bmusic - Newsletter No. 215

bmusic
Newsletter No.215
April 25th - May 1st 2006

We took a hiatus last week for the Easter weekend, hope everyone had a great time last weekend and had a chance to recharge for the rest of the year ahead. During the past two weeks a sad anniversary was celebrated, that being the death and subsequent discovery of the body two weeks later, of Layne Staley, Alice In Chains' singer. Fans of Layne and Govt' Mule might be interested in this bootleg live mp3 I stumbled upon this past week. It's from a Gov't Mule (that's Warren Haynes' band) show on the night Layne's body was discovered and the story of his death reported four years ago. Also playing was ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newstead who had been guesting with Gov't Mule on the last leg of that tour. They cover the AIC classic "Rooster" as a tribute to Layne. You can download the mp3 file HERE.

Something else of interest emerged online during the past couple of weeks is a Music Business blog/article that makes for some pretty interesting reading. It's titled Major Label Death March and was originally sourced from the Lefsetz Letters. Basically, take each of the numbered headers below and prefix them with DON'T.
1. Make A Video
Unless it’s shot on a hand-held digicam from Best Buy, your total budget is under $5,000 and it appears on your Website only.

2. Never Appear On VH1
Unless you want to be like one of those losers commenting on "Best Week Ever" who still live with their parents and have day jobs (night jobs!) doing clerical work in law firms as they wait, forever, fruitlessly, to make it.

3. Host Anything On MTV
You’re a musician, not a presenter.

4. Do The Radio Station Show
It’s about promoting the station, not you, don’t you GET IT?

5. Have A Website With A Ton Of Flash
If you don’t know what I’m talking about here, you probably have a Web-designer who’s committing this faux-pas. Usability, navigability…not DAZZLING your fans is the essence. You’re selling your MUSIC, not your design skills.

6. Only STREAM Music On Your Site
Charge after you’ve hooked them, not before they’ve entered the door. Let people hear your COMPLETE album online and be sure to give away MP3s, hopefully of the whole record. Otherwise, you look like a mercenary fuck.

7. Play The Arena On Your First Album
UNDERPLAY. Show you’ve paid your dues. If you’re not in it for the long haul…I hope you’re getting the lion’s share of the revenue from selling out, but alas, that’s going to your lawyer, manager, agent, record company, concert promoter… And then they find a new act and nobody wants you or your music and you’re working a day job, a laughable joke in society.

8. Pose In Fashion Shoots
NOTHING should be subsidiary to your music. That should be your credo, don’t do anything unless it’s about the music FIRST! Nobody ever listened to an outfit.

9. Do Anything You Don’t Want To
If it doesn’t feel good in your heart, it’s not the right thing to do. Don’t doubt yourself. The day the fucks telling you how to act, to compromise, can write a tune is the day you should listen to them, which is NEVER!

10. Appear On Letterman Or Leno
Those people don’t buy records. If you’re a has-been, going on the road, do the shows, it’ll make your ossified fanbase aware you’re hitting the boards. But have no illusion they’ll see you on TV and buy your record. You’re better off being promoted in STARBUCKS!

As for the younger generation… You can be on Conan. Maybe even SNL. But don’t make a deal with Starbucks. Because their brand is superior to YOURS! And know that EVERYTHING looks small on TV, so let loose and show your passion, it’s the only thing that will translate.

11. Be Afraid To Play Live
In other words, when you think miming, singing to tape, eliminates the possibility of failure you’re getting it wrong. If you’re not willing to fail, to be real, to be honest, then the public just can’t resonate with you.

12. Put Out A Dual Disc
Dead format. That isn’t compatible with every player.

13. Refuse To Put Your Music In A Podcast
This is the new radio. Where people find out about new acts. Be hip to this and use it before the majors finally wake up and flood the purveyors with the kind of shit they gave to radio stations making it difficult for indies to play.

14. Wear Spandex
Unless your act is a parody of the hair band days.

15. Release Music With No Melody
Unless you’re aware of this and the inherent limitations in your potential audience.

16. Make Anything Recoupable Other Than Recording Costs
Which means you probably won’t be able to sign to a major label. You’ll thank me for this.

17. Fail To Tour
Steely Dan got away with it, but they were damn good and it was a different era, it was easier to get on radio which everybody listened to. By performing live you cement a bond with your audience. THIS is the MOST important thing in building your career after the music itself. NOTHING can replicate this experience. It’s a shared one equivalent to sex. DON’T underestimate it.

18. Be Afraid To Learn
Continue to take guitar lessons, voice lessons. Study the business. He who knows everything is he who will be blindsided.

19. Appear In A Movie
The last time this worked was with the Yardbirds in "Blow-Up". Sure, you can have your MUSIC in a movie, but don’t appear in it. Not as a musician, not as an actor, NOTHING!

You can make your own movie. But if it ain’t got that home-made play scattered theatres in a week then straight to DVD for fans only feel it’ll bomb.

20. Put Out Press Releases
People should come to YOU for the story, you shouldn’t be telling THEM! The only lame-asses interested in this kind of shit are those in the straight media without the time or inclination to do any real reporting. If you MUST reach these people, have your press release be INTERESTING! Not that you’re the greatest act in the world soon to eclipse the Beatles but that your father gave you a Les Paul that he got during R&R while serving in Vietnam and it was played by Duane Allman when he took it to a gig and your sister said you sucked but your girlfriend inspired you and now every time you play she gets wet. Believe me, people will start paying attention if your message has some CHARACTER!

21. Sell Your Publishing
If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? Make an administration deal. Make a deal where the rights revert to you. But anybody who sells their publishing isn’t aware that the only reason Michael Jackson isn’t on skid row is because he owns those Lennon/McCartney tunes (which drives Paul WILD!)

22. Forget To Put Out A Vinyl Version
You can forget putting out a CD, but vinyl is COOL! (And sounds better to boot.)

23. Equate MySpace Hits With Quality
You might want to fuck Tia Tequila, but nobody wants to listen to her MUSIC!

24. Tie In With Sporting Events
Your music must be PRIMARY, not secondary, not an ADD-IN! If your shit is really that hot, the stadium organist will play it without asking you first. That will REALLY rock you and your audience.

25. Accept Sponsorship
Sponsors don’t help break/spread the word on your act, they send money to your bottom line, which your handlers can commission. This is the biggest fraud of all time. If you can’t tour without sponsorship money, then you don’t have an audience. Once again, it’s about selling THEIR product, not YOUR MUSIC! This week we've taken the time to bring to light some of the many updates we learn and receive from subscribers and visitors to bmusic.com.au for past subjects of the Where Are They Now? features. We never seem to find the time to add all the updates we get to the features and oftentimes these are overlooked anyway. So from time to time we'll do as we've done this week and put together any recent updates in the one place and the archive with it so readers who may have missed an original feature can reference it quickly should one of the updates spark their interest. We've had a great many requests of late for new features and some of them are looking very good, focusing on Australian stuff as much as possible for the foreseeable future so we look forward to bringing you those.
Regulars including Feature Article, The Week Ahead in Music History, Featured Artist and more are all inside Issue 215 of the bmusic Newsletter.
Links in the Table of contents below will launch your browser, so you'll need to be online to view the newsletter. If you are unable to receive html format e-mails then copy and paste the following link into your browser's address bar to view the newsletter:
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Thanks to everyone for reading, we'll see you next week!

TABLE OF CONTENTS (You will need to be online to use the Table of Contents to jump through sections)

Where Are They Now? - Archive & Updates of Interest

This week's Music Quote

Featured Product - DigiTech® Brian May Artist Series Pedal

This week's Specials

This week's Feature Article - The Song That Changed The World

This week's Feature Artist - Emma Dean

Musicians Wanted

Gear Wanted

Band Links

The Week Ahead In Music History
           Events
           Births
           Deaths

Give us your suggestions

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In 1786, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's comic opera "The Marriage of Figaro" had its world premiere in Vienna. Reaction was lukewarm and it wasn't until the work was presented in Prague later that year that it was a success.

In 1962, Jerry Lee Lewis returned successfully to Britain. He had been hounded out of the country four years earlier after it was revealed he had married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown.

In 1963, Andrew Loog Oldham saw the Rolling Stones perform for the first time. Oldham, who became the group's manager, had been told by the Beatles that he should catch the Stones at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, England.

In 1965, Bob Dylan began a British tour backed by the Band. The tour was filmed for the documentary "Don't Look Back."

In 1967, Gary Lewis and the Playboys received their only gold record - for "This Diamond Ring."

In 1967, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The wedding cake alone cost $3,500.
Priscilla was the teenage daughter of a US Army officer whom Elvis had met in Germany. She had lived at Presley's Graceland Mansion since 1961, ostensibly under the supervision of Presley's father and stepmother. On February 1st, 1968, their only child, Lisa Marie, was born.
Four years later, the couple separated, and in 1973, Elvis filed for divorce.

In 1968, Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" was released.

In 1968, the Beatles refused to perform for the Queen at a benefit for the British Olympic team. In Ringo Starr's words, "We don't do benefits."

In 1968, the rock musical "Hair" opened at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway.
"Hair," the first musical to successfully adapt rock music to the stage, had already played in an off-Broadway version, which opened in October 1967.

In 1970, Twiggs Lyndon, the road manager for the Allman Brothers Band, was arrested for murder. He stabbed a club manager after an argument over a contract.

In 1970, Elton John's first North American album, a self-titled effort, was released. From it came the hit single "Your Song."

In 1977, the Temptations, the most successful male vocal group of the 1960's and early '70s, left Motown Records after 17 years. They signed with Atlantic, but after recording two unsuccessful disco albums, the Temptations were lured back to Motown by Berry Gordy Junior.

In 1977, the Clash began their first British tour with a concert in London. The political punk rockers shared the bill with the Jam, the Slits, the Buzzcocks and the Subway Sect in what was billed as the White Riot tour.

In 1981, Ringo Starr married actress Barbara Bach. Paul McCartney and George Harrison attended the ceremony. It was Starr's second marriage, and again ended in divorce.

In 1982, Stiv and Anastasia Bators were married in a white magic ceremony with a high priest and priestess and 13 witnesses dressed in black. Bators, lead singer of the punk rock band the Dead Boys, said everybody then went back to his London flat and got drunk.

In 1982, singer Rod Stewart was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight on Los Angeles's Sunset Boulevard. The British Safety Council applauded Stewart for not struggling with the bandit.

In 1983, the original lineup of the 1960's British group Manfred Mann reunited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of London's Marquee Club.

In 1984, singer Melissa Manchester made her acting debut in an episode of the TV series "Fame." She also co-wrote the script.

In 1986, Van Halen's first album with new singer Sammy Hagar, 5150, debuted and started it's first of four weeks at the top of the US chart.

In 1988, Eric Clapton and his wife, Patti Boyd, filed divorce papers in London. Boyd blamed Clapton's affair with an Italian TV personality, who bore Clapton's child. Clapton and Boyd had been married nine years. She had previously been married to George Harrison.

In 1988, Celine Dion won the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland with her performance of the ballad "Don't Leave Without Me (Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi)." Dublin was host of the contest, watched by an estimated 600-million TV viewers.

In 1988, a judge in Minneapolis dismissed a plagiarism suit brought against Prince by his sister Lorna Nelson. She claimed he stole the lyrics for his 1987 hit "U Got the Look."

In 1989, police were called to a jewellery store in Simi Valley, California after employees reported a suspicious person. He turned out to be Michael Jackson, who had donned a wig, fake moustache, false teeth and eyelashes to go shopping. Officers had him remove his disguise and show his identification.

In 1990, the Fender Stratocaster guitar used by Jimi Hendrix to perform the "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock was auctioned for a then-record US$295,000.

In 1990, Broadway's longest-running show, "A Chorus Line," closed after 6,137 performances.

In 1990, Guns N' Roses lead singer W. Axl Rose married Erin Everly, daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers, at the Cupid Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. A limousine chauffeur served as witness. The marriage would last only three weeks.

In 1990, 13 people were hospitalized after thousands of fans tried to get into a soldout New Kids on the Block Show in Brighton, England. More than 350 people, most of them teenage girls, needed treatment for hysteria and hyperventilation.

In 1992, singer Paula Abdul and actor Emilio Estevez were married in a judge's chambers in Santa Monica, California. One of Abdul's managers and Estevez's mother witnessed the ceremony. Abdul filed for divorce two years later.

In 1993, Prince announced he wouldn't make any more new recordings. To fulfill his contract with Warner Brothers he would release material from his stockpile of some 500 unreleased recordings.

In 1993, Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist Gilby Clark broke his wrist in a motorcycle accident in Castaic Lake, California. Clark was practising for a celebrity charity race. The injury forced the band to cancel four shows on its US tour. Former Guns N' Roses member Izzy Stradlin filled in for several European dates.

In 1994, singer Michael Bolton said there was "a bit of racial inference" in a Los Angeles jury's decision that he swiped an Isley Brothers song for his 1991 hit, "Love Is a Wonderful Thing." The jury awarded the Isleys 2/3 of the royalties from the single and 28 per cent of the royalties form Bolton's album "Time, Love and Tenderness." Estimates of the value of the award ranged from U.S. 5 million to 15 million dollars.

In 1995, rapper Tupac Shakur, serving 4.5 years on a sex abuse conviction, was married in a New York state prison to his longtime girlfriend, Keisha Morris.

In 1997, the US House of Representatives voted to bestow Congress's highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, on Frank Sinatra. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan had presented the singer with the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US.

In 1997, police in Beverly Hills, California said "no" to a planned auction of the bullet-riddled door from the pickup truck in which rapper Notorious BIG was gunned down the previous month. Budget Rent a Car had said it wanted to auction the door and give the money to charity.

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Births In 1899, jazz musician, composer and bandleader Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington was born in Washington, DC.
He made his first professional appearance as a jazz pianist in 1916, and two years later formed his first band. After appearances in Harlem nightclubs, Duke Ellington's orchestra became one of the most famous jazz bands, and remained so for more than 50 years.

In 1904, singer and actor Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington.

In 1919, folk musician and singer Pete Seeger was born in New York City. In the 1940's, he performed with Woody Guthrie, before forming the Weavers, who had hits with such folk tunes as "On Top of Old Smokey" and "Goodnight Irene." Seeger was blacklisted by the US government during the '50s. In the following decade, he became a father figure to many younger folk and rock musicians. The Byrds, for example, had a number-one hit with Seeger's "Turn, Turn, Turn."

In 1927, r'n'b tenor saxophonist Big Jay McNeely.

In 1929, country singer Johnny Horton was born in Tyler, Texas. His "Battle of New Orleans" sold a million copies in 1959 as did his 1960 recording of "North to Alaska," the title song from a John Wayne movie. Horton was killed in a car crash in Milano, Texas on November 5th, 1960.

In 1930, blues harmonica player Little Walter, real name Marion Walter Jacobs, was born in Marksville, Louisiana. He was a pioneer in the use of a microphone to amplify the mouth harp, and his techniques were widely copied, particularly by white blues musicians in England. Little Walter died in 1968 after being stabbed in a street fight in Chicago.

In 1931, British skiffle musician Lonnie Donegan, whose biggest hit was 1961's "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor (On the Bedpost Over Night)."

In 1933, country superstar Willie Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas.

In 1935, Link Wray, one of the more influential rock guitarists of the 1950's, was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

In 1936, singer Englebert Humperdinck.

In 1941, actress-singer Ann-Margaret.

In 1945, Creedence Clearwater Revival bass player Stu Cook.

In 1949, Francis Rossi, lead singer of the British group Status Quo.

In 1951, Ace Frehley, the guitarist much maligned by his former bandmates from KISS, was born in New York.

In 1953, Merrill Osmond of the Osmonds.

In 1954, singer Ray Parker, Junior.

In 1955, Nick Feldman, bassist and keyboardist with British group Wang Chung.

In 1955, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols.

In 1957, Mark Kendall, guitarist with the heavy metal band Great White.

In 1959, David Ball of Soft Cell.

In 1959, Marco Pirroni of the Adam Ant band.

In 1959, singer Sheena Easton.

In 1960, Roger Taylor, drummer with Duran Duran.

In 1961, singer Roland Gift of Fine Young Cannibals.

In 1967, country singer Tim McGraw.

In 1968, Johnny Colt, bass guitarist with the Black Crowes.

In 1973, Mike Hogan, bass guitarist with the Irish pop band the Cranberries.

In 1978, Chris (Mack Daddy) Kelly of the rap duo Kriss Kross.

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Deaths In 1935, blues singer and pianist Leroy Carr died at age 30 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He drank himself to death.

In 1966, folk singer and songwriter Richard Farina died in a motorcycle crash in Carmel, California following a party to launch his book, "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me." He was 30. Farina recorded several albums with his wife Mimi, who is Joan Baez's sister.

In 1967, blues singer J.B. Lenoir died of a heart attack after being hit by a car in Urbana, Illinois. He was 38. Lenoir heavily influenced British bluesman John Mayall, who recorded a tribute to him on one of his albums.

In 1968, Frankie Lymon, lead singer of the '50s "doo-wop" group The Teenagers, was found dead of a drug overdose in a friend's apartment in Harlem. He was 25 years old. Lymon was only 12 when the group was formed in 1955.

In 1972, Phil King of Blue Oyster Cult was murdered during a gambling fight in New York City. He was shot three times in the head. His death came before the heavy metal group achieved major success.

In 1974, Pam Morrison, Jim Morrison's widow, died in her Hollywood apartment at the age of 27. Police speculated that Pam Morrison died of a heroin overdose after became appparent she had been using for around a year before her death.

In 1980, Tommy Caldwell, bass player and vocalist with the Marshall Tucker Band, died in Spartanburg, South Carolina of injuries suffered in a car accident six days earlier.

In 1983, one of the greatest-ever blues singers, Muddy Waters, died in Chicago of a heart attack. He was 68.
His rough, direct urban blues were an immense influence on many of the 1960's British groups, including the Rolling Stones, who took their name from one of his songs. The Stones also included "I Can't Be Satisfied," a hit for Waters in 1948, on their second album.

In 1984, rhythm-and-blues singer Z.Z. Hill died at the age of 49 of a heart attack stemming from phlebitis and a broken leg.

In 1988, singer and songwriter B. W. Stevenson died following heart surgery. He was 38. Stevenson wrote Three Dog Night's 1973 hit "Shambala," and also had a hit of his own that year with "My Maria."

In 1993, glam rock guitarist and record producer Mick Ronson died in London of liver cancer. He was 47. Ronson helped forge the glam rock sound as part of David Bowie's early 1970's backing band, Spiders from Mars.

In 1996, yodelling cowgirl Patsy Montana died in Nashville at age 87. Montana's 1935 recording of "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" is often cited as the first million-seller by a female country artist.

In 1997, Narciso Yepes, one of Spain's most acclaimed classical guitarists, died of cancer in Murcia, Spain. He was 69. Yepes was especially noted for his interpretation of Rodrigo's "Concerto de Aranjuez."

In 1999, Darrell Sweet, drummer for rock group Nazareth, died of cardiac arrest at the age of 51.

In 2002, member of all-girl R & B group TLC, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. was killed in a car accident. Lopes was 30 years old.

In 2002, folk singer/guitarist Dick Campbell died from complications following lung transplant surgery. Campbell wrote close to 400 songs and also worked for RCA Records.

In 2002, Cesar Diaz (The Amp Doctor) passed away. Dias was a restorer of vintage tube amplifiers and built his own line of boutique valve amps. Before entering the amp building game Dias was a guitar tech for Stevie Ray Vaughan and technical advisor for Eric Clapton. He was also a well respected blues and rock musician and had worked with Bob Dylan and Patti Smith, amongst others.

In 2003, guitar amp manufacturer and accordion player Ray Butts died. Butts had made amplifiers for Chet Atkins, Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore and Roy Orbison.

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