Lukather’s Word … Today?

credit: wikipedia

Steve Lukather spoke his mind about the state of the recording industry 11 years ago. Music’s digital economy had fully taken root, transitioned from physical mediums (CDs mostly) to shareable files and streaming. Industry gatekeepers took full advantage. More for them, less for you — the artist, I mean. We became awash in content. As well, consumer attitudes shifted. After years of sharing and YouTube, we pretty much expect to summon any song from anyone, at any time, at zero cost. Professional recording incomes imploded and became loss leaders for lucrative tours and glacially increasing stream incomes — the new economy. (I’m NOT going to say paradigm because I loathe kitschy biz-speak!) Unfortunately, artists like Steve Lukather and tons of other A-listers, former and remaining as previously exposéd on this blog, are experiencing the absolute worst time in adjusting. I’d go further and say a fair number haven’t adjusted at all, still clutching to the idea that an excellent, expensive recording by the industry’s top professionals should mean a decent financial return. Rock star millions for gold and platinum sales …
Um, no. 

This was one of Steve’s gripes within his epic rant so many years ago. His words have apparently undergone rebranding and are now recirculating on the social networks with this photo.

Lots of truth, no doubt, but how well do they hold up today? Sour grapes or truth bombs?
Maybe both.

He begins with derisions over the top streaming sites of that era, Spotify and iTunes. At the time, streaming income thumbscrews were exceptionally tight. Since 2012, more artists have spread themselves to more lucrative monetization ala YouTube and others, where incomes are based on traffic and ad sales, live event contributions (Super Chats), influencer links, licensing, and other endorsement opportunities. The number of available monetized platforms are spreading too … Rumble, Twitter. This is in addition to Spotify and Apple.

“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich was better, totally better.”
~ David Lee Roth, Van Halen

Steve’s 35-year recording catalogue income pretty much dried up in 2011. Dreadful travesty. He was not alone. If you weren’t a major touring act, or merely a hired gun, odds are you weren’t making nearly the coin to which you’d grown accustomed. Rock star millionaires became over-worked stiffs, just like that.

Respectable streaming incomes are difficult to attain, to say the least. Only the top-level artists generate enough clicks. Breakouts are rare, but not unheard of, and the marketing behind that is another subject worthy of its own blog. Now for some harsh truth …

“TOO many people can make records. Period.”

This was also an often-repeated gripe in the ‘60s. Anyone with enough talent and cash could mosey up to a mic and let the cutting needle drop. True, there weren’t many places to do this, and it wasn’t exactly cheap either, but if you had the talent, generally, you could be on a recording. And if you knew the right people, you could be on the radio. Again — gatekeepers. Remember payola? Same story, different methods now. Leverage.

But let me get back to Steve’s assertion. Fantastic recording gear is everywhere now. Relative pricing for astounding-level productions is peanuts. Everyone's got a studio, or at least, the ability to record their own parts with a modest level of competence. Don't know how? Watch YouTube! What very few of them possess is the knowledge to record at the top professional level. Without sounding homogenized, I mean. Now, I realize that part’s become subjective these days given popular consumer demands and futurecasting AI — new concerns entirely. Steve’s on point here. Way too many people flooding the market. Anyone can make a record. Not everyone can make a good record. Fewer still can make an honestly unique recording. We’re awash with oversupply. Doesn’t matter how good it is, chances are it will go unnoticed in the noise.

“Now it’s beats and how many Facebook hits or YouTube hits you get.”

Truer today than ever, except this next line …

“ALL which either make NO money or short-term dog-shit money with no real way to account for it and truly suck for the most part. “

No longer true. Clicks can make one fabulously wealthy. Trending is king now — period. Chances are though, it won’t be as a music artist unless you’ve got that aforementioned marketing beast at your six … and the favor of the gatekeepers and copyright defenders, who will sap your earnings in turn. Steve’s not wrong about that, either. There's a hefty price for the help. [Cue devil at the crossroads scene]
Don’t be naïve about the business side of music. How many times does someone need to say “It’s a BUSINESS” before it sinks in?

“People want to be famous NOT good! 
It is TOO easy to play 'pretend pop star’ now. With all the fakery and auto tune-time correction -cut and paste etc.. fuck most young people don’t know how to play a song from top to bottom in a studio in tune and in time and with feeling??”

Might be a grand generalization on Steve’s part. I see tons of kids practicing their asses off to be incredible on their instruments. It’s all over the net. There are more fantastic players — at astounding technical levels — due to the notoriety competition created by platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, etc. This was true in 2011 too, so maybe sour grapes? Thing is, yeah sure, some 5-year old kid can rip scales, or tap bass better than Victor Wooten. Some 8 year old girl can play Tom Sawyer. We’re drowning in kid wonder covers, to be honest. Suffice to add thousands of technical wizards at every age. What hits have any of them written? Do they sound ORIGINAL?
Of course not, and there’s another dissertation-length rant waiting for ink … not necessary, perhaps. We all know it.

I want to touch on the recording acumen though. Is it really that important for one to be able to play a song in the recording studio from beginning to end? (feeling aside)

With today’s technology, I’d say no. It’s inefficient. Sounds cold, I know. Most artists don’t have the financial flexibility to take weeks or months for their records. Sad, and this is likely the reason for creative absence. It’s a Content-Now economy. Throw the dung on the wall, see what sticks. Repeat. That’s how it is unless you do have the finances … and that usually means the gatekeepers again. Your talent and your ideas equal dollar signs. At their risk, so they call the shots. Business. <sigh>

“They make 'McRecords’ for people who don’t even really listen.”

Again, truth.  Blame modern lo-fi consumption (phones) and lo-fi streaming. Steve’s words are crystal to this end. Yet I know a good many kids who appreciate the records from the golden era – 60s through ‘90s. And vinyl’s making a notable comeback if you hadn’t noticed. Of all people, Lars Ulrich and Metallica are major players now.

So maybe there’s a glimmer of hope. Records are selling, trending streams pay, good shows sell. Maybe we’ll experience a renaissance in originality as the competition heats up. Artwork is making a return (yay!). Maybe too, with all these incredible ubiquitous recording tools at our disposal, great music may make its return. Will no one sound alike? I think part of that ship has sailed. There are only 12 notes, so many guitar sounds, so many drum sounds, bass sounds, horns, strings, keyboards, exotic and traditional world instruments … words and phrases.

At some point we’ll have heard it all and done quite well in immersive sonic luxury.

Then what?

The Business of Music and Sheila E.

 

 

Check this out ...

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1625197391322693

(unfortunately, Blogger doesn't embed Fb reels -- DOH!)

I beg you, don’t misunderstand me here—I love me some Sheila E.—monumental star talent whose accolades speak volumes. On that note, when she does speak it’s wise to listen.

Here, she’s interviewed by one of my all-time favorite clinicians and distanced-mentors, Dom Famularo, about the business of music. Pretty standard stuff here; all perfect advice. Love it!

One thing though, the reel focuses mainly from the viewpoint of a contract hitman—a session or touring player—not necessarily a band-oriented endeavor. Maybe a small miss in the editing?

Okay, here’s my take on it …

Part of today’s creativity lag stems around this very subservient mindset. “Check your ego at the door if you want to be called back often,” etc. I’d much rather become part of a group of shared mindsets, talents, and goals—musically compatible, and accepted primarily for our signature sound. Yes, of course we should all be punctual, friendly, positive, and know what we’re doing. That’s called being professional. Goes without saying. But if you want originality, band together for what the artists bring to the table, besides professionalism and ability.

Not that I could now, but I stopped taking sessions long ago for someone merely needing a drummer, especially if they didn’t want my style or sound (to a certain degree of flexibility, mind you). I’d rather stay home in that case; there’s nothing in it for me. Let the drum ho play it or use loops, you’ll get exactly what you want. But, if you want me for me, and the goals are shared, I’m all-in.

Think about this: Stewart Copeland never gets called for drums sessions where any skilled drummer would suffice. Not Alex Van Halen, Neil Peart, (RIP), Phil Collins, or any drummer who played for a successful band where the drums were a signature part of their overall sound. If they played on someone else’s record it was for their sound. So, to that end, it really depends on your personal goals in contrast or compliance with the band’s goals. If session work and being part of a band where you’re easily replaceable is your thing, that’s quite all right. Kenny Aronoff, Simon Phillips, and a gazillion others have major successful careers even though you’d never know it was them behind the kit on most of their sessions. They're not complaining, I know.

Sheila E.’s advice reminds of Thelonious Monk’s “25 Tips” some 60 years ago. All good stuff. Chick Corea also posted some nuggets. What they can’t tell you is how to be original. It’s simple: don’t sound like anyone else, and find others that also don't sound or play like anyone else. The world is awash with copies.

But yes, definitely take their advice on every other topic. Gold!

Here's Sheila E.'s full Sessions Panel interview:

Thanks Dom, and Get Well :)

/T

It's a Business!

The link below opens a great read for every aspiring original music artist:

https://www.mcbrayerfirm.com/blogs-intellectual-property-blog,taylor-swift-music-copyright-law

From this point on, I’ll assume you took the time and laid eyes on Mr. Rosene’s insightful blog.

Copyright law and, more pointedly, the ignorance of it, has wreaked havoc on the most well-intentioned artists for decades. I’ve witnessed bands broken, friendships destroyed, full-on robberies, and worst of all, the abysmal purgatory of album prison — great music forever lost to egotistical hoarding by the physical copyright owners (the “master rights” mentioned in the article), or some other legal dispute. It may be that someone whose general distrust and ignorance got the better of them. Who wrote what parts? Who wrote this music? What’s fair? Is the cowbell I added part of that music? What if it’s the signature “sound” of your hit? If Tim plays it on the radio, who gets paid and when? If Chris played it in a bar, who will know? Did anyone ask permission? Should the writer care? Should they feel ripped off or flattered? Are they greedy or saints?

I don’t know a single artist-musician that didn’t, at some point, incur some anxiety or impact over copyright law. After all, they just want to make great records and, if they’re fortunate, perform it in front of vast audiences. Many of them are forced to trust other people to do what’s right where the business side of music occurs. And that’s what gets them in trouble.

Back to the blog …

Rosene’s cautionary tale(s) are fantastic reasons to at least acquire a rudimentary (snuck in some drum-speak ;) education on the business you’re either entering or already engaged. Yes, dadgummit, it’s a business! If you don’t have the means to make your own professionally-produced, commercial-grade recordings, marketed by your own well-oiled global PR machine, chances are you’ll need a good agent and the resources of an established record label. Quality productions incur significant costs, and nobody will lay theirs on the line without some agreement — a contract — that represents their opportunity for a great investment return. Liking your music doesn’t pay the bills. That part was largely missing from Rosene’s entry.

Remember, it’s a business.

Now … what about those capital investors who bought Taylor Swift’s back catalog? Who’s to keep other artists (if they’re able) from doing the same, destroying the label’s or other investor’s potential? I imagine contracts will forbid it going forward. Nice going, Taylor. Might be leverage for renegotiation, too. Strike “might” and substitute “likely”.

By now, if you’re a happy-go-lucky sort of artist, this has all given you a complete headache. You reach for your ukulele, test its tuning, then take a draw on your vapor thingy before working out a new blissful melody … maybe jot a few notes in your comp book. Hey, I get it; you might not be standing at the bridge’s approach. Copyrighting and Copyright law isn’t for everyone, suffice to mention all disciplines necessary to successfully navigate the music industry. It’s a good idea though — to know when something’s wrong. Sure, not everyone can afford expensive legal help. In those cases, there’s an enormous wealth of helpful info out there. Ignorance is on YOU!

To copyright your works:
https://copyright.gov/registration/

Learn what ASCAP and BMI can do for you by registering your works:
(This is about different royalty types and how artists are compensated for performance of their works)
https://www.ascap.com/
https://www.bmi.com/

But not lastly, once you’ve got them ducks aligned and have that pro recording in hand, ya might think about joining a larger band …

https://www.recordingacademy.com/
(You’ll need a couple key friends, though!)