While recording a song or album, do you believe the artists realize when they have a hit on their hands?
Not always.My favourite artists, Deep Purple, planned in 1971 to record an album in a casino in Montreux. The casino burned down and they spent a couple of weeks moving from place to place to find a new room to record.They ended up at the Grand Hotel, which was empty, cold and bare, but with the Rolling truck Stones thing just outside making their music there. With a few red lights and a few old beds, they made their place to sweat.Well.You may know the song I’m quoting. But that was not the hit they had in mind.Two songs were already being tested on tour for a few months in the 1971 tour over Europe: “Lazy”, a blues shuffle, and “Highway Star”, a fast-paced song first introduced on German TV in July 1971:(In the 1972 tour, in Copenhagen, Gillan introduced it saying “What we got is a new song! And it’s likely to remain as our opening number for the next year or so!” Last Purple gig I went, in 2017, it was still their opening number.)Those two songs were perfected in Montreux, including the signature soloes in “Highway Star”.The other five songs that got in the LP, and a sixth that became a b-side on a single (“When a Blind Man Cries”), were created under those dire conditions of the Grand Hotel.Upon finishing the recording. the Deep Purple guys were sure they had a hit:“Never Before”.When they took the album to Warner, though, the managers had a different idea about it.The hit, managers said, was a song almost left out of the album. Its recording had been interrupted by the police banging on the first venue's door due to excessive noise. The riff was very simple. The lyrics were improvised, telling the story of the recording. Every other song in the album had more craft put in. Were they sure the simpler one was the hit?Yes. Because it was simply “Smoke on the Water”, the song they have been known for in the last half a century. And it was almost left out of the album!When they played Japan, the reaction of the audience left no doubt. And the Made in Japan version became its own hit single.
What is the difference between China's music industry and the West?
When in Beijing, I wrote an article about a German music producer who promoted the Midi festival DVD in Europe. Writing the article and experiencing the scene gave me a window into the Chinese rock music culture.All artists suffer for their art but it is a particular struggle for Chinese rock musicians. It is hard to sell music due to piracy. Even without the piracy, it is hard for rock musicians to promote themselves as the genre is associated with rebellion so it doesn’t get airplay. For the Midi festival, an additional problem was that it grew so quickly that it eventually suffered some restrictions that led to its cancellations and relocation. Specifically, In 2000, only 800 were on hand for the festival. In the following years it doubled to the estimated 80,000 who attended Midi 2007. I was pretty excited about Midi 2008 as we were expecting around 160,000. It just felt like we imagined it was in the 60s and 70s when the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were revolutionising the west. Then an unknown public official refused to provide security for the festival and it had to be cancelled. A few gigs were hastily organised for the international acts that had flown in. It was a shame for them as they were excited about performing before 160,000 people only to instead find themselves in front of 30 or so people in downtown Beijing bars.Ironically, I think the lack of commercial prospects frees some of the Chinese musicians to be experimental. For example, I saw the drummer from a band called Hang on the Box do a gig. Well, sort of. It seemed like random collection of sounds. Very much what you would call contemporary art. (One of their songs below.) They sing in English so some of their lyrics provide a window into their thinking.At the Midi festival, there was also a DJ who had just mixed people laughing. It was really interesting because anyone who came into the periphery of the laughter started laughing. It was really difficult trying to hold a conversation as we just burst out laughing.Anyway, a final difference I noticed at the festival was the complete absence of drugs. It just doesn’t seem to be part of the scene in any shape or form.I seemed to have misplaced most of my videos and photos so the one below was the best I could find. It was from the 2007 festival.
Please please answer its the last one!?
stop it
Do musicians get tired of their own songs?
To chime in in with many other people here, yes, definitely, many famous musicians are on the record for being tired of performing their old hits. The thing that is maybe not mentioned as much is that, what is most annoying about it is not that they’re tired of playing the old song so many times, but to so often be reminded by your fans that they are not interested in what you are currently or recently writing anymore. It is a nagging reminder that you are past your prime, and are essentially becoming your own tribute band. Yes, you are rich and famous, and your fans still pay top dollar to come and see you live, but it is painful to be reminded yet again that nothing you’ve recorded in the last 10, 20, 30, or even 40 years is of any interest to 90% of your fans. You must really feel like a tribute band when you hardly even see yourself as the person who wrote these huge hit songs so long ago.This is why I believe that, while so many people dream of becoming pop stars, the reality of it is not all that glamorous. For each band that becomes successful, there is usually a fairly short period where things are truly amazing, and the fans love the new album even more than the last. You’re on the cover of all the magazines, you’re invited to all the hippest parties. At some point, though, and usually sooner than later, all this gradually ends, and now you are essentially becoming a very famous and beloved has been. But since your fans still are paying to see you perform, and because you need cash to support your high-end lifestyle, you keep touring and giving interviews. You don’t want, and can’t afford, for your fans to forget about you, so you keep it going. In a way, you feel trapped by your success, and maybe even resent your fans, since they don’t actually care about you anymore; they really only care about the version of you that they remember from whenever - maybe 1973 - a very long time ago.
Why are there so few female DJ’s? I have never seen one at a wedding.
It’s very difficult to answer this without going into generalities about the differences between males and females but I guess you could say that DJing like many other areas of society have traditionally been male preserves.My own personal observation of male and female DJs is that females tend to spend most fo their time looking at and connecting with the crowd (to me a valuable attribute given that it is the crowd, not oneself, that one is playing for) while male DJs tend to spend more time looking down and fiddly with the knobs on the mixer (there is no evidence that this makes anyone a better DJ but it looks as though you are busy).Regarding the lack of women playing weddings I can only surmise that very often this job requires them to bring their own PA system, mixer and lighting rigs. Maybe many females do not relish the thought of having to lug all this equipment around even before the set begins (I share their antipathy).However, as with many other areas of society I welcome the greater participation of female in all areas and in DJing applaud the greater connection natural connection with their audience than many females seem to demonstrate.For more information generally about DJing you could check out my Blog, “Diary of a DJ” and in particular the episode titled, “What do DJ’s Do” for a none technical take on the phenomena of DJing ;-)What do DJ's do?