A Masterclass for record company executives - see Attitudes & Opinions

I like "Daddy when is the Wandering Minstrel coming round again?", in the article.

This is the hurdle that has to be tackled by the great good and talented.

The "Wandering Minstrel" never leaves the building anymore, he is so fat on his fees, he hadn`t noticed he hadn`t been paid for years.

How right, JK !

Radio? I remember that ! I used to listen when they had DJs (instead of presenters) and all the shows were different and exciting !

I used to drive back North from London at the week-ends and as one station slipped out of range another one would come on-stream. Each was different and exciting (and you could often tell which station it was just by its style).

Now they are all owned by a few "radio groups" ... all used standard playlists, all have the same adverts, and even (late at night) actually all broadcast the very same pre-recorded shows !)

Banality (in stereo) !

Banality in compressed stereo in fact.

I agree MM, there is a tremendous lack of personality presenting the radio shows and a lot of blatant clock watching going on instead of creative entertaining ideas.

Who this is supposed to be helping, I have no idea.

Actually, that`s given me a thought, how about Radio Universal?

Oh yeah.. it would appear to be already here.....

Pig ears, silk purses and all that.

Music does go up and down, there are great creative periods and, longer, fallow periods.

You can't buy what's not there and currently I don't think there is easily available music being made with that "wow" factor.

The great creative periods were when people had something to say, something to kick against. I hear quite a lot of well crafted songs but they lack any real individuality or style.

The minstrel is playing the good old songs and derivatives but where is something new? It's familiar enough that we don't really hear it anymore.

Where is the "Right now, ha ha ha" of Johnny Rotten? As an example, you hear that little bit and you know it 's something just happened and some people ain't going to like it.

The majors have been playing safe and avoiding the dead wood failures but also missing the great innovating songs.

A problem at the moment is too many safe bets. You don't lose much but you don't win much either.

They're building Barrat houses. People live in them but they aren't interested in them and they don't care much either.

" Expose great music and it will sell.

If you build it, they will come."........Yes, JK!

You know, there is a very very large audience of 30 and 40 somethings that are starved for great music (not just the kids). These are people with more money to spend and indeed are the ones paying insane money to see acts (and fill stadiums) like the Stones for 300 bucks a ticket.

About 18 months ago Sade came to the States and sold out multiple nights in 20,000 seat arenas. This some 22 years after her breakthrough. Without a major record. Putting todays contemporary acts live draw to shame! This demographic is huge, growing, and wants something substantial. Not Beyonce, Britney, and beats. The current Christina Aguilera tour should service some of these people, but not all of it.
After what I saw at the Grammy's and in my always ongoing discussions and debate with everyone about the state of the record business, I am taking some huge risks, in attempting to give these people what they want, and servicing and targeting this massive demographic. Saying it and getting it done with the right act or acts are two different things, as we all know. Quality is the target. Slightly older consumers know it when they hear it. AND will pay for it.
Do we honestly need to hit ourselves over the head to realize this?