YouTube: https://bit.ly/2XMjolO
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2O27gOm
It's not number one.
There's all these hosannas about Blanco Brown's "The Git Up" going #1 on the "Billboard" country chart...BUT THAT'S NOT THE CHART THAT MATTERS!
Country is driven by radio. And "The Git Up" is not in the Mediabase Top 30, which means at best it's a footnote in Nashville.
In case you've been in a media blackout, the song of the summer, the song of the YEAR, is Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road." At this late date, we can all agree that it was built by two things...TikTok and a false controversy. This is the kind of thing Shep Gordon did in the seventies, create a false press story around Alice Cooper. But you'd think in the internet era that would be impossible, but not are there only multiple fact lanes in the straight news business, but media too!
"Rolling Stone" launched its charts.
Right now, they're meaningless, and will probably stay that way.
Why?
First and foremost because they blew the launch. They said it was gonna be one day, and then it was delayed over rights issues. To the point where when the charts finally went live, people had already moved on to other things. I was fascinated at first, because I thought "Rolling Stone" had a chance, after all, its charts were based on the best data in the business, provided by the company formerly known as BuzzAngle.
But NO! "Rolling Stone" launched with a weighted chart, eviscerating any credibility!
It'd be like counting discussion of Facebook on Twitter in addition to impressions on the Facebook app. Who can make sense of that? NOBODY!
That's right, the internet is based on 0's and 1's, facts, and music is all about obfuscation.
Forget sales...STREAMING IS ALL THAT COUNTS!
Steve Jobs kills legacy ports back in the nineties, and the record companies are still counting physical and digital sales. The only people I know who watch DVDs are nonagenarians, literally. I'm tossing all mine. Why should I keep them? Oh, I've got a DVD player, but I haven't turned it on in years. And neither of my computers have disc drives.
Computer software is a service, there is no physical product, but in the antiquated music industry?
So, "Billboard" endured a lot of heat, Nashville endured a lot of heat, as as a result of the pseudo-controversy over "Old Town Road." Which, if you listen to it, is not country. That'd be like saying ZZ Top is country because they wear cowboy hats!
So now another track comes along by an African-American performer and "Billboard," with a backbone of silly putty, caves.
And there's a huge difference between "The Git Up" and "Old Town Road"... "The Git Up" SOUNDS country. It's got the overused drum machine that somehow country has embraced even though it was last hip in the eighties, and Blanco sings in a twang.
But Nashville and country radio aren't buying. So is it number one or not?
You can go on Spotify, and see that "The Git Up" has 28 million streams. Which isn't even a hit in the pop world. Blake Shelton, whose "God's Country" is #1 on the Mediabase chart only has 33 million streams. Meaning, your mainstream country fan...has not embraced streaming yet. It's like saying you're the best quarterback in Vince McMahon's XFL... Maybe one day the XFL will rival the NFL, but it's doubtful. But there will come a day when everybody is streaming and we'll have better insight into what is truly popular, but now "The Git Up" is a niche product, driven by TikTok. Nothing wrong with that, just don't tell me it's #1.
P.S. Adobe switched from a sales model to rental. At first, revenue dipped, then it went through the roof, the customer was happy, being served updates regularly, not just once a year, and they had to pay every month, lining Adobe's coffers. But music just can't let go of that sales model...
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Friday, 12 July 2019
Thursday, 11 July 2019
We Built This City
Grace Slick hates it.
I didn't like it when it was released, when they inserted the name of every local city for radio stations, but all these years later...it kind of cracks me up, anthemic rock, with exuberant vocals.
But the band didn't write it.
So I'm just back from the Malibu hills, where I was talking with Grace Slick. You know, the untamable woman who was the sexual zenith of rock and roll, an icon of her era.
She doesn't look like that anymore. But the personality...it remains intact. Opinionated and direct, if you close your eyes it's forty years ago.
Not that Grace is trying to hide her age, she'll be eighty in the fall. And although she had some plastic surgery way back when, in her forties, saying it was necessary if you were on stage, she has let her body age, and at first you're shocked, but then you're mesmerized, it's her! What was it like being in that body all those years ago?
Actually, Grace doesn't want to talk about it. She thinks none of the songs she wrote were perfect and at times she was so inebriated, she can't remember. But she lived it, it's all about being in the moment, having fun, and she did. Grace said if you're talented and having fun, go for it. But you've got to be persistent, there can be no gaps in your resume, you've got to pursue your goal.
And after "Red Octopus," which she considers Marty's album, even though I LOVE "Play On Love," Grace stayed with the outfit as Marty and Paul faded away and...
She didn't like singing other people's songs. It's not like being in a band, living it together, having experiences...
And that's another thing, the band did own that three story Victorian, but they did not all live in it together, maybe Paul Kantner slept upstairs for six months in between relationships, but really it was for business. And despite the reputation, the band was all business. Constantly on the road. And then...
It was the Jefferson Starship and they sang this song.
So Grace starts going on a rant. THERE'S NO CITY BUILT ON ROCK AND ROLL! AS A MATTER OF FACT, ALL THE CITIES PRE-DATE ROCK AND ROLL!
It's like she's sitting in the audience, she agreed with "Rolling Stone," which called "We Built This City" the worst track of the eighties, or something like that.
And Grace is testifying, what do the words mean? Who can relate to them?
And then she reveals the nugget, the essence, the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin, about the closure of bars in Los Angeles...you know, which was BUILT ON ROCK AND ROLL!
Whew, I never knew that!
And then Grace starts saying how that was stupid. Because bars are driven by people, and if nobody goes, they go out of business, but if the desire is strong enough, they'll grow again, it's kinda like Whac-A-Mole, the town elders/police are against them, but the people are for them.
But now?
I'm sitting in Grace's house overlooking the ocean. She doesn't hate L.A. She says her generation, OUR generation, was built on the movies, and they were all made in Southern California. She likes to talk on the phone, she doesn't send e-mail, she uses her iPad as an encyclopedia, and her eyes bug out as she says what a great encyclopedia it is! We lament the passage of all those music clubs/bars, but is today's generation demanding them?
You know what Chris Rock says, men surrender, they get married because they don't want to be the oldest person in the bar. And I can relate to that as in I never go to a bar anymore, and it's not just because I don't drink, I can stay at home and interact, and old people are into lifestyle, being taken care of.
But I'd go to a music club to see name talent. That's what brought me to the Whisky, the Roxy and the Troubadour way back when. But then the clubs all had seats, you contemplated the music, as opposed to it being an assault. Today you go to a club and it's all about you, the audience. The music is not the draw, but the ability to interact with each other. People will pay to hear bands, but they've got to have a name, pub-crawling to see developing acts is dead, as dead as most of the places they used to play!
So Grace says Bernie's a great lyricist, she respects him, but not on this one.
So she quit.
Nobody quits a good thing anymore, they're too into the MONEY!
And "We Built This City" went to number one, it was a hit all over the world. But it was still dreck.
Ain't that interesting in an era where if it makes money, it's good.
But hearing the backstory, from someone who was there, who's not into self-mythologizing...THAT'S PRICELESS!
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I didn't like it when it was released, when they inserted the name of every local city for radio stations, but all these years later...it kind of cracks me up, anthemic rock, with exuberant vocals.
But the band didn't write it.
So I'm just back from the Malibu hills, where I was talking with Grace Slick. You know, the untamable woman who was the sexual zenith of rock and roll, an icon of her era.
She doesn't look like that anymore. But the personality...it remains intact. Opinionated and direct, if you close your eyes it's forty years ago.
Not that Grace is trying to hide her age, she'll be eighty in the fall. And although she had some plastic surgery way back when, in her forties, saying it was necessary if you were on stage, she has let her body age, and at first you're shocked, but then you're mesmerized, it's her! What was it like being in that body all those years ago?
Actually, Grace doesn't want to talk about it. She thinks none of the songs she wrote were perfect and at times she was so inebriated, she can't remember. But she lived it, it's all about being in the moment, having fun, and she did. Grace said if you're talented and having fun, go for it. But you've got to be persistent, there can be no gaps in your resume, you've got to pursue your goal.
And after "Red Octopus," which she considers Marty's album, even though I LOVE "Play On Love," Grace stayed with the outfit as Marty and Paul faded away and...
She didn't like singing other people's songs. It's not like being in a band, living it together, having experiences...
And that's another thing, the band did own that three story Victorian, but they did not all live in it together, maybe Paul Kantner slept upstairs for six months in between relationships, but really it was for business. And despite the reputation, the band was all business. Constantly on the road. And then...
It was the Jefferson Starship and they sang this song.
So Grace starts going on a rant. THERE'S NO CITY BUILT ON ROCK AND ROLL! AS A MATTER OF FACT, ALL THE CITIES PRE-DATE ROCK AND ROLL!
It's like she's sitting in the audience, she agreed with "Rolling Stone," which called "We Built This City" the worst track of the eighties, or something like that.
And Grace is testifying, what do the words mean? Who can relate to them?
And then she reveals the nugget, the essence, the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin, about the closure of bars in Los Angeles...you know, which was BUILT ON ROCK AND ROLL!
Whew, I never knew that!
And then Grace starts saying how that was stupid. Because bars are driven by people, and if nobody goes, they go out of business, but if the desire is strong enough, they'll grow again, it's kinda like Whac-A-Mole, the town elders/police are against them, but the people are for them.
But now?
I'm sitting in Grace's house overlooking the ocean. She doesn't hate L.A. She says her generation, OUR generation, was built on the movies, and they were all made in Southern California. She likes to talk on the phone, she doesn't send e-mail, she uses her iPad as an encyclopedia, and her eyes bug out as she says what a great encyclopedia it is! We lament the passage of all those music clubs/bars, but is today's generation demanding them?
You know what Chris Rock says, men surrender, they get married because they don't want to be the oldest person in the bar. And I can relate to that as in I never go to a bar anymore, and it's not just because I don't drink, I can stay at home and interact, and old people are into lifestyle, being taken care of.
But I'd go to a music club to see name talent. That's what brought me to the Whisky, the Roxy and the Troubadour way back when. But then the clubs all had seats, you contemplated the music, as opposed to it being an assault. Today you go to a club and it's all about you, the audience. The music is not the draw, but the ability to interact with each other. People will pay to hear bands, but they've got to have a name, pub-crawling to see developing acts is dead, as dead as most of the places they used to play!
So Grace says Bernie's a great lyricist, she respects him, but not on this one.
So she quit.
Nobody quits a good thing anymore, they're too into the MONEY!
And "We Built This City" went to number one, it was a hit all over the world. But it was still dreck.
Ain't that interesting in an era where if it makes money, it's good.
But hearing the backstory, from someone who was there, who's not into self-mythologizing...THAT'S PRICELESS!
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--
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Morgan Neville-This Week's Podcast
Academy Award winner for "20 Feet From Stardom," as well as director of last summer's surprise hit "Won't You Be My Neighbor?," Morgan Neville is the go-to documentarian. His Rick Rubin docuseries premieres on Showtime on July 12th. Morgan's a huge music fan, listen to how he got from there to here, I could have talked to him all day!
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7AqDZwLzs5Zx9BgCmVsIDk
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morgan-neville/id1316200737?i=1000444207365
https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=62500051
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https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7AqDZwLzs5Zx9BgCmVsIDk
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morgan-neville/id1316200737?i=1000444207365
https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=62500051
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Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Blowback
You know you're striking a nerve when you get a reaction.
This is an analog of "all press is good press."
In the attention economy, it's nearly impossible to get attention. But Elizabeth Warren has figured out how to do this, and the heads of those on the right are exploding.
I know, I hear from the right whenever I write something vaguely political, even if that's not the point.
My point with Warren was not her politics, but her marketing, her declaration of positions, how she was doing it.
But as soon as you say WARREN you touch a nerve on the right.
And the blowback is fascinating.
Yup, I'll go on record, your and you're, they're and their...I see these mistakes on the right more than the left. You'd think naysayers would at least get their spelling/usage right.
I'm gonna tell you something, people judge on spelling/usage. Especially women.
That's right, I know a woman who decides who to go out with based on spelling errors. As for sending pictures of your junk, isn't that like whistling at a woman passing by? When did that EVER work?
And what those on the right are most afraid of is someone is gonna take what they've got. As if what they've got they acquired in a vacuum. You work at a company, your customers are keeping you in business. And same deal in tech and energy and...
But somehow on the right there's this canard that the left wants THEIR money.
So let's say there are no taxes. Who is gonna take care of the roads? When you call the police because of hooligans, who is gonna respond?
It's every person for themselves in right wing America. I've got mine, SCREW YOU! That attitude is separating right to begin with, we live in a society, we all have to get along.
And then there are the inaccuracies in facts. That's right, the right wing disinformation campaign is rolling 24/7. You could go to Snopes, but now, like the "New York Times" and the "Washington Post," that's considered fake news. The only real news is Fox and the blogs and the self-appointed nutcases spewing online. It's amazing, someone will e-mail you a screed...didn't they even google before they accepted it as fact, sent it in defense of their position? Yup, right there in Wikipedia it's revealed that the site is biased. But you can't trust Wikipedia, right? After all, our President is busy claiming everything he says is true and any corrections/opposite opinions are fake. Mick Jagger stood up to Trump's claim about the airports two hundred odd years ago (https://bit.ly/2JxBd3c), remember when we were all on the same side, rallying around the music? But that was back when music had meaning.
And the facts say that despite claiming minority status, Warren never benefited from it. But the right wing says otherwise, and keeps repeating the falsehood. Meanwhile, Trump is regularly accused of rape and he's an all right guy. He took the biggest tax write-off in history and initiated a tax cut that has resulted in a shortfall in collections.
But all of that is too deep in the woods, let's separate the wheat from the chaff...
The right is freaking out, the same way the left did in 2016.
The right is convinced Trump's a shoo-in, just like Hillary in 2016.
Somehow, Democrats have lost the war of messaging. They've been saying for years, put faith in the elites and everything will work out. BUT IT DIDN'T!
Meanwhile, the right has been saying not only that it's your money and you should be able to keep it, but gays are bad, abortions are bad, immigrants are bad, women don't deserve equal rights...they're trying to scare you into submission.
Then Elizabeth Warren comes out and speaks truth, which resonates and...
That's how Trump won, by speaking to people's anger and frustration.
But Elizabeth Warren is more intelligent and more experienced.
And what about Trump promising all that stuff he hasn't delivered. We still have Obamacare, which the country overwhelmingly wants, we're in insane trade wars messing with the vaunted farmers, and there's still not a wall, he couldn't even deliver it when Republicans controlled all three branches of government.
So the pendulum has swung.
And never forget it, they hate African-Americans, other than the ones who speak just like them. They hate Asians for taking their spots in the Ivy League. They hate Jews, because they control entertainment and money and are the root of all evil. And they think you should pull yourself up by your bootstraps, just like them, even though tons of them haven't and are living off the largesse of the government, not only via Medicaid and other social services, but the disproportionate spending in red states as opposed to blue.
But let's not get mired in facts, this is a war of EMOTION!
And believe me, the right is riled up, unified behind someone even foreign countries think is incompetent.
But now that the left is riled up, they don't like it, it's unfair.
So don't nominate a wuss, that's just what the Republicans want, someone blah who they can declare irrelevant. You need a fighter. After all, not only has Trump kept the tax man at bay, but Congress too.
So now I'll be inundated with e-mail saying I've got it wrong. That those on the right LOVE minorities, that it's all about finances.
But this is obfuscation. Which can be ignored.
That's right, the press calls foul every day against Trump and McConnell and the right laughs and ignores it, why shouldn't the left ignore the calls of foul on the right? Yup, the right's defense is always decency.
We need leaders, screw the parking meters. And now that there's one on the left, a dreaded woman to boot, the right is going insane.
THAT'S FUNNY!
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This is an analog of "all press is good press."
In the attention economy, it's nearly impossible to get attention. But Elizabeth Warren has figured out how to do this, and the heads of those on the right are exploding.
I know, I hear from the right whenever I write something vaguely political, even if that's not the point.
My point with Warren was not her politics, but her marketing, her declaration of positions, how she was doing it.
But as soon as you say WARREN you touch a nerve on the right.
And the blowback is fascinating.
Yup, I'll go on record, your and you're, they're and their...I see these mistakes on the right more than the left. You'd think naysayers would at least get their spelling/usage right.
I'm gonna tell you something, people judge on spelling/usage. Especially women.
That's right, I know a woman who decides who to go out with based on spelling errors. As for sending pictures of your junk, isn't that like whistling at a woman passing by? When did that EVER work?
And what those on the right are most afraid of is someone is gonna take what they've got. As if what they've got they acquired in a vacuum. You work at a company, your customers are keeping you in business. And same deal in tech and energy and...
But somehow on the right there's this canard that the left wants THEIR money.
So let's say there are no taxes. Who is gonna take care of the roads? When you call the police because of hooligans, who is gonna respond?
It's every person for themselves in right wing America. I've got mine, SCREW YOU! That attitude is separating right to begin with, we live in a society, we all have to get along.
And then there are the inaccuracies in facts. That's right, the right wing disinformation campaign is rolling 24/7. You could go to Snopes, but now, like the "New York Times" and the "Washington Post," that's considered fake news. The only real news is Fox and the blogs and the self-appointed nutcases spewing online. It's amazing, someone will e-mail you a screed...didn't they even google before they accepted it as fact, sent it in defense of their position? Yup, right there in Wikipedia it's revealed that the site is biased. But you can't trust Wikipedia, right? After all, our President is busy claiming everything he says is true and any corrections/opposite opinions are fake. Mick Jagger stood up to Trump's claim about the airports two hundred odd years ago (https://bit.ly/2JxBd3c), remember when we were all on the same side, rallying around the music? But that was back when music had meaning.
And the facts say that despite claiming minority status, Warren never benefited from it. But the right wing says otherwise, and keeps repeating the falsehood. Meanwhile, Trump is regularly accused of rape and he's an all right guy. He took the biggest tax write-off in history and initiated a tax cut that has resulted in a shortfall in collections.
But all of that is too deep in the woods, let's separate the wheat from the chaff...
The right is freaking out, the same way the left did in 2016.
The right is convinced Trump's a shoo-in, just like Hillary in 2016.
Somehow, Democrats have lost the war of messaging. They've been saying for years, put faith in the elites and everything will work out. BUT IT DIDN'T!
Meanwhile, the right has been saying not only that it's your money and you should be able to keep it, but gays are bad, abortions are bad, immigrants are bad, women don't deserve equal rights...they're trying to scare you into submission.
Then Elizabeth Warren comes out and speaks truth, which resonates and...
That's how Trump won, by speaking to people's anger and frustration.
But Elizabeth Warren is more intelligent and more experienced.
And what about Trump promising all that stuff he hasn't delivered. We still have Obamacare, which the country overwhelmingly wants, we're in insane trade wars messing with the vaunted farmers, and there's still not a wall, he couldn't even deliver it when Republicans controlled all three branches of government.
So the pendulum has swung.
And never forget it, they hate African-Americans, other than the ones who speak just like them. They hate Asians for taking their spots in the Ivy League. They hate Jews, because they control entertainment and money and are the root of all evil. And they think you should pull yourself up by your bootstraps, just like them, even though tons of them haven't and are living off the largesse of the government, not only via Medicaid and other social services, but the disproportionate spending in red states as opposed to blue.
But let's not get mired in facts, this is a war of EMOTION!
And believe me, the right is riled up, unified behind someone even foreign countries think is incompetent.
But now that the left is riled up, they don't like it, it's unfair.
So don't nominate a wuss, that's just what the Republicans want, someone blah who they can declare irrelevant. You need a fighter. After all, not only has Trump kept the tax man at bay, but Congress too.
So now I'll be inundated with e-mail saying I've got it wrong. That those on the right LOVE minorities, that it's all about finances.
But this is obfuscation. Which can be ignored.
That's right, the press calls foul every day against Trump and McConnell and the right laughs and ignores it, why shouldn't the left ignore the calls of foul on the right? Yup, the right's defense is always decency.
We need leaders, screw the parking meters. And now that there's one on the left, a dreaded woman to boot, the right is going insane.
THAT'S FUNNY!
--
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--
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Love Island
This should be the television hit of the summer.
My only anxiety is the five night a week stripping (as in TV, not clothing, but that will happen too) and the practice of U.S. television to focus on the surface as opposed to the essence. This is not about who is the best-looking, this is about the best at coupling up and having sex.
Yes, that's an integral part of "Love Island"... The f...ing.
Admit it you watch porn on your computer, imagine if it came to real life, on the flat screen, would you check it out? OF COURSE YOU WOULD!
This is for ladies and gents. After all, it takes two to tango. And everybody's curious.
I saw a billboard for the show today. I wondered if it was the U.K. one I was familiar with. After all, the names are so similar, "Temptation Island" and...
You see "Love Island" caused conversation in the U.K. By demonstrating how vapid the contestants are, how they're ruled by the physical as opposed to the mental, how they smoke and break traditional societal mores...it's hard to take your eyes off a train-wreck, especially when that train-wreck is you!
You see we live in a puritanical country. Last week on Sirius XM I asked people to tell me their favorite album to make love to. CRICKETS! I got tweets the week before about not letting callers expound, but those same callers refused to weigh in on this topic. Of those who did call in, most were women. And Volume is dominated by guys, albeit not in the percentage you see at a Rush show. Women are portrayed as meek and shy and...the truth is, they're not. And what did I learn? Most couples put on music less for the inspiration than to drown out the sound, so their children can't hear. For others with older children, it's a sign that they should not open the door, they might not, probably won't, like what they see. You see sex is a taboo.
But not on "Love Island."
This is just the first season, so they're not stacking the deck, like they used to do on "The Real World," with Puck and other pot-stirrers. You've got no trans-people, switch-hitting is not a factor, and too many of the people are beautiful and white. But...the sex remains.
And the audience participates. People no longer live tweet awards shows, they're boring. And voting at the end of the series is de rigueur, but voting in the middle of the show? To change the cast?
And that's one thing different from the usual reality series. They keep injecting new contestants.
People don't really have sex, right? On Volume I remarked that on the radio no one knows who you are, you can even employ a fake name...but the same public watching porn inside refuses to reveal its peccadilloes outside. Hell, there was that suit in Utah, a few decades back, the officials wanted to get rid of porn. But then the cable company revealed that its customers in the Beehive State were huge porn viewers, and porn remained on TV.
But you probably don't know about "Love Island." And it's not like CBS has done an incredible job of promoting it. Actually, I can applaud them for depending upon word of mouth. But the truth is, CBS is its own echo chamber. Netflix does a better job of promoting its shows. They appear every time you log in, and more people watch Netflix than CBS.
This also demonstrates the failure of advertising. First and foremost, youngsters hate ads, so even though networks charge a fortune for the largest audience, it's a fallacious concept. And even if you promote the hell out of something, you can't reach people. Actually, today the promotion is done after a show hits. That started with "The Sopranos," moved on to "Game of Thrones" and now "Stranger Things." Once you've got a base of fans, then you pile on the stories and the tie-ins and the ads.
So, the initial "Love Island" promo won't draw in outsiders. No, CBS is dependent upon traditional TV viewers to spread the word. Then again, there will be live streaming, but once again, that gets traction after the fact.
So it all comes down to execution and word of mouth. Can CBS execute as well as ITV? And will the show be titillating and engaging enough to engender word of mouth?
The story of "Love Island," the U.K. version, has been all over the U.K. press and the elite press in America. Yes, you can read the international press here in the U.S.A., hell, you can read "The Daily Mail" on Apple News. But, the stories are not as good as the TV show is. The TV show is a view into the psyche of the population, a visual demonstration of the human condition, and too often writing is just the facts.
And on "Love Island" the facts are important. But it's the penumbra that makes the show garner ratings. You see, life runs on nuance. And sex.
And there's plenty of both on "Love Island"!
https://www.cbs.com/shows/love-island/
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My only anxiety is the five night a week stripping (as in TV, not clothing, but that will happen too) and the practice of U.S. television to focus on the surface as opposed to the essence. This is not about who is the best-looking, this is about the best at coupling up and having sex.
Yes, that's an integral part of "Love Island"... The f...ing.
Admit it you watch porn on your computer, imagine if it came to real life, on the flat screen, would you check it out? OF COURSE YOU WOULD!
This is for ladies and gents. After all, it takes two to tango. And everybody's curious.
I saw a billboard for the show today. I wondered if it was the U.K. one I was familiar with. After all, the names are so similar, "Temptation Island" and...
You see "Love Island" caused conversation in the U.K. By demonstrating how vapid the contestants are, how they're ruled by the physical as opposed to the mental, how they smoke and break traditional societal mores...it's hard to take your eyes off a train-wreck, especially when that train-wreck is you!
You see we live in a puritanical country. Last week on Sirius XM I asked people to tell me their favorite album to make love to. CRICKETS! I got tweets the week before about not letting callers expound, but those same callers refused to weigh in on this topic. Of those who did call in, most were women. And Volume is dominated by guys, albeit not in the percentage you see at a Rush show. Women are portrayed as meek and shy and...the truth is, they're not. And what did I learn? Most couples put on music less for the inspiration than to drown out the sound, so their children can't hear. For others with older children, it's a sign that they should not open the door, they might not, probably won't, like what they see. You see sex is a taboo.
But not on "Love Island."
This is just the first season, so they're not stacking the deck, like they used to do on "The Real World," with Puck and other pot-stirrers. You've got no trans-people, switch-hitting is not a factor, and too many of the people are beautiful and white. But...the sex remains.
And the audience participates. People no longer live tweet awards shows, they're boring. And voting at the end of the series is de rigueur, but voting in the middle of the show? To change the cast?
And that's one thing different from the usual reality series. They keep injecting new contestants.
People don't really have sex, right? On Volume I remarked that on the radio no one knows who you are, you can even employ a fake name...but the same public watching porn inside refuses to reveal its peccadilloes outside. Hell, there was that suit in Utah, a few decades back, the officials wanted to get rid of porn. But then the cable company revealed that its customers in the Beehive State were huge porn viewers, and porn remained on TV.
But you probably don't know about "Love Island." And it's not like CBS has done an incredible job of promoting it. Actually, I can applaud them for depending upon word of mouth. But the truth is, CBS is its own echo chamber. Netflix does a better job of promoting its shows. They appear every time you log in, and more people watch Netflix than CBS.
This also demonstrates the failure of advertising. First and foremost, youngsters hate ads, so even though networks charge a fortune for the largest audience, it's a fallacious concept. And even if you promote the hell out of something, you can't reach people. Actually, today the promotion is done after a show hits. That started with "The Sopranos," moved on to "Game of Thrones" and now "Stranger Things." Once you've got a base of fans, then you pile on the stories and the tie-ins and the ads.
So, the initial "Love Island" promo won't draw in outsiders. No, CBS is dependent upon traditional TV viewers to spread the word. Then again, there will be live streaming, but once again, that gets traction after the fact.
So it all comes down to execution and word of mouth. Can CBS execute as well as ITV? And will the show be titillating and engaging enough to engender word of mouth?
The story of "Love Island," the U.K. version, has been all over the U.K. press and the elite press in America. Yes, you can read the international press here in the U.S.A., hell, you can read "The Daily Mail" on Apple News. But, the stories are not as good as the TV show is. The TV show is a view into the psyche of the population, a visual demonstration of the human condition, and too often writing is just the facts.
And on "Love Island" the facts are important. But it's the penumbra that makes the show garner ratings. You see, life runs on nuance. And sex.
And there's plenty of both on "Love Island"!
https://www.cbs.com/shows/love-island/
--
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--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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--
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The Warren Analogy
She's not using consultants.
And she raised $19.1 million dollars last quarter, nearly as much as Biden and Buttigieg. Even more dramatically, she's not doing the fat cat fundraisers and phone calls.
How did she do this? Via message, via credibility, via eschewing the conventional wisdom.
Message. That's the song. It always comes down to the song. And if you've got one good enough, that's not the usual dreck, when people hear it, they resonate.
In other words, the infrastructure doesn't get it, but the public does.
The infrastructure has decided it's all hip-hop all the time.
At this point hip-hop has had an almost forty year run, nearly as long as rock. Rock faded, will hip-hop?
That doesn't matter. Although they are different. Hip-hop is about culture. It is oftentimes like professional wrestling. The players/wrestlers come and go, it's more about the game. And some people, like Kanye, are so outrageous they draw in viewers. And there are beefs and...
Rock was never this kind of lifestyle, it was sometimes about attitude, but mostly about songs.
Sinatra and what came before...all about songs.
So, is there room for genres other than hip-hop? Don't forget, the mainstream media, the infrastructure, said that Elizabeth Warren had no chance. But now there's a good chance she'll be the Democratic nominee.
Warren continued to hammer ideas, i.e. release new material, when no one was listening/paying attention. But her tsunami of policy proposals caught fire, and when attention shifted to her, she had a catalog. You always want a catalog, when people love your hit, they want to go back and check out what you've done before.
Then there comes credibility. This is a matter of ideas and behavior. Your message must hew to a consistent philosophy, message is always first. But then, you can do nothing that undermines that message. This is where music has lost the plot. First and foremost, what is the message? Furthermore, musicians are always willing to sell out to the highest bidder. Most usually the corporation. And the infrastructure says it makes no difference, but it does. When you sell out to the man, you become a professional wrestler, willing to do anything and everything, which screws up your message, and you're not outside the system, but inside. Corporations are not your friend. Your goal is to stand up to them. What kind of bizarre world do we live in where Warren knows this, and "musicians" don't.
And then it comes down to money. Conventional wisdom is you need the deep pockets of the label to break through. But Warren did it based on her fans.
And you need a slew of high-priced consultants to get the message out. I.e. the label and its radio promotion people and the indie promotion people and the video/TV person and... They're bleeding you dry. Not only do they own your copyrights, they're charging back most of this "work" to you, decimating your royalties.
And the label does it the old way in a new world.
Instead of buying TV ads, Warren spent the money on the ground, one to one, because that's how you infect an audience today, by getting down to their level, by not talking down to them.
So Elizabeth Warren becomes a sui generis rock star. The kind we used to make in the music industry. Someone who is outside the system doing it her way.
They always say you don't have the right look, the right presentation...Warren can't win because she comes across as a schoolmarm. No, she appears dedicated and enthusiastic, she's doing her act and her act only, she doesn't care what others say. She's a rock star. She pivoted in her early life, she developed over time, not like the nitwit twelve year olds we think will save music, will go to the top of the chart.
This is how it always happens with something new, something of substance, something outside that becomes inside. It begins off the radar screen, when no one says you've got a chance. And then, while the mainstream isn't paying attention, it becomes an overnight sensation.
As for the Pocahontas thing... On the internet, there are new memes every day, almost nothing sticks. You just keep powering on. As for youthful behavior you now regret, have you seen this Cream ad for Falstaff beer? https://bit.ly/2NIXGzE
Elizabeth Warren don't need no stinking label.
And she's not complaining that the system is rigged against her, just that it's rigged in general. You've got to speak truth, you've got to be an agent for change.
This portends the future of the music business. There won't be a lock on the game by the usual suspects in the future. Maybe there might be new usual suspects, but not the same ones. The majors got Spotify to stop direct uploads, the streaming company's investment in the marketing of acts. They call that leverage. Too often the old man employs it to keep the status quo. But still, in an era of change, there are ways around this.
That's what the internet delivers.
We keep hearing the internet broke music. Quite the opposite, it provided a zillion opportunities! You can make your music cheaply with technology, post it online, and market it via the internet for free.
But you can only gain traction this way if you've got something to say.
Like Elizabeth Warren.
"Can Elizabeth Warren help break the political consulting cartel?": https://wapo.st/2YHZGJu
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--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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And she raised $19.1 million dollars last quarter, nearly as much as Biden and Buttigieg. Even more dramatically, she's not doing the fat cat fundraisers and phone calls.
How did she do this? Via message, via credibility, via eschewing the conventional wisdom.
Message. That's the song. It always comes down to the song. And if you've got one good enough, that's not the usual dreck, when people hear it, they resonate.
In other words, the infrastructure doesn't get it, but the public does.
The infrastructure has decided it's all hip-hop all the time.
At this point hip-hop has had an almost forty year run, nearly as long as rock. Rock faded, will hip-hop?
That doesn't matter. Although they are different. Hip-hop is about culture. It is oftentimes like professional wrestling. The players/wrestlers come and go, it's more about the game. And some people, like Kanye, are so outrageous they draw in viewers. And there are beefs and...
Rock was never this kind of lifestyle, it was sometimes about attitude, but mostly about songs.
Sinatra and what came before...all about songs.
So, is there room for genres other than hip-hop? Don't forget, the mainstream media, the infrastructure, said that Elizabeth Warren had no chance. But now there's a good chance she'll be the Democratic nominee.
Warren continued to hammer ideas, i.e. release new material, when no one was listening/paying attention. But her tsunami of policy proposals caught fire, and when attention shifted to her, she had a catalog. You always want a catalog, when people love your hit, they want to go back and check out what you've done before.
Then there comes credibility. This is a matter of ideas and behavior. Your message must hew to a consistent philosophy, message is always first. But then, you can do nothing that undermines that message. This is where music has lost the plot. First and foremost, what is the message? Furthermore, musicians are always willing to sell out to the highest bidder. Most usually the corporation. And the infrastructure says it makes no difference, but it does. When you sell out to the man, you become a professional wrestler, willing to do anything and everything, which screws up your message, and you're not outside the system, but inside. Corporations are not your friend. Your goal is to stand up to them. What kind of bizarre world do we live in where Warren knows this, and "musicians" don't.
And then it comes down to money. Conventional wisdom is you need the deep pockets of the label to break through. But Warren did it based on her fans.
And you need a slew of high-priced consultants to get the message out. I.e. the label and its radio promotion people and the indie promotion people and the video/TV person and... They're bleeding you dry. Not only do they own your copyrights, they're charging back most of this "work" to you, decimating your royalties.
And the label does it the old way in a new world.
Instead of buying TV ads, Warren spent the money on the ground, one to one, because that's how you infect an audience today, by getting down to their level, by not talking down to them.
So Elizabeth Warren becomes a sui generis rock star. The kind we used to make in the music industry. Someone who is outside the system doing it her way.
They always say you don't have the right look, the right presentation...Warren can't win because she comes across as a schoolmarm. No, she appears dedicated and enthusiastic, she's doing her act and her act only, she doesn't care what others say. She's a rock star. She pivoted in her early life, she developed over time, not like the nitwit twelve year olds we think will save music, will go to the top of the chart.
This is how it always happens with something new, something of substance, something outside that becomes inside. It begins off the radar screen, when no one says you've got a chance. And then, while the mainstream isn't paying attention, it becomes an overnight sensation.
As for the Pocahontas thing... On the internet, there are new memes every day, almost nothing sticks. You just keep powering on. As for youthful behavior you now regret, have you seen this Cream ad for Falstaff beer? https://bit.ly/2NIXGzE
Elizabeth Warren don't need no stinking label.
And she's not complaining that the system is rigged against her, just that it's rigged in general. You've got to speak truth, you've got to be an agent for change.
This portends the future of the music business. There won't be a lock on the game by the usual suspects in the future. Maybe there might be new usual suspects, but not the same ones. The majors got Spotify to stop direct uploads, the streaming company's investment in the marketing of acts. They call that leverage. Too often the old man employs it to keep the status quo. But still, in an era of change, there are ways around this.
That's what the internet delivers.
We keep hearing the internet broke music. Quite the opposite, it provided a zillion opportunities! You can make your music cheaply with technology, post it online, and market it via the internet for free.
But you can only gain traction this way if you've got something to say.
Like Elizabeth Warren.
"Can Elizabeth Warren help break the political consulting cartel?": https://wapo.st/2YHZGJu
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Monday, 8 July 2019
Favorite Dylan Cover-SiriusXM This Week
"Lefsetz Live," Tuesday July 9th, on Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz
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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Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz
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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-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
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Sunday, 7 July 2019
Re-The David Crosby Movie
My inbox is inundated with questions about the David Crosby movie. The name, where they can see it...
This proves to me three things:
1. The ineffectiveness of mainstream media.
2. The inability to Google.
3. The belief that if someone hears about something, they can see it immediately.
The name of the movie is: "David Crosby: Remember My Name."
This is a link to the trailer: https://bit.ly/2Gc2N5l
I read about the film in multiple publications, "Rolling Stone," "The Wall Street Journal," I must have seen it in six or seven places at least. Then I reached a breaking point and e-mailed Cameron Crowe for a link.
I truly believed my audience was aware of it. David Crosby is not an unknown. And, like I said, there'd been a good amount of press. Then again, I thought none of it captured the essence of the film, of Crosby, of his uniqueness, intelligence and willingness to go on record. Yes, I hoped my impassioned review would stimulate people to check it out. But the truth is that's how I felt watching the movie, riveted, by someone who is still alive when the scene is not. What I mean is a "rock star" is something completely different today. First and foremost, rock stars are not rich, like they used to be. And it's rich execs living the rock lifestyle, flying here and there to party and destroy stuff, not knowing the musicians did it to cope with boredom on the road. That's right, people imitate the trappings, they can never get to the essence, which is why we have true rock stars to begin with! Secondly, most of today's hit "acts" are doing it for the money and the fame. They're eager to sell out. Crosby couldn't sell out because first and foremost it was about the music and he was too edgy for any corporation to tie up with. In other words, the penumbra would detract from the music and the music is everything, music is love. Thirdly, today music doesn't represent the same place in the universe. Back then it was everything, truth, today it's background, for video games for selfie-taking, for...
So if you think your print campaign is working, you're probably wrong. And it turns out the target demo for this flick is not reading "Rolling Stone" and other mainstream publications. Especially if they had to hear it from me.
It's all trusted sources and word of mouth. And the truth is most of the usual media outlets have squandered their credibility, trying to be everything to all people, to be hip.
And today people never click through. As in a Google search would have immediately coughed up the info on the Crosby film. But that would be too much effort, you've got to make it easy, simple.
And the truth is this movie is being released theatrically on July 19th, in New York and L.A., When it will get to your burg...will it ever get to your burg?
And it's played multiple film festivals, trying to drum up heat. And...
The big story of the summer in film distribution is the failure of "Booksmart." It opened wide and instantly collapsed. Despite viewers adoring it. Would it have been a success if platformed? Maybe a bit more. But the truth is everything but comic book movies is best on TV. Then again, on TV you can reach everybody, but everybody can also ignore you. Maybe, if like HBO, Netflix released a new movie every Saturday night at 9, people would be accustomed to tune in, it would give these films attention and possibly legs.
So we're in a moment of transition. Old school promotion is used because no one has really figured out new school promotion. And the hope is that by rolling out slowly, word will build on the Crosby film and therefore deliver eyeballs/attention/revenue.
Of course it will eventually hit streaming services. But I'll tell you my own personal little dirty secret. I never watch these movies when they hit streaming services, it's just too late, there are too many other things to watch, I'm already behind the buzz, why now? So I never see the blockbusters, even though if they were day and date on TV, even if I had to pay for them, I would, when the heat is hot and I'm able to be part of the discussion.
So, in other words, you can make it today and it can be great and still few know about it.
And people will only make a limited effort to search for something.
And it comes down to trusted filters. Which is why all those corporations are paying influencers. But who wants to sell out to the corporation, none of these influencers are originals willing to walk into the wilderness, they'll do anything for a buck.
But David Crosby won't.
Which is why people want to see this flick!
This proves to me three things:
1. The ineffectiveness of mainstream media.
2. The inability to Google.
3. The belief that if someone hears about something, they can see it immediately.
The name of the movie is: "David Crosby: Remember My Name."
This is a link to the trailer: https://bit.ly/2Gc2N5l
I read about the film in multiple publications, "Rolling Stone," "The Wall Street Journal," I must have seen it in six or seven places at least. Then I reached a breaking point and e-mailed Cameron Crowe for a link.
I truly believed my audience was aware of it. David Crosby is not an unknown. And, like I said, there'd been a good amount of press. Then again, I thought none of it captured the essence of the film, of Crosby, of his uniqueness, intelligence and willingness to go on record. Yes, I hoped my impassioned review would stimulate people to check it out. But the truth is that's how I felt watching the movie, riveted, by someone who is still alive when the scene is not. What I mean is a "rock star" is something completely different today. First and foremost, rock stars are not rich, like they used to be. And it's rich execs living the rock lifestyle, flying here and there to party and destroy stuff, not knowing the musicians did it to cope with boredom on the road. That's right, people imitate the trappings, they can never get to the essence, which is why we have true rock stars to begin with! Secondly, most of today's hit "acts" are doing it for the money and the fame. They're eager to sell out. Crosby couldn't sell out because first and foremost it was about the music and he was too edgy for any corporation to tie up with. In other words, the penumbra would detract from the music and the music is everything, music is love. Thirdly, today music doesn't represent the same place in the universe. Back then it was everything, truth, today it's background, for video games for selfie-taking, for...
So if you think your print campaign is working, you're probably wrong. And it turns out the target demo for this flick is not reading "Rolling Stone" and other mainstream publications. Especially if they had to hear it from me.
It's all trusted sources and word of mouth. And the truth is most of the usual media outlets have squandered their credibility, trying to be everything to all people, to be hip.
And today people never click through. As in a Google search would have immediately coughed up the info on the Crosby film. But that would be too much effort, you've got to make it easy, simple.
And the truth is this movie is being released theatrically on July 19th, in New York and L.A., When it will get to your burg...will it ever get to your burg?
And it's played multiple film festivals, trying to drum up heat. And...
The big story of the summer in film distribution is the failure of "Booksmart." It opened wide and instantly collapsed. Despite viewers adoring it. Would it have been a success if platformed? Maybe a bit more. But the truth is everything but comic book movies is best on TV. Then again, on TV you can reach everybody, but everybody can also ignore you. Maybe, if like HBO, Netflix released a new movie every Saturday night at 9, people would be accustomed to tune in, it would give these films attention and possibly legs.
So we're in a moment of transition. Old school promotion is used because no one has really figured out new school promotion. And the hope is that by rolling out slowly, word will build on the Crosby film and therefore deliver eyeballs/attention/revenue.
Of course it will eventually hit streaming services. But I'll tell you my own personal little dirty secret. I never watch these movies when they hit streaming services, it's just too late, there are too many other things to watch, I'm already behind the buzz, why now? So I never see the blockbusters, even though if they were day and date on TV, even if I had to pay for them, I would, when the heat is hot and I'm able to be part of the discussion.
So, in other words, you can make it today and it can be great and still few know about it.
And people will only make a limited effort to search for something.
And it comes down to trusted filters. Which is why all those corporations are paying influencers. But who wants to sell out to the corporation, none of these influencers are originals willing to walk into the wilderness, they'll do anything for a buck.
But David Crosby won't.
Which is why people want to see this flick!
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Overnight Sensation
"I just want a hit record, yeah
Wanna hear it on the radio
Want a big hit record, yeah
One that everybody's got to know"
"Overnight Sensation"
The Raspberries
I don't stop hearing about Kamala Harris. Since the debate, she's not only the talk of politicos, but the country. In just one little exchange she got traction. She was waiting in the wings for her moment, hadn't gotten a lot of attention, but when the lights were on she delivered and became an overnight sensation, literally.
We don't have those moments in the music business anymore.
Yup, at first I was gonna write about delivering each and every night, especially when the lights are upon you. You hear that story from managers all the time. They tell their acts to give it their all, no matter how many people are in the audience, and then it turns out some bigwig was there one night that was underattended and they proffer an offer and...
One of the biggest movies last year, which debuted on HBO last night, was "Bohemian Rhapsody." And consensus is the highlight of the flick was Queen's performance at Live Aid. We haven't had a show with anywhere near that impact since Live 8, but that was in 2005. It was the last gasp of the old world. The highlight was the reunion of Pink Floyd. What could a concert feature today, the reunion of *NSYNC?
But Live Aid came during the height of MTV. It cemented the outlet's place in the firmament. It had started as a derided AOR TV station that was unavailable in many markets. But then Duran Duran became overnight sensations with its videos and the station broadened its playlist to include Michael Jackson and if you didn't have MTV before Live Aid, you certainly signed up for it after.
Actually, it was free. Like radio. As long as you had a cable account.
But in the nineties MTV became a caricature of itself, and then at the turn of the century Napster came along to blow a hole in the paradigm, and after the last gasp of MTV/VH1 dominance at the beginning of the 2000s, breaking Coldplay, Radiohead and Dave Matthews, it's been all niche all the time.
Not that they're not trying to convince us otherwise.
Then again, if Chance the Rapper or Kendrick Lamar got that level of exposure, would they become household names too?
Actually, Kendrick appeared on the Grammys. It did not cross him over beyond his core audience.
Then again, the Grammys don't mean what they used to. Remember when it would supercharge careers? Notably with Bonnie Raitt and then Lauryn Hill? That doesn't happen anymore. Maybe because we live in an era of streaming as opposed to sales, but I'd argue the Grammys don't have the impact of the debates, there's nothing at stake. Acts self-promote and appeal to their niche, and there it stops.
So I checked the ratings.
Night two of the debates was watched by 18.1 million viewers, as well as 9 million streamers.
The 2019 Grammy Awards had 19.8 million viewers, but only a 5.6 rating amongst adults 18-49, which was actually a decrease from the year before. Meaning the Grammys are a show for oldsters, turns out youngsters are streaming or doing anything but watching CBS at that hour.
But even if they were, when was the last time someone made it via a Grammy performance? Especially when you've got all these mash-ups/duets...instead of special Grammy moments, they're turn-offs. It would be like in the middle of the debate Harris and Biden reenacted Kennedy's inauguration speech. Nobody cares!
In other words, music has given up its stranglehold on the American public.
Not only was there Live Aid, but late night television, which featured musical performances. A great performance on late night Letterman could truly boost your career. Word of mouth would spread.
And then you've got the Beatles nailing it three Sundays in a row on "Ed Sullivan." Almost everybody tuned in, especially youngsters, who can still wax rhapsodic about the experience.
All this proves that politics is the story of the age, with so much on the line.
And somehow the music industry is not resonating with the public. It's more like governors and state legislatures, which are either red or blue, the south being red and...that's right, you're a monster performer in one state, amongst one demo, but not another. How did we get so far from the garden?
So I ask you... Who is out there, plying the boards, who you believe is one exposure away from going gangbusters. The last person who did this, was Lady Gaga. Who made it on EDM-based tracks but then broadened her purview to include Tony Bennett, she went on tour with him. And then, not having a hit in eons, she scored in "A Star Is Born" and now she's a legend. Beyond hits. Kinda like Barbra Streisand.
Then again, Gaga can convey her message, her essence, just alone at the piano. She's the act, she needs nothing more.
And in the first decade of this century, all the hipsters were railing against "American Idol." But it did yield Kelly Clarkson. Now TV music shows get lower ratings and don't break stars whatsoever. Then again, they're singing shows. Lady Gaga does more than sing.
So we don't have the acts and we don't have the opportunities.
But I'll tell you, acts are not born fully-formed. Managers and labels help mold them, give them their shot.
The Allman Brothers were a live act with little impact in recordings. Then they recorded "Live At Fillmore East" and became instant legends.
So Harris, Gaga and the Allmans were all hiding in plain sight. And when they got their moment they delivered. Can you say "Whipping Post"?
We need acts with this potential.
And we need opportunities to expose them to a broad audience.
But we don't have these opportunities either.
When the Raspberries released "Overnight Sensation," if you were on the radio everybody knew you.
Today, you can be #1 on radio or Spotify and a great swath of America is clueless.
This needs to change.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
-- powered by phpList, www.phplist.com --
Wanna hear it on the radio
Want a big hit record, yeah
One that everybody's got to know"
"Overnight Sensation"
The Raspberries
I don't stop hearing about Kamala Harris. Since the debate, she's not only the talk of politicos, but the country. In just one little exchange she got traction. She was waiting in the wings for her moment, hadn't gotten a lot of attention, but when the lights were on she delivered and became an overnight sensation, literally.
We don't have those moments in the music business anymore.
Yup, at first I was gonna write about delivering each and every night, especially when the lights are upon you. You hear that story from managers all the time. They tell their acts to give it their all, no matter how many people are in the audience, and then it turns out some bigwig was there one night that was underattended and they proffer an offer and...
One of the biggest movies last year, which debuted on HBO last night, was "Bohemian Rhapsody." And consensus is the highlight of the flick was Queen's performance at Live Aid. We haven't had a show with anywhere near that impact since Live 8, but that was in 2005. It was the last gasp of the old world. The highlight was the reunion of Pink Floyd. What could a concert feature today, the reunion of *NSYNC?
But Live Aid came during the height of MTV. It cemented the outlet's place in the firmament. It had started as a derided AOR TV station that was unavailable in many markets. But then Duran Duran became overnight sensations with its videos and the station broadened its playlist to include Michael Jackson and if you didn't have MTV before Live Aid, you certainly signed up for it after.
Actually, it was free. Like radio. As long as you had a cable account.
But in the nineties MTV became a caricature of itself, and then at the turn of the century Napster came along to blow a hole in the paradigm, and after the last gasp of MTV/VH1 dominance at the beginning of the 2000s, breaking Coldplay, Radiohead and Dave Matthews, it's been all niche all the time.
Not that they're not trying to convince us otherwise.
Then again, if Chance the Rapper or Kendrick Lamar got that level of exposure, would they become household names too?
Actually, Kendrick appeared on the Grammys. It did not cross him over beyond his core audience.
Then again, the Grammys don't mean what they used to. Remember when it would supercharge careers? Notably with Bonnie Raitt and then Lauryn Hill? That doesn't happen anymore. Maybe because we live in an era of streaming as opposed to sales, but I'd argue the Grammys don't have the impact of the debates, there's nothing at stake. Acts self-promote and appeal to their niche, and there it stops.
So I checked the ratings.
Night two of the debates was watched by 18.1 million viewers, as well as 9 million streamers.
The 2019 Grammy Awards had 19.8 million viewers, but only a 5.6 rating amongst adults 18-49, which was actually a decrease from the year before. Meaning the Grammys are a show for oldsters, turns out youngsters are streaming or doing anything but watching CBS at that hour.
But even if they were, when was the last time someone made it via a Grammy performance? Especially when you've got all these mash-ups/duets...instead of special Grammy moments, they're turn-offs. It would be like in the middle of the debate Harris and Biden reenacted Kennedy's inauguration speech. Nobody cares!
In other words, music has given up its stranglehold on the American public.
Not only was there Live Aid, but late night television, which featured musical performances. A great performance on late night Letterman could truly boost your career. Word of mouth would spread.
And then you've got the Beatles nailing it three Sundays in a row on "Ed Sullivan." Almost everybody tuned in, especially youngsters, who can still wax rhapsodic about the experience.
All this proves that politics is the story of the age, with so much on the line.
And somehow the music industry is not resonating with the public. It's more like governors and state legislatures, which are either red or blue, the south being red and...that's right, you're a monster performer in one state, amongst one demo, but not another. How did we get so far from the garden?
So I ask you... Who is out there, plying the boards, who you believe is one exposure away from going gangbusters. The last person who did this, was Lady Gaga. Who made it on EDM-based tracks but then broadened her purview to include Tony Bennett, she went on tour with him. And then, not having a hit in eons, she scored in "A Star Is Born" and now she's a legend. Beyond hits. Kinda like Barbra Streisand.
Then again, Gaga can convey her message, her essence, just alone at the piano. She's the act, she needs nothing more.
And in the first decade of this century, all the hipsters were railing against "American Idol." But it did yield Kelly Clarkson. Now TV music shows get lower ratings and don't break stars whatsoever. Then again, they're singing shows. Lady Gaga does more than sing.
So we don't have the acts and we don't have the opportunities.
But I'll tell you, acts are not born fully-formed. Managers and labels help mold them, give them their shot.
The Allman Brothers were a live act with little impact in recordings. Then they recorded "Live At Fillmore East" and became instant legends.
So Harris, Gaga and the Allmans were all hiding in plain sight. And when they got their moment they delivered. Can you say "Whipping Post"?
We need acts with this potential.
And we need opportunities to expose them to a broad audience.
But we don't have these opportunities either.
When the Raspberries released "Overnight Sensation," if you were on the radio everybody knew you.
Today, you can be #1 on radio or Spotify and a great swath of America is clueless.
This needs to change.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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