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FROM CNET: 'TAKE A TOUR OF THE ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS'
September 20, 2013
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"I also remember those great big white studio sight-screens, like at a cricket match, towering over you. And up this endless stairway was the control room. It was like heaven, where the gods lived, and we were down below. Oh God, the nerves!"
-- Paul McCartney, talking about the Beatles first experiences at Abbey Road Recording Studios, from the introduction to the book 'The Beatles Recording Sessions - The Official Abbey Road Studio Session Notes 1962-1970''Abbey Road' isn't just one of the Beatles greatest albums. Abbey Road is probably the most famous recording studio in the world.
There are lots of books about it (just check Amazon.com), and literally hundreds of articles about the famed studios available online.
The artists who've recorded there reads like a who's who of the great acts of the 20th and 21st centuries: The Beatles, Pink Floyd ("Dark Side Of The Moon" was recorded there), Adele, Queen, Oasis, Radiohead and many more. The zebra crossing in front was immortalized by Iain Macmillan for the cover of the Beatles album that gave the studio its name.
Take a look inside this historic studio here as CNET's Geoffrey Morrison takes us on a tour with photos and all. READ MORE
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
JIMMY KIMMEL WILL SHUT DOWN HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD FOR 2 NIGHTS ... TO LET IT ROCKLate night TV that is worth watching.
On Monday, September 23rd, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will kick off the broadcast season by taking over Hollywood Boulevard for two consecutive nights.
On Monday, September 23rd, Paul McCartney will make his first appearance on "JKL." McCartney, who will be performing songs chosen from the most-beloved catalog in popular music -- spanning his entire career -- as a solo artist, as a member of Wings and of course, The Beatles. This will mark McCartney's first appearance on "JKL." Paul will also join Kimmel in studio for an interview and then shut down Hollywood Boulevard for what is expected to be a record-breaking crowd.
The next night, Tuesday, September 24th, "JKL" and Justin Timberlake will shut down the street to share songs from his new album The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2, which hits stores September 30th and to chat with Kimmel about his role in the new movie Runner Runner -- which opens in theaters October 4th.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
FROM FORBES: 'THE CLEAR CHANNEL-WARNER MUSIC DEAL: NOT WHAT IT'S CRACKED UP TO BEA lot of attention has been given to the Clear Channel-Warner Music deal in the industry trades, and Forbes' Bobby Owinski takes it apart and asks some very important questions and sates "While there's generally been praise for this agreement, I'm afraid I can't be so kind, as it may not be all it's cracked up to be. When looked at closely, it seems to provide possible downsides for all parties involved, especially the one generally missing from the conversation – the artists."
Read the article and see why Owinski says the deal isn't all it appears to be: The Clear Channel - Warner Music Deal: Not What It's Cracked Up To Be
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
HOW TO NEVER HEAR OR SEE MILEY CYRUS NEWS AGAIN"What exactly is hype? Hype is the glittering rhinestone in the jumpsuit of mediocrity that catches our eye and makes us think, "Hey, maybe the Spice Girls don't suck." It's the triumph of style over substance, predicated on the sad truth that most of us, if the gift-wrapping on the outside of the box is fancy enough, won't notice that inside there's nothing but a big pile of sh*t." -- Dennis Miller, from 'The Rants'
Truer words were never spoken. And speaking of hype, and all the nudity Miley's displaying to foster it, thanks to Time magazine for this article on ways you can avoid hearing anymore about Miley. How to never see news about her again
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
NETFLIX WATCHES THE PIRATES TO DECIDE WHAT SHOWS TO PICK UPWhile an opponent of illegal downloading, the streaming service tracks popular piracy targets to determine which programs to offer its customers. Read more
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HERE COMES iTUNES RADIO, AND CNET SAYS IT "WILL ROCK THE WORLD""So here comes Apple, which very much wants to be your DJ -- albeit with a heavy dose of your iTunes behavioral data mixed in. And the big music labels, working closely with their largest digital partner, are rooting for Apple's success. iTunes Radio will roll out with 300 or so genres, from hip-hop to country and doo-wop. It also lets you enter an artist's name -- a la Pandora -- to build a station, and it does so for free with ads. "
Pandora, meantime, says growth is slowing. Read more
And also: How to Use iTunes Radio
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 7
READ AN EXCERPT FROM 'GIRLS LIKE US'A terrific website, delanceyplace.com delivers "eclectic excerpts to your e-mail every day."
This past week one of their e-mails included an excerpt from 'Girls Like Us' by Sheila Weller, which is a groundbreaking and irresistible biography of three of America's most important musical artists -- Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon -- and it charts their lives as women at a magical moment in time.
The excerpt is about Carole King and here's just a piece: "Carole gave parties in her family's basement -- 'and they were packed,' remembers [her friend] Barbara [Grossman Karyo], especially during rounds of Spin the Bottle. ... 'Eventually, these parties Carole and other kids gave had lots of touchy-feely going on,' Barbara remembers. To 'get felt up' in the ninth grade was a first step to three or four years of fending off the pull of sex, a tension made all the more fraught by the new sleeper hit by an L.A. group, the Penguins, to which everyone was slow-dancing. The sensual, pleading song -- so different from those genially corny white hit parade staples -- sounded like nothing these Brooklyn girls had heard before....'On Monday there was this other music; on Tuesday there was rock 'n' roll.' That's how The Band's Robbie Robertson once described the seemingly overnight mid-1954 shift in popular music.Read the excerpt on Delancey Place
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 8
PANDORA STOCK ANYONE?VentureBeat reports that Pandora Media, a music streaming service, has decided to sell 10 million shares of its common stock which is expected to bring in $230.8 million assuming a share price of $23.99.
The stock sale will also include 4 million shares from CrossCapital Inc., the largest stakeholder in Pandora. Read more
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 9
BIG MONEY IN MUSIC? MOVIES? NOPE...IT'S IN VIDEO GAMES, CHECK OUT THESE NUMBERSFrom Variety, "The release of "Grand Theft Auto V" generated $800 million sales in 24 hours around the world, a record for any game from Take-Two Interactive, and the "GTA" franchise itself.
The release of "GTAV" is certainly impressive, especially when compared to film releases. The top three earners at the box office this year are Disney's "Iron Man 3," which generated $1.2 billion; Universal's "Despicable Me 2," at $840 million; and Warner Bros.' "Man of Steel," at $663 million." Read the whole article on Variety
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 10
PANDORA WINS ASCAP RATE CASEThe New York ASCAP rate court has come down in favor of Pandora in a ruling that says the performance right organization's blanket license has to include all of its repertoire.
That means all the music by publishers who have pulled their digital rights from ASCAP--i.e., Sony/ATV, EMI, Universal Music Group, and BMG--will be licensed to Pandora through ASCAP and that their separate deals are not in effect until the digital radio platform's' license ends on Dec, 31st, 2015. Full story here
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THE 'A-SIDE' - THE BONUS TRACKS
* Springsteen Honors Chilean Folk Hero
* Paul McCartney Takes a Bow in 'New' Lyric Clip
* Rolling Stones: New Concert Film
* Ray Dolby changed the way we hear sound
* Bernie Taupin on writing lyrics for Elton John
* Seven Ways Musicians Make Money Off YouTube
* The Top 8 Emerging Artists
* 5 Insane Lost Verses That Change the Meaning of Famous Songs
* The 5 Worst Kinds of Album Every Music Fan Has Bought
* P!nk Named Billboard Woman of the Year
* 10 Mind-Blowing College Marching Band Cover Songs
* 10 Ridiculous Movie Mistakes
* 9 exciting smartphones coming this fall
* iTunes 11.1 arrives ahead of iOS 7, with iTunes Radio in tow
* iTunes Radio for iOS beats Pandora
* Top tech pictures of the week
* 6 Insane Video Game Fan Theories (That Make Total Sense)
Short News Items ...
TWITTER GOES PUBLIC:
For you tweeters out there: TechCrunch reports that Twitter has confirmed its decision to go public, making the necessary S-1 filing with the SEC. Analysts say that Twitter is expected to be valued between $15 billion and $20 billion. Previously, the company raised private money at a $10 billion valuation. For the offering, Goldman Sachs will be the lead underwriter. read more
MACCA ALBUM UPDATE:
Paul McCartney shared the tracklist for 'New,' his forthcoming new album. He worked with four different producers this time, including Giles Martin, son of famed-Beatles producer George Martin. Read More
CARRIE DOES BEATLES:
Carrie Underwood will perform during a tribute to 1963 at the close of the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday. The segment will honor television milestones of that year, including the assassination coverage of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22nd and the pop culture explosion of Beatlemania. The Beatles' first U.S. appearance was on Ed Sullivan's primetime program on Feb. 9, 1964th.
ANOTHER MUSIC STAR MARRIES A MODEL (YAWN):
John Legend married Chrissy Teigen on Saturday. Us Weekly reports that the singer and model, who got engaged in December 2011, tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at Italy's Lake Como.
CHRISTINE REJOINS FLEETWOOD MAC FOR EUROPE:
Christine McVie, the BBC reports, has agreed to rejoin her bandmates for two shows during the band's upcoming European tour. Singer Stevie Nicks broke the news during an interview with BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
EJ TALKS:
It's "other people's turn" to have radio hits, Elton John told the audience at a special event at USC. But even if his upcoming album, 'The Diving Board,' is "a record by a 66-year-old man," he rocked the auditorium like someone a third his age. Read More
BRITNEY VEGAS SHOW:
Britney Spears has officially announced a Las Vegas residency, as well as the release date of her eighth studio album. The still-untitled follow-up to 2011's 'Femme Fatale' will be released on Dec. 3rd. Meanwhile, the two-year residency -- titled 'Britney Spears: Piece of Me' will take place at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Spears is slated to perform 50 shows a years starting on Dec. 27th. Ticket prices range from $59 to $179.
YOKO TALK:
John Lennon would have loved the computer age, says Yoko Ono, who is celebrating the release of her latest album, 'Take Me to the Land of Hell,' featuring son Sean and Wilco's Nels Cline. "The ideas didn't die when he died," she tells Rolling Stone. Read More
THOSE MAD MEN:
'Mad Men' is set to end its final season much like 'Breaking Bad' – the seventh and final season of AMC's other Emmy-winning series will air in two seven-episode halves according to the Los Angeles Times.
MUMFORD JAM WITH FOGERTY? YUP!
In Florida, Mumford & Sons surprised fans with a set of Credence Clearwater Revival songs featuring the man who wrote them, John Fogerty. "My personal highlight was getting to play cowbell on 'Down on the Corner,'" keyboardist Ben Lovett tells Rolling Stone. Read More
CAROLE KING MUSICARES 2014 PERSON:
Carole King will receive the MusiCares 2014 Person of the Year award at a ceremony during next year's Grammy week. King will accept the award at the Recording Academy's charity fundraiser on January 24th (two days before the Grammys) in Los Angeles, the Associated Press reports. The ceremony will also feature performances from Lady Gaga, the Dixie Chicks, Steven Tyler, James Taylor, Bette Midler and Jason Mraz in honor of King. More performers will be announced in the coming months.
BUT WHO WILL PLAY JOHNNY?
NBC is developing a project on "The Tonight Show" legend Johnny Carson, and it's a good thing the fiercely private late-night legend is not around to see it. Adapted from "Carson the Magnificent," Bill Zehme's upcoming biography from Simon and Schuster, the project will cover the icon's 30-year run as host of the late-night talk show.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR 'SURVIVOR':
Reality show burn-out, or maybe it's just boring now that almost everyone knows how the game is played. CBS's "Survivor" slipped 19% to an all-time fall premiere low Wednesday.
Leaving Us
British rocker Jackie Lomax, who recorded with legendary stars but whose own career always seemed a degree removed from fame, died at the age of 69 this week. The singer-songwriter-guitarist enjoyed a 50-year career playing with many of music's biggest stars -- notably the Beatles -- but personal commercial success eluded him. Lomax played in several British rock groups, including The Undertakers, in the early 1960s, following and crossing the path of the Beatles performing in Liverpool and in Hamburg pubs. He was eventually signed to the Beatles' Apple Records as a songwriter and artist, with George Harrison producing and writing songs for Lomax.
Quotes of the week
"I was in my dressing room in Las Vegas when they announced that Michael Jackson was playing 50 dates at the O2. I turned to my agent and said: 'He won't do a single one of those.' I could tell you he was going to die. He'd been doing drugs for so long, he'd been a mess for so long – and I've known Michael since he was 12 or 13 – that it was never going to happen. Everyone was saying it was going to be great and I was saying: 'Hello? Are you looking at the real thing here?'"
-- Elton John, in the New York Post's Page Six"I'm not old-fashioned. She could have come out naked, and if she'd just rocked the house, I would have said, 'You go, girl.' It just wasn't done well. She can't dance, her body looked like hell, the song wasn't great, one cheek was hanging out. And, chick, don't stick out your tongue if it's coated. "If you're going to go that far, then think about it before you do it,"
-- Cher in USA TODAY"I was wrong. Of course I was. Who cares?"
-- Roger Waters regretting suing his former Pink Floyd bandmates in the mid-Eighties over use of the group's name. Calling the group a "spent force creatively," Waters took guitarist David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason to court in 1986 to prevent them from performing or recording as Pink Floyd, which prompted an ugly back-and-forth in the press. ("Who cares?" Roger? Gee, I dunno ... but I bet Gilmour and Mason cared a helluva lot back then)
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Enjoyment Of Steve Miller Band's 'Jungle Love' Last Piece Of Common Ground In America
WASHINGTON—Amidst a nation eternally divided on matters relating to politics, social issues, and foreign affairs, sources confirmed Thursday that the collective enjoyment of the hit 1977 Steve Miller Band single, "Jungle Love," remains the last and, at press time, only piece of common ground shared by the American populace.
"While citizens nationwide have yet to reach anything approaching a consensus in regard to a vast majority of the issues ranging from education to energy solutions to health care reform, we have found — time and time again — that a mutual appreciation for the popular song 'Jungle Love' is the sole shared trait of all 315 million American men, women, and children," said Pew Research Center senior director Kenneth Harding. Read the rest and laugh
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.
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
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