There’s only one owner here.

That’s what Rupert Murdoch told Barry Diller after Barry did the impossible, create a fourth television network. Barry believed he earned ownership. But Rupert felt otherwise.

You think you want a job, you think you want to sell out, but if you’re not in charge of your life someone else is.

I really don’t care if Phil Anschutz sells AEG or not. Hell, from the beginning it appeared he was asking too much, begging the question of whether he was seeking valuation or…

But one thing I’m categorically against is football in downtown L.A.

As my football fanatic friend Jeff says, we’ve now got it good, without a local team we get the best games on television. As opposed to being subjected to our local outfit on TV every Sunday, assuming they sell out and the game is not blacked-out.

Then again, true fans have the DirectTV package wherein they get every game.

As for going to the game… It’s better on television. You can feel it at the stadium, but you just can’t see it. Which is why attendance is faltering.

But this is kind of like the movie credit game. And the automobile factory game. Cities and states fall over themselves to give incentives to draw these enterprises, but the payback is minimal, the only people benefiting are the teams/companies themselves.

But ain’t that America, where we rob from our brethren, argue amongst the hoi polloi, and the rich walk straight to the bank.

Tim Leiweke will say he too did the impossible. Revitalized downtown L.A., brought a hockey championship to the city. And I don’t want to minimize his efforts, but Phil wasn’t always on board with them, and Tim never realized he didn’t own AEG. He acted like he did, but he didn’t.

As for Farmers Field, you can’t drive in L.A. to begin with. You’re gonna make it worse?

Leiweke strong-armed the government.

But no one reads the newspaper and if they watch TV news, it’s for the robberies and pet rescues.

It’s good we’ve got AEG as a concert promoter. They counterbalance Live Nation.

And Staples Center is far better than the decrepit Forum, at least for now.

Then again, Staples is evidence of our country today. It’s gigantic. There are three levels of skyboxes. The upper deck is so high and so far removed that almost no one can sell it out. Staples makes money, but it’s a lousy place for events.

Whereas the Forum was intimate. After Dolan gets through revitalizing it, will it become the concert destination?

We’ll see.

But know that billionaires rule the earth, and we’re just pawns in their game.

You’ve got to strike when the iron is hot, when you’re inspired.

Sure, there are artists who labor over their work, like those schmos who believe writing is rewriting. Sure, fix the mistakes, but if you’re sharpening your pencils trying to get it right, chances are you never will. Don’t eke it out, go to the movies, read a book, and when the moment of inspiration hits, RUN TO THE STUDIO! OR THE COMPUTER! OR WHATEVER MEDIUM YOU USE TO LAY DOWN YOUR ART!

I heard “Instant Karma” on the radio today. It’s my favorite Lennon solo cut, because of the EXUBERANCE!

If you ain’t got conviction, if you ain’t giving it all you’ve got, if you’re not willing to put yourself on the line, you’re never gonna close a single listener, you’re never going to make any fans. Stop apologizing, just DO IT!

Then again, everybody is not John Lennon. “Instant Karma” was not his initial work, rather it was recorded when the Beatles were already toast, when John knew his way around the studio, how he sounded good.

But Lennon did not make this record alone. He employed PHIL SPECTOR!

Now Spector may have ruined “Let It Be,” but he made “Instant Karma” into a masterpiece.

It’s the DRUMS!

Played by Alan White, eventually to be of Yes, I’d credit him, but I’ve never heard him play this sound since. Maybe Phil coached him. But really, I think it comes down to the way they’re recorded. Usually, the drums are buried. They’re way down in the mix. But here the drums are right up front, they’re almost soloing. And they’re not the fat drums of engineers who spend hours getting the tone right, it almost sounds like White is in his bedroom, whacking along to the track on pillows. He’s so relaxed, there’s so much joy, he’s having FUN!

You remember fun, it’s the one thing that money can’t buy. And that’s what you hear too much in today’s music, the money, everybody’s trying to get it exactly right, eliminating all humanity, all attraction from the cut. Come on, how often is the demo better than the finished product? But the acts won’t put out the demo, for fear of looking less than. Like those idiot actresses who plump their lips, blanding out their look, in search of accolades from people who don’t even care.

Now “Instant Karma” does not sound that good at home. Dial it up on YouTube or MOG, it’s thin, but it sounded absolutely FANTASTIC on the radio!

We didn’t know it was coming. Then one day we turned on the radio AND THERE IT WAS!

We couldn’t dial it up on YouTube, we couldn’t even buy it, we were just slaves to the radio, tuned in, waiting for another hit of the magic elixir, written and recorded in a single day, released to the world not even a fortnight later.

Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you right on the head
You’d better get yourself together
Pretty soon you’re gonna be dead

Was John prescient?

OF COURSE NOT!

We’re all gonna be dead. Sooner rather than later. If you’re lucky, one day you wake up and you’re old. And then you’re gone, done and forgotten. Time slips by, very slowly when you’re young, and incredibly quickly as you age. You can’t do everything in life, but focus on a couple of important things, otherwise you’re gonna have regrets.

How in the world you gonna see
Laughing at fools like me
Who on earth do you think you are
A superstar, well right you are!

Only a musician could write this. Combining confidence and ignorance in the same verse. Ignore John Lennon at your peril, then again, what does he know? He yields the floor to you, you’re just as valid as he is, you’re a superstar! We’re all equal, we’re all in this together. “Job creators” truly think they’re the creator, better than the rest of us, god-like when we’re all truly clueless, and we’re best off listening to artists who are in it for nothing other than the truth, as opposed to rip-off industrialists. Who ran Goldman Sachs in 1970? I surely don’t know, I bet most of the firm’s present employees don’t know, but we all know John Lennon.

Why in the world are we here
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you’re everywhere
Come and get your share

The dirty little secret of aging… You’re risk-averse, you’re scared. You can’t ski because you might break a leg, and then you might miss work, and then what? You’re playing it safe, and missing out on all the joy, all the fun. Come and get your share, not of cash, not of fame, but of LIFE!

Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Everyone, come on

A deranged idiot cut down John Lennon. He gained fame, but it ruined his life. You think you want to be famous? Just look at Mark David Chapman. You’re better off living in obscurity, doing good, having friends.

But one thing we know for sure, John Lennon shines on, decades later, and will continue to burn bright for future generations to learn from and enjoy.

And it’s not only Lennon. McCartney’s willing to leave in mistakes. And no one works faster than Bob Dylan. He wants to capture lightning in a bottle, and if he doesn’t, he shrugs his shoulders and moves on, writes something new. Because it’s not what you’ve done, but what you’re doing.

He takes so much credit!

Bruce Springsteen? The way he runs around the stage, uses all the space? That’s CLIVE!

I don’t expect you to believe that, and I certainly don’t, but I barely knew Ahmet and he loved to tell stories, but he wasn’t the punch line of each, they all didn’t end with him winning.

As for the man with the golden ears… Hell, we’ve all got a little gilt around the edges. But don’t we give the most credit to Mo Ostin? Who built the world’s greatest record label essentially from scratch (with the help of Joe Smith, who does want the credit…)

Now Mo’s the nicest of the bunch, he’s the most civilized, but he’s got sharp elbows too. That’s what these guys were, businessmen. To recast them as artists, other than Ahmet, who actually wrote a song or two, is to rewrite the history of the music business. It’s like saying Steve Jobs was responsible for the Apple II. Oops, he took a lot of credit! But really, that was Steve Wozniak’s brilliant creation, Jobs just egged Woz on. But Jobs would be forgotten if that’s all he’d done. And Malcolm Gladwell posits that in fifty years Steve Jobs will be a footnote, and I’m beginning to believe he’s right. Gladwell said odds are better that Bill Gates will be the one people talk about, not because of Microsoft, but because of his charitable efforts.

Life is not about legacy, it’s about being there. If you think you’re gonna be remembered, you’re sorely mistaken. And what’s weirder is people who are giants during their era are forgotten, and those who were obscure are oftentimes held up high by future generations. All you’ve got is your stories.

And Clive’s got plenty.

We’ve all got plenty, it’s the nature of life.

But Clive interacted with a slew of famous people, who touched all our lives, like Neil Diamond.

Clive made a deal for Neil with David Braun. Talk about forgotten… Not only was Braun the most powerful lawyer of his era, he went on to head PolyGram. Now both are gone. Ask a kid what PolyGram is/was, and he’ll scratch his head.

Anyway, Neil’s still signed to MCA, but Clive poaches him. And hangs out with him. And Neil’s got strong opinions. He likes to argue. About music. For hours.

Like my friend George Drakoulias recently told me, he used to get in fights about records!

That’s not the kind of discussion we have now. You quote sales statistics, say something is good or it sucks, and you change topics. Part of this has to do with the music, a lot of it has to do with the people.

Neil and Clive were from Brooklyn.

Yes, there is a difference between east coast and west coast people. East coasters are more opinionated, they like to hash it out. West coasters are more about lifestyle. So that’s your opinion, that’s cool, I’m going surfing!

And on one hand that’s liberating. East coasters browbeat you into submission. You’re not from the right neighborhood, you didn’t go to the right school.

And speaking of school, that’s what we did my entire four years at Middlebury College. Argue out our opinions. Night after night. There was no cable TV, only the college radio station, all we had was ourselves.

Critical thinking, it’s gone by the wayside.

As for today’s students…it’s all about being a member of the group. You don’t want to be a loner today. You want to be part of the social network. Baby boomers are about individual excellence, youngsters don’t want to stand out.

Youngsters date in a group. They applaud winners and losers.

And something’s been lost in the process.

Go online, you’ll find people yelling at each other. On TV too. I’m right, you’re wrong. But there’s rarely any analysis of the other person’s position. Imagine Bill O’Reilly telling a left wing guest, YOU’VE GOT A POINT!

Never gonna happen. Because Bill’s about bullying and winning, not truth.

Truth has gone by the wayside.

And the way you get to truth is by having strong opinions, expressing them, and digesting the response.

The thing people hate most about me?

I’ve got strong opinions.

Wait, there’s something else. I’M TOO NEGATIVE!

Let me tell you a secret… There’s no positive without negative. Life is a spectrum, and unless there’s bad, you don’t know what good is.

But you can’t handle this. You want everybody to say your music is good, the same way you got a soccer trophy despite being unable to kick the ball.

Does this mean I’m always right?

OF COURSE NOT!

Only a fool feels he’s infallible.

But by putting it out there, I get a response. Most of the time, I get black and white e-mail, you’re a god, you’re an idiot. Then there are people who express their opinion cogently and I’m made to think, my horizons are broadened, I’m affected, and sometimes I even change my mind.

That’s what I hate about the whole Wall Street/banking thing. That these people can’t be criticized because they’re rich. You went to an Ivy League school and then got a gig at Goldman Sachs? Would you have taken the job if it topped out at 50k? OF COURSE NOT!

Everybody’s pursuing cash, and trying to separate themselves from everybody else.

But cash is not the point. And we’re all in it together.

And life is not about inert objects, like an electric sports car and a NetJet account, but interaction with other human beings. Life is a search for insight and truth.

They know that better on the east coast.

But even there, life has been skewed.

You’re rich or you’re poor.

You’re good or you suck.

Trying to get people to explain why?

That’s a whole different issue.

Clive’s Book – 1

The Soundtrack of My Life

Why is everybody incompetent?

I leave town for a week, I hold my mail, and it never reappears. I ask the delivery person and it’s a bad Freddie Prinze routine, EES NOT MY JOB! I’m the temp! When is the real person coming back? NEVER! They changed routes!

So they give you a phone number, and after you navigate the tree, you’re on hold so long someone else is at the door.

And then you’ve got to schlep your ass down to the station, to try and argue with another person who doesn’t care that your mail is on hold, and if they don’t deliver it you can’t pay your health insurance, your credit score’s gonna take a hit, and who do I talk to to make sure the Post Office truly does go out of business, so I can rely on the Internet, I trust digits more than people!

So here goes:

1. Show Up

You can’t make it if you don’t arrive. In person is nice, but e-mail and social networking is cool. Just react. Or don’t be surprised when you end up in your own private backwater, complaining that nobody cares.

2. Don’t Be Late

Unless you want to piss people off. Sure, five or ten minutes is de rigueur in L.A., where traffic is hell and unpredictable, but if you’re gonna go beyond this, SEND A TEXT! An e-mail, dial the phone! It’s EASY! We understand if you make an effort. But if you don’t…

3. Don’t Send Form Letters

We’re overloaded with spam, but you send one of those press releases, to come to your show even though I don’t even know you, and you address it to yourself. Give me a break, you’re just pissing me off.

4. Make It Personal

If you’re going to bother to connect, make it a one-off. Ten personal e-mails are better than a hundred spam bcc’s. If you address it to me, I’ll read it, I’ll pay attention, I know you’ve made an effort. But if it’s to me and who knows who else, forget it.

5. Be Nice

I get it. You’re pissed off you’re not where you want to be. I sympathize. But if you’re going to bother to interact with someone, especially if they’re higher up on the business food chain, your only possibility of gaining traction is to be nice. It’s just like your mama told you, flies are attracted to honey. You don’t have to do it this way, you can fly solo and wow everybody. Be my guest, I love the left field success. But if you want to play the game, cordiality is key.

6. Do What You Say You’re Gonna Do

No one ever does. So you’ll stand out if you do.

7. Finish

Whether it be school or cleaning the house. It shows that you care, that you have pride in your work, that you can be counted on.

8. Spelling Counts

Not in texts, but if you’re asking a favor. How hard is it to run spell-check? And while we’re at it, do your best to employ good grammar.

9. Take A Shower

Show up in your basketball sweats, I don’t care. But if you’ve got B.O. not only does it show disrespect, it makes your counterpart wonder what planet you’re living on.

10. Don’t Ask Before Giving

We abhor takers. But when someone gives, it’s hard not to reciprocate. This is less about gifts and more about favors. Open the door, whether it be physical or metaphorical. Make life easier. We’re all vulnerable to that.

11. Don’t Be A Kiss-Ass

Sucking up never works, certainly not for long. Be respectful, but don’t grovel, don’t manipulate. It may not be discernible at first, but it comes out and people wince.

12. Don’t Sell Until Ready

You rarely get two bites at the apple. Just because you have access, that doesn’t mean you should sell. The pitch is secondary to the product. Only play when you’re ready.

13. Know What’s Important

Go to SXSW to schmooze with your buddies. Don’t go to break through, they only want to take your money to play a showcase that no one will go to, or will talk throughout while drinking free alcohol. If you never say no, you will never get to yes.

14. Say Thank You

It’s easy! A simple text or e-mail. It acknowledges that you’re aware a favor has been done. We love doing favors, it makes us feel good. But when we don’t get appreciation, we get pissed.

15. Listen

You might learn something. If you can’t shut up, you’re not going to go far. You already know what you know, you can learn from others, but only if you LISTEN!

16. Don’t Be A Know-It-All

Nobody knows everything. And sometimes you’re right, and the other person is wrong. But smart people know when to correct mistakes and when not to. If someone’s going to drive off a bridge, or fly in the wrong direction, by all means speak up. But if they say coffee used to be a dime and you know it was a nickel, correcting the other person just makes you look like a jerk.

17. Be Open

Only politicians don’t change their minds. You’re not running for office. If you’re not willing to admit you were wrong and do a 180, you’re never going to swim upstream.

18. Famous Does Not Mean Rich, Never Mind Respected

You think it’s about attention. No, it’s about the work. And it’s a very long haul. Paris Hilton is already a footnote, how long do you think it will be before Kim Kardashian is one too!

19. You Don’t Have To Respect Your Elders

Just because someone’s older than you and more experienced that does not mean they’re right. But chances are you’re not going to be able to convince them of this, you’re going to have to go your own way, do it by yourself. Good luck!

20. Speak Coherently

Talking like you’re from the street will not impress those who never go there.

21. Know What You Don’t Know

Be a sponge, learn from everyone. The street sweeper to the CEO. They all have knowledge to impart. Be a receiver, not a seller.

22. Degrees Don’t Count

Only in professions like health and law, doctors and lawyers. Otherwise, we’re all flying by our wits. Don’t tell us where you’ve been, especially if it’s got nothing to do with where you’re planning on going.

23. Don’t Drop Names

This just makes you look anxious and foolish. If you have mutual friends, by all means mention them. But if you think we’re impressed that you know so and so…you’re wrong. Hell, if you’re that big a player, why are you talking to me?

24. Don’t Lie

The truth always outs. Lie to get a job, everybody does, trump up your experience. In other words, when the game is rigged, forget the rules. But in everyday life the currency is not money so much as credibility and trust. Remember that.

25. Stay Off Business In Social Situations

The exec talked business all day, he wants to relax. Focus on his hobbies or something in the news or… You get through to someone through their heart, not their brain. Someone who’s all business all the time is very boring.

26. Stay On Point And Don’t Waste Time

We don’t want to know where you grew up and what you had for dinner and whether your car is running smoothly, unless all this takes less than sixty seconds. Get to the heart of the matter, no one’s got time to waste.