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There was a time when, if bands wanted to make it in the music business, they worked hard on creating their own original music in the hopes of gaining interest from the record companies. You had to if you wanted to have a record...and a career in music! It was the only game in town....but not anymore! BUT NOT ANY MORE!! What happened?? Computers, that's what happened... the "Internet". Before the internet, record companies would send out their scouts looking for fresh new talent and when they found you, they'd sell you a bill of goods, saying things like they love your sound! If you sign with them, they'll make you the next Stones, Beatles, Aerosmith..etc. And you'd be thinking..we don't want to be them... we want to be"US"! But you didn't want to say it out loud, for fear that you might queer the deal. So you'd trust them..and ALL along they're telling you how great you are...Then you'd get into the studio and one of the first things the producer did was to change your music around to suit him! But when you're new you don't say anything because you don't wanna "QUEER THE DEAL"! So you wound up with product that sometimes didn't come close to resembling your style, but you shut up and didn't say anything because you're new and you don't want to "QUEER THE DEAL"!! They'd release your recording, give it a little promotion and if the thing didn't take off right away... they'd back off and let it die a slow death... What happened to all those promises? I listened to you and signed away our songs... I was a good little indian and didn't speak up when I should have...and some how, the DEAL GOT QUEERED!! Now, thanks to the internet, bands are able to build a following and take charge of their OWN business. They can burn their own cd's, do their own art work or hire someone to do it for them, take control of their own destiny and market themselves online. They've created an important arm of the music industry called "INDIES"!!! Independant groups, performers and even movies! If you did the research you'd proably be shocked at how many of your favorite groups are "Indies"! Their music gets played on online Podcasts, can be downloaded, for a price, from their own websites....and eventually sold in record stores... Great isn't it?? Nowadays, since bands have to supply their own followers and fans to play out, they have a built in audience... Cool huh? So in many ways they are in control of their own fate...AT LAST!! And don't steal their music...pay for the download! They worked hard and deserve their just due. If this is news to you, and you'd like to hear an example of an "indie" podcast....try www.clickcaster.com/jammnjay ...who in my not-so-humble opinion has one of the best eclectic mixes from across the country and around the world. Check it OUT!!
I used to sneak into jazz clubs when I was underage…not to drink, but to check out the drummers and the music. I was constantly amazed at how the musicians were of different ethnicities and varied ages. They ranged in age from late teens to sometimes their 70’s, or even 80’s! Whether it was big bands or small groups, the age mixture made for great music!! If you were lucky enough to sit close to them, they would gladly talk to you and answer any questions you had…and even encourage you. When I was old enough I jumped into the mix. I was drumming with some of the people I used to watch. Then when I converted to Rock and Rhythm and Blues, I thought that would never happen again…but I was wrong. It happened in not only New York, but Chicago, Boston, Toronto, New Orleans…Wherever great music was being played. When I played in New York clubs, we would do our regular sets and when things would slow down at the end of the night, musicians would meander in and bring their axes on stage and join in the fun. The famous, the not so famous, the young, the not so young…Jazz players, Blues players, Rockers….and we would cook!! It was an AGELESS MUSICAL LEAGUE OF NATIONS!! And…we got paid to play!!
Many years after leaving my group, I was called by our bass player who wanted me to start playing again. I thought about it for awhile, imagining us doing concerts again, and finding a little out of the way club in the Village where we could play some blues at least one night a week, and maybe have some younger dudes sit next us one of us and ask us some questions. So after contacting some of the others, I bought a set of drums and four out of the original six reformed our band! So once we were set, I figured, as in the past, I’d just have to call some clubs and get the ball rolling. Boy was I wrong!! The only club that responded favorably was the BOTTOMLINE (who remembered us well), and they were about to lose their lease! All the rest of them were being run buy rude, snot-nosed, know-nothings who didn’t care who we were and lacked a lot of respect! Now, all that seemed to matter was how many bodies you can bring into their clubs. Back when I left the group, we were a concert act playing in such venues as The Fillmore East, The Schaeffer Festival in Central Park, etc., and the clubs controlled who their crowds were and supplied the audience. They chose musical groups by how good they were, and if their club steadies liked them. When I worked these clubs you auditioned, and if you didn’t cut it, you didn’t get the gig. In the city there were as many as two bands a night. If you clicked you worked six nights a week. It was good steady money that improved as you got better. Not to mention that YOU improved as a musician. It was forced practicing. First you started with a two week booking, and as you got better so did the money. Your goal was to headline. It would go from a two week booking, to a two month booking. They kept bringing you back, as long as the crowds kept coming. You had constant exposure to managers, booking agents, and record companies. The clubs gave you every opportunity to improve yourself. A bonus was you didn’t have to break your instruments down every night. When I see what bands now have to go through today, I feel for them…BIG TIME!! Now, regardless of how good, or not so good, you are, YOU must guarantee the club owner that you will bring a minimum audience of 30 people with you! (They don’t even ask to hear your music!) And HE will allow you to keep anywhere from $1 to $5 from the admission charged at the door! Meanwhile, HE is raking in tons of money from the bar that you see none of! Forget about being paid.
I've been blogging for a little while now, and it occurred to me that not one of my blogs has focused on music...... So if you're interested, or even if you're not interested, here's the first of my music blogs..... Even though I spent most of my life in music, those rumors that were circulating that I once jammed with John Phillip Sousa were bogus....I haven't been around quite that long....But he did have a back-stage pass! I've played Jazz, (small group and big band) and have overcome the snobbery that went with that.....R&B...Rock, and every type of ethnic music you can imagine..... I went from tuxes and suits to jeans and the fuzzy-do you see in my photo....Yes folks I was a six foot one brunette dandelion..... Now, however, to cut down on wind resistance on the treadmill, I shaved it all off!! So while people are combing, primping and blow drying their hair...I simply take out a can of Old English, and polish my head!
The reason that I even bring this up is that some people tended to judge your music by what you were wearing instead of what you were playing. I never got that memo, so when I wore a tank top while drumming, I wasn't trying to be sexy, I was trying not to be stinky!! I didn't want the sea-gulls circling while I drummed!!! (If ya get my drift!) I was being called enough names....didn't want to add "STINKY BOBBY" to the mix!! With me it was always about the music! Either the music was good..or it was bad.. Also it was a matter of taste... and I don't cling to the past, my clothes do....But that's another story. Wow there's SO much great new music out there and great new artists, we should at the very least give them a shot! Clinging to the past makes you go backwards. Me I like forward motion.... Keeps ya young!!! If you'd like to view some of my musical history go to www.freeflowingsalt.com ..it's a TRIP!!
Oh by the way...the "BOYS" downtown, (I think you know who I'm talking about) are calling me "BOBBY BLOGS!!" That's what they wanna call me, who am I to argue?? So from now on, I'll be doing "BIG BAD BOBBY BLOGS! veRY sCaRy!
In future blogs I'll try to cover different types of music and platforms... My next music blog will cover Bands on line...Podcasting.
Love to hear from you!! Comments welcomed!!
