So you have great singer/song writers like Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Don Henley and Glen Frey who –as far as I know– aren’t making hit records any more. They’re rich, the royalties are coming in, they worked long and hard…so maybe they’re just taking it easy. Why should they bust their asses writing songs. Because they love writing songs. It was once their passion and I want to believe it still is. So where are the songs?
Let’s suppose in the hip-hop musical world of 2006, nobody wants to hear a song by these old farts. But that doesn’t sound right. I’m betting they’re still writing songs…and there are millions of fans who would love to buy/hear them.
Okay, here’s the fantasy part. Let’s say you’re one of these musical legends and you still noodle around in your home studio, writing and recording songs. Not necessarily ‘hit’ songs, just songs. Stuff you like. Why not put it up on a website, give your fans a little taste, and let us buy them?
I think Janis Ian (if you don’t know, it doesn’t matter) does something like this. And why not. If your music is no longer “commercially viable,” but you still love making it… put it up there. Let us buy it direct. Like I said, it’s a fantasy.
Speaking of music… I would love to hear Sheryl Crow do Me and Bobby McGee. Not the Joplin screamer. More of a ballad treatment maybe. Has she ever performed that song?
Still speaking of music… I kinda like the song Table for One by Liz Phair.
But reaching back it occurs to me
There will always be some kind of crisis for me
Not a good drinking song, but haunting.
If somebody has Doug Howard‘s email address, he can probably answer the question above. Play the Kennett card.
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I believe that Cat Stevens is a Buddist monk now, so he is one artist who isn’t just sitting back enjoying royalties. It would be interesting to know where his money goes.
I answered my previous question about Cat Stevens with a quick Google search.
http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/biodata.htm
Sheryl did a nice version of Me and Bobby McGee a few years back with Kris Kristofferson for a Johnny Cash memorial tv show.
The Kristofferson version sounds like just what I had in mind. Anybody have a recording of that?
And imagine… singing that song with the guy that wrote it.