People seem to have forgotten Alex Chilton was in the Box Tops.

Labels make a difference.  If Big Star had been on Warner Brothers instead of Ardent, if not a household word, the band would be as well known as Little Feat.  People would ooh and aah when they heard "September Gurls" or "Back Of A Car".  They might not be party staples like "Dixie Chicken", but they’d be a rite of passage, listened to by adolescent males as well as power popster gurls.  And "Thirteen" would be "Pink Moon", Alex Chilton would be bigger than Nick Drake.

But Alex didn’t die.  He’s still out there hitting the boards, still working for a living, for the modest few aware of his greatness.  But before Alex Chilton was a cult item, he was a star, in the Box Tops.

Joe Cocker did a killer version of "The Letter", still it’s eclipsed by the under two minute original.

Oh, you know it…

Give me a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain’t got time to take a fast train

As great as the song is, it’s Alex’s delivery that puts it over the top.  With a throaty urgency an adolescent Alex captures the angst of  Shakespeare, it’s a modern day "Romeo & Juliet".  It’s utterly perfect.  But it’s not the only great Box Tops song.

If you lived through the sixties, you also know "Cry Like A Baby".  A trifle follow-up back then, but a classic when heard today.  Sure, there’s a plethora of backup singers, but it’s the offhanded Chilton vocal that enraptures you.

And then there’s the magical "Soul Deep".  Which didn’t get much airplay in my market, but bridges white and black to create a number that makes you want to dance, elatedly.

But the Box Tops track that’s my favorite is the one I heard on the Bromley jukebox.  At the end of the day, when the sun had gone down, before my mom and dad rescued their newly-minted teenagers from the base lodge and took them home.

I fell in love with the Who in that out of the way alcove, "I Can See For Miles’ got regular spins.  My absolute favorite was American Breed’s "Bend Me, Shape Me".  But the third 45 I had to buy when I got home to Connecticut from Christmas in Vermont was the Box Tops’ "Neon Rainbow".

It starts off with an acoustic guitar, like off a Gerry & the Pacemakers record.  And the atmosphere has an Anglo feel, like a walk in the English rain, until they hit the chorus.

City lights
The pretty lights
They can warm the coldest nights

Lying on the floor doing my back exercises the other day I got a sudden urge to hear "Neon Rainbow".  There was something about the weather, the darkness that made me think of those days at Bromley back in ’67.  I pulled it up on my iPod and I was brought right back.

Too many of today’s hits have no mood, no darkness, you can’t unzip them and wallow inside, alone, just you and the music.  Hearing "Neon Rainbow" sets your mind free.

And the way it concludes…  It doesn’t.  The instrumental comes at the end instead of the middle.  For over thirty seconds the music plays and you’re just left with the feeling, of having heard the song.  It’s like walking home from a date.  With a bounce in your step.  You never want this mood to end.

And that’s why you play the record over again.  That’s a hit.  Something that you don’t want to let go.  You want to stay in the place the song has put you…outside the regular world, where your humanity is all that counts.

You can live without direction
And it don’t have to be perfection
And life is love

In a neon rainbow
A neon rainbow
A neon rainbow

What we’ve learned in this decade is the major labels are becoming ever more irrelevant. Not only do they not create what so many are listening to, they’ve lost their power to dictate the future, progress in the marketplace has been wrested from them.

DRM is a red herring. As is sale by track. Most people with hand-held music players are listening to vast quantities of music sans copy protection. The fact that it’s taken this long for the major labels to come to grips with this reality is evidence of their sideshow nature. They just don’t get it, and seemingly never will.

Now that the DRM war is finally over, the labels have got to fight the value war. Yes, people today think music has no value, they need to be sued into submission, they need to be taught that CDs are worth every dollar of their inflated price, that digital tracks should cost the aliquot share price of a CD. This is utterly hysterical, because it too goes against reality.

People own a lot of tracks. It’s not relevant whether they actually listen to them, they want to own them. And they’re easily acquired. Not only via Net P2P, but hard drive swapping, CD ripping…techniques that cannot be quashed. Where is the major labels’ answer to this? Nonexistent.

The future is already here. The old CD paradigm, the old scarcity construct, is gone. If people want to hear music, they’re not forced to sit by their stereos, listening to the radio for an aural glimpse, they just go online and take what they want. This behavior must be monetized, but the labels won’t even make a reasonable streaming deal. Their numbers are so heinous that iMeem can’t make money. Is this a way to guarantee your future?

I’m not sure the major labels have much of a future. They’ve squandered it. And although they’ve got deep pockets compared to indie musicians, they’ve got no one working at their labels anymore, they don’t have the manpower to dominate in the coming years. Winners will develop and market acts. Whether they be by 360 or conventional deals. Where is the major label infrastructure that’s going to get people to sign with them?

It’s not like the TV and radio airplay majors may deliver has the impact it used to. It’s almost impossible to gain a large share of the public’s attention. Never mind get them to pay for music.

You could say the system is broken, I’d say it broke a long time ago and we’re now in the healing process. It looks like chaos from afar, kind of like a forest after a fire. But fires are necessary, to reinvigorate the land, seedlings develop, which grow into new trees. We’re in this phase now.

You can’t see the acts of the future. And you can’t see those who are building them. And when they grow, there might not be a hundred dominant trees, but thousands. A veritable forest of acts. This is a game the majors are not prepared for. In order to dominate the new music sphere majors must sign and develop a PLETHORA of acts at a very cheap price, making pennies at a time. This, of course, does not support the incredible overhead of today’s companies. Where the worker bees have been laid off and those left are making a fortune. You need a zillion worker bees and chiefs with only upside. But those in power at the majors don’t want to give up their salaries, their old Tommy Mottola lifestyles. But did you notice that Tommy Mottola has never come back?

This is not complicated. It’s about facing reality and monetizing it. Selling buckets of tracks cheaply and trying to hook people on credible acts, not evanescent crap. Lower the price and sell more. And rental ain’t in the immediate future, this dropping of DRM proves it. People want freedom, if you’re putting on locks, you’re driving people away.

Sale by track is economic death. Whether they be wrapped in DRM or not. You can’t have everybody making a 99 cent decision. You’ve got to get ten bucks from everyone. Just like the cable systems won’t sell their channels a la carte. The science is not new, it’s just that those in the record business have been so busying bullying and paying people off that they’ve neglected to study economics in general.

Mobile phones blew up when the price came down. Everyone over the age of twelve has now got a device. Everybody should own music. The way this happens is to forge reasonable plans, which are cheap, incentivizing people to partake. Ripping off the DRM is a nice start, but it’s a small part of the equation. Allow people to hear whatever they want when they want. Instead of putting up walls, send out invitations. Get in bed with the customer. You can’t sell music to people who are not friends. The war must end, music must be monetized. So far the majors have only succeeded in making music free. Their efforts are needed in order to get everyone to pay. But this requires a reasonable business proposition. But as seen in the last eight years, this business proposition is not needed for music to survive, just the major labels. Music’s doing just fine, healthier than ever. People are writing and playing and the audience is listening. Meanwhile, the majors are cutting staff and reporting horrific numbers. This disconnect won’t go on forever. At some point, the business will be run by people who understand the new world. Based on how long it’s taken three of the four majors to realize DRM is not the answer, I doubt these companies will be in charge of the game in the future.

It’s just too cold to ski today. My fingers are still tingling from yesterday, when I almost screamed in pain when I removed my Nordicas after just too long on the slopes. So, today is an easy day. We had a long breakfast and now we’re all sitting in the condo at our Macs. That seems to be the rule, no Mac, no seat at the table. We all came to Apple independently, but there are four laptops in close proximity. It’s not only the younger generation that comes home and surfs, but the older one too.

Anyway, Felice played a song she thinks should be on Monica’s new record, and then Gregg asked if we wanted to hear Shelby Lynne’s new album, he played drums on it.

Gregg’s a dyed in the wool jazzbo. Although I’ve followed Shelby’s career since the Morgan Creek days, I figured there could be no point of nexus between me and Gregg, but when I heard Shelby’s version of "How Can I Be Sure" emanate from the JBL sound ring I was floored.

THIS is a Starbucks record. This is something that you sip coffee to and dream. You don’t have to push this, you just have to let people HEAR IT!

Read the story on Shelby’s MySpace page, how Barry Manilow suggested she do an album of Dusty Springfield songs and when she finally took him up on the idea her record label folded.

It was a mistake to drop her. This record won’t enter the chart at number one, but it could sell FOREVER!

It’s on Lost Highway now. We’ll see what Luke Lewis can do.

Music, it’s the commonality between us all.

Check out the ninety second snippets on the MySpace page. I wish there were more, but Doug Morris doesn’t understand the Google philosophy, that you have to know where in the food chain to charge. Everybody should be able to hear all these songs in their entirety. That’s the hardest burden, getting exposed in today’s world.

I’ve been exposed. Felix Cavaliere’s music has been dormant too long. It needs to be back in the marketplace. Shelby is keeping the magic alive. Along with producer Phil Ramone, engineer Al Schmitt and a cadre of ace L.A. session players.

I can only imagine what this sounds like on vinyl…

Tina Suca:

The big rock hero’s I loved so dearly can kiss my big ass. The ticket prices are outrageous BUT more often than not, it’s really the audience who wreck the experience.
 
I have tried too often to enjoy a mega rock show. I’ll pay the big bucks.  I’d spend my last dime to see a really good show.  I flew to NY to spend the night on a sidewalk to have a CHANCE to see Paul McCartney in a club. I’ve got the passion.  I’ve got the love. I am old enough now to afford a pricey ticket or two. HOWEVER,  I can’t rock out because I am surrounded by baby boomers who constantly yell at me to sit down.  BUT they will get up from their seats repeatedly during a show to get pretzels, hot dogs and go to the bathroom. OR, they talk through the entire show.  They call friends on their cell phones to tell them who they’re seeing, what songs are being played and just generally gloat.  I often wonder if they remember ANY of the show.
 
Today’s rock concert audiences are mostly people who have the big bucks to say they were there. They get their tickets through Stub Hub, ticket auctions or some other fucked up form of scalping. Their attendance has got nothing to do with the love of music.  It’s a status symbol.  These geriatric monsters have killed my love of the live experience in an arena or amphitheatre.  YES, the promoters, labels, agents, managers and venues have also killed the experience. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, the fucking old fucks who can’t enjoy anything in life anymore have decided that no on else should either.
 
Nothing will ever top the club experience.  You’ll have to wait in line, stand for the entire show and put up with a drunk person or two. It’s not for sissies.  You have to really WANT to be there.  It’s how all bands start…with the passion still in them.  They are just appreciative to have the audience whether you paid $20 or got in on the guest list.
 
Hope I die before I get old.
 
Thanks for letting me rant.

 
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Hello there —
               
I thought I’d drop you a line – I just read your post about Straight No Chaser…my group.    I’m "mikado95" on YouTube….in the videos, the bass, on the end, on the far left.  Of all the blogs people have been sending me links to, yours certainly caught my attention the most.  Also, you were just in Aspen?   I was there December 6th-11th, skiing Snowmass, along with Dan Ponce (musical director and founder of Straight No Chaser, currently a reporter for ABC7 in Chicago).
       
I’ll try and give you a simple low-down on the group:  we formed in 1996, sang together through 1999, then auditioned new guys for the group, graduated, left IU.   Six of us moved to Atlanta, signed a deal with RCA Records, got half-way through recording an album, when 9-11-2001 occurred.  Like most other new artists, we got dropped…we tried to stick it out in music, but eventually got "real jobs."    However, Jerome Collins (lead on This Is How We Do It) is in Hong Kong now as Simba in Lion King (he’s coming back to the US in March), and Steve Morgan (solo on Lion Sleeps Tonight) is in Momma Mia on Broadway in NYC.
           
In April 2006, Indiana University hosted a ten-year-reunion concert for us, so we all flew back to Bloomington, IN, and sang four songs at the current group’s concert.   It felt good, and we had a standing ovation from an audience who had no idea who we were (they only knew the current guys).   In honor of the reunion, I dug up videotapes from a 1998 concert, originally just to make a DVD (or 10) for all the original guys.   Well, I couldn’t press less than 1000 if I wanted a dual-layer DVD, so I shelled out my own $2000 to make the DVDs.   I was teased by the guys that I’d be tiling my kitchen with the leftovers…   I posted 12 Days on YouTube to promote the DVD….for a full 18 months, I had only about 100,000 views.
           
Cut to December 2007…while skiing in Aspen, my iPhone is buzzing constantly with mail from YouTube, saying "new comment on 12 Days."    Sure enough, our views doubled, tripled, and then were hitting 300,000 views daily…all the way to now, 5.3 million views.   This YouTube thing has been incredible.   The 1000 DVDs I made?  Gone?   I pressed 2500 more, which won’t be ready until January 21st….they’ve all sold-out already too.   So I ordered another 1000….half of those are already pre-ordered too.   We’ve been on WGN-TV and WTTW here in Chicago.  Made the news in Atlanta, Indianapolis, and I’m told (from YouTubers) that we’ve had radio play in California, Texas, Florida, DC, and even over in London.   I want to get the songs on iTunes, but I want to make sure the royalities are set-up properly and that the current group will get the proceeds.  Sure, we’d all like the cash ourselves, but then, we wouldn’t be very good role-models for the current guys…  I just haven’t had the time to set-it-up yet.
 
Anyway, it’s 2am Christmas morning, and I’m rambling, but I thought you might be interested in some of that…   I won’t lie, several of us read your column and said, "wouldn’t it be nice to be singing again, and getting paid for it?"   Let me know if you want a DVD and I’ll mail one out to you from my personal stash.   Also, if you want any MP3s or anything, let me know.   Our CDs (original group’s) are sold out, and I don’t even have any to send you!
 
Randy Stine
Chicago, IL

P.S. Oh, and one other thing you might find interesting…Ken Kreisel, the man behind M&K speakers loves "our sound" so much that he has offered to re-mix our DVD in 7.1 surround….for free.    Mark Cuban (IU grad, billionaire) wrote me an e-mail and said if we shoot a new concert in HD 1080i, he’ll broadcast it nationally on HDnet.  Now to figure out how to fund a live concert HD video shoot…any ideas?

________________________________________

Talley Griffith:

Bob? Ever hear of Kenny Chesney or Nickel Creek?
They all got their starts from the East Tennessee State University group (which slaughters every competition they enter).  My roomate and I both auditioned when I was a 17y.o. Freshman, and was invited back for round Two (out of three) but we overslept from a BAD hangover after a "Welcome Party" by my new bros at Sig Ep. Thus, we didn’t make it.
 
But THIS college group is DIFFERENT.  WHY? Because not only do they do the classic a capellas – but they also do it with bluegrass and folk instruments.  They wail on Laster Flatt & Bill Monroe classics, then break into the official ETSU anthem: SEVEN BRIDGES ROAD by Eagles.  Yep – THAT one!
 
I swear.  Ask ANYBODY who ever went to ETSU (at least from 87-94) and they’ll smile that warm smile thinking of the yelling and hollerin they did when this group took the stage to sing that song.  AMAZING.  If you ever see Chesney ask him, and he’ll tell you himself that this was where he learned to sing and harmonize.  Guess it paid off for him huh?

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Bob:
 
Anonymous please if you use any of this mini-rant.
 
The only thing that Live Nation is doing that resembles Bill Graham is naming venues Fillmore.  I’ve worked with and for them and while a lot of people there are great, the majority of them are not in it for the love of anything but money.
 
I think the overall problem though is production.  It’s unfortunate that most music fans are shut out because XYZ artist needs to take multi-million dollar video screens and huge custom stages and pyro and backup singers and dancers and…out because they don’t have a stage presence and need to hide among all of that.  Granted, a lot of these shows are amazing (this Keith Urban tour was one of the most visually beautiful shows I’ve ever seen), but I would gladly give up seeing the bells and whistles to pay less than $50 and hear and experience the MUSIC.  I know a lot of other fans who would as well.  Get rid of the bullshit, reign in some of these costs, and watch sell outs (and the tour bottom lines) slowly increase.
 
Another unfortunate effect of the Live Nation phenomenon is that the local guys who know how to build a band in any given market and promote and sell the show have been pushed out.  How can a huge company hundreds of miles away keep it’s eyes and ears open in a market and know how to bring people in?  Slap an ad in the paper 3 days before the on-sale and cross your fingers?  Ticketmaster email blasts?  It’s not working.  Mostly gone are the days when a band plays the club, then the theatre, then the small shitty arena and then the nice new arena.  It’s all about making a quick buck, and as the numbers coming out now show, it ain’t gonna last.  Show your most loyal customers that you don’t really care about them, and they’ll (we’ll) spend that precious money somewhere else…

 
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Hey Bob –

Your rants are interesting but I think the demise of the music industry is the blame of BIG BUSINESS and now the crippling effects of the Internet. You know big business. I am very impressed with your knowledge of how it all works. And you know exactly why the music industry was ruined by Sony and Columbia (wait… are they now the same company? I dunno.)

Anyway, I have a computer consulting business. And my business was the 1st to feel the full impact of the Internet. All of the distribution changed and everything became a commodity on the Internet. So, my hardware sales are about 10% of what they were 10 years ago. You can buy anything you want on the Internet. Before the Internet, you could buy some things at a superstore but the other 96% of the products were only available by special order from a distributor by superstores, small computer stores and consulting companies like mine. Now, even the technicians have become a commodity! You can go on-line with www.computerrepair.com and post a problem and a price and get a technician to your business. I’ve been totally cut out of the computer business. Don’t even get me started on the BIG BUSINESS impact of Microsoft. They have totally ruined the computer industry. No more innovation. It’s gone. It disappeared 10 years ago.

So, now the music industry is beginning to see it. You can’t stop it. Distribution will be direct from the musician to the listener. The middlemen will disappear. More bands will make real good money and the big corporate stars will get a lot less (and still more than most of them deserve). The Internet can’t be stopped. The RIAA can try to put Internet Radio out of business but they will ultimately fail because the increased availability of music by ALL ARTISTS to EVERYONE and the efficiencies of the Internet… well.. the RIAA will lose. It’s over. Capitalism will win out and the market will get what it wants and TPTB will mostly go on to do other things like make stereo equipment and iPods.

I have seen the future.

Regards,

Stuart Kushner