More than 30 years on, I still break out in a cold sweat at the opening bars of ‘Careless Whisper’. I am back in the teenage disco. Once the saxophone ushered in the full, rounded tones of George Michael, red-haired lads like me knew the night was over.
The slow set wasn’t designed for redheads. It didn’t matter how much spadework we had put in, the slow set separated the redheads from the rest. Us carrot-tops may have been able to compete in the chats, laughs and yarns, but when it came to the holy grail of teenage south Dublin — the successful slow-set snog — redhead boys hadn’t a prayer. Only the very brave or very drunk teenage girl would regard a redhead as a scalp.
That was just the way it was.
A vicious, adolescent apartheid operated at the slow set and hunky, dark, Mediterranean George Michael tended to signal the beginning of the end for walking Duracells like me. It seemed to me that redhead boys were more likely to be refused entry into bars and clubs than others. I was sure the bouncers hated us.
And so the earliest iteration of my relationship with George Michael is bittersweet, but — wow — he was such a talent. The stories of his generosity are legendary. He supported nurses and miners, not to mention the fact that he gave his less-talented Wham! partner, Andrew Ridgeley, the rights to ‘Careless Whisper’ just so his mate would have some cash. This was a decent bloke.
Listening to the range of his music is a pure joy.
George Michael was, like all creative people, a completely independent soul, who was prepared to take on the industry when he felt his art was being hijacked by the machine.
Before most artists, singers and writers copped on, Michael realised that the artist had to control his material. His legendary rows with his record label, Sony, centred on the control, as well as the timing, of his album releases. The record company wanted a neat, evenly-spaced schedule, allowing the company to extract as much as possible from each album before milking the fans with the next. This was how the normal commercial product cycle played out. Michael didn’t agree with this sequential approach. For him it was all about the inspiration.
He paid heavily for this stance. By the late 1990s, when he was a world superstar and should have been enjoying an unparalleled purple patch, his prodigious output was damaged by ongoing legal battles with the record label.
But his legal battles signalled the end of an era and the beginning of something totally different, whereby disruptive technologies have destroyed the music industry business model. The irony is that the George Michael versus Sony battle was the last great battle of the last big war. Today, neither the artist nor the record company gets the money. Now the lion’s share of the cash from music goes to the owners of streaming platforms.
This is a travesty and the same process will afflict other industries in time.
In a sense, George Michael was the last superstar of an old age. He was involved in such a lengthy legal battle with Sony because of the enormous financial clout he had. There was simply too much money at stake for the record label to back down.
In truth, he was one of the last generation of songwriters to be paid properly for their work. Today musicians with amazing talent aren’t paid because the advent of streaming has gouged the value out of the artists and, worse than giving that value to the music industry, the internet is transferring value to the owners of platforms like Spotify, Google Play and Pandora.
Now people expect to get music for free and the income goes to the owners/shareholders of these platforms, rather than the old industry producer, record label or the creative artist.
Let this be a warning to all of us. The music industry is a cautionary tale of the massive damage disruptive technology can do to assumptions underlying existing business models and career choices.
What is happening now to musicians is also happening to journalists and others who write for a living. Many journalists can’t make a living because people want their information for free and aren’t prepared to pay for it. Ultimately, if the consumer doesn’t want to pay, the producer goes bust. Automation is making this process endemic.
In time, so-called safe professions like lawyers and accountants, and indeed doctors, will go the way of musicians and journalists. The disruptive technology that will make accountants obsolete is already here. Any job that is formulaic and repetitive, such as bookkeeping, accountancy and the law, will be made redundant on an industrial scale. I mean, why pay a human when a machine can do it for free?
Technology is the silent killer of the bourgeoisie. It knows no boundaries, limits or nationalities.
Think about what has just happened in the past decade in George Michael’s industry — the most glamorous, best-financed industry in the world, where the consumers weren’t just buyers of products, they were fans! If technology can destroy such an industry, it can destroy any industry.
So what do we do in the face of the relentless march of technology?
Well let’s go back to the teenagers — or at least go back to what we tell teenagers today. In Ireland, we are training teenagers to obsess about Leaving Certificate points as if the professions, which the points system aims to perpetuate, are stable and certain in the face of such technological assaults. This is nonsense. The professions are over.
We shouldn’t be training our teenagers in the chimera of fake stability. Teenagers need to be trained to deal with ambiguity, not certainty. The key characteristic for a sovereign life, one that ultimately doesn’t depend on the suit you wear or the title you possess or the company you work for, is not to be fragile. It is essential to be robust in the face of adversity. This means we have to show them how to embrace uncertainty.
George Michael was an original in an industry that is disappearing. What happened to music in his many decades at the top will happen in most industries. The only difference now is that change is happening quicker.
No one seems to care that Mrs Debbie Reynolds has also died. Now, t h a t was good pop music!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCSUsF_YEe0
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Mrs Carrie Fisher, who also died, was my first romantic love in life as Princess Leia. Obviously, she was not aware of that, neither was Ronald Reagan that he was my childhood hero.
“Now people expect to get music for free and the income goes to the owners/shareholders of these platforms, rather than the old industry producer, record label or the creative artist.”
There was a very good book written on that topic:
https://punctumbooks.com/titles/the-critique-of-digital-capitalism/
George Michael was a really nice, understated and slightly shy person when I knew him in the 1980’s
Funny you should mention formulaic and repetitive. Eventually there are only so many variations on chord sequences before repetition occurs. I think we have reached critical mass. Technology will now produce a song based on criteria fed to it anyway. It’s called Dance Music and the kids can’t get enough of it. The art of conversation is dying a very slow death too. No longer are kids sitting in groups interacting on a personal human basis. Rather they are sitting in groups armed with smartphones and tablets interacting with technological friends miles away. Friendships are now defined by Facebook et… Read more »
Very talented Irish writer died yesterday ;
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Mr. Anthony Cronin
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Google.com results for search terms ;
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Anthony Cronin AND Irish writer
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https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr&ei=yQJlWMGSOIfovASQ_p1I&fg=1#q=Anthony+Cronin+AND+Irish+writer
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Wikipedia.org article ;
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Cronin
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Ref. wikipedia.org article above ;
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“He had Honorary Doctorates from several institutions such as
Dublin University,
the National University of Ireland
the University of Poznan.”
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Cronin’s novel “The Life of Riley” I encountered as radio novel on BBC 4 ;
Superb !
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Should have come to Limerick then David.All the ginger nuts got the slow dance sets in the 80s.
Growing up in the era of Wham! the only word I could associate with the music of George Micheal was phony. Particularly stark in that era of very artificial post-modern pop was George Michael’s contrast with Boy George who wore his sexuality on his sleeve, no feigning for market gain about being heterosexual, and who with Culture Club, produced much better and more genuine pop songs than Micheal in Wham! as far as I can remember. I am a close fan of neither. Grunge, with deliberate uncouth-ness and noise, eventually emerged as the antidote to these disgustingly saccharine sweet, perma-tanned,… Read more »
´´Well let’s go back to the teenagers — or at least go back to what we tell teenagers today. In Ireland, we are training teenagers to obsess about Leaving Certificate points as if the professions, which the points system aims to perpetuate, are stable and certain in the face of such technological assaults. This is nonsense. The professions are over. We shouldn’t be training our teenagers in the chimera of fake stability. Teenagers need to be trained to deal with ambiguity, not certainty.´´ Uncertainty in the long term doesn´t safely pay 25-30 year mortgages for amounts in the 100s of… Read more »
I feel mixed about the observation here. The “traditional” music market that is getting destroyed was a fluke if it’s time. 100s or 1000s of musicians trying to make a crust, but only a few, some admittedly with talent, win the lottery and get to live millionaire lifestyle, but the 99% remainder don’t and drift out of the scene. (Ricky Gervais none withstanding) Technology has only levelled the playing field and the real world model should be getting paid for a live performance, not endless royalties for an album recorded over a weekend back in the 70s. My view is… Read more »
The idea that streaming is destroying the music industry really isn’t fair on the streaming services. Spotify pay over 80% of their income in royalties – unfortunately not much of that gets to the artists, the vast majority ending up in the pockets of the record companies. Spotify make a healthy loss every year, in spite of their rapidly growing paid subscriber base – ‘do the math’. The record companies hold all the cards, but they saw the error of their cousins over in video, who enabled Apple to dominate, and they are aware that they must allow a number… Read more »
Read George Soros today on the danger of fascist dictatorships and mafia states being on the rise: https://www.project-syndicate.org/onpoint/open-society-needs-defending-by-george-soros-2016-12 “I was an avid supporter of the European Union from its inception. I regarded it as the embodiment of the idea of an open society: an association of democratic states willing to sacrifice part of their sovereignty for the common good.” … he continues … “After the Crash of 2008, the EU and the Eurozone became increasingly dysfunctional. Prevailing conditions became far removed from those prescribed by the Maastricht Treaty, but treaty change became progressively more difficult, and eventually impossible, because it… Read more »
Disruptive Technologies => More Productivity => Fewre real Jobs => Utopia or Dystopia
Will the people be able to choose.
“As we end the year, there is nearly no “RISK premium” anywhere to be found. In fact, the mainstream explanation for higher rates is the “reflation” trade, I disagree. I believe the higher interest rates are a function of liquidity tightness. The old debt/growth leading to more debt/more growth circle has been broken because “debt saturation” levels have been reached. The central banks are stuck as they have cornered too much collateral and are now being forced to look at other markets (including equities) to on load to their balance sheets. Risk premium serves a very important purpose in “pricing”… Read more »
http://www.kitco.com/news/2016-12-29/A-Seat-At-The-Fed-Ron-Paul-Says-It-Would-Be-Interesting.html
Inspired by the story of George Soros’s colourful though disgraceful (and hopefully soon to ended) life of a criminal and a Nazi (though an authority for some readers), I’ll try once again to see if that works (should it work, copyright Grzegorz Kolodziej):
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Third time lucky?:
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We are all being played again by The Dreadful Few in their obligating on us to embargo whatever nation they stipulate ;
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Ref.
Grzegorz Kolodziej
December 30, 2016 at 3:14 am
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“… Plus, while most of the accusations of Trump-Russia links turned out to be inaccurate, it was the Clinton Foundation that was selling uranium to Putin. …”
http://www.jsmineset.com/2016/12/19/what-is-left-to-go-before-the-great-reset/
The biggest fake news of 2016 was that Trump is a populist:
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-budget/312193-sanders-battles-trump-the-king-of-crony-capitalists
Pat, actions speak louder than words.
We speculate
If Trump betrays then the action on the streets will not be instigated by Soros.
Trump needs to disclose the real state of the economy and show what is inherited or he is going down with the collapse of the economy which is what is planned FOR
Who cares about Trump?
This is reality in Ireland.http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1230/841830-homeless/
Here are some similar stories from America:
Alaska:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/24/alaska-homeless-deaths
California:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/03/homeless-american-river-mark-twain-california
So which one of you irrelevant dinosaurs has a rag to wave from your armchairs thousands of miles from Ireland about these things?
Which one of you knows something real about Ireland today. Because I don´t see it.
Sideshow Bob. Peter McVerry has acknowledged that where there are shelter needs, there are costs. Rentals or house repossessions. My opinions are as follows One of the main costs for rentals and reposessions are the failure of the FG/LAB/Irish CB & Irish economists to face up to bad debt costs. http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwi59Ybam53RAhWCDcAKHTjGBf8QFggaMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ffacing-up-to-reality-on-bad-debt-could-make-banks-a-strong-investment-once-again-1.1345414&usg=AFQjCNGkgVKm7n9n5VEobmtE1FDShl7HsA The solutions “ARE” and were not that costly. 1. To restructure a mortgage with an interest only restructure till end of term would have cost “ZERO “. From 2010 it would have been max 23 yrs. Benefits- Full asset value on banks balance sheet. 23 yrs safe shelter needs… Read more »
I just noticed a new post on discussion to last article of Davids ;
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ENTIRITY OF POST ; BUT, MINUS THE PHOTO ACCOMPANYING THE MONIKER
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hlschmid
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December 30, 2016 at 8:57 pm
“They are not racist, atavistic or deluded. They are simply on the outside.”
And they are all invited to give their opinion on the future of Europe on http://www.our-new-europe.eu
Latest Re ; George Michael
EXTRACT
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HEADLINE
Heroin not ruled out in pop star’s death
Nicola Harley
PUBLISHED
31 Dec 2016
George Michael’s death could be linked to heroin, after a post-mortem exam proved inconclusive.
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The 53-year-old was found dead at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on Christmas Day. More tests, expected to take a number of weeks, will be conducted on the singer, who, it has been claimed, had battled a heroin addiction this year.
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http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/britain/heroin-not-ruled-out-in-pop-stars-death-35331700.html
The envelope around the truth is sufficient as the truth sometimes ;
Even for me, Truthist.
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“No thank u Mam.
I think we have seen enough.” 8-)
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https://twitter.com/hotshot1_/status/814918094095339520
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https://twitter.com/hotshot1_/status/814918094095339520
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And, to think that there is serious talk from high circles that this person is a future USA President.
New Zealand to suffer devastating economic crisis by the Banksters so ?
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Ref.
HEADLINE
Netanyahu ‘told New Zealand backing UN vote would be declaration of war’
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/28/netanyahu-told-new-zealand-backing-un-vote-would-be-declaration-of-war
MANUFACTURED INDUSTRY -> MANUFACTURED AWARDS
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4035358/The-oh-trendy-diversity-rules-mean-Bond-never-win-Baftas-today-Organisation-introduces-new-guidelines-means-movies-meet-criteria-qualify-awards.html
A Hawaiian vacation would not be replete without dessert at this cafe.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/12/hawaiian-restaurant-bans-people-voted-trump/
Whoever wins they have their man in the White house.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxPJUueYhLM
American power structure as of 1988, Ron Paul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDZsQQ5wRBQ
I will not let the year pass without giving thanks to both Grzegorz & Sideshow Bob for yer sincere concern & sympathy expressed to me upon yee learning here on this blog that I experiencing another spate of harsh “homelessness AND rooflessness”, & shortly after that I facing as a result very serious health issues.
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Thank u.
Ah the curse of red hair.
My brother had red hair and whenever any of us got into trouble (eg boxing orchards) it was always the redser that got fingered.
Happy New Year to one and all.
The Obama legacy. Nobel peace prize for getting elected. Then droning on an on with hundreds arbitrarily killed on foreign shores, Then bombing the heck out of sovereign nations and destroying them in the name of establishing democracy, And supporting the draconian restrictions of reduction of personal freedoms and search and seizure without cause. finally stepping in to impede a smooth transition of Government to Trump. Left behind is the highest level of debt ever seen both in absolute and percentage terms. The highest unemployment rates since the great depression, The lowest workforce participation rate in 60 years, and the… Read more »
New Years Day in 15-35 knots. The gusts sometimes were knockdown territory whereas the photo shows a standard 45% hard blast. This was a northerly wind out of the mainland sound. 3C. Snow is in the air for tomorrow.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=649b918298&view=fimg&th=1595b9dc74258fea&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ9nCuDCbK6tiiu2dBN_GjnJqAjIshAVZH-yC5zNsxCVURXWkvWgUNdsNzSEVHnMw33oJswankmuQvM0EFm_KZ8lCNo2BlcAkKpDmZxJXutNHH5_R4vUot2A92o&sz=w2256-h1570&ats=1483308249705&rm=1595b9dc74258fea&zw&atsh=1
Wikipedia.org says ; Pizza-gate is bunk ! But, Makow says Pizza-gate is not bunk ! Makow tweets a link Re ; artist that Hillary Clinton President Election Campaign Chairperson Mr. Podesta admires so much ; . WARNING ; It is very sick stuff So, definitely, something demonic going on with folks linked to Pizza-gate. And, how about Kathy O’Brien accusations against Hillary Clinton ? . . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzagate_conspiracy_theory ; Hmm…m ! . . EXTRACT FROM LINK BELOW ; . Podesta’s Artist – Stuff so bad journalists do not show it in articles 29 days ago by gizmosia 56 . . https://steemit.com/pizzagate/@gizmosia/art-podesta-admires-and-buys-you-may-never-sleep-well-again… Read more »