Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Geeky Thursday again

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  • InternationalObserver,

    I stood behind the guy [Grooverider] and got to watch what he was doing. yes he was playing a lot of his own recordings (I think) which is fine, and he was hunching over his decks and impressing the crowds, but being technically savvy I could tell when he was actually doing something and when he was making movements to look like he was doing something. it was mostly the latter, and fair enough to I suppose, its a bit boring to watch a guy put on a disc and stand with his arms folded for 5 mins while he waits for the disc to finish, but a lot of the 'show' which was impressing the punters ("loved it when he dropped the bass in there", um, that was on the record he was playing, he did it in the studio 6 months earlier, not live) was in the audiences imagination.

    SNAP!!

    I saw Fatboy Slim do the very same thing.

    So __that's why they play all those white labels?!__

    BTW - most rap acts perform to beats pre-recorded with their own vocal tracks. Not quite lip-synching, since they do rap live over their own vocal tracks.

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    Are we to write off Grandmaster Flash as simply a guy playing tunes or elements thereoff (and he only used turntables and a mixer),

    Really though, I think you know I'm not saying that.
    dj in its purest form is someone who plays records.
    it has been acquired as a term by people who don't just play records, they use turntables as maluable samplers and create new soundscapes.

    The old dj who does just play records manages to ride on the back of this creative dj, using the same title and asks for 'credibility' for playing one record after another without a gap in it.

    its not the same as DJ shadow who adds a million miles more creativity to the mix.

    its a matter of definition, and the term dj is used too broadly.
    There's a big difference between a guy who strings 10 of his fav dance tracks together, comes out of the booth to calls from his mates about great set man, and someone who physically molds chunks of sound in new and amazing ways. both pull the groupies but one deserves them more than the other.

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    John Lennon:
    "I'm not a musician, I hate musicians, they're so dull...I just put sounds together"

    and someone who physically molds chunks of sound in new and amazing ways. both pull the groupies but one deserves them more than the other.

    agreed...

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

  • robbery,

    SNAP!!
    I saw Fatboy Slim do the very same thing.

    its milli vanilli with turntables.
    I guess we've eased up on that whole mime thing these days,
    maybe fab wouldn't have taken his own life if he'd lived in the age of DJ.

    I wouldn't mind it so much if they didn't make so much damn money for substantially less effort than it takes to put on a rock gig. jealous. you bet. :)

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    I saw Fatboy Slim do the very same thing.

    but on the other hand I spent a day with Norman Cook once upon a time, interviewed him for Rip It Up and we had a big discussion about a variety of Jamaican riddums currently going around, then I watched him merge those same riddums (with a large grin) into a bunch of old funk and soul singles at the Box that night. Pretty much in the way he'd created Dub Be Good To Me (although in that case the riddum was pulled from The Clash).

    The man has some skills but decidedly went for the bucks at some stage.

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

  • Simon Grigg,

    its milli vanilli with turntables

    the really funny thing about MV was how surprised the Americans were. They don't play instruments or sing on the records? Really? You didn't know that when you gave them a grammy? Really?

    Next thing you'll be telling me that The Beach Boys played on their records.....

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

  • 3410,

    Next thing you'll be telling me that The Beach Boys played on their records.....

    That's a very complicated joke.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    the really funny thing about MV was how surprised the Americans were.

    By having their Grammy taken off them and all the general public backlash, it pretty much revealed that the record-buying public didn't just care about the music, but also put value on image.

    And then later no one complained when the people in the Gorillaz videos were different from the people who recorded the music.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Pretty much in the way he'd created Dub Be Good To Me

    Which continues to be one of my favourite songs. This is jam hot!

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    And then later no one complained when the people in the Gorillaz videos were different from the people who recorded the music.

    Hardly a new thing either is it.....the list of records various Led Zeppelin members played on anonymously is incredible, and then we have The Monkees, The Sex Pistols (damn that geetar sounds professional), and the backing vocal). You think Janet Jackson sings all those vox, or Madonna......
    .
    or all that stuff you hear when you see U2 "live" is actually live...

    There are a few NZ acts who've done a little less on their records than were credited for over the years too.

    In the case of MV it was screamingly obvious to the whole world that they didn't make the records, and that was part of what they were, manufactured pop. The record covers even admitted it.

    The guy, Frank Farian, who made the MV records probably did deserve a grammy, much more so that half the dross that gets one. He was / is one very clever man even if you hate the end result.

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

  • InternationalObserver,

    The man has some skills but decidedly went for the bucks at some stage.

    But I'm guessing he had to share (some of) the wealth on this one:

    Just Be Good To Me

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Am I the only person left in the world that hasn't got 1) an ipod or MP3 player or 2) a cellphone that takes pictures? Just curious........ And about all this turntable stuff, I know little about it, except that my brother does it and he's very good. I like songs with sampling in them and I really don't care how music gets made. No purist me.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    But I'm guessing he had to share (some of) the wealth on this one:

    Just Be Good To Me

    don't think he was ever shy about attributing the SOS / Jam & Lewis tie in, that being the whole point of the record, although as I recall Paul Simenon had to go and see the lawyers to get his name on the credits

    CBS released quite a groovy Dub Be Good to Me remix of Guns of Brixton thereafter as I recall.

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

  • Richard Llewellyn,

    The man has some skills but decidedly went for the bucks at some stage.

    Heh - I have very fond memories of Mr Cook, seen at the Dome at the old Sydney Showgrounds in the late 90's.

    He certainly has (had?) a genuine skill at getting hundreds of people to dance-like-maniacs, it was the dead-set hottest (temperature wise) gig I've ever seen, forcing people to either largely disrobe to stay on the dance floor, or join the throng of people forced to step outside and steam.

    I've completely lost touch with the DJ scene now, but at the time (late 80's to late 90's) we were all completely convinced it was a genuine musical art-form, and boy did those superstar DJ's get revered.

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    and boy did those superstar DJ's get revered.

    And paid....

    There is the oft repeated story (actually captured on video) of the superstar UK DJ who, two minutes before he was about to earn his $40k fee in Auckland, was offered a short white line of something by somebody and partook, only to immediately pass out (it was not what he thought it was, more fool he). Somebody else had to play the set, although said 'star' still kept his cheque.

    Does that sort of rock'n'roll behaviour make him a musician or just a bloody idiot.....

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

  • Richard Llewellyn,

    There is the oft repeated story (actually captured on video) of the superstar UK DJ who, two minutes before he was about to earn his $40k fee in Auckland, was offered a short white line of something by somebody and partook, only to immediately pass out (it was not what he thought it was, more fool he). Somebody else had to play the set, although said 'star' still kept his cheque.

    Gawd, not heard that story before, but does sound very rock'n'roll doesn't it - if its OK for Bobby Gillespie its OK for me etc yada.

    Musician or idiot? - to steal a bumper sticker from another decade, there is a fine line between fishing and standing like an idiot on the side of a river. S'pose if you have genuine talent you can get away with it, but geez I bet the promoter on that particular night would have had more than a strong opinion about it.

    Mt Albert • Since Nov 2006 • 399 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    it was one of the promoters who supplied the substance..therein lies the rub

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

  • 3410,

    You could argue that by that point he'd done his job.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    the people in the Gorillaz videos were different from the people who recorded the music

    that whole virtual band bollocks. give me a break please. it just saddens me how shallow and gulible the consuming public are.
    god on the project administrators for getting the public to buy their bollocks and bad on the public for thinking that a project called a virtual band really 'means' anything beyond the fact that they may have good songs or not.
    we must be very bored as a species for that stuff to float our boats

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    the really funny thing about MV was how surprised the Americans were

    those americans are great at not seeing the bleeding obvious and then getting all upset when it's 'uncovered'
    can't wait to see what they do when they 'uncover' that their govrernment has been doing a milli vanilli on them.

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    the superstar UK DJ who, two minutes before he was about to earn his $40k fee in Auckland,

    shit, that kinda dosh would buy you a seriously good gig that would actually use a lot of that money in production costs.
    more fool the punter who pays the high cover charge for something that doesn't represent the cost of entry, ie high profit to cost ratio.

    (still just jealousy though, I wish I could pull the wool over a large markets eyes and milk them dry of their middle class cash)

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

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