NEW '70s

The New '70s. Calling all artists, writers, and fans.....

 

I have talked with literally thousands of folks (age 35 and up) over the last 10 years about the current state of music, and what we can do to save it and/or change it. I was a kid in the late '60s and a teen through the '70s, and have been wondering for a good while why music has gone downhill over the last 30 years, and why there seems to be no new true artists coming up the ranks these days. I'm sure there are a million reasons as to how we got here; the internet, iTunes, ProTools, etc., but now it needs to be our mission to get back what we've lost .

 

One thing that has stayed true is that when I start talking about 'Bread', 'America', Jim Croce, James Taylor, 'The Eagles', Paul McCartney, Elton John, and many of the other greats of the '70s almost to a person, folks reply with "If someone started making music like that again I would start buying  records again!". That got me to thinking.....

 

I started looking into the numbers of so-called "Boomers" and "Gen-exers" just to find that there are at least 125 million of them, in the U.S. alone, and they have the most money to spend. And they are loyal, and "trained" to buy whole albums - not just a download here and there. They've already proven their commitment by buying 100s of millions of records in the '70s, and according to all the advertising and marketing research I have read, are very computer and internet saavy. Sounds like a record companies dream audience. 

 

However, everytime I get around the A&R label types I'm told that "these folks don't buy records any more".  My usual response is to ask "what have you made for this age group lately"? To which I usually get some kind of a shrugged shoulder, semi-response., and we've gone full circle again.....And, that's almost always coming from the guy who just told me about the next big artist that they are marketing to the "tweens/teens/twenties" crowd. And, right after he's told me that the "kids today steal 20 copies for every one copy sold". These same label execs would have probably said that the kids would never buy into 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band' with its "dinosaur" music.....

 

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but on almost every television talent show, a good bit of the music that they cover is from the '70s, with the '60s and '80s not far behind. Must be some reason for that. It's funny to me that after those shows are over, a large majority of those singers go out and cut modern pop and pop country records, and quickly evaporate. Could it be that the audiences want real melodies, and passion? Maybe music that will "time-stamp" their lives?.....

 

What we are trying to do with this New '70s movement is to get as many artists and songwriters as we can to join together, and let their influences shine out - without fear that there is no marketplace or audience for this type of music. There is both. And, the fans are going to have to step up and buy the product, and loudly cheerlead about this music and the movement to all their friends. If we can show the industry that this type of music will sell - especially physical product - then the labels will jump in with both feet. And, I know for a fact that many music publishers have huge back catalogs of songs that fit this genre. They will, undoubtedly, also jump in when they see the benefits of making large portions of their "dated" and/or inactive catalogs become valuable - with many songs becoming valuable for the very first time!! We only have to slightly turn the industry's head to get them going in the right direction. Like a tiny rudder steering a great big ship. But, it will require folks to support the artists and writers, and help spread the word.

 

There may be another Cat Stevens, Billy Joel, or Chicago out there, but we might never know in the current state of the industry. There may be another Jimmy Webb, Kris Kristofferson, Brian Wilson, or Bob Dylan out there, but I don't think that even they would stand a chance in today's marketplace. I hate the thought that the next George Martin, Quincy Jones, or David Foster could be selling insurance, or real estate, as opposed to creating modern masterpieces. I would love to see a way for artists, producers, and writers of that caliber be able to rise to the top, and I hope that the New '70s can help to bring that change around!  

 

Return 2 Music Records

Nashville, TN