David/Simon Napier-Bell

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David/Simon Napier-Bell

Postby silentwings on Thu Oct 26, 2017 5:36 am

David published an article following SNB writing his version of the break-up of the band on Facebook:

http://www.davidsylvian.com/texts/other ... _here.html
“Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.” att to Jack Kerouac
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Re: David/Simon Napier-Bell

Postby depeon on Fri Oct 27, 2017 3:50 pm

Thank you David for that article, as a band you were very unfortunate to have SNB as a manager, last weekend i was just talking with a friend about the GM documentary on C4 (I was never a huge fan, but some songs i did like, but he did love some of your work, especially FC). Anyway, my question, was if GM had of been allow to be true to himself at the start of his career, would the events of Dec 25/26 2017 have happened?
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Re: David/Simon Napier-Bell

Postby karnsculpture on Sat Oct 28, 2017 3:04 am

George was doubly unlucky before SNB; the first deal he signed with Innervision was pretty bad to the point where just a year later the band were telling fans not to buy the mega mix single the company put out without permission.

I think GM's problems had little or nothing to do with SNB and more to do with his BF being sick and dying so soon after they got together. Then losing his mother. The recent documentary made that clear.
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Re: David/Simon Napier-Bell

Postby Quiet Visitor on Sun Oct 29, 2017 7:29 am

I must say I feel quite unconfortable reading this article, especially the words about Mick. :(
I'd wished he kept silence on this subject.
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Re: David/Simon Napier-Bell

Postby Blemished on Thu Nov 02, 2017 3:54 pm

David has become quite fascinatingly unpredictable at the minute - tweeting and deleting on all manor of things - Harvey Weinstein etc. Sadly nothing seems to suggest that more music is likely, perhaps ever.

I was really glad - if astonished - to see him respond to SNB in the way he did. Clearly he has grown tired of Japan's breakup being presented in the way Napier-Bell did. Personally, I don't find it uncomfortable hearing him talking about Mick in that way. I don't know any of the them outside of their music and don't think I'm in any position to have a strong view on their personal lives at all. But Mick was able to publish his perspective on those years and I think it perfectly fair for David to offer his side of the story, even in a relatively restrained form. No doubt they are all strong and complex characters! And I think the other point is that they were all in their early 20s at this time and living in the artificial bubble of a pop band. It's the distant history of brilliant, young musicians - no less interesting for that, but hard for me to get too worked up about. I don't think it disrespects Mick's memory for people who actually knew him to portray him as a mercurial, creative and volatile person. To me that seems very fitting with his incredible and unique talent.

I do think it is sad that SNB machinations may have brought about the demise of the band at a point when they could have gone a little further and been even more successful and influential. But at the same time, maybe Brilliant Trees would not have resulted and that - for me - would have been a huge loss. Tin Drum was such a superb way to end.

It is also really bad that they - like many other musicians before and after - were abused by the industry financially. I'm sure SNB played a big part in getting them where they got to, but for most of them to be left without any meaningful financial reward after recording such great music and hugely successful tours is deeply unfair.
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Re: David/Simon Napier-Bell

Postby inkinthewell on Tue Nov 07, 2017 9:31 am

Blemished wrote:David has become quite fascinatingly unpredictable at the minute - tweeting and deleting on all manor of things - Harvey Weinstein etc. Sadly nothing seems to suggest that more music is likely, perhaps ever.

I was really glad - if astonished - to see him respond to SNB in the way he did. Clearly he has grown tired of Japan's breakup being presented in the way Napier-Bell did. Personally, I don't find it uncomfortable hearing him talking about Mick in that way. I don't know any of the them outside of their music and don't think I'm in any position to have a strong view on their personal lives at all. But Mick was able to publish his perspective on those years and I think it perfectly fair for David to offer his side of the story, even in a relatively restrained form. No doubt they are all strong and complex characters! And I think the other point is that they were all in their early 20s at this time and living in the artificial bubble of a pop band. It's the distant history of brilliant, young musicians - no less interesting for that, but hard for me to get too worked up about. I don't think it disrespects Mick's memory for people who actually knew him to portray him as a mercurial, creative and volatile person. To me that seems very fitting with his incredible and unique talent.

I do think it is sad that SNB machinations may have brought about the demise of the band at a point when they could have gone a little further and been even more successful and influential. But at the same time, maybe Brilliant Trees would not have resulted and that - for me - would have been a huge loss. Tin Drum was such a superb way to end.

It is also really bad that they - like many other musicians before and after - were abused by the industry financially. I'm sure SNB played a big part in getting them where they got to, but for most of them to be left without any meaningful financial reward after recording such great music and hugely successful tours is deeply unfair.

Amen, brother.
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans - JL 1940-1980
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