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Artistic Integrity - Who Cares?


BottomE
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Just glanced at this. Only a few years ago this would have been very uncool. Now it seems that the corporate world are using the latest artists to promote their wares and the artists seem happy to comply.

When i was a nipper there always appeared to be a healthy disconnet between popular music and the corporate world. These boundaries seem to have been broken. I blame Live Aid and such like for showing business heads how "marketable" musicians can help promote an idea, service or product.

They say that you get the society that you deserve. Help...

[url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17606820"]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17606820[/url]

Jessie J had earlier performed at the event to promote Blackberry's instant messaging service.

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[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1333536674' post='1602999']
Just glanced at this. Only a few years ago this would have been very uncool. Now it seems that the corporate world are using the latest artists to promote their wares and the artists seem happy to comply.

When i was a nipper there always appeared to be a healthy disconnet between popular music and the corporate world. These boundaries seem to have been broken. I blame Live Aid and such like for showing business heads how "marketable" musicians can help promote an idea, service or product.

They say that you get the society that you deserve. Help...

[url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17606820"]http://www.bbc.co.uk...london-17606820[/url]

Jessie J had earlier performed at the event to promote Blackberry's instant messaging service.
[/quote]

Have you gone slightly mad? :)

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T'was ever thus. Any artist or band who made records and sold 'em or who had a manager that charged a fee for playing gigs is part of the corporate world. Difficult to avoid... unless your Spiral Tribe of course.

Edited by discreet
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[quote name='Earbrass' timestamp='1333537540' post='1603025']
On the radio I recently heard the soundtrack to an advert for Rice Krispies which was specially written and recorded by the Rolling Stones in the early sixties.
[/quote]

I remember that! It was in the snap, crackle and pop charts.

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[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1333537673' post='1603030']
Tom Waits is holding out... I think?
[/quote]

Er... maybe I've missed the point. What is the difference between artists making recordings and selling them and promoting a product or service for money? It's all commerce, is it not?

Edit: I was talking to someone who was dissing Iggy Pop for doing an insurance ad... who has also bought all of Iggy's records..? So..?

Edited by discreet
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Of course there has always been an element of that but what the corporate world does is take something that it finds and packages/sells it for profit. No harm in that. It then seeks to maximise its return by manipulating the product for the best possible financial return. FOr instance, in the late 60s/70s, a lot of bands were taken on by record companies. In the 80s, howver, these compnaies realised that the only people in the band that really mattered in the marketing sense were the singet and the songwriters so we had more and more bands like Go West or The Eurhythmics which were essentially two people and a backing band of session guys. in the 90s an onwards, the songwriter is no longer part of the act and the only thing you need is the voice and the face; everything else is off the peg. Its great for business/profit but not so great for Art as we have lost the creativity of courageous record companies, adventurous managers and agents, risk taking bands etc (how many great bands would never see the light of day now?). I grew up when bands like Iron Maiden etc did 40 date UK tours in small 3/4k seater venues. Now these top acts do 3 dates in massive stadium type venues because the overheards are less and the profits greater (some folk now do their first ever gig in s stadium, FFS!!). Great business but the product is poorer.

To use a food metaphor, its not about integrity but about whether you prefer you music from Tesco/Sainsburys or from a local organic farmer. The big players have the flash and the sparkle but the taste of 'real' produce is always that much better. Or Carslberg lager vs a small independent brewery... MFI or bespoke. Do get what we want or take what we are given? Most get what they are given and are grateful. Go figure.

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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1333538422' post='1603067']
...what the corporate world does is take something that it finds and packages/sells it for profit. No harm in that...
[/quote]

I beg to differ, but that's for another topic. Great post otherwise, Bilbo. :D

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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1333538422' post='1603067']
I grew up when bands like Iron Maiden etc did 40 date UK tours in small 3/4k seater venues. Now these top acts do 3 dates in massive stadium type venues because the overheards are less and the profits greater (some folk now do their first ever gig in s stadium, FFS!!). Great business but the product is poorer.

[/quote]

I think it's worse than that these days, they'll play [u]a[/u] festival. One festival in a few countries gets them more money than a multi date tour of each country. But less people get to see them.

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I love live music and never go because I can't afford the cost of travelling/tickets etc. I last saw a 'big' band in about 2004 (Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Hammersmith Odeon (or the 'Mothercare Appollo' or whatever it is called this week). I love recorded music and can't find a single recording I would want to buy in any high street shop. The industry has made its product(s) inaccessible to me other than via the internet. Can't see how that is good business....

Fortuantely, the net allows the little guy to get out there. I had an email from Miguel Zenon the other day, not a circular, one to me. Have spoke to Eric Revis, Ben Wolfe and a raft of other players on-line without the intervention of a corporate giant. I say f*** 'em. Let them rot in their boardrooms and leave the real deal to them that cares.

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What a load of tosh. I suspect that those who moan about 'artistic integrity' have either failed to be successful in selling their music or who are already financially independent - perhaps by selling a shedload of records!

If someone doesn't want to do a 'corporate' gig then they don't have to do they?

As for the idea that the web allows bands to bypass the big, bad corporates well, perhaps, but in practice you'll have even less control over what gets done with your music and who listens to it. How would you feel if your next album becomes really popular with, say, the BNP? or the KKK? What are you going to do about that?

Surely real artists just create their stuff and put it out there in whatever way they can? I suppose there might be some bands with so much 'integrity' that they never leave their bedrooms but who will ever know? :lol:

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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1333539815' post='1603125']
I don't understand the point of this thread. Bands have done corporate gigs for aeons. Even Bach had a corporate gig really.
[/quote]

Quite right. Loads of great artists relied almost entirely on rich patrons to fund their work.

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[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1333540453' post='1603148']
Yep - finally flipped :(

It was the first headline i found on the BBC website and on reading the story found myself a bit dismayed - thats all.
[/quote]

What, about the 'stabbing' with a bottle?

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[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1333536674' post='1602999']
Just glanced at this. Only a few years ago this would have been very uncool. Now it seems that the corporate world are using the latest artists to promote their wares and the artists seem happy to comply.

When i was a nipper there always appeared to be a healthy disconnet between popular music and the corporate world. These boundaries seem to have been broken. I blame Live Aid and such like for showing business heads how "marketable" musicians can help promote an idea, service or product.

They say that you get the society that you deserve. Help...

[url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17606820"]http://www.bbc.co.uk...london-17606820[/url]

Jessie J had earlier performed at the event to promote Blackberry's instant messaging service.
[/quote]
I don't think Jessie J counts as an artist..

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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1333540765' post='1603156']
What, about the 'stabbing' with a bottle?
[/quote]
Here's a sign of the times. The bit about the stabbing hardly registered! I am so used to reading about stabbings now that i kind of skimmed over that bit. I was more confused/dismayed about their being a party organised to celebrate an Instant Messaging service...

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[quote name='lxxwj' timestamp='1333541571' post='1603177']
I don't think Jessie J counts as an artist..
[/quote]
Is this supposed to be a joke mate?

She is very talented and a great singer, performer and songwriter. Also her bassist is a respected member of Basschat.

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[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1333541808' post='1603185']
Here's a sign of the times. The bit about the stabbing hardly registered! I am so used to reading about stabbings now that i kind of skimmed over that bit. I was more confused/dismayed about their being a party organised to celebrate an Instant Messaging service...
[/quote]
Weren't they promoting the BBM service? Blackberry are losing market share and need to up their game and do some marketing. What is there to be dismayed about?

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