BRITNEY SPEARS HAS [MUSICAL] CLOUT

The US business magazine Forbes has published its list of the highest-earning women in music for last year, with Britney Spears [USD$58M] narrowly pipping Taylor Swift [USD$57M] for the top prize.


Hot on their heels were Rihanna [USD$53M], Lady Gaga [USD$52M], Katy Perry [USD$45M], Beyonce [USD$40M], Adele [USD$35M], Sade [USD$33M], Madonna [USD$30M] and Shakira [USD$20M].

The music industry continues to evolve in quick fashion, to the extent that the aforementioned list of women are better described as “entertainers” rather than “musicians”. Whilst Britney Spears has been in and around the business end of the music industry for more than a decade, one could never comfortably describe her as a “musician”. Spears releases CDs [“Femme Fatale” being a big-seller in 2011] and tours the globe performing her songs [written by other people], however she is more so a “brand” to the general public. When factoring in her numerous endorsement contracts [an Elizabeth Arden fragrance deal is prominent] and television judging appearances, one can see that young Britney [well, she is only 31 years of age!] is a very marketable commodity who happens to occasionally sing a couple of songs.

A review of the 10 females listed reveals only 3 “musicians”: Taylor Swift, Adele and Sade. Whilst the balance of the list has varying degrees of “musical talent”, it is too much to ask to describe these stars as genuine musicians.

Let it be said, this is not a negative comment. This is how the music industry has evolved, and it may continue to trend in this manner for ever more. In previous decades, we have witnessed both female and male musicians branch out into acting and endorsement deals, however the vast majority of these musicians remain known for their core musicality. It will never be the case that bone fide female musicians will cease to exist; we simply need to accept that female “entertainers” will rule the roost for the future generations.

WHO NEEDS A RECORD LABEL?

Eskimo Joe [Australia’s answer to Coldplay] has adopted a novel approach to the financing of their sixth studio album.


The Perth-based band has set a target of raising AUD$40,000.00 by early February 2013 via the crowd-funding website Pozible, with the view to recording their new album in their own studio, The Wastelan. All potential financial donors to the project have the opportunity to share in various “benefits”, ranging from the chance to hear the new album prior to its release date [$500.00 donation] to a BBQ and private performance by the band [$6,000.00 donation]. Eskimo Joe has already raised $28,000.00 in 5 days.

Granted that Eskimo Joe is an established and successful rock band with a loyal global audience, their Pozible project is a great example of the embracement of new technology in the ever-evolving music industry. The band’s recent albums haven’t been able to match the commercial success of 2006’s “Black Fingernails, Red Wine”, thus it is no great surprise that Warner Music have set them free from their recording contract.

Only the strong survive in the face of adversity, and Eskimo Joe wisely invested the profits of their erstwhile financial success into the development of their own recording studio, providing a level of freedom to create their art without being too concerned about the high hourly costs of renting professional recording rooms. This point, in conjunction with the band’s established fan base and Internet site, almost negates the requirement for ongoing support from a major recording label moving forward.

If Eskimo Joe can continue to earn a comfortable living from music [and love what they do], then the “donation approach” to recording & producing studio albums is a very prudent decision and it will extend the life of the band. The financial muscle of a major label is a boost to an artist’s ego, however the present state of the music industry suggests that many labels won’t be forgoing un-recouped artist advances in the future. Every artist fears being heavily in debt to a label, as other labels don’t wish to assume the liability…

If an artist or a band has their “goodwill” and the “tools of trade” to continue a career in music, then who really needs a record label?

BEATLES: GUARANTEED CHRISTMAS PROFITS

Despite all of the negative publicity surrounding the future fortunes of EMI, their ownership of the master recordings of the entire Beatles catalogue is most definitely THE jewel in the crown of any record label. Whilst the supergroup officially disbanded more than 40 years ago and all possible recordings have been released to the public, enormous sales year-on-year warrant EMI’s marketing gurus to regularly dream up new strategies to exploit their most prized asset.


Christmas is the time of year for record labels to market their most lucrative product, and this year EMI have devised a masterstroke; blending the best in modern technology with the best in listening and viewing pleasure. The remastered Beatles catalogue will be released on high standard vinyl, lovingly packaged as a 14 album box set with familiar and little known photographs of the Fab Four.

In an era of declining sales of recorded product, EMI can’t lose this Christmas. The diehard Beatles fans will buy the box set, and the new fans will lap it up and test the sound quality on their recently acquired turntables.

After all is said and done, EMI is a business which needs to make profits in order to satisfy its shareholders. The general public will open their wallets at Christmas time, and for Beatles product. There will be a deservingly large Christmas bonus for EMI’s marketing team this year!!

HAS THE “ANNIVERSARY” AND “CLASSIC ALBUM” TOUR TREND RUN ITS COURSE?

2012 is an important year for popular music. It is 50 years since The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones started performing and releasing music; it is essential that their ongoing existence be acknowledged. The Beach Boys are presently touring the world, performing their hits, and The Rolling Stones are recording some new tracks with the view to embarking on a global tour in 2013.


Life is all about leveraging off a great idea until it has been exploited to within an inch of its self. The music press has revealed plans for an Eagles’ 40th anniversary tour [better be quick guys, 2012 is almost done!!], and we have seen numerous world tours of lesser-known artists for their 30th or 20th anniversaries. Many of these artists haven’t been actively performing for at least a decade; is there a qualifying period for active service in order to meet the requirements for an official anniversary tour?

In recent years, we have seen many artists touring a “classic album” [i.e. performing their best-known album in its entirety]. I’m not sure as to when this concept commenced [was it Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”], however this trend is beginning to wear thin. The Smashing Pumpkins have recently been touring 1993’s “Siamese Dream” AND making the cover The Rolling Stone magazine. Surely this is a step too far…

Is it a case that today’s popular artists are unable to “hold” an audience in live performance, or is the general public’s demand for a “tried and tested” format simply overpowering the development of new and original artists?

LIVE MUSIC VENUES IN AUSTRALIA – IT’S TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC

Newtown’s Sandringham Hotel, a famous live music venue in Sydney’s inner city, has been the subject of plenty media coverage over the past 12 months.


The Sando [as it is affectionately known] last changed ownership in 2005 at the height of Australia’s commercial property boom. The valuations of live music venues have plummeted since the Global Financial Crisis, primarily due to restrictive anti-smoking and gaming legislations introduced in Australia during the past decade. The proprietor of The Sando simply isn’t generating enough cash flow to pay his loans, thus his Bank has decided to foreclose on the debt and sell the business.

There have been plenty of famous local musicians attempting to rally support to “Save The Sando”, due to its history and importance in the Sydney live music industry, however despite these best endeavours the actions have been in vain.

Let’s delve deeper into the sagging fortunes of Australia’s live music venues.

The live music scene peaked in Australia in the early 1980’s, when pubs and clubs were packed like sardines 7 nights a week with enthusiastic audiences. There were never enough bands and solo artists to meet demand, and Australia’s music fortunes were flying.

Over time, the introduction of the Internet changed everything. Our lives are so much busier in the present day; we simply don’t have time to go out 2-3 nights a week to see a live music performance. The Internet is a more convenient [and cheaper] form of entertainment.

It has never been tougher than now to make a living in the music industry, and this comment also extends to proprietors of live music venues. The local music scene has changed significantly in the past 5 years, with the electronic medium swiftly overtaking our historical values.

The Sando isn’t an isolated case; there are plenty of live music venues sitting dormant around Australia since 2008. These venues will most likely be converted into residential apartments, as this is an investment which will never go out of fashion.

AND WHO SAID THAT DRUMMERS DON’T MAKE MONEY IN THE MUSIC GAME?

Continuing in the same vein as my previous article [“Song Writing Bass Players”], I recently read with interest that The Beatles’ Ringo Starr is the wealthiest drummer in the world [$300M].

It’s common knowledge that Ringo didn’t write The Beatles’ hits [or many songs at all], however the phenomenal level of artist royalties collected by Starr over the past 40 years fully justifies his top perch on the skin-bashing ladder. Let’s face it, The Beatles are in their own stratosphere when it comes to sales and popularity.

Who else features in the Top 5 wealthiest drummers in the world?

• Phil Collins [$250M] – the former Genesis drummer and solo superstar was everywhere throughout the 1980’s. A fair chunk of Collins’ wealth can be attributed to the large global tours undertaken by the British prog rock group, and as a solo artist.

• Dave Grohl [$225M] – isn’t he the singer & guitarist with The Foo Fighters? Whilst Grohl will have earned a minor mint from his stint with Nirvana, it is fair to suggest that he has profited most from his current band.

• Don Henley [$200M] – if his solo work was more frequent, The Eagles’ beat maker would be nudging Ringo for the top spot. Henley co-wrote all of the country-rock group’s big hits from the 1970’s, and The Eagles’ profit significantly from their ever frequent “reunion” world tours.

• Lars Ulrich [$175M] – Metallica’s huge album sales and monster global fan base can justify his estimated wealth. The California-based metal rockers like to tour relentlessly on a BIG scale.

Who features in the balance of the Top 10 wealthiest drummers?

• Charlie Watts [The Rolling Stones]

• Larry Mullen [U2]

• Roger Taylor [Queen]

• Joey Kramer [Aerosmith]

• Chad Smith [Red Hot Chilli Peppers]

It is TOUGH to make money in the music business, especially if you are a drummer [because drummers rarely write songs!!]. Whilst Collins, Henley & Taylor have all written Number One hit songs [i.e. very lucrative royalty streams], the 10 drummers listed above share one common thread which defines their wealth; they are all members of very popular rock groups who perform [or performed] in large stadiums across the globe.

In the present environment, big profits are made from big rock tours…

SONGWRITING BASS PLAYERS

Just how accurate is the “bass player/ drummer” syndrome in the history of popular music?

The long held belief that bass players earn their income solely from live performances [due to the fact that you can’t write a song on a bass guitar] can be put to the test when you examine the following list of songwriters who are well known for playing bass:

• Paul McCartney – one of the top 5 greatest songwriters in the history of music, firstly with The Beatles and then his solo career and Wings.

• Sting – the principal songwriter for The Police, who has also enjoyed a commercially successful solo career.

• Roger Waters – let’s face it, he wrote Pink Floyd’s most identifiable songs, “Money” and “Another Brick In The Wall [Part II].

• John Paul Jones – the “quiet one” in Led Zeppelin, albeit a key collaborator in the body of the group’s work.

• John Deacon – the “quiet one” in Queen. His compositions “Another One Bites The Dust”, “You’re My Best Friend” & “I Want To Break Free” are 3 of the British supergroup’s most enduring songs.

• Steve Harris – he writes all of the hits for Iron Maiden.

• Lemmy – what would Motorhead sound like without Lemmy’s input?

• Geezer Butler – whilst Tony Iommi is assumed to be the key writer in Black Sabbath’s golden era, Geezer was an equal contributor.

• Tony Mitchell – Sherbet were Australia’s most popular band in the mid-1970’s. “Howzat” forms part of Mitchell’s catalogue.

• Peter Cetera – the jazz-influenced group Chicago had many songwriters, however their 2 big hits “If You Leave Me Now” and “Baby What A Big Surprise” were penned by their bass player.


Let’s be realistic in acknowledging that the abovementioned artists are all multi-instrumentalists, as most popular songs are composed on guitar or piano/ keyboard. The “X-Factor” which makes bass players great song writers is that they understand the groove of a song. When this is combined with a memorable melody, you have the formula for a winning composition.

VALE BOB WELCH

The untimely passing of highly respected American singer-songwriter Bob Welch has come as a shock to his many fans around the globe.

Welch, who took his own life in his Nashville home on 7 June, was rumoured to have been suffering from a series of undisclosed medical problems. His body was discovered by his wife, and it is alleged that Welch left a note at the scene of his passing.

It is often overlooked that Bob Welch was a contributing member of Fleetwood Mac in the 1^st half of the 1970’s, and his departure saw the recruitment of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks assist in taking the British-American band to enormous success, primarily on the back of 1977’s multi-platinum LP “Rumours”.

Whilst Welch may be viewed as having missed out on the financial rewards of Fleetwood Mac’s stellar commercial years, he himself enjoyed critical & commercial solo success in the late 1970’s. His 1977 LP “French Kiss” achieved platinum sales in the USA, and the singles “Ebony Eyes” and “Sentimental Lady” were both Top Ten chart hits. In fact, “Sentimental Lady” was a Fleetwood Mac album track from the early 1970’s. The 1977 version featured musical contributions from most of the “golden era” Fleetwood Mac group members, and is widely recognised as his finest work.

As is all too common in the entertainment world, Welch’s life took a downwards turn when the adulation died down in the 1980’s, with some well publicised substance abuse problems interrupting his creative output. Welch wasn’t invited to partake in any of the lucrative Fleetwood Mac reunion tours from the late 1980’s onwards, thus one can only assume that he may have felt that his departure from the band was a career-changing mistake.

It goes without saying that Bob Welch will be missed. It can never be denied that he was an extremely talented songwriter and guitarist, and his body of work will live on.

THE WIGGLES VERSION 2.0 – A SENSIBLE STRATEGY

The recent media announcement of The Wiggles’ member change at the end of 2012 has the doomsayers talking about “poor career choices”, however this may just be a very sensible strategy for Australia’s most lucrative children’s entertainment brand.

Come 2013, Jeff Fatt [the purple “Wiggle”], Murray Cook [red] and Greg Page [yellow] will step away from playing a public role in the group, and Emma Watkins, Simon Pryce and Lachlan Gillespie will join founding member Anthony Field as the ongoing faces of The Wiggles. Fatt and Cook will maintain their equity in The Wiggles corporation [allegedly worth tens of millions of dollars], whilst Page will join the aforementioned Fatt and Cook and continue with song writing and production duties for the supergroup.

So, why is the personnel change in The Wiggles a sensible strategy?

Age – let’s face it; the original members of The Wiggles are all on the cloudy side of 40 years old, and being a Wiggle is a very draining vocation. The group tours the world for 9 months of the year, whilst the balance of time is spent “being creative” – writing and recording news songs, designing new stage sets, et al. Greg Page and Jeff Fatt have both experienced very public health problems in recent years, and Murray Cook simply wishes to spend more time with his family. Anthony Field is passionate about The Wiggles; he focuses on maintaining peak physical & mental fitness in order to fulfil his ambitions for the group.

New faces – the unique factor of The Wiggles’ “brand” revolves around their ever-changing fan base. Once a child reaches 5 years of age and begins to lose interest in the group’s appeal, there is a steady supply of new fans being born to replace them! Whilst it is important to maintain some continuity by way of Anthony Field, the attraction of 3 new personalities [including a first time female Wiggle] will be a breath of fresh air for the group’s audience.

Public Relations – the replacement of recent yellow Wiggle Sam Moran by founding member Greg Page in early 2012 was terribly handled, and the media pounced upon the apparent “disharmony” within the Group. Further reports about The Wiggles’ financial losses in the past 2 years did nothing to quell the storm of controversy about the group’s future. In short, “something different” was required in order for The Wiggles to regain public favour.

Whilst the announcement of the personnel changes may appear to be contrived and rather hasty on the back of the early 2012 “controversy”, the change in strategy is most likely to prolong The Wiggles’ brand. Time will tell as to whether the group will remain as popular as the world-famous quartet of Field, Page/ Moran, Fatt & Cook; I’m supportive of their progression.

JUSTIN BIEBER – CAREER ENHANCEMENT BY VIRTUE OF MARKETING

Justin Bieber is a big boy now; there is no room in his busy schedule to be singing songs solely for the pre-teen female market. One would assume that Bieber’s management will strategically leverage off the “mentorship” of superstar Usher, and the world will see the young Canadian transform into an R & B artist.

Thus far, we have witnessed snippets of this much-anticipated “transformation”. Bieber’s 2011 CD release “Under The Mistletoe” featured some songs in the talk-rap vein, and Justin has subtly changed his clothing & famous hairstyle to resemble a successful [and wealthy] young adult decked out in the latest “funky” gear.

The “music” and the “look” are progressing well, but what about the “music video”?

The enormous popularity of YouTube has made the concept of the music video very, very important once again. We have essentially gone full circle back to the 1st half of the 1980’s, to the extent that the quality/ aura of an accompanying music video can make-or-break the success of a song. With this event in mind, why has Bieber’s latest single “Boyfriend” been released without an accompanying music video?

It’s all in the timing of the release of the music video…

The release of “Boyfriend” is essentially the most important step in the successful transformation of Justin Bieber’s career. The accompanying music video needs to be seen as an “event”, in order for Bieber’s audience to expand. This is a risky approach to take, however the concept of “playing safe” spells career death.

“Boyfriend” peaked at Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100 sans music video, however the song progressively dropped to Number Five after the initial rush of Bieber’s loyal fan base ceased buying the single. Bieber’s recent appearance on the US version of “The Voice” gave him the opportunity to reveal a “sneek-peek” of the “Boyfriend” video to a massive television audience [predominantly 18-49 years age group] in order to build the hype around the video’s full release.

The video has finally been released to MTV, and “Girlfriend” has moved back up to Number Four on the Hot 100 singles chart. This is the power of marketing.

At this time, it’s all about Justin Bieber finding [and keeping] a new audience. We all know about the horror stories of Leif Garrett and [to an extent] Britney Spears, and the extreme difficulties at play in recreating a child music star into an adult entertainer. I’m particularly interested to watch as to how Bieber’s management handle the situation.

GOTYE – AUSTRALIA’S MOST UNLIKELY GLOBAL CHART-TOPPER

Belgium-born and Australian citizen Gotye [real name: Wally De Bakker] reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 last week with his single “Somebody That I Used To Know” [featuring New Zealand solo artist Kimbra]. Gotye is now part of a select club of Australian artists [Helen Reddy, Olivia Newton-John, Rick Springfield, Men At Work, INXS and Savage Garden] who can proudly claim to have held the Number One single in the USA for at least 1 week.

This is an incredible feat; let’s have a look at some of the compelling statistics generated by Gotye’s seminal song:

• The single sold 500,000 copies in the USA alone last week
• Sales of the single have now reached 5,000,000 worldwide
• Asides from the USA, the single has reached the Number One position in another 32 countries
• The accompanying CD “Making Mirrors” is presently sitting in the USA Top Ten CD Chart
• “Making Mirrors” has sold 1,000,000 units worldwide.

“Somebody That I Used To Know” is a catchy pop song [albeit sounding very much like Peter Gabriel], however the most interesting aspect of the single’s global success revolves around why it has been so successful. The accompanying music video is quite unique, with records indicating that it is one of the most viewed music videos on You Tube at this time. One feels that the concept of this music video has been the catalyst for Goyte’s massive popularity presently in play. In a sense, Goyte’s success in Australia [the song was Number One for 8 weeks during 2011] has “gone viral” and spread to the rest of the world.

Goyte’s European heritage has also been of benefit in helping break the song in the United Kingdom and the Continent, where it has enjoyed much success. This being said, all roads lead to the USA, and “Somebody That I Used To Know” made steady progress up the USA Charts during the initial months of 2012 to reach the Top Ten in early April. On the back of some strategic marketing moves [the song was recently featured in an episode of “Glee” and Goyte performed the song on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this month], Australia is now enjoying the success of its most unlikely global music superstar.

So where to now for Goyte? His music can be described as “experimental” pop at best, thus we may be looking at another One Hit Wonder. Let’s hope that Goyte enjoys the financial benefit of writing & performing a monster hit single, whilst being allowed to progress as a musician on his own terms.

ADELE CONTINUES TO BREAK RECORDS & CHANGE MUSIC HISTORY

In January 2012, Adele’s “21” surpassed UK album sales of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” [4.11 million units] and in turn became the 7th highest selling UK album of all time. At 4.14 million units, it will soon move past Dire Straits’ “Brothers In Arms”, albeit it still has some way to go before it catches the seemingly unbeatable UK bestseller of all time “Queen’s Greatest Hits” [5.83 million units and counting].

“21” was released less than 2 years ago. “Dark Side Of The Moon” was released in 1973, “Brothers In Arms” in 1985 and “Queen’s Greatest Hits” in 1981, thus the size and speed at which “21” has sold in the UK is incredible, especially at a time when CD sales are steady declining.

In 2011, “21” sold more than 18 million units worldwide; the last CD to sell at such a pace was “The Eminem Show” in 2002 [14 million units].

Adele is single-handedly reversing global CD sales trends, and leading the way for UK artists’ presence in the USA. Asides from Adele, Mumford and Sons, Coldplay & Florence And The Machine were major contributors to British acts accounting for more than 10% of all CDs sold in the USA in 2011; again a record statistic.

Adele may never outsell “21” with her future CDs, however nobody can deny that she is now an indelible part of music history.

THE HUNGER GAMES: A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN SOUNDTRACK SALES

The Wall Street Journal has recently reported on the highly anticipated theatrical release of the teen-genre movie “The Hunger Games”, and its accompanying soundtrack release “The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond”. With the soundtrack featuring tracks from big name artists such as Taylor Swift, Arcade Fire and The Decemberists, we are about to witness a real life experiment which may change the sagging fortunes of movie soundtrack sales figures.

In order to provide an explanation, let’s go back into time…

From as far back in time as “The Sound Of Music”, a theatrical movie and its soundtrack album were correlating pieces in the success of the movie itself. Granted that “The Sound Of Music” was a musical first and foremost, the concept of dual success from one movie was etched in stone.

Our next significant forward step in the history of soundtrack album sales was in 1977, when “Saturday Night Fever” took the disco genre to heights never expected and made global stars out of John Travolta [the lead male star of the movie] and The Bee Gees [who wrote and performed the majority of the songs featured on the accompanying soundtrack album].

The 1980’s saw the greatest concentration of soundtrack album success, to the extent that it was a major coup to land a song on a soundtrack album. The movie business was booming; if your song was featured in a released movie and/ or on its accompanying soundtrack, you were effectively tripling your chances of attaining a hit record. History reveals that we saw successful “vanity projects” [1980’s “The Jazz Singer” for Neil Diamond and 1984’s “Purple Rain” for Prince] and low-budget movies which captured the hearts of a massive audience [1987’s “Dirty Dancing”], however it would be the 1990’s providing the greatest success and turning point in soundtrack album trends.

1992’s “The Bodyguard” [starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston] remains the biggest selling soundtrack album in history, with 17 million sales and counting, chiefly on the back of Houston’s immortal version of “I Will Always Love You”. 1994’s “Forrest Gump” made clever use of popular songs from the various decades of music, and bundled them all up as a “greatest hits” soundtrack. In the United States, sales of soundtrack albums peaked in 1999 at 60 million units however it has steadily declined to a figure of only 13 million units as at 2011.

Why has this occurred?

In one word: Internet.

As the world becomes more in tune with the power of the Internet and its influence on the manner in which we listen to and purchase music, the attraction of the “soundtrack album” has reduced to the point of extinction. No longer must we purchase an album or CD in order to listen to our favourite tracks; the Internet enables us to listen to and purchase only our favourite tracks. The public has greater power over its choice with respect to soundtrack albums.

Whilst the people behind the marketing of “The Hunger Games” have been savvy in securing original music from some of today’s biggest music stars to accompany their vehicle, one has to question as to whether these ingredients alone will provide the necessary staying power required to decelerate the decline in soundtrack album sales.

History has shown that you need at least 3 monster single releases from a soundtrack album in order to shift multi-million sales of the product. Taylor Swift’s “Safe & Sound” [the 1st single from “The Hunger Games” soundtrack] has sold well, however it is not a “Love Story” size mega-hit. Let’s see where the present takes us…

COUNTRY MUSIC – WHERE TO NOW?

A recent study by Eddison Research in the USA indicates that 20% of country music fans don’t listen to country music radio stations. This means that 1 in 5 lovers of the genre will appreciate their music via websites, personal collections stored/ played on other media, or other genre-playing radio stations. Further to this, the remaining 80% of fans surveyed overwhelmingly prefer to hear “classic” country songs from the 1960’s and 1970’s, as opposed to “new” country songs. In addition, “new” country songs which feature a singer with a “twang” in their voice are more likely to alienate a potential audience than an artist who fits into the pop-country or rock-country genre.

What has happened to country music?

As a child growing up in the 1970’s, I was most likely spoiled by the rich abundance of “classic” country artists on offer, who were able to attain a cross-over audience with the general listening public. Our family music room regularly featured albums from the likes of Glenn Campbell, Anne Murray, Kenny Rogers et al. These artists all came from small country towns, and their songs told stories well beyond simple love songs. This is the essence of country music.

When did country music reach its “country peak”?

The enormous commercial success of The Eagles in the mid-1970’s may have been the zenith of the genre in its purest sense. At this point in time, anybody could don a cowboy hat, pick up an acoustic guitar and state that they were a working musician. Ironically, John Travolta [the king of the subsequent music genre craze – disco] turned “country” when he starred in 1980’s long-forgotten movie, “Urban Cowboy”.

Why did country music change?

There are two simple explanations to this question; synthesised music and MTV. Country music is based around acoustic and amplified instruments played live. The increasing popularity of heavily produced, synthesised recording techniques in the 1980’s operated at polar ends to the traditional “country” sound. The introduction of the concept of a music video and MTV also detracted from “classic” country music. Now, the music audience was absorbed in the “visual” aspect of the song, and the emphasis on the lyrical story of the song became less important. Artists with a country background, such as Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, attained superstardom thanks to MTV, however their respective music was more rock and pop, hence their “cross over” appeal.

Country music – where to now?

Like all things in life, the country music genre has changed forever. There will still be “traditional” or “roots” country artists, however their audience will be limited to devotees of the genre. Artists such as Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum most certainly have a “country” sound, however their public image is cleverly controlled by management and record label strategies. Counter to these claims is Willie Nelson, who is unique in every aspect of his craft. Whilst he has cleverly modified his career by covering popular songs of the day, his unforgettable voice and guitar playing make him “country” through and through.

When Willie retires from music, the genre of country music will have changed forever.

WHAT TO DO WHEN AN ARTIST CAN’T OUTDO THEIR DEBUT SINGLE?

I do a lot of “musical analysis” whilst in supermarkets and shopping centres; for me, it’s pure escapism from the demands of society and work life. Last weekend, whilst absent-mindedly shopping in our local supermarket, my ears pricked up to the sounds of Bachelor Girl’s 1998 hit, “Buses And Trains”. “Great pop song”, I muttered to myself whilst paying for our groceries at the self-serve checkout.

Three days later, whilst rushing from one work meeting to another, “Buses And Trains” caught my attention again as it was played over the noise of a busy food court in a suburban Sydney shopping centre.

By default or by design, I was party to the unlikely trifecta of hearing “Buses And Trains” AGAIN as I walked past a women’s clothing store later the same day.

Freaky…

The Australian pop duo of Bachelor Girl enjoyed a handful of hit singles in Australasia during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, however they will always be remembered for their debut single, “Buses And Trains”. It follows the perfect pop song format [i.e. catchy chorus, simple lyrics et al], and it is a “cookie cutter” template song for supermarkets and shopping centres, as it will never offend any member of the public, and everybody over the age of 25 is familiar with the tune.
Whilst “Buses And Trains” remains a lucrative copyright for Bachelor Girl’s singer Tania Doko and multi-instrumentalist James Roche, one wonders how they feel about the song’s impact on their subsequent music careers. The facts must be faced; their debut single remains their most revered composition.

In keeping with my hobby of analysing music whilst in supermarkets and shopping centres, I surprised myself at how swiftly I was able to compile a list of artists of whom their debut single remains their most revered work:

• “Wuthering Heights” – Kate Bush
• “Just What I Needed” – The Cars
• “Alive” – Pearl Jam
• “Fool If You Think It’s Over” – Chris Rea
• “Kids In America” – Kim Wilde
• “Tomorrow” – Silverchair
• “Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears
• “Morning Train” – Sheena Easton
• “It’s Not Unusual” – Tom Jones
• “More Than A Feeling” – Boston
• “Never Gonna Give You Up” – Rick Astley
• “Take On Me” – a-Ha
• “The Final Countdown” – Europe

From Bachelor Girl through to Europe, these are all great songs, debut release or not. The most important aspect of each song is that it created a career for each artist, and that in itself is something to be proud of. We all know that there are thousands of artists worldwide who would kill to be in a similar position.

This being said, I wonder if these artists ever think to themselves, “when will I outdo the debut single?” It’s a nice question to be able to contemplate…

THE WIGGLES: SOME THINGS ARE BETTER LEFT UNSAID

Australia’s most successful kids-genre entertainers, The Wiggles, have recently been in the news for slightly controversial reasons, and the public are collectively scratching their heads as to why and how this has happened.

For the uninitiated, Greg Page [the original “Yellow” Wiggle] left the group in 2006 due to an illness known as dysautonomia [symptoms being chronic fatigue and fainting]. His replacement, Sam Moran, slotted into the group without fault [he being an understudy to the “Yellow” Wiggle role for some years prior to his formal appointment], and for many youngsters around the globe, Sam Moran is THE Yellow Wiggle.

Recent media reports indicate that Greg Page has a clean bill of health, and he will resume the role of the Yellow Wiggle effective immediately. Page’s illness has been well documented [he has released an autobiography in recent years], and as a founding member of The Wiggles, it makes sense that he returns to the fold at this time.

However, the media have sensed a big story from the event, and hasn’t it opened a can of worms!!

The Wiggles “brand” has been one of Australia’s greatest success stories during the past 2 decades; The Wiggles are globally known and they display no sign of fatigue. The slightly “sinister” aspect of Page’s return to The Wiggles has been the treatment of the outgoing Sam Moran. Whilst Moran has been a diplomat in the truest sense of the word, it has been revealed that Moran’s severance pay amounted to “only” AUD$60,000.00, and he will receive publishing royalties of a similar figure per annum for the foreseeable future.

Additional probing into The Wiggles’ corporate empire has revealed that Moran held no equity in The Wiggles, rather he was an employee [albeit a highly prominent employee]. When Page left the group in 2006, he is rumoured to have sold his 20% stake in the conglomerate for circa AUD$20M, with the remaining 3 members of The Wiggles & their 2 managers acquiring his stake.

Is this controversial news? One would have to say not at all in the world of entertainment. The Rolling Stones are owned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards; Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman are paid a salary whenever The Stones perform in concert. The same can be said for Kiss; Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley employ Ace Frehley and Peter Criss [or whoever wishes to don their respective make-up disguises] for concert tours.

Let’s sum up The Wiggles’ line up change; Page cashed in his chips in 2006, and now he is back as a salaried employee. Moran has a stable cash flow stream [via publishing royalties] for at least the next generation, and his entertainment career is certainly better for the experience.

The world should have been able to move on from this event, and return to enjoying The Wiggles for what they are; wholesome family entertainment. However, Anthony Field [the “Blue” Wiggle] has decided to use this opportunity to reveal his ongoing battle with depression. Whilst this is obviously a very personal matter and it takes considerable courage to announce such an affliction to the world, one must wonder what The Wiggles’ core fan base [i.e. children under the age of five] makes of these recent media reports. Do they truly understand the implications of these announcements? Is it for the benefit of their “older” fan base? [i.e. the children’s parents] Does the world wish for The Wiggles to be seen as experiencing real life issues, or should the fundamental reason for their amazing success [i.e. good old-fashioned entertainment] be upheld in this case?

Maybe [just maybe] The Wiggles should use this opportunity to review their Public Relations firm at this time. Sometimes, some things are better left unsaid…