From: dbidwa@sei.cmu.edu (Daniel Bidwa)
Subject: Re: Devil CD's
Keywords: hot rails to hell
Organization: The Software Engineering Institute
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 14:50:11 EST


nasiatka@anhep3.anl.gov.bitnet (Jim Wylde) writes:
|> dbidwa@sei.cmu.edu (Daniel Bidwa) writes:
|> >B) Who cares about the record companies -- in this age of inexpensive
|> >multitrack recording, it's not like record companies are really necessary
|> >for anything more than distribution (and maybe promotion), except maybe the
|> >initial chunk of cash needed to press the record.
|> Oh, excuse me.  Inexpensive multitrack recording is not inexpensive.
|> Go and check out studio time, and then come on back.  As far as
|> promotion and distribution goes, that's BIG chunk of stuff.  You
|> work for a radio station, how much does ad time run?  You get 
|> how many new records free each week, how many other radio stations
|> across the country do?  You think a band from podunk Iowa (or
|> Seattle) has the immediate resources to tap into record stores,
|> chains, radio stations across the country?

In short, yes it is, we don't do ads, lots, yes. :-) 
Multitrack isn't cheap, but it certainly isn't prohibitively expensive, unless
a band plans on camping out in the studio for months. (Again, I think this is
probably a difference in opinion between us: I think that studio time is when
you record, not when you write. Embellishments are okay, but it's ridiculous
to spend more than a few days in the studio for recording.) Admittedly, it
helps a bunch if the producer/engineer (in smaller studios, the two positions
tend to blur pretty severely) knows how to work on the cheap, and with less --
Jack Endino (who effectively created the present "Seattle sound", for whatever
that's worth) did his first (and, IMO, best) recordings on four- and
eight-tracks. It's completely possible to do a good-sounding record for under
$2,000. (Actually, my favorite method of recording bands is to mix the whole
band down to two-track DAT, which doesn't allow for any reworking, but which
does make things sound much more cohesive, IMO.)

>how much does ad time run?

How often do you hear ads for specific records? Shows, yes, but records? (I
admit, I don't listen to much typical commercial radio, so it's hard for me to
say, but it seems unlikely.)

As for promotion, I know that most major labels send out way too many copies,
with most of the extras ending up in local used record stores. In my
experience, an initial mailing of _maybe_ 100 copies to select stations and
magazines is plenty. If it's good, other people will want it, and they'll let
you know. (I think we're talking about different worlds here too, though. The
indie-rock/grunge/alternative/whatever music scene is small enough that
getting the word out about new releases doesn't require a media flood; in
fact, floods are generally suspect. Still, I don't think this is completely
inapplicable to the more "pop" record labels.)

|> You never had to spend $3,000 on a new power amp, or buy 8 hours 
|> of studio time, or replace a $20,000 light system...
|> Musicians also like to eat and pay bills and stuff too.

Naw, it only cost a grand to replace our club's toasted monitor amps, and our
light system wasn't anything near $20K. (Personally, I wouldn't bother with
a light rig that costly, but YMMV; besides, like you said, there are shows
meant for arenas. Hard to do big theatre in teeny clubs.)

|> >I think a lot of this depends on why people get involved in music. If
|> >someone's in a band to "make it", as is the American Rock Music Dream, then
|> >all of this makes sense. If someone's in a band to make music that they
|> >like, then all this is less important. (This tends to drop into the whole
|> >"artistic purity vs. commercialization" argument, which may or may not be
|> >relevant, since there's plenty of shitty music being made on both sides of
|> >the coin.) 
|> Usually those who are in it just to "make it" are classified as
|> one hit wonders. (re where are they now... Millie Vanillie...)

Hmm, not always. I don't see any difference between Milli Vanilli and, say,
Slaughter. When I say a band that's looking to "make it", I mean any band that
forms with the intent of getting rich and becoming famous -- any band that's
looking to break into the music "industry" gets tarred by the same brush. Not
that there's any public portrayal of any other reason to play music -- look at
that stupid "Heights" show. How many times do you ever see anyone saying that
the best reason to play music is the music? How many times are these people
not so rich from their music that you can actually believe them? (Other than
the Partridge Family, I can't think of anybody in the popular arena.)

|> There is always a compromise between pure music and pure business.
|> your in the industry. you know this. 

No, I'm not "in the industry", and it's totally by choice. I make music
(although some would beg to differ :-), I help other people make music, but I
don't see and refuse to treat music like a commodity any more than absolutely
necessary. (This all sounds swell, I suppose, but somebody's still gotta pay
the electricy bill every month, so I guess that's where the compromise comes
in. Suppose I'd better climb back off the soapbox. :-)

|> If you can compromise a bit, you stand a better chance of hitting it big
|> and then being able to do exactly what you want.

I guess that's what I'm saying -- I'd rather just do what I want, and not
bother with hitting it big. I'm not opposed to capitalism, but I do think it
should be driven by the music, not the other way around.

|> >|> Hell, up till recently, I ran the Gay Metal Society here in Chicago.
|> >|> Group of Heavy Metal Homos into all sorts of rock/metal.  We did parties
|> >|> and had metal nights at local queer bars, and were somewhat political in
|> >|> interfacing with the music scene out here.  You'd be surprised how many
|> >|> gays/lesbians there are on the rock scene...
|> >
|> >Probably. I just wish more of them would be willing to come out of the
|> >closet. Heck, David Geffen did it, and now look what he got -- Nirvana!
|> >(Further proof that queers have a stranglehold on culture...:-)
|> Yeah, that'd be nice.  I could out soooooooo many, but I'm  a nice
|> guy. (snicker)  

Oh, come on! Dish! Dish!

(obmotss: Dish!)

Dan



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dbidwa@sei.cmu.edu                                    Barbie says math is hard!