Simon Napier Bell takes on the Music Industry

[krausy]

Finally got to reading this article. It was very interesting, and yes I agree with him, the big companies only have themselves to blame.

Independent or boutique labels are the new way to go.

Yes, the divine one looks good in just about every picture I have ever seen!! And speaking of that band, could you imagine how things may have turned out if THEY had started their own label instead of chasing Sony/Epic??

Yes, and I think that is the route they should take. They got the jenga to do it, so why not? Be in even better control of their future destiny.

[krausy]

Finally got to reading this article. It was very interesting, and yes I agree with him, the big companies only have themselves to blame.

Independent or boutique labels are the new way to go.

Yes, the divine one looks good in just about every picture I have ever seen!! And speaking of that band, could you imagine how things may have turned out if THEY had started their own label instead of chasing Sony/Epic??

Sorry, double post!!!

[anortherncod]

Hello everyone.

When I read "you'll never look at Richard Barbieri in the same light again" on the Nightporter website, I hadn't yet read Black Vinyl White Powder. After reading the book, I assumed that it must be the following quote that Paul Rymer had in mind - although I might be wrong. It doesn't actually make me think differently of Richard, though this may not be true of other people!

"One day David turned up in full make-up… At first the make-up was slapped on roughly, dollops of lipstick and mascara that made the group look like a gang of cheap whores… But [it] became more sophisticated and they began to look like supermodels swinging down a Paris catwalk. Only Richard continued to look like a whore, slashing his lips clumsily with thick magenta, then compensating by slouching around like a truck driver."

OUCH!

Natasha

[sisterlondon]

LOL! Oh that quote! I had read it before, and doesn't make me change my mind about Rich. He seems to keep being as nice as before

[anortherncod]

Well, I agree with you, sisterlondon... but I could perhaps understand if people did think differently... not us hardcore fans obviously...

I demolished the book on a flight from Manchester to Paris and then waiting at Charles de Gaulle airport for another flight last summer, so I read it very quickly, but if I remember correctly Richard is only mentioned one other time and I got the feeling Simon Napier-Bell didn't like him very much... I wonder why?!

Natasha

[krausy]

Well, I agree with you, sisterlondon... but I could perhaps understand if people did think differently... not us hardcore fans obviously...

I demolished the book on a flight from Manchester to Paris and then waiting at Charles de Gaulle airport for another flight last summer, so I read it very quickly, but if I remember correctly Richard is only mentioned one other time and I got the feeling Simon Napier-Bell didn't like him very much... I wonder why?!

Natasha

Well, my hunch would be because he possesses some very good, and strong qualities. I find that when most people don't like someone, it is usually for that reason, like an envy or a jealously, unless that someone is just a total jerk/witch. That I'm sure does not apply in this case.

[tallulahtaurus]

Ha ha yes I remember the bit about slouching like a truck driver etc but it didnt change my opinion of him....I had always thought it a little obvious that he was perhaps more reticent than the others....

perhaps Rymer emphasised the bit about him continuing to look like a whore in his head because I can see that that might make me see him in a different light, lol.

I got the impression he didn't like him much too, I always thought it was a little amusing how subtly Napier Bell was able to give that impression without being overtly rude. I don't know how one could not like him but well there you go...

[tallulahtaurus]

Well, my hunch would be because he possesses some very good, and strong qualities. I find that when most people don't like someone, it is usually for that reason, like an envy or a jealously, unless that someone is just a total jerk/witch. That I'm sure does not apply in this case.

Yeah perhaps he was just quiet I have many friends who other people take against just because they don't tend to say much...

[Melaszka]

Maybe I'm just evil, but the impression I got when I read BVWP was that SNB had a bit of a downer on RB because he just didn't fancy him as much as the others. The same way that some immature men won't make any effort to be pleasant to or get on with a female colleague whom they consider to be "a bit of a dog." I'm probably totally wrong, though.

[anortherncod]

Melaszka, if you are evil and wrong then so am I, because that's exactly what I thought too.

Natasha

[Astronaut]

Hmmm, I'm not sure I know enough to comment on this at the moment (my book hasn't materialised yet!!!) but just a thought here, could it also be that RB, like RD, isn't and wasn't as sexually ambiguous as DS, SJ and (to a lesser extent) MK? I mean, just look at those guys 30 years ago - they were very beautiful and I think some of them played on that image as much as they could. Or did SNB encouraged them to play up that sexual ambiguity, especially DS with that awful promotional line of "worlds most beautiful man" and as Natasha has said on another forum David has given interviews in the distant past where he states that he has slept with men and women (and didn't enjoy either experience) and altho we know he was probably being sarcastic/witty or generally trying to liven up yet another dull, boring interview, do you think he said such things because he was encouraged to do so by his management?

[anortherncod]

I think that's very astute, Astronaut, as it goes...

Natasha

[Astronaut]

Thank you Natasha!
Krausy wrote:

Did someone say "Nick Rhodes"----and yes, he is scrumptious these days--heck, any day for that matter!!

Ellyn Sylvian wrote:

Yes, the divine one looks good in just about every picture I have ever seen!! And speaking of that band, could you imagine how things may have turned out if THEY had started their own label instead of chasing Sony/Epic??

Yes, I didn't understand that at the time and I still dont. Why oh why didn't they have the courage to market themselves? Why did they have to go with a 'begging bowl' to SONY?

As far as NR looking good at all times, I would tend to disagree with you Ellyn as I have seen quite a few pictures of the 'divine one' lurching out of restaurants/film premieres in a rather dishevelled condition, so when I saw him on BBC4 a few nights ago looking absolutely GORGEOUS *sighs* it was a welcome sight I can tell you!

Anyway, apologies for that brief intermission. Back to the issue of Simon Napier Bell and Richard ...

[tallulahtaurus]

Maybe I'm just evil, but the impression I got when I read BVWP was that SNB had a bit of a downer on RB because he just didn't fancy him as much as the others. The same way that some immature men won't make any effort to be pleasant to or get on with a female colleague whom they consider to be "a bit of a dog." I'm probably totally wrong, though.

Ha ha melaszka me and my friend actually joked between us that this had something to do with it - I just didn't quite have the courage to say that. LOL