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'Tis The Season For Some Folly
December 1, 2006
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"No grazie, ho gia una copia di Dianetics."
-- One of 'In Touch' magazine's "helpful Italian phrases" for guests that attended Tom Cruise's Tuscan wedding. It translates to, "No, thanks, I already have a copy of Dianetics."Aside from the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes wedding, which was a paparazzi dream come true, so much happened over the last two weeks I don't know where to begin. But what the hell, I'll give it a go and try to cover some of the highlights.
First off, if you bought Google when it went public, then you're rolling in the dough because Google's stock price hit $500 a share. At the same time, Apple Computer was also at an all-time high on Wall Street as the sales of iPods were flying out the doors during the Thanksgiving weekend. (And early reports indicate Microsoft's Zune players were micro soft at retail.)
Russia agreed to shut down Allofmp3.com and other music sites in that country that the U.S. government says are offering downloads illegally. (Ho-hum) But as of this Wednesday, Allofmp3.com was still operating. Of course, shutting down the site will have no effect on people downloading globally, but it looks good in print. But so far, according to all research that tracks illegal file-sharing, nothing has changed despite all the sites that have been shut down. (And as I've said here repeatedly, nothing will ever change in this regard.)
The Universal Music group sued MySpace.com for copyright infringements but now expects to settle the same suit soon; Fox Entertainment saved whatever face it had left and cancelled its planned O.J. Simpson special, "If I Did It," due to public outcries; and Sony released its PlayStation 3 to retailers around the country. Well, actually it only partially released the PS3, since most stores got 50 units or less and had lines around the block for days preceding the on-sale catastrophes. In several locations people were shot. In other locations there were incidents of robberies and other violence. Must be a helluva tech-toy, this PlayStation 3. I mean, who would actually wait in line for something like this? Obviously not people who have jobs, because most people were lined up days in advance.
Of course, once upon a different time, people waited in lines to buy albums by their favorite artists. No, really. People would actually line up at midnight to buy new albums by artists such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Michael Jackson at major record retailers like Tower. When those people got home and dropped the needle on the vinyl, they heard magic and didn't for one minute think the wait wasn't worth it all. Now it's some time later, and it's a different world. I don't know if there will ever be a single artist or group that could ever create that excitement at retail again.
Yes, there are still big retail weeks for artists. This week Jay Z this week sold almost 800,000 units. But, there are no more lines. While I'm sure most consumers don't like waiting on lines anyway, that fact is that many once did to buy MUSIC because it was that GOOD. The excitement and anticipation of a new release by certain artists were that great.
OK, I know. You're probably saying, "It's the 21st century. We have all these new tech gadgets to bring us all kinds of entertainment, and they've become the rage and they've moved music down a notch on the 'must have' scale." The sales of the "Now That's What I Call Music" series certainly evidences that as well.
I still hope there's somebody or some group out there who might someday bring back some of that "magic" at music retail. Think of what it would mean to the industry. People would be so excited they would actually BUY new music gain and maybe pick up another album at the same time.
Sound crazy? Well, like it says above, "'Tis The Season For Some Folly."
'Before the Music Dies' Diagnoses An Ailing Industry
By Marc Fisher, Washington Post Staff WriterIn the new movie "Before the Music Dies," the only representative of the bad guys is an executive from Clear Channel Radio who appears in silhouette, wearing a hood and employing electronic distortion to camouflage his voice. His illicit, dangerous revelation: "The advertising dollar is driving the entire company."
Call out the feds, convene a congressional investigation, organize a posse of musicians: The radio and record industries are killing American music because they are fixated on the bottom line. Quoth David Byrne, "Same as it ever was."
But wait: This same movie tells us that the Internet and digital technology have made it easier and cheaper than ever for new artists to record their work and deliver it to the ears of strangers across the land.
"Before the Music Dies," which is being screened in a grass-roots rollout on college campuses and at groovy bars and house parties, is distributed by a company whose slogan is "The audience is never wrong." Yet this movie makes merciless fun of the audience for choosing the overproduced, formulaic pop that dominates radio and CD sales -- the kind of music that has won mass audiences since the invention of records.
Read more about it by clicking here.
New Software Promises To Unlock iPod, iTunes
Not even the lure of 1 million songs could separate Stanford University student Rolf Steier from his iPod. When Stanford partnered with Yahoo to offer students a free subscription to Yahoo Music Unlimited, Steier--like most other people he knew--didn't bother to check it out because his iPod won't let him play songs bought from other online music stores. "I don't know anybody who used it," Steier said. "I don't even remember anyone who considered using it."
The issue is the same for many music fans because Apple makes content bought from its iTunes online music store available only for its own products, while songs purchased from other online stores typically do not work on the market-dominating iPods.
But this could soon change--because of a 22-year-old hacker who, as a teen, cracked the encryption on DVDs and now has developed a system compatible with Apple's FairPlay copyright technology that allows iTunes music to play on other devices and gives iPod users access to other music stores.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Rock of Ages
By Jeff Leeds, NY TimesAT 52, Martha Stinson is not quite sure where to turn when it comes to new music. The local Tower Records in Nashville, where Mrs. Stinson is an owner of a general contracting company, is going out of business...But she may soon receive an overture from a source not known for its musical savvy: AARP. She is the kind of consumer that the association is targeting with a sweeping marketing campaign that it hopes will entice millions of new members, as the first kids weaned on rock 'n' roll turn gray.
Older consumers (along with children) represent one of the few reliable markets in the music business these days, and AARP, the organization for older Americans, is keen to capitalize on that. On Tuesday the group announced that for the first time it will sponsor a national concert tour, by Tony Bennett. And that's just a start. Other sponsorships will follow, and from those, AARP hopes, many new members. With plans in the works for an alliance with a major retail chain, a Web-based music recommendation service with Pandora and even a music blog, AARP is looking to graduate from advocate of the shuffleboard set to the ranks of cultural concierge.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Start-up Claims To Offer Next Mobile-Music Thing
A start-up called Oxy Systems announced Monday new software that allows people to use a cellular network to sync music libraries stored on their PCs with their mobile handsets.
Mobile music is turning out to be a hot market. Three of the four major mobile operators in the United States have announced music stores that let customers access a music library from their cell phones. Verizon Wireless allow users to purchase music over their wireless networks and download it directly onto their phones. These carriers also allow subscribers to "side load," or use a cable, to download music stored on their PCs directly to their cell phones.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Blend Of Old, New Media Launched OK Go
NEW YORK - You have probably seen OK Go's treadmill dance. Four hip rockers shimmy across moving surfaces in a grainy home video. It has become a cultural milestone - the YouTube Age version of Michael Jackson's moonwalk. The story behind the timely marriage of YouTube and OK Go starts innocently but gets more complex than media have portrayed. The band's homemade videos may seem like a rebellious end run around the music establishment.
Yet OK Go's label, Capitol Records, became a co-conspirator, helping seed the Internet with what otherwise might be called pirate videos of OK Go. The sensation triggered by the videos taught record companies that the freewheeling, copyright-ignoring Internet is not always something to fight against and that there are ways to blend old media and new to great effect.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Paramount, 20th Century Fox Embrace BitTorrent
Peer-to-peer company BitTorrent will begin distributing movies and TV shows for top entertainment companies starting this spring, the company is expected to announce Wednesday.
In February, BitTorrent will launch a video store where customers can download movies from such Hollywood studios as Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and 20th Century Fox, as well as TV shows from MTV Networks. Earlier this year, BitTorrent announced a similar partnership with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Financial terms of the agreement were not released.
The deal comes at a time when Hollywood is looking for a winning Internet movie strategy. Short-form video distributed over the Net has caught fire at places like YouTube. Many in the digital-entertainment realm are preparing for a day when the Web will provide an effective and profitable distribution method for feature-length films.
Read more about it by clicking here.
THIS WEEK'S 'WHO CARES?' NEWS ITEMS
ITEM #1: Well, this could be the "Who Cares?" item of the year. Pamela Anderson announced that she and Kid Rock were divorcing. So after their whirlwind marriages in different cities on at least two different continents, the question is, is one divorce enough? In the words of Gomer Pyle, "Surprise, surprise." And Ms. Anderson now morphs further into a real life cartoon character.
ITEM #2: Barbara Walters announced last Wednesday that the three-way little snit-fit among Kelly Ripa, Clay Aiken and Rosie O'Donnell had been worked out and "all was well with the world." And if you don't know what all the fuss was about, you are missing nothing.
ITEM #3: Good Charlotte's Joel Madden is no longer Hilary Duff's main squeeze. The duo went their separate ways earlier this month. And yet another Hollywood hottie finds that rock stars do not make the best boyfriends and/or husbands. Duh.
ITEM #4: Daily variety reports that Eddie Murphy is signing on for a fourth installment of "Beverly Hills Cop." Obviously, not a whole lot of other options film-wise on Eddie's plate. And did actually see "Beverly Hills Cop III"?
ITEM #5: The entertainment tabloid shows, radio, and online were all buzzing about Britney Spears not wearing underwear as paparazzi photos made their way to the Internet. This is news that needs to be reported?
CONGRATS
CONGRATS #1 TO: To The Black Eyed Peas, who dominated the AMA Awards with a total of three wins; Kelly Clarkson, Rascal Flatts, Mary J. Blige and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were all double winners.
CONGRATS #2 TO: To Queen Latifah, who will host the 33rd Annual People's Choice Awards on Jan. 9 in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS.
CONGRATS #3 TO: To the Rolling Stones' "A Bigger Bang" tour, which surpassed U2's "Vertigo" tour as the top-grosser of all time, with more than $437 million in ticket sales since the fall of 2005.
CONGRATS #4 TO: To former "American Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson, who signed a contract with Arista Records. The former reality contestant, who debuts in "Dreamgirls" opposite Beyoncé next month, will head into the studio next year to begin recording an album with Clive Davis. Though she didn't win "American Idol," her future is looking as bright as those who have.
CONGRATS #5 TO: To Jimmy Buffett, who reached an out-of-court settlement in his trademark infringement lawsuit against an online retailer Monday.
CONGRATS #6 TO: To "Desperate Housewife" Eva Longoria, who confirmed exclusively to Ryan Seacrest that she accepted a "perfect, personal and sweet" proposal from boyfriend Tony Parker. Expect Vegas odds-makers to post the odds on how long it will last.
WHEN YOU'RE HOT, YOU'RE HOT; WHEN YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT
Well, after paying a lot of money for it, and with all the pre-show publicity (about NBC censoring controversial footage of the pop star hanging from a crucifix during one of her songs), the broadcast of Madonna's "Confessions" tour special that aired on Wednesday, November 22 on NBC-TV failed to lure viewers and ended up finishing fourth in its time slot.
WHEN YOU'RE HOT, YOU'RE HOT; WHEN YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT, #2
NBC is considering broadcasting Friday night rehearsals of Saturday Night Live on the Internet. NBC Universal chief digital officer George Kliavkoff said at a conference Wednesday that the run-throughs were sometimes "a lot more interesting than the show." That's not saying much since the show lost its relevance years ago.
BABS STILL SELLS TIX
Barbra Streisand's recent tour grossed over $92 million and is setting venue records in 14 of the 20 locations where she performed, according to Billboard.
THE RATINGS FOR '30 ROCK' ARE NOW THE LEAST OF HIS WORRIES
Tracy Morgan, a former "Saturday Night Live" regular who co-stars on NBC's "30 Rock," was arrested Tuesday in Upper Manhattan on drunken-driving charges, the district attorney's office said. Last Dec. 2, Morgan was arrested in Hollywood, CA on impaired driving charges after police stopped him for speeding.
ATTENTION ALL SINGLE, REALLY RICH AND FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD MALES
Denise Richards is available. Her marriage to Charlie Sheen's was officially dissolved this past week.
TV Wasteland, It's Only TV Wasteland
"D'oh!" ("The Simpsons"); "No soup for you!" ("Seinfeld"); and "How you doin'?" ("Friends") are among the 100 greatest catchphrases in television, according to a list compiled by TV Land. And some people still insist we're not on a downhill culture slide.
American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks tells Relix magazine he won't watch "American Idol" anymore and only used the show to gain exposure in order to further his career. "'American Idol' for me is fizzling out," Hicks said. Obviously Mr. Hicks hasn't heard that you never bite the hand that feeds you. Better hope that CD sells, Taylor, and if it does, you have only "American Idol" (and the fans who voted for you) to thank for it.
2006 Industry Conferences
Date Name Location NAMM January 18-21 Anaheim, CA Midem January 20-25 Cannes, France Media Summit New York February 7-8 New York
Quotes of the week
"If I was a gold-digger, I would have a lot of money in my bank account. I'd be worth millions and millions."
-- Heather Mills, denying she married Paul McCartney for his money, to "Extra." What???!!! This has to be one of the all-time celebrity (excuse my French here) bullshit statements of all time. OK, Heather if you are NOT a gold-digger, prove it to us all by settling the divorce quick and don't fight for the hundreds of millions your lawyers already say you deserve."I used to be able to eat anything and go right to bed. Fried chicken, onion rings, half a bottle of wine. But as you get older, your insides rebel."
-- Cameron Diaz in Us magazine. They do, indeed, Cam babe -- and wait until the outsides start to go."When Little Richard used to stand up and play it was just fabulous, and Liberace had the candlesticks and the rings and the gift of the gab. The piano's is the most ungainly rock'n'roll instrument of all time, but those two people transcended it, as did Jerry Lee Lewis. But those two were obviously gay. Now I look back on it, and I was so naive."
-- Elton John in The Observer"Eva Longoria is angrily denying rumors that she will be playing Beyonce's lesbian lover in a movie. So no one knows if the movie is real or just a dream I had."
-- Conan O'Brien"I should be so lucky."
-- Mario Lopez on rumors he spent the night with Britney Spears, with whom he was spotted in Vegas"If I wasn't having the record come out, there's no way I would have lost the weight. A year would have gone by [before] I'd be, like, 'Well, s---, maybe I should start trying to get the weight off now!'"
-- Gwen Stefani to Entertainment Weekly"I went shopping for [Britney Spears] yesterday. I got her these. Can you see? It says, 'No peeking.'"
-- Rosie O'Donnell as she held up a pair of pinkish-red bikini briefs on The View this week, commenting about the Spears photos that have made their way online and show her not wearing underwear.
The B-Side - 'Blips'
HEY, WHATSA' MATTA' YOU? GOTTA NO CAMCORDER? MANGAIRE! ST. LOUIS -- The Rittenbergs are pretty steamed over their sauce.
Jim and Melisa Rittenberg said they bought a $1,600 Sony camcorder at a suburban St. Louis Best Buy.
But when they opened the box, the Rittenbergs said they found a jar of Classico pasta sauce, a telephone cord and an outlet cover where the electronics were supposed to be. According to the couple, store officials told them the box was sealed, so the switch couldn't have happened at the Best Buy.
So far, the Rittenbergs are stuck without a camcorder.
Company officials said they haven't made a decision yet on how to handle the dispute. Best Buy manager Wade Trapp said that the store is working to resolve the matter.
The Blogs
Check out a great blog by Jerry Del Colliano, the Director Executive Programs, Clinical Professor Music Industry & Recording Arts, at the Thornton School of Music,University of Southern California, by clicking here: http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com.
The Charts
Check out the weekly top album and singles charts from around the world at: http://top40-charts.com.
Box Office
Check The Daily & Weekly Box Office (and more film info) at: www.boxofficemojo.com.
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TinyURL
Check out www.tinyurl.com where you can make a smaller URL that will work for any webpage you wish to link to or reference. (As you can see, I'm using it in my news stories above!)
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