Don’t Believe A Word I Say with Bob Segarini

The Weekend Roundup

Before we get started: Our best wishes for a speedy recovery for J.M Heimrath. Details of what transpired are available elsewhere, here at FYIMusic.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to an overwhelming amount of content and a piece of crap laptop that has caused me to re-write this column twice, and record and mix today’s A&R Online a total of four times, The Rock Files: The Segarini Band-Phase Two, has been rescheduled for next Wednesday in its regular spot.

My sincere apologies.

Here’s this week’s Faq File. Ladies and Gentlemen, Yvonne Valnea …

Queens of the Industries

The Women of Media, Talk, Rock, and Records

20 Questions

Name: Yvonne Valnea

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario

Current Business: LAST TANGO PRODUCTIONS LTD. (National Publicity/Radio Tracking)

1. 01. What got you started: I was actually freelancing for various entertainment companies in order to support my writing and photography and one of the contracts I picked up was with an indie label.  I loved the job and the music industry from day one. When I got the call to do the solo projects for two of the Rolling Stones, that really sealed it for me.
2. 02. Mentors/Influences: My step-father who recently passed away.  He convinced me to start my own business when I was 16. He gave me piles of books on business and investing and the vision I needed to take the leap of faith.
3. 03. Best decision(s) you ever made: To listen to my step-father and start what was to be a series of businesses when I was young.
4. 04. Worst decision(s) you ever made: I don’t know that I ever made a bad decision. I think all decisions can be turned into opportunities. What’s worse is to never make one and stay in the same place and miss opportunities. If you don’t take any risks, nothing happens. I think a person regrets what they didn’t do more often than what they did.
5. 05. Best working experience(s): Getting Acid Test charted on the CHR charts in two weeks with just a cassette and arranging the signing of their New York record deal with Seymour Stein live on MuchMusic.  It was one of the most fun and creatively satisfying projects I’ve done.
6. 06. Worst working experience(s): Working with one of the Rolling Stones.  No need to mention which one, but the record company had to fly in because his road manager could not get him to do any of the interviews I had set up for the tour.

Another one was a national tour that was suddenly cancelled minutes after interviews I’d set up with Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York), Angela Lansbury and the rest of the performers went to print.  The wrath of the media is not a pleasant experience and it’s no fun when you work hard on jobs that don’t come together like you hoped.

07. Biggest accomplishment(s): The Gold and Platinum records on my wall including those for breaking 2 Unlimited’s ‘Get Ready For This’ single. Techno music was a hard sell in Canada, even the majors couldn’t do it.

08. When the going gets tough, I remind myself it too will pass. And that if I can get through a tax audit, I can get through anything.

09. Best advice I ever got: 1) go for it.  2) you only live once 3) a whole list of things they don’t teach you in school 4) keep all your receipts

10. Best advice I ever gave: Decide what you want first, then figure out how to accomplish it.  If you do it the other way around, it will never happen.

11. Funniest story(s): Running to the bank every week with a cheque from the first indie label I worked with before it bounced.  It’s funnier now than it was then. Also, the first live dance show I promoted for that same label. Everyone came out for it including Much Music, and the label’s singer fell off the stage.

12. Worst story(s): The cheques bouncing from the indie label because the money was never deposited in the first place.

13. I quit because the only time I quit is if we don’t get paid. Or the client is too much trouble. But that hasn’t happened in years. The quality of business sense and professionalism out there right now is so much better than it used to be.

14. I never quit because there is almost always a solution to every problem. The day I realized that, the way I deal with life overall has changed immensely.

15. The most important thing to keep in mind is if it’s not going to be a big deal four months from now, then it’s not worth worrying about.

16. Best boss(s): Me, of course.

17. Best employee(s): Right now I have a great promotions assistant. I’ve had a few good ones over the years but they don’t tend to stay in the industry long, it’s not easy being on the phones all day pitching to radio and media.

18. If I could change my industry, I’d like to see more support for the indies at commercial radio and in the media.  There has never before been so much great music, well produced and well packaged, coming from independents than there is right now.  At radio specifically, I’d like to see more stations using audience panels to make playlist choices.  The ones that do, add the independent music more often because of it’s a good song, it gets the vote.

19. Words of wisdom: For artists, it’s to understand the importance of building your career step by step. That has not changed. The internet is icing on the cake, it’s another nifty tool, but nothing can replace building relationships with music directors, entertainment writers and your live music fan base, building on your accomplishments and keeping that ball rolling.

20. Current project/whereabouts: We’ve never been busier so it’s hard to pick just one. We have quite a few projects at CAR, AC, CHR and Country radio, new projects going out to non-commercial radio this fall and we’re doing quite a bit of press across the country including Lesley Pike’s tour dates with Jason Mraz. We’re also branching out into promotions in the U.S. this year. It’s important for us to keep building on international connections and I’ve made a few trips to Central America, the UK and Italy recently for that reason.

And now…

This Week’s Headlines:

• Report: There Are Worse Things Than Soup
• Disney Buys Marvel: First Project, Mickey Mouse Bombarded by Gamma Rays: The Mulk!
• US Internal Revenue Service: Diddy, JayZ, Lady GaGa, Usher, Others, Told to Use Real Names or Face Huge Fines
• Final: 4000 lb Car 1, 120 lb. Road Raged Bicyclist 0
• DJ Valium Falls Asleep During Throw Down With MC Meth
• Michael Jackson’s Last Words: “Eee-Hee”
• Kobe Bryant Slam Dunks Donut, Suffers 2^nd Degree Burns
• Australian Beatle Fan: “A Ringo Ate My Baby”
• Richard Carpenter Falls In Love, Birds Suddenly Appear
• MTV Launches “Teens With Talent”, Finds One
• Report: Research Shows Toronto Maple Leafs May Be Hockey Team
• Courtney Love Makes Watermelon Disappear By Doing Splits On Stage
• Paul McCartney Does Song For Adam Sandler Movie: Joke’s On Us
• Cher Celebrates 80^th Birthday, Does A Jonas Brother
• Tragic Accident In NBC Hallway: Jimmy Fallon Impaled On Jay Leno’s Chin, In Critical Condition
• Ben Affleck Acts Great In “Extract”, Wins Bar Bet
• Rihanna’s Mother Forgives Chris Brown, Blames Brown’s Father, Drops Her Crack Pipe
• Kate Moss Loses 90 lbs., Disappears
• George Carlin’s Ghost To Dane Cook, “Stop Trying To Be Funny!”
• Pam Anderson Swallows Foot Long Knackwurst: No One Surprised

…and them’s the headlines.

A&R Online Volume 27

You can hear all of these tracks by going to www.radiothatdoesntsuck.com/myWimpy.html and click on ‘A & R Online Volume 27

Just in case you were waffling about buying the Beatles Remasters, here are ten reasons why you should.

Wow!

Not only are the remastered versions astounding, but the mini-documentaries that come with them are wonderful.

Some of these tracks are over 40 years old and sound better than most current releases. Great songs, great performances, and great production. Check out the dynamics and sound quality, all achieved by mic placement and wonderfully talented participants. How can this stuff sound so vital and fresh without all the tricks available to today’s musicians and singers?

Simple…it is 100% real. Taste, talent, creativity, a gifted producer, and passion…qualities that are totally Irreplaceable and impossible to fake.

You can hear all their influences in these tracks, R&B, The Everlys, OMG, the Country influences!

How could four kids from a small city in England get it so right, when North America was awash in pretty boy singers, dance crazes, and watered down rock and roll. Here was something that could stand toe to toe with the amazing records coming out of Detroit, Memphis, Macon, Muscle Shoals, and Hawthorne California, and remind people that rock and roll wasn’t dead…merely sleeping. We need this, even now, especially now. All the great Indie-Kids out there need to be all over the airwaves, (they already own the net), and here’s the best argument for terrestrial and satrad taking a chance with the unproven, the unknown, and help make it, eventually, the undeniable. Am I passionate about the current crop of mostly overlooked creative, unsung artists? You’re damn right I am…and here are The Beatles to remind us all again, that greatness doesn’t always surface because of massive hype, money and technology, and, like the 2 years it took the Beatles to break worldwide, today’s artists of worth will eventually break through too, only this time, radio will only be part of the reason. Lady Ga Ga? You’ve gotta be fucking kidding…

Even dumbed down to 320 kps mp3’s from the original .wavs so we can post them at RTDS, this stuff sings!

…and wait until you hear the Mono Remasters…

Enjoy…

The Beatles

It Won’t Be Long

I’m A Loser

I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party

I’ll Cry Instead

I’ll Be Back

The Night Before

Run For Your Life

I’m Only Sleeping

Come Together

The End

Win of the Week

When you stop laughing, it will occur to you that there is a lot of truth to this.

Thanks to David Henman

Fail of the Week

SOCAN

SOCAN vs XM

Hey! They are exposing Canadian Talent to millions of people in the US and across Canada that otherwise would never have heard them. They HAVE to play Canadian content and chose to play new emerging artists instead of the tried and true Nickelback, Tragically Hip, and Barenaked Ladies, although there is a bit of that too, not to mention The Guess Who, BTO, and Neil Young, and you want them to PAY you even though they are breaking acts, promoting CDs and tours, downloads, and establishing careers?

They said they would pay you, and like SIRIUS, I’m sure they will. But unlike SIRIUS in Canada, with deep pockets thanks to their group of owners, XM is not so blessed, and are bleeding money along with the dot coms and internet sites that are also helping to expose the new music and artists that rarely see any publishing money to begin with. And why don’t they? Because it all goes into a pot and the ‘stars’ reap the lions share of the swag, while the lesser writers and publishers get a pittance. Most of this money never gets to the actual creators of the music for more reasons than I care to go into here, but SOCAN is not at fault in that regard.

Now that SOCAN holds royalty checks until a writer is due at least $500 dollars, I have a question. Where does the interest from that ‘held’ money go? Does the artist get it along with what they earned when he or she reaches at least $500, or does SOCAN keep it? Is it put in a fund to help struggling writers who are not making a living wage? Where does the interest go?

Just curious.

Even more perplexing and frustrating, is the fact that SOCAN and some of the writers and publishers they represent, (and are ‘looking out for’), were one of the biggest roadblocks to Satellite Radio ever being rolled out in Canada in the first place. NOW they want Satellite and Internet stations to pay money, even though they fought so hard to stop these wonderful new avenues of exposure from even being available to Canadian talent.

Show of hands…how many artists would waive these fees if they had the chance to speak for themselves, and are grateful that they can now sell more CD’s and downloads, tour farther from home, and have an outlet for their music that did not previously exist? And we’re not just talking Canada here. The potential audience of millions in the US would never have heard these artists or these songs if it weren’t for the very outlets SOCAN seems to want to drive out of business by charging them money that would be better used keeping these stations on the air and internet, the music available to the public, and the opportunities for the artists to flourish.

I love you SOCAN, but please…Patience is a virtue…and the choice has to be made to either be part of the future, or get out of the way. – Ed. note: View Bob on CHCH discussing the state of radio here

Parting Shot

That’s enough for now. Email me at segarini@fyimusic.ca with your comments, complaints, and thoughts…and remember…don’t believe a word I say.

Bob “The Iceman” Segarini was in the bands The Family Tree, Roxy, The Wackers, The Dudes, and The Segarini Band and nominated for a Juno for production in 1978. He also hosted “Late Great Movies” on CITY TV, was a producer of Much Music, and an on-air personality on CHUM FM, Q107, SIRIUS Sat/Rad’s Iceberg 95, (now 85), and now provides content for radiothatdoesntsuck.com with RadioZombie, The Iceage, and PsychShack. Along with the love of his life, Jade (Pie) Dunlop, (who hosts and writes “I’ve Heard That Song Before” on RTDS), continues to write, make music, and record.