"Birdhouse 'Saturdays' Official Trailer": http://bit.ly/2wRfaj8
It's what I moved to California for.
Once upon a time, skateboards had steel wheels. But then polyurethane came along and it changed the sport. I realized this in the parking lot at Mammoth Mountain in May of '75. One of the locals insisted I try his new board. Which I did, riding way down the parking lot. It was smooth, it was glorious, but it was a long hike back to where I started.
So I stepped off.
Don't ever do this.
You're going fast. The earth is stationary. You place your foot and you begin to tumble. Thank god I was still wearing my ski clothes, but the asphalt burned through my ski pants and my long underwear and I ended up with scrapes that took years to heal on my elbow and thigh.
I don't think I've been on a skateboard since.
But it was then that it all started. In the seventies. Skate culture. Of which the preeminent personality is Tony Hawk.
Now when I lived in Utah, we pooh-poohed the surfers. Because of their ethos. All you needed was a board and an ocean, no lift ticket, no clothing, except for maybe a wetsuit, and housing was not at a premium. Any time there was crime, we blamed it on the surfers, and this too often turned out to be true, and if caught red-handed they'd decamp in their Volkswagens for California, but surfers were the nicest guys around.
Skateboarding is even cheaper. The barrier to entry is nearly nonexistent. And it requires no ocean. So a whole culture burgeoned.
And it is this culture that I experienced last night at the Ace Theatre for the premiere of Tony Hawk's film "Saturdays."
People hate skaters. The noise. The way they scuff up pools and public works. But nothing can stop them. It's rebellion on the most basic level. Tell a skater no, and he just hears yes, it's a challenge to them. Wealth is not a determination of status. Everybody's equal, the main criterion is whether you can skate, and whether you can get along.
Everybody was friendly. Now that's kind of amazing in today's divided country. But skaters are all in it together, outside the mainstream, even though one can argue they are the mainstream, they're bonded together, by the sensation, by the thrill.
I'll admit enjoying Netflix.
But it's nothing like sports.
And I'm not talking about those team affairs, that youngsters age out of and oldsters follow with a fury, but individual events. Although there are ultimately competitions, it's really about a solo effort, what you experience. You don't have to be great to enjoy them, but the better you are the more thrilling it becomes, and you want to get better, and you want to be thrilled.
It's the sensation that makes me want to ski every day. The only thing I can compare it to is sex. Can you name one single thing that feels like sex? I can't. And I can't name one single thing that feels like skiing, sliding down a mountain at the limits of your experience, danger around every curve.
But the difference between skiing and skating is when you fall doing the former, you're on snow, when you take a dive doing the latter, you're on asphalt.
And the tricks they're performing in this flick are astounding. Not only riding down stairs, but jumping over them completely! All by faceless people unless...
You're part of the culture, and then you know everybody.
Tony came out with the team to introduce the movie. The applause was thunderous. Nobody was primped, this was not the Oscars, full of fakery, everybody came as they truly are. And after the hoots and hollers died down, the lights were dimmed and...
We saw what you see on YouTube. Only at the highest level. In a theatre in Los Angeles.
It's hard to explain L.A. It's a fluid culture where who you are and how you live is most important. And by talking about who you are I don't mean your job, that's secondary, but your identity. Are you fully-formed, are you enlightened, do you have your priorities in order. Watching "Saturdays" it was like income inequality didn't exist, no one was bitching they weren't making enough, even though Tony Hawk is one of the highest paid athletes in the nation.
But that's because people believe in him.
Tony wasn't told what to do. He developed on his own. And he's got no airs, no attitude, he treats the wannabe and the star the same. Who wouldn't be drawn to him?
But he wasn't the only star of the flick.
Actually, one of the biggest stars was a woman, Lizzie Armanto, who was the only one wearing knee pads and a helmet other than Tony himself. She's riding the pool and you don't say Lizzie is good for a girl, she's just plain GOOD!
And there are tricks and antics and even stars.
That's right, Andy Samberg and Jason Sudeikis, David Spade in his "Joe Dirt" mullet. Even Amanda Palmer playing the ukulele. You see everybody in the know is in the know. It's a secret society.
And the secret society was in attendance. Because if it was open to the public it would be shut down, by the horde who just want to get closer...
And Mark Mothersbaugh was there, he and Tony posed in Devo flower pot hats and...
I'm thinking how it can only happen here, in L.A. Where the fringe is de rigueur, where it's three hours behind New York and no one cares.
So Tony Hawk is living every boy's fantasy. That's right, we dream of playing for the Yankees, making a living as an athlete. I tried, I was filmed doing a spread eagle off the cornice of Wipeout at Mammoth, but I dropped out.
But I never lost the urge. I never lost the desire. Hell, I have a friend who's a concert promoter who skis every day during the winter and surfs in the summer when he's not out with the biggest band in the world. You see you just cannot get over it. You can tell yourself otherwise. But when you see Tony and his posse doing their tricks, all you can do is sit there as your jaw drops and say...I WANT TO DO THAT TOO!
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Saturday, 26 August 2017
Friday, 25 August 2017
Taylor Tickets
Just charge what the tickets are worth.
But no, rather than admit she's into the money, she's gonna bankrupt wannabes who are not gonna be able to sit in the good seats no matter what, because those are reserved for those who are connected, who oftentimes resell them, which is why if you want to sit up close and personal you pay more on StubHub, the fair market value of the tickets.
This is a tone-deaf scam. This upselling with a theoretical benefit.
I thought the Adele album was the last hurrah of physical. But Swift is trying to squeeze one more in before the whole paradigm crashes and we all go to streaming. Hell, she knows it, which is why she put all her albums up on Spotify.
In case you missed the memo, and it's hard to, since today has been all Taylor Swift all day, she's dominated the news, and I wouldn't say in a good way, remember the days of the underplay, when you were already a household name? Well, Taylor Swift has perfected the OVERPLAY! Banging us over the head to pay attention.
So the story is, if you buy more Taylor Swift crap you get a better chance of getting a ticket. And if you want to know how it really works, you can read the terms here:
https://tickets.taylorswift.com/programterms
Only a tween would take the time, and many are gonna be frustrated and angry when they lay down dough and find out they're closed out. Parents will be up in arms, we've seen this movie with Miley Cyrus before, all because Taylor Swift is greedy. How could she get it so right at the trial and so wrong here? This is a naked dash for cash, an effort to sell albums so she can publicize how successful she is, as if it all matters, as if anybody can equal the stature and ubiquity of the classic rock acts, whether it be the vaunted Beatles or the Stones who never sold albums but can still sell out stadiums today.
I thought it was supposed to be about message, wasn't that supposed to eclipse money?
But that was back before the music business was hollowed out and no one could make the money of techies or bankers, even though they all tried to, loving the perks. Hell, even Taylor Swift plays privates. Is NO in her vocabulary?
And this whole ticket promotion leaves a bad taste in consumers' mouths. Hell, they're pissed off enough when they can't get tickets, now you're gonna charge them and they're still not gonna get in?
The backlash has already begun:
"People Have Feelings About How Taylor Swift Is Trying To Change The Way We Buy Concert Tickets - 'Me showing Taylor my empty bank account after buying tour tickets and all of her new merch: look what you made me do.'": https://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/people-have-feelings-about-how-taylor-swift-is-trying-to?utm_term=.ickJM7m9NJ#.rbQp5l61Pp
Expect aw shucks Swift to take out her dagger and crucify Buzzfeed, all the news outlets out to get her, hell, she had a problem with "fake news" long before Trump. But the way you succeed when you're on top is to take yourself out of the game, which is the opposite of Taylor's endeavors. She wants coverage, she wants photos, delivering gifts with camera crews, shooting snaps at her holiday party, did Swift learn nothing in her hiatus?
No, she's a MEAN GIRL! Yup, a hypocritical bully who seems to believe she's been done wrong, just like the Donald, they both won but somehow that's not enough for them.
And both are living in a bubble far removed from reality.
If I were Taylor I'd take a cue from Rivers Cuomo, who famously went back to college in the middle of Weezer's career. She needs to have her horizons broadened, she's been blinded by the spotlight, she needs not only personal development, but education, points of reference, she has to learn we're all not measured by the monetary yardstick.
And I wouldn't be surprised if once the mainstream press gets ahold of this Taylor capitulates. It's almost a Ponzi scheme, but in this case you buy stuff you don't really want for a chance to get what you do want, tickets, but you can't get. The longer this charade exists, the worse it's gonna be for her.
You've got to pay attention to Taylor Swift for the same reason you pay attention to Trump, because she captures the zeitgeist, she's a reflection of us back upon ourselves, she's evidence of how far off the rails we've gone.
It's time to get back to the garden.
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But no, rather than admit she's into the money, she's gonna bankrupt wannabes who are not gonna be able to sit in the good seats no matter what, because those are reserved for those who are connected, who oftentimes resell them, which is why if you want to sit up close and personal you pay more on StubHub, the fair market value of the tickets.
This is a tone-deaf scam. This upselling with a theoretical benefit.
I thought the Adele album was the last hurrah of physical. But Swift is trying to squeeze one more in before the whole paradigm crashes and we all go to streaming. Hell, she knows it, which is why she put all her albums up on Spotify.
In case you missed the memo, and it's hard to, since today has been all Taylor Swift all day, she's dominated the news, and I wouldn't say in a good way, remember the days of the underplay, when you were already a household name? Well, Taylor Swift has perfected the OVERPLAY! Banging us over the head to pay attention.
So the story is, if you buy more Taylor Swift crap you get a better chance of getting a ticket. And if you want to know how it really works, you can read the terms here:
https://tickets.taylorswift.com/programterms
Only a tween would take the time, and many are gonna be frustrated and angry when they lay down dough and find out they're closed out. Parents will be up in arms, we've seen this movie with Miley Cyrus before, all because Taylor Swift is greedy. How could she get it so right at the trial and so wrong here? This is a naked dash for cash, an effort to sell albums so she can publicize how successful she is, as if it all matters, as if anybody can equal the stature and ubiquity of the classic rock acts, whether it be the vaunted Beatles or the Stones who never sold albums but can still sell out stadiums today.
I thought it was supposed to be about message, wasn't that supposed to eclipse money?
But that was back before the music business was hollowed out and no one could make the money of techies or bankers, even though they all tried to, loving the perks. Hell, even Taylor Swift plays privates. Is NO in her vocabulary?
And this whole ticket promotion leaves a bad taste in consumers' mouths. Hell, they're pissed off enough when they can't get tickets, now you're gonna charge them and they're still not gonna get in?
The backlash has already begun:
"People Have Feelings About How Taylor Swift Is Trying To Change The Way We Buy Concert Tickets - 'Me showing Taylor my empty bank account after buying tour tickets and all of her new merch: look what you made me do.'": https://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/people-have-feelings-about-how-taylor-swift-is-trying-to?utm_term=.ickJM7m9NJ#.rbQp5l61Pp
Expect aw shucks Swift to take out her dagger and crucify Buzzfeed, all the news outlets out to get her, hell, she had a problem with "fake news" long before Trump. But the way you succeed when you're on top is to take yourself out of the game, which is the opposite of Taylor's endeavors. She wants coverage, she wants photos, delivering gifts with camera crews, shooting snaps at her holiday party, did Swift learn nothing in her hiatus?
No, she's a MEAN GIRL! Yup, a hypocritical bully who seems to believe she's been done wrong, just like the Donald, they both won but somehow that's not enough for them.
And both are living in a bubble far removed from reality.
If I were Taylor I'd take a cue from Rivers Cuomo, who famously went back to college in the middle of Weezer's career. She needs to have her horizons broadened, she's been blinded by the spotlight, she needs not only personal development, but education, points of reference, she has to learn we're all not measured by the monetary yardstick.
And I wouldn't be surprised if once the mainstream press gets ahold of this Taylor capitulates. It's almost a Ponzi scheme, but in this case you buy stuff you don't really want for a chance to get what you do want, tickets, but you can't get. The longer this charade exists, the worse it's gonna be for her.
You've got to pay attention to Taylor Swift for the same reason you pay attention to Trump, because she captures the zeitgeist, she's a reflection of us back upon ourselves, she's evidence of how far off the rails we've gone.
It's time to get back to the garden.
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Mailbag-Logic/Swift/Warren
LOGIC:
On my way to SoHo House West Hollywood while reading this...how appropriate. How even more invigorating to read about Chris & Harrison who have been nothing short of THE BEST since the day I met them. Within the first 10 minutes you can tell if people "get it" in this business...I think it took about 6 before we agreed to work together. Or rather PARTNER. Because I've shot them opportunities and vise versa and you know what has *NEVER* gotten mentioned Bob... COMMISSION!! Imagine that. No splits, no 20% of this or that because the next generation (call it naive if you want) works off karma and hustle. Because if you got me, I got you. They didn't name it Visionary Music Group for nothing.
Hope to see you (perhaps at SoHo House!) soon Bob!
Kim Kaupe
Co-Founder, ZinePak
_______________________________________________
Could not agree more and Chris and Harry. Got to know them well over the last couple years...both of their clients have played Gov Ball, and Logic in 3 yrs went from playing at 3pm in 2014 to headlining one of the outdoor stages this year. They 'get it' and have the natural instincts of managers twice their age. Great guys through and though...thanks, Jordan Wolowitz
_______________________________________________
Chris Zarou is the best audience building manager in the business, period! He can take an artist like Logic or Jon Bellion from 200 to 500 to 1000 to 2500 to 5000 cap rooms without any radio airplay and make it look easy. Not to mention, both Chris and Harrison are mensches. They remember who believed early and ALWAYS make the extra effort to do right by them. I am fortunate to have met Chris early in Jon Bellion's career and since then he has put my name on the list for every Bellion & Logic show in LA. These are the good guys! Thanks for writing about them
David Silberstein
Mega House Music
_______________________________________________
Love this story about Chris Zarou. Reminds me of my late business partner, Bill Aucoin who not only managed Kiss, but financed their first tours on his American Express card. Badasses always find a way to get it done.
He also insisted I subscribe to your newsletter (back in the fax days!).
BTW, Bill Aucoin should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Onward and Upward,
Chris J. Keaton
_______________________________________________
Of course Chris manages Jon Bellion too! It only makes sense. I got to see Jon play Exit In in Nashville about a week after his current "first" album released. I still can't tell you if he can sing live, because the entire sold out audience, of which I was one of maybe 10 people over 21, sang every single word of every song along with him. It was a cult. And it was breathtaking.
-
Jeffrey James
_______________________________________________
Love this.....I took my son Jonah (14yrs) to see Logic in S.F 3-4 weeks ago. He asked me to take him...great show.
Joel Gomez
_______________________________________________
Baba Booey graduated from Adelphi!
Dan Millen
_______________________________________________
Fucking great! Thanks for sharing!
I know logic and chris bc I did a collab record with logic, big gigantic and my client ROZES.
Keep it up bob!
Paul Mencel
_______________________________________________
Nothing to do with hunger and passion, they just knew how kids consume music these days. Every suburban high school boy is obsessed with Logic and Jon Bellion. They don't care about record labels, etc, they create a playlist in sound cloud and listen over Wi-Fi on their phone. They don't even download it....that's old school. Nicole Skyer, Marlboro, NJ
_______________________________________________
I curated talent direction for the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour, and fought hard to book Logic - the Under Pressure tour - which went out to Europe.
I did it because the music was great and the brand they were building cared about the community it had garnered. I had watched the incremental growth over years from just a bunch of college kids making music in the basement. They had the same energy and scrappiness/resourcefulness that startups have in the early stages.
I'm proud to have helped catalyze the transition into a more global tour and I'm still just as much of a supporter of Bobby, Jon, Chris and Harrison.
Looking forward to watching them grow and evolve even more as the audience and community gets bigger.
I love reading your takes on the industry's history and what owe homage to. But thanks for writing about the future as well.
Ryan Gill
_______________________________________________
Bob,
I absolutely loved reading this.
Chris & Harry are killers and are leading the way along with a bunch of other great innovative young managers in shaping the future music landscape. Guys like Chris, Harry, Pat Corcoran and a bunch of
others, have incredible visions for the long game in the new music space.
Smaller & leaner teams, better splits over big advances. And as you said, the real key, understanding that audience comes first.
With social media and the power of music discovery online now, it really is an even playing field, where the new guys with fresh ideas can equally rule.
Glad you were able to shed some light on Chris & Harry. We young appreciate it... and as you're now seeing, some of us really do read The Lefsetz Letter still :-)
- Andrew Gertler
_______________________________________________
I LOVE Logic.
He sold out 2 nights at The Greek last month. And he said the future of his music is not rap. He wrote and performed a ballad, and wow'd the audience with "Things Will Never Be The Same." It's beautiful. Take a look/listen:
https://www.facebook.com/FanseeApp/videos/1823617774331617/
David Appelbaum
_______________________________________________
Hi Bob. This one about Chris made me smile …
When I was 24 I quit my first job out of college in Florida working for a prestigious money manager to move out to LA with no job lined up but plans to become a "music manager." I did a year at WMA while hustling an unsigned hip-hop group from the mailroom, doing deals in the bathroom stall, and faxing promoters offer sheets in between offer sheets for The Killers and Blake Shelton. One day, one of the other assistants who knew I was managing tipped me to manager assistant position at Frontline. I got the job from a stack of hundreds of resumes. Did a year there and learned more from sitting outside Irving's office than I did from the manager I assisted. But one day outta the blue the manager let me go. No explanation other than something about wanting an executive assistant and not someone who actually wanted to become a manager. I was crushed. But I had my side hustle going and truly believed in it. We started a company to release our music because the industry didn't care about hip-hop back in 2007-2009. I took unemployment and pushed on. Even ran out of money. Then one day we got a call from Peanut Butter Wolf and the rest is history. The DJ in that hip-hop group was Mayer Hawthorne. It was a crazy time (and a crazy story how it even happened). From the press, to the labels, to the trends Mayer popularized, to the celebs shouting him out, and everything in between and beyond … the whole journey was about learning by doing, and being smart while doing it.
Best,
Jeff Klein
Co-founder/Managing Partner A-Side Worldwide (2007 - 2017)
_______________________________________________
Hello Bob,
My name is Chas and I'm starting this fall at Northeastern Univ. as a music industry major. I loved this piece. I remember the summer prior to this one I was at a summer program at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU. On some of the evenings they would bring in speakers from the music biz to come and talk to us, one of the nights they brought in Chris Zarou.....
I remember taking the elevator up to the room where the event was and in steps this one guy who's wearing Jordans, jeans, a plain white shirt (one of those crappy "Fruit of the Loom" type ones) and who's listening to music on his phone. I ignored him thinking that it's just some other kid from NYU coming to see Chris speak. We get to the room and I found out that that guy was actually Chris! I'm still pretty new to the biz and I had no idea what to expect but definitely something more along the lines of a middle aged dude in nice clothes, not a kid in Jordans. This taught me a big lesson that age and appearance doesn't matter as much as connections, knowledge, passion, and a big part of what you mentioned, hunger!! I remember him mentioning taking Def Jam's advance money for Logic and using it to bankroll a national tour. Again like you mentioned how Logic and Chris are hungry, I totally agree. To get ahead in the biz you really need to persevere. Using the advance dollars to go on tour is such a great example of what it takes to get ahead. They took a risk early and are now reaping the benefits (Logic's LP from this year just went gold I hear). Many artists take their advance dollars and don't really reinvest it in themselves. To be successful in the music biz in 2017 not only do you have to make great music, but you also have to be conscious about growing your fan base, brand, etc., something Logic/Chris are very mindful of.
Also, I totally agree with the part about Logic's lack of radio airplay. As the music biz moves more and more into the future, we're having difficulty separating ourselves from already established institutions that are becoming more and more irrelevant. Chris wasn't concerned about airplay because he knew that playlists were the future and it's where kids discover new music, and he's absolutely right! Also, the lack of airplay might be part of the explanation why Logic's debut LP was under shipped, very interesting. Maybe Logic will start to finally get airplay with his "1-800" single, which seems to pander to radio, but is still a really great song. A terrific music video came out for it very recently as well.
Also, I've noticed how well his past LP has been received by fans despite only mediocre reviews from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, etc. BUT WHO CARES. I don't know any of my friends who read these publications, despite the older generation of folks in the music biz still thinking that these publications are very relevant and that your average teenager reads them, which they don't. People love Logic because he makes music THAT MATTERS TO THEM. People love songs like "1-800" because they can relate to it and connect emotionally. Isn't that what making music is all about? ITS ABOUT CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE and Logic is terrific at it. Forget what bullish music publications say.
Thanks for your time,
-Chas Gilman
_______________________________________________
"WHO BOOKED THIS?
Some guy at an independent that no longer exists who is now at Paradigm. Although Logic is at WME. You see, you've got to start at the bottom, with people who are hungry and wet behind the ears just like you, they're interested, they want to make their bones with you."
Matt Adler is the "some guy" at an independent that no longer exists who is now at Paradigm. He got his start under Jesse Kirshbaum at NUE Agency (the independent that no longer exists) and he made 10x more money than the average 22-25yr old booking college shows while he was there.
Jesse and Adler hired me straight out of college. As a student, I bought all the concerts at University of Vermont and booked a handful of them through NUE. When they found out I was a college kid cutting deals with people like Peter Schwartz and Hunter Williams using jargon I picked up while interning for Sam Kirby at WME (she didn't even know I existed the entire summer), they immediately offered me to join the team. Adler is the reason I joined, he was young and having fun plus it sounded a hell of lot better than the mail room at CAA!
Adler started signing acts and quickly got into the hard-ticket game, routing tours across the country, meeting talent buyers in rooms of all sizes and taking care of the promoters and venues that took care of him. Adler could clear holds at any 300-1200cap venue because he wasn't burning bridges on every show like so many other agents. He made sure the promoters won, even if it took more than one time through a certain market - he was young but respected for this. Whether it's the reason Logic eventually left Adler, who knows. Artists don't always see how the sausage gets made and when they put pressure on the manager, firing your agent is a quick and easy fix - but Adler's at Paradigm now and simultaneously earning his MBA at NYU Stern.
Matt Adler will have the last laugh.
-Greg Ramey
P.S. NUE Agency (http://nueagency.com/) still exists but pivoted from a boutique booking agency into a branding/experience agency, connecting artists to Fortune 500 brands - they're cashing much bigger checks now.
_______________________________________________
Dear Bob,
Big fan, wanted to reach out.
I am the "wet behind the ears agent that booked that first tour". It's an honor to be mentioned.
Chris and Harrison are two smart managers. Two of the smartest, in fact.
That tour was a defining moment for us all.
Best,
Matt Adler
_______________________________________________
Thoughtful and great letter, representative of great people. We love Logic, Chris and Harrison and very grateful to be in business with them all…we actually represent Logic, not WME =)
Mac Clark | CAA
_______________________________________________
"Logic. I never write about him because a guy from the label has hammered me so hard on him. It's a people business. And when you come on like a bulldozer, it turns me off. Especially when all the data is up close and personal for you to see."
I only hammer when it's the real deal. There is no benefit in me hammering anyone on some wack, fabricated nonsense. You don't know me, but if you hear from me, it more than behooves you to pay attention.
Oh and Logic's "1.800" has been worked since May and is currently #3* @ Rhythm and T25 @ Top 40.
Thank you for the ink on one of the most important artists of this generation.
Noah Sheer
Def Jam Recordings
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
TAYLOR SWIFT:
The song is an album track at best. If I wrote it and sent to my manager he wouldn't even respond.
Danny Jay
_______________________________________________
Sadly I have to agree. If this was a release by any other artist it would be a middling result at best—it will only be through Taylor's name and fanbase that this song is dragged to the top of the charts. There is none of the pop magic that songs like Shake It Off, Style or We Are Never Getting Back Together had.
-Zach Ziskin
_______________________________________________
The first time I heard this song something very strange happened to me for the first time ever, and I don't think it was out of coincidence. I had no idea it was Taylor Swift's new single when it came on, and it was kind of in the background. The first ten seconds made me think, "Oh, Lorde has a new single out." Then twenty seconds later, "Wait, is this Katy Perry?" .. and then, "Lady Gaga is on this?" Is no one in the broader media going to point out the fact that Swift all but completely ripped off at least three of her competitors in trying to forge a "new identity"? It's painfully obvious.
Fuckin' pop music, man. It's disheartening.
Brian Frederick
_______________________________________________
Ugh I cannot be bothered to even listen, though at some point soon I'm sure I won't be able to avoid it
When I saw the stories about her viral stunt I groaned
When I saw the associated image of her, I groaned again.
Really, her again?
She's rich. She has the ability to go away. Evolve, do something true. But she remains self fixated, ego driven like all the rest of us.
Simultaneously dull & infuriating
Colleen Kenny LaRocque
_______________________________________________
Say what you want about Taylor but she is a force and a mega talent. This song though is a turkey with no meat, or dry as hell.
Tony Von Pervieux
_______________________________________________
In real life the sentence, "Look what you made me do," is one typically uttered by blamers, abusers and, generally, people unwilling to take responsibility for their actions. I'd love to ask her why, after creating a life fueled by self empowerment, she's taking this path. Seems out of character. The song later talks about getting smarter and rising up, but it's tough to get past that title.
Deb Wilker
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
DIANE WARREN:
I love Diane.
She's The greatest songwriter of her generation.
I love that she just keeps going.
Every so often she sends me a song she think I could use. Haven't taken one for years but she still sends them and I always listen the second it arrives. I know there will be another diamond one day.
You mentioned her old studio.
About 20 years ago I went round to see her and hear some songs. I accidentally knocked over a dusty pile of cassettes. I thought she was going to kill me!
Luckily she forgave me.
Does she still keep a parrot?
Richard Griffiths
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I am a producer of MARSHALL and I very much appreciated your thoughts on Diane Warren's wonderful song. She truly is a genius and her contribution to our movie cannot be overstated.
We believe that we have made a movie that is relevant and entertaining and I hope that you see MARSHALL when it opens on October 13th.
Sincerely,
Paula Wagner
_______________________________________________
Back in the late 70s, my partner Susan Pomerantz and I were having a congratulatory lunch at the Mexican restaurant on Sunset near Highland. We were talking as publishers about our then-current #1 record, "Too Much Too Little Too Late" (J. Mathis / D. Williams) when the young woman sitting nearby said she couldn't help overhearing our conversation and asked if we were in the music business. We said we were. She was Diane and she told us she was a frustrated songwriter signed to a publishing deal with someone who couldn't seem to get anything going with her songs. She asked if we would listen to the songs and if we liked them, maybe we could work something out with the publisher. We did listen, we heard well-written songs and thought we could help placing them. She set up a meeting with the publisher but even though nothing was happening through his efforts, he refused to consider co-publishing in the event we succeeded in obtaining results. That ended any possibility of working with Diane.
Over the years, I bumped into Diane in the studio owned by Criterion Music Corp., where she recorded her demos for a time. By then she'd had some hits and the conversations were fleeting as she was totally engaged in her demo work.
She was, and continues to be, a great songwriter who is everything other respondents have described her to be.
Best,
Peter S. Burke
_______________________________________________
Bob. I had the pleasure of recording and mixing "There You'll Be" for Faith Hill with Diane and Trevor Horn. A year later I was on a flight on September 11 to Los Angeles from NYC. We were downed 2 hours later in Detroit and my friend and I were stranded near Detroit Metro airport and much to my surprise that song became the momentary 911 anthem playing 20 times a day on the local radio. Funny how songs help people to connect in times of distress. Diane's brilliant. I also know that building well from Babyface to Mike Caren. The music biz is getting smaller every day.
Bassy Bob
NYC
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Here's how hard Diane works: Back in my music supervision days, I was up for a gig and waiting anxiously for news from the studio. A driver shows up at my office with a hand-addressed package containing a freshly cut CD along with a note from Diane, whom I'd met maybe once or twice max: "Dear Dan, I hear you're going to be the music supervisor on such-and-such movie. I hope you'll have a listen to these two songs I've just written for that film. Many thanks, Diane." And I did get that movie. The obvious point is that Diane was networking so hard that she knew that the studio picked me before I did. Like all great artists, Diane is a bit of a quirk, but I find that really endearing, and her talent is absolutely undeniable. Good call on your part to shine some light.
Best wishes,
Dan Carlin
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I have represented Andra Day. One of the brightest careers going. And a spectacular human being. Glad to see she was in your orbit at the right time Bob.
Ken Freundlich
_______________________________________________
Love Diane. She can write like nobody's business, has the mouth of a trucker and a heart of gold AND she loves animals. She deserves all of her success. She earned it.
Anita Heilig
_______________________________________________
A SMASH. Andra killer singer Another Aretha. Love, Jerry Greenberg
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Bob,
Maybe I've been reprogrammed by social media... I keep looking for a 'like' button when I read your missives.
Your piece about Diane Warren is a case in point. For music to make it, it has to has to speak to the spirit. The world, and the music industry, needs a lot more like her. All the songwriter committees and corporate wonk marketing will never replace the lone person who has put heart and thought and emotion into their craft.
But I'm preaching to the choir here I guess...
Keep em coming. I look forward to each one.
Regards,
Philbo King
_______________________________________________
As a MelodicRock artist, producer and songwriter, I have always been fascinated with the work of Diane Warren. Not only does she know how to write a great song, but knows how to tailor fit the song for the right artist. She's amazing!
Bryan Cole
_______________________________________________
So, I noticed all the people who claimed to know Diane Warren. I have no doubt they do. I think that's part of her success. She really nurtured relationships in the industry. Of course, no one can write a song like she does, but she also got to know people and learned how this industry works.
In the early 80's I put KOST on the air for COX along with the brilliant Jhani Kaye. Liz Kiley did "Love Songs on the KOST" ... one of the first Love Songs shows. Diane used to call Liz all the time at night when she was doing her show. Two people getting to know each other on the request line. Diane's Dad used to call the request line too. Diane and her Dad loved Radio. Or they loved Liz and her show.
I don't remember how or why but the program director, Jhani Kaye, and I got to know Diane as well. I can't remember exactly when, but I feel like it was during the time Debarge-"Rhythm of the Night" was a hit. The girl on the freakin request line has a hit record!! Liz Kiley and Diane had became good friends. At KOST we would have a music meeting each week to add new music. Jhani, Liz and me. It was not unusual for Diane to call us during this meeting. Jhani refused calls during the music meeting but he usually took Diane's. We were usually late on adding songs. We were usually not late on adding Diane Warren songs. When there was a Diane Warren record out, the label didn't need a promo person because Diane was now calling Radio herself. She learned how it all worked. Usually her songs didn't need promotion. They could speak for themselves! Then she learned about call out research. KOST did a lot of research. She would ask us how her songs were doing and we would tell her! Highly unethical I suppose.
When I stopped consulting and went to Summit Broadcasting we had stations in every format and we had some of the biggest Urbans in the country. Diane had started writing for Urban artists. We played her records and I told her how her songs were "testing" ... this whole time she was getting an education in how Radio worked. She watched R and R. Got to know the PD's and she would call them about her songs. Can u imagine...as a PD I had gotten calls from an artist but never from the songwriter.
I remember going to dinner or lunch with her and all the napkins on the table being full of scribbled down lyrics. She would stuff them in her pocket when we left. I imagined those scraps of napkin would all get together in her pocket and create a hit. How else do u explain so many great songs? Fun fact...she used to bring her bird into restaurants under her jacket. Super healthy. The bird would just chill while we ate. No one knew it was there. She loves her animals. Never trust a songwriter who doesn't love animals!
Over the years she sent me dozens of cassettes with demo songs. She sent these to dozens of people. I saved mine. Have them all.
I went to the studio when she was doing "Turn Back Time" for Cher. She was really in may ways the writer, producer, and engineer of that album. She has a crazy sense of how her songs should sound.
She has bothered to learn the business. How the charts worked. How Radio worked. How call out worked. How promotion worked. She learned it all. How many songwriters learn that stuff? How many artists really know how it works?
I think her Father sensed something special in the girl. She was lucky to have a Dad who encouraged her, other wise we would not have the simple joy that is a Diane Warren song.
Mary Catherine Sneed
_______________________________________________
From: Gary Einhorn
Subject: Diane Warren Rips Taylor Swift Over Petty Hidden Messages on New Album
DIANE WARREN: NO TIME FOR TAYLOR'S HIDDEN MESSAGES ...She Ain't The Beatles!!!
http://www.tmz.com/2017/08/25/diane-warren-taylor-swift-hidden-messages-album-art/
_______________________________________________
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BONUS:
My 11 year old was sitting behind me over the weekend as I read this.
He said: Who is Bob Lefsetz? I really like what he's writing.
Why? I asked.
Because it feels like he's speaking directly to me and he makes a lot of sense.
James Cham
On my way to SoHo House West Hollywood while reading this...how appropriate. How even more invigorating to read about Chris & Harrison who have been nothing short of THE BEST since the day I met them. Within the first 10 minutes you can tell if people "get it" in this business...I think it took about 6 before we agreed to work together. Or rather PARTNER. Because I've shot them opportunities and vise versa and you know what has *NEVER* gotten mentioned Bob... COMMISSION!! Imagine that. No splits, no 20% of this or that because the next generation (call it naive if you want) works off karma and hustle. Because if you got me, I got you. They didn't name it Visionary Music Group for nothing.
Hope to see you (perhaps at SoHo House!) soon Bob!
Kim Kaupe
Co-Founder, ZinePak
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Could not agree more and Chris and Harry. Got to know them well over the last couple years...both of their clients have played Gov Ball, and Logic in 3 yrs went from playing at 3pm in 2014 to headlining one of the outdoor stages this year. They 'get it' and have the natural instincts of managers twice their age. Great guys through and though...thanks, Jordan Wolowitz
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Chris Zarou is the best audience building manager in the business, period! He can take an artist like Logic or Jon Bellion from 200 to 500 to 1000 to 2500 to 5000 cap rooms without any radio airplay and make it look easy. Not to mention, both Chris and Harrison are mensches. They remember who believed early and ALWAYS make the extra effort to do right by them. I am fortunate to have met Chris early in Jon Bellion's career and since then he has put my name on the list for every Bellion & Logic show in LA. These are the good guys! Thanks for writing about them
David Silberstein
Mega House Music
_______________________________________________
Love this story about Chris Zarou. Reminds me of my late business partner, Bill Aucoin who not only managed Kiss, but financed their first tours on his American Express card. Badasses always find a way to get it done.
He also insisted I subscribe to your newsletter (back in the fax days!).
BTW, Bill Aucoin should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Onward and Upward,
Chris J. Keaton
_______________________________________________
Of course Chris manages Jon Bellion too! It only makes sense. I got to see Jon play Exit In in Nashville about a week after his current "first" album released. I still can't tell you if he can sing live, because the entire sold out audience, of which I was one of maybe 10 people over 21, sang every single word of every song along with him. It was a cult. And it was breathtaking.
-
Jeffrey James
_______________________________________________
Love this.....I took my son Jonah (14yrs) to see Logic in S.F 3-4 weeks ago. He asked me to take him...great show.
Joel Gomez
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Baba Booey graduated from Adelphi!
Dan Millen
_______________________________________________
Fucking great! Thanks for sharing!
I know logic and chris bc I did a collab record with logic, big gigantic and my client ROZES.
Keep it up bob!
Paul Mencel
_______________________________________________
Nothing to do with hunger and passion, they just knew how kids consume music these days. Every suburban high school boy is obsessed with Logic and Jon Bellion. They don't care about record labels, etc, they create a playlist in sound cloud and listen over Wi-Fi on their phone. They don't even download it....that's old school. Nicole Skyer, Marlboro, NJ
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I curated talent direction for the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour, and fought hard to book Logic - the Under Pressure tour - which went out to Europe.
I did it because the music was great and the brand they were building cared about the community it had garnered. I had watched the incremental growth over years from just a bunch of college kids making music in the basement. They had the same energy and scrappiness/resourcefulness that startups have in the early stages.
I'm proud to have helped catalyze the transition into a more global tour and I'm still just as much of a supporter of Bobby, Jon, Chris and Harrison.
Looking forward to watching them grow and evolve even more as the audience and community gets bigger.
I love reading your takes on the industry's history and what owe homage to. But thanks for writing about the future as well.
Ryan Gill
_______________________________________________
Bob,
I absolutely loved reading this.
Chris & Harry are killers and are leading the way along with a bunch of other great innovative young managers in shaping the future music landscape. Guys like Chris, Harry, Pat Corcoran and a bunch of
others, have incredible visions for the long game in the new music space.
Smaller & leaner teams, better splits over big advances. And as you said, the real key, understanding that audience comes first.
With social media and the power of music discovery online now, it really is an even playing field, where the new guys with fresh ideas can equally rule.
Glad you were able to shed some light on Chris & Harry. We young appreciate it... and as you're now seeing, some of us really do read The Lefsetz Letter still :-)
- Andrew Gertler
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I LOVE Logic.
He sold out 2 nights at The Greek last month. And he said the future of his music is not rap. He wrote and performed a ballad, and wow'd the audience with "Things Will Never Be The Same." It's beautiful. Take a look/listen:
https://www.facebook.com/FanseeApp/videos/1823617774331617/
David Appelbaum
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Hi Bob. This one about Chris made me smile …
When I was 24 I quit my first job out of college in Florida working for a prestigious money manager to move out to LA with no job lined up but plans to become a "music manager." I did a year at WMA while hustling an unsigned hip-hop group from the mailroom, doing deals in the bathroom stall, and faxing promoters offer sheets in between offer sheets for The Killers and Blake Shelton. One day, one of the other assistants who knew I was managing tipped me to manager assistant position at Frontline. I got the job from a stack of hundreds of resumes. Did a year there and learned more from sitting outside Irving's office than I did from the manager I assisted. But one day outta the blue the manager let me go. No explanation other than something about wanting an executive assistant and not someone who actually wanted to become a manager. I was crushed. But I had my side hustle going and truly believed in it. We started a company to release our music because the industry didn't care about hip-hop back in 2007-2009. I took unemployment and pushed on. Even ran out of money. Then one day we got a call from Peanut Butter Wolf and the rest is history. The DJ in that hip-hop group was Mayer Hawthorne. It was a crazy time (and a crazy story how it even happened). From the press, to the labels, to the trends Mayer popularized, to the celebs shouting him out, and everything in between and beyond … the whole journey was about learning by doing, and being smart while doing it.
Best,
Jeff Klein
Co-founder/Managing Partner A-Side Worldwide (2007 - 2017)
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Hello Bob,
My name is Chas and I'm starting this fall at Northeastern Univ. as a music industry major. I loved this piece. I remember the summer prior to this one I was at a summer program at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU. On some of the evenings they would bring in speakers from the music biz to come and talk to us, one of the nights they brought in Chris Zarou.....
I remember taking the elevator up to the room where the event was and in steps this one guy who's wearing Jordans, jeans, a plain white shirt (one of those crappy "Fruit of the Loom" type ones) and who's listening to music on his phone. I ignored him thinking that it's just some other kid from NYU coming to see Chris speak. We get to the room and I found out that that guy was actually Chris! I'm still pretty new to the biz and I had no idea what to expect but definitely something more along the lines of a middle aged dude in nice clothes, not a kid in Jordans. This taught me a big lesson that age and appearance doesn't matter as much as connections, knowledge, passion, and a big part of what you mentioned, hunger!! I remember him mentioning taking Def Jam's advance money for Logic and using it to bankroll a national tour. Again like you mentioned how Logic and Chris are hungry, I totally agree. To get ahead in the biz you really need to persevere. Using the advance dollars to go on tour is such a great example of what it takes to get ahead. They took a risk early and are now reaping the benefits (Logic's LP from this year just went gold I hear). Many artists take their advance dollars and don't really reinvest it in themselves. To be successful in the music biz in 2017 not only do you have to make great music, but you also have to be conscious about growing your fan base, brand, etc., something Logic/Chris are very mindful of.
Also, I totally agree with the part about Logic's lack of radio airplay. As the music biz moves more and more into the future, we're having difficulty separating ourselves from already established institutions that are becoming more and more irrelevant. Chris wasn't concerned about airplay because he knew that playlists were the future and it's where kids discover new music, and he's absolutely right! Also, the lack of airplay might be part of the explanation why Logic's debut LP was under shipped, very interesting. Maybe Logic will start to finally get airplay with his "1-800" single, which seems to pander to radio, but is still a really great song. A terrific music video came out for it very recently as well.
Also, I've noticed how well his past LP has been received by fans despite only mediocre reviews from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, etc. BUT WHO CARES. I don't know any of my friends who read these publications, despite the older generation of folks in the music biz still thinking that these publications are very relevant and that your average teenager reads them, which they don't. People love Logic because he makes music THAT MATTERS TO THEM. People love songs like "1-800" because they can relate to it and connect emotionally. Isn't that what making music is all about? ITS ABOUT CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE and Logic is terrific at it. Forget what bullish music publications say.
Thanks for your time,
-Chas Gilman
_______________________________________________
"WHO BOOKED THIS?
Some guy at an independent that no longer exists who is now at Paradigm. Although Logic is at WME. You see, you've got to start at the bottom, with people who are hungry and wet behind the ears just like you, they're interested, they want to make their bones with you."
Matt Adler is the "some guy" at an independent that no longer exists who is now at Paradigm. He got his start under Jesse Kirshbaum at NUE Agency (the independent that no longer exists) and he made 10x more money than the average 22-25yr old booking college shows while he was there.
Jesse and Adler hired me straight out of college. As a student, I bought all the concerts at University of Vermont and booked a handful of them through NUE. When they found out I was a college kid cutting deals with people like Peter Schwartz and Hunter Williams using jargon I picked up while interning for Sam Kirby at WME (she didn't even know I existed the entire summer), they immediately offered me to join the team. Adler is the reason I joined, he was young and having fun plus it sounded a hell of lot better than the mail room at CAA!
Adler started signing acts and quickly got into the hard-ticket game, routing tours across the country, meeting talent buyers in rooms of all sizes and taking care of the promoters and venues that took care of him. Adler could clear holds at any 300-1200cap venue because he wasn't burning bridges on every show like so many other agents. He made sure the promoters won, even if it took more than one time through a certain market - he was young but respected for this. Whether it's the reason Logic eventually left Adler, who knows. Artists don't always see how the sausage gets made and when they put pressure on the manager, firing your agent is a quick and easy fix - but Adler's at Paradigm now and simultaneously earning his MBA at NYU Stern.
Matt Adler will have the last laugh.
-Greg Ramey
P.S. NUE Agency (http://nueagency.com/) still exists but pivoted from a boutique booking agency into a branding/experience agency, connecting artists to Fortune 500 brands - they're cashing much bigger checks now.
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Dear Bob,
Big fan, wanted to reach out.
I am the "wet behind the ears agent that booked that first tour". It's an honor to be mentioned.
Chris and Harrison are two smart managers. Two of the smartest, in fact.
That tour was a defining moment for us all.
Best,
Matt Adler
_______________________________________________
Thoughtful and great letter, representative of great people. We love Logic, Chris and Harrison and very grateful to be in business with them all…we actually represent Logic, not WME =)
Mac Clark | CAA
_______________________________________________
"Logic. I never write about him because a guy from the label has hammered me so hard on him. It's a people business. And when you come on like a bulldozer, it turns me off. Especially when all the data is up close and personal for you to see."
I only hammer when it's the real deal. There is no benefit in me hammering anyone on some wack, fabricated nonsense. You don't know me, but if you hear from me, it more than behooves you to pay attention.
Oh and Logic's "1.800" has been worked since May and is currently #3* @ Rhythm and T25 @ Top 40.
Thank you for the ink on one of the most important artists of this generation.
Noah Sheer
Def Jam Recordings
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_______________________________________________
TAYLOR SWIFT:
The song is an album track at best. If I wrote it and sent to my manager he wouldn't even respond.
Danny Jay
_______________________________________________
Sadly I have to agree. If this was a release by any other artist it would be a middling result at best—it will only be through Taylor's name and fanbase that this song is dragged to the top of the charts. There is none of the pop magic that songs like Shake It Off, Style or We Are Never Getting Back Together had.
-Zach Ziskin
_______________________________________________
The first time I heard this song something very strange happened to me for the first time ever, and I don't think it was out of coincidence. I had no idea it was Taylor Swift's new single when it came on, and it was kind of in the background. The first ten seconds made me think, "Oh, Lorde has a new single out." Then twenty seconds later, "Wait, is this Katy Perry?" .. and then, "Lady Gaga is on this?" Is no one in the broader media going to point out the fact that Swift all but completely ripped off at least three of her competitors in trying to forge a "new identity"? It's painfully obvious.
Fuckin' pop music, man. It's disheartening.
Brian Frederick
_______________________________________________
Ugh I cannot be bothered to even listen, though at some point soon I'm sure I won't be able to avoid it
When I saw the stories about her viral stunt I groaned
When I saw the associated image of her, I groaned again.
Really, her again?
She's rich. She has the ability to go away. Evolve, do something true. But she remains self fixated, ego driven like all the rest of us.
Simultaneously dull & infuriating
Colleen Kenny LaRocque
_______________________________________________
Say what you want about Taylor but she is a force and a mega talent. This song though is a turkey with no meat, or dry as hell.
Tony Von Pervieux
_______________________________________________
In real life the sentence, "Look what you made me do," is one typically uttered by blamers, abusers and, generally, people unwilling to take responsibility for their actions. I'd love to ask her why, after creating a life fueled by self empowerment, she's taking this path. Seems out of character. The song later talks about getting smarter and rising up, but it's tough to get past that title.
Deb Wilker
_______________________________________________
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DIANE WARREN:
I love Diane.
She's The greatest songwriter of her generation.
I love that she just keeps going.
Every so often she sends me a song she think I could use. Haven't taken one for years but she still sends them and I always listen the second it arrives. I know there will be another diamond one day.
You mentioned her old studio.
About 20 years ago I went round to see her and hear some songs. I accidentally knocked over a dusty pile of cassettes. I thought she was going to kill me!
Luckily she forgave me.
Does she still keep a parrot?
Richard Griffiths
_______________________________________________
I am a producer of MARSHALL and I very much appreciated your thoughts on Diane Warren's wonderful song. She truly is a genius and her contribution to our movie cannot be overstated.
We believe that we have made a movie that is relevant and entertaining and I hope that you see MARSHALL when it opens on October 13th.
Sincerely,
Paula Wagner
_______________________________________________
Back in the late 70s, my partner Susan Pomerantz and I were having a congratulatory lunch at the Mexican restaurant on Sunset near Highland. We were talking as publishers about our then-current #1 record, "Too Much Too Little Too Late" (J. Mathis / D. Williams) when the young woman sitting nearby said she couldn't help overhearing our conversation and asked if we were in the music business. We said we were. She was Diane and she told us she was a frustrated songwriter signed to a publishing deal with someone who couldn't seem to get anything going with her songs. She asked if we would listen to the songs and if we liked them, maybe we could work something out with the publisher. We did listen, we heard well-written songs and thought we could help placing them. She set up a meeting with the publisher but even though nothing was happening through his efforts, he refused to consider co-publishing in the event we succeeded in obtaining results. That ended any possibility of working with Diane.
Over the years, I bumped into Diane in the studio owned by Criterion Music Corp., where she recorded her demos for a time. By then she'd had some hits and the conversations were fleeting as she was totally engaged in her demo work.
She was, and continues to be, a great songwriter who is everything other respondents have described her to be.
Best,
Peter S. Burke
_______________________________________________
Bob. I had the pleasure of recording and mixing "There You'll Be" for Faith Hill with Diane and Trevor Horn. A year later I was on a flight on September 11 to Los Angeles from NYC. We were downed 2 hours later in Detroit and my friend and I were stranded near Detroit Metro airport and much to my surprise that song became the momentary 911 anthem playing 20 times a day on the local radio. Funny how songs help people to connect in times of distress. Diane's brilliant. I also know that building well from Babyface to Mike Caren. The music biz is getting smaller every day.
Bassy Bob
NYC
_______________________________________________
Here's how hard Diane works: Back in my music supervision days, I was up for a gig and waiting anxiously for news from the studio. A driver shows up at my office with a hand-addressed package containing a freshly cut CD along with a note from Diane, whom I'd met maybe once or twice max: "Dear Dan, I hear you're going to be the music supervisor on such-and-such movie. I hope you'll have a listen to these two songs I've just written for that film. Many thanks, Diane." And I did get that movie. The obvious point is that Diane was networking so hard that she knew that the studio picked me before I did. Like all great artists, Diane is a bit of a quirk, but I find that really endearing, and her talent is absolutely undeniable. Good call on your part to shine some light.
Best wishes,
Dan Carlin
_______________________________________________
I have represented Andra Day. One of the brightest careers going. And a spectacular human being. Glad to see she was in your orbit at the right time Bob.
Ken Freundlich
_______________________________________________
Love Diane. She can write like nobody's business, has the mouth of a trucker and a heart of gold AND she loves animals. She deserves all of her success. She earned it.
Anita Heilig
_______________________________________________
A SMASH. Andra killer singer Another Aretha. Love, Jerry Greenberg
_______________________________________________
Bob,
Maybe I've been reprogrammed by social media... I keep looking for a 'like' button when I read your missives.
Your piece about Diane Warren is a case in point. For music to make it, it has to has to speak to the spirit. The world, and the music industry, needs a lot more like her. All the songwriter committees and corporate wonk marketing will never replace the lone person who has put heart and thought and emotion into their craft.
But I'm preaching to the choir here I guess...
Keep em coming. I look forward to each one.
Regards,
Philbo King
_______________________________________________
As a MelodicRock artist, producer and songwriter, I have always been fascinated with the work of Diane Warren. Not only does she know how to write a great song, but knows how to tailor fit the song for the right artist. She's amazing!
Bryan Cole
_______________________________________________
So, I noticed all the people who claimed to know Diane Warren. I have no doubt they do. I think that's part of her success. She really nurtured relationships in the industry. Of course, no one can write a song like she does, but she also got to know people and learned how this industry works.
In the early 80's I put KOST on the air for COX along with the brilliant Jhani Kaye. Liz Kiley did "Love Songs on the KOST" ... one of the first Love Songs shows. Diane used to call Liz all the time at night when she was doing her show. Two people getting to know each other on the request line. Diane's Dad used to call the request line too. Diane and her Dad loved Radio. Or they loved Liz and her show.
I don't remember how or why but the program director, Jhani Kaye, and I got to know Diane as well. I can't remember exactly when, but I feel like it was during the time Debarge-"Rhythm of the Night" was a hit. The girl on the freakin request line has a hit record!! Liz Kiley and Diane had became good friends. At KOST we would have a music meeting each week to add new music. Jhani, Liz and me. It was not unusual for Diane to call us during this meeting. Jhani refused calls during the music meeting but he usually took Diane's. We were usually late on adding songs. We were usually not late on adding Diane Warren songs. When there was a Diane Warren record out, the label didn't need a promo person because Diane was now calling Radio herself. She learned how it all worked. Usually her songs didn't need promotion. They could speak for themselves! Then she learned about call out research. KOST did a lot of research. She would ask us how her songs were doing and we would tell her! Highly unethical I suppose.
When I stopped consulting and went to Summit Broadcasting we had stations in every format and we had some of the biggest Urbans in the country. Diane had started writing for Urban artists. We played her records and I told her how her songs were "testing" ... this whole time she was getting an education in how Radio worked. She watched R and R. Got to know the PD's and she would call them about her songs. Can u imagine...as a PD I had gotten calls from an artist but never from the songwriter.
I remember going to dinner or lunch with her and all the napkins on the table being full of scribbled down lyrics. She would stuff them in her pocket when we left. I imagined those scraps of napkin would all get together in her pocket and create a hit. How else do u explain so many great songs? Fun fact...she used to bring her bird into restaurants under her jacket. Super healthy. The bird would just chill while we ate. No one knew it was there. She loves her animals. Never trust a songwriter who doesn't love animals!
Over the years she sent me dozens of cassettes with demo songs. She sent these to dozens of people. I saved mine. Have them all.
I went to the studio when she was doing "Turn Back Time" for Cher. She was really in may ways the writer, producer, and engineer of that album. She has a crazy sense of how her songs should sound.
She has bothered to learn the business. How the charts worked. How Radio worked. How call out worked. How promotion worked. She learned it all. How many songwriters learn that stuff? How many artists really know how it works?
I think her Father sensed something special in the girl. She was lucky to have a Dad who encouraged her, other wise we would not have the simple joy that is a Diane Warren song.
Mary Catherine Sneed
_______________________________________________
From: Gary Einhorn
Subject: Diane Warren Rips Taylor Swift Over Petty Hidden Messages on New Album
DIANE WARREN: NO TIME FOR TAYLOR'S HIDDEN MESSAGES ...She Ain't The Beatles!!!
http://www.tmz.com/2017/08/25/diane-warren-taylor-swift-hidden-messages-album-art/
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
BONUS:
My 11 year old was sitting behind me over the weekend as I read this.
He said: Who is Bob Lefsetz? I really like what he's writing.
Why? I asked.
Because it feels like he's speaking directly to me and he makes a lot of sense.
James Cham
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Saint Motel
http://spoti.fi/2wFFOMy
I've got this friend in Nashville, he sends me all the new country tracks.
And the old ones too.
He's the guy who turned me on to Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy" and Luke Bryan's "Drink A Beer." I trust him implicitly, he's my go-to resource.
And he just sent me a bunch of tracks. The most intriguing were by this unsigned guy Mike Ryan, I heard it immediately, especially "New Hometown."
And he confirmed my love of Luke Combs's "Hurricane," told me the man was blowing up, was becoming a juggernaut, so I downloaded Luke's whole album, synched it to my phone.
And I was intrigued by Ashley McBryde, who just might break out.
And I was excited that an act like Greensky Bluegrass could sell so many tickets, made me hopeful that listenership was widening, that other genres besides hip-hop and pop were gaining traction.
And then I stumble on to Saint Motel.
It was nearly midnight. I'd listened to sixteen country tracks all the way through, giving them a good shot, none were bad, I understood them all, but none gave me the same twinge as I got with Saint Motel.
Which is not a country act.
Yes, this gentleman appended a bunch of pop/alternative/mainstream acts at the end of his list, and it was Saint Motel that blew my mind.
I've got to admit, the previously heard "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man is a phenomenon, a well-deserved left field hit. And the Old 97's/Brandi Carlile "Good With God" was my favorite track by the band in eons. And the Ryan Adams number "To Be Without You" is almost a complete return to form, just needs another change, an improved chorus to bring him back, and we agree that "When The Tequila Runs Out" is the best cut on the last Dawes album.
But Saint Motel was UNDENIABLE! A one listen smash. Which got your feet moving. A cross between what once was and now is that is exquisite.
Yes, imagine blending the new wave of the 80's with the modern movement of dance, without sacrificing any credibility whatsoever.
Yes, remember the excitement of the English bands on MTV, who wiped the slate clean of corporate rock and vapid disco and infatuated all of us?
Saint Motel is just like that, without sounding dated whatsoever, it puts a smile on your face, makes you a believer once again.
MOVE!
You're implored to do this, not long after the advent of the song.
And then the fanfare of the (fake?) brass grabs you in the private parts.
"This man, this dutiful man has got this sense of devotion
One look, one touch of a hand can set the spiral in motion"
And it's the attitude, the vocalization that hooks you, kinda disinterested yet omniscient, the viewpoint of acts too cool for school who were not interested about techie titans, certainly not bankers, because they knew they had much more influence and fun than either of them.
And then we come to the chorus!
"Gotta get up, I gotta get up
Move"
You jump up, start dancing around, even if there's no one else there, even if you never dance in public, the song gets inside you just that fast.
And then the playlist slid into "My Type," somewhat similar, yet different, but every bit as infectious.
"Take a look around the room
Love comes wearing disguises
How to go about and choose
Break it down by shapes and sizes
I'm a man who's got very specific taste"
It's almost otherworldly. Not a diss track, just about life, the one we're all living, it resembles nothing so much as an ABC cut.
"You-you-you're just my type"
"My Type" is just the kind of track you play to psyche you up, for an athletic event, to get up and ask that person for a date.
The third cut, "Getaway," was of the similar oeuvre, but different. Had an element of Depeche Mode, the early stuff, like "Just Can't Get Enough," but an imploring vocal that gets your head threading through the air...
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
And they are guys. And they're not from the old country, but Los Angeles.
And these tracks are not new.
"Move" is from 2016.
"My Type" is from 2014!
And "Getaway" is from 2016 too.
Now it's not like Saint Motel is completely unknown. "My Type" has 75,287,192 streams on Spotify, "Move" has over 16 million and "Getaway" nearly 2 million.
Hell, "My Type" even made it to #5 on AAA, showing how important and impactful that format is, as in NOT!
How does such great stuff go unrecognized?
They were on Parlophone which was in limbo and is now part of Elektra, so maybe they got lost in the shuffle, maybe the label didn't do its part, WHO KNOWS?
That's the modern era. WHO KNOWS?
There is great stuff in the marketplace, but you're not aware of it. Until someone tells you, and then you find out you're not the only person in the club.
We need a better system than this, because these three Saint Motel songs are one listen gets, THEY'RE SMASHES!
--
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I've got this friend in Nashville, he sends me all the new country tracks.
And the old ones too.
He's the guy who turned me on to Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy" and Luke Bryan's "Drink A Beer." I trust him implicitly, he's my go-to resource.
And he just sent me a bunch of tracks. The most intriguing were by this unsigned guy Mike Ryan, I heard it immediately, especially "New Hometown."
And he confirmed my love of Luke Combs's "Hurricane," told me the man was blowing up, was becoming a juggernaut, so I downloaded Luke's whole album, synched it to my phone.
And I was intrigued by Ashley McBryde, who just might break out.
And I was excited that an act like Greensky Bluegrass could sell so many tickets, made me hopeful that listenership was widening, that other genres besides hip-hop and pop were gaining traction.
And then I stumble on to Saint Motel.
It was nearly midnight. I'd listened to sixteen country tracks all the way through, giving them a good shot, none were bad, I understood them all, but none gave me the same twinge as I got with Saint Motel.
Which is not a country act.
Yes, this gentleman appended a bunch of pop/alternative/mainstream acts at the end of his list, and it was Saint Motel that blew my mind.
I've got to admit, the previously heard "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man is a phenomenon, a well-deserved left field hit. And the Old 97's/Brandi Carlile "Good With God" was my favorite track by the band in eons. And the Ryan Adams number "To Be Without You" is almost a complete return to form, just needs another change, an improved chorus to bring him back, and we agree that "When The Tequila Runs Out" is the best cut on the last Dawes album.
But Saint Motel was UNDENIABLE! A one listen smash. Which got your feet moving. A cross between what once was and now is that is exquisite.
Yes, imagine blending the new wave of the 80's with the modern movement of dance, without sacrificing any credibility whatsoever.
Yes, remember the excitement of the English bands on MTV, who wiped the slate clean of corporate rock and vapid disco and infatuated all of us?
Saint Motel is just like that, without sounding dated whatsoever, it puts a smile on your face, makes you a believer once again.
MOVE!
You're implored to do this, not long after the advent of the song.
And then the fanfare of the (fake?) brass grabs you in the private parts.
"This man, this dutiful man has got this sense of devotion
One look, one touch of a hand can set the spiral in motion"
And it's the attitude, the vocalization that hooks you, kinda disinterested yet omniscient, the viewpoint of acts too cool for school who were not interested about techie titans, certainly not bankers, because they knew they had much more influence and fun than either of them.
And then we come to the chorus!
"Gotta get up, I gotta get up
Move"
You jump up, start dancing around, even if there's no one else there, even if you never dance in public, the song gets inside you just that fast.
And then the playlist slid into "My Type," somewhat similar, yet different, but every bit as infectious.
"Take a look around the room
Love comes wearing disguises
How to go about and choose
Break it down by shapes and sizes
I'm a man who's got very specific taste"
It's almost otherworldly. Not a diss track, just about life, the one we're all living, it resembles nothing so much as an ABC cut.
"You-you-you're just my type"
"My Type" is just the kind of track you play to psyche you up, for an athletic event, to get up and ask that person for a date.
The third cut, "Getaway," was of the similar oeuvre, but different. Had an element of Depeche Mode, the early stuff, like "Just Can't Get Enough," but an imploring vocal that gets your head threading through the air...
WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
And they are guys. And they're not from the old country, but Los Angeles.
And these tracks are not new.
"Move" is from 2016.
"My Type" is from 2014!
And "Getaway" is from 2016 too.
Now it's not like Saint Motel is completely unknown. "My Type" has 75,287,192 streams on Spotify, "Move" has over 16 million and "Getaway" nearly 2 million.
Hell, "My Type" even made it to #5 on AAA, showing how important and impactful that format is, as in NOT!
How does such great stuff go unrecognized?
They were on Parlophone which was in limbo and is now part of Elektra, so maybe they got lost in the shuffle, maybe the label didn't do its part, WHO KNOWS?
That's the modern era. WHO KNOWS?
There is great stuff in the marketplace, but you're not aware of it. Until someone tells you, and then you find out you're not the only person in the club.
We need a better system than this, because these three Saint Motel songs are one listen gets, THEY'RE SMASHES!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
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Release Date
You sell in the fourth quarter.
You stream all year-round.
Once again the music business is on the cutting edge, the canary in the coal mine. Movies are fourth quarter dependent. What are people gonna see during the holidays? Thanksgiving to Christmas? They've got free time, they're oftentimes not working, they've got to get out of the house, why not go to a movie?
And during the summer, when kids are out of school.
But they listen to music all twelve months. And one could argue the holidays are when they listen to new music the least.
The record business has been focused on the fourth quarter for nearly a century. Hold back your heavy hitters. Market like crazy. Get those discs into people's hands. Their parents have to buy gifts. It's a cornucopia of consumption.
But now the wheel has turned.
Just like Bob Seger and Taylor Swift are now on Spotify, soon the physical and file paradigm will die. There will be no reason to fourth quarter load. If anything, you want to stay out of the maelstrom, when the tsunami of hit product is released. And accounting has changed. Labels shipped in the fourth quarter and got returns thereafter, making their numbers and then dealing with the detriment in the aftermath.
If you're releasing new music today, your best bet is to do it when no one else is. Assuming you're going to get press attention to begin with.
And the way you cut through the clutter is not with front-loaded publicity, but marketing after the fact. Music has turned into curling. Sliding the stone is only the beginning, then the brushpeople start doing their work, reducing friction, making a good slide go into the appropriate spot.
And the sweeping looks insignificant. But it's oh-so-important.
Now you create the record and see if it responds. If it doesn't, if there's no data to support your story, you're screwed. It all comes down to the data. Do people save it on Spotify, do they listen to it again and again. And then it's a long hard slog to the top.
Release date is just the beginning, arguably the least important part of the journey.
There was a story on Randy Newman's new album in every publication known to man. But not a single track has eclipsed 100,000 plays on Spotify, not even close. This is ass-backwards. The man needed a one listen single, which he arguably had with his Trump song, which he left off the album, but now his new work is already in the rearview mirror.
Whereas those acts without airplay, who are not part of the broken media scene, are the ones that are triumphing on streaming services, like Logic.
This is a sea change.
The fourth quarter is about to be history.
It's about streams, not sales!
Never forget that.
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You stream all year-round.
Once again the music business is on the cutting edge, the canary in the coal mine. Movies are fourth quarter dependent. What are people gonna see during the holidays? Thanksgiving to Christmas? They've got free time, they're oftentimes not working, they've got to get out of the house, why not go to a movie?
And during the summer, when kids are out of school.
But they listen to music all twelve months. And one could argue the holidays are when they listen to new music the least.
The record business has been focused on the fourth quarter for nearly a century. Hold back your heavy hitters. Market like crazy. Get those discs into people's hands. Their parents have to buy gifts. It's a cornucopia of consumption.
But now the wheel has turned.
Just like Bob Seger and Taylor Swift are now on Spotify, soon the physical and file paradigm will die. There will be no reason to fourth quarter load. If anything, you want to stay out of the maelstrom, when the tsunami of hit product is released. And accounting has changed. Labels shipped in the fourth quarter and got returns thereafter, making their numbers and then dealing with the detriment in the aftermath.
If you're releasing new music today, your best bet is to do it when no one else is. Assuming you're going to get press attention to begin with.
And the way you cut through the clutter is not with front-loaded publicity, but marketing after the fact. Music has turned into curling. Sliding the stone is only the beginning, then the brushpeople start doing their work, reducing friction, making a good slide go into the appropriate spot.
And the sweeping looks insignificant. But it's oh-so-important.
Now you create the record and see if it responds. If it doesn't, if there's no data to support your story, you're screwed. It all comes down to the data. Do people save it on Spotify, do they listen to it again and again. And then it's a long hard slog to the top.
Release date is just the beginning, arguably the least important part of the journey.
There was a story on Randy Newman's new album in every publication known to man. But not a single track has eclipsed 100,000 plays on Spotify, not even close. This is ass-backwards. The man needed a one listen single, which he arguably had with his Trump song, which he left off the album, but now his new work is already in the rearview mirror.
Whereas those acts without airplay, who are not part of the broken media scene, are the ones that are triumphing on streaming services, like Logic.
This is a sea change.
The fourth quarter is about to be history.
It's about streams, not sales!
Never forget that.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist6001&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Release+Date
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Look What You Made Me Do
You never punch down.
So this is the second strike out by Jack Antonoff, after Lorde's "Green Light," Jack's no Max Martin. Martin releases no track before its time, Martin has his finger on the pulse of music culture, he knows the hit parade and adjusts his sound accordingly, Antonoff is a niche player with talent who gets undeserved accolades, because if you're the go-to producer of follow-ups...
You've got to deliver.
"Royals" was a phenomenon. It's got 424,344,664 streams on Spotify, and it was released before that platform blew up. "Green Light" only has 172,029,805, a huge come down. It's only the media which still believes Lorde is a pure heroine...
She's peaked.
As for Taylor Swift...
She's winning the battle for mindshare. In today's world, it's hard to get everybody's attention, only Trump seems able to do this.
But she bunted. Criticizing Kim and Kanye? Isn't that like Paul McCartney trashing Peter Noone? Or Steph Curry going on about some hater in the crowd?
Kanye's a bipolar nitwit. Married to a nincompoop. To focus on them only brings you down.
And the only reason Taylor got into this tiff is because she lost perspective. She was so busy being everywhere and fabulous that when someone pointed this out, took her down...
She couldn't take it.
There's nothing worse than a sour grapes celebrity, complaining that they've been done wrong.
But this has been Taylor's MO for eons. But it used to be a guessing game, in the old days the targets weren't famous, now she's in feuds with other celebrities, when what we're really looking for is guidance, for her to float above and tell us what to do, instead of illustrating she's no different from the hoi polloi, living in the gutter of social media.
As for the line about Taylor Swift being dead... Didn't Miley Cyrus do this act years ago? This is not Madonna excavating a niche trend and making it mainstream, like with "Vogue," rather Taylor Swift is beating a dead horse and we're supposed to care.
And the Swifties will.
This is where statistics fail us. Believe me, "Look What You Made Me Do" will rack up streams, expect to see stories about broken records soon. It will be a hollow victory lap. Because at the center is this pleasant track about dissing folks that does not cry out for endless repeats unless you're a dedicated fan.
But there are enough dedicated fans to make this look like a hit. They'll eat up everything Tay Tay does. So where does this leave us?
Looking for some truth.
John Lennon was in the biggest band in the world, then he goes solo and opens a wound and testifies in a personal way heretofore unheard on Beatle records.
U2 is fearful of repeating itself and therefore brings in Brian Eno to switch up sounds, ultimately successfully. And when the band was experiencing its backlash, after "Rattle and Hum," when Bono was excoriated on both street corners and in the press, what did the band do? They went to Berlin and cut an album with industrial sounds that was a distinct departure from what had come previously. One that delivered more rewards the more you listened to it. The more you listen to "Look What You Made Me Do," the less you want to.
But they'll spin it in clubs. And we'll all be told what a success it is...
And there you have the modern world. Why so many dismiss the music business. It's a producer's medium. This sounds nothing like what Taylor Swift made her bones on. That was closer to countrified Joni Mitchell, this is of the moment disposable dreck. At least "Shake It Off" was catchy.
So now I'm part of the problem. I didn't buy in. Like the rest of the somnambulant groupies and critics who have become cheerleaders, who can say nothing negative.
What we're looking for is someone to push the envelope. And those with the greatest attention have the greatest responsibility. That's one of the reasons we still marvel at the aforementioned Beatles, they took left turns, they didn't give us what we wanted.
Then again, Taylor Swift is a woman of her times. Embattled, self-righteously taking on all detractors, just like the President.
And by pointing this out I'm seen as part of the problem as opposed to part of the solution.
But someone has to stand up for truth.
And I'm not worrying about payback, SHE ALREADY WROTE A SONG ABOUT ME!
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So this is the second strike out by Jack Antonoff, after Lorde's "Green Light," Jack's no Max Martin. Martin releases no track before its time, Martin has his finger on the pulse of music culture, he knows the hit parade and adjusts his sound accordingly, Antonoff is a niche player with talent who gets undeserved accolades, because if you're the go-to producer of follow-ups...
You've got to deliver.
"Royals" was a phenomenon. It's got 424,344,664 streams on Spotify, and it was released before that platform blew up. "Green Light" only has 172,029,805, a huge come down. It's only the media which still believes Lorde is a pure heroine...
She's peaked.
As for Taylor Swift...
She's winning the battle for mindshare. In today's world, it's hard to get everybody's attention, only Trump seems able to do this.
But she bunted. Criticizing Kim and Kanye? Isn't that like Paul McCartney trashing Peter Noone? Or Steph Curry going on about some hater in the crowd?
Kanye's a bipolar nitwit. Married to a nincompoop. To focus on them only brings you down.
And the only reason Taylor got into this tiff is because she lost perspective. She was so busy being everywhere and fabulous that when someone pointed this out, took her down...
She couldn't take it.
There's nothing worse than a sour grapes celebrity, complaining that they've been done wrong.
But this has been Taylor's MO for eons. But it used to be a guessing game, in the old days the targets weren't famous, now she's in feuds with other celebrities, when what we're really looking for is guidance, for her to float above and tell us what to do, instead of illustrating she's no different from the hoi polloi, living in the gutter of social media.
As for the line about Taylor Swift being dead... Didn't Miley Cyrus do this act years ago? This is not Madonna excavating a niche trend and making it mainstream, like with "Vogue," rather Taylor Swift is beating a dead horse and we're supposed to care.
And the Swifties will.
This is where statistics fail us. Believe me, "Look What You Made Me Do" will rack up streams, expect to see stories about broken records soon. It will be a hollow victory lap. Because at the center is this pleasant track about dissing folks that does not cry out for endless repeats unless you're a dedicated fan.
But there are enough dedicated fans to make this look like a hit. They'll eat up everything Tay Tay does. So where does this leave us?
Looking for some truth.
John Lennon was in the biggest band in the world, then he goes solo and opens a wound and testifies in a personal way heretofore unheard on Beatle records.
U2 is fearful of repeating itself and therefore brings in Brian Eno to switch up sounds, ultimately successfully. And when the band was experiencing its backlash, after "Rattle and Hum," when Bono was excoriated on both street corners and in the press, what did the band do? They went to Berlin and cut an album with industrial sounds that was a distinct departure from what had come previously. One that delivered more rewards the more you listened to it. The more you listen to "Look What You Made Me Do," the less you want to.
But they'll spin it in clubs. And we'll all be told what a success it is...
And there you have the modern world. Why so many dismiss the music business. It's a producer's medium. This sounds nothing like what Taylor Swift made her bones on. That was closer to countrified Joni Mitchell, this is of the moment disposable dreck. At least "Shake It Off" was catchy.
So now I'm part of the problem. I didn't buy in. Like the rest of the somnambulant groupies and critics who have become cheerleaders, who can say nothing negative.
What we're looking for is someone to push the envelope. And those with the greatest attention have the greatest responsibility. That's one of the reasons we still marvel at the aforementioned Beatles, they took left turns, they didn't give us what we wanted.
Then again, Taylor Swift is a woman of her times. Embattled, self-righteously taking on all detractors, just like the President.
And by pointing this out I'm seen as part of the problem as opposed to part of the solution.
But someone has to stand up for truth.
And I'm not worrying about payback, SHE ALREADY WROTE A SONG ABOUT ME!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist6000&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Look+What+You+Made+Me+Do
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Thursday, 24 August 2017
Re-Diane Warren
There's an endless supply of magnificent songs that come out of Diane's complex and genius mind, but this is definitely a special one.
She played it for me (on the phone) right after she'd written it. You see, we've known each other for decades and I'm proud to be one of the few she shares her new songs with long before the world gets to hear and be moved by them.
And moved so many will be by the power of this important song, the timeliness of it's message and the artistry of Andra's performance. I'm proud of having introduced these two brilliantly talented women and deeply inspired by what has been created.
And I think this might be Oscar time….
Bruce Roberts
______________________________________________
Excellent piece and yes I agree wholeheartedly.
Diane of course great to see it and you know, always happy to see, and hear what she does.
As we talked daily and got "Till it Happens To You" up and running and we took it to AC radio, ran the campaign on our own. And brought it to number 11 by the Oscars. And as Lady G said, it won the Oscar but just didn't get the award.
And there you have the talent but even more the drive and work ethic. I heard the song after the New York Times article about The Hunting Ground. I called Diane on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and of course she answered the phone as at least the 2 of us were working that day. And we talked almost every day from then until the Oscars, through the Grammys, through the discussions on whether or not Interscope would support it or if LadyG would.
I'm so glad I had that opportunity and many many more over the years with Diane. And I'm proud to know her and have worked with her music. And the funny conversations and conference calls and of course the meals.
Can't wait to hear more and I hope this is truly Oscar time for her!
Regards,
Jeff McClusky
______________________________________________
Few deserve more than Diane. She's one of only a handful who have figured out how not to let (immense!) success get in the way of her connection to the source.
She can be infuriating but when it comes to writing timeless hits very few can touch her and the ones that might are the most iconic of all time.
She's got hits for every artist on the top 40 and all those hits later (I think it's 98 Top 10's) the world still hasn't heard her best songs
Best wishes,
Merck Mercuriadis
PS And she does it 6 days a week!
______________________________________________
I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with her listening to songs for artist when I was at Dreamworks back in 2000. We picked a couple of songs and she said, maybe we should write sometime. I regret never taking her up on it. Great Lady and amazing talent.
BC
Chapin Music Group
______________________________________________
The building Diane now owns was where Tracey Edmund's had Yab Yum Record and Babyface owned or leased the building. it was called Edmunds Tower after SOLAR was shuttered. I was working on a record and met Snoop Dog on the way to the Solar studio on the 3rd floor which was the reason I got to cut over at Westlake on Santa Monica for a group that might have sold 2 copies LOL.
Kenneth H. Williams
WNP/Management Group
______________________________________________
Until last week I'd never heard of Diane Warren. But I like to type in composers names on my iTunes and I had to figure out if Aerosmith really wrote that song Jessica Sanchez killed back in 2012. Diane Warren? I typed it into my own iTunes and out popped a dozen songs I already have even my favorite Marshall Crenshaw's Some Hearts. Then I wikipedia'd and fell over. 7 hit singles at once. 32 top 10. I found that Wiki page, "List of songs written by Diane Warren. " 677 of them - somebody even added Stand Up. Thanks Bob. If anybody could create an anthem I'm glad it was her.
Andrew Caplan
______________________________________________
Glad you went to Diane's building to hear her new song.
She was once a client and I'd drive all the way there in heavy traffic to deliver her custom made organic delicacies.
Every time she'd make me stay and interact. A little awkward, yet I felt her heart was pure. We'd go into a room with a low dark glass table wherein she'd rip the top off of each container, grab a plastic fork and take a taste one after another to then cry out, "this is the shit!! This is THE SHIT!!"
What a gal. What a song. That is THE SHIT!
Melissa Ward
______________________________________________
Diane is just simply otherworldly. When I had my little Teac 4 track studio set up in my little house in Van Nuys in 1976, my girlfriend Dianne Steinberg had a deal on ABC Dunhill and we were writing songs for the record. Freddie Washington called one day and said he wanted us to meet a new writer he had been working with to possibly write some songs with us. We said sure bring over and well check her out. The next day in walks this disheveled looking young girl with Freddie. She wasn't very sociable but seemed serious about her work. We had a Fender Rhodes suitcase piano set up and she played a couple things but she wasn't that much of a singer so we were polite. Then she says "I have a cassette here of a demo of an idea I did this week if you want to help me finish it". I said sure and popped it in the boom box. The song was amazing. I still have that tape somewhere in storage but can't recall the name of it. Dianne and I just sat there staring at each other with our mouths agape. Freddie gave us a wink and Diane W says, "I know it's kinda shitty quality but maybe there's something there?" Dianne and I immediately said in unison, "It's perfect! There's nothing to do on this song...it's a hit!"
She then looked at us kinda disappointed and said, "Really? I think it still needs work. I'll leave the tape with you. See if you can make it better." Then she and Freddie take off. To this day I can't imagine what co-writing a song with Diane Warren must be like, but I'm sure it's intense. A couple years later she was writing hits for everyone and we lost contact with her. What a monster talent!
Kenny Lee Lewis
______________________________________________
Thank you for this one Bob. I've known Diane since before she ever had a hit. She worked the same way then as she does now. She came in every day, wrote for hours, and went home. And I loved it and her and I still do. Over the decades, we have worked on several of her big hits together. She works the same way now that she did in those early years. Her and her piano and her talent. Every single day. I know people who criticize her, but I don't think she cares and neither do I. And I've NEVER heard a major artist or producer criticize her either. In other words, if you know hit music, you know how rare and fantastic Diane Warren is.
I haven't yet heard the song you mention here, but I already hope she wins that Oscar. She is owed many of them.
Thank you Bob and thank you Diane. Diane will always send out those beautiful ships., and I will always delight at seeing her sails on the horizon.
Bill Green
______________________________________________
Awesome story, Diane Warren is bad-ass....
Young Hutchison
______________________________________________
Diane Warren... always a threat.
Desmond Child
She played it for me (on the phone) right after she'd written it. You see, we've known each other for decades and I'm proud to be one of the few she shares her new songs with long before the world gets to hear and be moved by them.
And moved so many will be by the power of this important song, the timeliness of it's message and the artistry of Andra's performance. I'm proud of having introduced these two brilliantly talented women and deeply inspired by what has been created.
And I think this might be Oscar time….
Bruce Roberts
______________________________________________
Excellent piece and yes I agree wholeheartedly.
Diane of course great to see it and you know, always happy to see, and hear what she does.
As we talked daily and got "Till it Happens To You" up and running and we took it to AC radio, ran the campaign on our own. And brought it to number 11 by the Oscars. And as Lady G said, it won the Oscar but just didn't get the award.
And there you have the talent but even more the drive and work ethic. I heard the song after the New York Times article about The Hunting Ground. I called Diane on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and of course she answered the phone as at least the 2 of us were working that day. And we talked almost every day from then until the Oscars, through the Grammys, through the discussions on whether or not Interscope would support it or if LadyG would.
I'm so glad I had that opportunity and many many more over the years with Diane. And I'm proud to know her and have worked with her music. And the funny conversations and conference calls and of course the meals.
Can't wait to hear more and I hope this is truly Oscar time for her!
Regards,
Jeff McClusky
______________________________________________
Few deserve more than Diane. She's one of only a handful who have figured out how not to let (immense!) success get in the way of her connection to the source.
She can be infuriating but when it comes to writing timeless hits very few can touch her and the ones that might are the most iconic of all time.
She's got hits for every artist on the top 40 and all those hits later (I think it's 98 Top 10's) the world still hasn't heard her best songs
Best wishes,
Merck Mercuriadis
PS And she does it 6 days a week!
______________________________________________
I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with her listening to songs for artist when I was at Dreamworks back in 2000. We picked a couple of songs and she said, maybe we should write sometime. I regret never taking her up on it. Great Lady and amazing talent.
BC
Chapin Music Group
______________________________________________
The building Diane now owns was where Tracey Edmund's had Yab Yum Record and Babyface owned or leased the building. it was called Edmunds Tower after SOLAR was shuttered. I was working on a record and met Snoop Dog on the way to the Solar studio on the 3rd floor which was the reason I got to cut over at Westlake on Santa Monica for a group that might have sold 2 copies LOL.
Kenneth H. Williams
WNP/Management Group
______________________________________________
Until last week I'd never heard of Diane Warren. But I like to type in composers names on my iTunes and I had to figure out if Aerosmith really wrote that song Jessica Sanchez killed back in 2012. Diane Warren? I typed it into my own iTunes and out popped a dozen songs I already have even my favorite Marshall Crenshaw's Some Hearts. Then I wikipedia'd and fell over. 7 hit singles at once. 32 top 10. I found that Wiki page, "List of songs written by Diane Warren. " 677 of them - somebody even added Stand Up. Thanks Bob. If anybody could create an anthem I'm glad it was her.
Andrew Caplan
______________________________________________
Glad you went to Diane's building to hear her new song.
She was once a client and I'd drive all the way there in heavy traffic to deliver her custom made organic delicacies.
Every time she'd make me stay and interact. A little awkward, yet I felt her heart was pure. We'd go into a room with a low dark glass table wherein she'd rip the top off of each container, grab a plastic fork and take a taste one after another to then cry out, "this is the shit!! This is THE SHIT!!"
What a gal. What a song. That is THE SHIT!
Melissa Ward
______________________________________________
Diane is just simply otherworldly. When I had my little Teac 4 track studio set up in my little house in Van Nuys in 1976, my girlfriend Dianne Steinberg had a deal on ABC Dunhill and we were writing songs for the record. Freddie Washington called one day and said he wanted us to meet a new writer he had been working with to possibly write some songs with us. We said sure bring over and well check her out. The next day in walks this disheveled looking young girl with Freddie. She wasn't very sociable but seemed serious about her work. We had a Fender Rhodes suitcase piano set up and she played a couple things but she wasn't that much of a singer so we were polite. Then she says "I have a cassette here of a demo of an idea I did this week if you want to help me finish it". I said sure and popped it in the boom box. The song was amazing. I still have that tape somewhere in storage but can't recall the name of it. Dianne and I just sat there staring at each other with our mouths agape. Freddie gave us a wink and Diane W says, "I know it's kinda shitty quality but maybe there's something there?" Dianne and I immediately said in unison, "It's perfect! There's nothing to do on this song...it's a hit!"
She then looked at us kinda disappointed and said, "Really? I think it still needs work. I'll leave the tape with you. See if you can make it better." Then she and Freddie take off. To this day I can't imagine what co-writing a song with Diane Warren must be like, but I'm sure it's intense. A couple years later she was writing hits for everyone and we lost contact with her. What a monster talent!
Kenny Lee Lewis
______________________________________________
Thank you for this one Bob. I've known Diane since before she ever had a hit. She worked the same way then as she does now. She came in every day, wrote for hours, and went home. And I loved it and her and I still do. Over the decades, we have worked on several of her big hits together. She works the same way now that she did in those early years. Her and her piano and her talent. Every single day. I know people who criticize her, but I don't think she cares and neither do I. And I've NEVER heard a major artist or producer criticize her either. In other words, if you know hit music, you know how rare and fantastic Diane Warren is.
I haven't yet heard the song you mention here, but I already hope she wins that Oscar. She is owed many of them.
Thank you Bob and thank you Diane. Diane will always send out those beautiful ships., and I will always delight at seeing her sails on the horizon.
Bill Green
______________________________________________
Awesome story, Diane Warren is bad-ass....
Young Hutchison
______________________________________________
Diane Warren... always a threat.
Desmond Child
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Logic
Just when I thought the Soho House was jive...
I went for a meeting with a Canadian. That was what the Soho House was pitched as, a home away from home, a place you could do business when you were on the road.
But then Soho House came to L.A. And after the usual suspects signed up, the wannabes descended. And the funny thing is someone's got to vouch for you, you've got to pass inspection. And just when I'm thinking that the joint is full of thirtysomethings, when I see nobody I know, which is a first, this twentysomething guy leans over and tells me he's a big fan.
Hell, we all like compliments. He said his boss told him he had to do two things when he got the gig, sign up for the "Lefsetz Letter" and book a national tour.
For Logic.
Logic. I never write about him because a guy from the label has hammered me so hard on him. It's a people business. And when you come on like a bulldozer, it turns me off. Especially when all the data is up close and personal for you to see.
Like on Twitter.
That's where Chris Zarou, head of Visionary Management, found Logic.
You see he'd been a soccer player. But Chris realized he just wasn't good enough. That's what's funny about getting older, it separates the men from the boys (and the women from the girls!), and the smart people realize this and get out of the way, drop out and find something better to do.
For Chris, it was music management. It was the only other thing he was interested in.
So he started to study, he combed the net. That's when he saw the tweet about Logic. Chris checked out the video, he was bowled over, he made contact with Logic via his Facebook page, and then took the Megabus from New York down to Maryland to visit him. Chris said he wanted to be Logic's manager. That Logic didn't have to sign any paper. That the act could judge by the results.
So Chris went back to Long Island and started to hustle, while working at Abercrombie & Fitch, his dad didn't believe this music thing was gonna work out.
But they put out a mixtape. And then four video "singles" on YouTube. Chris traded out with a nascent director, who Chris said would get on screen credit in exchange for his free work.
But it wasn't an overnight success. Those still steeped in the last decade believe if you build it, they will come. But they won't. There's too much noise, too much clutter. So Chris allowed free use of Logic's music in gaming videos. His goal was to get people exposed to the music, he believed they'd like it if they only heard it.
This is the antithesis to the baby boomer/Gen-X paradigm, where it's all about the Benjamins, thinking about money first. Chris thought about audience first.
And there was another mixtape and then a deal with Island/Def Jam in 2012. They needed the money, they could not take the next step without it. Zarou and Logic had been working together since 2009, the next step was a tour, but how could they float it, they couldn't get any advances from the venues!
That's when they made the deal with IDJ. And went on the road with a rented minivan and an Altima, all across this great nation of ours.
Enterprise said the automobiles could not leave New York. But Chris thought if they returned them in New York, how would Enterprise know?
They didn't. You've got to bend the rules to get ahead.
And Logic sold out clubs across the nation. The bookkeeping was manila envelopes, one for each gig, with the cash stashed and every withdrawal noted, when someone needed twenty bucks for weed, it was written down. And at the end the net was $60,000.
That's right, no major label record and no radio airplay... THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY AIRPLAY TO THIS DAY!
And then they went to Europe.
WHO BOOKED THIS?
Some guy at an independent that no longer exists who is now at Paradigm. Although Logic is at WME. You see, you've got to start at the bottom, with people who are hungry and wet behind the ears just like you, they're interested, they want to make their bones with you.
And Chris needed help. And he found Harrison Remler, a club promoter from Vassar, and signed him up as an intern, this is the guy who tapped my shoulder and told me what his boss told him to do.
His boss, Chris, is now 27.
Harrison is 24.
That's right, it's a new music business. Peopled by the young and hungry. They're excited, they're doing it their way and they don't care about where we've been, but only where we're going.
Chris studied Spotify in its infancy and saw that the key to streams was getting on playlists. He gave Spotify Logic exclusively if they'd work him on their playlists. There are always angles, but can you see them and figure them out?
And when the first IDJ LP came out, after a two year wait, when Chris told the label not to even tell anybody Logic was signed, it disappointed, Chris about cried. Not because it was a failure, it went Top 5, but because Chris believed it would have been number one, if only the label had put enough product on the street. IDJ just did not believe it. That a band that existed only on the internet could be so big.
But they learned their lesson. Said Zarou was right.
Before this Logic sold out Irving Plaza. Not one single IDJ employee showed up. And this is when Zarou realized he had screwed up, he had failed to work the company!
You see he's learning on the fly.
Now that's the music business I love.
It's not like a typical profession. Where you study and apprentice. No, you look yourself in the mirror and say you're worthy and go forth and prosper. By your wits. Getting screwed, getting an education along the way. No school can teach you how to do it, no way. It's always individuals with desire, who can operate on their wiles, who can figure out the angles, who win.
And I'm talking to Chris and he smiles and his perfect teeth shine bright and his hair is perfectly parted and I realize this guy would win at whatever he wanted to do.
But he chose the music business.
Which makes me believe the business is healthy and will have a future. Because where else can someone with no CV triumph and make bucks?
So last time through, Logic sold out two Wilterns.
And now IDJ is getting ready to push the radio button. Which excites Chris, because where else can you make 100 million impressions? Worldwide on Spotify, what do you get, 50-60 million?
Chris couldn't do it without IDJ. They're fully on board now.
And Chris has a pop act on Capitol too, named Jon Bellion (with one cut on Spotify with 216,731,231 streams and four others at 52,43, 38 and 27 MILLION!)
And everything you thought you knew that you've been bitching about never crosses his mind.
His world lives on the internet. That's where you discover, that's where you spread the word, that's where you make bucks. Logic's top cut on Spotify has 163,334,570 streams. The next four are all in double digit millions, at 72, 60, 32 and 15. Do I hear Logic and Chris bitching about recorded music revenue? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
And, once again, this is completely without radio. Radio can only juice these figures. Whereas many acts get radio play and get nowhere near this number of streams. You see the audience is pushing these acts forward. With some help from the team, in this case Chris, his two other employees and IDJ.
That's right, Chris is not overstaffing, they've been working in the basement.
Chris graduated from Adelphi, after attending three previous institutions. And Harrison when to Vassar. And I'd put both of them up against an MBA from Harvard or Stanford. Because they're hungrier, they don't feel entitled. AND THEY'RE PASSIONATE!
So, Chris and Harrison had to leave for a meeting at Live Nation. They told me to watch Logic on the VMAs.
And as I was descending the staircase I said to myself...I NEED TO COME TO THE SOHO HOUSE MORE OFTEN!
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I went for a meeting with a Canadian. That was what the Soho House was pitched as, a home away from home, a place you could do business when you were on the road.
But then Soho House came to L.A. And after the usual suspects signed up, the wannabes descended. And the funny thing is someone's got to vouch for you, you've got to pass inspection. And just when I'm thinking that the joint is full of thirtysomethings, when I see nobody I know, which is a first, this twentysomething guy leans over and tells me he's a big fan.
Hell, we all like compliments. He said his boss told him he had to do two things when he got the gig, sign up for the "Lefsetz Letter" and book a national tour.
For Logic.
Logic. I never write about him because a guy from the label has hammered me so hard on him. It's a people business. And when you come on like a bulldozer, it turns me off. Especially when all the data is up close and personal for you to see.
Like on Twitter.
That's where Chris Zarou, head of Visionary Management, found Logic.
You see he'd been a soccer player. But Chris realized he just wasn't good enough. That's what's funny about getting older, it separates the men from the boys (and the women from the girls!), and the smart people realize this and get out of the way, drop out and find something better to do.
For Chris, it was music management. It was the only other thing he was interested in.
So he started to study, he combed the net. That's when he saw the tweet about Logic. Chris checked out the video, he was bowled over, he made contact with Logic via his Facebook page, and then took the Megabus from New York down to Maryland to visit him. Chris said he wanted to be Logic's manager. That Logic didn't have to sign any paper. That the act could judge by the results.
So Chris went back to Long Island and started to hustle, while working at Abercrombie & Fitch, his dad didn't believe this music thing was gonna work out.
But they put out a mixtape. And then four video "singles" on YouTube. Chris traded out with a nascent director, who Chris said would get on screen credit in exchange for his free work.
But it wasn't an overnight success. Those still steeped in the last decade believe if you build it, they will come. But they won't. There's too much noise, too much clutter. So Chris allowed free use of Logic's music in gaming videos. His goal was to get people exposed to the music, he believed they'd like it if they only heard it.
This is the antithesis to the baby boomer/Gen-X paradigm, where it's all about the Benjamins, thinking about money first. Chris thought about audience first.
And there was another mixtape and then a deal with Island/Def Jam in 2012. They needed the money, they could not take the next step without it. Zarou and Logic had been working together since 2009, the next step was a tour, but how could they float it, they couldn't get any advances from the venues!
That's when they made the deal with IDJ. And went on the road with a rented minivan and an Altima, all across this great nation of ours.
Enterprise said the automobiles could not leave New York. But Chris thought if they returned them in New York, how would Enterprise know?
They didn't. You've got to bend the rules to get ahead.
And Logic sold out clubs across the nation. The bookkeeping was manila envelopes, one for each gig, with the cash stashed and every withdrawal noted, when someone needed twenty bucks for weed, it was written down. And at the end the net was $60,000.
That's right, no major label record and no radio airplay... THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY AIRPLAY TO THIS DAY!
And then they went to Europe.
WHO BOOKED THIS?
Some guy at an independent that no longer exists who is now at Paradigm. Although Logic is at WME. You see, you've got to start at the bottom, with people who are hungry and wet behind the ears just like you, they're interested, they want to make their bones with you.
And Chris needed help. And he found Harrison Remler, a club promoter from Vassar, and signed him up as an intern, this is the guy who tapped my shoulder and told me what his boss told him to do.
His boss, Chris, is now 27.
Harrison is 24.
That's right, it's a new music business. Peopled by the young and hungry. They're excited, they're doing it their way and they don't care about where we've been, but only where we're going.
Chris studied Spotify in its infancy and saw that the key to streams was getting on playlists. He gave Spotify Logic exclusively if they'd work him on their playlists. There are always angles, but can you see them and figure them out?
And when the first IDJ LP came out, after a two year wait, when Chris told the label not to even tell anybody Logic was signed, it disappointed, Chris about cried. Not because it was a failure, it went Top 5, but because Chris believed it would have been number one, if only the label had put enough product on the street. IDJ just did not believe it. That a band that existed only on the internet could be so big.
But they learned their lesson. Said Zarou was right.
Before this Logic sold out Irving Plaza. Not one single IDJ employee showed up. And this is when Zarou realized he had screwed up, he had failed to work the company!
You see he's learning on the fly.
Now that's the music business I love.
It's not like a typical profession. Where you study and apprentice. No, you look yourself in the mirror and say you're worthy and go forth and prosper. By your wits. Getting screwed, getting an education along the way. No school can teach you how to do it, no way. It's always individuals with desire, who can operate on their wiles, who can figure out the angles, who win.
And I'm talking to Chris and he smiles and his perfect teeth shine bright and his hair is perfectly parted and I realize this guy would win at whatever he wanted to do.
But he chose the music business.
Which makes me believe the business is healthy and will have a future. Because where else can someone with no CV triumph and make bucks?
So last time through, Logic sold out two Wilterns.
And now IDJ is getting ready to push the radio button. Which excites Chris, because where else can you make 100 million impressions? Worldwide on Spotify, what do you get, 50-60 million?
Chris couldn't do it without IDJ. They're fully on board now.
And Chris has a pop act on Capitol too, named Jon Bellion (with one cut on Spotify with 216,731,231 streams and four others at 52,43, 38 and 27 MILLION!)
And everything you thought you knew that you've been bitching about never crosses his mind.
His world lives on the internet. That's where you discover, that's where you spread the word, that's where you make bucks. Logic's top cut on Spotify has 163,334,570 streams. The next four are all in double digit millions, at 72, 60, 32 and 15. Do I hear Logic and Chris bitching about recorded music revenue? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
And, once again, this is completely without radio. Radio can only juice these figures. Whereas many acts get radio play and get nowhere near this number of streams. You see the audience is pushing these acts forward. With some help from the team, in this case Chris, his two other employees and IDJ.
That's right, Chris is not overstaffing, they've been working in the basement.
Chris graduated from Adelphi, after attending three previous institutions. And Harrison when to Vassar. And I'd put both of them up against an MBA from Harvard or Stanford. Because they're hungrier, they don't feel entitled. AND THEY'RE PASSIONATE!
So, Chris and Harrison had to leave for a meeting at Live Nation. They told me to watch Logic on the VMAs.
And as I was descending the staircase I said to myself...I NEED TO COME TO THE SOHO HOUSE MORE OFTEN!
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Wednesday, 23 August 2017
Diane Warren's Protest Song
Her name is on the building.
That's the power of songs. It buys you six floors on Cahuenga, you've got a permanent piece of the rock, it illustrates...
You made it.
Do you know how hard it is to make it?
Music ain't like Wall Street, where your relatives give you a leg up, ensure your career. Sure, your name might get you a gig on the business side, but on the creative side? It's every person for themselves.
And all that education you've got, that fancy degree, it don't mean nothin' in Hollywood, where it's only about hits, can you write one?
This is a completely different business from performing. Where you can go on the road and earn bucks in this crazy era. No, either what you write goes up the chart and coin rains down...
Or it doesn't.
Diane comes from Van Nuys. There are some upscale communities in the San Fernando Valley, but that's not one of them. Her father sold insurance. Her two siblings were much older.
But she was born to write songs.
Now when you hang with the business people you get loudmouthed glad-handers. If you ain't got the gift of gab, you ain't gonna make it on that side of the aisle. It's all about relationships, and if you've got smarts, you can make it to the top, otherwise there's no room for you. The people my age are either running the enterprise or they're out. Because people are lining up to work for free, and no one wants to hear about your family commitments on your fat salary, they'll just hire someone younger and hungrier who will give them their all.
And Diane Warren is hungry. She shows up at nine every morning and writes till...whenever. She's got friends, she goes out to dinner now and again, but her work is her life. She doesn't feel like she's sacrificing, but to an outsider..? No kids? Almost no vacations? No weekends? But that's what it takes to make it. And you only work this hard if you're driven.
Diane is driven.
So she e-mailed me.
Normally we see each other at restaurants. We're strangely simpatico. Diane has no airs, maybe a bit of self-discomfort, but she's open, she'll talk and reveal, and we connect. So when we spoke on the phone and she asked me to come to her studio to hear the song she's most proud of...
I said I would.
But I didn't expect her to own the building.
It's where Mike Caren and Atlantic Records used to be set up, next to the Hotel Cafe. You can drive by and see her name, even if you can't get in, security is just that tight, there are weirdos everywhere these days. But when you're a wannabe, and we all were at one time, these establishments are iconic. Not only the Capitol Tower, I remember coming to L.A. in the sixties and noticing Liberty Records was across the street from our hotel. I had no idea who Simon Waronker was (although I was a huge fan of the Chipmunks!), never mind his son Lenny, but I got up my gumption and crossed the street and a receptionist who couldn't have cared less answered my question, gave me a list of titles for the new Jan & Dean album, they were my favorites.
All over L.A., there are edifices wherein...
The magic is made, in the room where it happens.
So the last time I was in this studio, Flo Rida was cutting a hit.
But Diane told me it was owned by SOLAR, but then Dick Griffey lost it in a divorce, and then Death Row moved in (there are still bullet holes in the ceiling), and then Atlantic and I probably missed one or two residents, but Diane's there now. She's moved from her abode around the corner, her office of 32 years, with her studio that's never ever been cleaned.
She doesn't want anybody touching her stuff. Not because they're gonna compromise a new tune, move a lyric sheet, but because it's HER STUFF! And she needs to feel comfortable there.
Me too. My place is a dump. No one can come in. Same with her old studio. Some stuff may have not been touched in years, but we know exactly where it is.
So the story is the song was written for a movie, about Thurgood Marshall, coming out in October.
You see Diane had the couplet in her head for a while now:
"It all means nothing
If you don't stand up for something"
But when she found out about the movie and the producer said he was open to a song, she went to work.
She sits at a keyboard and...
She says she can't describe her process, but if you're a creator you understand it. She puts her fingers to the keys and...
Something comes out.
The chorus in twenty minutes. The second verse took longer thereafter.
And then...
Days to do the first verse.
Every word counts. Hell, there was that recent song a star wanted to cover, but this person rewrote the lyrics to the point it was lousy. Diane said no, she will bend, but she will not break.
And this is different from the collaboration city that dominates the music business today. Sometimes Diane co-writes, but most of the time...
It's just her and the keyboard.
So she played me the tune from her phone.
I chuckled. I came all this way and I'm not listening to the full spectrum master? I mean we were behind the console, with the keyboard customized for Pro Tools, and the zillion faders, with the Yamahas and the Genelecs and the no-name speakers in the wall, and the music was playing through there...
And I immediately got it.
"Stand Up For Something" was gonna get nominated for an Oscar. There was no doubt in my mind. It was gonna play great in the film, have gravitas.
But I wasn't as sure it was gonna be a pop hit. Because today pop is all hip-hop and...
But "Stand Up For Something" is performed by Andra Day, with a rap by Common, and the rap isn't overdone and it was not calculated, Common ran into Diane and when she told him what she was working on he asked...
And the whole number is shy of four minutes and...
The chorus is anthemic.
"It all means nothing
If you don't stand up for something
You can't just talk the talk
You got to walk that walk, yes you do"
Finally someone singing it straight. A counterweight to a society where money is everything and if you ain't got it, you don't count. Kinda like that inane Louise Linton, wife of Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, who thinks since she walks in designer clothing she has the answers.
She does not.
"You can have all the money in your hands
All the possessions anyone can ever have
But it's all worthless treasure
True worth is only measured not by what you got
But what you got in your heart
You can have, you can have everything
But what does it, what does it mean"
Criticize Warren if you want, but she made it and you didn't. That's America for you, full of sour grapes. Someone else has your job, you coulda made it if only...
If only what? If you put your nose to the grindstone? If you didn't do so much dope? If you put yourself in uncomfortable positions? If you moved to Hollywood and got kicked around before you broke through?
Now you can write songs about love all day long. And love makes the world go 'round, it truly does. But now, thinking people are starting to wonder... How long is that world gonna last? Are we gonna get cooked by heat or blown up in war and we haven't seen this level of tumult since the sixties.
And in the sixties, we had anthems that engendered belief and pushed us forward.
Diane Warren is doing her part.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
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That's the power of songs. It buys you six floors on Cahuenga, you've got a permanent piece of the rock, it illustrates...
You made it.
Do you know how hard it is to make it?
Music ain't like Wall Street, where your relatives give you a leg up, ensure your career. Sure, your name might get you a gig on the business side, but on the creative side? It's every person for themselves.
And all that education you've got, that fancy degree, it don't mean nothin' in Hollywood, where it's only about hits, can you write one?
This is a completely different business from performing. Where you can go on the road and earn bucks in this crazy era. No, either what you write goes up the chart and coin rains down...
Or it doesn't.
Diane comes from Van Nuys. There are some upscale communities in the San Fernando Valley, but that's not one of them. Her father sold insurance. Her two siblings were much older.
But she was born to write songs.
Now when you hang with the business people you get loudmouthed glad-handers. If you ain't got the gift of gab, you ain't gonna make it on that side of the aisle. It's all about relationships, and if you've got smarts, you can make it to the top, otherwise there's no room for you. The people my age are either running the enterprise or they're out. Because people are lining up to work for free, and no one wants to hear about your family commitments on your fat salary, they'll just hire someone younger and hungrier who will give them their all.
And Diane Warren is hungry. She shows up at nine every morning and writes till...whenever. She's got friends, she goes out to dinner now and again, but her work is her life. She doesn't feel like she's sacrificing, but to an outsider..? No kids? Almost no vacations? No weekends? But that's what it takes to make it. And you only work this hard if you're driven.
Diane is driven.
So she e-mailed me.
Normally we see each other at restaurants. We're strangely simpatico. Diane has no airs, maybe a bit of self-discomfort, but she's open, she'll talk and reveal, and we connect. So when we spoke on the phone and she asked me to come to her studio to hear the song she's most proud of...
I said I would.
But I didn't expect her to own the building.
It's where Mike Caren and Atlantic Records used to be set up, next to the Hotel Cafe. You can drive by and see her name, even if you can't get in, security is just that tight, there are weirdos everywhere these days. But when you're a wannabe, and we all were at one time, these establishments are iconic. Not only the Capitol Tower, I remember coming to L.A. in the sixties and noticing Liberty Records was across the street from our hotel. I had no idea who Simon Waronker was (although I was a huge fan of the Chipmunks!), never mind his son Lenny, but I got up my gumption and crossed the street and a receptionist who couldn't have cared less answered my question, gave me a list of titles for the new Jan & Dean album, they were my favorites.
All over L.A., there are edifices wherein...
The magic is made, in the room where it happens.
So the last time I was in this studio, Flo Rida was cutting a hit.
But Diane told me it was owned by SOLAR, but then Dick Griffey lost it in a divorce, and then Death Row moved in (there are still bullet holes in the ceiling), and then Atlantic and I probably missed one or two residents, but Diane's there now. She's moved from her abode around the corner, her office of 32 years, with her studio that's never ever been cleaned.
She doesn't want anybody touching her stuff. Not because they're gonna compromise a new tune, move a lyric sheet, but because it's HER STUFF! And she needs to feel comfortable there.
Me too. My place is a dump. No one can come in. Same with her old studio. Some stuff may have not been touched in years, but we know exactly where it is.
So the story is the song was written for a movie, about Thurgood Marshall, coming out in October.
You see Diane had the couplet in her head for a while now:
"It all means nothing
If you don't stand up for something"
But when she found out about the movie and the producer said he was open to a song, she went to work.
She sits at a keyboard and...
She says she can't describe her process, but if you're a creator you understand it. She puts her fingers to the keys and...
Something comes out.
The chorus in twenty minutes. The second verse took longer thereafter.
And then...
Days to do the first verse.
Every word counts. Hell, there was that recent song a star wanted to cover, but this person rewrote the lyrics to the point it was lousy. Diane said no, she will bend, but she will not break.
And this is different from the collaboration city that dominates the music business today. Sometimes Diane co-writes, but most of the time...
It's just her and the keyboard.
So she played me the tune from her phone.
I chuckled. I came all this way and I'm not listening to the full spectrum master? I mean we were behind the console, with the keyboard customized for Pro Tools, and the zillion faders, with the Yamahas and the Genelecs and the no-name speakers in the wall, and the music was playing through there...
And I immediately got it.
"Stand Up For Something" was gonna get nominated for an Oscar. There was no doubt in my mind. It was gonna play great in the film, have gravitas.
But I wasn't as sure it was gonna be a pop hit. Because today pop is all hip-hop and...
But "Stand Up For Something" is performed by Andra Day, with a rap by Common, and the rap isn't overdone and it was not calculated, Common ran into Diane and when she told him what she was working on he asked...
And the whole number is shy of four minutes and...
The chorus is anthemic.
"It all means nothing
If you don't stand up for something
You can't just talk the talk
You got to walk that walk, yes you do"
Finally someone singing it straight. A counterweight to a society where money is everything and if you ain't got it, you don't count. Kinda like that inane Louise Linton, wife of Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, who thinks since she walks in designer clothing she has the answers.
She does not.
"You can have all the money in your hands
All the possessions anyone can ever have
But it's all worthless treasure
True worth is only measured not by what you got
But what you got in your heart
You can have, you can have everything
But what does it, what does it mean"
Criticize Warren if you want, but she made it and you didn't. That's America for you, full of sour grapes. Someone else has your job, you coulda made it if only...
If only what? If you put your nose to the grindstone? If you didn't do so much dope? If you put yourself in uncomfortable positions? If you moved to Hollywood and got kicked around before you broke through?
Now you can write songs about love all day long. And love makes the world go 'round, it truly does. But now, thinking people are starting to wonder... How long is that world gonna last? Are we gonna get cooked by heat or blown up in war and we haven't seen this level of tumult since the sixties.
And in the sixties, we had anthems that engendered belief and pushed us forward.
Diane Warren is doing her part.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
--
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Tuesday, 22 August 2017
The New York Times Story
"McConnell, in Private, Doubts if Trump Can Save Presidency": http://nyti.ms/2wwjR2K
"This is the end
My only friend
The end"
Only amateurs believe the paper prints the news.
Professionals MAKE the news. They control the narrative. They provide access, tidbits, the papers just do their dirty work.
And it is the papers, because the video outlets have no reporters. Oh, if there's a war or a tornado or a murder they'll send a well-coiffed person with a camera to make pictures. But the less glamorous stuff? Fuggedaboutit on cable, and network can be dismissed when it comes to news. The newspapers set the agenda, and their are only three, "The New York Times," "The Washington Post" and "The Wall Street Journal."
And "The Wall Street Journal" ain't breaking much news, they're stretched too thin. Trying to be everything to everybody they're failing. But "The Washington Post" got an infusion from Bezos and they're competing with the "Times" on breaking stories.
And together they're controlling the national dialogue.
How do I know this?
Talk radio takes cues from the "Times" and flipping amongst the three major cable news outlets today who was deepest into the McConnell story? Fox. That's right, Murdoch's empire is reacting to the "Times."
Anyway, we're in uncharted territory.
Or are we not?
Credit Frank Rich with pointing out it was a matter of time. That Nixon was impeached long after the break-in.
"Just Wait, Watergate didn't become Watergate overnight, either.": http://nym.ag/2tKPIb8
But then there was that opinion piece in the "Times," postulating that Trump would not go until Fox News turned against him.
"Want to Get Rid of Trump? Only Fox News Can Do It": http://nyti.ms/2wwHF6i
We're getting to that point.
If you believe the "Times" reporters dug and came up with this story, you're wrong. They were TOLD! By people who wanted to get back at Trump, people who worked for McConnell. Deny, deny, deny, have no quotes, but put the land mines out there.
This is how war is fought today, certainly in D.C., in the media.
You use the media to your advantage.
Trump thought he was winning, with his direct access to the public via Twitter. But reporting on those musings was like reciting the baseball scores. Interesting to a few, but not many. The problem is there's little amplification. Anybody online knows that news comes and goes, and unless it's everywhere, it's nowhere. So Trump keeps tweeting to a smaller and smaller audience. We've seen the train wreck, we no longer care. And today Trump got schooled by the old school.
That's what I hate about the prognosticators, they miss the memo, always get it wrong. Traditional media is challenged FINANCIALLY, but not in IMPACT! The more news outlets there are, the more we gravitate to a few.
Trump got ahead of himself. He thought the revolution was complete, but it's still being televised, it's still being printed, turns out the old media companies are still the most powerful.
Come on, how many of the online news outlets have reporters. They have meme-thinker-uppers and typists, but no one out there digging, no one who knows how the game is played. They think it's about clicks and ads and maybe that leads to money, but ad rates are going through the floor and just like you're paying for music, soon you'll be paying for news. Yup, that's the story of the imminent future, the old wave companies are getting the new ones to capitulate. Both Facebook and Google are talking about being gatekeepers who pay fealty to news outlets.
So, just when we thought Trump was forever, at least four years, the dam broke. And how do you lose a Presidency? Just like you use a fortune, very slowly and then all at once.
Could be Charlottesville was the breaking point. All the built-up frustration came home to roost. The Republicans in Congress are afraid to stand up in public, but put the shiv in you off camera? They're all for that, watch a season of "House of Cards," especially the first, you'll understand.
If Trump goes, it'll be because the Republicans say so.
And now they're starting to.
"When the music's over, TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!"
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"This is the end
My only friend
The end"
Only amateurs believe the paper prints the news.
Professionals MAKE the news. They control the narrative. They provide access, tidbits, the papers just do their dirty work.
And it is the papers, because the video outlets have no reporters. Oh, if there's a war or a tornado or a murder they'll send a well-coiffed person with a camera to make pictures. But the less glamorous stuff? Fuggedaboutit on cable, and network can be dismissed when it comes to news. The newspapers set the agenda, and their are only three, "The New York Times," "The Washington Post" and "The Wall Street Journal."
And "The Wall Street Journal" ain't breaking much news, they're stretched too thin. Trying to be everything to everybody they're failing. But "The Washington Post" got an infusion from Bezos and they're competing with the "Times" on breaking stories.
And together they're controlling the national dialogue.
How do I know this?
Talk radio takes cues from the "Times" and flipping amongst the three major cable news outlets today who was deepest into the McConnell story? Fox. That's right, Murdoch's empire is reacting to the "Times."
Anyway, we're in uncharted territory.
Or are we not?
Credit Frank Rich with pointing out it was a matter of time. That Nixon was impeached long after the break-in.
"Just Wait, Watergate didn't become Watergate overnight, either.": http://nym.ag/2tKPIb8
But then there was that opinion piece in the "Times," postulating that Trump would not go until Fox News turned against him.
"Want to Get Rid of Trump? Only Fox News Can Do It": http://nyti.ms/2wwHF6i
We're getting to that point.
If you believe the "Times" reporters dug and came up with this story, you're wrong. They were TOLD! By people who wanted to get back at Trump, people who worked for McConnell. Deny, deny, deny, have no quotes, but put the land mines out there.
This is how war is fought today, certainly in D.C., in the media.
You use the media to your advantage.
Trump thought he was winning, with his direct access to the public via Twitter. But reporting on those musings was like reciting the baseball scores. Interesting to a few, but not many. The problem is there's little amplification. Anybody online knows that news comes and goes, and unless it's everywhere, it's nowhere. So Trump keeps tweeting to a smaller and smaller audience. We've seen the train wreck, we no longer care. And today Trump got schooled by the old school.
That's what I hate about the prognosticators, they miss the memo, always get it wrong. Traditional media is challenged FINANCIALLY, but not in IMPACT! The more news outlets there are, the more we gravitate to a few.
Trump got ahead of himself. He thought the revolution was complete, but it's still being televised, it's still being printed, turns out the old media companies are still the most powerful.
Come on, how many of the online news outlets have reporters. They have meme-thinker-uppers and typists, but no one out there digging, no one who knows how the game is played. They think it's about clicks and ads and maybe that leads to money, but ad rates are going through the floor and just like you're paying for music, soon you'll be paying for news. Yup, that's the story of the imminent future, the old wave companies are getting the new ones to capitulate. Both Facebook and Google are talking about being gatekeepers who pay fealty to news outlets.
So, just when we thought Trump was forever, at least four years, the dam broke. And how do you lose a Presidency? Just like you use a fortune, very slowly and then all at once.
Could be Charlottesville was the breaking point. All the built-up frustration came home to roost. The Republicans in Congress are afraid to stand up in public, but put the shiv in you off camera? They're all for that, watch a season of "House of Cards," especially the first, you'll understand.
If Trump goes, it'll be because the Republicans say so.
And now they're starting to.
"When the music's over, TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!"
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Tiger/Lindsey Nudes
When did this become a thing?
Like the lead in "Atypical," my goal in life was just to SEE boobies, never mind all the time, everywhere.
It's a funny culture we live in now, one wherein the famous are merging with the hoi polloi. Did you see Ryan Adams's twitter rant about Father John Misty?
"Ryan Adams Calls Father John Misty the 'Most Self-Important Asshole on Earth": http://bit.ly/2wCJEp3
Used to be we'd read about this in the gossip pages at best.
Now we see it up front and center. With the perpetrators seemingly unaware of the consequences, until they wake up and take their words down. Or, like Steve Mnuchin's wife Louise Linton, are unable to:
"Steve Mnuchin's Wife Has A 'Let Them Eat Cake Moment On Instagram": https://yhoo.it/2vmLJBm
So Tiger and Lindsey are stunned, positively stunned, that their selfies are in the wild.
What possessed them to shoot and send them to begin with? Just because they could?
It appears no one has any self-restraint. Kinda like birth control in the heat of the moment. We seem unable to eradicate unwanted pregnancies and we seem to be unable to keep our selfies to ourselves. Call me a prude, but anything I don't want to be common knowledge I don't put in an e-mail, even to a friend. You'd be amazed how this stuff finds its way out. You type it and it lasts forever. Never put anything illegal or damaging or critical in an e-mail unless you want everybody in the world to know it, period.
As for Tiger and Linds, the truth is they were stupid. Their passwords just weren't strong enough. Assuming they were on iPhones, this has been proven again and again, there is no server compromise. What happens is bad actors guess their passwords. Which are oftentimes linked to their personal life, the street where they grew up on, their favorite items, it's not about length so much as GUESSABILITY!
But they'll find the perpetrator, there are just too many digital crumbs, you can never get away with it, certainly not if you live in America, maybe if you live in Russia or a third world nation. The only people committing crimes and getting away with it these days are white collar people, who can afford attorneys to make it all go away. Other than that, there are cameras everywhere and digital bread crumbs and crime is on the way out.
So I looked. Not something I haven't seen a million times online, only in this case Tiger and Lindsey are famous. So, they've coughed up a bit of privacy. That's the price of fame. Don't want to sacrifice, don't be famous. But if you are famous, you've got to be smart.
So the truth is the internet is doing for America what hundreds of years have not. Which is to decriminalize the human body, make our country less puritanical about sex. You can see nude bodies and sex acts all over the web, all you have to do is Google (be sure to take off Safe Search, but only an oldster would be unaware of this.)
So on one hand society is expanding, on another it is contracting.
Anything does not go anymore. This is not ten years ago, when piracy was rampant and the perpetrators eluded the law. Anybody bitching about piracy today is ignorant, ignore them. Legal solutions are much easier and cost-effective. And illegal activities are trackable more than ever before.
So Tiger and Lindsey, you're shocked, positively shocked that your photos leaked.
Well why were you sending them in the first place? Why were they sitting on your phone?
And if your answer is you should have the right to do so, that brings us back to my initial premise, that no one has any self-restraint, including celebrities.
But we're all accustomed to nudity today. It's no big deal. Hell, even sex tapes have lost their luster, Kim Kardashian was the last person to build a career upon one and that was YEARS ago.
So we live in a sexualized world, is that such a bad thing?
I'd say not.
P.S. But you've got to get the memo. That it's not smart to flaunt your wealth or express your bile if you're in the public eye. Funny how the internet reveals who these people truly are, oftentimes to their detriment.
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Like the lead in "Atypical," my goal in life was just to SEE boobies, never mind all the time, everywhere.
It's a funny culture we live in now, one wherein the famous are merging with the hoi polloi. Did you see Ryan Adams's twitter rant about Father John Misty?
"Ryan Adams Calls Father John Misty the 'Most Self-Important Asshole on Earth": http://bit.ly/2wCJEp3
Used to be we'd read about this in the gossip pages at best.
Now we see it up front and center. With the perpetrators seemingly unaware of the consequences, until they wake up and take their words down. Or, like Steve Mnuchin's wife Louise Linton, are unable to:
"Steve Mnuchin's Wife Has A 'Let Them Eat Cake Moment On Instagram": https://yhoo.it/2vmLJBm
So Tiger and Lindsey are stunned, positively stunned, that their selfies are in the wild.
What possessed them to shoot and send them to begin with? Just because they could?
It appears no one has any self-restraint. Kinda like birth control in the heat of the moment. We seem unable to eradicate unwanted pregnancies and we seem to be unable to keep our selfies to ourselves. Call me a prude, but anything I don't want to be common knowledge I don't put in an e-mail, even to a friend. You'd be amazed how this stuff finds its way out. You type it and it lasts forever. Never put anything illegal or damaging or critical in an e-mail unless you want everybody in the world to know it, period.
As for Tiger and Linds, the truth is they were stupid. Their passwords just weren't strong enough. Assuming they were on iPhones, this has been proven again and again, there is no server compromise. What happens is bad actors guess their passwords. Which are oftentimes linked to their personal life, the street where they grew up on, their favorite items, it's not about length so much as GUESSABILITY!
But they'll find the perpetrator, there are just too many digital crumbs, you can never get away with it, certainly not if you live in America, maybe if you live in Russia or a third world nation. The only people committing crimes and getting away with it these days are white collar people, who can afford attorneys to make it all go away. Other than that, there are cameras everywhere and digital bread crumbs and crime is on the way out.
So I looked. Not something I haven't seen a million times online, only in this case Tiger and Lindsey are famous. So, they've coughed up a bit of privacy. That's the price of fame. Don't want to sacrifice, don't be famous. But if you are famous, you've got to be smart.
So the truth is the internet is doing for America what hundreds of years have not. Which is to decriminalize the human body, make our country less puritanical about sex. You can see nude bodies and sex acts all over the web, all you have to do is Google (be sure to take off Safe Search, but only an oldster would be unaware of this.)
So on one hand society is expanding, on another it is contracting.
Anything does not go anymore. This is not ten years ago, when piracy was rampant and the perpetrators eluded the law. Anybody bitching about piracy today is ignorant, ignore them. Legal solutions are much easier and cost-effective. And illegal activities are trackable more than ever before.
So Tiger and Lindsey, you're shocked, positively shocked that your photos leaked.
Well why were you sending them in the first place? Why were they sitting on your phone?
And if your answer is you should have the right to do so, that brings us back to my initial premise, that no one has any self-restraint, including celebrities.
But we're all accustomed to nudity today. It's no big deal. Hell, even sex tapes have lost their luster, Kim Kardashian was the last person to build a career upon one and that was YEARS ago.
So we live in a sexualized world, is that such a bad thing?
I'd say not.
P.S. But you've got to get the memo. That it's not smart to flaunt your wealth or express your bile if you're in the public eye. Funny how the internet reveals who these people truly are, oftentimes to their detriment.
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