Mailbag
From: Peter Chaikin
Subject: re: Paul Anka
Hi Bob
I smiled at John Van Nest’s sweet story about Paul’s generosity and class. While working for JBL I had a similar experience. One day Al Schmitt phoned. “Hey Peter I wonder if you can help my friend Paul Anka straighten out his JBLs.” “Of course. I’d be honored.“ I arrive at Paul’s house where he takes me to his music room in which there’s an electric piano with a set of small powered JBL speakers on top. “Paul, How can I help you?” “One speaker isn’t working.” I see they’re both connected to power but I notice one of the audio cables is not fully inserted. I give it a nudge, feel the familiar click of a 1/4” plug finding its home in the jack. “Paul can you try it now?” Paul seats himself at the keyboard and plays a few bars, turns to me and says “Ah! Thank You!” As we walk to the driveway he asks “how much do I owe you?“ “Nothing Paul.“ He says “please I insist.” I say “Al called me and I’m honored to be here, so really it’s my pleasure.” Paul asks “do you like wine? “I respond affirmatively. “Well then wait here.. “ after a bit, Paul returns with a carton in his arms filled with bottles of wine, port and, liqueur. And, shaking my hand he gives me a key fob with husky gold links and a rotating medallion inscribed “My Way!” I thank him profusely. Some weeks later we take one of the bottles to an Italian restaurant and casually hand it to our waiter for uncorking. After a long wait, a sommelier arrives eyes wide, and informs us this is a very rare bottle of wine. I’m still grateful to Al for gifting me this wonderful experience.
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From: Hugo Burnham
Re: Rich Robinson-This Week’s Podcast
One of the most fun shows – of many – on our ’25 ‘Long Goodbye’ Tour last year was in Nashville, when all the Crowes came down and Richie sat in with us. We had quite a few sit-in guests on the tour, but all pretty obvious ones for us (Lenny Kaye, Peter Buck, Jason Narducy, Kathy Valentine, Mike Mills, etc.) – but nobody expected to see a Black Crowe onstage with us! It was fekkin’ great. He and his brother are both lovely chaps.
This is one I’ll def. listen to.
Hugo
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From: James Patrick Regan
Re: Rich Robinson-This Week’s Podcast
Next to Dwight Yoakam and Peter Wolf this is the best interview you’ve done and I love them all!
Thank you!
Best, James
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From: James Welby
Re: Rich Robinson-This Week’s Podcast
I enjoyed the Rich Robinson interview. I am a long-time Black Crowes fan and have heard several interviews with Chris or the brothers together over the years. Jus the other day I heard a Chris and Rich interview on a podcast and as usual Chris ruled the roost. I have not heard Rich by himself – it was a joy to hear him without big brother talking over him. I appreciated that he was honest about their “brotherly love,” without being sensationalistic. By the way, Rich’s various solo and side projects are great.
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From: Jesse Lundy
Re: Rich Robinson-This Week’s Podcast
I’m a huge Crowes fan from Day 1. Rich and I are practically the same age and in those early years, I felt we were learning guitar in parallel (he’s better than me). Over the years, we’ve had every OG Black Crowe (except Johnny!) play at Ardmore Music Hall, but having Magpie Salute with Rich and Marc there was a career highlight.
A real hero, for sure.
This was by FAR the best interview I’ve heard him do. So unguarded and open. Really great!
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From: Ashley Bradley
Re: Rich Robinson-This Week’s Podcast
The best line of your interview was there at the end when you said Chris seems to take up the air in the room and Rich doesn’t always speak up. His oldest boy and my son were best friends here at the Waldorf school in Nashville, and that educationally philosophy doesn’t get much air time so I’m glad he talked about it. career wise, was interesting to hear about his deep dive into instruments and patterns. When you know musicians here in daily life, you try not to ask about their work, just keep it about the home life but he talked shop with you that I wish I’d asked him about back then!
Ashley
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From: Jeremy Facknitz
Re: Loud&Clear
Bob, I think the “Spotify is gonna die” headline was clickbait, and it worked.
But the point of the whole article is in the last paragraph…
“The music industry has spent a decade obsessing over how to get a million people to listen to a song once. The next decade will be defined by artists figuring out how to get 1,000 people to care forever.”
Spotify will probably be fine. And I don’t think it’s evil. But it’s already dead to me, and more and more artists like myself are abandoning it.
I invested over $20,000 USD in online promotion from 2021 through 2025. I have tried and tried and tried to monetize my music online through social media, YouTube and streaming. There are moments where I wish I had burnt that money instead, so I could have at least smelled it. I can’t find the number of billions of dollars that make up the industry that bleeds money from artists online (sync coaching, streaming boosts, etc.), but I know I’ve paid my part.
Now before you say “maybe you just suck” (which is a valid point)… Despite my failures online, I’ve earned merit for my songwriting, I’ve earned the respect of my peers in the industry, and I continue to make my living performing my original work all over North America. My day-job, my music – while nerdy, retro and slightly niche – is not “garbage” like Daniel Ek says it is, or people like you may presume it to be. I’m affirmed and celebrated on stages and in living rooms (house concerts) night after night. It’s just never transferred to the online world.
I firmly believe only I can bring value back to my music. So my upcoming album and accompanying live album will only be sold on physical mediums with an accompanying download. NO STREAMING. Owners (not streamers or subscribers) will have something special and unique only they can experience. Think “secret music”.
I hear you. “But it won’t reach as many people!” I don’t care. “But you won’t make any new fans!” Yes I will. “What if someone else monetizes your work by releasing your music or A.I. versions of your music online?” That’s hilarious. Good luck to them.
If someone likes what I’ve released in the past (which is still streaming everywhere but Spotify), they can trust they’ll probably like my new album and buy it. If they don’t like what I’ve done, they probably won’t like the new album and pass on it. They don’t need to HEAR my new album before purchasing it. They can buy it sight unseen (or rather “sound unheard”).*
* (You may recall this wild thinking wasn’t so wild in the 1950’s through the 1990’s).
The album may sell 1,000 copies, or 100, or 10, or zero. I’m at peace with that. If people value me enough to make a little extra effort to “own” my music, they’ll do it. If they don’t, they won’t. I’ll have a personal, cherished relationship with those who do.
Making my album available only on physical mediums won’t change my income. I earned just under $4K off CD sales alone in 2025 (yes, CD sales! In 2025!) and I made next to nothing off my streams. I make fans in person, make transactions in person. I’ve never monetized the people who discovered me solely online. The woman in India who was briefly obsessed with my song for 2 months in 2021 never bought a t-shirt or a ticket. Exposure is cool, but it doesn’t buy groceries. This is a business; a boutique business. I am the boss and I care about getting paid and feeling valued. The online world you make fun of us “oldsters” for chastising has never – EVER – offered me either of those things.
More and more artists are waking up to idea of going small and creating their own industry. That might not kill Spotify – but it might knock it down a peg from its bullsh*t “God” status.
This is how I see it… “new”, “original” music is just a Suno prompt away for the layman. The game is over. So we need a new game.
The craftspeople are gonna have to go deep underground to get any of that value back, and hope a handful of people will join us there.
Luckily, a handful is all we need.
Jeremy Facknitz
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From: John Parikhal
Re: Loud&Clear
Great post, Bob. True – and it will fall on deaf ears. The ones making music and money are too busy creating, promoting and playing. The ones not making money just blame the audience for not having good taste – which is ridiculous, of course.
Back in the day, when I had a lot more influence over recommending to radio, we would spend at least one day a week just listening to albums – looking for anything that wasn’t getting airplay but was better than good. It yielded 1-2 “worth talking about” songs. Then we would network on the PHONE, talking to others who did the same deep dives and, if we were lucky we agreed on 1 “really good” every week. Most everything else was dreck, at best.
In other words, most of those “best try” songs just weren’t good enough. Some artists never gave up and a few had real breakthroughs. But most accepted they weren’t good enough and did something else.
Spotify democratized the process. And a lot more musicians made more money. Unfortunately your well-reasoned and data based insights will never persuade the rigid minds – sort of like hard-core MAGA. One they decide they are right, they stop listening.
John
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From: Mike Vial
Re: Loud&Clear (Streaming Complainers)
Bob, you must get so much hate for writing this.
I assume you get the loudest laments from us locals with little to no audience.
Look, I can complain about not getting paid for >1000 streams on my track a year; but my college roommate in 2001 used to dump his pennies, dimes, and nickels into the tip jar at the Kalamazoo coffee house because he didn’t want to carry it in his pockets. “Not worth it, Vial.”
So us local artists who sold CDs, we must accept that an audience member at the coffee house, bar, house concert, even club gig bought a cd, but it was often just a tip.
A tough reality: People probably rarely listened to the CD the local had Discmakers press to sell at gigs. I bet many a local band has even found one of their own CDs at the Salvation Army or Goodwill in their town! (Yes! Even I have! Lol!)
It’s a hard truth. It scratches one’s ego. Now, the numbers are public…
And when the technology changed. Us locals feel like we are ripped off. But Why? Heck, most complaining musicians aren’t going to acquaintances’ gigs, buying their acquaintances CDs either, are they.
The math changed…
In 2006, in 2012, the time it took to make that $5-15 at the merch table was quick! It was a cool time to print 1000 CDs and sell them. I made my first EP, sold enough to break even in few months.
I felt so great!
A streaming a fan to make $5–takes so many more minutes. It’s depressing.
But everyone is living in this same era. Who’s crying for the video game developer? The complaining musician is like all of now at the gas pump. Everyone is living with the same oil crisis…what did my dad say? “You aren’t special! Grow up.”
I’m so tired of the local scene still complaining about streaming. Hey, are they still writing the date 2016 on their checks?
No. They aren’t: It’s 2026 and they are using Venmo and Cash App and Netflix and Apple TV and living in a digital world in every other part of their lives. (Sure, it is better to use cash to psychologically budget oneself, but convenience wins over culture. I know there is a fair debate about technology in our lives, but that’s for a cultural debate.)
And what have you reminded the musicians, Bob? We can’t have technology only advance and change in one area of recording. Technology will affect the listener too! Making the songs on recording gear has never been more affordable. That was the counter argument that finally shut me up.
Sure, it hurts…But my local side hustle isn’t part of the larger music industry. (Or is it?) Either way, I’ll complain to my wife; the 35 people who saw me at the local little gig last weekend don’t need to hear me lament about streaming. They have problems of their own, and they want to escape ‘em through an hour of live music, just like me.
Mike Vial
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From: Afriqua
Antisemitism in the dance music world
Hi Bob,
I’m Adam, a Virginia born, Berlin-based producer, pianist, and DJ. I perform as Afriqua. I was in Tel Aviv to play a Purim show when the US-Israel strikes on Iran began. Israeli airspace closed. I spent days in a hotel safe room, got driven to Eilat, crossed into Egypt, and eventually made it back to Berlin through Athens.
When I got home, I posted a video saying thank you to my hosts who took care of me:
The backlash was immediate and came almost entirely from the underground dance music community — the one that still sustains much of club life in Berlin, London, and New York, even as more commercial versions take off globally.
I’m Black and Jewish, and while my project has been more focused on the former, I’ve never hidden either identity. This experience made undeniable a growing issue. As dance music becomes more globally popular, underground dance music is becoming more antisemitic.
Like most great things in popular music, it emerged from the Black and gay communities in the US, and welcomed anyone ready to dance with an open mind. The politics that define it now were retrofitted onto it later, and have become increasingly radical as it’s gotten further from its roots. It’s like if Studio 54 had the politics of Swedish Black Metal.
Thought you’d appreciate the story, as I’ve always appreciated yours.
Adam Longman Parker (Afriqua)
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From: Brian Allman
Re: Re-Paul Anka
Best music doc I’ve seen in years. What an enjoyable piece it was with his rich history that I knew so little about and his humility, just fun to learn about.
Thanks for the recommend.
Brian
