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History Lessons by Bob Lefsetz They say that those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. Although the names and faces change quickly in the music world, the lessons they teach us live on. By looking back, one can observe both the successes and mistakes of previous personalities, and model one's behavior accordingly. Everyone thinks they're unique, that no one has been in their situation before, but this is patently untrue. Here's a list of people and things that have come and gone. SPIN DOCTORS The first seemingly legitimate band to go kaput overnight. The faster the ascent, the quicker the descent. ESPECIALLY if the ascent is fueled by MTV exposure. DON HENLEY He waited so long between albums, 11 years, that the marketplace changed COMPLETELY! Not only had radio forgotten him, there wasn't even a format to PLAY HIM! As for his fans, they'd had babies and were no longer addicted to buying records. (Meanwhile, if baby boomers supposedly buy SO many records, how come their core artists never stay at the top of the charts - if they make it there to begin with that is? Don't trust research. It's only as good as the questions asked. Yes, the baby boomers bought the CDs, but for their KIDS!) TOWER RECORDS King today, a pauper tomorrow. Record stores SERVICE the audience. The retail king of rock was left with empty stores when the business changed to rap and pop. JACKSON BROWNE Piss off your core audience at your peril. Women drove his sales, and now women will have nothing to do with him. It's too late, but he should have told the truth about what happened with Daryl Hannah. Maybe it was self-defense. In any event, SOMETHING happened - she was sporting bandages. But according to Jackson, nothing happened. A giant loss of credibility for one of our most credible artists. JONI MITCHELL Like Mariah journeying into rap, Joni lost momentum when she journeyed into jazz. It's OK if you intentionally want to kill your career, but that doesn't seem to be what Joni had in mind. BOB PITTMAN In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. People always put the man down. How he takes credit for stuff he didn't do, like invent MTV. But bitch no longer. Pittman is the MOST POWERFUL person in the entertainment business. And he EARNED his position. Not only through hard work, but through FORESIGHT! Pittman saw things NOBODY in the music business saw. Nobody in the entertainment business saw. Even Michael Eisner has expressed admiration for AOL doing the Time Warner deal at the TOP of its valuation. Some people give the credit to Steve Case; then again, do you believe this? Pittman worked at Time Warner, and Case had no experience with the company. That's another reason why Pittman is a god. HE LEARNS FROM HIS MISTAKES! Like Alexander Haig, he never misses a chance to evidence his self-importance. Like with the deal demanding an incredible compensation package from the new owners of Six Flags (they passed). But today, Pittman resides in the BACKGROUND at AOL Time Warner. He NEVER steps on Case's or Levin's toes. But make no mistake, HE'S RUNNING THE SHOW! And who better? |
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