Well done Mr King! Couldn't agree more with your open letter to the BPI.
Problem is, they won't listen. They never have, and never will. They have the "we know best" attitude. God forbid someone with new ideas may come along and upset the apple cart....!
Well done though JK. Keep up the good work

Sadly you're right; they simply don't care about "the industry", only about their own careers and companies; but 'twas ever so; the only way I was asked to run the Brits in the first place was because of the disaster of the Sam and Mick experience.

Then they didn't want any association with it, begged me to take it, washed their hands, denied me thrice before the cocks crowed and handed it to "Leper" King.

Now I'm a Vile Pervert (those crowing cocks again) - and they'll still only contact me in times of trouble.

The problem is - this IS a time of trouble and they are too stoopid to realise it - and to understand that a healthy industry means big profits and rises for executives.

Doh.

The ONLY reason I want to be heard is love of the industry. I'll be dead soon (I'm already 154) and I want music to grow, build, develop...

So I encourage the young in my own way and hope my legacy is the next generation who have learned to love it as much as I do... Alex, Charlie, Tommy, Ollie...

Tony Wadsworth is a very nice guy who was given the gig for that reason. He took it so he can continue to fund his lifestyle until he retires. Music? Might as well be biscuits.

JK2006 wrote:

Tony Wadsworth is a very nice guy who was given the gig for that reason. He took it so he can continue to fund his lifestyle until he retires. Music? Might as well be biscuits.

No, biscuits was Eric Nicoli. (Wasn't he head of United Biscuits before he went to EMI?)

You understood my subtle joke, Dixie - I'm sure Tony did too.

Incidentally, I've had a dozen private notes of support on this from quite big music people - and 362 visitors have read the letter here, let alone elsewhere (Record of the Day, Velvet Rope etc).

I hear the nationals may be picking up on it.

I actually think David Joseph has done a decent job over the past two years. It catapulted Adele’s career into a new stratosphere! But now David has a couple under his belt, I agree that now is the time to expand the thinking. We ought to recognise our rich musical heritage beyond just one act getting a lifetime achievement award. (I still can’t understand why Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry have never been honoured). The Brits committee needs to consider how well the opening and closing ceremonies at the Olympics captured the public’s imagination, (and their buying of music), and build some components into the Brits. Yes let’s honour the achievements of the previous year - but let’s do a whole lot more!

It should go to the Nationals.

I've been in Tony Wadsworth's face twice in the last year and a half.

Nice guy, sure....same canned rhetoric as all of them, of course.

He was responsible for the Blur love-fest at the Brits this year as Adele gets cut off.

That's the math we have to deal with JK, in the context of your letter.

Their response to my retort would be "Well we can't please everyone"......and my response back would be ....Please! Honestly!...

Does Maria Miller's appointment as Culture Secretary mean even less interest in the development of UK music?

www.artlyst.com/articles/new-culture-sec...s-no-arts-experience

Very interesting; thanks for posting this.

See also this blog post by Norman Lebrecht:
"In a two-fingered gesture to the arts community and public probity, the outgoing Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has appointed his friend and advisor Peter Bazalgette to the chairmanship of Arts Council England.

Bazalgette is a pioneer of trash television, the entrepreneur who brought Big Brother to Britain."

www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/09/...ts-crony-to-ace.html

BRITS:
With the destruction of EMI Music in the immediate future, there will be not much of the british record industry left to celebrate ...

Ah DJ - for me, the British Music Industry sells and promotes and loves great music; wherever it comes from. So my Brits would honour Hal David for example.