Rock stars
They Went and no one noticed
article
by Tony Jasper
Record
Mirror April 1975
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They
Went and no one noticed
Albert
Hammond,
Lou
Reed,
Beach
Boys,
Gladys
Knight,
Geordie,
Bloodstone,
Chuck
Berry,
are hardly what you might call "hick" artists.
Each has made their own music stick with some pretty hot singles, but if you
ask when they last had a hit, then it's back to 1973.
They belong
in a list of 88 artists who failed to make one chart listing in 1974 – and
none, as yet in 1975.
The list can
continue with people like the
Strawbs,
Jackson
Five,
Joe
Simon,
Shirley
Bassey,
Hawkwind,
Dave
Edmunds,
Ike
and Tina Turner.
Not a bad list of artists you might say and perhaps
like me, you are surprised to learn how long ago it was when they last made the
Top 50.
After all it
only seems yesterday since Lou Reed sang the superb, “Walk
On The Wild Side” and we were busily reading endless articles in
music papers on the sound creations of a Dave Edmunds down in the wilds of Wales.
I suppose you
could say they belong to the general speed of change in the music world. Today's star is so easily tomorrow's dead loss. For
a brief period singers enter moments of glory. They are feted and wined at
receptions and eager PR's proclaim them as the new Dylans or worthy successors
to Crosby, Stills. Nash and Young.
Every word
they say is faithfully noted by us pop scribes and the artists unveil their
longer works in album form and talk with great generality about their lyrics
and amazingly original riffs.
The wine
corks are pulled and the atmosphere becomes heady and today's star and tomorrow's
jerk drones long into the afternoon. He or she is filled with self-importance
but then might they not say the fans have spoken? They have
put the disc into the charts. He must be fantastic!
Sometimes one
feels he or she or the group is filled with talent but the great record buying public
well have none of it for long. The record artist becomes
almost forgotten and buried by a new avalanche of artists bidding for big-time.
Follow-up discs are ignored even if wise pop people and media diplomats are always
cautious in predicting a "miss" after a previous Top 20 hit.
The avalanche
of artists is pretty devastating. Do you know that in 1973, 4,327 records were released
and out of that 3,974 discs never made the 50? That in 1974, 4,034 records were
issued and 3,738 did not see any chart action?
Some weeks 98
records are released and never make the top 50 and in most cases never ever get
heard?
Taking a handful of discs from 1973 you can find such names as
Jackie Moore,
Pluto,
Danny
O'Keefe,
Bobby
Charles,
Bobby
Byrd,
Jonathan
Edwards,
Michael
Tarry,
St
Clements Wells,
Gil
Askey,
Betty
Joe.
And have you heard of any of them?
Doubtless
they're all charming and friendly people. Each has most likely suddenly seen
the prospect of their name in lights and then found hopes dashed and it's back
to the job and a return of as their farewell gifts.
You might say
why do Record companies release so many records? You might well ask. There seems
no conceivable reason other than the commitment to ever growing roster lists.
Artists,
after all, are signed to make several records, not just one. Perhaps they have factory
machinery to keep going and all kinds of people employed and it becomes cheaper
to make endless duff records than none at all. Then, perhaps, there is the question
of tax.
Companies of
course often blame the BBC for playing so few records but they have little case
when they blindly compete and issue so many discs. After all, what kind of
radio would we have if out of a monthly new release listing of 400 discs most,
if not all, become played?
One shudders
at the thought and having heard many of the records which never see the light of
day it perhaps deserve, more of a shudder! There are some pretty dreadful discs
issued.
True enough
some of the never-heard are good but they are but a tiny percentage. And true, there
is a chance for new artists.
If you want
some facts: in 1973, 59 new artists made the 50 and in 1974, 79. That means between
one and two artists a week.
There would
seem to be more point to companies encouraging established artists. For some
inexplicable reason they have a habit of missing the charts for a year or more.
The list of 1974
casualties, not yet fit and healthy in 1975, could continue from the opening paragraph
and include
Don
McLean,
Argent,
Jnr.
Walker,
Edgar
Winter,
Linda
Lewis,
Chairmen
of the Board,
Jimmy
Helms.
Even they
suffer from the avalanche which takes away time and attention at all levels.
But then, did
you realise they had disappeared from the charts? I fancy not. I suspect they
went and nobody noticed. It's all in the pop game.
( φωτο από τη
δημοσίευση )
Record
Mirror, April 5, 1975, p. 18.
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[ ανάρτηση 13 Ιουλίου 2024 :
" Pop stars They Went and no one noticed "
article by Tony Jasper
Record Mirror April 1975
« Αστέρες της ποπ μουσικής
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