boycott-riaa.com - Article: It's Time for the Artists to Speak Out- An opinion

It's Time for the Artists to Speak Out- An opinion

Posted by CodeWarrior on October 31, 2003 at 12:09 PM (printer friendly)

The RIAA claims to represent labels that allegedly crank out 85 % of all recorded music in the USA. As a trade organization, they claim to be representing the interests of the major artists. And, in fact, in an interview recently with PC World, Mr. Cary Sherman said:

"If somebody has to be the heavy on this, better that it be the RIAA than the artists whose livelihoods are at stake."

Wait a second Mr. Sherman. Does this mean that the "artists" are afraid to associate themselves with this greedy, headlong prosecution of the innocent? Does this mean that these artists do not want to be associated with suing innocent 66 year old women and 12 year old girls?

Does this really mean that they are ashamed of what you are doing in their name?

Time is right for artists to let the fans know where they stand.

Some great and courageous artists like Todd Rundgren and Janis Ian have spoken out on how they feel on this issue. I assert that, if you are an artist, and a little army of suits are suing the heck out of Americans in your name, you need to reach way down deep inside and find the courage to come out and let us know where you stand.

I personally have not been buying any CDs from a lot of artists who I have supported for many years, due to the representation of their labels by the RIAA. Many of these artists are already experiencing damage to their careers for remaining silent, because silence indicates agreement.

You can insert whatever names you want here, but I have long been a Hall and Oates fan. If John Oates and Darryl Hall are fine with having legions of lawyers suing fans, hey Darryl, walk onto a stage in a press conference and have the courage to let us know where you stand.

Carlos Santana, brother, you rock with the guitar. I've bought your albums for 30 years, but your albums are with RIAA labels. You talk a lot about spirituality Carlos. Stand and deliver. Are you for the shysters and Sherman, or for the fans?

Jonny Lang, man you know how to play the blues, but, your latest album is with an RIAA label, and the RIAA is making LOTS of people sing the blues. You don't need these guys Jonny, and you know it. Have the courage to stand up and support the people how buy your CDs. You don't find the RIAA buying your CDs enough to keep your career going!

I am kind of angry. The silence of artists makes them look like sellouts and cowards, and since I have enjoyed the music these guys have made for years, I am losing faith in their musical honesty.

The RIAA has taken advantage of musicians for years as far as I know. Artists, do you want to continue this neo-feudalism, with the RIAA being the lords, and you being a serf?

Sorry for the rant, but artists have a vertebral column, but the question is, do they have a backbone?

The fans are waiting to hear from you, and are withholding their money 'til you start becoming more responsive to the people who have kept your career going!

~CodeWarrior

User Comments (These do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of this site)


fossil	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 12:47 PM Whew ... Well said ;)

napstersghost	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 12:57 PM I am seriously considering selling or throwing out my CDs of artists who keep quiet and look the other way.

zippythechip...	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:01 PM Suggestion: Email this letter to every musician/group fanclub website, official band/performer website, and music posting board we can find. Code, can we have your permission to add our names to the bottom of this letter after yours, to let these people know that this is not the voice of one lone dissenter? ~zippy.

woodhead	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:09 PM Well said Code, and right on the money, So When will you speak up guys? for the ones who say nothing will get nothing from me.

tinfoilmusic	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:09 PM Well said Code, well said indeed.

compmore	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:20 PM add mine as well. some artists have spoken up for the RIAA side, Madonna for one. perhaps we should publish a list of those artists as well

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:21 PM My feeling is that most artists are not going to speak up because they are in favor of the lawsuits and they don't want to piss off their fans. Further, most artists who speak out in favor of file sharing are just trying to curry favor with the TRL crowd. This doesn't include artists like Janis Ian or Todd who have older, loyal fan bases, but does include artists like Fred "Go Napster" Durst.

JohnCarlton02	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:36 PM napsterghost, don't throw away those CDs. You bought & paid for them. Sell 'em if you no longer want them, then use the cash to buy some other form of entertainment.

Mastethom	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:36 PM How about a website where people can add to a master list of artists who are losing CD sales to their RIAA affiliation? I envision it like this: - A person signs up and their name is added as a signatory to a statement on the front page that would essentially say: "Dear Artists, We the undersigned are boycotting the RIAA and their member labels. It is unfortunate that this means that we may also have to boycott you but this can change. Leave your label, publicly denounce their practices, release independently and allow your fans to support you without compromising what they believe in. You can look up your name on this site and see for yourself how many of your albums remain on the shelf because of our boycott. We want to support you but want the RIAA out of the picture. We're already on your side, please join ours." - As alluded to by the letter, this website would essentially be an artist directory. Any user could add themselves to any artist's boycott tally, once for every album they would like to purchase but won�t. The result being a site where, say, Live or Beck or Sheryl Crow or anyone could find their page and see an actual number that represents people who would have bought their albums were it not for the RIAA boycott. It would take time to build the numbers but I'm sure it could get very popular and very large very quickly. I'm sure it would also attract news coverage at some point, especially if we publicize it. There would certainly be work involved but I think it could be effective tool against the posturing of the RIAA who try to portray anyone against them as anti-artist. The website could also include a white-list of artists who have spoken out against the RIAA even though they may still have contract obligations to a label. In this way, we could highlight artists who have made up their own minds and encourage people to support them in other ways.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:42 PM sure zippy ! go for it, I'm honored! ~Code

metal-man-micro	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:43 PM Come on. While it would be nice if more artists came forward and were vocal about their displeasure of the RIAAs mob like actions, the reality of it is most artists are not going to bite the hand that feeds. Sure, the customers are the ones spending the money, but it is the record companies that do the financing. I am sure that if any artist becomes vocal enough, the label will just bury them. What is to stop them? The labels basically own all of the politicians, are engaged in criminal behavior, have demonstrated that they are the scum of the earth (excluding defense attorneys of course). The artist has few options...speak up and get ruined or shut up and get paid.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:44 PM mroop - they've already pissed me and lots of people off with their silence! I respect someone much more who will stand up and let me know where he stands, than someone who hides in the shadows. That's not an artist, that's a coward!

compmore	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:47 PM Mastathom - excellent idea. are there any webmasters willing to take on that type of a challange?? yes I agree that most will not speak up for fear of pissing off the public. but we all do things and make decisions in our lives to curry some type of favor with those who can influence our lives. IE: agreeing with the boss, agreeing with a customer when you don't, impressing your girlfriends parents etc..... "This doesn't include artists like Janis Ian or Todd who have older, loyal fan bases," could this be a diplomatic attempt to cury a little favor with those on this site who love Janis Ian's interview? It may be sincere but we all do it. I have more respect for Stars like Madonna (though I disagree with her strongly and would never buy her albums) as a person for standing up and saying what she believes. It's those that remain silent that get no respect from me or many others like me

compmore	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:48 PM Ditto Code, you got yours in before me

INeedAlover	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:48 PM Very well said and needed article!! Artists have been far too quiet. What's the worst that could happen for speaking your mind? Either you'll get dropped by your label if you come out against lawsuits and for file sharing (big deal, your contract with the RIAA label SUCKS anyways), or you anger your fans and lose them (much BIGGER deal, since its the FANS that make you what you are in the first place, not the damn label). This issue has been brewing for months, and ANY artist that continues to keep their mouth shut is no longer going to have me as their fan.

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:48 PM I hear you Code. I'd say probably 1 percent of recording artists have real talent that they know will carry them on the long haul. The rest got lucky and know it. They are afraid of going back to washing dishes or something like that.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:51 PM metal-man-micro - Cary Sherman and Mitch Bainwol haven't bought milions of CDs of Metallica. They don't personally shell out the bucks that lets Carlos Santana have a nice house. It's people like me being Carlos' records for 30 years, its people like compmore, fossil, zippy,napstersghost,Mastethom ,JohnCarlton02,woodhead,tinfoil ... we've been talking the talk and walking the walk with our consumer dollars for years. It's time to fish or cut bait. They are either with Cary and the RIAA, or with the fans. They choose the RIAA, let Hilary Rosen come buy millions of units a year. Let Cary support Hall and Oates with his shyster salary. We are ALREADY mad, because, by staying silent, they not only show they agree, but they show cowardice. How can ANYONE be a fan of someone who is that cowardly, and who believes in screwing their fans over in court, and trying to ruin them financially. As far as I am concerned, if they want to SAVE their career, its time to "fish or cut bait" bottom line. Through the boycott I have learned I can do quite well without buying their albums, and THAT should scare the crap out of them, if they care to listen. If they DON'T listen, hey, I hope their skills as waiters haven't diminished with disuse! ~Code

CodeWarrior	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:52 PM meant buying Carlo's records, not being...sorry for typo

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:53 PM "could this be a diplomatic attempt to cury a little favor with those on this site who love Janis Ian's interview? It may be sincere but we all do it." Since when am I known to curry favor with members of this site? :) I noted them because I didn't want to make a blanket statement. Janis and Todd are artists with real talent and a desire to create, that is why they have been in it for the long haul. They also have loyal fan bases who will always support them. For artists like this, file sharing will help their careers, as opposed to the one shotters on the charts today who need to make hay while they have their 15 minutes in the spotlight.

compmore	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:55 PM Code perhaps we should all get together and have dinner at the restaurant they end up working at. then we can tip them directly for the service instead of the middle man

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:56 PM "They don't personally shell out the bucks that lets Carlos Santana have a nice house." Just to note, from what I have read Carlos was just about completely broke and went begging to Clive Davis to help him. That is when Clive put together Supernatural and made Carlos tons of money. So I don't think Carlos is going to go against Clive now.

compmore	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:57 PM Mroop you are certinly right and I do aplogize. you have absolutly no respect for anyone on this site who disagrees with you. you don't curry favors. there are exceptions to that rule

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 1:59 PM "you have absolutly no respect for anyone on this site who disagrees with you." That's a load of crap. :)

CodeWarrior	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 2:00 PM mroop,and neither is Rod Stewart....and it diminishes my respect for people I have looked up to as artists for decades. I guess money is more important than self respect to many of these folks. Sad. "...So it goes" - Kurt Vonnegut

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 2:02 PM "mroop,and neither is Rod Stewart....and it diminishes my respect for people I have looked up to as artists for decades." As they say, trust the art, not the artist. I still think R. Kelly writes some great tunes even though he defecates on underage girls. Jerry Lee Lewis is alleged to have murdered a couple of his wives, and so on.

compmore	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 2:02 PM I used to love Rod Stewart too code, it's a shame he's got the fence post up his butt too

furiousBall	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 2:03 PM excellent, excellent article - the only way to dismantle the beast is to stop feeding it, I 100% agree with this idea. Why don't artists stand up? - Fear. Truth be told alot of the shit on the radio wouldn't stand a chance without the megamillions behind the marketing of this processed turds. So there, I said it, if you don't stand up to them, your music is a turd.

gdZiemann	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 2:39 PM "Just to note, from what I have read Carlos was just about completely broke and went begging to Clive Davis to help him." The fact that someone who has sold as many albums as Carlos Santana has and tours constantly can become "almost completely broke" is a reflection on the music BUSINESS.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:06 PM agree with George

axxis	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:17 PM The recording artists should form their own union and demand better treatment from the labels in collective bargaining or threaten to go on strike. Think about it.

dave109100	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:18 PM Well south park was right, if the artist isn't going to speak up for their fans, they must be in it for the money. At least Moby has come out and said he just wants people to listen to his music no matter where they get it. We could use about 500 or so more artists like him.

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:25 PM George - you can't say that as you have no idea what Carlos made and what he spent. Regarding records - prior to Supernatural, he hadn't sold many albums in 20 years. His last hit was Winning in 1981 and before that it was "She's Not There" in 1977. In the 80's and 90's he was probably selling very few albums. How many did you buy? I know I bought one - Blues For Salvador in 1987. As far as touring constantly, here are the number of concerts in the four years prior to Supernatural: 1995 - 70, 1996 - 88, 1997 – 67, 1998 – 67. 1.4 concerts per week is not touring constantly.

Anti-RIAA	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:36 PM A concert every week seems pretty constant to me.

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:42 PM I guess it is a relative term, but that ain't no road dog. :) We think of Carlos as a famous artist, but he really was only hugely popular for a short period of time. He chose to perform uncommercial music after a short period of time and lost his fan base. His manager from that period Herbie Herbert left him and formed Journey because he wanted to make money. Neil Schon and Gregg Rolie of Journey were originally in Santana.

RON-JEREMY	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:49 PM I don't know that the world is big enough for another "500 or so more artists" that are as pathetically un-talented as moby.

mroop	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:55 PM Ha ha! I hate Moby music too, but I do believe he is principled in his stance.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 3:58 PM I didn't want to turn this in a focus on Carlos' career, but here is what may be an apocryphal story about Carlos and his career : "I read a story about Carlos that in the late sixties he had been frustrated by the music business after having been involved in the San Francisco music scene for a few years. He was broke and went to Tijuana Mexico. Soon after it is reported The Grateful Dead's own Jerry Garcia traveled down to Mexico to bring Santana back to San Francisco. Its said Jerry offered food and shelter to Carlos, and got Bill Graham to take Carlos's music seriously. I don't know if this story is true, but I do know that I saw Carlos play at Garden State Arts Center in New Jersey, with Jeff Beck on the day Jerry died. The was filled with more passion than the usual Santana performance show right from the start. Halfway to the show Carlos started talking about his friend Jerry Garcia while the tears rolled down his face. He said if not for Jerry he would not be on the stage today ." and more from : http://www.santana.com/carlos/carlos.asp (used under fair use doctrine) "This most recent success is a tremendous high point of an artistic journey that began some fifty years ago in the Mexican village of Autlan, where at age five, Carlos was introduced to 'traditional music,' by his father Jose, an accomplished mariachi violinist. The family moved to the border boom town of Tijuana in 1955, where Carlos seriously took up guitar, studying and emulating the sounds of B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, T. Bone Walker and other greats he heard on the radio. As much as he was inspired by the early training he received from his father in traditional musical form and theory, Carlos soon realized his dream was to break free and play rock 'n roll. He began performing with local bands like The T.J.s, adding his own personal flair to the popular songs of the 1950s. As he continued playing with different bands up and down the bustling 'Tijuana Strip,' Carlos Santana began to hone his considerable skills and invent his inimitable sound." " In 1961, he moved Stateside to San Francisco, joining his family, who had relocated there the previous year. Destiny had most certainly brought Carlos to the right place at the right time, planting him smack in the middle of the of the burgeoning and hugely influential Bay Area music scene...as well as in an era-defining melting pot of cultural, political, and artistic change. In this climate, Carlos continued to evolve his unique, genre-bending style, and in 1966, he took his music to the people with the debut performance of the Santana Blues Band. For the next two years, the group was swept up in a whirlwind of acclaim and popularity that carried them from the boards of Bill Graham's historic Fillmore West to the main stage at the epochal Woodstock 'Peace, Love, Music' Festival, where on August 16, 1969, the Santana band's gale-force Latin-flavored rock was delivered to the masses. The world embraced Carlos with a passion, captivated by music that was always changing, exploring, and growing, yet always quintessentially and unmistakably Santana, heralded by a guitar prowess that today remains among the most distinctive ever. Each new release--including to date ten platinum and nine gold albums-emerged as a reflection of Carlos' personal growth and artistic evolution. Fans also reveled in his humanitarian messages and spiritual affirmations-subtle urgings towards peace, joy, acceptance, compassion and understanding--that have been consistently communicated in a gentle, heartfelt manner at live performances around the globe. The Santana Band achieved double-platinum status their first time out with the 1969 Columbia debut album Santana, featuring the hit single 'Evil Ways,' and quadruple-platinum with Abraxas, the classic 1970 follow-up, which boasted among its tracks 'Black Magic Woman' and the incomparable Tito Puente's composition 'Oye Como Va.' Other milestones in the Santana discography include 1971's Santana III featuring 'Everything's Coming Our Way'; the 1974 Columbia Greatest Hits package; the 1997 2-CD collection Live At The Fillmore featuring performances from their historic 1968 shows; the comprehensive 1995 Legacy boxed-set retrospective Dance Of The Rainbow Serpent and their single-disc 1998 Best Of Santana distillation; solo projects including the 1972 musical adventure Live With Buddy Miles and the highly personal Blues For Salvador (1987); and adventurous Guts & Grace/Island releases including 1994's Brothers, which featured collaborations with Carlos' sibling Jorge and nephew Carlos Hernandez, and Mystic Man, with Italian composer Paolo Rustichelli. Significant filmed repertoire include the 1988 video retrospective Viva Santana, the 1993 South American concert video Sacred Fire, and 1997's CD-ROM A History Of Santana: The River Of Color And Sound. Most recently, FOX Television aired the gala special A Supernatural Evening With Santana, a celebration of the record-setting album featuring performances with Rob Thomas, Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews, and Sarah McLachlan, among others; Aviva International and Image Entertainment released the DVD and video of this memorable event. Whatever the medium or the genre, Carlos's uncompromising passion for his art shines clearly through." and "Career recognition and kudos have been legion. The Santana Band was the first to earn CBS Record's Crystal Globe Award for sales of more than five million albums internationally. Carlos has been voted Best Pop-Rock Guitarist multiple times in Playboy Magazine's annual Reader's Poll. He received a 1988 GRAMMY for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and was the subject of a special Recording Academy (NARAS) tribute concert during the 1996 GRAMMY Awards, in conjunction with his induction into the Hollywood Rock Walk. He's received ten Bay Area Music Awards, including six Best Guitarist and three Musician Of The Year nods, and in 1997 was among the select inaugural group-- along with Bill Graham and Jerry Garcia-- inducted into the BAMMY Hall Of Fame; that same year, he was named Latino Music Legend of the Year by the Chicano Music Awards. In 1996, Billboard Magazine bestowed Carlos with the Century Award, their highest honor for lifetime creative achievement, and in 1998, he was immortalized in the entertainment world with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame." Mroop said "...prior to Supernatural, he hadn't sold many albums in 20 years." I'm sorry, but it is hard to reconcile the material on Carlos' site with what I recall, and what mroop is saying. Carlos has been around a long time, and retained a strong following, not only in the Latin community, but also , he was a crossover into Rock, Pop, Soul, Jazz, etc.. To make it seem like Carlos was washed up and "saved" by Clive Davis, to me, just misrepresents things. In the previous possibly apocryphal text about Garcia, it made it seeme like Jerry Garcia saved him. Carlos is a survivor. He has also been very involved in trying to promote a positive lifestyle for people in the barrios, and his career, like his life, has certainly had its ups and downs. I think that, most people who see someone like Carlos, or like Ozzie, or whoever, that has sold many many records, and been famous for decades, for most of us, when we hear that they were almost broke, it sounds like one of two things, i.e. they either mismanaged their money really badly, or they got ripped off by the labels and/or management (or both possiblilities). Clive Davis MAY have offered Carlos some good management or assisted him in his career, but ultimately, one must admit that the success he has had, comes from the fans who buy his music, who go to the concerts, and who have not abandoned him. Clive Davis did not generate box office. Clive Davis did not donate millions of dollars to Carlos without asking for return in money. The fans donated money to Carlos with the only thing they expected was him to perform. That is the essence of this whole music business, that people love the sounds enough, and like the performer enough, to travel for miles to see them in person, or to travel out of their way and give up their hard earned money for those sounds. The RIAA is destroying this sacred agreement. They are driving a wedge between artists and fans. The association of the artists with actions of the RIAA will ultimately damage their careers with the people who they REALLY owe allegiance to, people like George, me, and yes Mroop, even you! :) ~Code

siredge	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 4:12 PM I just got here and want to sign in- at the bottom of this article. Put your talent on the line, and it will carry you because we want it and are willing to pay YOU for it.

churchkey	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 6:43 PM It is way past time to put some pressure on the artists. Let's draw that line in the sand and see what they are made of. I am trying to resign myself to being disappointed in some of my heroes...but hey, lots of my heroes are already dead! Some kind of published statement to challenge the artists from their fans might bring some good publicity for the boycott, too.

JusticeForAll	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 6:52 PM Amen Code! You are truly a Warrior!

JusticeForAll	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 7:15 PM For once I agree with mroop: I am absolutely convinced that most of the RIAA artists aren't speaking up is because their careers are surviving predominately on controversy and media buzz. (Madonna is indeed one good example. It's easy to see why she's opposed to file sharing. Even though she has some musical talent, the 20-year existence of her career is largely because of controversy, her ever-changing images and media manipulation skills.) For artists like her, backing from the stooge RIAA labels is crucial for the survival of their careers.

CodeWarrior	Date: October 31, 2003 @ 8:40 PM thanks JusticeForAll.. :) Have a great weekend! ~Code

boycotter	Date: November 1, 2003 @ 9:31 AM Put it up let's do it :) I went to the HEART site which I am a big fan of the group since the 70's and wrote my feelings.. although a few days later they removed all the post not just mine.. I did step on some toes in the process. I also wrote about how the music industry dissed Ann due to her gaining weight, which had nothing to do with her voice. I also asked a few questions that I still didn't get any answers to. Still trying though :D

CodeWarrior	Date: November 1, 2003 @ 9:45 AM boycotter...right on. I agree, that sucked when they put Ann down for gaining weight. In music, they allow you to be rail thin and look like you're on Coke, and haggard, but heaven forbid you should add a pound like the majority of Americans.

Jazzmary2U	Date: November 1, 2003 @ 1:36 PM .. cause when "artist" (read: signed to big-label..) go for the big money they are no longer artists! They are musical sharecroppers, working like slaves, owning nothing, including their own opinion.. or image, or.. nothing.