Moses Avalon
Last week the co-manager of 30 year-old Dutch artist, Alain Clark invited me to his LA recording sessions. Who was there when I arrived: Steve Gadd and Dean Parks. If you don’t know who they are and you’re into music, then you’re probably under thirty-five. They are the cats behind the tracks on albums like Steely Dan’s Aja and about 5 out of 10 of the great studio recordings made from the mid 1970s to the present.
To hear Gadd/Parks work their magic before it’s mixed and layered is pure heaven. At 65 years old, Gadd is still playing perfect and gigging all the time. Ask him if CD sales being down is relevant.
With hundreds of studios in Europe and some of the best musicians, Alain (pronounced A-lan) crossed the pond to work in Los Angeles. Why? He liked the vibe. That’s it. He wanted US cats and a sound that he felt was obtainable via the LA scene.
I was there and I think he got it. His next album will resonate with anyone who has a kink for the Dan, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, etc.
And here’s the part that concerns you.
HEARTBREAKING
Alain’s talent is impressive. He produces and arranges his tracks, he’s young, and has the look and personality of a star. In fact he is a star– over there. Over here he still has to wait for a table at Dennys.
I saw Alain perform at the 2009 Eurosonic conference in Holland. (I was the Key Note speaker that year.) He blew me away with a great R&B song called “Father and Friend.” It’s quadruple platinum in the Netherlands but in the US the majors don’t know what to do with him. He had a deal on Warner for US marketing. It went nowhere. Why?
The fact that these label-luddites keep paying him lip service about “loving it” but not moving forward resonates with why I left the creative side of the business. It’s too heartbreaking. Anyone who has the power to do something, listens to this guy’s music and then shrugs at what to do with it, has no juice or has no soul. It’s that simple. And there are just too many people in positions of power that fit this description, unfortunately.
Why have labels decided that people’s tastes in music are somehow different in the US? Why, with the internet and social networking, will the US be deprived of Alain’s work? What has to happen before the “global economy” hits the music business and an artist that is big in Holland can come to the US for a warm welcome?
Anyone..? Anyone..?
This is why CD sales are down. It’s not P2P. It’s not the downfall of radio. It’s that labels can not pick a winner anymore.
It doesn’t matter. Alain’s now on our radar. Someone reading this will hear him, grow a pair and have the singer in every iPod, while majors are still asking themselves why he spells his name wrong.
Take a listen/look to this YouTube video and see if you can guess why Warner failed to figure out a strategy. If you have a clue, respond in the comments section below. I’d like to hear it and so would others on this list.
Mo Out
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbqF6Xv1mNU[/youtube]
Here, let me make you a nice cup of tea and you’ll feel better.
Okay, I haven’t read all the comments, but some of them are pretty right on. First of all, in response to Pete Anderson, I’ve been in the music biz for more than 30 years — I’ve been a recording artist, signed to several major labels and a songwriter signed to several major publishers. I’ve had my songs covered by some major artists — and I now work in A&R at a major indie music group (not one of the big 4, but close). I also worked at Rhino for 11 years producing compilations, and have a pretty good record collection.
Frankly, while I thought Alain was pretty good, this track is really not that special, innovative or unusual. The song plays it pretty safe and, in all honesty, it didn’t push any emotional buttons for me — seemed kind of superficial. He’s good looking and has some vocal chops, but so do half the contestants on American Idol. I would not go to bat for him at my record company. Sorry, Moses.
Keep up the provocations!
Cheers,
Ted
Maybe Tila Tequila will sign him!!!
Seriously though. I can’t blame majors for not being interested. And I assure you that it has nothing to do with race; if anything that makes it easier to market. They’re not interested because it won’t sell. Even if it got radio play, it’s the kind of song that I might listen to while driving and not be tempted to change the radio station, but at the same time, I’m not going to make a mental note to check out more of his music. And the way radio stations tend to take money and play something over and over again, I’d end up hating that song after 3 listens. The best thing they could do with this song is just sit on it and start marketing it heavy around Father’s day and hope to get lucky.
Music isn’t going to change until the radio format changes first. Right now everything, save few indy stations, is top 40. Therefore, labels are marketing to the people who listen to top 40. That’s why they jump all over artists like Ke$ha, who has been dominating the charts selling 150,000 LPs in one week (76 percent being downloads *Rolling Stone). Guess who had the number 1 AND number 2 spots of iTunes top ten downloads for the last few weeks of January? Ke$ha. Have you heard her music? And I thought we were getting away from using “vocal tune as creative expression”. In my opinion, if radio stations changed their tune, labels would seek out more creative acts and all those indy artists that the musically-incline deem worthy would get the radio play that they deserve and take over the charts. And who knows, maybe everyone would make more money because that seems to be the bottom line here.
[How many (American) ‘Idols’ are still on the radar?] – last I checked there’s a new season on so a shit ton. I don’t care for the show or it’s contestants or winners but it’s important to point out that 2 American Idol winners were in the top 25 record sales of the decade. I saw an Adam Lambert video the other night and I was really looking forward to hearing him sing. I was shocked at what I saw and heard. I guess I had no idea that they were going to turn him into Britney Spears post children.
[Give us some links, Peter. 1000..? I’ll settle for 10.] – see above. American Idol turns out some great singers. So there’s your 1000 (or at least 10 percent of it) but I don’t care about how well some one can hit the notes. I would much rather have a UNIQUE singer than a polished and trained vocalist that sounds like all the other polished and trained vocalists. I think of guys like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash and Tom Petty and Conor Oberst and Anthony Kiedis and Ben Bridwell that, for all intents and purposes, are not good singers. In fact, you could argue that they are terrible singers, but I wouldn’t tune them or have Adam Lambert sing their songs. Then there’s singers like Ray LaMontagne and Ryan Adams and Harry Connick Jr., and Michael Buble who are amazing singers yet have a unique vocal. Alain Clark is just kind of middle of the road. When I played that video for my girlfriend she said “oh he’s cute” and then was bored.
I think we’re all in agreement here that radio is still the driving force behind selling music. I like the shapes analogy. So the radio either needs to change its shapes to allow for more content or the labels need to change their shapes; which would force radio to change theirs.
I’m sure these cats are great. The reason why labels can’t move is because they have no money. CD sales are down because of P2P – I don’t even think that point is debatable. No money, no signings, no promotion. Yes, its a shame. We have to monetise P2P at the ISP level. That’s where the money went.
It’s all about ‘the singer and the song’, and yes, Alain is a good singer, (so is Dad) but its not a great song. Nice sentiment, but certainly not a ‘hit’. And as far as naming even 10 people as good? Here’s one, Jordan John: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZwDobixry4&feature=related
Early 20’s, great looking, sings like Stevie Wonder meets Aaron Neville, and plays incredible guitar.
Are you kidding me? Anyone who is not moved by this song must have some major daddy issues and major wax in their ears. What a wonderful song, lyrically and melodically. Stop over analyzing. I would buy this music all day long. American idol? Are you one of those Ted M? Based on your comments and job description it would appear you are part of the problem, the reason there is not better music available to us real music fans and consumers these days. 30 years? Retire already.
I found this link on youtube of Alain performing with Diana Ross, what a star. AI? LOL! Sorry Moses? Not hardly. Thank you very much Moses for introducing us to this wonderful and talented artist. I can’t wait to buy his music and attend his concerts when he makes it over here. I’m sending the link to Father & Friend to all my friends. If the record companies and radio won’t expose us to new and great talent, maybe we can help each other. Thanks again Moses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrnPZQGklTs
I tried to find him on Pandora with no luck…
my story is similar to alain’s:
In 1997, I left Houston, Texas for Taiwan after living in chinatown (houston) for a few years. I was persuaded to do so by a talent agent recently returned from Taiwan. Her promise was to show me around the record companies. I speak fluent mandarin, though caucasian.
I went to the taiwan consulate and submitted all forms necessary to get a performing visa. But the consulate said they could not give me one, and that the tourist visa they gave me would be sufficient to perform on TV (this was 100% not true).
When I got to Taiwan, I was shopped around to EMI, BMG, etc. At EMI I was told by the A&R after listening to my demo , ” If i give you a contract will you leave Taiwan?” I said ” you mean Hong Kong, Japan etc?” he said ” No, i mean Europe. You cannnot stay in Asia.”
At BMG, they said “We have a rule not to allow any foriegn people in because we, Sony, Warner, have agreed not to compete too strongly against each other.We feel bringing in foriegn talent would raise the bar too much.Also, the mafia might come down on us for messing up things”
All the while, all the companies told me that my music would not sell in taiwan because Taiwan people only buy western music from westerners who live OUTSIDE TAIWAN. They also said they didn’t know how to market me etc. I told them they could market me the same way they market western artists.
I have appeared on several TV shows where I dissed the record industry practices. I was immediately verbally attacked by some famous televison star, as if he had been told before hand how to deal with me.
When I went to the foriegn police bureau to renew my visa, a record company card fell out of my wallet. The office grabbed it from the table and called the producer on the card and threatened him saying ” You’d better not hire a foriegner to do a record. It’s against the law” (actually it is LEGAL with the proper paperwork, but the taiwan government made it so that you an make a record, but you can’t go on TV or vice versa)
Also, I was schedualed to appear on a radio show. When the announcer found out my list of topics I wanted to discuss (industry practices) he immediately called a famous producer to come over (this was supposed to be a one on one interview). The producer started out by using a racial slur for me on the air, then went down my list, defending the industry.
There was a club that had a contest in which I won second place. The boss told me she loved my performance and asked when I would come do a show for her.
When I came back to arrange a time, the boss said she needed my demo. When i said that she hd already heard me, hence my coming back to ask when we were doing a show, she said “no demo no show”. After I sent the demo, she said she was booked up. Finally she said she had never liked my music to begin with.
I beleive a local “artist” coalition joined to keep me out. As one guitarist told me ” Don’t play too good in taiwan. You’ll be sorry”.
When I am on ANY show, they try to put me on the very end , even though I was schedualed to be on first. Everytime.
There is an unwritten rule in Taiwan- foriegners may be in a band, but not front the band. There are forigners who have made records in taiwan, but they were worse than the local standard (token artist). The only one who has done anything is Matthew Lien, and he is undoubtably been picked by the Taiwan Cultural Bureau as a “safe” foriegn artist. In fact, he is so fringe (nature/new age music), he’s zero threat to the pop industry.
Speaking of “threat”, I have been watched on MORE than one occassion.
12 years of my life. Thing is,was all of this stone walling necessary? I could have done my little record and been forgotten by now. What was it about me that they just couldn’t let me do one record? Even one little one?
Randy coplin
(stage name , Randy Lin)
The intro and first 2 verses made the most impact on me. I just like listening to them. The pre chorus doesn’t really “sit” and sounds a bit forced. The chorus itself is OK but not better than the verse. All in all not a hit in the sense that everyones gonna like it but a song that deserves to be heard and i think that is the key point.
Alain has talent, but this is the USA. A very tough crowd for sure. I checked out several of Alain’s videos and I can tell you that he’s good…. not great.
So, Moses, is he the Netherlands version of Justin Timberlake? If so, he’s not quite good enough for the US. Here’s why I say that. Is he better than Robin Thick, Maxwell, Usher, or Joe, to name a few? How about the Idols such as Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks and Elliot Yamin to name a few more? Is he really heads above better?
As good as he is Moses, he’s not better or it’s a little too close. So, if you are going to break him here something else must be done.
So, what can be done? We do have guys on the charts right now who do not sing as well as Alain. Those guys use creative production and catchy (gimmicky) songs. For example, David Guetta, Trey Songz and Jason Derulo to name a few.
Alain & his people must look at where he can stand out amoungst the crowd mentioned above. If they try to go head to head with them, they are ar a enormous disadvantage. I can see why the US labels are backing off. The old saying “we are looking for something unique” does apply here. Good luck to Alain!