Several times over past months I've put in calls to MAJOR LABEL executives (right at the top) - sometimes about smash hits they own, in which case the message goes "it's about a hit", sometimes about industry gossip - "it's about an industry thing".

EVERY TIME I get the calls returned for the "industry" stuff ("am I being fired?"), not once about MUSIC.

With one exception - Captain Nick Stewart (who I called raving about Busy Being Fabulous and he called in great excitement within minutes).

Interesting that NICK is the man behind the Travelling Wilbury's huge success and The Eagles huge success YET -

Warners dropped him.

Says it all really, doesn't it?

And I suspect the men responsible for his current work are both managers rather than label execs (Irving Azoff and Paul McGuinness).

After almost ten years of cost cutting (and the marketing excesses of the 90s) there are no more music men and women left at the majors.

I wonder who will buy the wrecks the current owners / managements have made out of these former giants.

When even someone like Richard Branson is more interested in Northern Rock than buying back Virgin Records (and getting EMI & Capitol with it) at a huge discount?

Interesting thread in the light of the D Telegraph piece in the Business section where Bronfman blames the UK failing to deliver any hit acts, resulting in the freefall of his share price.Are you suggesting JK, had Nick Stewart stayed at Warners, the current Eagles album which appears to be a massive success, would have gone through Warners? That is almost incredible. And he delivered the Wilburys too!

Exactly Walter; I think it is absolutely certain that, had Nick been treated with respect, The Eagles would still be on Warners.

Edgar doesn't seem to have a clue.

But then several of the execs who failed to return calls about music work for Universal!

All dead keen to hit the blower at the sniff of a career hiccup however.

The entire conversation over coffee was about this thread at 364 today.

There is a feeling of deep depression at the most successful music company in the world at the moment.

The trick here is to force people to quit so they don't get redundancy pay.

Very bad athmosphere. We never see the fat controller.

so where is everyone going? Am I right in thinking that they are starting up their own operations and joining the march towards a new model?

Interesting reading.

Here is an example of quite an extreme irony in the current climate.

I sifted through what I suppose is the bargain box("guaranteed well packaged hits that wern`t") at a local independent record shop and have bought a bag load of bargains this weekend, all on major labels , quite a large majority of the tracks I had not actually heard and a worrying amount of ACTS, I have not even heard of producing fine material. All this, despite the endless bulletins from Myspace and discovery of new music from Tipsheet and other new music sites on the net, and a lot of radio listening and MTV etc viewing.

Now, it can`t just be me that is missing new acts releases being aired.

I enjoy a hunt through a bargain box much as I enjoy Lidl, neither however I would fancy doing my PR work.

However, as a collector, which I like to be,I say to all the majors, thanks for the musical gems, particularly all the ones that are individually numbered,signed and even the pre-release copies.

Has anyone thought of an E-Bay chart yet for these releases on re-sale?
Hard-Fi are massive on this scene.

so, could it be that the old model of top down, heavy spend marketing of new material by the majors is just not working anymore? And if not, why not?

The answer to that question will reveal the new forward.

The top down marketing doesn't work for at least two reasons:
1. The market is much too fragmented. The costs are much too high for the possible returns.
2. Teenagers / "Web 2.0 users" want to discover new music (if they are interested at all) for themselves. So the marketing has to be hidden. (Artic Monkeys etc.)

So one possible new model would be to focus on a small nice / musical trend. And using marketing tools which are relevant to this market.

Oh I know exactly what the new model needs to be and will put up a long blueprint in Attitudes & Opinions in due course.

The problem is - it needs me!

Well, not actually me but a "me" sort of person and without wishing to be immodest I don't see any new JK's emerging.

You really do need a hugely open mind, great imagination and a lot of courage.

And you basically need to do it (as I did) with your own money.

Because that way you need never bow to anyone else and can take your own risks.

Kensington wrote:
There is a feeling of deep depression at the most successful music company in the world at the moment.


Today someone from Uni Europe told me the same.