-
Remembering "The Big Man"
June 24, 2011
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
"Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly 40 years. He was my great friend, my partner and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."
-- Bruce Springsteen's statement on Clarence Clemons passingI was chatting with my son on Facebook last Saturday when he wrote "Uh, dad...I just read Clarence died."
There's been lots written about the passing of Clarence Clemons this week. The sad news was everywhere. Clarence suffered a stroke on June 12th, and though initial reports were encouraging, Clarence's time here was up.
I was originally going to pay small tribute to Clarence in the newsletter this week, but after talking to so many old friends this past week about him, I realized I had to say more from the heart about Clarence, and just how much I felt he contributed to the E-Street Band.
I first saw Bruce Springsteen on his "Born To Run" tour back in 1976 in Miami, Florida. I had asked the local Columbia Records promotion man, Tom Sgro, for a pair of tickets because I had to see for myself why Time and Newsweek magazines had dedicated cover stories on him.
That concert is forever etched in my memory. I ended up standing on my chair for the last hour, screaming for encore after encore, and not believing how truly incredible Bruce and the band was. Clarence, of course, was always big part of that show, as he was in every Springsteen show I saw from that point on. Bruce immortalized the story of his meeting Clarence in his song "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" when he sang:
"When the change was made uptown
And the big man joined the band
From the coastline to the city
All the little pretties raise their hands
I'm gonna sit back right easy and laugh
When scooter and the big man bust this city in half."Copyright (c) Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)
I saw dozens of Springsteen show from 1976 through his "Tunnel of Love" tour, going multiple nights every time he toured. Friends who had never been to a Springsteen show would always ask me, 'You go EVERY night? Why every night?" I always gave them the same answer, "Because there is no better live show that I've ever seen in rock'n'roll and someday, like all good things, it will come to an end. Until that time I'll go to every show I can because it's that good." Many of those friends at some point finally went to a Springsteen show and understood exactly why I felt the way I did.
It was that good. And after EVERY Springsteen show, I felt like I was 18 again, in a constant state of rediscovering all the great things great music can do to stir the passions within us.
And always, Clarence loomed larger than life at every show, "busting" the cities they played in, in half.
It's so hard to separate any memories of any Springsteen show without Clarence being in the pictures and movies we create to remember the best concert experiences in our lives, and for me, all those concerts were extraordinary.
Clarence had appeared on the "American Idol" finale, playing the sax parts he recorded for Lady GaGa's "Edge of Glory." Like others I have spoken to, I was quite surprised none of the judges or the host, Ryan Seacrest, had even mentioned his being there. But there he was in dark silhouette, playing that sax like only he could. (He is the only other person in Lady GaGa's new video for the same song, which has over seven million views on Vevo.com already.)
If you have never been lucky enough to see Bruce and The E-Street Band, then I believe you really missed something so important, and such an integral part of all great live concert experiences. Bruce and the band played their hearts and souls out for over three-and-a-half hours onstage for decades with Clarence's famous sax solos a big part of so many songs.
The passion Bruce conveyed in his lyrics was funneled through the notes Clarence played in "Jungleland," "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," "Born To Run" and so many more.
Rest in peace "Big Man" and play on wherever you are.
------------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
AGAIN, THE RIAA SPENT $2.1 MILLION LOBBYING IN JUST THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR
Yeah, I've reported it before.
From Bloomberg news this week: "The Recording Industry Association of America spent $2.1 million in the first quarter to lobby the federal government on protecting intellectual property rights in various countries and on a proposal by radio station owners to impel cellphone makers to include FM radio chips in handsets, according to a disclosure report. That's up from the $1.4 million it spent in the same period a year ago and more than the $1.5 million it spent in the fourth quarter of 2010." ( http://tiny.cc/qzhf3 )
And, I'll ask it yet again. How does any executive at any label look at that figure and say "We got our money's worth."
At these levels, the RIAA could end up spending up to $8 million this year lobbying (Translation: Paying people to wine and dine the best politicians money can buy). It doesn't mean they will hit that figure, but they could.
The music industry is in dire straits and will be until new revenue models are created or until another dozen Lady GaGas are found and they sell like hotcakes. (Her "Born This Way" album passed the five million sales mark worldwide in just four weeks.)
This is not the time to be spending millions inside Washington, D.C. lobbying politicians who can do nothing to reverse the hands of what time and technology have done to forever change the way people listen to, and buy music.
------------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
U.S. MOBILE COMMERCE TO HIT $31 BILLION BY 2016
Recession or not, mobile commerce will generate $31 billion in the U.S. by 2016, rising at a 39% compound annual growth rate from this year, according to a report from market research firm Forrester.
Read the report here: http://tiny.cc/hjrj1
------------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
WHEN THINGS GO BAD, BLAME IT ON THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT
With BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion in turmoil as its stock price plummets and market share shrinks, marketing executives at the company are taking the fall. (And of course with Apple's iPhones and Androids eating up market shares, you are probably asking the same question I am: How come the tech guys didn't immediately redesign the Blackberry for a changing consumer smartphone marketplace?)
The Wall Street Journal reports that Brian Wallace, RIM's vice president of digital marketing and media, is the latest to exit, joining Samsung Telecommunications America.
You can read more here: http://tiny.cc/7cfjo
------------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
INTERNET NAME CHANGES COMING
How's .awesome for a domain name suffix?
By the end of next year, that and countless other options will become available to companies and organizations with legitimate claims to specific domain names, thanks to a new decision by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. "The Internet body that oversees domain names voted on Monday to end restricting them to suffixes like .com or .gov and will receive applications for new names from January 12th next year with the first approvals likely by the end of 2012," Reuters reports.
Read more here: http://tiny.cc/q1fxl
-------------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 6
THE CLOUD GETS ANOTHER
Best Buy Co., the world's largest consumer-electronics retailer, is expanding a U.K. online music platform to the U.S. to challenge Amazon Inc. and Apple in so-called cloud-based offerings, the technology supplier said.
Read more here: http://tiny.cc/yr25k
And Now For Some News ...
Great Article In NY TIMES: The Cloud That Ate Your Music
NEW YORK TIMES.COMFrom John Pareles article, "As the last decade has abundantly proved, freeing music from discs also drives down the price of recorded music, often to zero, dematerializing what used to be an income for musicians and recording companies. Royalties generated from sales of mp3 files and by online subscription services are unlikely to ever make recorded music as profitable as it was in disc form. ... There has also been another, far less quantifiable, effect of separating music from its physical package. Songs have become, for lack of a better word, trivial: Not through any less effort from the best musicians, but through the unexpected combination of a nearly infinite supply, constant availability, suboptimum sound quality and the intangibility I've always thought I would welcome."
Read more about it by clicking here.
Why Music Now Rules Primetime TV
ROLLING STONE.COMThe biggest names in music are showing up onscreen -- sometimes all at once, as when Bono, the Edge, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé guest-starred on the May 25th "Idol" finale.
It might be because they're thinking instead about the massive audiences they can reach on prime-time TV. "Idol's" all-star finale drew more than 29 million viewers; NBC's "The Voice" (starring judges Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton) gets 10 million; and "Glee" is still a force, with more than 9 million per show.
"Music is everywhere!" says Iain Pirie, president of Idol production company, 19 Entertainment. "It's easy to get downhearted with record sales in decline, but when you see the success of music programming on television, it's because music resonates with people so much."
Read more about it by clicking here.
Paul McCartney Talks About McCartney I & McCartney II
ROLLINGSTONE.COMFrom Rolling Stone, "In late 1969, tired of the endless infighting within the Beatles, Paul McCartney took a four-track recorder to his English home and began work on his first solo album -- playing every single instrument. The Beatles broke up by the time it hit shelves, but McCartney's solo career was off to a strong start as "Maybe I'm Amazed" turned into a huge radio smash despite his questionable decision not to release it as a single. Ten years later McCartney found himself in a similar situation. Wings were on the verge of splitting up and he decided it was time for a sequel to his solo debut. This time around, McCartney embraced the music of the era and the result was significantly more experimental. It landed another hit on the charts with "Coming Up." Both discs were re-released in super deluxe packages earlier this month."
Read more about it by clicking here.
Turntable.fm Could Give Pandora Serious Competition
FORBES.COMTurntable.fm, a startup online radio company, has gained over 140,000 users since launching its service to the public earlier this month. The music service, which requires a personal invitation to gain access, allows its users to act as animated DJs.
Read more about it by clicking here.
ISPs Will Join Anti-Piracy Efforts
CNETCustomers who refuse to stop using the networks operated by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to engage in piracy may soon face tougher punishments starting as soon as next month, CNET reports.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Update: Apple's New iPhone
BLOOMBERGApple plans to introduce a new iPhone in September that boasts a stronger chip for processing data and a more advanced camera, according to two people familiar with the product.
Read more about it by clicking here.
GAGA GRABS TWO:
Lady Gaga took home two MuchMusic Video Awards ceremony in Toronto last Sunday night. She picked up Best International Video for "Judas," while the clip for "Born This Way" won the audience award for Favorite International Video.
NO NUKES REDUX:
Thirty-two years after Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) threw a legendary five-night show at Madison Square Garden to warn people about the dangers of nuclear power, many of the same acts will put on another show August 7th in response to the nuclear disasters in Japan. The concert - which will feature returning acts Crosby, Stills and Nash; Jackson Browne; Bonnie Raitt; John Hall; and Sweet Honey In the Rock - will be held at the Shoreline Ampitheater in Mountain View, CA, and proceeds will go to MUSE to be distributed to support disaster relief efforts.
APPS OVER WEB:
New data is predicting that smartphones and tablet shipments in 2011 would exceed PCs and notebook computers. Separate research released now indicates that U.S. smartphone users now spend more time with mobile applications per day than people do using the desktop and mobile Web.
WINEHOUSE CANCELS:
Rolling Stone reports Amy Winehouse has canceled her European summer tour following a trainwreck performance in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday in which the singer showed up an hour late, stumbled around the stage, clashed with her bandmates, slurred her words while attempting to sing her hits and tossed a shoe out into the audience.
LESLIE WEST UNDERGOES SURGERY:
Legendary Mountain guitarist, Leslie West, underwent surgery in Biloxi, MS, last week, where, as a diabetic, his leg was amputated to save his life.
GLEN CAMPBELL REVEALS HE HAS ALZHEIMER'S:
Glen Campbell, country singer/actor, 75, and his wife, Kim, told People magazine that Campbell has Alzheimer's disease.
NEVERMIND REDUX:
Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind -- the record that Rolling Stone has declared the #1 album of the '90s and the 17th greatest album of all time -- will be reissued on September 20th as a deluxe five-disc edition.
ON SECOND-THOUGHT, MAYBE $65 MILLION WAS ENOUGH:
Twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have decided to drop their appeal to the Supreme Court of a federal court ruling upholding their $65 million settlement with Facebook Inc. and its founder Mark Zuckerberg, after "careful consideration."
REALLY? THEN WHY NOT JUST MAKE GAZILLIONS AS A LABEL MOGUL:
The latest daytime talk show host aspirant is "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, according to the Hollywood Reporter's Lacey Rose, who was told by a source that Jackson "wants to talk about things that will be hip next ... He thinks he has his finger on the pulse." (Write your own punch line here)
The Music Industry Past, Present & Future, And The Internet I answer questions on EconTalk
I did an interview about the industry and the Internet at EconTalk with host Russ Roberts. Russ is also a professor of economics at George Mason University, blogs at Cafe Hayek, and has written three novels that teach economics. He's also the co-creator of the Keynes-Hayek rap video. (And if your understanding of the economic meltdown that occurred needs to be enlightened, this video will do it)
In the interview we talk about the evolution of the music industry, the impact of the digital revolution, and I give my reasons for believing in the virtues and potential of the Internet in enhancing the music industry. I point out, as I have many times here in the newsletter, that the internet allows numerous artists to make money from their music and it can enhance revenues from live performances by expanding an artist's base. We also discuss the challenges facing record companies and I suggest that the full potential of the Internet as a distribution channel has yet to be fully exploited. There's a lot of ground covered, but based on the comments already posted of those who have tuned in, they've enjoyed it.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Quotes of the week
"Since we're not getting married on Saturday, I've scheduled a movie: Runaway Bride."
-- Hugh Hefner, after his bride-to-be and Playboy's July cover girl, Crystal Harris, had a "change of heart" days before their planned nuptials, on Twitter"My life was once whiskey, tears, and cigarettes ... now it's snot, tears, and the color of poop. #bliss...I do miss the whiskey though."
-- Pink, Tweeting the joys of motherhood after welcoming daughter Willow Sage Hart."I actually plan on being one of those artists, with all the music and all the work I'm putting out, I believe that later on down the line, I can do Vegas. I can be the first hip-hop artist to do Vegas every night. That's the plan."
-- Lil Wayne on a Las Vegas residency. Good luck, Wayne. I don't know how many people will want to see you doing "Lollipop" and other "songs" at Las Vegas show prices.
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Nation's Dads Treated To Mark Knopfler Meet-And-Greet
CHICAGO-In what many were calling "the best Father's Day present ever," the nation's dads were treated to a Mark Knopfler meet-and-greet Thursday, spending several minutes chatting and posing for photos with the former Dire Straits front man. "Wow, I can't believe I got to meet Mark Knopfler," said Paul Miller, 45, a father of three from Omaha, NE. "I love that song 'Walk Of Life.'" According to the nation's dads, Money For Nothing is their favorite Dire Straits album.
Read the rest here and laugh: Click Here.
The Blogs
Check out Jerry Del Colliano's (the founder of INSIDE RADIO) daily blog, by clicking here: http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.comWebsite
Check out attorney Ray Beckerman's website at: http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com where he prints news about the RIAA's ongoing activities
Smart Marketing Consulting Services
Smart Marketing Consulting Services has been in business sixteen years, and consults clients in the music, entertainment, attraction, media, and technology industry on branding, marketing, online exploitation, maximizing new media, and more.
"And the beat goes on, the beat goes on ... drums keep poundin' rhythm to the brain."
"Work is life, you know, and without it, there's nothing but fear and insecurity." -- John Lennon
-
-