Gee I thought that perhaps actually having listened to every tape while working with the group's tapes and catalog for 30 plus years and winning a Grammy for it gave me some small bit of authority on this subject. Sorry if that's ruffled someones feathers.
The simple fact is there are not any added or re-recorded bass parts on any classic Beach Boys records and while it is certainly possible additional bass was recorded for the Beach Boys Medley single releases (there were two diff ones) to help tie the original records together, I don't hear any on the released record(s) and the multi-track tape used that was assembled from copies of the original tracks which is at Capitol lists percussion overdubs which can be heard on the finished record, but not any bass.
I have remixed many of the group's records from the session tapes and supervised the remastering of the original singles and albums several times, and the session tapes contain exactly the same performances as on the 45 rpm singles I bought when they were first released starting with their first Capitol single "Surfin Safari".
As for the "lost" tapes …… those mentioned in the article were not discarded by Capitol. They were apparently at the Wilson house in Hawthorne where they were taken from Western Studios and along with the other tapes for the Shutdown Volume 2 LP discarded most likely by Murry Wilson. I have a picture somewhere that was taken in the Wilson kitchen where tapes can clearly be seen stacked up above the cabinets.
The fact is almost no tapes other than final stereo and mono masters were ever stored at Capitol which is why the group still has almost all of their recordings including the complete original sessions. Shutdown Volume 2 was the biggest exception, but the tapes described in the article along with the rest that were found a few years later made the groups archives almost complete, and the few others lost appear to have been either discarded in the same way or destroyed when a couple of studios went out of business and discarded the tapes left behind.
And we still continue to find things. Just last year we located the masters for Kokomo, two copies in fact. One was still at the studio where the songs was completed and the other was with the engineer who recorded it.
And again until 1966 the Beach Boys backing tracks were all recorded in mono on a 3 track machine so having the original tapes wouldn't have made it any easier to increase the bass as claimed, and there would have been no way to replace the original bass parts either. And by the way, the engineers who recorded those records; mostly Chuck Britz at Western and Larry Levine at Goldstar were masters at getting the sound of those records and especially the bass exactly right. Those recordings still stand as amazing achievements in every area; writing, arranging playing , singing and recording all done without the benefit of "modern" recording technology where everything can be tuned time shifted and edited to make it "perfect" but devoid of soul.
So to repeat again what I said in my first letter, overdubbed bass was never used on the Beach Boys classic records , and the writer making that claim is mistaken. He may have played on something but other than perhaps the Beach Boys Medley nothing was ever released, and no tapes can be found with those bass overdubs.
Mark Linett
Brother Records Inc.
P.S. Let me just add that I am not saying the bass overdub session never happened, just that if it did the results were never released by Capitol as claimed by Mr. Lewis . This could have been for any number of reasons including the fact that the Beach Boys have always had approval over their catalog releases. I simply want it made clear that neither the bass or anything else was ever re-recorded and released on the Beach Boys' records.
______________________________________________
From: Ted Schreiber
Subject: Re: More Mailbag
RE: Kenny Lee Lewis
Hey Bob,
Every now and then a feud comes up on your page and it's like "oh no, two of my favorite uncles are fighting." You versus Van Dyke Parks a while back comes to mind. I don't have much of an attachment to Kenny Lee Lewis, but I love the old Steve Miller records and I'm a bass player myself - so he's great. (And I'm sure he knows all about Wild Mountain Honey, which is key) But to disrespect Mark Linett when EVERY Beach Boys fan who has purchased one of their CD's since the 80s has heard Mark's mixes & remastering is bullshit and unprofessional. Nobody knows what's on those tapes better than Mark. HOF status aside, if Kenny can provide supporting research on his end -- and not even bother to google "Mark Linett Beach Boys" -- then he probably should not be writing letters to you on his own behalf. Here's Mark showing off modern plug-ins on old Beach Boys recordings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PveMm1yqo54.
______________________________________________
Thanks Bob for reposting my retort to Mr. Linett. Unfortunately John Palladino passed five years ago and took our little secret to the grave with him so I guess me and Mr BB archive dude will just have to agree to disagree.
Kenny Lee Lewis
______________________________________________
From: Steve Lukather
Subject: Re: More Mailbag
My Kenny Lee is feisty. haha
I have known and loved Kenny since I was a teenager. Great player. Kenny and his wife hired me when I was kid of 18 to play the Midnight Special with them. Diane was the 'acid queen ' in the Bee Gees Sgt Pepper. Nice soulful-talented people.
I also have also known Mark Linnet since he was a 2nd engineer at Amigo studios ( Warner Brothers LA) way way back. We did Ricki Lee Jones-Randy Newman and ton more . I believe the great Lee Hershberg RIP was the head engineer back then. Great team. Mark is very talented as well.
Seems a nude mud wrestling match would define a winner here. Please film that for youtube.
I had to sign NON -disclosures for parts I replaced on 'famous peoples records' in my younger years. Most never even knew I did. I was the guy they called to FIX shit.
No love....But I know. The producers know! shhhh
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Thursday, 4 April 2019
More Mailbag
In retort to smarty pants Mark Linett who has attempted to refute my claim of having overdubbed bass parts on top of old Beach Boys master mixes to beef up the bass definition, I present this article from our local paper up here on The Central Coast proving that in fact Capitol Records did throw out multitrack master tapes from time to time:
https://m.newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/the-reel-deal/Content?oid=2935659
This would support the reason why Capitol Records AR rep John Palladino, who was a credited Capitol Records executive producer on several of my boss Steve Miller's records, would have asked me to do the session in 1981 that I described in my comment regarding The Beach Boys from your newsletter Bob. I could give a rat's ass about whether this fellow calls himself a "Beach Boys Archivist" or not. I was there Mr. Linett, you weren't. Now can I prove that Capitol ever actually used those bass parts I mirrored on those old recordings prior to The Wrecking Crew's involvement? No. But I have contacted Mr Palladino's niece to see if John is still with us to verify that session taking place. Stay tuned on that one.
Furthermore that medley Mr Linett provided a link for contained none of the songs I worked on that day. All of the songs I worked on were old mixes from the first 6-7 hits they had in the early 60s before Carol Kaye had even been called in.
All I know is what Mr Palladio told me that day. That "they had no multitrack masters of those particular songs in their possession" and that "we will be remixing these tracks for broadcast for better bass definition"
Also I appreciate being compared to the great Bernard Purdie, but not for the right reasons. I never said I "replaced" or "recreated" any new music. I was asked to simply mirror Brian's bass parts he had recorded as a teenager on those early recordings so Capitol could blend in a better bass definition lacking on those mono mixes.
I have no reason to make up a story like this. I am a Rock n Roll Hall of Fame alumnus, have numerous gold and platinum records hanging in my office and have done just fine in the business. For this person to call me a liar in front of my peers on your mailbag is in my opinion liable and I challenge him to respond to my retort with a retraction and apology.
Kenny Lee Lewis-Steve Miller Band member for over 37 years.
___________________________________________
More Hairfarmers
Hi Bob,
How did I get into this space?
My parents are not musicians, but my Grandma was. She played piano and was the vocal soloist at her Baptist church which I went to fairly often during my childhood in the early 70's...I must have got some of my love of music from her. She was great!
Although my parents don't play, they do love music so I was blessed with a great stereo and record collection in the family home. Lots of Elvis and Johnny Mathis from my Dad. Lots of Motown etc. from my Mom with other artists thrown in the mix too. I remember tilting the giant speakers together at their tops and putting my head in the middle and screaming along to Joni Mitchell. (the first surround sound?)
Fast forward to my teenage years. I would always sing along to the music we had cranked up at parties or in the car. People would say, hey, you sound "just like the record" so I'd just keep singing...
Fast forward to the very early 90's, hanging out in bars in the 'burbs of Vancouver...there was a surprisingly good live music scene back then, before the DJ thing took over. Clubs would have live music 5 or 6 nights a week. Some of these bands were really good and they could actually make decent living at it. One night, in our local bar, my younger brother, without telling me, went up to the lead singer of the band that night and said, "Hey! My brother can sing Led Zeppelin way better than you!"
Next thing you know, the band is kicking into the intro for "Rock and Roll" (the Zep song), and the singer is standing there at our table with a wireless mic and a funny look on his face saying "are you gonna start singing this one or what?" I guess I'd just enough Canadian Rye Whiskey in me to qualify as "liquid courage", so I went for it. I don't know if I was any good, but the place went nuts anyway and I was hooked! (by the way, I'm still friends with that band/singer!)
After that I started singing at jam nights and adding guest vocals at other bands gigs. I'd sing all the high range stuff that they couldn't hit. Soon after I was asked to join a couple of different bands...just fun stuff, bar gigs and weekend house parties.
I had finished trade school as a diesel mechanic by this time, but quickly stopped turning wrenches and started my own trucking company instead. This put me behind the wheel for 10 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. I spent all that time singing along to classic rock on the FM radio. I guess that's how I learned the words and picked up the phrasings to so many songs.
One thing I used to do on my own...I would play CSN's first album, both sides front to back, and practice harmonies. First verse in Crosby's voice, second in Still's voice, third in Nash's. I'm sure I drove my roommates nuts!
I skipped a lot of the 80's and 90's music during that era and focused on bands like Cream, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Hendrix, The Doors, The Stones, CSN (&Y), Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, James Taylor etc., etc., although I do appreciate 80's artists more now than I did then.
Fast forward to...WHISTLER!
I met a girl at the Oregon Country Fair in 1999 , a hippy festival near Eugene. We hit it off and were soon dating. She lived in Whistler and was never coming home to Vancouver. I was ready for a change, so I said "why not!", sold my trucking business and moved to Whistler. (I married that girl and we're still together!) In Whistler I soon met Doug. (the lanky guitar player) He'd been playing solo and in bands/duos around town for several years. I got up on stage with him a few times and as they say, the rest is history! We've been playing together ever since and have managed to turn our little duo into a successful act that plays 200 shows a year and gets to tour the world.
Whistler is home base during ski season, but the rest of the year we get to travel. This summer, in addition to all our local private and corporate gigs, we have shows in the Bahamas, Australia, Costa Rica, Tuscany, San Francisco, and our annual performance at Burning Man.
Is it a grind?
I handle all the business and management for us. Bookings, invoicing, contracts, travel etc. That part can be a grind sometimes.
There are days when I'm getting ready to leave for a show and wish I could just stay at home...but then I get to Merlin's (or any venue) and feel the energy in the room start to build. You see the anticipation on the faces in the crowd. Then you hit that first note, you see that first smile in the audience, and for 3 hours there's no place I'd rather be!!!
Cheers,
Greg Reamsbottom
The Hairfarmers
www.thehairfarmers.com
___________________________________________
Re: Thompson Twins
Bob, you may not know that before they became global pop stars, the TTs were a south London dub roots outfit.
The addition of Joe Leeway and Alannah Currie, took them to fame. Alannah was a Kiwi.
White guy (Tom), black guy, woman with dreads. Changing the script. Coming in off the back of the Talking Heads and B52s, where if there wasn't a woman in the band (Mo Tucker: VELVET UNDERGROUND!) the act was inherently less interesting.
And the Thomson/Thompson Twins name came out of Tintin, the amazing comic books by Belgian genius Herge.
From which our own Peter Jackson, who elevated NZ's status as a movie nation to the heights with the LOTR trilogy and then shot himself in the hairy feet with the HOBBIT trilogy (too long, too boring; disenfranchising Union workers in the process; long story) did a franchise Tintin deal with Big Steve Spielberg, who couldn't find or desire the necessary subtlety with an electron microscope.
Hate them both for that.
But Tom Bailey. And Allanah. Always good.
They were friends of my friend Kevin, when I landed in Sarf London in the very early 80s and had the only "squat" (legitimately occupied dwellings by activist occupants; imagine that now!) with hot running water.
I had a bath after a 30-hour flight from NZ. Chur!
Later their dub quartet ripped deep grooves into the heart of the local Brixton pub.
I last encountered Tom in a wonderfully cheap noodle house on K Rd in Auckland twenty years after that when he was International Observer. Eloquent, sane and unaffected by fame.
You picked the right band to love.
Mark Cubey
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https://m.newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/the-reel-deal/Content?oid=2935659
This would support the reason why Capitol Records AR rep John Palladino, who was a credited Capitol Records executive producer on several of my boss Steve Miller's records, would have asked me to do the session in 1981 that I described in my comment regarding The Beach Boys from your newsletter Bob. I could give a rat's ass about whether this fellow calls himself a "Beach Boys Archivist" or not. I was there Mr. Linett, you weren't. Now can I prove that Capitol ever actually used those bass parts I mirrored on those old recordings prior to The Wrecking Crew's involvement? No. But I have contacted Mr Palladino's niece to see if John is still with us to verify that session taking place. Stay tuned on that one.
Furthermore that medley Mr Linett provided a link for contained none of the songs I worked on that day. All of the songs I worked on were old mixes from the first 6-7 hits they had in the early 60s before Carol Kaye had even been called in.
All I know is what Mr Palladio told me that day. That "they had no multitrack masters of those particular songs in their possession" and that "we will be remixing these tracks for broadcast for better bass definition"
Also I appreciate being compared to the great Bernard Purdie, but not for the right reasons. I never said I "replaced" or "recreated" any new music. I was asked to simply mirror Brian's bass parts he had recorded as a teenager on those early recordings so Capitol could blend in a better bass definition lacking on those mono mixes.
I have no reason to make up a story like this. I am a Rock n Roll Hall of Fame alumnus, have numerous gold and platinum records hanging in my office and have done just fine in the business. For this person to call me a liar in front of my peers on your mailbag is in my opinion liable and I challenge him to respond to my retort with a retraction and apology.
Kenny Lee Lewis-Steve Miller Band member for over 37 years.
___________________________________________
More Hairfarmers
Hi Bob,
How did I get into this space?
My parents are not musicians, but my Grandma was. She played piano and was the vocal soloist at her Baptist church which I went to fairly often during my childhood in the early 70's...I must have got some of my love of music from her. She was great!
Although my parents don't play, they do love music so I was blessed with a great stereo and record collection in the family home. Lots of Elvis and Johnny Mathis from my Dad. Lots of Motown etc. from my Mom with other artists thrown in the mix too. I remember tilting the giant speakers together at their tops and putting my head in the middle and screaming along to Joni Mitchell. (the first surround sound?)
Fast forward to my teenage years. I would always sing along to the music we had cranked up at parties or in the car. People would say, hey, you sound "just like the record" so I'd just keep singing...
Fast forward to the very early 90's, hanging out in bars in the 'burbs of Vancouver...there was a surprisingly good live music scene back then, before the DJ thing took over. Clubs would have live music 5 or 6 nights a week. Some of these bands were really good and they could actually make decent living at it. One night, in our local bar, my younger brother, without telling me, went up to the lead singer of the band that night and said, "Hey! My brother can sing Led Zeppelin way better than you!"
Next thing you know, the band is kicking into the intro for "Rock and Roll" (the Zep song), and the singer is standing there at our table with a wireless mic and a funny look on his face saying "are you gonna start singing this one or what?" I guess I'd just enough Canadian Rye Whiskey in me to qualify as "liquid courage", so I went for it. I don't know if I was any good, but the place went nuts anyway and I was hooked! (by the way, I'm still friends with that band/singer!)
After that I started singing at jam nights and adding guest vocals at other bands gigs. I'd sing all the high range stuff that they couldn't hit. Soon after I was asked to join a couple of different bands...just fun stuff, bar gigs and weekend house parties.
I had finished trade school as a diesel mechanic by this time, but quickly stopped turning wrenches and started my own trucking company instead. This put me behind the wheel for 10 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. I spent all that time singing along to classic rock on the FM radio. I guess that's how I learned the words and picked up the phrasings to so many songs.
One thing I used to do on my own...I would play CSN's first album, both sides front to back, and practice harmonies. First verse in Crosby's voice, second in Still's voice, third in Nash's. I'm sure I drove my roommates nuts!
I skipped a lot of the 80's and 90's music during that era and focused on bands like Cream, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Hendrix, The Doors, The Stones, CSN (&Y), Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, James Taylor etc., etc., although I do appreciate 80's artists more now than I did then.
Fast forward to...WHISTLER!
I met a girl at the Oregon Country Fair in 1999 , a hippy festival near Eugene. We hit it off and were soon dating. She lived in Whistler and was never coming home to Vancouver. I was ready for a change, so I said "why not!", sold my trucking business and moved to Whistler. (I married that girl and we're still together!) In Whistler I soon met Doug. (the lanky guitar player) He'd been playing solo and in bands/duos around town for several years. I got up on stage with him a few times and as they say, the rest is history! We've been playing together ever since and have managed to turn our little duo into a successful act that plays 200 shows a year and gets to tour the world.
Whistler is home base during ski season, but the rest of the year we get to travel. This summer, in addition to all our local private and corporate gigs, we have shows in the Bahamas, Australia, Costa Rica, Tuscany, San Francisco, and our annual performance at Burning Man.
Is it a grind?
I handle all the business and management for us. Bookings, invoicing, contracts, travel etc. That part can be a grind sometimes.
There are days when I'm getting ready to leave for a show and wish I could just stay at home...but then I get to Merlin's (or any venue) and feel the energy in the room start to build. You see the anticipation on the faces in the crowd. Then you hit that first note, you see that first smile in the audience, and for 3 hours there's no place I'd rather be!!!
Cheers,
Greg Reamsbottom
The Hairfarmers
www.thehairfarmers.com
___________________________________________
Re: Thompson Twins
Bob, you may not know that before they became global pop stars, the TTs were a south London dub roots outfit.
The addition of Joe Leeway and Alannah Currie, took them to fame. Alannah was a Kiwi.
White guy (Tom), black guy, woman with dreads. Changing the script. Coming in off the back of the Talking Heads and B52s, where if there wasn't a woman in the band (Mo Tucker: VELVET UNDERGROUND!) the act was inherently less interesting.
And the Thomson/Thompson Twins name came out of Tintin, the amazing comic books by Belgian genius Herge.
From which our own Peter Jackson, who elevated NZ's status as a movie nation to the heights with the LOTR trilogy and then shot himself in the hairy feet with the HOBBIT trilogy (too long, too boring; disenfranchising Union workers in the process; long story) did a franchise Tintin deal with Big Steve Spielberg, who couldn't find or desire the necessary subtlety with an electron microscope.
Hate them both for that.
But Tom Bailey. And Allanah. Always good.
They were friends of my friend Kevin, when I landed in Sarf London in the very early 80s and had the only "squat" (legitimately occupied dwellings by activist occupants; imagine that now!) with hot running water.
I had a bath after a 30-hour flight from NZ. Chur!
Later their dub quartet ripped deep grooves into the heart of the local Brixton pub.
I last encountered Tom in a wonderfully cheap noodle house on K Rd in Auckland twenty years after that when he was International Observer. Eloquent, sane and unaffected by fame.
You picked the right band to love.
Mark Cubey
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Wednesday, 3 April 2019
Mailbag
From: "Greg R"
Subject: The Hairfarmers in Whistler.
Hello Mr. Lefsetz,
Greg here from The Hairfarmers. (the husky singer/conga player)
I've received a few emails this am from friends in the music business that get your "letter". One of them forwarded me the article about your day in Whistler yesterday.
I've done some reading up on you and have now subscribed to The Lefsetz Letter.
I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the mountain and had a good time at our show! We're honored that you mentioned us…much appreciated!
We have just returned from playing a private event in Sydney, Australia so we were amped up to be playing back on home turf.
The Hairfarmers have been playing together for 20 years. We still perform around 200 shows per year and yes, we still have big fun doing it!
Marcel has been a fan/friend for many years. He ALWAYS gets the party started and elevates the room.
Yes, the T-Swift song was meant to be pure parody…you got it! Haha! A few years ago someone bet us that we couldn't learn a Taylor Swift song and perform it at our show the next day. We did, and now fans request it once in a while. I'm not sure if that means we "won" that bet…lol.
Again, thank you for your kind words.
All the best…
Cheers,
Greg Reamsbottom
The Hairfarmers
www.thehairfarmers.com
________________________________________
From: Joanne Byrne | Presence PR
Subject: Re: Buble At Staples
Am in the lucky position that over the years working in PR I have met many
many well known people from the world of entertainment. I have a long list
of people who underwhelmed and only two that totally exceeded my
expectations. Steven Spielberg AND Michael Buble. That?s it.
Michael surrounds himself with people are simply good people. And that for
me is often the sign of what the person is and stands for. Met him at UK X
Factor and was invited into his winnebago with his team for a chat as he
did a short charity piece. He did it with humour, honesty and ensured that
everyone got what they needed.
He was a totally and utter gent. In a world where they are few and far
between.
Joanne Byrne
PS one of the best things I have seen ever is Michael in Aviva Stadium in
Dublin asking 50,000 plus crowd to all be quiet and he started to sing. NO
MIKE. NOTHING. Just his voice. And it travelled to every corner of the
ground.
________________________________________
From: TS
Subject: Re: Buble At Staples
When they use the second stage, the PA is reconfigured so as to make the "sound" come from where they are- rather than behind at the mainstage
It really is effective at making the feel right
Cool huh?
To my knowledge nobody else has done that-
Yet
________________________________________
Re: John Kilzer
Thank you, Bob, for writing such a nice piece on John Kilzer and his magical song "Memory In The Making." It was my first real job in the music business 30 years ago for Geffen Records doing local promotion in San Francisco, and this amazing song drops in my lap. I loved it so much and got all my radio guys to play it. It was John Kilzer's boyish and loveable charm that made everyone fall in love with him and root for him like an arena hero. I was a young guy in the business and was so happy to have a connection with a guy that made such magical music. I was so sad to hear he had left us on this earth...some how you think these magical artists will be with us forever. A song that connects with you is magic for life. It is a reminder we need to give thanks to all of those that touch us with great music...may they all live forever in our hearts and stereos.
Warren Christensen
________________________________________
Subject: Spotify is earning me $400 / month. It's great.
Hey Bob,
Artists should be truth tellers— not hustling entrepreneurs. And Spotify (mainly Discover Weekly) is making that possible for me.
I don't tour, I don't sell merch and I'm not on a label. I don't want to do that stuff. I just want to make music. Preferably in my evenings when I'm done work at my day job.
I wrote a post about how I earn $400 / month on Spotify and it kind of blew up on Hacker News and Reddit yesterday. Thought you might find it interesting. I'm obviously not getting rich with Spotify but I am making music for people who want to hear it. It's the best fucking thing ever. If you want to feel good about the internet in 2019, I suggest releasing music. People will bowl you over with their kindness and positivity.
Thank you for all your writing. It's sincerely re-oriented me many times when I lost sight of what really matters :)
- Steve Benjamins
stevebenjamins.com
________________________________________
From: Jerry Greenberg
Subject: Re: Waiting For A Girl Like You
Some info for you. Mick and Lou writing in a studio and a hot girl came into the control booth. That's where the title came from. Best. Jerry g
________________________________________
From: phil thornalley
Subject: hi bob
Hi Bob,
My friend Clyde Lieberman shared the warm piece you wrote about the TT's 'Hold Me Now'.
I was the engineer and mixer on that record.. so I was pleased to see you give it some retrospective glory.
The producer of the record, the late Alex Sadkin, was a beautiful man and a brilliant mixer who taught me most of my tricks.
I went onto enjoy most of my career as a producer and songwriter ( 'Torn', bryan adams, the cure, blah blah).
And, should you ever want to hear a record inspired by 70s Todd Rundgren, here it is.
iTunes: https://ljx.cc/AstralDriveiTunes
Shameless plug over.
Kind regards,
Phil
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Waiting For A Girl Like You
Bob,
I've been a fan of your letters for sometime now. It's so great to see you write about the Thompson Twins in this way. I recently toured with Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins as his bass player and playing 'Hold Me Now' was a special treat every night. The audience lit up when we did. It's amazing to see the power of a good song, a hit, transform people back to that place in time where it was so special. It's stood the test of time too; it was an honour to play it every night. Tom is also a really special person; an incredibly talented, kind soul.
Vicky Warwick
________________________________________
Subject: Tom Zutaut
Bob
I can't speak to all the back and forth on the Crue Movie…I thought it was a hoot, personally but I can comment on Tom Zutant. Tom was way more talented than he was portrayed in the film.
I think Alan and Tom pretty much summed up Tom's role in signing the Crue to Elektra but I want to add to that. In addition to Tom's role in signing Motley Crue, he and Alan were also involved in getting Dokken signed to Elektra and when Tom went off to Geffen, he signed Tesla and Guns. All 4 of those acts went Platinum (3 multi platinum - don't think Don and co ever did more than 1,000,000) and for those 12-15 years, I stack Tom's ears against anyone's. In an era of legendary A+R guys, Tom stood with the best.
One day, hopefully soon, some one will document what guys like Tom, John Kalodner, Gary Gersh did.
Best
Peter
Peter Mensch
Q Prime
________________________________________
From: Allan Arkush
Subject: Re: The Motley Crue Movie
As rock bios go, this one is in the bottom half. More exploitation of events than a dramatizing of them to get a better understanding of the music & musicians. After the first half hour it had all been said and the rest was more of the same. The tragedy's were treated superficially and you could see them coming 3 scenes away. That was where the real story was but the film makers weren't that interested. Sure they were wild men at the birth of a rock scene but as such it is not at all in the league of Alex Cox's Sid & Nancy. And Sid couldn't play worth shit. Yes, there were some scenes of RnR excitement and it captured the spirit of destruction and carnal joy that's part of the Rock legacy but paper thin. Not even as good as Bohemian Rhapsody which except for the songs and a great performance was a mediocre cop out.
Rock bios are a tough genre, I have made a couple and I watched this one with hopeful expectations. I read the book, an early script and was excited by the possibilities. But now I'm disappointed by what I saw. The movie is not as good as the band and the band is……………….not as good as ……………fill in the blank.
________________________________________
From: Andrew Lee
Subject: Re: Def Leppard On Howard Stern
For me it was the 80's . . . I would plug my Kramer Floyd Rose signature series (still have it) into my Peavey Backstage Plus (wish I still had it), put the amp on the window sill facing OUT of the house, dial everything way up and think about the whole block hearing me play along with Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoads, Kirk Hammett, Viv and Phil, and everything in between. My brother was (is) a bass player and he would do the same thing from his bedroom next door and we would jam together from our separate rooms. One day the kid who lived on the corner came by and turns out he was a drummer with a kit in his basement. Voila: the band was born, for what it was worth. Can that kind of magic happen on Instagram? :-(
________________________________________
From: martin elbourne
Subject: Re: Mailbag-Woodstock 50 & Lang
A few thoughts
In no particular order
Getting a good line up with sensible budget really difficult these days
Particularly for one one off event with poor history
And nothing like say glastonbury media coverage and history
Its not just oldsters like me who don't want to camp
Its youngsters
City based festivals growing
Camping based ones declining
Glasto exception
I wouldn't contemplate going to a one off event that involved camping
You know it will be shit
And all the non music stuff will be shit
That's what glasto famous for
It takes years of dedicated people creating cool stuff
You need to know the site the people
Audience need to know where they camp meet up etc etc
From this side of pond sounds like really bad idea
Michael lang might be nice person but no michael eavis
I could say more
P.S. And next year glasto 50th
But we will be good
________________________________________
From: Wade Hines
Subject: Re: Mailbag-Woodstock 50 & Lang
Lang is definitely full of shit. I was at Woodstock 94 and it was an drunken acid drenched frat boy affair. I saw rape and abuse happening all over the place and tried to stop it where I could. I remember watching Crosby Stills & Nash look down from the stage in dismay as drunken bozos were slamming dancing in a mosh while yelling "WOODSTOCK!!!" at the top of their lungs. I remember having to put out beautiful large artful ticket in a box when we entered (they didn't tear it or give us even a section of it) and then seeing 'Original Woodstock 94 Tickets' on sale on QVC for a large amount of money a couple of years later. The only thing that saved it from being a dark affair was Peter Gabriel showing up at the very end offering a glimmer of hope. Of course there was other good music sprinkled in both old & new at the time, but all in all it painted a grim picture of the future that would get worse by Woodstock 99. Woodstock 50 is a limp lame lineup and Lang cannot righteously posture himself out of that reality.
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Mailbag-Woodstock 50 & Lang
In the summer of '69, a bunch of us were hanging out on the boardwalk of Va. Beach, VA. It was like characters from a Springsteen song, or better yet, a Jacke Kerouac novel Crazy Mike showed up and started yelling about a free concert somewhere in upstate New York. He was always on acid so we had to vet the story ourselves - no Google in those days. A week later, we all gathered in the parking lot of Zero's sub shop. I hitched a ride with Dave the dealer. Yes, it was a Volkswagen bus, replete with flowers and a huge peace sign in place of the VW emblem. We were in hippie heaven. Water and food were shared. No one then could have imagined the concept of plastic-bottled water for sale. No one even sold Zig Zags.
It's difficult to explain Woodstock to the non-believers. The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Richie Havens, CSNY, Country Joe, et al were magical, and so were the mushrooms. We were dancing stoned, naked, mud-drenched, and in love with each other. There was a war raging and we were united against it and the government. Music and politics went hand in hand. This was our nation and we weren't giving it back. Or so we thought.
Coming down from Lemon Wafer, Orange Barrel, and other shapes and forms of acid, we witnessed Sunday morning and Jimi's Star Spangled Banner.
Months later, many of us attended the Atlanta Pop Festival for another dose of Jimi.
All these many years later it was, it is still like like Buffalo Springfield's "On the Way Home". Yeah, we were dreamers, young and idealistic. But for those few summer days, it was real. And we were all one.
If you weren't there, then you could never know. And I can't explain it all either.
But it can never be repeated.
Tom Cartwright
________________________________________
Subject: Nancy Pelosi at AIPAC
Bob,
I'm a long-time subscriber, generally focused on music not politics. However, in response to Rep. Omar's recent (and numerous) anti-Semitic comments, I attended my first AIPAC conference in DC this week. For the first time in my 50+ years in this great country, I'm feeling a little uneasy...
Nancy Pelosi was fairly convincing in her support for Jews and Israel, criticizing the anti-Semitic myth of dual loyalty, as well as the BDS movement (Rep. Omar quickly criticized Nancy for her anti-BDS comments). I don't think that Nancy=Corbyn though perhaps Omar=Corbyn. (Joan Ryan, who recently quit Corbyn's Labour Party came from the UK to warn us how that party is unrecognizable and "how things can change quickly.")
It's true that Pelosi could not get a resolution in the House to condemn only Omar and anti-Semitism, but AOC and others in the party (such as Bernie) were pushing back. And, as you may have seen with those NYU students who were accosting a pregnant Chelsea Clinton, some on the left believe that accusing Omar of anti-Semitism is, in turn, Islamophobia. It doesn't matter if the accusations are accurate.
The Republicans at AIPAC were very supportive of Israel (coincidentally, HAMAS were firing rockets at innocent civilians during the conference- do you think they are aiming for a 2-state solution?). Republicans were trying to use anti-Semitism as a wedge issue, but, by the same token, VP Pence, Pompeo, and Ambassador Friedman came across as genuine supporters of Israel and Jews.
Jews and Muslims should be natural allies in the fight against White supremacy and other causes. The Israel-Palestine conflict obviously complicates matters but the Omars of the world make that all the more difficult.
Regards,
Phil Tretiak
________________________________________
Subject: Mail re the Beach Boys
Bob,
I want to correct the email you received from Kenny Lewis (see below) claiming that he overdubbed new bass tracks on Beach Boys masters in 1981 and that's what the world has been hearing since then .I am certain that Lewis is mistaken. First of all the Beach Boys 3 and 4 track masters were not routinely destroyed by Capitol Records (most in fact are held by the Beach Boys) . I know because I have made digital transfers and remixed all of them including Surfin USA and Little (not"my") Honda. The original mix downs of the group's recordings are all still on file at the label and have been used for every reissue since they were first released .
There was never any lack of bass on the records, and since the backing tracks were all recorded in mono there was never an isolated bass track on the 3 or 4 tracks to turn up.
Given his claimed 1981 date I suspect that what Lewis may have played on was "The Beach Boys Medley" that was released that year and which combined sections of several of the group's songs into something similar to the "Stars on 45s" series. Clearly handclaps and/or percussion was added to help tie the tracks together and it is possible that bass was overdubbed as well tho I can't hear any additional bass on the released record, so maybe it was recorded but not used,
The medley can be found here…...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMb3iWUT8Rs
Lewis' story reminds me of drummer Bernard Purdie's claim that he replaced Ringo's drum parts on a bunch of early Beatles records , something that was also technically impossible since on those records the entire track including Ringo's drums was also recorded in mono.
Mark Linett
Engineer/ producer
The Beach Boys Archives
________________________________________
From: Mary Mullaney
Subject: Re: Better Things
So glad you are writing about BETTER THINGS. Season 1 was figuring itself out. Season 2 is the best TV out there. 3 is fumbling to figure out what it is without Louie, you can see that it's rebelling against the sitcom structure even more. It's truth.
As a single mom, once I saw the shot of her taking in the garbage cans alone in the pilot, I was in. If you've done it, you've done it and thought "nobody will ever give a shit that I'm doing all this hard shit alone." And no one does. But it's awesome that Pamela sprinkles that in, cause in the acknowledgement, we make a deep connection.
________________________________________
Subject: Re: The College Admission Crisis
It's funny you mention MBAs and Harvard... I attended a top graduate business school (UPENN Wharton... Ivy!) 8 years ago, and witnessed an entirely new level of admissions fraud to match this current scandal. In school, team projects were common, and involved final reports/papers, where each student would contribute a section. On one particular paper, as point person (aggregator) i came to realize that one of the S. Korean students in the group not only spoke really broken English, but wrote just as poorly. As i rewrote his entire section i began thinking about all the other students i knew from abroad in the MBA program whose English was lacking (mainly Asians), wondering how on earth they could have gotten high enough scores on the English and writing sample portions of the GMAT (admission test equiv to SAT, but for MBA biz school)...challenging even for native English speakers. After some discreet asking around it became apparent that it was common, especially in Asia, for these students (and/or their parents / sponsor companies) to hire other people to take these tests for them, as well as to write the requisite essays, fill out the application, etc. Even though my experience is anecdotal, with these top business schools possessing upwards of 40%+ international students, I imagine this is still a widespread practice (Harvard included!). Future leader fraud!
(but please keep anonymous if you print/include in newsletter, because I'd immediately become a pariah amongst all those colleagues/classmates!)
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Saturday Night At Craig's House
Bob:
This scenario just doesn't happen anymore….but pianos in living rooms are impossible to find in the 21st century, unless you go to your mom's house, if she's still alive.
When I was a kid in the 60's and 70's, my family gathered round the piano and sang at every family gathering and holiday. In fact, my mother was prescient enough to have recorded some of those "sessions" on an 8-track tape recorder (as in the cartridge/consumer type of 8-track) with crappy little plastic mics that came with the all-in-one Channel Master stereo my parents had. It was a family tradition, and I'm so very glad we have some of that preserved for posterity.
Fast forward to college….coming back to the dorm drunk at 2:30 am on a Friday night, there was a crappy, much abused grand piano in the dorm lounge just off the entrance and front desk area. I would sit down and start sloppily playing something….anything that felt good at the time, which was usually some Beatles or Motown, and I would suddenly become a magnet for (mostly girls) anyone walking through the lobby/lounge area…..and that piano would turn into Billy Joel's "carnival", and soon, we'd all be taking a ride down memory lane together, as one, singing so loud that campus security would have to break us up and send us back to our rooms. I got laid a LOT because of those "performances"….
But most importantly, for that time that we were all singing together, whether family or complete strangers, even drunkenly and sloppily, we were all conjoined and part of each other's history, immediately. Nothing instantly connects strangers, nothing binds people together more than singing. I can tell you dozens of stories of similar late nights in hotel piano bars, when the guy playing "Misty" and other such schmoozers let me sit down and start hammering out a Beatles or Elton John song, and suddenly the room came alive and I had 20 people gathered round, singing (badly) at the top of their lungs.
Because……MUSIC.
Maybe we wouldn't be so bitter and divided if we could just gather around a piano and sing some Billy Joel together once in a while…?
It certainly couldn't hurt.
Pete Kehoe
________________________________________
From: Sandra Lou Newman
Subject: Night at Craig's House
March 19, 2019
Dear Bob,
Craig was very excited to share your newsletter with us. My husband and I were on speaker phone as he explained the events of the gathering of music lovers at the Newman home this past Saturday night.
After he spoke I read the article aloud to my husband and, having stopped the reading several times, we were able to visualize the scene in the Newman music room…joy filled our hearts.
The portrait you painted of your experience with music was also very vivid to us. We were so very fortunate to have grown up in the 50's and 60's. We spent our money on 45 rpm records and "high fidelity" albums. We listened to Hy Lit ( a popular DJ on station WIBG in Philadelphia) on our transistor radios and, wow, did we learn a lot from him. I was a Beatlemaniac and saw them live in Atlantic City on August 30, 1964 and in Philadelphia on September 2, 1964. On our first date ( a blind date) my future husband and I talked about music, while dating we "made-out" to the songs Hy Lit played on the radio. We didn't go to Woodstock but we did attend the Atlantic City Pop Festival on August 3, 1969.
Having lost my father in 1962 the Beatles brought light back into my life. I listened to the albums, bought the magazines, and have sketchbooks filled with my drawings of them. I still turn to the Beatles for comfort, listening to them on my morning runs each day.
Although a great deal of my story is about the Beatles (how about the irony that Craig represents The Fab Four and Monique's company, Universal Music, has the Beatles catalogue), Rock and Roll…from the 50's on has been the soundtrack of our lives.
One of my favorite memories is waiting in the gas lines on Saturdays in 1979, with little Craig in his car seat playing my Beatles tapes and singing along.
Your article about music…listening, understanding, playing, and singing touched us to the core. Music is Joy. Music is Love.
With love,
Mom and Pops Newman
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Self-Promotion
Bob,
This fucking nails the world that I work in. I'm lucky Curb Your Enthusiasm broke when it did. It was a shared experience. It's now all niche. What I like, you don't know about What you like, maybe I've heard off but I surely haven't seen or heard it. Good luck breaking through and creating any kind of excitement. All that I'm in control of is the quality of work that I put out. I just do what I do and hope that someone digs it.
All My Best,
Jeff Garlin
________________________________________
From: Paul Lanning
Subject: RE: Self-Promotion
Hey Bob: When EMI took over Virgin, I started clocking "Talk is Cheap" at Manhattan retail. Keith's apartment was upstairs from Tower's Village store, he was around occasionally, was generally held in highest esteem by all, etc etc but that album didn't sell. Sat there in the bin. So did the bulk of the Stones' catalog when it finally came to us, even as the group's shows continued to sell out. Maybe the Abkco titles showed an occasional glimmer of life, but that was all.
Paul Lanning
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Self-Promotion
Suzanne Somers has written 26 books and 14 New York Times Bestsellers. Her 27th from S&S publishes this Fall.
All her books cover cutting edge health protocols your allopathic doctor has likely never heard of, lifestyle, cookbooks (she was headed to chefdom before Three's Company interrupt-us), auto biographies & relationships.
How did Chrissy Snow make the transition from America's Dumbest Blonde to prolific & respected author with 25 million books in print globally in many languages.
Promotion Promotion Promotion...
Lectures Lectures Lectures...
Appearances Appearances Appearances...
Suzanne has done up to 150-200 interviews and appearances for each book.
After spending a full year writing, she knows that if her constituency is aware of her new book, they will check it out. Without promotion,
Crickets.
In the 70's & 80's with only 3 networks, a couple of dozen appearances on national shows produced Best Sellers.
That is impossible today.
Pal Jerry Weintraub called me and said... "Make my book a best seller!"
I told him He could do it, but it was donkey work. "You have to put your head down and go for it. After the TV Nationals, satellite to the top 40 markets, talk radio, print and honor every request for an interview"
He did it and thanked me publicly.
I don't understand actors who spend miserable months in a trailer in the middle of a parking lot in Mexico eating crap and then say..."I act, I don't do promotion"
And these guys own back end!!!!
El Stupido!
Suzanne has 70-80 hours of FaceBookLive/IGTV shows on her FB Page.
She's now doing 2-3 hours a week.
Why?
She treasures & honors her constituency and this is a perfect way to communicate with them.
She takes every selfie and signs every autograph.
She is deeply interested in her ladies' lives.
Suzanne Gets It.
She is Them.
In March 1977, Suzanne went from a starving single Mom as an extra in movies to starring in ABC's number one show.
She went to Jay Bernstein, big time Hollywood publicist and said...
"I'll give you all my money from the 6 episodes of Three's Company if you make me famous enough to get work if the show is canceled."
Jay took the deal and did it.
Suzanne was on dozens of magazine covers, 60 minutes and every national show.
Promotion Promotion Promotion
Over the decades, Suzanne has made many friends in the media.
They deliver for her and she delivers ratings for them.
Same with Paparazzi. At red carpet events, she calls out their names & waves to the bank of dozens of flashing cameras.
Can someone tell me why Stars hate and hide from Paparazzi?
It's FREE PROMOTION!!
PARIS Hilton gets it.
The Kardashians get it
Empires were built on THEM.
Amazing!
Smart!
Craig's had the Emmys on TV screens during dinner.
Every time I looked, I didn't know one person; not one. Who are these people? My apologies to the famous who attended.
Sorry for the long rant, but I've witnessed too many really talented people simply disappear from view because they either refused to do promotion or didn't understand how it worked.
God Bless America!!
Alan Hamel
Subject: The Hairfarmers in Whistler.
Hello Mr. Lefsetz,
Greg here from The Hairfarmers. (the husky singer/conga player)
I've received a few emails this am from friends in the music business that get your "letter". One of them forwarded me the article about your day in Whistler yesterday.
I've done some reading up on you and have now subscribed to The Lefsetz Letter.
I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the mountain and had a good time at our show! We're honored that you mentioned us…much appreciated!
We have just returned from playing a private event in Sydney, Australia so we were amped up to be playing back on home turf.
The Hairfarmers have been playing together for 20 years. We still perform around 200 shows per year and yes, we still have big fun doing it!
Marcel has been a fan/friend for many years. He ALWAYS gets the party started and elevates the room.
Yes, the T-Swift song was meant to be pure parody…you got it! Haha! A few years ago someone bet us that we couldn't learn a Taylor Swift song and perform it at our show the next day. We did, and now fans request it once in a while. I'm not sure if that means we "won" that bet…lol.
Again, thank you for your kind words.
All the best…
Cheers,
Greg Reamsbottom
The Hairfarmers
www.thehairfarmers.com
________________________________________
From: Joanne Byrne | Presence PR
Subject: Re: Buble At Staples
Am in the lucky position that over the years working in PR I have met many
many well known people from the world of entertainment. I have a long list
of people who underwhelmed and only two that totally exceeded my
expectations. Steven Spielberg AND Michael Buble. That?s it.
Michael surrounds himself with people are simply good people. And that for
me is often the sign of what the person is and stands for. Met him at UK X
Factor and was invited into his winnebago with his team for a chat as he
did a short charity piece. He did it with humour, honesty and ensured that
everyone got what they needed.
He was a totally and utter gent. In a world where they are few and far
between.
Joanne Byrne
PS one of the best things I have seen ever is Michael in Aviva Stadium in
Dublin asking 50,000 plus crowd to all be quiet and he started to sing. NO
MIKE. NOTHING. Just his voice. And it travelled to every corner of the
ground.
________________________________________
From: TS
Subject: Re: Buble At Staples
When they use the second stage, the PA is reconfigured so as to make the "sound" come from where they are- rather than behind at the mainstage
It really is effective at making the feel right
Cool huh?
To my knowledge nobody else has done that-
Yet
________________________________________
Re: John Kilzer
Thank you, Bob, for writing such a nice piece on John Kilzer and his magical song "Memory In The Making." It was my first real job in the music business 30 years ago for Geffen Records doing local promotion in San Francisco, and this amazing song drops in my lap. I loved it so much and got all my radio guys to play it. It was John Kilzer's boyish and loveable charm that made everyone fall in love with him and root for him like an arena hero. I was a young guy in the business and was so happy to have a connection with a guy that made such magical music. I was so sad to hear he had left us on this earth...some how you think these magical artists will be with us forever. A song that connects with you is magic for life. It is a reminder we need to give thanks to all of those that touch us with great music...may they all live forever in our hearts and stereos.
Warren Christensen
________________________________________
Subject: Spotify is earning me $400 / month. It's great.
Hey Bob,
Artists should be truth tellers— not hustling entrepreneurs. And Spotify (mainly Discover Weekly) is making that possible for me.
I don't tour, I don't sell merch and I'm not on a label. I don't want to do that stuff. I just want to make music. Preferably in my evenings when I'm done work at my day job.
I wrote a post about how I earn $400 / month on Spotify and it kind of blew up on Hacker News and Reddit yesterday. Thought you might find it interesting. I'm obviously not getting rich with Spotify but I am making music for people who want to hear it. It's the best fucking thing ever. If you want to feel good about the internet in 2019, I suggest releasing music. People will bowl you over with their kindness and positivity.
Thank you for all your writing. It's sincerely re-oriented me many times when I lost sight of what really matters :)
- Steve Benjamins
stevebenjamins.com
________________________________________
From: Jerry Greenberg
Subject: Re: Waiting For A Girl Like You
Some info for you. Mick and Lou writing in a studio and a hot girl came into the control booth. That's where the title came from. Best. Jerry g
________________________________________
From: phil thornalley
Subject: hi bob
Hi Bob,
My friend Clyde Lieberman shared the warm piece you wrote about the TT's 'Hold Me Now'.
I was the engineer and mixer on that record.. so I was pleased to see you give it some retrospective glory.
The producer of the record, the late Alex Sadkin, was a beautiful man and a brilliant mixer who taught me most of my tricks.
I went onto enjoy most of my career as a producer and songwriter ( 'Torn', bryan adams, the cure, blah blah).
And, should you ever want to hear a record inspired by 70s Todd Rundgren, here it is.
iTunes: https://ljx.cc/AstralDriveiTunes
Shameless plug over.
Kind regards,
Phil
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Waiting For A Girl Like You
Bob,
I've been a fan of your letters for sometime now. It's so great to see you write about the Thompson Twins in this way. I recently toured with Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins as his bass player and playing 'Hold Me Now' was a special treat every night. The audience lit up when we did. It's amazing to see the power of a good song, a hit, transform people back to that place in time where it was so special. It's stood the test of time too; it was an honour to play it every night. Tom is also a really special person; an incredibly talented, kind soul.
Vicky Warwick
________________________________________
Subject: Tom Zutaut
Bob
I can't speak to all the back and forth on the Crue Movie…I thought it was a hoot, personally but I can comment on Tom Zutant. Tom was way more talented than he was portrayed in the film.
I think Alan and Tom pretty much summed up Tom's role in signing the Crue to Elektra but I want to add to that. In addition to Tom's role in signing Motley Crue, he and Alan were also involved in getting Dokken signed to Elektra and when Tom went off to Geffen, he signed Tesla and Guns. All 4 of those acts went Platinum (3 multi platinum - don't think Don and co ever did more than 1,000,000) and for those 12-15 years, I stack Tom's ears against anyone's. In an era of legendary A+R guys, Tom stood with the best.
One day, hopefully soon, some one will document what guys like Tom, John Kalodner, Gary Gersh did.
Best
Peter
Peter Mensch
Q Prime
________________________________________
From: Allan Arkush
Subject: Re: The Motley Crue Movie
As rock bios go, this one is in the bottom half. More exploitation of events than a dramatizing of them to get a better understanding of the music & musicians. After the first half hour it had all been said and the rest was more of the same. The tragedy's were treated superficially and you could see them coming 3 scenes away. That was where the real story was but the film makers weren't that interested. Sure they were wild men at the birth of a rock scene but as such it is not at all in the league of Alex Cox's Sid & Nancy. And Sid couldn't play worth shit. Yes, there were some scenes of RnR excitement and it captured the spirit of destruction and carnal joy that's part of the Rock legacy but paper thin. Not even as good as Bohemian Rhapsody which except for the songs and a great performance was a mediocre cop out.
Rock bios are a tough genre, I have made a couple and I watched this one with hopeful expectations. I read the book, an early script and was excited by the possibilities. But now I'm disappointed by what I saw. The movie is not as good as the band and the band is……………….not as good as ……………fill in the blank.
________________________________________
From: Andrew Lee
Subject: Re: Def Leppard On Howard Stern
For me it was the 80's . . . I would plug my Kramer Floyd Rose signature series (still have it) into my Peavey Backstage Plus (wish I still had it), put the amp on the window sill facing OUT of the house, dial everything way up and think about the whole block hearing me play along with Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoads, Kirk Hammett, Viv and Phil, and everything in between. My brother was (is) a bass player and he would do the same thing from his bedroom next door and we would jam together from our separate rooms. One day the kid who lived on the corner came by and turns out he was a drummer with a kit in his basement. Voila: the band was born, for what it was worth. Can that kind of magic happen on Instagram? :-(
________________________________________
From: martin elbourne
Subject: Re: Mailbag-Woodstock 50 & Lang
A few thoughts
In no particular order
Getting a good line up with sensible budget really difficult these days
Particularly for one one off event with poor history
And nothing like say glastonbury media coverage and history
Its not just oldsters like me who don't want to camp
Its youngsters
City based festivals growing
Camping based ones declining
Glasto exception
I wouldn't contemplate going to a one off event that involved camping
You know it will be shit
And all the non music stuff will be shit
That's what glasto famous for
It takes years of dedicated people creating cool stuff
You need to know the site the people
Audience need to know where they camp meet up etc etc
From this side of pond sounds like really bad idea
Michael lang might be nice person but no michael eavis
I could say more
P.S. And next year glasto 50th
But we will be good
________________________________________
From: Wade Hines
Subject: Re: Mailbag-Woodstock 50 & Lang
Lang is definitely full of shit. I was at Woodstock 94 and it was an drunken acid drenched frat boy affair. I saw rape and abuse happening all over the place and tried to stop it where I could. I remember watching Crosby Stills & Nash look down from the stage in dismay as drunken bozos were slamming dancing in a mosh while yelling "WOODSTOCK!!!" at the top of their lungs. I remember having to put out beautiful large artful ticket in a box when we entered (they didn't tear it or give us even a section of it) and then seeing 'Original Woodstock 94 Tickets' on sale on QVC for a large amount of money a couple of years later. The only thing that saved it from being a dark affair was Peter Gabriel showing up at the very end offering a glimmer of hope. Of course there was other good music sprinkled in both old & new at the time, but all in all it painted a grim picture of the future that would get worse by Woodstock 99. Woodstock 50 is a limp lame lineup and Lang cannot righteously posture himself out of that reality.
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Mailbag-Woodstock 50 & Lang
In the summer of '69, a bunch of us were hanging out on the boardwalk of Va. Beach, VA. It was like characters from a Springsteen song, or better yet, a Jacke Kerouac novel Crazy Mike showed up and started yelling about a free concert somewhere in upstate New York. He was always on acid so we had to vet the story ourselves - no Google in those days. A week later, we all gathered in the parking lot of Zero's sub shop. I hitched a ride with Dave the dealer. Yes, it was a Volkswagen bus, replete with flowers and a huge peace sign in place of the VW emblem. We were in hippie heaven. Water and food were shared. No one then could have imagined the concept of plastic-bottled water for sale. No one even sold Zig Zags.
It's difficult to explain Woodstock to the non-believers. The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Richie Havens, CSNY, Country Joe, et al were magical, and so were the mushrooms. We were dancing stoned, naked, mud-drenched, and in love with each other. There was a war raging and we were united against it and the government. Music and politics went hand in hand. This was our nation and we weren't giving it back. Or so we thought.
Coming down from Lemon Wafer, Orange Barrel, and other shapes and forms of acid, we witnessed Sunday morning and Jimi's Star Spangled Banner.
Months later, many of us attended the Atlanta Pop Festival for another dose of Jimi.
All these many years later it was, it is still like like Buffalo Springfield's "On the Way Home". Yeah, we were dreamers, young and idealistic. But for those few summer days, it was real. And we were all one.
If you weren't there, then you could never know. And I can't explain it all either.
But it can never be repeated.
Tom Cartwright
________________________________________
Subject: Nancy Pelosi at AIPAC
Bob,
I'm a long-time subscriber, generally focused on music not politics. However, in response to Rep. Omar's recent (and numerous) anti-Semitic comments, I attended my first AIPAC conference in DC this week. For the first time in my 50+ years in this great country, I'm feeling a little uneasy...
Nancy Pelosi was fairly convincing in her support for Jews and Israel, criticizing the anti-Semitic myth of dual loyalty, as well as the BDS movement (Rep. Omar quickly criticized Nancy for her anti-BDS comments). I don't think that Nancy=Corbyn though perhaps Omar=Corbyn. (Joan Ryan, who recently quit Corbyn's Labour Party came from the UK to warn us how that party is unrecognizable and "how things can change quickly.")
It's true that Pelosi could not get a resolution in the House to condemn only Omar and anti-Semitism, but AOC and others in the party (such as Bernie) were pushing back. And, as you may have seen with those NYU students who were accosting a pregnant Chelsea Clinton, some on the left believe that accusing Omar of anti-Semitism is, in turn, Islamophobia. It doesn't matter if the accusations are accurate.
The Republicans at AIPAC were very supportive of Israel (coincidentally, HAMAS were firing rockets at innocent civilians during the conference- do you think they are aiming for a 2-state solution?). Republicans were trying to use anti-Semitism as a wedge issue, but, by the same token, VP Pence, Pompeo, and Ambassador Friedman came across as genuine supporters of Israel and Jews.
Jews and Muslims should be natural allies in the fight against White supremacy and other causes. The Israel-Palestine conflict obviously complicates matters but the Omars of the world make that all the more difficult.
Regards,
Phil Tretiak
________________________________________
Subject: Mail re the Beach Boys
Bob,
I want to correct the email you received from Kenny Lewis (see below) claiming that he overdubbed new bass tracks on Beach Boys masters in 1981 and that's what the world has been hearing since then .I am certain that Lewis is mistaken. First of all the Beach Boys 3 and 4 track masters were not routinely destroyed by Capitol Records (most in fact are held by the Beach Boys) . I know because I have made digital transfers and remixed all of them including Surfin USA and Little (not"my") Honda. The original mix downs of the group's recordings are all still on file at the label and have been used for every reissue since they were first released .
There was never any lack of bass on the records, and since the backing tracks were all recorded in mono there was never an isolated bass track on the 3 or 4 tracks to turn up.
Given his claimed 1981 date I suspect that what Lewis may have played on was "The Beach Boys Medley" that was released that year and which combined sections of several of the group's songs into something similar to the "Stars on 45s" series. Clearly handclaps and/or percussion was added to help tie the tracks together and it is possible that bass was overdubbed as well tho I can't hear any additional bass on the released record, so maybe it was recorded but not used,
The medley can be found here…...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMb3iWUT8Rs
Lewis' story reminds me of drummer Bernard Purdie's claim that he replaced Ringo's drum parts on a bunch of early Beatles records , something that was also technically impossible since on those records the entire track including Ringo's drums was also recorded in mono.
Mark Linett
Engineer/ producer
The Beach Boys Archives
________________________________________
From: Mary Mullaney
Subject: Re: Better Things
So glad you are writing about BETTER THINGS. Season 1 was figuring itself out. Season 2 is the best TV out there. 3 is fumbling to figure out what it is without Louie, you can see that it's rebelling against the sitcom structure even more. It's truth.
As a single mom, once I saw the shot of her taking in the garbage cans alone in the pilot, I was in. If you've done it, you've done it and thought "nobody will ever give a shit that I'm doing all this hard shit alone." And no one does. But it's awesome that Pamela sprinkles that in, cause in the acknowledgement, we make a deep connection.
________________________________________
Subject: Re: The College Admission Crisis
It's funny you mention MBAs and Harvard... I attended a top graduate business school (UPENN Wharton... Ivy!) 8 years ago, and witnessed an entirely new level of admissions fraud to match this current scandal. In school, team projects were common, and involved final reports/papers, where each student would contribute a section. On one particular paper, as point person (aggregator) i came to realize that one of the S. Korean students in the group not only spoke really broken English, but wrote just as poorly. As i rewrote his entire section i began thinking about all the other students i knew from abroad in the MBA program whose English was lacking (mainly Asians), wondering how on earth they could have gotten high enough scores on the English and writing sample portions of the GMAT (admission test equiv to SAT, but for MBA biz school)...challenging even for native English speakers. After some discreet asking around it became apparent that it was common, especially in Asia, for these students (and/or their parents / sponsor companies) to hire other people to take these tests for them, as well as to write the requisite essays, fill out the application, etc. Even though my experience is anecdotal, with these top business schools possessing upwards of 40%+ international students, I imagine this is still a widespread practice (Harvard included!). Future leader fraud!
(but please keep anonymous if you print/include in newsletter, because I'd immediately become a pariah amongst all those colleagues/classmates!)
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Saturday Night At Craig's House
Bob:
This scenario just doesn't happen anymore….but pianos in living rooms are impossible to find in the 21st century, unless you go to your mom's house, if she's still alive.
When I was a kid in the 60's and 70's, my family gathered round the piano and sang at every family gathering and holiday. In fact, my mother was prescient enough to have recorded some of those "sessions" on an 8-track tape recorder (as in the cartridge/consumer type of 8-track) with crappy little plastic mics that came with the all-in-one Channel Master stereo my parents had. It was a family tradition, and I'm so very glad we have some of that preserved for posterity.
Fast forward to college….coming back to the dorm drunk at 2:30 am on a Friday night, there was a crappy, much abused grand piano in the dorm lounge just off the entrance and front desk area. I would sit down and start sloppily playing something….anything that felt good at the time, which was usually some Beatles or Motown, and I would suddenly become a magnet for (mostly girls) anyone walking through the lobby/lounge area…..and that piano would turn into Billy Joel's "carnival", and soon, we'd all be taking a ride down memory lane together, as one, singing so loud that campus security would have to break us up and send us back to our rooms. I got laid a LOT because of those "performances"….
But most importantly, for that time that we were all singing together, whether family or complete strangers, even drunkenly and sloppily, we were all conjoined and part of each other's history, immediately. Nothing instantly connects strangers, nothing binds people together more than singing. I can tell you dozens of stories of similar late nights in hotel piano bars, when the guy playing "Misty" and other such schmoozers let me sit down and start hammering out a Beatles or Elton John song, and suddenly the room came alive and I had 20 people gathered round, singing (badly) at the top of their lungs.
Because……MUSIC.
Maybe we wouldn't be so bitter and divided if we could just gather around a piano and sing some Billy Joel together once in a while…?
It certainly couldn't hurt.
Pete Kehoe
________________________________________
From: Sandra Lou Newman
Subject: Night at Craig's House
March 19, 2019
Dear Bob,
Craig was very excited to share your newsletter with us. My husband and I were on speaker phone as he explained the events of the gathering of music lovers at the Newman home this past Saturday night.
After he spoke I read the article aloud to my husband and, having stopped the reading several times, we were able to visualize the scene in the Newman music room…joy filled our hearts.
The portrait you painted of your experience with music was also very vivid to us. We were so very fortunate to have grown up in the 50's and 60's. We spent our money on 45 rpm records and "high fidelity" albums. We listened to Hy Lit ( a popular DJ on station WIBG in Philadelphia) on our transistor radios and, wow, did we learn a lot from him. I was a Beatlemaniac and saw them live in Atlantic City on August 30, 1964 and in Philadelphia on September 2, 1964. On our first date ( a blind date) my future husband and I talked about music, while dating we "made-out" to the songs Hy Lit played on the radio. We didn't go to Woodstock but we did attend the Atlantic City Pop Festival on August 3, 1969.
Having lost my father in 1962 the Beatles brought light back into my life. I listened to the albums, bought the magazines, and have sketchbooks filled with my drawings of them. I still turn to the Beatles for comfort, listening to them on my morning runs each day.
Although a great deal of my story is about the Beatles (how about the irony that Craig represents The Fab Four and Monique's company, Universal Music, has the Beatles catalogue), Rock and Roll…from the 50's on has been the soundtrack of our lives.
One of my favorite memories is waiting in the gas lines on Saturdays in 1979, with little Craig in his car seat playing my Beatles tapes and singing along.
Your article about music…listening, understanding, playing, and singing touched us to the core. Music is Joy. Music is Love.
With love,
Mom and Pops Newman
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Self-Promotion
Bob,
This fucking nails the world that I work in. I'm lucky Curb Your Enthusiasm broke when it did. It was a shared experience. It's now all niche. What I like, you don't know about What you like, maybe I've heard off but I surely haven't seen or heard it. Good luck breaking through and creating any kind of excitement. All that I'm in control of is the quality of work that I put out. I just do what I do and hope that someone digs it.
All My Best,
Jeff Garlin
________________________________________
From: Paul Lanning
Subject: RE: Self-Promotion
Hey Bob: When EMI took over Virgin, I started clocking "Talk is Cheap" at Manhattan retail. Keith's apartment was upstairs from Tower's Village store, he was around occasionally, was generally held in highest esteem by all, etc etc but that album didn't sell. Sat there in the bin. So did the bulk of the Stones' catalog when it finally came to us, even as the group's shows continued to sell out. Maybe the Abkco titles showed an occasional glimmer of life, but that was all.
Paul Lanning
________________________________________
Subject: Re: Self-Promotion
Suzanne Somers has written 26 books and 14 New York Times Bestsellers. Her 27th from S&S publishes this Fall.
All her books cover cutting edge health protocols your allopathic doctor has likely never heard of, lifestyle, cookbooks (she was headed to chefdom before Three's Company interrupt-us), auto biographies & relationships.
How did Chrissy Snow make the transition from America's Dumbest Blonde to prolific & respected author with 25 million books in print globally in many languages.
Promotion Promotion Promotion...
Lectures Lectures Lectures...
Appearances Appearances Appearances...
Suzanne has done up to 150-200 interviews and appearances for each book.
After spending a full year writing, she knows that if her constituency is aware of her new book, they will check it out. Without promotion,
Crickets.
In the 70's & 80's with only 3 networks, a couple of dozen appearances on national shows produced Best Sellers.
That is impossible today.
Pal Jerry Weintraub called me and said... "Make my book a best seller!"
I told him He could do it, but it was donkey work. "You have to put your head down and go for it. After the TV Nationals, satellite to the top 40 markets, talk radio, print and honor every request for an interview"
He did it and thanked me publicly.
I don't understand actors who spend miserable months in a trailer in the middle of a parking lot in Mexico eating crap and then say..."I act, I don't do promotion"
And these guys own back end!!!!
El Stupido!
Suzanne has 70-80 hours of FaceBookLive/IGTV shows on her FB Page.
She's now doing 2-3 hours a week.
Why?
She treasures & honors her constituency and this is a perfect way to communicate with them.
She takes every selfie and signs every autograph.
She is deeply interested in her ladies' lives.
Suzanne Gets It.
She is Them.
In March 1977, Suzanne went from a starving single Mom as an extra in movies to starring in ABC's number one show.
She went to Jay Bernstein, big time Hollywood publicist and said...
"I'll give you all my money from the 6 episodes of Three's Company if you make me famous enough to get work if the show is canceled."
Jay took the deal and did it.
Suzanne was on dozens of magazine covers, 60 minutes and every national show.
Promotion Promotion Promotion
Over the decades, Suzanne has made many friends in the media.
They deliver for her and she delivers ratings for them.
Same with Paparazzi. At red carpet events, she calls out their names & waves to the bank of dozens of flashing cameras.
Can someone tell me why Stars hate and hide from Paparazzi?
It's FREE PROMOTION!!
PARIS Hilton gets it.
The Kardashians get it
Empires were built on THEM.
Amazing!
Smart!
Craig's had the Emmys on TV screens during dinner.
Every time I looked, I didn't know one person; not one. Who are these people? My apologies to the famous who attended.
Sorry for the long rant, but I've witnessed too many really talented people simply disappear from view because they either refused to do promotion or didn't understand how it worked.
God Bless America!!
Alan Hamel
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Buble At Staples
It was billed as "An Evening With."
And it most certainly was.
The media focuses on recordings, but all the action is on the road. You keep on reading about the comeback of the recording industry, but to a great degree the two have diverged. Recording is about hip-hop, evanescence. Live is about all genres, and careers. Live used to be the stepchild of recordings, now it's the main economic driver, where all the focus is. Used to be gigs were populated by label people, now the company can't afford to buy tickets, that happened nearly a decade ago. Yup, today everybody pays. If you know someone, you can get good seats, but you've got to pay. As the saying goes, the tour used to be the advertisement for the record, now it's vice versa.
And the thing about label people is they change. Not as much as they used to, then again, it's a game of musical chairs, and a lot of them have been removed. And the only person with any power at the label is the head exec. The A&R people don't have signing power, unless you're talking to the President/CEO, you won't get an answer. Whereas there's a greater democratization of responsibility in the touring world. A young promoter can be a booker. A young agent can get acts gigs. Your apprenticeship is short. Either you can carry water or you can't. And if you can...you have a job for life, or as least as long as you want one.
Then again, tonight Sam and Jay said that no one ever retires in the live business.
And the two drivers of Michael Buble's career are over seventy, Bruce Allen and Don Fox. I'm sure they don't like their age revealed, but in the management and live businesses, experience counts. You know where all the dollars are. What works and what doesn't. And the elder statespeople of our business were around while it was still being built, before consolidation, they've learned lessons unteachable these days. How you keep promoters alive, and how loyalty is everything. Used to be you'd give back to the promoter if he had a loss, you had to keep him in business. And you stuck with the people who got you there. Not anymore. Play for Live Nation, a public company, and you're never gonna give money back. And acts go with the highest bidder.
But there are still renegades, like Don Fox. Who started with acts like ZZ Top and is now promoting Buble, who couldn't be more different. But really, it's the same, how do you build an act?
And no act ever made it big without a great manager. Used to be they were all independent. Now, they might work for Red Light or Live Nation's conglomerate. Used to be you sunk or swam on your wits. You were responsible for staying alive. You had to keep your antenna up. If you haven't ever faced financial ruin, struggled, you're not battle tested, you're not any good when the going gets tough.
And the going got tough for Michael Buble. His kid got sick. Very. He didn't tour for five years. He gets kudos for keeping his priorities straight, but absence of this length is usually death in the music business. It's what have you done for me lately, especially now when album cycles are so much shorter.
But Buble's tickets have sold faster than ever. Why?
Because of his dedicated fan base, because of his show.
Buble said he started in nightclubs at sixteen. It took him ten years to get traction. This is very different from a porn star deciding to make a record. This is about hard work, refining your craft. Buble's career is build on music and showmanship, not social media. If the music is the cherry on top of your personality, you're not gonna last that long, your music isn't gonna resonate with people.
And the music Buble is singing is one hundred eighty degrees different from the hit parade. It's made up of songs, without electronic beats, with melodies, that you can sing along to. They're classics, or in the classic style. You can let your mind drift and remember staring out the window at the snow coming down. Or being on the beach. Or finding new love. The music sets your mind free, it's just not grease for a party.
And that's what too many people think a gig is today, a big party, where you shoot selfies, where the audience is the star. But that was not Buble's show. It was clear he was the star, everybody was locked on to him, not each other.
And there were thirty eight people on stage besides Michael. THIRTY EIGHT! Professionals are doing the math. That's gonna hurt your bottom line. But Buble is spending for the effect. A bank of horn players, a bank of string players, I can't remember seeing this many people on stage since I've been to the symphony. Usually you get some long-haired guy in the background playing a synth. But this sound was real.
And the staging was jaw-dropping. Winky told me to watch out, and he was right.
I almost can't describe it. The band was in a shell, a miniature Hollywood Bowl.
And behind Buble was a record. Yup, a big vinyl record which occasionally spun, with a needle emitting sparks. But it also doubled as a video screen. And when it rose to the ceiling, there was a cyclorama of a hi-def screen behind the players. And sometimes video footage was shot from two different angles. Which truly allowed you to get the feeling.
And there were screens at the other end of the building, at the end of the runway in the middle.
And the highlight was when Buble said he was going to recreate the nightclub. He had a combo on the far end of the walkway and lights descended from the ceiling and it truly felt intimate, in an arena.
But the highlight was the stories. It takes a lot to go on, most people get nervous and speed up and then sing. But Buble told jokes, made fun of himself, was sincere, talked about his personal troubles... You felt like you knew him. He was carrying no airs. He was just being honest. Hard work got him to where he was, to the point where you wanted to pay to see him.
And the best joke of the night was when he talked about living in Westwood and not wanting to drive to Staples Center. It could take two hours. So he thanked those who did come. Who even filled up the upper deck, above the three rows of skyboxes.
And if you weren't there, it doesn't matter. If you don't like this kind of music, it doesn't matter. It's 2019, and everybody's living in their own silo. The goal is not to be the biggest band in the land, but the biggest you. You build it on music and showmanship and loyalty. You deliver for the fans so they come back. It becomes a rite. Because the man is the same, yet the show is always different.
And usually "An Evening With" just means there's no opening act.
But tonight you truly felt you spent time with Michael Buble. You truly felt it was a one of a kind experience. That in another city you didn't hear the same raps, it wasn't the same woman from the audience doing a duet, the show was fluid, to the point where you had a unique experience in a digitized world of 0's and 1's.
And I will tell you I think we've gotten too far from the garden. That songs with melody, that you can sing along to, proffered by those with good voices who can deliver them, never go out of style. As a matter of fact there's a hunger for this sound.
And that's what Michael Buble delivers.
P.S. Another highlight of the night was Lee Zeidman's war against the Birds. And Limes. And the rest of the scooter companies. He wants a plan, to keep them off the L.A. Live property that he's responsible for. He doesn't want them littered on the campus. Getting in the way of paying customers. He suggested continuing to charge customers who drop them in undesignated places, but the purveyors said this would be a "bad consumer experience." So Lee has taken matters into his own hands. He's confiscated a hundred and twenty five scooters that have been littered on his property. He wanted to throw them out, but the waste management company said he couldn't, because of the batteries. He's getting no relief from the city council and the owners have not asked for the scooters back. One person can make a difference, by standing up to the man. In this case, it's Lee Zeidman.
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And it most certainly was.
The media focuses on recordings, but all the action is on the road. You keep on reading about the comeback of the recording industry, but to a great degree the two have diverged. Recording is about hip-hop, evanescence. Live is about all genres, and careers. Live used to be the stepchild of recordings, now it's the main economic driver, where all the focus is. Used to be gigs were populated by label people, now the company can't afford to buy tickets, that happened nearly a decade ago. Yup, today everybody pays. If you know someone, you can get good seats, but you've got to pay. As the saying goes, the tour used to be the advertisement for the record, now it's vice versa.
And the thing about label people is they change. Not as much as they used to, then again, it's a game of musical chairs, and a lot of them have been removed. And the only person with any power at the label is the head exec. The A&R people don't have signing power, unless you're talking to the President/CEO, you won't get an answer. Whereas there's a greater democratization of responsibility in the touring world. A young promoter can be a booker. A young agent can get acts gigs. Your apprenticeship is short. Either you can carry water or you can't. And if you can...you have a job for life, or as least as long as you want one.
Then again, tonight Sam and Jay said that no one ever retires in the live business.
And the two drivers of Michael Buble's career are over seventy, Bruce Allen and Don Fox. I'm sure they don't like their age revealed, but in the management and live businesses, experience counts. You know where all the dollars are. What works and what doesn't. And the elder statespeople of our business were around while it was still being built, before consolidation, they've learned lessons unteachable these days. How you keep promoters alive, and how loyalty is everything. Used to be you'd give back to the promoter if he had a loss, you had to keep him in business. And you stuck with the people who got you there. Not anymore. Play for Live Nation, a public company, and you're never gonna give money back. And acts go with the highest bidder.
But there are still renegades, like Don Fox. Who started with acts like ZZ Top and is now promoting Buble, who couldn't be more different. But really, it's the same, how do you build an act?
And no act ever made it big without a great manager. Used to be they were all independent. Now, they might work for Red Light or Live Nation's conglomerate. Used to be you sunk or swam on your wits. You were responsible for staying alive. You had to keep your antenna up. If you haven't ever faced financial ruin, struggled, you're not battle tested, you're not any good when the going gets tough.
And the going got tough for Michael Buble. His kid got sick. Very. He didn't tour for five years. He gets kudos for keeping his priorities straight, but absence of this length is usually death in the music business. It's what have you done for me lately, especially now when album cycles are so much shorter.
But Buble's tickets have sold faster than ever. Why?
Because of his dedicated fan base, because of his show.
Buble said he started in nightclubs at sixteen. It took him ten years to get traction. This is very different from a porn star deciding to make a record. This is about hard work, refining your craft. Buble's career is build on music and showmanship, not social media. If the music is the cherry on top of your personality, you're not gonna last that long, your music isn't gonna resonate with people.
And the music Buble is singing is one hundred eighty degrees different from the hit parade. It's made up of songs, without electronic beats, with melodies, that you can sing along to. They're classics, or in the classic style. You can let your mind drift and remember staring out the window at the snow coming down. Or being on the beach. Or finding new love. The music sets your mind free, it's just not grease for a party.
And that's what too many people think a gig is today, a big party, where you shoot selfies, where the audience is the star. But that was not Buble's show. It was clear he was the star, everybody was locked on to him, not each other.
And there were thirty eight people on stage besides Michael. THIRTY EIGHT! Professionals are doing the math. That's gonna hurt your bottom line. But Buble is spending for the effect. A bank of horn players, a bank of string players, I can't remember seeing this many people on stage since I've been to the symphony. Usually you get some long-haired guy in the background playing a synth. But this sound was real.
And the staging was jaw-dropping. Winky told me to watch out, and he was right.
I almost can't describe it. The band was in a shell, a miniature Hollywood Bowl.
And behind Buble was a record. Yup, a big vinyl record which occasionally spun, with a needle emitting sparks. But it also doubled as a video screen. And when it rose to the ceiling, there was a cyclorama of a hi-def screen behind the players. And sometimes video footage was shot from two different angles. Which truly allowed you to get the feeling.
And there were screens at the other end of the building, at the end of the runway in the middle.
And the highlight was when Buble said he was going to recreate the nightclub. He had a combo on the far end of the walkway and lights descended from the ceiling and it truly felt intimate, in an arena.
But the highlight was the stories. It takes a lot to go on, most people get nervous and speed up and then sing. But Buble told jokes, made fun of himself, was sincere, talked about his personal troubles... You felt like you knew him. He was carrying no airs. He was just being honest. Hard work got him to where he was, to the point where you wanted to pay to see him.
And the best joke of the night was when he talked about living in Westwood and not wanting to drive to Staples Center. It could take two hours. So he thanked those who did come. Who even filled up the upper deck, above the three rows of skyboxes.
And if you weren't there, it doesn't matter. If you don't like this kind of music, it doesn't matter. It's 2019, and everybody's living in their own silo. The goal is not to be the biggest band in the land, but the biggest you. You build it on music and showmanship and loyalty. You deliver for the fans so they come back. It becomes a rite. Because the man is the same, yet the show is always different.
And usually "An Evening With" just means there's no opening act.
But tonight you truly felt you spent time with Michael Buble. You truly felt it was a one of a kind experience. That in another city you didn't hear the same raps, it wasn't the same woman from the audience doing a duet, the show was fluid, to the point where you had a unique experience in a digitized world of 0's and 1's.
And I will tell you I think we've gotten too far from the garden. That songs with melody, that you can sing along to, proffered by those with good voices who can deliver them, never go out of style. As a matter of fact there's a hunger for this sound.
And that's what Michael Buble delivers.
P.S. Another highlight of the night was Lee Zeidman's war against the Birds. And Limes. And the rest of the scooter companies. He wants a plan, to keep them off the L.A. Live property that he's responsible for. He doesn't want them littered on the campus. Getting in the way of paying customers. He suggested continuing to charge customers who drop them in undesignated places, but the purveyors said this would be a "bad consumer experience." So Lee has taken matters into his own hands. He's confiscated a hundred and twenty five scooters that have been littered on his property. He wanted to throw them out, but the waste management company said he couldn't, because of the batteries. He's getting no relief from the city council and the owners have not asked for the scooters back. One person can make a difference, by standing up to the man. In this case, it's Lee Zeidman.
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Tuesday, 2 April 2019
Self-Promotion
Howard Stern has a new book. He's been talking it up for weeks. And now he's confronted with the question of publicity. What should he do, where should he appear. And being the media-savant he claims to be, Howard only want to appear on shows that SELL BOOKS!
This is different from the pre-internet scorched earth paradigm. Used to be you told your publicity agent to get you ink everywhere, to create a feeling of momentum, but today there are so many messages, no one cares.
Especially when non-events get ink.
Like the re-release of Keith Richards' album "Talk Is Cheap." I'll give credit to the publicity team, they got placement in major newspapers, where the aged target audience still goes, but the truth is most of the audience didn't want the project the first time around, it was seen as a middling effort, one step above a stiff. If it wasn't Keith, no one would remember it. And at this point, almost no one does. As for rebuying it... Are you kidding me?
And the King of all Blacks called to tell Howard that he should appear on "Real Time," because that show sells books. And that was a good point. Because Bill Maher dedicates a whole segment to authors. Then again, if you're not selling a political book...
Of course you want reviews in book review sections... Then again, is there where the Howard Stern audience lurks?
You've got to be smart.
And you've got to self-promote.
This is what old artists agitate against and young artists understand. You preach to your audience and if you do something worth spreading, they will.
I know, I know, this is contradictory to expectations. You want to go worldwide.
But no one is that big anymore. We live in niche culture. Be happy anybody cares at all. You create your vertical and monetize it.
That's the Billie Eilish story. The videos were monstrous before this initial album came out. She was working it. You've all got to work it.
And sure, phenomena come down the pike now and again, but it's rare these days. And little sticks.
So by talking about his book on his show every day Howard Stern is creating his own excitement. And today everybody has a platform, everybody should be in contact with their fans on a regular basis. It's part of your job. The data is the most important thing.
Nothing is as powerful as e-mail.
But if you tweet and Instagram IT MUST BE YOU! If you've got a company doing it either you're dead or your career is about to be.
Furthermore, books are one of the few things that still require an entry fee. As do movies. But music and TV come as part of a bundle, i.e. Spotify and Netflix. You have to convince someone to listen and watch. Not one of the tracks on Richards' reissue of "Talk Is Cheap" has broken a million streams on Spotify. Some are in the very low four digits. What was this about?
Don't count on the media to be an arbiter. The media shovels product on a daily basis, they don't care if it sticks. Keith Richards himself would have to promote the record, and he's too big to do this. So why do it at all?
And even if Howard Stern hits number one on the NYT chart, most people will not read his book. It's not like the nineties, when we had a small culture and were all interested in the same things. Today, even your friends have not seen the same TV shows. But if Stern's fans truly believe the book is worth a read by non-fans, they'll tell them. Stern is self-promoting and he's activating his user base. That's how you do it today.
And chances are you'll never go nuclear.
But you can survive. You can make money.
It's just that most people will have no idea you exist.
--
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This is different from the pre-internet scorched earth paradigm. Used to be you told your publicity agent to get you ink everywhere, to create a feeling of momentum, but today there are so many messages, no one cares.
Especially when non-events get ink.
Like the re-release of Keith Richards' album "Talk Is Cheap." I'll give credit to the publicity team, they got placement in major newspapers, where the aged target audience still goes, but the truth is most of the audience didn't want the project the first time around, it was seen as a middling effort, one step above a stiff. If it wasn't Keith, no one would remember it. And at this point, almost no one does. As for rebuying it... Are you kidding me?
And the King of all Blacks called to tell Howard that he should appear on "Real Time," because that show sells books. And that was a good point. Because Bill Maher dedicates a whole segment to authors. Then again, if you're not selling a political book...
Of course you want reviews in book review sections... Then again, is there where the Howard Stern audience lurks?
You've got to be smart.
And you've got to self-promote.
This is what old artists agitate against and young artists understand. You preach to your audience and if you do something worth spreading, they will.
I know, I know, this is contradictory to expectations. You want to go worldwide.
But no one is that big anymore. We live in niche culture. Be happy anybody cares at all. You create your vertical and monetize it.
That's the Billie Eilish story. The videos were monstrous before this initial album came out. She was working it. You've all got to work it.
And sure, phenomena come down the pike now and again, but it's rare these days. And little sticks.
So by talking about his book on his show every day Howard Stern is creating his own excitement. And today everybody has a platform, everybody should be in contact with their fans on a regular basis. It's part of your job. The data is the most important thing.
Nothing is as powerful as e-mail.
But if you tweet and Instagram IT MUST BE YOU! If you've got a company doing it either you're dead or your career is about to be.
Furthermore, books are one of the few things that still require an entry fee. As do movies. But music and TV come as part of a bundle, i.e. Spotify and Netflix. You have to convince someone to listen and watch. Not one of the tracks on Richards' reissue of "Talk Is Cheap" has broken a million streams on Spotify. Some are in the very low four digits. What was this about?
Don't count on the media to be an arbiter. The media shovels product on a daily basis, they don't care if it sticks. Keith Richards himself would have to promote the record, and he's too big to do this. So why do it at all?
And even if Howard Stern hits number one on the NYT chart, most people will not read his book. It's not like the nineties, when we had a small culture and were all interested in the same things. Today, even your friends have not seen the same TV shows. But if Stern's fans truly believe the book is worth a read by non-fans, they'll tell them. Stern is self-promoting and he's activating his user base. That's how you do it today.
And chances are you'll never go nuclear.
But you can survive. You can make money.
It's just that most people will have no idea you exist.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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--
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The Best Record Producer-Sirius XM This Week copy
Tune in today, Tuesday April 2nd, on Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Waiting For A Girl Like You
My radio was stolen for the fifth time. This one was a Kenwood. It only lasted a day and this time they broke the console. My insurance was canceled and I gave up. I drove my 2002 for years with no problem, and then all of a sudden I couldn't keep a head unit. I decided to leave the console broken, and I went to one of those discount electronics places on Beverly and bought a twenty dollar radio. You know, about 8x10". I'd place it in the passenger seat, extend the antenna, and dial in the stations when I wasn't shifting.
And then the antenna broke. Which in retrospect I should have foreseen. For I couldn't leave the radio visible when I parked, I had to put it under the seat, hide it, and somehow in this many times a day movement the antenna snapped. So I got one of those wires with an alligator clip and clipped it to the stub and let it flop on the seat and it worked pretty well.
This was the summer of '84. The heyday of alternative rock on KROQ. Nascent hair bands on KMET and oldies with a few cherry-picked new cuts on KLOS. And soft rock on KNX. It was the heyday of L.A. radio. Then again, KWST, the Led Zeppelin station, had gone by the wayside a few years prior.
And I lived to hear the Thompson Twins' "Hold Me Now." Sure, I was aware of "In The Name of Love," it was played incessantly on KROQ, but there were so many English bands that came and went so fast I didn't buy their album. But when that intro flourish came on the radio, it was exciting. If you wanted to know what was going on, you listened to KROQ, before every home had MTV, when you felt you were part of something, a movement, led by these English bands experimenting.
But "In The Name of Love" didn't prepare me for "Hold Me Now."
Now at the time I was working in a house a hundred yards up from the Rainbow, and every night there was an event and I oftentimes didn't drive home until midnight, or thereafter, and when I heard the notes of "Hold Me Now" on the radio, I was soothed, I smiled.
"Hold me now, warm my heart
Stay with me, let loving start"
You've got to know, L.A. nights are not hot. Maybe a week a year, at least before climate change. But as the sun goes down, it gets cool. You can almost sense the dew descending. And "Hold Me Now" ran shotgun, literally, as I drove home.
I had to buy the album "Into The Gap" so I could hear it more.
I love that LP. Especially the opening cut, "Doctor! Doctor!" This was back before everything had to be in-your-face, when a record could be an invitation, to a journey to a place you'd never been before. You didn't need drugs to experience the music, the tunes were drugs themselves.
Like the second side opener, "The Gap." Akin to a journey to the East.
No one ever talks about "Into The Gap" anymore, never mind the Thompson Twins, but the album is one of my all time favorites. And I went to see the band at the Greek, it was a celebration. And Arista held a party afterwards, I remember the exquisite chocolate cheesecake. And I foresaw great things for the Thompson Twins, but they never materialized.
But Foreigner was well known. They appeared when KROQ was still a free-format station. They were too hip to play "Feels Like The First Time," but KMET and KLOS banged it. It was a one listen wonder, I had to drive to Music Odyssey to buy the album the day it was released, I couldn't live without hearing the track on demand. It was a masterpiece. With the squealing keyboard, the buzz saw riff and the sweet powerful vocal.
But the rest of the LP was not quite as good.
"Cold As Ice" was a bit cheesy in my book.
"Headknocker" a little too formulaic.
"Long, Long Way From Home" was better, but I didn't buy "Hot Blooded," the follow-up. Maybe I didn't need to, the title track lived on the radio, along with Foghat, who I came to love.
"Stone blue, rock and roll sure helped me through"
And "Double Vision" was serviceable, it didn't bug me, but it didn't stick to me either.
And "Head Games" was even worse. "Dirty White Boy," talk about corporate rock. Although, as the decades have gone by, I've learned to love "Head Games." What can I say, it's the unexpected change into the chorus, and, even though Mick Jones was the mastermind, Lou Gramm was the special sauce that put the act over the top.
But expectations for the act were low, especially now that the new wave had gotten traction.
And then we read that they were working with Mutt Lange.
This was after "Back In Black," when the combo of the two was a head-scratcher, what was the resulting album, ultimately entitled "4," gonna sound like?
Like nothing that came before.
"Urgent" exploded out of the radio, and was brought to the goal line by Junior Walker's saxophone, a sound most hadn't been exposed to since "Shotgun" fifteen years before.
I could feel the excitement, I had to own the album.
And there was another killer cut, "Juke Box Hero," reminiscent of Bad Company's "Shooting Star," and I love Bad Company.
But the best cut on the LP, which I discovered in my house, not on the radio, was "Waiting For A Girl Like You."
Now if you talked to Bud Prager, Foreigner's manager, and I did, he believed the apotheosis was "I Want To Know What Love Is," from "4"'s follow-up, "Agent Provocateur," but that LP missed Mutt, and I believed, and still do, that this was a play for the center, with its cheesy video, it might have gotten a lot of plays, but it eviscerated the band's cred. This was before hair bands cut ballads for airplay, but still...who are you? A sellout?
But "Waiting For A Girl Like You" still fit in the band's oeuvre. It was ethereal.
And its otherworldliness was its magic. A journey into orbit. Of the world, but somehow removed, just like a music fan. Our music was everything, it got us through.
And what put it over the top was Lou Gramm's vocal, the way he went up in the chorus, he was WAITING!
Aren't we all. For love, for our lives to begin.
"So long, I've been looking too hard, I've been waiting too long
Sometimes I don't know what I will find, I only know it's a matter of time"
The waiting is the hardest part. Back when there was no internet diversion, never mind in the palm of your hand. You had to waste time in bars, searching. But you still believed, there were no incels.
"It feels so right, so warm and true, I need to know if you feel it too"
He's not overconfident, they're in it together.
"Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong"
He's insecure, like we were, maybe still are.
This is the opposite of #MeToo. The bands may have raped and pillaged, but we listeners were lonely nerds, we just wanted someone to talk to us, to understand us, to give us a chance.
"This heart of mine has been hurt before, this time I want to be sure"
That's what's wrong with experience, it makes you gun-shy.
"I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life"
She's gonna solve all my problems.
That's what you believe when you've got more questions than answers, when you're slogging through life, putting one foot in front of another trying to get...
Somewhere.
But then comes the key line:
"Only in dreams could it be this way"
Ain't that the truth. Real life is messy. Perfection doesn't exist. You have to forgive flaws. You've got to be willing to jump in and make it work.
Or you can sit at home and listen to records.
So I'm driving home late one night, twiddling the dial on that radio, looking for "Hold Me Now," and I hear "Waiting For A Girl Like You."
It gave me hope, I'll never forget it.
Spotify playlist: https://spoti.fi/2FQqakW
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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And then the antenna broke. Which in retrospect I should have foreseen. For I couldn't leave the radio visible when I parked, I had to put it under the seat, hide it, and somehow in this many times a day movement the antenna snapped. So I got one of those wires with an alligator clip and clipped it to the stub and let it flop on the seat and it worked pretty well.
This was the summer of '84. The heyday of alternative rock on KROQ. Nascent hair bands on KMET and oldies with a few cherry-picked new cuts on KLOS. And soft rock on KNX. It was the heyday of L.A. radio. Then again, KWST, the Led Zeppelin station, had gone by the wayside a few years prior.
And I lived to hear the Thompson Twins' "Hold Me Now." Sure, I was aware of "In The Name of Love," it was played incessantly on KROQ, but there were so many English bands that came and went so fast I didn't buy their album. But when that intro flourish came on the radio, it was exciting. If you wanted to know what was going on, you listened to KROQ, before every home had MTV, when you felt you were part of something, a movement, led by these English bands experimenting.
But "In The Name of Love" didn't prepare me for "Hold Me Now."
Now at the time I was working in a house a hundred yards up from the Rainbow, and every night there was an event and I oftentimes didn't drive home until midnight, or thereafter, and when I heard the notes of "Hold Me Now" on the radio, I was soothed, I smiled.
"Hold me now, warm my heart
Stay with me, let loving start"
You've got to know, L.A. nights are not hot. Maybe a week a year, at least before climate change. But as the sun goes down, it gets cool. You can almost sense the dew descending. And "Hold Me Now" ran shotgun, literally, as I drove home.
I had to buy the album "Into The Gap" so I could hear it more.
I love that LP. Especially the opening cut, "Doctor! Doctor!" This was back before everything had to be in-your-face, when a record could be an invitation, to a journey to a place you'd never been before. You didn't need drugs to experience the music, the tunes were drugs themselves.
Like the second side opener, "The Gap." Akin to a journey to the East.
No one ever talks about "Into The Gap" anymore, never mind the Thompson Twins, but the album is one of my all time favorites. And I went to see the band at the Greek, it was a celebration. And Arista held a party afterwards, I remember the exquisite chocolate cheesecake. And I foresaw great things for the Thompson Twins, but they never materialized.
But Foreigner was well known. They appeared when KROQ was still a free-format station. They were too hip to play "Feels Like The First Time," but KMET and KLOS banged it. It was a one listen wonder, I had to drive to Music Odyssey to buy the album the day it was released, I couldn't live without hearing the track on demand. It was a masterpiece. With the squealing keyboard, the buzz saw riff and the sweet powerful vocal.
But the rest of the LP was not quite as good.
"Cold As Ice" was a bit cheesy in my book.
"Headknocker" a little too formulaic.
"Long, Long Way From Home" was better, but I didn't buy "Hot Blooded," the follow-up. Maybe I didn't need to, the title track lived on the radio, along with Foghat, who I came to love.
"Stone blue, rock and roll sure helped me through"
And "Double Vision" was serviceable, it didn't bug me, but it didn't stick to me either.
And "Head Games" was even worse. "Dirty White Boy," talk about corporate rock. Although, as the decades have gone by, I've learned to love "Head Games." What can I say, it's the unexpected change into the chorus, and, even though Mick Jones was the mastermind, Lou Gramm was the special sauce that put the act over the top.
But expectations for the act were low, especially now that the new wave had gotten traction.
And then we read that they were working with Mutt Lange.
This was after "Back In Black," when the combo of the two was a head-scratcher, what was the resulting album, ultimately entitled "4," gonna sound like?
Like nothing that came before.
"Urgent" exploded out of the radio, and was brought to the goal line by Junior Walker's saxophone, a sound most hadn't been exposed to since "Shotgun" fifteen years before.
I could feel the excitement, I had to own the album.
And there was another killer cut, "Juke Box Hero," reminiscent of Bad Company's "Shooting Star," and I love Bad Company.
But the best cut on the LP, which I discovered in my house, not on the radio, was "Waiting For A Girl Like You."
Now if you talked to Bud Prager, Foreigner's manager, and I did, he believed the apotheosis was "I Want To Know What Love Is," from "4"'s follow-up, "Agent Provocateur," but that LP missed Mutt, and I believed, and still do, that this was a play for the center, with its cheesy video, it might have gotten a lot of plays, but it eviscerated the band's cred. This was before hair bands cut ballads for airplay, but still...who are you? A sellout?
But "Waiting For A Girl Like You" still fit in the band's oeuvre. It was ethereal.
And its otherworldliness was its magic. A journey into orbit. Of the world, but somehow removed, just like a music fan. Our music was everything, it got us through.
And what put it over the top was Lou Gramm's vocal, the way he went up in the chorus, he was WAITING!
Aren't we all. For love, for our lives to begin.
"So long, I've been looking too hard, I've been waiting too long
Sometimes I don't know what I will find, I only know it's a matter of time"
The waiting is the hardest part. Back when there was no internet diversion, never mind in the palm of your hand. You had to waste time in bars, searching. But you still believed, there were no incels.
"It feels so right, so warm and true, I need to know if you feel it too"
He's not overconfident, they're in it together.
"Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong"
He's insecure, like we were, maybe still are.
This is the opposite of #MeToo. The bands may have raped and pillaged, but we listeners were lonely nerds, we just wanted someone to talk to us, to understand us, to give us a chance.
"This heart of mine has been hurt before, this time I want to be sure"
That's what's wrong with experience, it makes you gun-shy.
"I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life"
She's gonna solve all my problems.
That's what you believe when you've got more questions than answers, when you're slogging through life, putting one foot in front of another trying to get...
Somewhere.
But then comes the key line:
"Only in dreams could it be this way"
Ain't that the truth. Real life is messy. Perfection doesn't exist. You have to forgive flaws. You've got to be willing to jump in and make it work.
Or you can sit at home and listen to records.
So I'm driving home late one night, twiddling the dial on that radio, looking for "Hold Me Now," and I hear "Waiting For A Girl Like You."
It gave me hope, I'll never forget it.
Spotify playlist: https://spoti.fi/2FQqakW
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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Monday, 1 April 2019
Apple Buys Snap
Finally! After giving that cash hoard back to stockholders, the Cupertino Company has decided to invest in itself. Just like Facebook bought Instagram, Apple is now acquiring Snap. Of course it should have purchased Netflix, but contrary to Steve Jobs's mantra, if it wasn't invented in Apple Park, they're not interested, especially after the Beats fiasco, where Jimmy Iovine pulled the wool over the eyes of the company, selling them a flawed product with few users that had to be completely overhauled to become functional. An offloading of crap this stinky hadn't been seen since Evolution sold Palm and its OS to HP, which not long thereafter shut it down, writing it all off.
But Tim Cook is being hassled. Especially after last week's meh presentation. All anybody can ask is how much does their TV channel cost? And how can it compete with Netflix, never mind Amazon and Disney. It's a conundrum. Jobs believed in thinning the product line as to not confuse consumers and loading up thousands of songs and photos on iPhones whereas Cook keeps broadening the product line, confusing customers, and creating a TV channel with very little product. And after getting beaten by Iovine, et al, they should know better than to get involved in Hollywood, where the most successful independent studio, i.e. Carolco, went bankrupt, because it's all about catalog/library, and Tinseltown has ripped-off investors from time immemorial. DISTRIBUTION not PRODUCTION! Distribution is king, why are they making programs? They're not buying record labels because they know this would piss off the industry, why get involved with these creative charlatans?
But that's Silicon Valley for you, especially Apple, they think they know better.
So this is a sudden move. Especially now that Snap is cheap because of its stalled growth, caused as a result of Instagram's me-tooism.
But with so little on the market, as tech consolidation continues, Apple didn't want to be left out of the game of musical chairs. As for building a social network itself, can you say PING? Look, even Google couldn't compete with Facebook, it was not in their skill set and Zuck's company had too much momentum. You buy market share.
And the cost to Apple for Snap is a drop in the bucket.
But Snap has advantages, most notably privacy. Facebook gets beaten up in the press seemingly daily, Snap is more controlled. Without advertising clutter. Sure, Cook famously said that Apple would not trade on its customers' information, but he'll weasel out of that by saying Snap is a separate company.
However, the truly big news is that Evan Spiegel will have a dual role. Just like Jobs before him, with Pixar and Apple. Not only will Spiegel run Snap, he will also become Cook's number two, his visionary. No, it's not far-fetched, it's brilliant, because Spiegel employs the same reality distortion field as Mr. Jobs. Spiegel keeps testifying as to Snap's assets and future when the facts point to the opposite. Come on, talk about snookering the public!
But, like Oprah Winfrey said, with Snap now in a billion pockets with Apple, it's gonna go gangbusters. People trust their information with Apple. So, this will be the social network people cling to, especially the oldsters who make up the majority of track purchasers at the iTunes Store. They may not know how to use Snapchat, but infatuated with being hip, they'll do their best to figure it out. There will be no phone support, but if you go to the Genius Bar, you'll be able to get help. Actually, this is why Angela Ahrendts got pushed out of Apple retail. She argued for putting high fashion and makeup in Apple Stores, utilizing her expertise from her stint at Burberry, she'd even lined up an exclusive with Kylie Jenner. But Eddy Cue shut her down, saying it's best to sell air, there's no inventory, only upside, physical objects don't scale the same way.
You see it's all about apps and software and Apple has little ability to monetize its air, especially now that operating system software is free. So, expect a ton of potential upgrades to Snapchat. You'll be able to get virtual Hermes outfits. And Kanye is going to deliver virtual shoes. Apple decided to get the genius on board. The announcement of Kanye's deal was supposed to be announced at Coachella, during his Sunday Service, but the news was leaked on WeChat of all places, but supposedly Cook is still set to helicopter in.
But what will seal the deal is the inclusion of Trump. That's right, with a gift of stock, Apple has convinced the President to give up Twitter and make Snapchat his sole social network. Brilliant idea if I do say so myself. Best to have his snaps disappear, before they can be analyzed, and few remember what he said anyway. And yes, Ivanka and Jared will get stock too, they've got the same deal. But Eric and Don Jr. are being left out, because they almost got their dad nailed in Russiagate. But Tiffany is gung-ho. And they're finally bringing Barron Trump into the spotlight. He's the key to driving adoption by the younger demo. You see you don't have to be a certain age to play on the new Snapchat. It'll be safe for all ages. And if there's any trouble, well, with the Trump deal Apple's connected.
And just to be safe, they've contracted with Elizabeth Warren too. Shutting her up and adding to her campaign chest in one quick stroke. That's right, the senator has been behind in fundraising. Now she's got deep pockets. And, she can't complain about corporations.
So what's next, that's the question.
Apple has pivoted, from hardware to software.
And the vision problem has been solved. If you can't develop it, you buy it. Hell, Jobs bought SoundJam so he could build iTunes.
And news is the music of today, and the new News app puts Apple squarely in the center of the discussion.
But they need to buy more. Netflix is too big to be bought, maybe they'll scoop up Hulu, that would give them a steady stream of product to launch their TV service upon.
So Apple lovers can finally breathe easy. The messiah has come. Evan Spiegel is going to jet Apple into the stratosphere. And Miranda Kerr will appear in new commercials, thus garnering the vapid vote of teenage girls addicted to fashion and makeup.
As for Apple haters... This is a way to voice your disgust with Facebook. But, Facebook still has its killer app, i.e. WhatsApp, even though no one in the media seems to be aware of this.
A deal this important hasn't occurred since AOL bought Time Warner.
Get excited. A safe way of wasting time is coming to your handset. You'll be able to boast to friends and have plausible deniability when your pictures disappear. There'll be no bread crumbs to ruin future employment. And when Apple buys IAC and adds dating... Whew, think of the possibilities!
It's gonna happen. As soon as Barry Diller acquires Grindr. Then he'll deliver Cook the whole package.
It's all about people. This is an end run around the rest of the tech behemoths. A stealth move. Apple is about to own social networking. Zuckerberg and his lame Facebook will turn to dust. It's Apple's world and we just live in it.
Maybe.
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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But Tim Cook is being hassled. Especially after last week's meh presentation. All anybody can ask is how much does their TV channel cost? And how can it compete with Netflix, never mind Amazon and Disney. It's a conundrum. Jobs believed in thinning the product line as to not confuse consumers and loading up thousands of songs and photos on iPhones whereas Cook keeps broadening the product line, confusing customers, and creating a TV channel with very little product. And after getting beaten by Iovine, et al, they should know better than to get involved in Hollywood, where the most successful independent studio, i.e. Carolco, went bankrupt, because it's all about catalog/library, and Tinseltown has ripped-off investors from time immemorial. DISTRIBUTION not PRODUCTION! Distribution is king, why are they making programs? They're not buying record labels because they know this would piss off the industry, why get involved with these creative charlatans?
But that's Silicon Valley for you, especially Apple, they think they know better.
So this is a sudden move. Especially now that Snap is cheap because of its stalled growth, caused as a result of Instagram's me-tooism.
But with so little on the market, as tech consolidation continues, Apple didn't want to be left out of the game of musical chairs. As for building a social network itself, can you say PING? Look, even Google couldn't compete with Facebook, it was not in their skill set and Zuck's company had too much momentum. You buy market share.
And the cost to Apple for Snap is a drop in the bucket.
But Snap has advantages, most notably privacy. Facebook gets beaten up in the press seemingly daily, Snap is more controlled. Without advertising clutter. Sure, Cook famously said that Apple would not trade on its customers' information, but he'll weasel out of that by saying Snap is a separate company.
However, the truly big news is that Evan Spiegel will have a dual role. Just like Jobs before him, with Pixar and Apple. Not only will Spiegel run Snap, he will also become Cook's number two, his visionary. No, it's not far-fetched, it's brilliant, because Spiegel employs the same reality distortion field as Mr. Jobs. Spiegel keeps testifying as to Snap's assets and future when the facts point to the opposite. Come on, talk about snookering the public!
But, like Oprah Winfrey said, with Snap now in a billion pockets with Apple, it's gonna go gangbusters. People trust their information with Apple. So, this will be the social network people cling to, especially the oldsters who make up the majority of track purchasers at the iTunes Store. They may not know how to use Snapchat, but infatuated with being hip, they'll do their best to figure it out. There will be no phone support, but if you go to the Genius Bar, you'll be able to get help. Actually, this is why Angela Ahrendts got pushed out of Apple retail. She argued for putting high fashion and makeup in Apple Stores, utilizing her expertise from her stint at Burberry, she'd even lined up an exclusive with Kylie Jenner. But Eddy Cue shut her down, saying it's best to sell air, there's no inventory, only upside, physical objects don't scale the same way.
You see it's all about apps and software and Apple has little ability to monetize its air, especially now that operating system software is free. So, expect a ton of potential upgrades to Snapchat. You'll be able to get virtual Hermes outfits. And Kanye is going to deliver virtual shoes. Apple decided to get the genius on board. The announcement of Kanye's deal was supposed to be announced at Coachella, during his Sunday Service, but the news was leaked on WeChat of all places, but supposedly Cook is still set to helicopter in.
But what will seal the deal is the inclusion of Trump. That's right, with a gift of stock, Apple has convinced the President to give up Twitter and make Snapchat his sole social network. Brilliant idea if I do say so myself. Best to have his snaps disappear, before they can be analyzed, and few remember what he said anyway. And yes, Ivanka and Jared will get stock too, they've got the same deal. But Eric and Don Jr. are being left out, because they almost got their dad nailed in Russiagate. But Tiffany is gung-ho. And they're finally bringing Barron Trump into the spotlight. He's the key to driving adoption by the younger demo. You see you don't have to be a certain age to play on the new Snapchat. It'll be safe for all ages. And if there's any trouble, well, with the Trump deal Apple's connected.
And just to be safe, they've contracted with Elizabeth Warren too. Shutting her up and adding to her campaign chest in one quick stroke. That's right, the senator has been behind in fundraising. Now she's got deep pockets. And, she can't complain about corporations.
So what's next, that's the question.
Apple has pivoted, from hardware to software.
And the vision problem has been solved. If you can't develop it, you buy it. Hell, Jobs bought SoundJam so he could build iTunes.
And news is the music of today, and the new News app puts Apple squarely in the center of the discussion.
But they need to buy more. Netflix is too big to be bought, maybe they'll scoop up Hulu, that would give them a steady stream of product to launch their TV service upon.
So Apple lovers can finally breathe easy. The messiah has come. Evan Spiegel is going to jet Apple into the stratosphere. And Miranda Kerr will appear in new commercials, thus garnering the vapid vote of teenage girls addicted to fashion and makeup.
As for Apple haters... This is a way to voice your disgust with Facebook. But, Facebook still has its killer app, i.e. WhatsApp, even though no one in the media seems to be aware of this.
A deal this important hasn't occurred since AOL bought Time Warner.
Get excited. A safe way of wasting time is coming to your handset. You'll be able to boast to friends and have plausible deniability when your pictures disappear. There'll be no bread crumbs to ruin future employment. And when Apple buys IAC and adds dating... Whew, think of the possibilities!
It's gonna happen. As soon as Barry Diller acquires Grindr. Then he'll deliver Cook the whole package.
It's all about people. This is an end run around the rest of the tech behemoths. A stealth move. Apple is about to own social networking. Zuckerberg and his lame Facebook will turn to dust. It's Apple's world and we just live in it.
Maybe.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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