Who deserves a biopic or a documentary.

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Tune in Saturday January 18th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.

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“The World According to Allee Willis” trailer: https://rb.gy/8onh15

This is a fantastic film.

Of course I know who Allee Willis was. But I never met her, she was never my friend, I certainly never went to any of her parties. But people would talk about her. And what they constantly conveyed was that she was OUTRAGEOUS, LARGER THAN LIFE!

But I did not know she was tortured.

Those childhood wounds… They run very deep. Her mother ran interference, but her mother died when Allee was a teenager and her father married someone with two daughters who were girly. Allee was never girly. She was a tomboy. But even deep into her years, she could not admit she was gay. It was unacceptable, to society, and probably her dad. She always wanted to impress her dad, an impossible feat.

Her aunts and their kids were coming to visit her and…she couldn’t hear that their daughters had married doctors, the Jewish dream. The fact that she sold millions of records, that didn’t stack up, there was no comparison.

Allee was looking for love. Not just from a person, but from all of society. She was in endless pursuit of it. But fame never makes you happy, never in and of itself. But those with a deep hole inside pursue it, they believe it’s the only way out of their internal hell.

And it’s not always hell, but you just don’t feel like everybody else, you just don’t feel accepted, but if you’re famous…people will love you, right?

Ultimately in this doc they reveal the fact that Allee had loads of ambition, and acted upon it. I forgot that she had an album on CBS, after being a secretary for the company, that doesn’t happen by accident. You’ve got to need it.

Most people don’t need it that badly.

They think it’s about writing a song, getting lucky, after all, they’re talented, they DESERVE IT!

Well, at most talent is fifty percent. But what you’ve got to know, your heroes, the icons, are some of the most f*cked up people in the world. Sure, they might love what they do, but they need to do what they do to fill a hole deep inside, and without acclaim, there’s no chance of that hole being filled.

Not that anybody realizes this. They think an artist is someone who appears on “The Voice.” Hell, most of the judges on “The Voice” are not artists, because in truth you can’t corral an artist, even if they agree to do it they’re going to jump the fence, you can’t push them around, at some point they have to do it THEIR WAY!

And usually they know better. Everybody else has learned how to conform, they see the world through those eyes, but the artists, they’re outside society, they’ve got insight the average person does not, but when the average person is exposed to it…

So this is not the usual low budget hagiography of most rock docs. Nor is it a big budget biopic. No, the talking heads don’t rag on Allee, but her flaws are evident.

And one thing they emphasize is she can’t stand still, she can’t stand on her laurels, she can’t keep doing the same thing. That truly is the mark of an artist.

So you’ve got famous talking heads, the now deceased Paul Reubens who looks incredibly dignified. Julie Brown. Mark Mothersbaugh. But Lauren Wood? I saw her opening for some act at the Troubadour when she was part of Chunky, Novi and Ernie. I even bought Lauren’s solo debut. But I did not know she was involved with Allee.

Nor did I know Allee tried to create a social network called “Willisville” with Mark Cuban. Allee was ahead of her time. Many greats are. Allee knew the hoi polloi could create great entertainment, she foresaw the power of social media.

And sure, you’ll learn about the music business, the big bucks eighties.

But even more you’ll find out about this talented one of a kind person who just needed attention, that’s why she dressed like that. Was she warm and fuzzy? I never thought so from afar, and I’m not sure she was after watching this doc, then again most true artists are very sensitive, but can be one-minded and prickly.

The theatrical exhibition window is over, and now you can pay to see this movie on demand, but really, most people will never see it until it’s available as part of the fare on one of the big services.

And it’s not going to be a cult item that grows to be part of the cultural fabric, and it’s not going to jet Allee into the stratosphere, do for her what “Wayne’s World” did for Queen, but…

It will be inspirational for the loose nuts and bolts, those who don’t feel accepted, those with a need to express themselves.

And unlike the Anita Pallenberg doc, unlike so many music documentaries, you don’t have to be a fan of Allee Willis or even know anything about the music industry to enjoy this.

Allee wants to be remembered for her work, for what she left behind, physically and musically. But after this movie what she will be remembered for, if at all, and essentially none of us lasts for the ages, is being one of a kind, a human being who didn’t hew to the accepted path, who insisted on being herself, however difficult that was.

I hope it’s not too difficult for you.

It doesn’t matter if Drake wins. This will change record company behavior, as it should.

From time immemorial record labels have refused to have any responsibility for the recordings and actions of their artists. Which is kind of funny, since in almost all cases the labels own the recordings outright, yet treat the acts like independent contractors. There’s no health insurance. No benefits. The acts are on their own.

But when whatever the act does blows back on the labels they say…WHO ME COACH? I’m just an innocent bystander!

Record companies are not internet companies with no responsibility for the postings of their users under the law, there is no legal protection for labels. And unlike Facebook or YouTube or Instagram or TikTok, record companies don’t deal with an unlimited amount of talent posting willy-nilly. There are a very limited number of acts and the labels kn0w exactly what they’re releasing. Which would imply some responsibility, right?

So it’s all fun and games until someone starts shooting. Which is what happened to Drake as a result of the Kendrick Lamar recordings. Could the labels have foreseen these consequences? ABSOLUTELY! But as rappers are shooting each other on a regular basis, the labels have stood aside… After all, it’s THOSE people. What would happen if these rappers were white? Then again, Kurt Cobain committed suicide and the label accepted no responsibility. The label, and oftentimes the manager and agent, want the act to continue to work, screw their mental health, these percentage takers must get PAID!

And it’s not like the labels didn’t know exactly what was in the Kendrick Lamar lyrics…

And unlike so many of the inner city rappers who grew up under strained, dangerous circumstances, Drake is a middle class Jew, who made his name in a television program, “Degrassi.” Drake’s image is not based on danger. He got roped into this pissing match.

Sure, he responded, but when you’re accused of being a pedophile…

Meanwhile, it’s all a gold mine for the rights holders, i.e. UMG. All that attention, all those streams. Forget that Questlove called it the end of hip-hop, the revenues that rained down were astronomical. You might be complaining about Spotify payments, but “Not Like Us” has over a billion streams on the platform, and that volume generates an enormous amount of cash and lifts all boats, engendering more Lamar streams and as a result, an embellished image. Would Kendrick be playing the Super Bowl without “Not Like Us”? Not likely.

Meanwhile, Drake’s image has taken a significant hit. Conventional wisdom is that he lost the rap battle, is a weasly loser. Good luck with streams in the future.

Now Taylor Swift blew it in front of a worldwide audience at the Grammys and it didn’t hurt her career at all, maybe this is the same situation with Drake, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Ever been to a record company?

There’s a majordomo who is paid seven, sometimes eight figures, with no expenses. They feel like titans, above the riff-raff. And the riff-raff makes the trains run on time, the little people do the dirty work. And everybody wants a lot of streams for their bonus, assuming they even get one.

And these are not law school graduates doing the dirty work. Oftentimes they’ve got no degree at all, they don’t understand the concept of ethics, of consequences, it’s a team mentality, working a record is like war, and you don’t worry about collateral damage, but if there is some…

David Geffen famously refused to release music by the Geto Boys, who were signed to his label. Then again, this was before Geffen sold his label to Matsushita, he truly owned the company, it was his name on the records, and he felt responsibility.

No one at UMG built the label from scratch, everybody’s an employee. They’re detached. Furthermore, consolidation means there  are only three major companies, this conflict of interest was not an issue in the six majors world. But Universal’s market share is gigantic!

I don’t know the facts, they will be revealed at trial, assuming there ever is one, which is doubtful, these cases are always settled.

UMG’s response to the lawsuit doesn’t matter. All that matters is in the future, the brain dead worker bees will think twice about what they do. If there’s implied or possible danger, if rank falsehoods are distributed, they’re going to scratch their chins and maybe say they’ll sit this one out, maybe this record should be released independently. And, if they do get behind a record and there are consequences, they should be responsible for them.

Come on, was it foreseeable that there would be violence in the wake of the rap war, especially in light of the false accusations? OF COURSE! But Universal didn’t even contemplate this on its way to riches, or didn’t even care.

We live in a bizarre so-called democracy that’s supposed to be run by the rule of law, but even the Supreme Court is biased, untrustworthy, never mind hacks like Aileen Cannon. So why do you expect those further down the food chain to be worried about the legal system?

They’re not.

But unless we hold people and corporations responsible for their actions… And let’s not forget, the Supreme Court said corporations are people.

It doesn’t matter whether the labels skated in the past. In the present, is it all right to release and promote music that contains falsehoods that put others in danger?

Think about it.

One thing is for sure, as a result of this lawsuit the labels sure will be.

“Apple’s coziness with musicians, which it facilitates in part by paying a higher royalty rate per stream than Spotify, has always been crucial to its brand”

From: “Why Zane Lowe and Apple Music are betting on live radio in an on-demand era”

“Los Angeles Times”: https://shorturl.at/C1kEJ

Makes me crazy when the mainstream media gets it wrong. But is anybody even reading the “L.A. Times” anymore, whose fire coverage was eclipsed by the NEW YORK “Times” and was equaled by the “Washington Post,” which hemorrhaged subscribers and writers in the wake of Bezos’s refusal to endorse a presidential candidate in the election. Turns out actions have consequences. People hated Mark Zuckerberg before he eliminated fact-checking on Facebook, now he’s a veritable PARIAH! But what do you expect from a college dropout nincompoop who’s got a lot more money than sense, irrelevant of whether he’s a coding wizard.

Actually, the tech story of the day is Sam Harris’s Substack post:

“The Trouble with Elon”: https://rb.gy/ij51tj

Be sure to read this. We’ve got this impression that money is everything, and that if you’re rich you know everything about everything and your judgment is incontestable. But what the non-rich people don’t understand is the power of the individual and the power of the pen. One person can make a difference. Hell, I could spew against Trump ad infinitum, but this imminent Israel/Gaza ceasefire never would have happened if he didn’t threaten Hamas.

And Musk has gained power because he now has his own press outlet, in a flattened world where what is online holds equal weight to what is in the traditional media. And the bias is insane. The best thing I saw regarding this was:

“Bill Burr on People Online Commenting on the LA Fires & Getting in Touch with His Emotions”

YouTube: https://rb.gy/tkc40y

You don’t want to be a rock star, you want to be a COMEDIAN! There’s much more money in it if you’re successful. No trucks, maybe just a road manager and a microphone. Sure, there are no brand extensions, but that’s because you’re selling your truth, what rock stars used to do in the good old days. If you want to know which way the wind blows, listen to a comedian. Speaking of which, you must watch this Instagram clip:

https://rb.gy/hq7nxk

Yes, another comedian on Instagram speaking the truth.

So I’m good with Zane Lowe, not that we know each other well, but I can’t find one person who listens to Apple Music Radio. And Zane admits in this article who he is. He’s a tool of the industrial hype machine, he doesn’t ask the hard questions and is blindly positive, regarding Katy Perry…

“he told her the new music was ‘such a gift’ and that she’d reclaimed her role as ‘the Katy Perry that everybody loves'”

There’s a business in this, at least for Zane, all that Apple remuneration/stock has made him rich. It’s no different from the way it used to be, all false in an era where the public hungers for the truth, no different from the way it’s been in the major music business from time immemorial.

And I can’t believe the number of people still bitching about the major labels. Sure, they have undue weight in negotiation, because of their catalogs, but when it comes to new music… How long until some monied person buys one of the big three outfits and excises new music production entirely, the costs are so high and the returns are so bad.

And the major labels only sign a few acts in a few genres, mostly ones you’re not making music in, and you can get a better deal going direct to Spotify, et al. As for promotion, you can’t get on Apple Radio, but if anybody was listening Katy Perry’s last project would have been successful, and it was a stiff. And all the traditional major label tools mean almost nothing today…terrestrial radio, network TV, print… The majors are paper tigers, always outmaneuvered by indies, now more than ever, the smaller, more nimble players are eating up market share.

But when the hoi polloi are not bitching about the majors, they can’t stop complaining about Spotify. The biggest and most innovative streamer out there. Maybe because unlike their big competitors they can’t depend upon other income streams to support the effort. Spotify is not selling computers or shipping detergent, and Spotify is so good that it has the largest number of subscribers.

So why does Apple pay more per stream?

IT DOESN’T!!!

First and foremost none of these outlets pay per stream, NONE OF THEM! They collect a barrel of money, and split it up based on listens. And the more people listen, the fewer each stream is worth monetarily. (Really, you should watch the Instagram clip above if you don’t get this, it’s about MATH, which is inherently immutable.)

So there is no per stream payment, nada, doesn’t exist. But a stream is worth more on Apple Music than it is on Spotify because…Apple Music subscribers LISTEN LESS!

Let me try to explain this. I’ll make it simple. If there was only one subscriber to Apple Music and that person paid $10 per month and only listened to a single track in a month, only one, that listen would be worth…TEN DOLLARS! (Well, not really, because in truth Apple, et al, keep 30-40% of the revenues for costs…and don’t bitch about this, streaming music is a terrible business, because it doesn’t scale, costs go up proportionately with revenue, i.e. these outlets continue to have to pay royalties.)

So let’s say that one subscriber pays for Spotify instead of Apple Music and listens to ten tracks in a month. Each listen would be worth ONE DOLLAR! (Minus the costs, but you get it…)

So, the more active the listener, the less the payment per stream.

Spotify is where the active listeners are. Not only do they subscribe, but they listen more! And therefore, each stream is worth less monetarily.

So, you’d rather be on Spotify…you want people to listen to your music many times, that’s how your career breaks. And streaming music is only a sliver of the pie… There’s live, merch, other financial opportunities.

Forget that most people never would have been able to put out music in the pre-internet era, it was too expensive to make and if you could get it distributed at retail, almost an impossibility if you weren’t aligned with a major, you couldn’t get paid.

I’m not going to go into detail about the history of music distribution, but I will say these are the good old days. If your music is streamed a lot, you’re making a fortune. And if it’s not… Wait a minute, you should be paid if no one is listening?

People hate when I take the side of the corporation. I can’t ever defend Ticketmaster or Spotify…not that these are perfect companies, but most of the complaints against them are unfounded. Ticketmaster does not keep all the fees, only a sliver. And Spotify gives most of the revenue to rights holders.

But you’re unsuccessful. Sorry. We’re all struggling. It’s every person for themselves these days. And there may not be a great safety net, but there are tons of ways to make money. Rick Beato makes more money with his videos than almost any artist in the business. And as many people who know him…many do not. Welcome to reality.

Which seems to elude the “Los Angeles Times,” but hopefully not you.

You can make it, but that does not mean people will listen to it, just like Apple Music Radio!!!