kevin were looking at potential wardrobe for a video for their former bandmates.
Great band, in every way. They need to come back and play in America!
Brian Diamond
_______________________________________
Thank you for validating my playing of "Deceptive Bends" continuously for the past 45 years.
I also owned the previous four LPs; my best friend and I thought we were in some exclusive private club where 10cc (and Roxy Music, Supertramp, etc.) existed.
I really thought that the departure of Godley and Creme would end one of my favorite bands... boy, was I wrong.
You are correct - "Bloody Tourists" is a superior LP, but for some reason I don't revisit it quite as often.
Seeing 10cc at Santa Monica Civic in 1978 remains one of the concert highlights of my life.
Thanks, Bob
bkilgour
_______________________________________
I too have the full 10cc set on vinyl from my younger days. Currently laid up convalescing from foot surgery, and immediately threw on the headphones to listen to this again after so many years and feel the full benefit of your spot on newsletter. Thanks for the reminder of why these guys are so great. Have a great Monday!
Ralph Covert
_______________________________________
Every few months a high school buddy sends me a FB message on how he just put Feel The Benefit on his excellent stereo and cranked it to 11. We were in high school when Deceptive Bends was released and we had become album guys, through the benefit of our local still free-form FM station (circa '78-'79). Used to cruise around in my Honda Civic with FTB at ear-splitting volume...probably at least part of the reason that I have hearing aids.
The entire album was great, if a bit clever at times (I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor - loved it as a guitar player though). But FTB was the gem of the bunch. And you are spot on about the guitar solo. Still one of my favourites to this day. Couldn't believe an "unkown" like Eric Stewart could deliver a Page/Clapton/Beck worthy solo like that.
Regards,
DFinley
_______________________________________
Hi, Bob. Thanks for your email about 10cc and Feel the Benefit. Folks interested in learning more about the band can check out the Consequences Podcast, which started out as an homage to the Goldey and Creme triple LP but morphed into all things 10cc.
Tim Wood
Chatham, MA
_______________________________________
Greetings Bob,
10cc has long been one of my favorite bands. I was immediately drawn in by "The Wall Street Shuffle" when it was released as a single from their second album, Sheet Music in 1974. I rushed out to buy the album and was thrilled to find that the entire album was excellent. I subsequently bought their first album (which admittedly, was an acquired taste), and continued buying their albums until the band's breakup. Their tongue-in-cheek lyrics and incredible melodies have held up really well, and I frequently revisit those first six 10cc albums. The four musicians (Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman & Eric Stewart) in the original 10cc band are simply incredible, with each player bringing extensive credentials to the group.
Upon first hearing Deceptive Bends, the fifth 10cc album and the first to be released after the departure of Godley & Creme, I was struck by the opus "Feel the Benefit pts 1, 2 & 3" and was amazed that rock radio hadn't picked up on it. We played it many, many times at Long Island's non-commercial alternative, WUSB, Stony Brook, where we have no designated playlists (one of the few stations where truly anything goes - visit wusb.fm). And come to think of it, I'll be playing "Feel the Benefit" again on Saturday, April 23rd as part of WUSB's Vinylthon (collegeradio.org/vinylthon) on Record Store Day (recordstoreday.com/). I can't wait to "Feel the Benefit" yet again.
Thanks for the reminder, Bob!
P.S. I had the pleasure of interviewing 10cc's Graham Gouldman a few years ago. He's a delightful chap, and it was a wonderful conversation. BTW – Graham's favorite 10cc albums are Sheet Music and Deceptive Bends.
Bob Duffy
Senior Programmer
WUSB-FM, Stony Brook, NY
_______________________________________
…….10cc = 4 creative geniuses under one roof……spectacular!
Tommy Allen
_______________________________________
"Sheet Music" was a great album. "Do the Wall Street Shuffle" is well, very today. "Three yids and a yod" they called themselves…In 1979 I got Graham to write the songs for "Animalympics" (now running on Amazon Prime) and he wrote wonderfully catchy, tuneful numbers that the animators had a great time with (one of them, Roger Allers, wrote "The Lion King". Another (an "in-betweener") was Brad Bird. Very talented bunch….Graham was a smart hire!
Michael Fremer
_______________________________________
Thank you Bob! You thoughtfully articulated a feeling and emotion which has been buried in my memory. I do focus on the lyrics, words and even the meaning. A regular activity I also do with my daughter. However, long gone are my days of laying on the floor or ground, headphones on or off, staring at the ceiling or sky, and just getting lost in the music as it "washes" through me. You are absolutely right, "...the music sets them (us) free:" "They (We) don't feel the benefit". So true... music heals.
Best,
Judi Helfant
_______________________________________
I love 10cc. I had tickets to see them in Pittsburgh back in the 1970s but the show got cancelled for reasons that I can't remember.
I may be an old fart but I still lie on the floor and let the music take me away and now I go to the gym regularly so I'm still able to get up.
Harold Love
_______________________________________
"but no one lies on their bed or the floor and stares at the ceiling anymore as the music sets them free"
I still do.
Mike Marrone
_______________________________________
I was going to suggest that rather than being a casino, life is actually a minestrone.
Vince Welsh
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Graham Gouldman Responds
Hi Bob,
Thank you for your kind words about "Feel The Benefit".
I thought you may be interested to know where that title came from.
When I was a kid living in Manchester I would come in from the cold and immediately my mum would say "take your coat off Graham or when you go out again you won't feel the benefit".
Cheers,
Graham
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Thank you for your kind words about "Feel The Benefit".
I thought you may be interested to know where that title came from.
When I was a kid living in Manchester I would come in from the cold and immediately my mum would say "take your coat off Graham or when you go out again you won't feel the benefit".
Cheers,
Graham
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Feel The Benefit
Kevin Godley and Lol Creme left the band. But Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart soldiered on as 10cc and had their biggest hit in the U.S. ever with "The Things We Do for Love," a one listen smash. A seeming parody of Top Forty hits, it was sing-songy, with incredible changes, incredible harmonies and even great lyrics..."You think you're gonna break up, then she wants to make up." I was living that at the time. And I was proud one of my favorite acts was now known by everybody. Well, there was that forever hit, "I'm Not In Love," but that was the kind of track people could see as a one hit wonder, whereas "The Things We Do for Love" was right in 10cc's wheelhouse, smart and funny yet catchy, like "Rubber Bullets" from their very first album, never mind the prescient non-hit from their second LP, "The Wall Street Shuffle."
So I bought "Deceptive Bends," the LP containing "The Things We Do for Love," immediately, which I would have done sans hit, I owned all of 10cc's LPs. And to be honest, I prefer the follow-up, "Bloody Tourists," which opens with "Dreadlock Holiday," but also contains "Old Mister Time," but I played "Deceptive Bends" over and over, I know every lick, including those contained in the almost twelve minute opus that closes the album, "Feel the Benefit ((Pts. 1, 2 & 3))."
And just a few days ago I received an e-mail from a guy ironically named Graham which said:
"I went to see 10cc play last night in Guildford, England.
I can honestly say it was one of the best gigs I've ever been to and I've been to many.
An amazingly tight band, incredible musicianship and awesome four part vocals.
All the members except for one are in the 70s, my age groups I feel very inspired.
Good to know the old boys can still do it! Definitely was seeing if you have the opportunity."
I forwarded this to the Graham in the band, Mr. Gouldman, and he sent me two reviews from the group's performance at the London Palladium. And the second rave was from the "Daily Telegraph," which gave the concert four out of five stars, but in typical rock scribe fashion overanalyzed the show and had to find some fault in order to maintain the writer's credibility. And after mentioning "The Things We Do for Love," he wrote it "sounded considerably less dated than multi-part folk-prog epic "Feel the Benefit," and ever since then I've been unable to get the song out of my head. I called out to Alexa to play it last night, I woke up with the song in my brain and on this gray day it not only fit my mood, it contained the feeling of life, which is not always bright and sunny, the right musical number can lift you up and give you power to engage with the day.
But it's really the final section that resonates, which returns to the "Dear Prudence" intro, contains all the elements of "Part 1" yet throws everything in and becomes more majestic.
There are strings, taking the number into the stratosphere, and then:
"If all the people in the world would stay together
We're all black and white, we're all day and night
If all the people in the world could sing together
How would it sound, what would we feel
We'd all feel the benefit"
Might sound trite today, but there was the belief that music could save the world back then, there were optimistic songs, the creators really thought they could make a difference, they knew people were listening for messages, musicians were atop the cultural totem pole, they influenced people, and not to buy products, but to think.
And right after the above words there's a stinging guitar solo and then everything but the kitchen sink is thrown in, the coda builds and builds, and then ends suddenly.
Do I think non-fans will cotton to "Feel the Benefit" almost fifty years later? No, no one has the time anymore. They do have time for that which is immediate, like "The Things We Do For Love," but no one lies on their bed or the floor and stares at the ceiling anymore as the music sets them free.
They don't feel the benefit.
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So I bought "Deceptive Bends," the LP containing "The Things We Do for Love," immediately, which I would have done sans hit, I owned all of 10cc's LPs. And to be honest, I prefer the follow-up, "Bloody Tourists," which opens with "Dreadlock Holiday," but also contains "Old Mister Time," but I played "Deceptive Bends" over and over, I know every lick, including those contained in the almost twelve minute opus that closes the album, "Feel the Benefit ((Pts. 1, 2 & 3))."
And just a few days ago I received an e-mail from a guy ironically named Graham which said:
"I went to see 10cc play last night in Guildford, England.
I can honestly say it was one of the best gigs I've ever been to and I've been to many.
An amazingly tight band, incredible musicianship and awesome four part vocals.
All the members except for one are in the 70s, my age groups I feel very inspired.
Good to know the old boys can still do it! Definitely was seeing if you have the opportunity."
I forwarded this to the Graham in the band, Mr. Gouldman, and he sent me two reviews from the group's performance at the London Palladium. And the second rave was from the "Daily Telegraph," which gave the concert four out of five stars, but in typical rock scribe fashion overanalyzed the show and had to find some fault in order to maintain the writer's credibility. And after mentioning "The Things We Do for Love," he wrote it "sounded considerably less dated than multi-part folk-prog epic "Feel the Benefit," and ever since then I've been unable to get the song out of my head. I called out to Alexa to play it last night, I woke up with the song in my brain and on this gray day it not only fit my mood, it contained the feeling of life, which is not always bright and sunny, the right musical number can lift you up and give you power to engage with the day.
But it's really the final section that resonates, which returns to the "Dear Prudence" intro, contains all the elements of "Part 1" yet throws everything in and becomes more majestic.
There are strings, taking the number into the stratosphere, and then:
"If all the people in the world would stay together
We're all black and white, we're all day and night
If all the people in the world could sing together
How would it sound, what would we feel
We'd all feel the benefit"
Might sound trite today, but there was the belief that music could save the world back then, there were optimistic songs, the creators really thought they could make a difference, they knew people were listening for messages, musicians were atop the cultural totem pole, they influenced people, and not to buy products, but to think.
And right after the above words there's a stinging guitar solo and then everything but the kitchen sink is thrown in, the coda builds and builds, and then ends suddenly.
Do I think non-fans will cotton to "Feel the Benefit" almost fifty years later? No, no one has the time anymore. They do have time for that which is immediate, like "The Things We Do For Love," but no one lies on their bed or the floor and stares at the ceiling anymore as the music sets them free.
They don't feel the benefit.
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Sunday 10 April 2022
Life Is A Casino
I was waiting in line at the grocery store when the two Mexican (i.e. from Mexico) women in front of me whipped out their Centurion cards.
You may not know what I'm referring to. It used to be called the Black card, but Amex forgot to trademark it and then other companies started to use the term, you can get a Black Mastercard. So now it's called the Centurion card, and although rappers have rapped about it, most people still don't know what it is.
Let's see... You've got to be invited in, you just can't apply and get one. Right now, in the U.S., the annual fee is $5,000. With a one time initiation fee of $10,000. My research (well, Wikipedia) tells me it's cheaper in Mexico, only $2,907 a year, but that's still a lot of dough. Traditionally, to get a Centurion card you have to spend $250,000 a year on a lesser card, like the Platinum.
So I'd been waiting for over twenty minutes. You see there was only one lane open, and I had too much stuff to self-check, although all four self-check outlets were busy anyway. And these two Mexican women in Moncler jackets with two carts had a bill of $570. Not that they were ready to pay it. You see the bagger had left, so they were bagging their own groceries. But the Latina checker interrupted them and in Spanish told them about the bill. So one lady, who looked like she'd just left the dance floor, came around to insert her card, that's when I saw that it was a Centurion. But somehow she couldn't put it in right, so the other woman came over and inserted her Centurion card, that worked, and they went on their merry way, and the checker proceeded to scan my groceries at light speed, trying to whittle down the line of almost ten carts behind me.
Maybe you don't know that Mexicans have money.
Well, I bumped into this guy the other week and we were talking and I asked him what he does for work in Mexico. He said he was in telecommunications. I remarked that one man controlled the whole business. And this guy said yes. And then I asked him if he was related to this guy, and he said yes again.
So just now I was dealing with a service person. He grew up in Kansas, he didn't go to college, he's twenty eight and working a barely better than minimum wage job. And I'm getting his story and then I ask him what is his dream.
Well, he might go to trade school, but that takes a lot of money, time and effort. So what he really wants to do is be a stockpicker, he told me he's got a feel for it, he'd put a put on this one company and he'd made three hundred dollars.
And I'm standing there thinking how screwed up the world is.
Used to be there were three classes of people, at least when I grew up. There were the poor, but let's ignore them, everybody else does. Then the middle class, who worked hard, honestly, to get ahead, and the blue bloods, people who wore chinos and boat shoes and drove old Country Squire station wagons and looked lower middle class but in reality had more money than everybody else. They'd inherited it, and they didn't brag about it. You had to be exposed to them to know. There were a number of these people in Southern Connecticut, where I grew up. But I was clued-in at Middlebury College, which a lot of blue bloods attended.
Now the blue bloods weren't necessarily that rich, but they were certainly beyond middle class. I remember this one nerd who inherited $24 million on his 21st birthday. His family was in the tool business, not that you'd know.
But everything changed in the eighties and nineties. Reagan legitimized greed, the baby boomers took the bait, tech took hold and suddenly we had a class of billionaires. Bankers blew up the economy in 2008 and then bitched that they didn't get their bonuses after the government bailed the banks out.
Everybody knows about these people. Because that became a story unto itself, the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Unlike the blue bloods, the new rich bragged about their money. And lorded it over the rest of the populace. It was a way to be fabulous without being an artist. Used to be artists were atop the celebrity heap, but now the truly rich could buy the artists for private occasions. Everybody's got a price, and these people have got the money.
So what's a poor boy to do?
Certainly not play in a rock and roll band. You can't make that kind of money in the music business, which is why today's best and brightest don't go into it. Music is for the uneducated with few skills. Odds are long, but you can make bank without portfolio. As for the intelligent and educated, they don't like the music business odds, they go elsewhere, like banking and tech and...
The opportunity to pull yourself up by your bootstraps is very thin. You see the rich have rigged the game, and they don't want to let you in. Jared Kushner's father gave a building to Harvard so he could be admitted, because otherwise he wouldn't. But this is not a right or left issue, this is a money issue, and both sides play the game.
Used to be you could make a big buck working in manufacturing. But all those jobs went to Mexico or overseas, where employees would work for a pittance.
So what you're mostly left with is service jobs, which may not even pay the rent, you might have to have two.
But everybody needs hope. And now that hope is based on the stock market. You can make a killing. But what the hoi polloi don't know is the game is rigged, it's not only inside information, but relationships that allow you to buy at a low price and...it's a professional business.
But just like Spotify, anybody can play. So that's what people are doing to try and get ahead, playing the market. They're also investing in crypto. I mean how else can a regular person get rich?
And then there's the Russian oligarchs. Word is they possess Putin's money, they're hiding it for him, essentially laundering it, but they know when Putin calls, they've got to deliver. And now governments are doing a good job of cracking down on the Russian oligarchs, but not those in the rest of the world. It's hard to make a billion dollars honestly. What's that aphorism? Behind every great fortune lies a great crime. That's attributed to Honoré de Balzac, a French novelist and playwright, I dare you to come up with a businessman from 175 years ago.
So America has turned into a giant casino. And you know what they say about Las Vegas, the whole town is a monument to losers, it wouldn't exist if the house didn't have an edge and make money.
The house has the edge in life. And you probably don't know it unless you were born in the house, or somehow became a club member.
This is the underlying problem in America today. And just like climate change, there doesn't seem to be any progress. Then again, those in the house don't want to let people in, not that these outsiders know it.
So the American Dream is gambling, on the lottery, on the stock market, it's the only way for most people to get ahead.
--
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You may not know what I'm referring to. It used to be called the Black card, but Amex forgot to trademark it and then other companies started to use the term, you can get a Black Mastercard. So now it's called the Centurion card, and although rappers have rapped about it, most people still don't know what it is.
Let's see... You've got to be invited in, you just can't apply and get one. Right now, in the U.S., the annual fee is $5,000. With a one time initiation fee of $10,000. My research (well, Wikipedia) tells me it's cheaper in Mexico, only $2,907 a year, but that's still a lot of dough. Traditionally, to get a Centurion card you have to spend $250,000 a year on a lesser card, like the Platinum.
So I'd been waiting for over twenty minutes. You see there was only one lane open, and I had too much stuff to self-check, although all four self-check outlets were busy anyway. And these two Mexican women in Moncler jackets with two carts had a bill of $570. Not that they were ready to pay it. You see the bagger had left, so they were bagging their own groceries. But the Latina checker interrupted them and in Spanish told them about the bill. So one lady, who looked like she'd just left the dance floor, came around to insert her card, that's when I saw that it was a Centurion. But somehow she couldn't put it in right, so the other woman came over and inserted her Centurion card, that worked, and they went on their merry way, and the checker proceeded to scan my groceries at light speed, trying to whittle down the line of almost ten carts behind me.
Maybe you don't know that Mexicans have money.
Well, I bumped into this guy the other week and we were talking and I asked him what he does for work in Mexico. He said he was in telecommunications. I remarked that one man controlled the whole business. And this guy said yes. And then I asked him if he was related to this guy, and he said yes again.
So just now I was dealing with a service person. He grew up in Kansas, he didn't go to college, he's twenty eight and working a barely better than minimum wage job. And I'm getting his story and then I ask him what is his dream.
Well, he might go to trade school, but that takes a lot of money, time and effort. So what he really wants to do is be a stockpicker, he told me he's got a feel for it, he'd put a put on this one company and he'd made three hundred dollars.
And I'm standing there thinking how screwed up the world is.
Used to be there were three classes of people, at least when I grew up. There were the poor, but let's ignore them, everybody else does. Then the middle class, who worked hard, honestly, to get ahead, and the blue bloods, people who wore chinos and boat shoes and drove old Country Squire station wagons and looked lower middle class but in reality had more money than everybody else. They'd inherited it, and they didn't brag about it. You had to be exposed to them to know. There were a number of these people in Southern Connecticut, where I grew up. But I was clued-in at Middlebury College, which a lot of blue bloods attended.
Now the blue bloods weren't necessarily that rich, but they were certainly beyond middle class. I remember this one nerd who inherited $24 million on his 21st birthday. His family was in the tool business, not that you'd know.
But everything changed in the eighties and nineties. Reagan legitimized greed, the baby boomers took the bait, tech took hold and suddenly we had a class of billionaires. Bankers blew up the economy in 2008 and then bitched that they didn't get their bonuses after the government bailed the banks out.
Everybody knows about these people. Because that became a story unto itself, the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Unlike the blue bloods, the new rich bragged about their money. And lorded it over the rest of the populace. It was a way to be fabulous without being an artist. Used to be artists were atop the celebrity heap, but now the truly rich could buy the artists for private occasions. Everybody's got a price, and these people have got the money.
So what's a poor boy to do?
Certainly not play in a rock and roll band. You can't make that kind of money in the music business, which is why today's best and brightest don't go into it. Music is for the uneducated with few skills. Odds are long, but you can make bank without portfolio. As for the intelligent and educated, they don't like the music business odds, they go elsewhere, like banking and tech and...
The opportunity to pull yourself up by your bootstraps is very thin. You see the rich have rigged the game, and they don't want to let you in. Jared Kushner's father gave a building to Harvard so he could be admitted, because otherwise he wouldn't. But this is not a right or left issue, this is a money issue, and both sides play the game.
Used to be you could make a big buck working in manufacturing. But all those jobs went to Mexico or overseas, where employees would work for a pittance.
So what you're mostly left with is service jobs, which may not even pay the rent, you might have to have two.
But everybody needs hope. And now that hope is based on the stock market. You can make a killing. But what the hoi polloi don't know is the game is rigged, it's not only inside information, but relationships that allow you to buy at a low price and...it's a professional business.
But just like Spotify, anybody can play. So that's what people are doing to try and get ahead, playing the market. They're also investing in crypto. I mean how else can a regular person get rich?
And then there's the Russian oligarchs. Word is they possess Putin's money, they're hiding it for him, essentially laundering it, but they know when Putin calls, they've got to deliver. And now governments are doing a good job of cracking down on the Russian oligarchs, but not those in the rest of the world. It's hard to make a billion dollars honestly. What's that aphorism? Behind every great fortune lies a great crime. That's attributed to Honoré de Balzac, a French novelist and playwright, I dare you to come up with a businessman from 175 years ago.
So America has turned into a giant casino. And you know what they say about Las Vegas, the whole town is a monument to losers, it wouldn't exist if the house didn't have an edge and make money.
The house has the edge in life. And you probably don't know it unless you were born in the house, or somehow became a club member.
This is the underlying problem in America today. And just like climate change, there doesn't seem to be any progress. Then again, those in the house don't want to let people in, not that these outsiders know it.
So the American Dream is gambling, on the lottery, on the stock market, it's the only way for most people to get ahead.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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