Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Music: Outwards and Upwards

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  • Russell Brown,

    Oh, good Lorde. Here she is again, being impossibly erudite in The Guardian:

    She works with producer Joel Little whom she credits with turning her "pages and pages of something" into song form. "You know how Raymond Carver had Gordon Lish, the editor who made him what he was? I feel like Joel was that for me.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Lauren Anderson,

    I first heard that Marvin Gaye vocal track at a conference back in 2007 (it's good to know it's now on youtube so I can hear it again!). I still have the conference programme, so can tell you that the presentation was by Rob Bowman, from York University (Canada): he might be able to shed light on the provenance of the recording? (I feel bad for not being able to remember more about it myself...)

    Since Jul 2013 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • kiwicmc, in reply to Russell Brown,

    "Royals" is on high rotate on Live 105 in Silicon Valley, California over the last week....

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2008 • 88 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I am very impressed with Lorde. And out of curiosity I just had a wee look.... it seems quite a few people have been uploading her videos to Youku. I hope she's getting paid for that. Especially considering I had to sit through 30 seconds of ads for Pizza Hutt to watch Royals, and again for Tennis Court.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • "chris",

    I love music, but a lot of the chatter I’ve read about Lorde seems to focus on everything but. And I’ve kept stumbling over this one:

    me and my friends were at some house party worrying how to get home because we couldn’t afford a cab. This is our reality!

    Ok, fair enough everyone’s parents are too busy to give the minors a lift home, but what about her producer, who she’s obviously fairly tight with and would be expected to make a bit of dough from her success, and more to the point what about her manager who she signed with when she was 12? Why is a teenager with a manager unable to afford a cab home? Was there no advance? Stepping manufactured pop star limelight loudly bagging other fanumactured pop stars for their bullshit has a certain something I guess.

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • "chris",

    I doubt youku would be paying there Chris

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to "chris",

    Yeah, I'd be surprised. But it seems to me the music biz is not easy to get into and very few Kiwi musos are getting rich. It would be nice if Universal sent someone to have a we chat with Youku (and, presumably, Baidu and other online suppliers of music with a history of not respecting copyright), particularly to help out those who are just starting their careers.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • "chris", in reply to Chris Waugh,

    As I understand it the big label music video is first and foremost a promo for music sales, in that context it would be pretty hard for Universal to convince Youku to pay Universal for promoting Universal's product. China is pretty much a black hole for digital content, it’d probably be more cost effective to save the price of the toll call.

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Via Murray Cammick. A Latin version of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit':

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott, in reply to Russell Brown,

    and then there's Paul Anka's - mo' swing:

    and has anyone else been filling their boots from the monster 7s drop at Real Groovy?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to "chris",

    Yes, but it would be nice to see Universal’s lawyers send an email to Youku and the like with a list of offending videos thanking Youku for their assistance in promoting their music and politely suggesting Youku might wish to share a little of that advertising revenue. Afterall, Youku is not some hustler in one of Sanlitun’s back alleys hawking pirate DVDs and intellectual property rights are enforceable in China. How hard would it really be to set up an official Universal Youku channel to use to promote its music in China and share the revenue? That way Lorde might be able to afford the occasional taxi home. Sure, there’ll still be plenty of piracy, but China’s not a total black hole.

    ETA: After all, Neocha's still going strong, although I do miss their Next player. If they can survive all these years, then...

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP,

    Goddam I want all the Peter Jefferies! In fact, just ordered it. Got the Kilgour Vinyl earlier. Is wonderful.

    And since we’re looking back, our friend Darkstation (soon to be Dr Darkstation) just posted Pink Frost to Soundcloud, from the Gluepot 1990.

    Hope that bloody cold gets gone soon.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    How hard would it really be to set up an official Universal Youku channel to use to promote its music in China and share the revenue?

    It appears that Youku's management has been tentatively thinking the same thing. They've just launched a revenue-share scheme that looks a bit like the YouTube partner programme, which does actually benefit artists and their labels.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to JacksonP,

    Hope that bloody cold gets gone soon.

    I’m resolving to ignore it. I’ve got an invite to a Young, Gifted & Broke launch (BYO!) and then Voom tonight. And I'm going to go.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    There's a very strong chance Youku are paying. The big record companies have been monetizing all the video channels in recent times. No matter who uploads it the bot picks it up and delivers a portion of the advertising to the owner.

    There was a reason Universal were happy to dump the European EMI labels to allow them to hang on to the Asian bits.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    Whoops Russell. Snap.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh,

    Ah, that is good news. Thanks Russell and Simon. And Simon, do I understand you right? If I upload something I don’t have the rights to, the copyright owner gets paid anyway?

    ETA: and via Russell's link to Tech in Asia I see Tech in Asia has a WeChat account. How big is WeChat in the outside world? I only know one other non-Chinese who uses it, and he studies here in Beijing. When I switched my phone to English, the WeChat app went from 微信 to Weixin - just a pinyinised name rather than the official English name.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP,

    ETA: That Flying Out website is pretty decent. Easy to navigate, linked to listening on Spotify, and free shipping to my chosen address, including for Vinyl.

    Will Fly again.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    If I upload something I don’t have the rights to, the copyright owner gets paid anyway?

    If the algorithms can identify it as belonging to a member of the Partner Program, yes. The owner then gets the choice of a takedown or the chance to claim-and-monetise. The big music companies still tend to prefer the greater level of control and better revenue of Vevo, which is a brand channel within YouTube that hosts the big-name pop videos of Universal and EMI.

    It works for TV too. TVNZ generally does the claim-and-monetise thing. And I think the experience of Screentime with the "Always blow in the pie" clip was instructive4 for the production industry. They were just requesting takedowns as a matter of course -- and then suddenly realised they'd taken down something that was about to be a massive viral hit. They had to scramble to get up their own upload of the clip.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    But you'd imagine that it takes a play by every music listener in Korea to pay for a cab ride home from/to the Shore, especially when the record company and others have taken their cut.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Russell Brown,

    That's pretty cool, especially if they get the choice of take down or claim. Although if Universal and EMI want in to the China market... I just tried to open www.vevo.com and was redirected to comingsoon.vevo.com which kindly informed me Vevo is not available in my region and gave me the option of www.youtube.com/vevo or www.twitter.com/vevo. Both blocked. I'm sure some people will go through a VPN, but if I can find the same stuff on Youku and I know it'll load quicker... And it's pretty much guaranteed that all the big names will be on Youku, whether they posted it there or not.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    Yes, but South Korea only has 50 million people (North is irrelevant for anything online unless you enjoy watching KCNA), whereas China has more people on the internet than the USA has people. Judging by the number of Lorde videos on Youku, she's obviously being noticed by a lot of people in China. Now, if she can get the money from those videos on Youku, then I think she'll be alright for taxi rides.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • "chris", in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Sure, there’ll still be plenty of piracy, but China’s not a total black hole.

    Well sure as long as she's helping to sell Pizzas or laptops or skin cream or yoghurt or something, there's definitely cash to be made by someone (thanks for the correction there Russell and Simon). but then ultimately she's been transformed into just another shill propped up by old men in suits. Her heartfelt message undermined from the get go by the very same who burnished her up to deliver it.

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Jeez, thanks Russell. That Marvin Gaye video is the very, very best thing. Lump in the throat stuff. On a par with Al Green's medley of Motown greats at his Auckland concert.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Lauren Anderson,

    Found it!

    It's from a DVD called Real Thing: In Performance 1964-1981:

    Adding to this high-quality package is a 24-page booklet with an essay by top soul historian Rob Bowman, and a bonus feature that allows you to hear Gaye's a cappella vocal tracks for seven hits in isolation, synced to the corresponding film clip to aid watchability.

    So there's more!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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