The tannoy crackles into life and a voice says "I'm sorry to announce... the cancellation of this service, I really am... God... you don't know how sorry I am..." static ringed silence save the soft strumming of tears falling on the discarded microphone. And then the sounds of voices and the clatter of equipment as they remove him from his seat.
Just to let you know that the entire site might be down for a few days. It's nothing serious it's just that I'm having the loft converted. Be good.
Rollo
Irony factor: 100:
Music From The Glue Factory
Simon Johnson, Head of Public Relations, Glue Factory Records:
In the 21st Century, it seems hard to imagine a time when a term like 'musician' was associated with a creative process, as opposed to the more functional, corporate, dependable, conservative 'career' of today. But in the 20th Century, not only was the musician responsible for his or her own dance routines, public image and 'live' performance, he or she would almost certainly be expected to write his or her own material, as well as play a roll in its production. The 'artist' would also almost always be responsible for performing the songs too.
WHERE TODAYS MUSIC STARS ARE ANGELIC FIGUREHEADS FOR SOCIAL, SEXUAL AND POLITICAL CONFORMITY, THE ARTIST OF THE 20TH CENTURY WAS PERCEIVED AS A SYMBOL FOR SUCH LAUGHABLE NOTIONS AS SEXUAL DIVERSITY, ENERGY, REBELLION, AND EVEN FREEDOM.
Bizarrely, the 20th Century musician [particularly in pop, rock, and r and b] was viewed as something of a 'creative', a maverick often associated with something termed 'youthful rebellion', politics, and the more 'extremes' of living. The life of the 20th century artist was even associated with illegal drugs and other stimulants.
Although we cannot rely entirely on the testaments of those who were there [how can we be expected to believe these people when they are almost all over forty years of age?], it has been suggested that anger, lust, confusion, unpredictability, aggression and a need to have 'creative control' were once the emotional landscapes frequented by the artist - genuine convictions as opposed to 'portrayed emotions' or marketing signifiers.
MICHAEL JAGGER, CLIFFORD RICHARD, KYLIE MINOGUE MBE, SIR ROBERT WILLIAMS, LADY MADONNA, SIR PAUL MCARTNEY, BRITNEY 'CHRISTIAN RIGHT' SPEARS : THE PROTOTYPE BUSINESS-MINDED PERFORMERS. ALL OF THE SIGNIFIERS OF STYLE, SEXUALITY, REBELLION AND CONTROL, WITH NON OF THE CONTENT. CORPORATE LAP DOGS WILLING TO PLAY THE GAME FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR SHARES.
It is rumoured that it would not be unheard of for a consumer to be able to differentiate between one genre on another - by actually listening to the music alone - with no prior knowledge of how the performers representing the material were dressed.
The artist of the 20th Century themselves often went to such extremes as declaring their own sexual preferences [even those with homosexual leanings], their political leanings [which were often bordering on left wing], their interest in the arts and the world around them. Lyrical content, convictions, originality, staying true to their original goals - an artist would even be expected to develop and mature in terms of their work. It would not be unheard of for a performer or even a group of performers to establish for themselves a career spanning decades rather than months.
"Well we were all different people in those days, I know I was, " explains a suitably corporate-looking former Rolling Stone Michael Jagger, his expansive necks spilling over his polo neck, the lapels of his conservative pinstripe jacket, "I was Cliff Richard at one point!" He laughs.
Today of course, the roll of the artist is more often than not one of a figurehead, a representation of a product controlled by the record producer [otherwise known as a 'studio owner' or a 'DJ']. Whilst the artist of today is still responsible for performing in public, and often the actual song itself, the process of creation, even when the product of 'live musicians', is one of a professional, business-like affair. Thankfully, the unpredictability that is often a consequence of emotional content and self-awareness, is no longer an issue. Markets can easily be targeted when a single, an ep, or an album can literally be tailor made to please. A CD single can now be produced over no more than three or four days - maximizing on trends and tastes.
"Well I was actually played by an American girl in the early phase of my career," explains Madonna as her PA leads the way through the hallowed corridors of Madonna Holdings, to the Lady's own penthouse offices overlooking the remnants of the Thames. "She went on to play Britney for a time, then one of the guys from Neighbours, I forget which one. Clara her name was. Beautiful girl."
Unfortunately, such notions as 'trends' and 'tastes' are still somewhat unpredictable. It is unfortunate that the consumer cannot be moulded in quite the same way as the artist. But we are learning. Even those traditionally rebellious youth elements the 'sub-cultures' [e.g. 'the raver', the 'B-Boy' and 'B-Girl', the 'punk', the 'indy'] can be placed under carefully controlled conditions once their individual elements have been assessed and assimilated - and while they may still be under the mistaken impression that they are 'opting' out of the consumer system, they still purchase our recorded material, magazines, clothing and such.
But the artist, the dancer, DJ, musician, [increasingly mere representatives of the producer, who in turn is ultimately in the employment of the Company] and the singer are at least variable free: they are expendable, easily upgraded and superceded.
THE PRISTINE BOY BAND FRESH FROM STAGE SCHOOL: ARYAN, NEUTERED, SAFE. ALL TRACE OF SEXUALITY REMOVED TO LEAVE A CLEAN WHITE SHIRT, A PERFECT COMPLEXION. RISK FREE. PERFECTED
It may well be that their lack of longevity has a direct relationship with their lack of any real emotional content, even their lack of 'creativity', but this seems unlikely. And as we are well aware, there are always plenty more where they came from.
"It's a blur mostly," confesses the former Robert Williams, as we wait for his cars to arrive, "I was actually at a medical conference in Toronto when I found out we'd gone platinum with the first album. But by that time I'd established Williams Digital [the renowned digital print research facility based in Texas], I'd moved on. We had a guy from the South of France step in for the rest of the 90's. I was particularly taken with his more cynical stuff - bleeding genres dry like that, ruthless stuff."
"Pop stardom wasn't quite so business like in those days you see." He says as we head on out of London, "We were still improvising in a lot of ways. Things were unpredictable. I didn't like that. Mostly I'd be playing the stock market. I was so glad when it was all over."
Pete Waterman, OBE, one of the pioneers of the 'record company as factory line' concept remembers:
"Musicians in the 20th Century were a fuckin'' nightmare to work with - they'd constantly be butting in with ideas, and they'd never be quite happy with a photoshoot and a video, a couple of stints on TOTP, a national tour of the clubs. Ungrateful bastards. They'd always want to start writing their own songs and dance routines, performing on their own records, what have you. Fucking nightmare."
THE OXFORD GRADUATE DJ AND HIS PUBLIC SCHOOL CREW OF CHUMS: THOSE PERFECTED STANCES AND 4-REAL ™ SCOWELS: PERFECTED
"Oh I'd never wanna write a song! I mean - that's just so nineties you know what I mean?" explains Hear'Say's Wesley between shoots for their latest video 'Nothing Particularly Relevant to Your Life'. "I'm a performer, I'm not one of these hippie types with 'something to say', God, that's just so naff innit? Artistic expression - it's just a bit poof - err... it's a bit, you know, studenty innit?"
THE MEANINGLESS GRIMACE OF THE NEW METALLER: SIGNIFYING NOTHING MORE THAN HATRED: A WONDERFULLY UNFOCUSED HATRED RIPE FOR THE PICKING: PERFECTED
We have succeeded in reducing every genre to its constituent parts: its uniform, its accessories, its emotional content. This way we are able to eliminate chance elements and provide maximum product placement. And yet for some inexplicable reason, music sales are actually decreasing in number.
THE THEATRE SCHOOL SMILE ON THE UNBLEMISHED, WHITE-NUBIAN FACE OF THE HARMLESSLY SASSY DANCER
Figures for the last quarter show an unprecedented decline in sales figures. Some shoppers still seem intent on searching for something they describe as 'the real thing', but thankfully, this is a small minority of people who are looking towards other, less significant mediums [such as the internet, cinema, self discovery, and even reading [hard copy!]].
We have succeeded to such an extent that not even an amateur musician, DJ or dancer, even those intent on exploring notions of 'originality' and 'emotional content' [will they never learn?] , can attempt to establish any ground without making references to established, marketable reference points, no matter how obtuse, homosexual, unattractive or otherwise 'rebellious'.
No matter what these types throw at us, we can make use of it.
THE GLORY DAYS OF THE 1960'S WHEN EVEN THE TEEN STARS WERE IN THEIR FORTIES AND NEW THE VALUE OF PRUDISHNESS, RELIGION, SEXUAL REPRESSION, AND A TORY GOVERNMENT
I have every confidence that this lull in interest is merely a glitch in an otherwise perfect upward climb towards the perfect sales figure, the perfect product: a beat reduced to the sound of a steel toe capped Cuban heel stamping on a human face, forever, whilst perfectly formed teen-dancers with unblemished complexions and perfect smiles march in time. And the actor in the roll of 'Microphone Controller 1' will repeat 'conformity.... so sexy... conformity... so sexy...' in an infinitely marketable, infinite remix.
Here's to a future void of chance.
Simon Johnson, Head of Public Relations, Glue Factory Records [Hoxton, London].
Rollo
