Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes your station in life is handed to you on a platter, and other times, no matter how hard you try, you will never achieve your dreams and goals.
Stupid of me
With the above in mind, here is my theory and the gist of a business idea I presented to RCA Records President Bob Jaimeson:
• Record labels invest in genuinely creative acts (like Pink Floyd and The Doors) that produce quality products, which then generate billions of dollars. This type of music becomes the industry standard for the Rock genre, as well as for generations of Rock fans.
• The aforementioned “standards” make money year after year so easily that the music industry has the ability to focus on developing new artists. However, it rarely operates outside of the proven revenue generators of the past.
• In the 1980s, industry returns skyrocketed as formats switched from LP to CD. The lesson for executives? “The more I sit back and relax, the more money I make!”
• Next, the major labels get fat and lazy, like well-fed pigeons in a park. They forget about their core A&R values and focus only on short-term easy money. They do this in part by spending money on marketing and advertising (remember Vanilla Ice, Millie Vanilli and CMC Music Factory?) It was easier for the company to pedal the crap they already had and swallow it for the consumer. Creatively speaking, they were only interested in music that was produced cheaply.
• Meanwhile, the industry ignores bands like Dave Matthews and Phish. These bands generate millions of dollars from live performances, money that bypasses the record company and goes straight into the pockets of the artists.
• This “game changer” of marketing music “products” and producing cheap music may work for a while, but it will never outstrip music sales based on the talent and cultivation of musicians and songwriters like Dylan, Elvis, Beatles, U2, etc. Eagles, AC/DC and other standard artists.
• This new process also stiffens the arms of the 30-plus-year-old audience, who have since found solace in the “new” country music.
Hey, but I’m the guy with no business background. Stupid of me.
meat and potatoes
The pitch I delivered seemed pretty simple. Here were my notes:
• Return to classic A&R practices by seeking out and cultivating talented artists and bands in the classic Rock ‘N Roll genre. In other words, follow the same process that produced The Dead, Lynard Skynard, Cream, Buffalo Springfield, YES, and the like.
• This cohort would continue with the “new” standards of Rock music.
• Work to develop your music over a long period of time (think of the many albums Bonnie Raitt produced before she became successful). In other words, stay with the artist and leave room for some failure.
• My proposed musical model would be Classic Rock from the 70’s and 80’s. My expectation would be that the songs of these newer bands would satisfy older fans of, say, AC/DC, and be fit for classic rock radio. In fact, these stations could play these new songs today among the many other classics currently on their playlist.
(The only band I can think of that even came close to achieving what I describe was The Black Crows. They were brilliant when they collaborated with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. I think it attracted the disenfranchised listeners I mentioned earlier, turning them into into Black Crows fans forever. All they did was take advantage of the Classic Rock channeling).
• Finally, according to the pitch design, I would be the one to clarify the business model and implement it for the label.
To prove a point
It seems that radio formats go through cycles quite quickly. The Smooth Jazz station turns into Alternative Rock seemingly overnight. The Lite FM station to Deportes 24 Horas, and so on. The only genre that is made up is Classic Rock. For example, try the following on your next road trip: As you flip through the stations, note the variety in each radio market. Now, find the classic rock station in every market. I guarantee it will be prominent on the dial and easy to tune. For me, this means that there are a lot of people listening and that there is a high demand. Rarely will you hear a new song from a new band. You may also notice that these classic rock stations play the same thing, over and over again. In terms of my presentation, this meant that the company had abandoned a large market. Like a grocery store that sells the same line of food year after year, because people liked it. Instead, why not give them something “new and improved” and keep selling the classics? Perhaps the new product line will even become the staple of the future!
Don’t let the door…
In preparation for my upcoming meeting, I asked RCA to send me recent information and communications. Soon, a package arrived containing recordings from newly signed bands, current tour lists, and a breakdown of ongoing projects. I studied and listened. In those days, RCA was directionless and apparently had no interest in Rock ‘N’ Roll. I had been in an RCA band years before and personally felt that the company was asleep at the wheel. The cds in the package were disappointing. Overall, it seemed like the label was too busy following trends instead of creating them.
On the day of my meeting, I received a warm welcome from the RCA staff. I had just finished a listening session and the A&R staff were milling around. There were lingering suits outside the conference room in heated discussion. Bob Jamieson came over, introduced himself, and asked me to wait a few more minutes. About an hour later, I was escorted into his office and left alone for a while. It was then that I studied the photos and memorabilia to get an idea of the man to whom I would send my business proposal. Finally, he came back and we sat down to talk.
I started with my theory of a “New” Rock ‘N’ Roll, catering to an older, private market. I spared no details and spoke from the heart as if we were at Happy Hour in our third round. As my presentation progressed, Bob was distracted by phone calls, impromptu meetings, and paperwork. He also came out and talked to his secretary for several minutes. When he returned, he had a copy of the original letter he had sent them and was flipping through it. It was obvious that he had not read it. It also became apparent that he had no idea who I was and why I so desperately wanted to meet him. Also, I didn’t get the feeling that this guy knew much about music. He would refer to bands or songs to prove a point and I was waiting for the “Yes! I know what you mean!” type of response. Instead, Bob became restless and fidgety. After about ten minutes, he politely excused himself and ended our meeting. He looked like a man tortured by meaningless talk about music, by a musician no less. The horror!
…I hit you on the way out!
As he escorted me out of his office, I could see the red face of his secretary, Claudette, as she walked past his desk. She looked away when I thanked her for inviting me. The look on her face told me that she received a real reprimand from her boss for setting up this meeting. She was in deep shit. I felt like Jerry Maguire in the movie, the morning after he delivered his infamous Mission Statement. Embarrassed by misdirected passions and humiliated by my naivety. I was floating on water in another world and realized I had no idea how it worked. “You know, you’d make a great A&R guy,” she said as she waited for the elevator. “It’s just that we’re not hiring anyone right now.” “Gee,” I thought, “thanks for offering me the hypothetical job.” I came in wanting to restore Rock ‘N’ Roll to its rightful throne. I went out in search of my dignity.
the later story
Bob Jamieson contacted me some time later and asked me to meet with one of his A&R guys. He maybe he had the opportunity to reflect on our meeting and my ideas. I took the meeting. I don’t remember the guy’s name, but I do remember that every few minutes he would suppress a yawn. After that, there were no further discussions or meetings with RCA.
In hindsight, I think things could have gone either way for me. Taking the risk for my “launch” paid off, and I’ve done it again ever since. From an early age, I believed that you had to be the best at what you did. That is what really matters. This is a noble mission, but much is left out of that statement. There’s your roommate at Yale or NYU, the personal connections to your neighbors in Great Neck or Scarsdale, the charity your family supports, your handicap on the golf course, the size of your trust fund, your frat brothers, your father’s Wall Street partners, your wife the banker, or the Board chaired by your mother. I have never had any of these “active”. Instead, after my RCA meeting, I could feel the heel of the moccasin on my forehead as I was repelled from the party boat.
a valuable lesson
The lesson I learned was this: Assess, acknowledge, move on. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes your station in life is handed to you on a platter, and other times, no matter how hard you try, you will never achieve your dreams and goals. If that’s the case, don’t make a big deal out of it, just move on to the next effort. However, it is important that you continue to assert yourself. Do the hard work and don’t worry too much about the outcome. Two years later, in a strange twist, I became an elementary school teacher in the New York City public school system. In a way, I felt like I had answered a call. Teach and fit as hand in hand. On the other hand, thanks to my teaching job, my music career has never been better. I was finally able to say “no” to substandard or poorly paid gigs. Also, my schedule was suddenly full, which made my time more valuable for me and my clients. Surprisingly, leaving my old lifestyle was as easy as dropping an ember. Assess, acknowledge, move on.
THE END