Re: Music Industry Snapshot
As FYi – I never took the Saudi money – they bought stock on open market –LN did not receive any investment. Whoever they bought the shares from got the money..
I have never met them, I read about their stock purchase same time everyone else did when they field with SEC.
I have no control who buys or sells my stock
Michael Rapino
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From: Peter Asher
Subject: RE: Live Pittsburgh 1976
Dear Bob,
Thanks for remembering it all so well. I too have very fond backstage and soundboard memories of the shows you describe - especially the Universal Amphitheater when David & Graham sang so beautifully on Mexico - and on Lighthouse as well as I recall. And I remember standing in the wings and talking Carly through her brutal stage fright as "Mockingbird" was approaching. The Pittsburgh show was at the Syria Mosque and was another very good one. I think it was recorded for a radio show or something - it was never officially intended to be an album at the time and I am not sure who released it or how! Maybe some deal was made much more recently - the band was brilliant, James was in top form and it was indeed a terrific show.
Incidentally (and forgive me if I sound ever so slightly defensive!) "jettisoned" might be slightly too strong a word ("James had jettisoned Peter Asher"). I remained James's manager throughout that whole period (and beyond) and was wholly supportive of his desire to try other producers - and I particularly love the two albums he did with Russ and Lenny whom I admire so much. James and I got back together again in the studio when I subsequently produced JT which became his most successful album since Sweet Baby James and Mud Slide Slim. So perhaps not exactly "thrown overboard".
Peter
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From: Jason Flom
Subject: Re: Charlie Puth On Jersey 4 Jersey
Bob,
A Newark story:
It was a snowy winter day in late 1987 when a songwriter named Jack Ponti called me and said, "Hey Flom, you need to go to a club called Studio One in New Jersey tonight to see a new band called Skid Row." Well, back then I would have gone to see just about anyone, anywhere + I had heard that this Ponti guy was a demi-legend in the Jersey music scene so I rented a car and drove through what had now become a full on blizzard to get to the show. The neighborhood it was in was dicey to say the least (there had been a murder on the sidewalk outside the club the night before) but what I witnessed inside that night became the stuff of legend and began a magical journey. It was only the second show they had ever done with Sebastian Bach as their lead singer but they were locked in a hard rock groove as they blazed through "Youth Gone Wild", "18 and Life" and "I Remember You" among others and right then and there it became my mission to sign them to Atlantic and the rest as they, is history.
Oh and btw, when I got back to my car in the parking lot I discovered that someone had smashed in the driver's side window. I'll never forget driving back to NYC sitting on shards of broken glass with the wind howling and fresh Jersey snow smacking me on the left side of my face.
Ponti was right on the money (as usual) and we've been friends ever since!
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From: Richard Griffiths
Subject: Re: Happy Song Playlist
Have you listened to McCarneys last album Egypt Station? It’s brilliant. I went to see him play end of 2018. He was on stage for nearly three hours! Incredible.
I worked with Ozzy as his publisher for years and then when I went to run Epic I had him as a recording artist. I had just hired Michael Goldstone as head of ANR and he was the one who made the No More Tears album. Brilliant. Sharon is probably the best manager ever!
It’s funny you mention the “W” bands.
When I worked at Virgin in London I once went to see Adam and the Ants play. After they had had their initial success they were on the way out. Or so I thought! I didn’t like the show but the packed room went crazy. Still I figured I knew best.WRONG! They were the biggest band in the country within two years!
But I learned a lesson!
Couple years later I’m running Virgin Music in LA. My right hand man Kaz and I went to see Warrant at the Country Club in the Valley . Place was packed and going crazy for them. We didn’t like them BUT we had learned our lesson and signed them. Several million albums later.......
Then this guy Kip Winger came to see us. They had just signed to Atlantic. Again we weren’t sure about the music but what got us was Kips ambition and work ethic so we took a bet on Winger. Several million albums later.........
The lesson that time was that talent is important but work ethic and ambition are what gets you to the top.
I’ve worked with some incredibly talented artists who just didn’t want to put the work in and others who may not have been the greatest talent, but we’re prepared to do whatever necessary to succeed.
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From: Kaleb Nation
Subject: Re: Charlie Puth On Jersey 4 Jersey
Love your blog — I’ve been reading it for years. I think it’s hilarious and awesome that Charlie Puth is a megastar now. Ten years ago, he was a YouTube musician paying bills by selling custom theme songs, so I bought one for $100. Nowadays that’d easily cost 100x more, so I still tell friends the story of the GREAT deal I got on a platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated singer. It’s another reason to support up-and-coming artists: you never know where they’ll be a few years later!
I’m a producer now but I started as a YouTuber in the old days. You can hear Charlie Puth sing my name at 0:40 in this video: youtu.be/xKxYp6AW37A?t=41
(Please disregard my 2010 baby face.)
Kaleb Nation
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Subject: Re: The Beastie Boys Movie
The idea that Paul's Boutique was a total commercial flop is simply not true. Of course, it didn't do what "Ill" did and didn't have an anthemic single like "Fight"; but by the time I left Capitol in Sept., it was close to 800,000 units. Plus the critical acclaim it received (Hilburn's "The Sgt. Pepper of rap") cannot be ignored. There was total support in the A & R dept. for signing them (if not in the company at large) and Eazy E, who used to hang out at Capitol at the time, told me they were the real deal. What really decided it for me was meeting them. They were just too smart to fuck this up.
David Berman
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Subject: Re: The Beastie Boys Movie
So Rick Rubin and I went to one of those hotels on Sunset. Rick and the Beastie Boys had gotten into a legal tiff, were estranged and weren’t working together. We went up to someone’s room, which was occupied by Chuck D, Hank Shocklee, Matt Dike and a few other people. They had a pre-release copy of Paul’s Boutique, which they played for Rick. I was, like, whatever—it was a bit outside my lane and I didn’t come to appreciate it until later. As it ended, Rick looked up and said, “This is the greatest album ever made. It’s hip-hop’s Sgt. Pepper.” DJ RR saluted his old mates and we left.
Peter Paterno, Esq.
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Subject: Re: The Beastie Boys Movie
Wow Bob you nailed it! You wrote " So, these kids are unsupervised, skipping school, having fun." I went to high school with Adam and we did just that. I remember he skipped class to get our copies of The Dead Kernnedys album "Fresh Fruit..." album signed at Bleecker Bobs. Good times!
Stay healthy!
Best,
Graham Hatch
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Subject: Re: Stuck In The Middle With You
Great record. For any of the tech type readers, I engineered Rafael doing his sax thing a couple of years later on another record. He explained they got the Baker Street solo sound by opening the lid of a piano in the studio, placing heavy 2” tape boxes on the sustain pedal and blending the sound of all those strings vibrating sympathetically with each note he played.
Those were the days when engineers actually got off their chairs and experimented!
Walt Aldridge
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From: Steve Traxler
Subject: Re: Stuck In The Middle With You
Sure you saw this video, a great riff from Michael Madsen on what’s happening now with everyone being stuck, gotta love his (and families) sense of humor!
deadline.com/2020/04/reservoir-dogs-michael-madsen-quentin-tarantino-home-video-1202918123/amp/
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From: Bob Merlis
Subject: Stuck In The Middle
Surprised that no mention was made of the similarity between Steelers Wheel’s “Stuck In The Middle” and Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do.” As far as I can tell, that quirky guitar figure never existed before SITM and then 21 years later there it was on “All I Wanna Do.”
It was instantly recognizable the first time I heard her record and, just like the lyric, “I’m not the only one” to have discerned. this.
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From: Andy Cormack
Subject: Touring Crews
Hey Bob,
Thanks for your emails, they are truly a welcome respite. I am a true fan of yours.
I am also a touring crew member for a major Country artist (Eric Church) and he has kept almost the entire crew on payroll. He is honestly one of the greatest artists out. He is also one of the single best people in the world, and a terrific boss.
I am however, a bit scared of the future of touring crews. I don’t think that it’s sustainable for him to continue with a monthly payroll over 100k and that’s what I worry about. What will all of us do? I know this is not a new question but I am really trying to figure out what the next move is. If shows don’t return until 2021 then so many people in my hometown of Nashville will be destroyed and I just can’t bear the thought.
I think that you’re right in thinking nothing will be dramatically changed after this recedes. I think the move towards virtual is obvious in a time of quarantine but people crave human connection and to think they will replace it is just not feasible. I just needed to write this down to someone that understands. Thanks for being there for us Bob.
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From: Doyle Davis
Subject: Re: Opening America
Yet another "vinyl is irrelevant" comment. I get your point but the culture surrounding record stores remains robust and it's valuable to local music scenes. Jason Isbell made his new record available a week early, but only if you order from an indie record store, and he sold out the entire indie exclusive vinyl and the standard black vinyl in 2 days. the entire vinyl pressing. the amount pressed was based on the previous record and calculated to meet demand through all sales channels so with all the indie record stores closed, Jason sold more records than he ever has, exclusively through the indies, and undershot demand. I sold 500 records in the first hour from my indie shop alone. Maybe this isn't your kind of story but it's a story.
You've become one of my favorite sources of news and insight in the COVID era. Thanks for that.
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From: EveAnna Manley
Subject: Re: Testing
I've enlisted in an army of volunteers for www.masksfordocs.com
I learned about them through my bros in the Pasadena Motorcycle Club. We would get called up to pick up and deliver medical supplies around Los Angeles. Getting PPE to the clinics and docs who need them.
Yesterday I made a delivery run and picked up some headbands that a kid was printing on his 3D printer at home. Justin Levy is 16 years old and making 20 headbands per day! Yeah! There's your dream individual right there!
He inspired me to find out more about what is actually happening on the ground, or in all these homes in suburbia Los Angeles and how I could help more in the effort. I have a factory of assembly workers out in Chino, most of whom are assembling audio electronics at home. And I have some workers who can't work from home and are furloughed as we can't have them work at the factory either. So tomorrow we're going to pick up several thousand plastic sheets that need six holes punched in them to mount onto the 3D printed headbands and I'm going to get my team of hole punchers on it!
If you want something done, ask a busy person!
Nothing brings my anxiety down faster than figuring out something to do to benefit another human.
So when I get these damn trolls "from the other side" arguing with me and defending the appalling disaster in the White House, I just stop and ask them, "What are YOU doing to HELP people? What are YOU doing to keep people safe?"
We are going to get through this, together. But we all need to help.
Cheers, EveAnna Manley, President
Manley Laboratories, Inc.
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From: George Kahn
Subject: LA TIMES: Autopsy results point to earlier spread
I have two friends that went to the NAMM show in Jan 16-19.
Both came down with flu-like symptoms shortly thereafter.
One was sick for about 6 weeks with a nagging cough - no fever but tired and was very sick, never went to a doctor.
She just paid to be tested for COVID-19, and the tests show that she had it and now has immunity to the coronavirus.
How many other people who went to NAMM caught "a cold" there? Just wondering...
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Subject: Georgia and social distancing
Many believe Gov. Kemp in Georgia was responding to Trump's encouragements in authorizing employees to return to work at various businesses in Georgia this weekend. There was more to it. Look closely at which businesses: massage therapy studios, hair salons, tatoo studios, bowling alleys, movie theaters, fitness centers and restaurants. Obviously it flies in the face of social distancing ( can you go a little deeper on my back massage please but stay 6 feet away ?? Oh and let's put on communal bowling shoes ). He has his eyes on the unemployment fund, which is being drained quickly. Income taxes cannot be raised above 6 % in Georgia without a constitutional amendment and Kemp is not going to champion a tax increase to his base God knows. The fund will not be supplemented by taxes. So why not throw poor whites, blacks, Hispanics and Asians back into the work force to risk their health and lives? It immediately reduces the unemployment burden which no doubt is really irritating Kemp. And if a significant percentage of these workers die? No harm - they are not Kemp supoorters.
It is the kind of souless and craven policy we have come to expect from Gov. Kemp.
Russell Carter
Atlanta
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From: Millennia Gmail
Subject: Re: Testing
There is a joke circulating in Germany:
"What borders on stupidity?"
"Mexico and Canada!"
Sent from my Commodore 64
www.mickdallavee.com
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From: JOHN F NIXON
Bob...thank you very much for your tremendous letter. I enjoy reading everything you write. And perhaps the greatest of all the bits of knowledge I've gleaned from you is that you have made me aware of Pommery Meaux Mustard. I had never heard of it before but decided to give it a try based on your description. It is fantastic! Certainly in the 'OMG' category within the world of condiments. It will from this time forward occupy a space in my kitchen. I submit to you a heap big thank you for the introduction!
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