Rage Against The Machine for Christmas No1

quote:

Originally posted by Stephen Tate:


As for RATM, i think they are jumped up angry young men....

One of my all time hero's was an angry young man, and who's that you ask well from the greatest Punk band ever JOE STRUMMER, god rest his soul and I bet he'd love this and be buying the track just like I just did.

Though as I see across the interweb many people are missing the point of this now...

C'mon



Dean...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Stephen Tate:
Why does everyone hate Simon Cowell so much.QUOTE]

I only loath him - a lot of it is to do with his bad haircut and he is a bit spooky, but also because my nine year old daughter thinks to be a pop star you have to win x factor

quote:

One of my all time hero's was an angry young man, and who's that you ask well from the greatest Punk band ever JOE STRUMMER

The Clash were a wonderful band and IMHO the second greatest punk band ever.

You know who I'd put first - it was easy, it was cheap, go and do it - please click here.

Download for free and neither Simon C nor RATM will be #1

quote:

Originally posted by Bananahead:


Bestest first post ever.

Shucks. SC lured out of lurkerdom.

Don't tell anyone but I don't own a single bit of Naim gear though this may change one day. I find the Music Room full of interesting recommendations and opinions.

FWIW I like RATM but can't help thinking of Status Quo with all their recurring riffs.

It'll drop off Munch and Joe's sales will increase

Is it not true that CD single sales are in the proverbial shitter, so how is a physical version going to make a difference? Just bought my second copy



Dean...

quote:

Originally posted by munch:

quote:

Originally posted by Diccus62:
It'll drop off Munch and Joe's sales will increase

His cd hits the shops tomorrow.
So i think you might be right.

I'm thinking of buying a copy to keep RATM off the top spot

quote:

Originally posted by Whizzkid:
Is it not true that CD single sales are in the proverbial shitter, so how is a physical version going to make a difference? Just bought my second copy

Dean...

true. less than 10% of chart registered single sales are physical.

BUT X Factor also appeals to a demographic that is far removed from download culture. Simon Cowell's christmas single releases have a history of strong week one physical sales.

I checked out Off Chart Co today. Rage were 60% up on Joe by close of play yesterday.

You are right...it will take a lot of physical sales.

So its still wide open!

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:

quote:

Originally posted by munch:

quote:

Originally posted by Diccus62:
It'll drop off Munch and Joe's sales will increase

His cd hits the shops tomorrow.
So i think you might be right.

I'm thinking of buying a copy to keep RATM off the top spot

I heard Joe's record - absolutely wonderf awful - I'm not buying that no matter what.

quote:

Originally posted by Sniper:
Simon Cowell - a more arrogant man it is difficult to imagine. He thinks he knows about music but I wonder if he could tell a Mozart symphony from a Beethoven?

Love him or loathe him Simon Cowell is an A&R man in the true sense of the word (as well as a very astute businessman). A&R is about artists and repertoire - matching the repertoire with the artist to create a hit. What Simon does is no different to the Tin Pan Alley era or Motown label; as well any artist who sang other people's songs (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, et al)

Having said that I would love to see RATM at #1 for Christmas

The first two days of sales in both the single and album charts have traditionally been the time when hard core fans will go and buy their favourite bands records on all available formats to show huge support, and I expect that sales of the Rage single have followed this trend. The rest of the week is when the casual buyer who hears a nice tune on the radio will go and buy stuff from an actual Olde Worlde record shop (or Asda) in a physical format, i.e CD single. Saturday is the most key day in pop and I'd expect that all the grannies, aunties and teenage admirers of Joe will hit the stores and buy enough copies to see Rage fall way behind. It's quite common for an indie type single that has a mid week of the number 1 or 2 spot to be as low as 8, 9, or even out of the ten once the Saturday pop sales kick in.

I'd rather something cool and not influenced by a turgid national Karaoke contest hit the number one spot, but the campaign to get Rage to number one seems a bit naff to me.

And since TOTP came to an end, who actually cares that much? The singles chart doesn't have the cultural importance that it once had.

Anyway, I'm probably rambling. There's a great three for a tenner wine offer on at Tesco and I made a start! ;-)

Regards,

Mickey

quote:

Originally posted by King Size:
.... What Simon does is no different to the Tin Pan Alley era or Motown label; as well any artist who sang other people's songs (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, et al)

Don't like any of the others you list either - I didn't really like Chinn/Chapman Stock/Aithken/Waterman either - perhaps I've never got on with music from the hit makers.

As Mickey says since the late great Fluff stopped saying Greetings pop pickers what has the hit parade mattered.

Any old musicians here fancy launching Age Against The Machine? We can sing Fuck Me, My Hip Needs Replacing?

Best,

Mickey ;-)

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:

quote:

Originally posted by King Size:
.... What Simon does is no different to the Tin Pan Alley era or Motown label; as well any artist who sang other people's songs (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, et al)

Don't like any of the others you list either - I didn't really like Chinn/Chapman Stock/Aithken/Waterman either - perhaps I've never got on with music from the hit makers.

As Mickey says since the late great Fluff stopped saying Greetings pop pickers what has the hit parade mattered.

No problem there. I'm just saying that it's easy to take pot shots at him, but he's actually very good at his job (whether you like the music he is responsible for or not) and probably does know hs Mozart from his Beethoven.

A lot of what he says to the contestants each week is totally fair and usually concise. It's the audience that turn it into a panto by jeering over every slightly negative comment he makes. But it's hard to sustain admiration for his perception when he and his show have just inflicted Joe upon us, a boy-bander who lacks the X Factor and who would maybe be more at home in the theatre singing in Joseph. Good luck to the lad but bloody hell, he's blander than Sir Cliff!

As an A&R man, I'm not sure Cowell is that good at all. I think the fact there's a national light entertainment talent show beamed into our living rooms each Saturday for months on end is the greatest marketing tool in the world for him. This makes his job of getting his winning "star" to number one for Christmas pretty bloody easy. And he doesn't even have to decide who to sign!!! The punters decide for him! Next there's a flash in the pan famous for 15 nano seconds blip on the radar, then the winner vanishes without trace, which kind of makes him rubbish at his job of selecting stars who are supposed to have long and fruitful careers in music.

The X Factor. It's all about Cowell. And the money made in phone calls. It is not about discovering talent whatsoever. If that was the case they'd have pulled this years show after the team of judges schlepped around the UK searching for Leona MK 2. It was clear from the off that not one person they selected to proceed had any X factor. Cowell is the star as far as he, Sony BMG and ITV etc are concerned.

It's a tarted up, huge money making Opportunity Knocks. Just a shame that the airwaves are awash with it.

Simon Cowells bank balance gets bigger, though contestents and winners go back to their day jobs, yep he sure is a genius at finding talent.


Click through photo's


Where Are They Now



Dean...

Very well said Michael, summed it all up.

quote:

Originally posted by Whizzkid:
Simon Cowells bank balance gets bigger, though contestents and winners go back to their day jobs, yep he sure is a genius at finding talent.

... but then there are as well (aside from Leona Lewis) ...



Kelly Clarkson - 2 Grammy's, 12 Billboard Music Awards

Carrie Underwood - 4 Grammy's, 14 Billboard Music Awards, 5 Country Music Awards, 5 American Music Awards

Jennifer Hudson - 1 Grammy, 1 Academy Award (Oscar), 1 Golden Globe

... and actually quite a few more with millions of albums sold.

as of last night

Rage = 253,000 (all digital!)
Joe McThunderbird = 216,000 (inc 60,000 CD yesterday)

[sigh] I grew up with RATM, but part of me wishes the person that started this campaign, had picked something genuinely independent (that doesn't put money back into Sony's pocket). Those sales could change the lives of deserving, hardworking bands..of which they are many...and their small label.

[its not as simple as that of course...but I wish it were!]

it has been great fun watching it unfold in any case...

its also made everybody realise that Top of the Pops has gone and that between TOTP disappearing and now...they didn't give a toss what was in the Top 10!

Bring back TOTP should be the next serious PR-able facebook campaign!

I've got RATM soaring as i type

munch, gap def closed to only 37,000 to date. by the time you've read it in the media its changed already. trust me! i'm trying to give you inside info here

Traditional route = have talent, work hard, show some originality, maybe produce new material, create a following, get noticed by label, receive investment, have deserved success.

Cowells route = trawl through mass audition, stand as judge and jury over the shortlist, apply sledgehammer media exposure, public picks a winner, 15 minutes fame, back to Macdonalds 12 months later. This is not A & R as I understand it but something very different

It is Cowell who is devil incarnate in all this, he has too much power and it's this constant puking out of karaoke stars singing generic dross who then are held up as role models to the young and impressionable that isn't good for music. There's nothing wrong with talent shows but that isn't what X factor is - it's a cynical production line just like a turbo charged Stock Aitken Waterman was a few years ago.

IMO the RATM phenomenum is a brilliant way of drawing this whole debate into the open and in my personal experience as a father of impressional kids is making them ask the quetion - why do I buy into X factor, should I not be looking beyond the brainwashing every saturday night?

All IMO of course

quote:

Originally posted by bornwina:
Traditional route = have talent, work hard, show some originality, maybe produce new material, create a following, get noticed by label, receive investment, have deserved success.

Cowells route = trawl through mass audition, stand as judge and jury over the shortlist, apply sledgehammer media exposure, public picks a winner, 15 minutes fame, back to Macdonalds 12 months later. This is not A & R as I understand it but something very different

It is Cowell who is devil incarnate in all this, he has too much power and it's this constant puking out of karaoke stars singing generic dross who then are held up as role models to the young and impressionable that isn't good for music. There's nothing wrong with talent shows but that isn't what X factor is - it's a cynical production line just like a turbo charged Stock Aitken Waterman was a few years ago.

IMO the RATM phenomenum is a brilliant way of drawing this whole debate into the open and in my personal experience as a father of impressional kids is making them ask the quetion - why do I buy into X factor, should I not be looking beyond the brainwashing every saturday night?

All IMO of course

Wonderful...you tell 'em!

quote:

Originally posted by MilesSmiles:

quote:

Originally posted by Whizzkid:
Simon Cowells bank balance gets bigger, though contestants and winners go back to their day jobs, yep he sure is a genius at finding talent.

... but then there are as well (aside from Leona Lewis) ...



Kelly Clarkson - 2 Grammy's, 12 Billboard Music Awards

Carrie Underwood - 4 Grammy's, 14 Billboard Music Awards, 5 Country Music Awards, 5 American Music Awards

Jennifer Hudson - 1 Grammy, 1 Academy Award (Oscar), 1 Golden Globe

... and actually quite a few more with millions of albums sold.

The Music industry in America having self congratulatory awards ceremonies proves what?

As CD sales fall around the world and the slack is not be taken up by downloads. From healthy growth through the 80's & 90's with great bands being formed and having continued success to the decline in the 00's with manufactured pop acts dominating the market and #1 in the charts reduced to being meaningless, the industry pats itself on the back as a job well done.

HISTORY OF MODERN MUSIC

The Buisness of making music ---> The Music Business -----> Business.


Dean...