Sunday, August 8, 2010

Bob Lefsetz Blog

I don't know what the rules are regarding posting other people's blogs but I'm hoping Bob won't object to my posting part of his blog today. If you're tempted to subscribe after reading this post let me warn you...he is relentless. I don't mind myself, I often find myself learning something, and the delete button is an easy option His tone has all the passion of a rabid fan who is absolutely beside himself at having found himself able to peer behind the stage curtain, and is thrilled and horrified by what he sees.
Today's Bob...
''The goal in life,' Mr. Walker said, 'is to work for yourself, and with your friends.'"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/arts/music/07lolla.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

Corporatization killed the music business.

Come on, the business was built by entrepreneurs. Everyone from Ahmet Ertegun to Brian Epstein to Robert Stigwood. Forces of nature, these were go-getters with no backing, who needed to make it purely on their wiles.

David Geffen and Irving Azoff were no different.

But then all the labels were bought by corporations, after the Fortune 500 realized how much money there was in music. One can argue that the music died in the early seventies, when Elektra and Atlantic and Asylum were fully integrated into Warner.

Or, one can go later, to when Island and A&M were bought out by PolyGram, and Alain Levy ignored Chris Blackwell and Jerry Moss. Chris Blackwell? He started off selling singles from the back of his motorbike. Not only did he sign Traffic and so many other English acts, he made Bob Marley mainstream, by backing him up with rock players. Blackwell wasn't just a businessman, he was a creator, with only his own bank account to fall back upon. Ditto with Jerry Moss. And isn't it interesting that Jerry is successful in another field, horse racing: http://www.dmtc.com/racinginfo/pr/index.php?article=14handsofloveon17handsofpower

The last great hope of individual entrepreneurship in the music business occurred with rap. Russell Simmons did it his way. Because the corporate behemoths were not only not interested in his way, they weren't even interested in the music, they certainly didn't get the culture, they just wanted good-looking automatons who could be featured in expensive videos on MTV.

He didn't mention CHRYSALIS! You can subscribe at htpp://lefsetz.com/list?p=subscribe

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