But is he right?

observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,2241544,00.html

Yes very interesting but I think he means Asher not Katz and it is very much "as seen through Simon's eyes" - as a long time friend of his, I know his pluses and his minuses and he does have a very subjective viewpoint!

Not everything he says is right, however, 90% of it is spot on the money. That the majors could never take an objective look at themselves and what was going on outside the offices still takes my breath away. I could drone on about things, but...well, I think we all know?

A scathing report on the music business which doesn't surprise me one bit. A lot of music business companies act like the mafia and i have no sympathy for any of them. However from reading this i see the emergence of the new model. Perhaps it is time for artists and their management to DIY. After all why would they need another business entity ?

Artist creates
Management promotes.

They both license to other companies giving them the rights to make money from their product non-exclusively and under certain rules and parameters. Exclusive licences should be for a duration of one year at a time.

Well he isn't any better or worse than JK in re-inventing "incidents and accidents, hints and allegations" as Paul Simon once wrote. It is a jolly little skip however through the annuals of pop and is certainly entertaining, unlike 90% of today's executives.

Well for those of us who weren't there it sure makes a interesting read. More exposes please. JK why not an indepth post on what life was like with UK Records and how you went about it, why, how you beat the majors at their game. etc.

What about others veterans, tell us your stories.

By the way I am listening to songs from the 80s and hearing things I never knew existed as back in the day I listend to them on cassette players while living in Africa.

Listening to these tracks is an indictment on the music business at the moment and to be honest, new music is in a terrible state. There are a lot of fantastic songs from the 80s that perhaps need re-releasing (lol I would say that wouldn't I) but i noticed how good Culture Club were and also Steve Levine produced the vocals with amazing clarity. Also can't escape the blatant Shalamar influence on Church of the Poison Mind.

Oh By the way what a great song Victims is.