The Russian Hacking Scandal

The job of an artist is to speak truth to power.

Where have all the artist gone?

They're hiding. Afraid of losing their living, just like the rest of America, especially those who voted for Trump.

America is a nation of ideas. A country where everybody is created equal, where everybody gets a fair chance, but not only are those precepts teetering, our entire democracy is being challenged, by the Russians.

And if you don't trust the CIA, who are you going to trust?

Certainly not Fox News or Breitbart, who refused to report this story.

Fake news from outside agitators? It's much worse than that, the established news outlets are now untrustworthy. Except for the "Washington Post," reignited by Jeff Bezos. Because when you're a billionaire, you're unafraid.

Now when you're an artist, you're just plain scared.

It's not like we didn't live through this before, fifty-odd years ago. The Russians were the enemy, but JFK stood up to them, ended the Cuban Missile Crisis, now we've got a half-cocked doofus with no experience pointing out Putin's advantages. If that doesn't make your head spin, your spine is fused.

So the responsibility is upon us. You and me, the rank and file.

And we're going to be inspired by the artists, they're gonna lead, just like they did back then.

But it requires all of us to come together, to stand up to this insanity. Record labels, concert promoters, agents, RADIO! We cannot see a repeat of the Dixie Chicks situation, where media bowed down to the naysayers most vocal. No, media has to push back.

HBO. CBS. Netflix. That's right, we're going to harness the power of television, the same enterprise that put this bozo in office, and we're gonna put him on notice, we're mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore! Jimmy Iovine, this is time for you to organize, like you did after 9/11, we need a concert on all these outlets, to speak the truth!

It's already started folks, just look at the cabinet appointments. The majority of this country did not vote for this. And we're gonna push back. Starting now.

Max Martin, you're the only one who can save us, along with a bunch of other expats, foreigners like DJ Snake and Mark Ronson, the people who make the hits, you're under the spotlight, you've got to write the track.

All you wannabes looking for publicity, we don't need you. Unless you're gonna do cover versions of the hit track. We need the people who make the Spotify Top 50, because they've got the greatest reach, they're the ones people are truly listening to.

Drake, Beyonce, Jay Z, even Kanye. You've got to step up to the mic! Of course Drake is Canadian, but so is Neil Young, and he wrote "Ohio"!

And the words are gonna be written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. There's more truth in "Hamilton" than there is in a passel of hip-hop tracks. As for rock, they haven't had that spirit there since 1969. But we will give Don Henley and Bob Dylan a crack. We don't want to exclude winners, we just want a hit song everybody wants to listen to.

Which is broken on Spotify, because that's where all the hits begin. Daniel Ek has to give this track real estate, homepage status. Apple too, this is a unified effort. This is artists against insanity, and if you support Trump...we don't need you, unless you suddenly realize you're in support of truth, justice and the American Way.

The truth is the Russians hacked. Justice means there must be responsibility. And the American Way is democracy, where everyone gets a voice and the majority rules.

Assuming everything's on the up and up, assuming everything's fair and square.

This is where we've gotten to folks, where facts are irrelevant. And it's only gonna get worse. The problem isn't fake news, it's the newsmakers themselves, they've hijacked our country and are telling us to trust them.

No way.

P.S. Didn't you learn in school that if everybody takes responsibility no one pays the penalty? Or if everyone is penalized the joke is on those enforcing the policy? Have a backbone, all of us must become unafraid. Our country is at stake, truly.

P.P.S. This is not about a re-election but a realignment. We're gonna hold Trump and his cronies responsible. And push back if they want to cut abortion rights and Social Security and Medicare...because the majority want them!

P.P.P.S. The youth stopped the Vietnam War. And they were fueled by music. Never underestimate the power of art. One person can make a difference. One hit song can turn things around. And it's our duty to make it and break it.

P.P.P.P.S. Send me hate mail, unsubscribe. I can take it, it's no time to be afraid. I'm sick of the right pushing back, it's time for the left to thrust. And, once again, this isn't about changing the election results, this is about changing America, holding the government accountable to us, the people. This is the biggest crisis in your lifetime. We're looking for leaders. We're ready to fall in behind them. A politician is no match for a musician, no way.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5664&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Russian+Hacking+Scandal
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5664&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Russian+Hacking+Scandal
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5664&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Russian+Hacking+Scandal

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5664&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Russian+Hacking+Scandal

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5664&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=The+Russian+Hacking+Scandal




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

John Glenn

We were behind the Russkis.

While we were busy lobbing softballs into space, Yuri Gagarin circumnavigated the globe and turned the United States into a second class citizen.

And then John Glenn trumped him by making three circuits around this mortal coil and then everything was good again, for a while anyway.

The sixties started with the election of John F. Kennedy. This was a big deal, he was young and he was Catholic and he wasn't supposed to make it but he did, and we immediately had hope.

Heroes. Our country needs 'em.

Ironically, our biggest hero today is an immigrant, Elon Musk. Damned if I don't believe he'll take us to Mars. Because he beat Detroit at its own game, even the Asians too. While Toyota was selling hybrids, while Nissan was selling the anemic Leaf, Musk came up with a purely electric car as fast as a Ferrari that didn't pollute. How did he do that?

That's what we wondered way back when, how they did it. There was one scientific breakthrough after another. Not just apps spewing cash, but great leaps forward that benefited society. And the truth is the space program delivered so many of them. Back when taxes were not a bad word and we were all in it together.

No, I don't want to candy-coat the early sixties, it was tough to be an African-American, or a woman, but there was this belief...that we were going somewhere, that we could make it.

And the spearhead for all of this was NASA and the initial seven astronauts.

Today, we've got the Super Bowl.

Back then, we had Cape Canaveral.

Remember, this is when airplanes still crashed, when navigation was based on what you could see, when most people hadn't been far from home base, when Florida was a country away and you tuned in on your black and white to see...was the rocket gonna blast off?

Oftentimes it didn't. There'd be a countdown, and then it would be stopped. A delay. Could be days before the rocket ultimately went up.

And yes, there was the Apollo fire in '67, but it wasn't until the eighties that the Challenger blew up. We were on a winning streak, but success was not taken for granted. You could push a man up into space and he could come back? Really?

So on February 20, 1962, we were all watching. We were all listening. This was our chance, to reclaim our glory as a country. Could we do it?

And our faith was all placed in one man, John Glenn.

Forget the "Right Stuff," the book and the movie, which made him out to be a choirboy disliked by his compatriots. To those of us at home, he was an All-American risk taker, the only man who could do the job.

AND HE DID!

And only seven years later we put a man on the moon. And watched from our living rooms. How great is that?

But that was an eon later in the culture. The youth had revolted, the old men were out of touch, the establishment was hated, funny how everybody wants to cozy up to corporations today. But the astronauts... No one had a bad word to say about them. They may have been in the military, but they were light years from Vietnam. They were cowboys, prepared for the mission...and the mission was to save America.

Oh, how far we've fallen.

We've given up the big dreams.

Problems are always extant. Solutions? The public wants to circle the wagons, keep the foreigners out, just so they can survive.

But survival is not enough. You've got to have hope. You've got to believe.

After the astronauts it was the musicians. They were the only ones left who believed the rules did not apply.

And then the bankers took over and America no longer made anything and infighting was the national sport.

But one man soldiered on.

John Glenn went to Congress. He went up in the space shuttle. He was living proof that...you could make it.

I want to make it, do you?

I want to believe if I put my nose to the grindstone things will work out. I want to live a life so full I have no regrets.

And John Glenn led a full life. Of which I can only be envious.

I actually had dinner with him a bunch of times, he was a friend of Felice's family. He expounded upon politics, I didn't ask him about the space race, but others did, and he told it like it was, straightforwardly, after all, he was from Ohio.

But even more than John I enjoyed his wife Annie. They were grade school sweethearts. They've been together this long. Now Annie's alone.

There were kids. Who lived through the sixties and had the same issues we all did, it's fascinating to talk to them, what was it like to have John Glenn as your dad?

Tough, as you can imagine.

Because he was everybody's hero. Beloved by all. The guy with the can-do spirit who executed on his vision. He said yes when everybody else said no.

And it's weird with all the icons dying. Greg Lake and Dave Brubeck just now. Bowie and Frey earlier in the year.

But those memories are personal. Of listening and being transformed.

But John Glenn's success was everybody's. He shot into space on a mission, showing the power of one man to transform society.

He's gone now, but his legend lives on.

And his lessons too.

It's all right to be a straight arrow. It's all right to keep your eye on the prize. It's all right to keep going after your big success. It's all right to live to the ripe old age of 95 and look back and say...

I squeezed every single ounce out of life, I did it.

Shall you do the same.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5663&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=John+Glenn
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5663&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=John+Glenn
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5663&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=John+Glenn

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5663&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=John+Glenn

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5663&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=John+Glenn




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Pandora Premium

We go where our friends are.

Spotify pushed the envelope, created the new paradigm, Apple broadcast that streaming music was safe and everybody else...

Can forget about it.

You'd think the press would say no-go. Say something critical about Pandora. But reporters' powers of analysis are nonexistent, they just repeat the press release. And even the vaunted "New York Times"... Their number one reviewer, Michiko Kakutani (remember her from "Sex And The City"?) just gave a positive review to a book about the return to analog and the paper published a story about writers' favorite bookstores... Where's all the testimony about digital readers, those who use Kindles and iPads and even mobile phones to read books? Nonexistent because the industrial media complex is run by old farts inured to the past. They love physical books, they hate the fast-paced digital world where you own but do not rent, they haven't been on trend in fifteen years. Quick, did you learn about Snapchat in the newspaper? Other than business stories after the fact, after the viral phenomenon took place, crickets.

Utterly frightening.

This is where we are folks. Our government has been hijacked by inexperienced wankers promising solutions as they jet us back to the past and all we've got is old school media which missed the election completely trying to keep them honest. It's a new day, we are the line between them and us, you and me. When someone rants and raves about saving newspapers, know that they're the same people who are not on Snapchat, the same people who don't know that we need news, but we just don't need it from the usual suspects.

So Pandora makes headway with a lame streaming radio service, that operates almost totally in the United States, and the press keeps paying attention to it, even as its stock sinks. Whereas Spotify and even Apple have gone worldwide. The digerati know that we live in a global village, but Americans believe they live in the only country in the world. Pandora is a zit on the ass of streaming music, certainly by a worldwide perspective. But there is story after story after story...

The CD is toast. The file is disappearing. But all we get are stories about the renaissance of vinyl. Do you own a rotary telephone? Do you even have a landline? Then what makes you think a non-portable format has any future, especially one with so many quirks and flaws. As for sound... Call me up when these kids investing in LPs get speakers worth listening to, never mind powerful amplifiers. You start with the end of the chain and work back, your system is only as good as your speakers. Does vinyl sound better than most streams? Sure! Assuming you've got the playback system to hear it, and most don't.

So streaming has won because of utility, it's easiest.

And it's made serious inroads because of Spotify's free tier. Where you try it before you buy it. And then Apple got into the marketplace and people believed streaming music was legitimate. Getting in now is like launching one of those me-too iPods, it's too late. And don't talk to me about features, Beta was better than VHS and it lost.

Furthermore, Spotify has gone nuclear on the tech/feature side. It's got customized playlists and programs to promote records and saying you can do better is like believing that customers will buy your car because it's got better a/c vents.

It's over folks.

The real story is Apple is building a base on brand. And that brand is faltering. Cupertino is no longer invincible. But those still afraid of streaming music, they sign up for Apple Music.

But all the young 'uns...

They're on Spotify.

Could a competitor win?

Doubtful, but it would first and foremost have to start with a free tier and then find a way to go viral and build up its customer base and no one's willing to lose that much money on free and buzz is nearly impossible to generate on a me-too product.

At least give Tim Westergren credit, he's shooting low. Trying for 11 million subscribers by 2020. That's like asking to be kicked out of the Premier League. That's like asking to never make the Spotify Top 50! The internet is a winner take all world, and the only way to compete is on price, which is what is happening in cloud storage, where Amazon got the early mover advantage, but it keeps lowering prices, and Amazon started off at a low price to begin with! Because Bezos is smart, you ramp up immediately, you don't skim only the early adopters. That's the Rhapsody model. Rhapsody was there first, but it's been overrun by Spotify and its free tier.

If you're still using Pandora you're the most casual music fan of all. And history tells us casual users don't pay, we want the active ones. The Genome never worked and people listen passively and if you like Pandora I'm not looking to you for music recommendations, you're CLUELESS!

But will some people sign up for Pandora's premium service because they already like and use the radio service? Sure, why not, I'll go for that, but there aren't many of them. As for new features, give me a break, users thought Rdio was the best and it still failed.

There's one Amazon. One Google. One Facebook. One Snapchat. One Instagram. And you truly believe there are going to be multiple streaming music services? Then you must work for the media!

History, and it's no longer brief, tells us one entity ends up with 70% of the market online.

History also tells us that if you're not innovating, you're dying. MySpace was replaced by the much more user-friendly Facebook.

But Spotify is innovating.

And we know how to share music on Spotify. Does anybody even know how to share music on Apple?

And because YouTube is the default video service, we point to it for music because everybody can go there, and to Spotify for the same reason.

However, having Pandora and iHeart in the on demand streaming market will increase the overall pool, it will get newbies to dip their toes. But they're gonna go where everybody else does, Spotify or Apple.

You can't break the rules of the internet.

And the internet was built on buzz. Sustain it and you win.

As for those bloviating about the bad economics of streaming music... Spotify and Apple would be making money today if they stopped expanding, stopped innovating. Amazon kept investing and losing...and now they own online shopping.

Oh, that's right, Wal-Mart was supposed to give them a run for their money.

Disruption comes from outside. And innovation is constant. And the customer is king.

You can't screw 'em and if you get it right they'll tell everybody.

So, you can ignore Pandora on demand streaming completely. The people who are paying it mind are those who kept saying BlackBerry would survive, because people used it and it had a physical keyboard and it was so safe.

Hogwash.

The revolution happened. Streaming music won.

Ignore the musicians complaining.

Ignore the industry and the press trying to drum up competitors.

The next big move is consolidation. Spotify goes public and then...

Who buys it?

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5662&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Pandora+Premium
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5662&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Pandora+Premium
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5662&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Pandora+Premium

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5662&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Pandora+Premium

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5662&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Pandora+Premium




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Mailbag

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

"I Dig Rock And Roll Music" was co-produced by Milt Okun who died last month. He produced many of their other records (as well as John Denver's) and remains very underrated as a sound architect. His output always had such a crisp and clean sound. He would have loved that you singled out his work.

Alan Warner

_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

Great stuff about Peter, Paul & Mary, but I disagree they were an oldies act in 1967. Here's a little known moment. I had just moved from right next to where you lived in Connecticut to LA that year, about a mile from the Valley Music Theater in Woodland Hills. I was 14, and one night in February 1967 at the theater appeared the Byrds, the Doors, the Buffalo Springfield and PP&M. For THREE DOLLARS. Noel Paul Stookey spent the whole concert outside of his dressing room, absorbing every note and rocking out energetically to those other great bands. PP&M had top billing on the poster, in type double the size of Byrds and Doors(Springfield was equally large, at the bottom). The song "I Dig Rock & Roll Music" emerged months later that year. Not sure when Noel Paul wrote it, but you could ask him.

Preston Bealle
Darien, CT
_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

I had the surreal experience of driving the loquacious Bob Gibson up to Albert Grossman's funeral. We left NYC in the morning, heading up the NY Thruway to Bearsville Studios just outside of Woodstock. Two of his stories still stick with me to this day.

The first was about how Albert put Peter, Paul & Mary together. Grossman was scrambling because he already had gigs booked for this amazing Trio he had recently 'discovered'. Albert already had Mary Travers and Peter Yarrow lined up, but he needed a third. He approached Bob Gibson one night at the old Cafe Wha? on MacDougal Street, but Bob was starting to gain some traction around town with his budding solo career, so after much pleading, Bob passed on the offer. Gibson told me that Albert refused to buy him one more drink.

Dejected, Albert went over to the Bitter End on Bleecker Street to pick owner Fred Weintraub's brain. It was late at night, and it was comedy night. A lanky young kid, Noel Stookey was one of the acts that night, who did monologues with a guitar slung over his shoulder onstage. Albert asked him if he wanted to be in a group and told him what he'd make, and Noel agreed.

"Oh, and kid, one last thing, your stage name is Paul..."

The second story is related to Mr. Zimmerman.

Gibson told me a story about how when Albert Grossman and Bob Dylan were parting ways, they had a contentious meeting over the disposition of Dylan's publishing. As Gibson told it, there's Dylan on one side of this big table with his lawyers, and Albert on the other with his team. And the arguing went on and on and on.

Finally, at one point, Dylan stood up to storm out of the room. Grossman chased after him, took out a silver dollar and said, "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, calm down. I'll tell you what, I'll flip you for it..."

I've had the distinct pleasure of working with Peter Yarrow for many years with my client Guy Davis, and I've earned from him the nickname he gives his friends, "Brother Thom". It's a badge I wear with pride.

Cheers,
Thom Wolke
_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

Great piece on Peter, Paul and Mary. The early 60's folk boom really changed the course of rock 'n roll because topical lyrics always mattered in folk songs where politics, injustice and anti-war were part of the lexicon and soon that spread when folkies picked up electric guitars. I opened for Mary Travers at the Cellar Door in Washington in the mid-70's and she was so gracious and made a point of coming to say hello to the lowly opening act in his cramped dressing room which is a rare thing for a headliner to do although it means so much to the name at the bottom of the bill. And I too remember those early long-form rock FM stations in New York where DJ's such as the recently deceased Zacherle played deep album cuts with few if any commercials and always added cool informative comments in between spins. Then DJ's gave their power to the station programmers and it was back to business as usual.

Folk always seems to come back in times of troubles be it the Civil Rights struggle or the Vietnam war so perhaps it's time for a return. Or maybe Hip-Hop is the new folk music ...

From Paris,
Elliott Murphy
_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

Love PP&M-first real music show as a kid I ever saw live was at Forest Hills-the tickets were the prize for finding the Afikoman!! I had seen other live shows like Ethel Merman in Annie Get Your Gun but PP&M were the first music concert. I was such a fan that I walked under secuity's arms into the dressing room and wound up sitting on Mary's lap while my parents were yelling to try to get me to come out. First backstage dressing room experience! Several years ago I was working on a children's project with Peter and when they googled him the unfortunate Washington DC hotel incident popped up-but thats another era and when we discussed it he said "I will always regret that-I was an idiot and thought I was a rock star-I am now a proud grandfather and wish that never happened!" He also told me stories about turning on Bob Dylan and the Beatles!! Yes -"I Dig Rock And Roll Music!"

Harvey Leeds
_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

The recording engineer who made those PP&M records sound so brilliant was Bill Schwartau. Apparently he died on the street, a victim of drug addiction.

Michael Fremer
_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

Don't get me started on PP and M. They were quite simply the best. Their harmonies (and one must mention the great Milt Okun at this point) were brilliant, exquisite: always so much more than "you sing the root, I'll sing the third, you sing the five". With the exception of Jimi doing "All Along The Watchtower", their covers of the great songwriters were pre-eminent. What they got dissed for is what made them so special for me: their polish. "It's not authentic." Blow me. It's called artistry. It reminds me of a great line by Calvin Trillin. He said his friends always mystified him by dismissing certain Chinese restaurants as "not authentic". He finally decided "not authentic" meant "tastes better".

I think their version of "Too Much Of Nothing" is brilliant, terrific arrangement, terrific performance. Back when how you performed a song actually mattered. "Marion" sings better than "Vivian", and 99.9% of the listeners neither knew nor cared what T.S. Eliot's wife's first name was. The backstory may be everything to the songwriter (although I'd argue for melody and scan being a bit more crucial), but it's bupkus to the listener.

I would respectfully suggest you sample more of their wares. Check out their version of Gord's "Early Morning Rain." Also his "For Loving Me", which is also on "A Song Will Rise." Check out "Hurry Sundown", on "Late Again". Refresh your memory of Peter's "Great Mandala" on "Album 1700", and Eric Anderson's "Rolling Home", and their version of "Bob Dylan's Dream" on the same record. (Add "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "I Dig Rock And Roll Music" and that wasn't a half bad album, was it?) "Wasn't That A Time" on "A Song Will Rise". "A Man Come In From Egypt" on "Moving". "If I Had My Way" on the first record. And, for a special treat, their cover of "And When I Die", which I believe was the first time Laura heard one of her songs recorded. The joy of Mary singing that one...

Berton Averre
_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

Bob: I forwarded your blog today to Paul Stookey of PPM. He still performs regularly and is coming out here in January or February. Very involved in a charity he set up.

I knew the group from the beginning when I was the West Coast version of Grossman (although not as powerful or influential) and met PPM in Florida and became a fan and follower.

In 1985 I got to sing We Are The World at LiveAid when Peter Yarrow pulled me on stage to join them and the huge group of artists I'd organized to do the finale of the show. That was a memorable moment for me.

Ken Kragen
_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

Totally agree with you when it comes to P,P&M. Loved them from the time I was a little kid. "I Dig Rock And Roll Music" is just a fantastic cut. Sounds outstanding with a pair of good headphones. I am sure I own it all, or at least the albums through the early 70's. I used to work for WTTW-TV (PBS station in Chicago) and P,P&M shows were played until the oxide was falling off the tape. I can't think of a holiday pledge period when those shows didn't run at least 4 times between the mid 80's and the late 90's. That kind of thing can make you really sick of something. I gree up as a guy who couldn't get enough of The Beatles. Albums, bootlegs. I wanted it all and had all the outlets to get it all. Eventually, I had to take a break from it for a couple years or I felt I would lose appreciation for the material. That's what happened with Peter, Paul & Mary. Listening to the stuff now makes it all feel fresh again. The recordings were great. The material and choice of material phenomenal. I recentley picked up some of their concerts from the 60's and they just blew me away. Peter and Noel are good, but Mary was the sugar on top. Listening to these live shows where the are singing into one Neumann or RCA tube microphone really gives you the idea of the power that was Mary Travers. She cuts through everything and brings their sound to another level!

Gregg Schatz
_________________________________

RE: Peter, Paul & Mary

Milt Okun, who passed away two weeks ago at 92 years was the musical
genius behind Peter Paul and Mary and John Denver. He was incredibly
grateful for the force and vision of Albert Grossman and Jerry Weintraub
as managers and all they did to promote the music he loved and help
create.

Milt was an extraordinary musical force. Both as a producer and a
publisher he had an extraordinary relationship with his artists. He was
first off a teacher of music and worked in the New York school system
until fate put him squarely in the folk music scene. His legacy of song
books will teach the world to sing around campfires till the end of time.

Milt was that rare combination of music talent and a brilliant business
mind. Yet even more than those traits was the simple fact that he was
perhaps the kindest man I ever met. He never gave up teaching and to be
part of a conversation with him about the music he loved was to be witness
to the brilliant effect that music has on the soul.

It was a blessing to have been his friend.

Mark Shimmel
_________________________________

From: John Warden
Subject: Tony Martell Re: Final Kanye

Bob. All I can say is this. Kanye ok fine but
The record industry lost a great this weekend. Tony Martell, an A&R legend at Epic who selflessly devoted his career to a promise to his son dying of leukemia. He told his dying son TJ that he'd raise a million dollars to help fight for the cure for leukemia via the music industry. He raised more than $280 million and more when combined with aids research. Climbing towards a billion I've heard. Amazing artists like Joan Jett, Ozzy Osbourne and Michael Jackson joined in. Many others JUST as important as the STARS by the way. Everyone has heard of the T.J. Martell foundation if you're for real in the industry.

I'm his cousin. I was much much younger than Tony as we had a huge family. So Tony was Uncle Tony to me. TJ Martell, his son who succumbed to leukemia was my age. Tony devoted his life's efforts to his sons illness.
TJ, Tonys son, was an amazing drummer who played with the likes of Buddy Rich even at his young age. We'd go to the house after TJs death and the drums were still set up. Tony was beyond devastated. Legend says he sent flowers to TJs grave every day. Tony was now on a single minded mission to cure leukemia.

At 16 Tony was my idol. Imagine being a pimple faced 16 year old metal-head from NJ and knowing Tony signed Ozzy. OZZY!
Then imagine Tony saying come to my office at Epic in the City some time. Well when Ozzy was going to play the Garden that was the time. Holy shit, I was on top of the world. We're sitting in his corner office with huge windows looking down at Manhattan. Tony's in a huge chair with TM embroidered on it smoking a cigar. Not Tony Montana btw. But the same chair. His secretary comes in. Hands me tickets to Ozzy's upcoming sold out Madison Square Garden show. Fuck I'm there!! Thanks to Tony!!!
I thank him with a gift wrapped bottle of Chivas Regal that my Mom told me he loved. I put it on his home doorstep in Madison. Thanks for the Ozzy Tix!! John. Cost me more than the tix!
In the days to come Randy Rhodes dies in the plane crash. Bernie Torme dutifully fills in. Nice job. But I'm mortified, devastated, Randy's gone. But the show. Wow, I'm still psyched! It was great but honestly, I can say the very hungry Motley Crew opening stole the show with 'Shout at the Devil' as an opener. Ok, Well not completely..., Ozzy was amazing.
The music bug bit me with Alice Coopers 'Love it to Death'. I wanted in. Tony was my on ramp (along with Jonnny Z). Tony did so much good. Can we all be like Tony just a bit. Google him. You'll be amazed. Carry on his selflessness. In October Tony got to announce that leukemia is no longer the number one killing young poeples disease. Great job Tony.
With respect, and crying,
John Warden

Prove it?

https://www.google.com/amp/www.billboard.com/amp/articles/news/7595803/tj-tony-martell-remembered-ozzy-osbourne-joan-jett?client=safari&utm_source=phplist5661&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Mailbag
_________________________________

From: Paul Koidis
Subject: Re: World Domination

Follow the money. It's never been about monetizing music, per se. It's about monetizing popular culture. Whatever that may be at the time.

For a brief period of time - say the 50s to 2000 - music WAS the poplar culture. The dominate force in zeitgeist due to a confluence of factors, baby boom, car radios and Elvis.

But now, Facebook and social media technology is THE defining aspect of our current culture, that's where the action is, and that's where the money is.

Human nature is the single most strongest force in the world.

So, let's stop banging our heads as to why the music industry doesn't work anymore.

Instead, the smart people are looking at what's next.

If you point your finger, your dog looks at your finger tip. A smart dog looks at where you are pointing.
_________________________________

From: Martin Stuart Hanlin
Subject: Re: World Domination

Hi Bob,

Miles was the manager of The Police, Ian was their Live Agent at FBI.

Ian was also The Silencers agent, the cover pic for A Blues for Buddha was taken from his back garden.

Courtney Cox was hanging around at the photo shoot as well.

Martin
_________________________________


From: Bill Siddons
Subject: Re: Roadhouse Blues

That record, that sound, that feel most importantly, exist because the doors decided they had to record this album in their rehearsal hall (my office) because it felt right. They went to sunset sound and it felt to sterile for them. Rothchild essentially felt that without the technical quality of sunset sound studios, the record would inevitably be inferior so they broke up. The doors did it with Bruce Botnick, there long time engineer and made a record that felt right to them. I was there when John Sebastian came by to play harmonica, but I admit, I was a little intimidated by his wonderful catalog at that point, so I stayed out of their way.

"Roadhouse blues" happened because Jim loved to play the blues, and he came up with his own definitive version of a classic blues song. Luckily he worked with musicians who knew where to go with his passion. The guys knew they had something magic with the song, But I am sure no one really knew that it would still be viable 50 years later. That's what makes art great, and makes great art. Nice to see that you get it.

From: Bob Lefsetz
To: Bill Siddons

But they did Morrison Hotel with Rothchild and then split up, right?


From: Bill Siddons

Spent three days at sunset sound with Rothschild, and just said they couldn't get the feel that they were looking for and Paul said he couldn't get the professionalism and he wanted the in a rehearsal studio. So they decided to put the console on my desk upstairs while the band play downstairs and make a record. It worked out fine.

From: Bob Lefsetz
To: Bill Siddons

But was this for Morrison Hotel or L.A. Woman? He still gets credit for Morrison Hotel on the back of the album and John Sebastian said it was Rotchild who called him to play on "Roadhouse Blues"...

From: Bill Siddons

LA Woman. it was Rothchild who called him I believe. Probably Bruce called Paul to do it.
_________________________________

From: Matthew Pryce
Subject: Roadhouse Blues

Musician here - I've played the Saratoga Springs cover-band circuit for longer than I'd like to admit (I'm 34).

This tune, obviously, is a staple. It's like 4 total chords, and the same chugging riff. There are nuances that can take it from shit band to a dazzling cover, but everybody does it. As such, I put this one alongside Brown Eyed Girl, Sweet Home Alabama, and others that are routinely on the set list of every band playing to drunk 40something women who want to dance to something familiar.

Thanks for breathing new life and giving me a better perspective on it. Next time I play it, I'll think of you and not the smell of cheap beer and perfume.
_________________________________

From: Jeffrey Lorber
Subject: Billy Squire

Love your story about him.. I learned that the hard way.. if you take Clive Davis' advice and it doesn't work out.. Clive DOESNT GET FIRED!!!! Lol
_________________________________

From: Owen Sloane
Subject: Re: Re-Leon Russell

I'm late to the celebration of Leon's life but I did want to share a few memories.
I was Leon's lawyer and made his shelter deal, his blue thumb deal and his capital distribution agreement. Leon in fact was my first client in the music business and I owe him for all my early experiences representing Delaney and Bonnie, Joe cocker, shelter records, Denny Cordell and many others. He talked me up to everyone he knew and most of them became clients thanks to him.
He was wonderful to work with and together we made amazing innovations in the music industry.
He was very modest and unassuming despite his talent and influence. He once suggested that I should produce a record. When I told him I had no talent, he told me that producing was easy. All you do is take things you like and put them together.
I still remember his concert with Elton and the dueling pianos. It still remains the best and most exciting concert I have ever attended.
R I P Leon and thank you!
_________________________________

From: BERTON AVERRE
Subject: Re: Re-Leon Russell

"Even groups as uncool as ?the Carpenters had huge hits with Leon Russell songs..."

One fine day people are going to wake up to realize that "good" trumps "cool". When you're listening to a song, the relative "coolness" of the people playing it isn't worth shit. Whereas "good" is worth everything.
_________________________________

From: Derek See
Subject: Re: Friday New Release Playlist

Tom Rush did not debut 'These Days'.

Jackson wrote it for Nico, who he was working with in 1967. Her version, from that year, was the first released.
_________________________________

Subject: Re: Joanne

I love this. I'm an A&R guy for ____________. Very music and creative driven. Coming from the dance music background, my mentality has always been geared towards singles, singles, singles.

I'm such a strong critic of songs and urgency of recordings that this transparency and need for clear cut pure quality is music to my ears (…).

Let the lazy bastard oldsters who want to release an ALBUM full of FILLER fall behind into the irrelevance of the past.

Mmmmmmmmmm.
_________________________________

From: Jona Koekelcoren
Subject: Re: Stranger Things

Hey Bob,

I love reading your letters, always a great way to take my mind off things and get a new perspective. Now I've actually got something to add I think.

I thought for certain you would mention S U R V I V E, the Austin, TX, synthwave outfit behind Stranger Things' amazing score. Sure, the series is spiced up with topical 80s alternative and mainstream songs like Should I Stay or Should I Go, but S U R V I V E's tracks serve like an inconspicuous extra main character.

These guys had only released a few EPs on cassette and through Bandcamp so far, apparently, but somehow they managed to catch the Duffer brothers' attention. The brothers pitched the concept for the show featuring S U R V I V E's music, without the band's knowing.

So S U R V I V E have landed one of 2016's biggest shows without any publishers, music supervisors or go-between L.A. music pitch agencies involved. The theme track has been covered countless times on YouTube, the show is so huge it gets parodied on SNL, and it just happened to these guys overnight.

Just shows how relative all the hustling and the commissions and the liaisons can be when everythings just falls into its place. Like we all at least at some point thought it should go.

I thought you'd like that story.

Have a nice day!
_________________________________

From: Steve Page
Subject: Re: Stranger Things

Bob,

I'm one of the rare few in this world that makes a living writing and producing music and I do so by writing music for TV, films, and ads. Mostly reality TV, mostly cable. As you know, there are endless hours of reality cable TV programming and the music changes every 10 seconds... or less! That makes for a ton of opportunities.

After graduating from film school and moving to LA, no one told me that if you can get to know people that work in post production, or people who work at a company that specializes in synching TV underscore (Jingle Punks - my former employer where I learned the ropes, Extreme Music, Onyx West Music, and countless others), you can make a living as a musician/composer. Its one of the least glamorous gigs in the industry, can be creatively bankrupt at times, and doesn't buy you a Ferrari - but its real and its possible if you are willing to work and learn how to write for underscore.

Your thoughts on Stranger Things are dead-on. I was urged to watch by friends over the summer - if I didn't I'd be out left out of the conversation. And lo and behold, the music follows a very popular trend in film brought on by scores by guys like Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross and Cliff Martinez (The Social Network and Drive soundtracks, for example). The sound is driving, rhythmic 70s synthesizers, minimal percussion, and usually some organic elements like piano use for melodies. Its the perfect sound for an 80s nostalgia tv show. But its popping up everywhere - "synthwave" its sometimes called, or "retrowave" - in video games, film, and TV - if you listen to the music of the Serial podcast, its not far off either!

So when I watched Stranger Things and heard the near universal praise it was getting by word of mouth, I thought: this is a trend that music supervisors (typically several years behind the current trends in pop and mainstream) will be asking for sooner rather than later, if not now. Side note: working with VICE is different, the music supervisors there are my age (30) or younger and waaaaay more savvy than supervisors still asking for the sound of the Black Keys and Dr. Luke. So I pitched one of these production music libraries (Onyx West) on a set of songs that they could offer up when music supervisors start to catch on and people start asking for the sound of Stranger Things.

They were interested and I got paid a small amount of upfront to write, produce, mix, and master 10 tracks designed with syncs in mind. Budgets for these companies are so low that sometimes composers just starting out can't even get ANYTHING upfront - the value of music in this capacity is nearly nothing because there are 1000s of other composers out there, younger, with less bills to pay, living at home, whatever, that are willing to do it just for experience and hope for the royalties to pay out if the songs end up on TV... someday. Getting 1 song placed in 1 TV show for 10 secs that never airs more than once is unsustainable - you have to have 10k tracks working for you this way to earn a living.

The only way to survive in these times with this career is to be open for any kind of work, and listen to EVERYTHING! If you don't know how to make dubstep or country or hip hop, say you do, and figure it out! Theres not enough paid work to go-around to only be good at making one type of thing or only be good at writing and not mixing... I've had success because I'm a lover of all types and genres and I learned to listen critically... whats the kick drum doing? how are the guitars mixed? whats giving this song energy? I also learned that I had to excel at every aspect of production - if your tracks aren't mixed well, it doesn't matter how good the melodies are and vice versa. For every skill and genre I'm unfamiliar with, there are hundreds of others who are that are and are just as hungry, if not more so.

Sorry for the rant... in case you end up reading this far, here's a private link to the set of songs I came up with a la Stranger Things, Drive, The Social Network, etc. etc for reference. Hopefully if this sonic trend continues I will have been ahead of the curve because I was on paying attention to the zeitgeist and my tracks will end up in places that pay some small amount of royalties for years to come...

https://soundcloud.com/stevepagesmusic/sets/a-desolate-mechanized-future/s-eusVZ?utm_source=phplist5661&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Mailbag
_________________________________

From: Jeff Henle
Subject: Re: Garth Brooks/Amazon

Bob,

Great email....I recently saw Garth with my wife at the new T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. After leaving one of the best concerts I have been to, I wanted to find his music on Spotify....not there.

Then I thought to myself I'll spend roughly $20 and buy the greatest hits album on iTunes so I have it on my phone and can listen to it on demand....not on iTunes.

Then I realized that I saw some advertisement at the arena for something called "GhostTunes". I googled it and saw that his music was available there. But I already use Spotify, will go to iTunes if I absolutely HAVE to, and I refuse to use a third platform. So, after a great concert where I was ready to shell out some cash to purchase his music, I said "forget it" , I'll just go to YouTube and listen to it for free if I absolutely get the urge.
_________________________________

Subject: Re: Cat Stevens At The Pantages

I was a fan of Cat Stevens from his first single "I Love My Dog" (the US B-side was Portobello Road, which was co-written by Kim Fowley - a local boy! ), and Mathew & Son......and then silence and then he came back with Mona Bone Jack and on and on....

Working for WB Music allowed me the privilege/opportunity to meet and work with nearly every musical act that ever broke the charts during most of those years........I was able to meet every act, producer, manager, agent, music publisher and record executive that I ever admired or idolized ! We (at WBMusic) printed Cat Steven's music (sheet music and song books) and his manager Barry Krost was a true music business character.

I remember seeing Cat perform at the Forum on tour promoting the Foreigner - album......I remember it as on of the best shows I have ever seen (and I have seen quite a few)....I was lucky enough to get back stage briefly meet Cat, but ended up spending most of the time that evening with Bernard Purdie, who, if you don't know, was a session monster on the drums.....and was the "Hal Blaine" of New York session drummers.

But the real treat came years later, I am no longer at Warner Music, but working with my father-in-law, the legendary music publisher Al Gallico, at his music/production company Al Gallico Music. We had recently moved the offices from Sunset Blvd to Wilshire Blvd. and one afternoon, there was a knock at the door, and in came a very familiar looking character, one, Cat Stevens, complete with his new YoYo......! Apparently Al had sub-published first hit "Here Comes My Baby", which had been recorded by the Tremolos, before Cat had ever recorded.

Cat had been walking down Wilshire Blvd, happened to stop at a building and look at the building directory and saw the name Al Gallico Music, and though it was providence, and came up to say hello !

He was so "not hollywood" - he was so "not a rock star" - he was one of the calmest and seemingly gentlest human beings I have ever met....He told us about his happiness in leaving the business, and how he was concentrating on his religious studies.

He showed Al and I all the "tricks" he could perform with his YoYo......He talked about wanting to start a school in London and perhaps teaching. He reminded Al how they met through Jonathan King at a Ready Steady Go taping and they reminisce about Jonathan and Mike Hurst (his first producer), and working with Paul Samwell-Smith...It was one of the most memorable moments of my life, as I had lived and breathed his music for so many years.......Nearly an out of body experience !

When he left, he and Al hugged and of course Al mentioned that if he ever get wanted to get back into music, to please give him a call first...

Many years later, when Al died, I wrote Cat with the news and somehow I got an email response back, offering his condolences and wishing his best to me, Al's wife, Grace and the girls ! Always a class act.

He has always been a class act, and always one of my favorites. I still buy his music whenever it comes out and hopefully will cross paths with him some other time, either in this life or the next.

Peace,
Stephen-Craig Aristei
_________________________________

Subject: Jesse Dayton

Bob,

Big fan of the blog. Truly bizarre timing with this bit on Jesse Dayton. I took a job in Houston, TX right out of college (2003) and moved down there knowing few people and relatively little about Texas as a whole. I thought I knew plenty about Texas music but quickly learned I had merely stuck a toe in the pool prior to my arrival there. What I loved and love so much about Houston on the whole and it's music is what a fascinating mix it embodies-- the Texas thing, Louisiana, Mexico, the countless nationalities and endless influence brought there by the myriad nationalities who come for work in the energy sector, etc, etc. etc. No matter what you might hear from some native Texans who don't live there (and despite the truly abysmal traffic and weather) it's a great city.

I dove pretty hard into the music scene there and saw some truly life changing shows-- seeing Drive-By Truckers for the first time soon after Isbell had joined the group. Epic. Seeing Alejandro Escovedo for the first time. Indescribable for me. Those were great moments and there were many for me, but without a doubt, the one artist I saw more than any other while living there was a Beaumont guy named Jesse Dayton. To this day, I can't say I've seen many other artists who have both his natural gift for performance and his technical prowess. The guy is a smoking guitar player (look into his resume of studio work), a true student of the game, and an amazing stage presence. I made every attempt to see him play whenever he was in Houston.

I met a girl down there, we hit it off, got serious, and I took her to a bunch of Jesse D shows. We started saying things like, "wonder if that guy would ever play a wedding?" So when we got around to getting married, we reached out and sure enough, Jesse and his band made the trek from Texas to South Carolina for a truly kick-ass wedding, prior to which we had parents saying "Who the hell is this guy, and why don't you just get a good old fashioned wedding covers band..." It took about 30 seconds into the reception for them to know why we did it. Lost track of how many times since they've said, "We thought y'all were crazy, but that guy was amazing." Wedding, honky-tonks, bars, whatever...Jesse kills them all.

That wedding was 9 years ago today, so yeah, the timing of your piece yesterday was really something and provided us a great jaunt down the ol' memory lane through South Carolina and way back down to H-Town. Thanks.

Cheers,
Nick Nichols
Chattanooga, TN
_________________________________

Subject: Fwd: Release Radar Notables

Dear Bob,

I've been running around all day, getting ready to get back out on the road -- and I couldn't figure out why my phone was blowing up. A friend forwarded me your column, and I couldn't believe it.

My whole mission since releasing NEW CITY BLUES has been to try to play great shows, connect with people through these songs -- and one by one, build an audience. I am always blown away when someone like you, who knows so much about music, comes out of the blue like this! But man, when I get in the van tonight, I'm going to be smiling, because it feels like all the miles are starting to work.

All the artists I admire -- from Led Zeppelin to Ralph Stanley to Steve Earle -- did it this way. If you ever want to come to a show, let us know. I have a killer band, and I love for people to hear them do what makes all of this so special.

Thanks

Aubrie Sellers
_________________________________

Subject: Re: Mailbag

A hit has many fathers.

A stiff is a stone fucking orphan.

Mike Bone
_________________________________

From: Brady Steel
Subject: Re: The ER

Tricia told me about Felice- I hope she's healed quickly!

There's a Vons where Glendale and Alvarado split. And parked on the side of that Vons is an EXCEPTIONALLY good taco truck called Taco Zone. I'd heard of it before, but didn't know quite where it was until Sunday night. When I discovered that it's a block off of the path I've been taking to get home from work for the last 15 years.

So I went into the vons and got some beers, and went out and ordered tacos al pastore and a suadero mulita. Have you ever had a mulita? I hadn't. Had never heard of one. It's a cross between a street taco and a quesadilla, filled with creamy cheese and brisket. And it's freaking AMAZING.

I'm sitting there on the tailgate of my truck at midnight on a Sunday, drinking beer from a styrofoam cup and eating these amazing tacos. I almost cried, Bob. I felt that exact feeling of belonging, of oneness, that you described. I love the opportunities this city has afforded me.

We need to go there together.
_________________________________

From: Katie Bradford
Subject: Re: Benjy's Late

Dear Bob: I have a court reporting business with 12 subcontractors. Everyone who
works for me I tell them the same thing when they start: "The only thing I care about is reliability. If you are reliable, I can teach you everything else." And the only people who don't make it with me are people who are unreliable - they don't turn in their work on time, constantly have personal problems that means they aren't working the way they should!!

Howard is right again.

Katie B. in Portlandia
_________________________________

Re: Kanye
My name is Josh Berman, and I'm the label manager at Loma Vista Recordings. While I agree with some of the sentiments the other Josh Berman wrote about, namely that Kanye brought an artistry back to hip hop that was seriously lacking in the early 00's and deserves respect, I would not have worded it quite as strongly or negatively against you ... and I know which Beatle married Yoko Ono! So many people have reached out to me in the last week to both praise and/or chastise me for my sentiments to you RE: Kanye (and fucking up the John vs Paul thing), so, I would very much appreciate you clarifying that I am not that Josh Berman who wrote you about Kanye.

Many Thanks,

Josh Berman
Loma Vista Recordings
_________________________________

Subject: Re: Final Kanye

Bob, Publishing the thoughts of people who think Kanye's music is trash is akin to publishing the thoughts of people who don't believe in climate change. Sure everyone is entitled to an opinion, but some opinions are demonstrably false. Music is obviously subjective, but Kanye has a massive fan base and is a longtime critical darling precisely because many believe his music is incredible and groundbreaking. People criticizing him in your last email are mostly criticizing hiphop itself rather than specifically critiquing Kanye. He is not the best technical rapper but people who care deeply about hiphop and are knowledgeable about it tend to think his music is important. I think he has had a string of great albums rarely matched in music history for longevity. But I think a lot of critics are also saying I don't like Kanye thus I dislike his music. That's normal but many of us are forgetting that Kanye is in mourning. Most of the things people point to as obnoxious happened when he was in mourning for a mom who he believes he had a part in killing. He's dealing with an intense personal tragedy and the lack of understanding and empathy is breathtaking. But why there's such active hatred of him is bizarre to me. If you don't like him, don't listen to his music. I, like many who love hiphop, will continue to eagerly await his next release as he remains one of the most interesting thinkers in modern music.

TOURÉ
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Man this really bums me out. I randomly met Steve at Dave Grohl's Birthday show at the Forum...We happened to sit next each other...incredibly nice guy..kept in touch from time to time afterwards...Very sad news.

Jeff Fioretti
_________________________________

From: Jerry Greenberg
Re: Steve Backer

Holy shit. Saw him about a month or so ago. He was my daughters camp head at laurel woods Live every day Jer

P.S. Steve went to the same high school as myself. He called me to do a interview for the high school newspaper as I was now Pres of Atlantic Records I could tell during that interview his love for music, people and desire to get into the business. We met again when we were both at Sony and had some great times together. I saw him a few months ago and we talked about the good times we had together. A great guy who will b missed.
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

I'm very sorry to hear about Steve I had the pleasure of working with him several times throughout my Label Career

Mostly while I worked for CBS Records and Epic Records He was good people

Kevin F. Sutter
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

This one hit me hard too. Steve was truly one of us; he wasn't some rock star where their passing just marks the passage of time. You said it right, "if Steve is gone I can be gone too."Steve was a constant even if you didn't see him that often or weren't that close to him. Whenever I'd run into him on the street or at the Soho House where he basically lived for the last two years, he always bounded out of his seat with a huge embracing smile on his face as if you had just made his day. And he was truly interested on what you're doing like he got energy from hearing about it and he knew how to make you feel genuinely appreciated.

It's sad to think about never having the chance to have the experience of just being around Steve again. I didn't even realize he was ill and that makes it even worse because of course you'd have wanted to be there for him to help him if you had known. Or at least tell him how much people loved him.

Another sad reminder of Warren Zevon's advice: "Enjoy every sandwich"...

Fred Goldring
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Steve was one of the good guys, we spent time together when Alice was on Epic, and occasionally afterwards. Way too soon, and that looks so trite when i type it. Bob, we can raise a glass in his memory tomorrow night in Aspen.

Toby Mamis
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Look at my album of the day:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNsJTKzDHzISM6Y6RgyKoxSTk8vS_5jM5fxz7E0/?utm_source=phplist5661&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Mailbag

Marc Reiter
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Holy shit! I am in Paris at a work dinner. He gave me my first label gig with Irving. How the fuck did he die? I am so sad! Please tell me what happened

John Boyle
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

wonderful tribute to a wonderful man.

he was always a pleasure to deal with.

thanks bob

halloran
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

That's such a great representation of the Steve Backer I knew.
Hadn't seen him for 20 years but sad he's gone.

Richard Griffiths
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

It was the summer of 1997 and The Enclave was being closed down by EMI. We'd blown through about 20 million in two years without much to show for it. Fluffy? Everyone was scrambling for new positions. Steve was our VP Marketing. I was the VP Business Affairs. He called me into his office. Turns out his friends at Hits had turned him on to a position on the west coast, heading up the LA office of a major publishing company, I think it was EMI, I can't remember. Anyway, he sits me down and tells me about this opportunity. Then came a question I'll never forget. "So Steven, tell me again exactly what a mechanical royalty is." I smiled. Because I knew Steve would become a fine publisher. He was a people person. People gravitated towards him. The details could come later. Can't believe he's gone so soon.

Steven Ehrlick
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Thank you for writing about Backer. I have been struggling with this all day. I started with Epic Records with him. Oh did we have fights about working the Spin Doctors. Backer loved his Alt bands, but it was a hit and he had to go to MTV with the video. He went and the rest is history. As soon as he saw me coming down the hall he ran from me. It was for sure a crazy time for all of us. But I loved every minute of it. I'm so glad we stayed friends right up until this moment. I know Steve and Polly Anthony are having a great glass of wine in Heaven.

RIP BACKER

LAURA J CURTIN
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

I met Backer when he was working for Irving's Giant Records and I was at Billboard. What a character and good person! I wanted to work for him and made it known and finally ended up at Sire! Steve was the epitome of the yenta record rep. Oi, how you could not play this record? Have you not heard of Big Mountain?

To think about Steve and so many others passing at young ages and me getting to an age where things just aren't as easy as they used to be (and the trips to the doctor are certainly more frequent as well) disturbs in the way it's brought to light by you.

Very kind tribute to a good man!

Best wishes and to your continued good health!

Gary Nuell
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

When we were both at EMI Music Publishing he was in NYC 1 day.
I had a 5 pm Therapy session on
Broadway and 88th.
He met me with bagels and lox
And we sat on those benches on the
Island on Broadway that separates
The uptown and downtown sides
Talked music for 2 hours.
I'll miss him.

Neil Lasher
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Well done.
He was a good soul.
Miss him.
Used to call him "Shecky" -- it fit him so well.
This getting old business is way over rated.
Steve's passing is just another reminder to stop... . open your eyes and realize the glory of life.
Oh well, back to polishing images........

Larry Solters
_________________________________

From: Michael Creamer
Re: Steve Backer

Backer was the man... I hadn't been in LA in a few years but was fortunate enough to be there in mid October for a sold out Letters To Cleo show at the Troubadour. He showed up early and we spent a good 20-30 minutes catching up on my kids and his real estate moves in Cali. He was a little itchy to see the band but they were all arriving at different times. Now I wonder if he knew he was sick. I took him up to the dressing room shortly after and the next time I saw him I was making room for him in the VIP area which he demanded HA....He skipped out before the encore and now I wish I had seen him for that 1 more minute. He promised to introduce me to a someone in the coming days and as always he delivered... He was one of the great connectors and I am sure his real estate clients would say he was a great salesman.. I am going to miss being able to see him from a far and just yelling out his name BACKAH...

I first met him in the mid 90's when the band was being courted by a # of labels, he was the GM at Giant, we had already won over Jeff Aldridge who was the A&R guy but they sent Backer out to see the band in Boston.. The band was young and on top of their game, they had worked hard and the pieces were coming together and the payoff was in reach....But being from New England there is always that sense of we got this far but there is still time to fuck it up.....We had to get his stamp of approval to get signed. What attracted Steve to the band and vis versa was that cutting New England sarcasm that only people who have grown up in New England can understand and appreciate. Outsiders think your being a dick...We looked at him as this fancy LA guy but once we started sassing him he gave it right back, it was on from there.

I think at that point in his life he had lived in LA for a while and the edge he grew up with was mellowed by the sun in LA.... He really enjoyed the attitude and making fun of people and ourselves. He told me later on when the band had signed with Giant that our first meeting had reminded him of his friends on the east coast which he missed but was always in contact with them...pre internet.

I always busted him that Connecticut wasn't part of New England it was just that shitty stretch of land that separated the Sox/yankees fans from killing each other.

Another one of the good guys..Gone but not forgotten...

As he would say

CREMAH
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Thank you for paying your respects to Steve Backer. I hope you won't mind if I do the same.

In 1994, my band Letters To Cleo signed a record deal with Irving Azoff's Giant Records. By the standards of those freewheeling days in the 90's music business, Giant was a boutique label with a small artist roster and a staff that took calls personally. It was a perfect fit for us and we landed our first (and only) Top 40 hit within 6 months of signing there.

If Irving was the evil genius of the operation, his GM Steve Backer was the enforcer. Equal parts fearsome boss man, relentless marketer, and your favorite uncle, Steve inspired confidence not only that he knew what he was doing but that he cared about what he was doing. Being kids in a band from Boston, we were pretty naive about the music business. I was unaware that the people at the label were supposed to be "THE ENEMY" and it was because of Steve and his leadership at Giant (along with our A+R man Jeff Aldrich) that our band had a significantly different experience in the 90's than that of many of our peers. Steve talked to us like grownups, listened to our songs, gave good feedback, and truly seemed to love his job.

Last month, Letters To Cleo released new music for the first time in 17 years and played a handful of US dates. 6 weeks ago, on October 22, I walked into the Troubadour in LA about an hour before our set. On my way backstage, Cleo manager Michael Creamer shouted to me, "Backer's upstairs!"

"WHAT? Steve Backer? Holy shit!"

And he was. Holy shit.

The whole band got to talk to him and catch up. I was thrilled and not the least bit surprised to learn that he'd switched careers and was killing it in the real estate world in Beverly Hills and beyond. (By the way, he didn't tell me he was "killing it" - we became FB friends the next day and I studied up.) After nearly 20 years, I instantly felt the same affection for him that I did when I was a wide eyed kid from Boston sitting in his office learning how to navigate the crazy new world I was in. I got to introduce him to my kids Zoe Mabel and Henry and fumbled for the words to explain to them how important he was to us. To me.

He gave me his card and we promised to make plans to have lunch. When I got home, i put his card on my bedside table and for a reason that I cannot explain, there it remains.

With Steve's passing, I am reminded of a million things but what stands out the most, the lesson that I never even knew he gave me, is that when you are in a position of power, as a teacher or a parent or an executive or a politician, being kind and maintaining respect do not have to be at odds.

Steve Backer was an awesome guy. I'm real happy you thought so, too.

Yours,

Kay Hanley

ps - love getting your letter even when you make me want to strangle you :)
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Thank you Bob. Backer would have loved this so much.

Jody Gerson
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Always, Bob, as we will do in Aspen. Great remembrance of a great man.

Mark Kates
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Bob - reading this is how I found out. I'm still trying to get details. I'm absolutely stunned. Steve was the guy you just were glad to see. No mater what bullshit he was throwing at you (a truly great salesman, he was) it was the almost paternal grin he gave you, the wink, the nod that said "Don' worry, Uncle Steve will take care of it." I loved to watch him work a room - like an artist. At our Christmas party he'd greet me with "Bubbela!", hug me then ask who he needed to meet. And I never had a problem introducing him to anyone, because he just had that way of making people smile, even when they first met him. I remember him in the halls of Black Rock like a madman, and I remember going over to NEW with him to listen to stories from Vinnie. I was nobody but he was my pal and he took me wherever i asked him. And even though he moved to LA and took in a lot of what was around him, he was still that East Coast Jewish kid who loved rock 'n roll. It's very hard to think about this, that we won't have breakfast at Nate and Al's. That we won't hang out like two old Jews bullshitting about the good old days. As I prepare to say goodby to Tony Martel on Thursday, i think about all the Martel events Steve and I went to together. He was a mensch, someone who really meant it when he asked how you were doing.

He will not be forgotten. And will always be remembered with a smile.

Michael Reinert
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

I want to commend you for a great bit of writing on Steve. You have always written what I wished I had written, but that makes it easier for me. Like Steve, I have always been a guy behind the guy, whether he be am artist or business person. Your article articulates this perfectly. Thank you for the piece.

BILL DERN
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Hey Bob, I did not hear about Backer but reading your thoughts, it just it hit me hard.

I, like you had not seen Steve in awhile, but I had an instant connection when ever I saw him due to our first interaction and our the years spent in the business. Backer had a much bigger impact on me than most of the music biz people that you have two minute chats at the ASCAP Christmas party, Music Cares or a host of other events where the old school biz people and the youngsters mingle.

Steve Backer was the first record company person I ever met on my journey. It was in October,1983 at the CMJ Conference in NYC, and my friend Dave Margulies who mentored me through the WTUL (New Orleans) promotion director gig he had help me get, came up big again and secured me a pass to attend CMJ after I graduated from Tulane.

While all of my college friends went "back packing" in Europe in the summer as their college graduation presents, I got a hot down, summer in the city job as a porter/doorman at a Park Avenue high rise to save up money to hustle up an internship. As I did not have an uncle in the business I figured I had a war chest so I could work for free to try to get into the coveted music business.

As I was washing my hands in bathroom at CMJ, Backer powered through the door in a suit and loafers. As he pulled up to the sink to wash his hands he said "how you doing kid." We struck up a conversation at the sink and I found myself not intimidated by him at all. Backer came across as a total mensch and when I told him I had just graduated and wanted to get into the record business he pulled out his card and invited me to come up to his office at Black Rock (Sony) to meet. I didn't think people in the business actually did that with wanna' be's.

As I was standing outside the bathroom, card in hand, I thought to myself, he will never take the call. It turned out with Backer I was dead wrong as when I called his office later on that day, his assistant puts me on hold and comes back on a minute later (one of the longer minutes of my early biz life) and told me to come see Steve later the next morning.

My first visit to any record company, let alone Sony in the salad days of the business! It was an eye opener that made me realize that, MAYBE I could be one of the chosen people with the right drive and a few hook ups.

My time spent with Backer was my light bulb moment, a great lesson in who and what I wanted to do/be in the business. Backer was funny, charming and he gave me great insight into how hard I would have to have to work in the business. Some of the same life lessons I teach my students as an Adjunct at American University. He told me it wasn't a job but a lifestyle that you had to choose to live.

After the meeting I went back to CMJ and walked into an elevator to go upstairs. While in that elevator I met a woman named Gayle Miller who worked with the BBC Radio in America (thank you Gayle.) After chatting for awhile she gave me her card and and when I followed up and she offered me an internship at Radio Wavelength, the company she worked at in Bronxville, N.Y. Living at home in Staten Island, I realized I would have to commute two hours by mass transit, each way, every day to get there. I called Steve right away and asked him about it. Of course Backer knew Gayle and he said she was great and grab the internship.

I think his quote was something like "what's four hours a day commuting if for the other eight, you are blessed to talk about music"
I never forgot those words to live by! So on my birthday Nov, 3, 1983 I started interning in the music biz and in January 1984 they hired me, and I have somehow been making a living between record companies, music supervision, producing films and now directing ever since. As I sit here editing my first film, thinking back I remember meeting Backer like it was yesterday (and today you know how hard it can be to even remember what you did yesterday)

As I teach/ mentor my students, I always reference Backer as one of the first guys who ever gave me the time of day and how important that is for people to do so, to complete the circle of life in this biz where giving back is not always the first priority.

RIP Backer! Thanks for the early assist in putting me on the road. You will be missed!

Jonathan McHugh
_________________________________

Re: Steve Backer

Hi, Bob:

I too was shocked and saddened by Steve's passing. He was a friend. We were the same age, so yeah, the sadness bumps into my own self-centered realization about mortality. But that's not the main/first thing that triggered me when I heard about Steve's passing. There's something that happened between Steve and I that I will never forget.

When I was a struggling manager, trying to (re)start my career in the '90s, I happened to randomly luck into being invited to a private music industry poker game that was originally started by Andy Gershon, Ton Sturges, Chuck Lavallee and Mark Williams. I became a regular player, and it was through this game that I was able to form and establish many of the key relationships in the the music business, as well as real friendships, that helped me grow as a human and as an entertainment professional. Guys like Andy Gould, Rick Sales, Richard Bishop, Marc Pollack, Michael Oppenheim, and especially Jeff Kwatinetz and Dennis Lavinthal, without whose direct intercession and help I would not have the career that I have today.

But in my eyes, Steve Backer made it all possible, by dint of one event that transpired one evening during one of our regular poker games.

Back in those days, the labels and publishers were still flush, minting money, the execs were often taking limos, and, occasionally, joining us as guests at our game. It was our unwritten rule that the guest exec would pick up the tab for dinner at the game, and if we didn't have a visiting exec, we'd take turns picking up the check. The total was usually two to three hundred dollars, which, for me, was literally my life savings. I was barely hanging on financially, trying to get my start, here I was, playing with the "big boys", but it was kinda ok because one could play in this game all night for less than a hundred bucks as long as you were fairly judicious. AND as long as I didn't get stuck with the dinner check too often, as three hundred dollars could literally be the difference between eating or starving that month. I was definitely playing on a level way over my pay grade, as it were, I was starting to form meaningful connections and relationships, and it was very important to me (well, my fear-driven ego, anyway) that I be seen as a "player", an equal, and be able to (appear to) carry my own weight. The room was heavy, the testosterone ran rampant, and was definitively not cuddles 'n puppies. I was scared, I was in over my head, I was nervous, but I thought it critical to my career that I be perceived as an equal by that group.

One night our regular place was booked, and we had to find an alternate location for the game that would also be able to serve us dinner. A now-defunct restaurant on Robertson called Luna Park was chosen. That night, we had no visiting exec, and the guys decided it was my turn to buy, as I'd managed to evade the check for a good while. As the end of the night approached, the check was placed on the table, it was nonchalantly pushed toward me, I opened the folder and.....the total was over $1,100.00.

These guys were definitely NOT going to take mercy on me - maybe my own self-centered fear told me that, or maybe I just thought my whole charade about being a "player", and a professional equal, was about to get blown to smithereens. I went white, blanched, then turned, I'm sure, a bright red. I had maybe four hundred bucks to my name, one maxed-out credit card, and absolutely no way to pay the bill or explain my way out of it. Point, set, match, and career stature over. I was literally shaking.

Steve Backer was sitting next to me, noticed my gut reaction (which I was desperately trying to contain) and saw the panic in my eyes and now-slightly-trembling hands. Very nonchalantly, Steve reached over, slammed the folder shut, grabbed it out of my hands, and said, "Tonight's on me, boys, I'm Exec VP of EMI and some important business was discussed here tonight."

Steve knew I was in over my head, his company published my then-only client Tal Bachman, he knew what was at stake for me, he knew I didn't have that kind of dough, and he completely saved me from a very embarrassing, awkward and potentially career-damaging situation, one for which I had no out.

He never said a word to any of the other guys, played it off completely as if I'd never seen the check, and never mentioned a word about it to a soul. In fact, up until this moment I've never shared that story except with a few intimate friends, and of course, with Steve, repeatedly. I never forgot it, never forgot what he did for me, how he so quickly and instantly took decisive action to help me, with absolutely no ulterior motive or angle for himself.

I loved Steve Backer for that, and for a hundred other times he helped me, advised me, took me into his confidence and many other acts of kindness - I will never forget that kindness, and what he did for me that night. It's a great bar to shoot for in my own dealings with others, and probably the best I can do to help carry on Steve's legacy in my own small way.

Jeff Jampol

--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5661&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Mailbag
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5661&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Mailbag
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5661&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Mailbag

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5661&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Mailbag

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5661&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Mailbag

-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --

Steve Backer Dies

I don't like it when people I know die.

I was just sitting in my car, checking my email to see who abused me. That's the nature of life, being misunderstood. We yearn to be known, and the end result is we're not, we pass from this life, vanish into thin air, but our presence, our identity, had an impact upon others.

Backer went to Camp Laurelwood. That was our connection. And Connecticut. After you graduate from college, after you leave your hometown, it's threads like this that bond you. We weren't there at the same time, but we shared the experience. And every time I saw Steve he mentioned it to me.

The nature of the internet is it's addictive, so not being able to get off my iPhone, I decided to surf the web, to see what was up, and that's when I saw Steve's picture. He passed.

And suddenly there's a vortex, all the air inside you funnels out and you're confronted with your own mortality. Because if Steve is gone, I can be gone too.

And now
___________________________

And that's where I stopped last night, fearful my screed would be more about me than Steve.

Fifty eight is not young if you're twenty five.

But if you're closer to the end of the movie than the beginning, fifty eight is way before your time. It's after you've gotten comfortable in your skin, but before you've been able to lead the life you choose, which is what aging is all about, knowing you won't be here forever so you might as well forge your own path, it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks, as long as you're not breaking the law...

I hadn't seen Backer recently. The last time was about eighteen months ago, in Steve Rennie's backyard. At least I think it was there then, memories get hazy the more you have of them. And he was just the same, with that impish smile on his face, the intimate conversation, the feeling of camaraderie... That was the thing about Steve, even if you hadn't seen him for a long time there was no uncomfortableness, he acted like you were in constant contact.

He rode the music business rails to the end, the major label gigs dried up, he went indie and then he went into real estate, because a great salesman can sell anything, and those who've worked in the promotion end of things...are playing a game of musical chairs, but if their seat is stolen it doesn't matter, they'll find another.

Not that Backer exuded extreme confidence. That's what made you feel you knew him, the way he said he'd give it a shot. In Hollywood everybody's overbearing. Their record is the biggest, they're on their way to beating the world, they're the toppermost of the poppermost. But Backer could express reservations, could wonder what the future held, which is why...

Whenever I saw him the conversation did not end. There were no moments of uncomfortableness, we just jumped right in.

Not that he was a saint, none of us are, he was just another guy on the golden road, bitten by the music bug, and now he's gone.

And here we are left.

Time marches on, eventually you get back in the saddle, but the losses stay with you, the people who are gone live on in you mind in ways they cannot conceive. Think you're irrelevant? Just wait til you pass, people are gonna think about you all the damn time.

You don't want to be the last to go. I've seen that movie. You're ninety five, all your friends are gone, no one's around who experienced what you did...

But you don't want to leave the party early.

That's star talk, people who believe they're leaving a legacy, who think life is about image.

No one cares. No one. Scratch the surface of a famous artist and you'll find someone riddled with loneliness. Your heroes are the most confused.

But the everyday people, the unheralded ones, they keep this country going, they're the fabric of it. The ones you're relaxed around, that make you feel like you belong.

The emptiness is palpable. I've been off-kilter since getting the news.

Because we're a tribe, and every member counts, and when one disappears, you know eventually your turn will come.

But what will the fade-out look like? When will you give up running? When will you give up working? Will you don the hearing aids, will you struggle to stay hip and au courant, or will you accept your fate and fade away.

These are the questions baby boomers are now confronted with. They thought they'd live forever. But now the ranks are thinning, the baton's being passed, and they feel uncomfortable, they don't know what to do with themselves. They can go to Desert Trip to reconnect with what once was, then they look at the Grammy nominations and just don't care, it's an alternative universe. They remember when everybody listened to the radio and everybody knew the same songs and having a hit was anathema.

But maybe everybody believes they lived through the golden age.

Steve Backer was stopped too soon. He won't experience the twists and turns of aging. Which is a crime, even Pete Townshend really didn't hope to die before he got old.

But that's what's happening. We're gaining weight and shriveling with wrinkles.

But when we talk about what once was, whether it be Woodstock or Watkins Glen or WNEW...

There's a spark in our eye and a lilt in our voice that's infectious.

Steve Backer had that spirit.

We all do.

Keep yours burning, the light will go out before you know it, don't hesitate, follow your dream, keep on keepin' on.

It's all you can do.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5660&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Steve+Backer+Dies
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz?utm_source=phplist5660&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Steve+Backer+Dies
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1&utm_source=phplist5660&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Steve+Backer+Dies

If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5660&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Steve+Backer+Dies

To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25&utm_source=phplist5660&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Steve+Backer+Dies




-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --