tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8942943569892683154.post7637074045815356349..comments2009-03-31T14:50:25.431-05:00Peven Everettnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8942943569892683154.post-59006242338005253592009-03-31T14:50:00.000-05:002009-03-31T14:50:00.000-05:00From Madame X,<BR/>London,<BR/><BR/>In response to your video blog relating to the DJs, I found your comments interesting to the extent where you are a REAL DEEP brother! Being a multi-talented and gifted musician, who plays a multitude of instruments, including your voice, I believe it must be frustrating to not get the recognition and adulation that you most clearly deserve. I have nuff love for you brother and please never lose faith in who and what you are, in what you are capable of doing and what you are actually doing because like I have said many times, I am not a 'Johnny come lately' in this music thing, and I take my love of music SERIOUS because, you are correct, this music ting it ain't no joke business! <BR/><BR/>Getting back to the DJ, the DJ quite rightly has a great responsibility in terms of enabling the music loving public to gain accessibility to music. DJs of the past had a style and individuals would follow certain DJs wherever they played because you just knew the night was going to be off the wall! However, I have found that over the years, DJs have become quite predictable, complacent and like to play the SAME OL' SAME OL' rubbish. They are no longer inspiring the listeners. Radio DJs, particularly, I remember growing up, used to take risks in terms of knowing what a good track was and was keen to be the first to expose it. Nowadays, if the video has not been seen on MTV or if a tune isn't being played constantly on the radio, then people aren't interested. Recently, I played at a so called 'Funk rave' and I dug in my crates and pulled out some heavy funk tunes because I thought, if these people are into funk, they better get ready tonight because it is going down! The people were not ready - they wanted to hear the regular rotated tunes that they knew and had heard a million times, but when I exposed these so-called funk heads into the REAL FUNK, they felt like a fish out of water. They were totally lost! People ain't ready for the real stuff - they want the regular played out tunes that they have raved to hundreds of times, and when they hear the same old tunes, they rave hard to it like they have never heard the tune before! CRAZY STUFF! They weren't ready for the real! That's why it is so sad that here in the UK, so many record shops have closed down and that was the place to get music because thinking of my own experience of having worked in a record shop for 10 years, I very much supported the independent labels and couldn't wait to expose the buying public to quality, inspiring, fresh, obscure music that the average person might not necessarily go for. It was never about selling a package, it was always about giving the public the opportunity to hear real 'underground' music at its best. Now, what has happened to the underground scene? In some ways, we have allowed the major labels to control what we want to hear as we have allowed them to control our music. The major labels know nothing about our music and are only concerned about selling the whole product and package. So if you sing about nonsense, preferably, if you disrespect yourself and others, then you are more likely to be signed to a major. If you have a message in your music, or if you are not a 'Johnny come lately', if you are opinionated, basically, if you have sense, if you are truly gifted and talented, you don't stand a chance in hell of being signed because they want the artists to make rubbish because it seems that rubbish sells! <BR/><BR/>Coming back to Sir Peven Everett, it must be so difficult to get your music exposed to the right people because I would presume that the DJs are more interested in playing artists such as Little Wayne or Soldier bwoy as opposed to introducing the listeners to quality. It is no longer about quality music. Record labels are not interested in signing the next say 'Otis Redding', because he ain't going to sell. People are not, I believe, wanting to hear our music at its grass roots level. But if you chat about sleeping with the world of girls or about 'I so great ain't I' lyrics with plenty of repetition in the musical arrangement, then I think you are in! <BR/><BR/>Fortunately, (and praise be to me!) I was exposed to Sir Peven Everett via the record shop having heard 'Gabrielle'. Then when 'Testin me' 12inch dropped, then the album, well, I have never looked back to be quite honest! Thank the gods the day you were born because the music scene would be pretty shabby as we only have a few artists currently (if they haven't been dropped by the labels for not selling enough units!) who alongside yourself are keeping it real! The one good thing about the UK is that there is a Pirate radio station scene where stations set up and broadcast illegally. Such stations, if you are fortunate enough to hear a GOOD DJ, are capable of playing good underground music. However, because a lot of these so called DJs are not rich musically, because they grew up listening to the pop charts Top 40 hits and not eg, Miles Davis/The JB's/Patti LaBelle/Aretha Franklin etc, they wouldn't know a good tune if it slapped them up in the face. They are a 'Johnny come lately' up in this. <BR/><BR/>So to conclude, the problem not only lies with the listening public but the problem also lies with the DJ. Major or legal radio stations will not expose your music because they only play what, for example, CBS records tell them to play on rotation. <BR/><BR/>I have gone on for long enough and I am getting hungry now so...<BR/><BR/>Till next time!<BR/><BR/>Madame XAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com