The New Business of Old Music

The New Business of Old Music(c) written by JStutz 11/08/2012

1. An old man's indulgence of recording songs he likes that are not his own and calling it an album.
2. A band leader, usually a singer/songwriter, who re-records beloved hits all on his own playing and singing all parts to re-sell and removing any opportunity for royalties going to the musicians on the originally released songs.
3. When songs from your 30-40 year old music catalog get less airplay, you sell your music to the people who make movies and commercials to keep your songs in circulation. And you allow it to be part of other compilations with various artists.
4. The new trend for old music is to re-release it in collectors, special, anniversary, box sets, or vinyl versions. Sometimes re-engineered, sometimes remixed, sometimes not when you don't have the money to do it.

This is the new business of old music.

Initially, I couldn't figure out why Jeff Lynne's new album wasn't getting any attention, but after listening to previews of each song for the first time this morning on iTunes, I figured it out. He perpetrated #1 from the above list. It was released in March in England and in the US on October 9th. It only came to my attention after the promotion of a BBC documentary showing on 11/14 at the Grammy Museum in Downtown Los Angeles. Tickets went on sale 10/31 and now are sold out. I could kick myself.

He also released Mr. Blue Sky - the very best of ELO. On this recording, he perpetrated #2 and #4 from the above list.

I can't say that I've lost respect for the man, but due to his ongoing aggravation from musicians that used to play with him in ELO and of the music business in general, I really can't blame him for his actions.

After all, they are his songs and he is Mr. Blue Sky.

Later, I found the same BBC documentary on Paladia and recorded it. It started out good and then went astray. I wish it was more like this website (in Danish) to a point, then interspersed with parts of ELO videos and concert footage. http://www.10538overture.dk/Member%20page/JEFF%20LYNNE.htm