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Bowie Vinyl, is Heaven Sent

/ By Andie Jeenius
Bowie Vinyl, is Heaven Sent

New David Bowie vinyl is heaven sent, for fans and collectors alike. We all have phones and computers bulging with playlists or demand 'Alexa' instantly plays a chosen track. However, the buzz around vinyl is real, after years of being cast off to the world of the geeky collector. If you have never sat next to a deck and placed a needle on a record, you've missed one of the joys of life. Record labels are now taking vinyl more seriously than they have probably done for 30 years and production is now seen as key to any new release.

January 8th 2021 would have been David Bowie's 74th birthday. To mark this occasion, Parlophone/ISO are offering two previously unreleased cover versions, pressed onto a limited edition, double-sided 7" single. This heaven sent vinyl offers the tracks, 'Mother' by John Lennon and Bob Dylan’s 'Tryin' to Get to Heaven'.

David Bowie - new double-sided release

The 7” single is limited to 8147 (Bowie's birth date) numbered copies, 1000 of which will be on cream coloured vinyl, available only from the official David Bowie store and Warner Music’s Dig! store (the remainder will be black). Both tracks will be available to stream and download.

Bowie's version of 'Mother' was produced by Tony Visconti in 1998 for a Lennon tribute, that never materialised. It was originally recorded by Lennon for his 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. Bob Dylan’s original 'Tryin' to Get to Heaven' was released on his 1997 'Album of the Year' GRAMMY winning 'Time Out Of Mind'. David’s version was recorded in February 1998 during the mixing sessions for the ‘LiveAndWell.com’ album.

As if this wasn't enough for the die-hard Bowie fans and vinyl collectors, Parlophone are also marking the 45th Anniversary of Bowie's 10th studio Album, 'Station To Station' with a limited edition pressing in red and white vinyl, to be released 22 January 2021.

David Bowie - 'Station to Station' anniversary release

Originally released 23rd January 1976, it has remained a classic among fans and critics alike. The album was unusual as it contained just six tracks, but still offered at a little over 38-minutes of music.

'Station to Station', was the first David Bowie album to become a bigger commercial success in the USA, than in the UK. It reached #3 on the Billboard 200 and #5 on the official UK album chart.

Four of the 'Station To Station' tracks were released as commercial A-sides by RCA, with 'Golden Years' being the pre-album hit on both sides of the Atlantic. The song scored Bowie yet another top ten just in time for the Christmas UK chart in 1975, where it remained right up to the release of the album in January 1976.

45 years on from its release, 'Station To Station' is now seen as a musical bridge between the ‘plastic soul’ of 1975’s 'Young Americans' and the start of Bowie’s Berlin era with 1977’s 'Low'.

For more information go to: www.davidbowie.com

04
Jun

Top patent strategist for the Jeeni streaming revolution!

Dr Justin Hill Streaming music start-up Jeeni is determined to give new talent an ethical deal and hand over 100% of the profits to artists who do all the hard work. Jeeni is also determined to protect their artists from the pitfalls and rip-offs that traditionally beset the world of music. So Jeeni is fortunate to have Dr Justin Hill on their side. Justin is recognised as leader in the field of intellectual property, and is Head of Patent Prosecution at Dentons, one of the world’s top legal firms. Justin says, “Thank you for the opportunity to work with you. Last year, with your support, we were recommended in Legal 500 and as Leaders in Field by Chambers, as well as top-tier patent professionals.” He goes on to say that Dentons continue to support early stage businesses like Jeeni, “who we believe have world class technologies capable of disrupting existing sectors. Venture tech and accelerator programs keep us in touch with the next generation of technology titans.”

10
Jun

Spotify Billionaire CEO Daniel Ek is out of touch with reality.

Spotify’s economic model has been widely condemned by musicians and songwriters for years, with critics claiming that the service pays out paltry royalties and gives major-label artists an unfair advantage via playlist placement and other promotional avenues. But according to CEO Daniel Ek, the problem is not Spotify, it’s those lazy musicians! The response among musicians and performers on social media has been extremely negative with many paying subscribers boycotting Spotify because of how badly it treats musicians. In 2020 more than any other year since Spotify launched, there’s been a surge of musicians talking publicly about their streaming royalties not being enough to live on – including a campaign in the UK (#BrokenRecord) that has trained its sights not just on streaming services, but on labels and the wider industry structures. Tom Gray who started #BrokneRecord campaign states: "This has been problematic for such a long time, and that’s why I call it ‘Broken Record’ because there’s nothing new about this. I’m just saying basically the same things that you’ve heard a million times. But the context has completely changed.” Many artists and fans believe there are no alternatives or options when it comes to music streaming. Being told by a billionaire to work harder and faster, isn’t likely to be the best artistic motivator, either. According to Ek, musicians need to get with the times and keep up a steady stream of content: “There is a narrative fallacy here, combined with the fact that, obviously, some artists that used to do well in the past may not do well in this future landscape, where you can’t record music once every three to four years and think that’s going to be enough. The artists today that are making it realize that it’s about creating a continuous engagement with their fans. It is about putting the work in, about the storytelling around the album, and about keeping a continuous dialogue with your fans.” He concluded, “I feel, really, that the ones that aren’t doing well in streaming are predominantly people who want to release music the way it used to be released.” Jeeni is the newest offering in this, the fastest growing media sector. Created by Mel Coucher, a digital guru who wants the musicians and performers to take 100% of the money they earn - yes, you did read that correctly! Currently in the last 5 days of its 3rd crowd funding event, Jeeni smashed its £100k target in the first 6 days! Find out more at www.crowdcube.com/jeeni but you’ll need to be quick to invest, only 5 days left! If you’re an artist or performer, or just a follower of music who is wanting a better system, which offers everyone a service based on ethics, honesty and fairness then come and see how we do it, at www.jeeni.com Or, you can just stick with what you know and keep filling the pockets of billionaires? Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

05
Jun

So what else is the Music Industry doing?

The Musicians Union offer of a £200 grant really is not going to cut it and with most musicians and performers self employed we urgently need the government to provide clarity on what wider support is available. In yesterday's Guardian, Ben Beaumont-Thomas reported that: "On Friday, the Federation of Entertainment Unions, which comprises the Musicians’ Union, the Bectu section of Prospect, Equity, the National Union of Journalists and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, called for the government “to introduce an income guarantee for freelance and self-employed workers for the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak.A separate petition to the UK government, asking for economic assistance for those working in the events industry, has been signed by nearly 150,000 people. A huge number of tours and music festivals have already been cancelled because of coronavirus, including Glastonbury and Coachella. Many musicians have started performing via online livestreams, including – as part of the World Health Organisation and Global Citizen initiative Together at Home – Chris Martin, John Legend and Camila Cabello. Other stars have pledged financial support for relief initiatives – Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation donated $5m (£4.2m) to various organisations, while Ciara and her husband, Russell Wilson, donated a million meals to a food bank in their home city of Seattle. The US Recording Academy – which organises the Grammys – announced a relief fund for musicians affected by coronavirus via its charity arm, MusiCares." Let's keep Rocking 'n' Rolling Folks. It is time for positive action!