Tuesday 31 May 2011

sympathy for the devil?

Life has been quite busy lately. I Just got back from a FDPFAFDW gig in Canterbury. It was a quick dash down to Kent from Suffolk and back to where I was holed up on one of my fishing safari’s and finishing some new songs. Meanwhile big thanks to Neil and Sacha for a great evening. I loved it. More about this on my next post.

Life is not only busy but a little strange at times, to say the least. Last week I walked into my local Branch of HSBC. You know the World’s local bank ha ha! It seems that the Gaddafis stashed a few million with HSBC and the bank made no attempt to declare the fact during the early stages of fiscal sanctions against the regime. On a general note I feel this as good a time as any to move one’s banking to the Co-op. Anyway, I went upstairs to pay in some cash. It was quiet with only one person ahead of me in the queue. As I waited the in house radio played in the back ground. I could have done without the noise but I actually laughed out loud when the next tune began. It was the Rolling Stones anthem, Sympathy for The Devil.

Sympathy for the Devil? There is little sympathy for, or faith in the banks that caused the chaos resulting in massive debt and the bail outs we paid for. At the same time it seems strange that the once infants terrible are now playing on Big bank radio. 

I remember how F.W.Woolworth printed paisley pattern psychedelic carrier bags for their customers at the height of the flower power era. The writing on the wall? More recently the much maligned “graffers “or graffiti artists spray paint style has been extensively absorbed into mainstream advertising. The assimilation and exploitation of subcultural elements by corporate business is unending.

On the subject of corporate business I remember how Jagger took the entire royalties from The Verve for their Bitter Sweet Symphony song. They mishandled the process for clearing samples and used a sampled part from a Rolling Stones tune. Knowing that the Verve album was complete Jagger opted to take the entire royalties including all of the earnings from a Ford car advert which used the Verve song. Some might say he was making a point against being ripped off but he could afford to have been a little more equitable over this affair.

I remember chatting with Mick Jagger at Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells concert at The Queen Elizabeth Hall on The South Bank in London. Steve was playing drums and Stones guitarist Mick Taylor was one of the guitar players. Jagger was saying that he would like to do something really different like Tubular Bells but he hasn’t done it yet. I mentioned the Brian Jones recordings of the North African pipe players. That album used to send shivers down my spine. Jagger shrugged and I could tell that he didn’t think this was one Brian’s high points.

The last time I saw the Stones was a few years back at Wembley. I thought it was dull except for the section where Keith sang some songs on his own. For a while the show had life and passion. I remember the stage was a great silver thing provided by Mercedes Benz.

It seemed odd to see the Mercedes logo emblazoned on The Rolling Stones stage set up. By contrast it seems right that Barcelona F.C. have UNICEF emblazoned across their shirts.

Some one asked me what I thought of the Stones Wembley show. I just said that I thought Jagger was quite a good runner for his age. It’s what I remember most about the gig. A slightly out of breath Jagger running up and down the ramps of his Mercedes Benz climbing frame. Sympathy for the Devil? HSBC? At least it wasn’t Stabbed by Glasvegas playing on the in house muzak.


Next stop Burton on Trent for yours truly where I will be performing at the next FDPFAFDW gig.






peace

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Rob

Thanks again for coming down to Canterbury to perform for us, it was wonderful.

Re; your point about Woolworths selling paisley patterned bags, it reminded me of this series of quotes from Danny the drug dealer in the classic British film 'Withnail and I'.

"They're sellin' hippie wigs
in Woolworth's, man.
The greatest decade in
the history of mankind is over.
And as Presuming Ed here
has so consistently pointed out...
we have failed
to paint it black".

All the best

Neil and Sacha

Anonymous said...

I doubt HSBC give much thought to what muzak is piped through the bank though maybe it should be "I can't get no satisfaction."

Mick has every right to claim money for HIS song Verve used. If you are going to sample someone's song get their permission and agree payment in advance. Better still write your own songs instead of sampling someone else's. I am not a massive Stones fan and I cannot abide Verve but fairs fair if it's not your song - fess up and be prepared to pay.

Anonymous said...

Yes but the Stones didn't write the whole song. They didn't have to take it all. The Verve didn't steal a whole song. When the Stones did a version of some one elses song such as Little Red Rooster they paid publishing royalties but got paid for the performance. The Verve did not.
But fairs fair as you say. People should not use other artistes material with out prior permission or make recordings of their own cd collection for friends etc, etc.

Minkum

Anonymous said...

Bet nobody would want to steal a Verve song!

Jimski said...

Regarding plagiarism - someone should take away the ENTIRE earnings of Led Zeppelin, such was the depth of their originality.

Anyway, isn't is Sir Mick now?

Anonymous said...

All work and no plagiarism makes Jack a dull boy.

Shoreham steve

Anonymous said...

Most of it can all be traced back to the old blues singers who didn't get a bean! Whilst Led Zep mindlessly hurled TVs from their hotel windows the black man sleeping on the pavement where it landing!

Dave said...

Hi Rob tend to agree with about the Stones always a big fan of theres but after Mick Tayler left they seemed to loose their edge and change the sound Metamorphosis being there last great album for me.Tour de France starting soon always look forward to watching that.

Anonymous said...

Fan of 'theirs' not 'there's' LOL!

Dave said...

Thanks for the corections there my English is terrible i missed out a couple of words as well i clicked on publish without reading it first(lol).

Anonymous said...

I was ownlee teesing about the english! I was just in a silly mood!

The Stones were good in their day but now its money for old rope and poor quality rope at that and very expensive poor quality old rope!

Dave said...

Yes the Stones just seem to be a big money making machine these days.Same with Ozzy Osbourne everything seems to be geared to just making as much money as possible as quickly as possible.

Anonymous said...

Yes spot on there Dave! As I said money for old rope they all (Stones etc), trot out the same old same old and each time it sounds less and less how it should or did and the ticket has cost a months' rent! I used to be a big Ozzy fan but The Osbournes for me just shows the whole MacDonaldisation of society. The man that gave us Paranoid and Sweetleaf etc is now showing us how his dogs crap all over his billion dollar slum as he staggers about in his boxer shorts! Then theres the money making machine that is Lynyrd Skynyrd sitting in the pocket of Jim Beam living out the old american dream!

Anonymous said...

Yes spot on there Dave! As I said money for old rope they all (Stones etc), trot out the same old same old and each time it sounds less and less how it should or did and the ticket has cost a months' rent! I used to be a big Ozzy fan but The Osbournes for me just shows the whole MacDonaldisation of society. The man that gave us Paranoid and Sweetleaf etc is now showing us how his dogs crap all over his billion dollar slum as he staggers about in his boxer shorts! Then theres the money making machine that is Lynyrd Skynyrd sitting in the pocket of Jim Beam living out the old american dream!

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