I want to talk to you about an injustice. I know there are probably bigger problems facing our nation: gas prices, the mortgage crisis, the war, and... Andy Dick's arrest (for urinating in public and pulling down a girl's tank top). But there is one thing that has been bugging me big time, and I suspect some of you too.
I pay for music. I use iTunes...a lot. It's just too easy, and I can do it from the iPhone. But you would think that for $0.99 along with the song you could also get information on, not only who the composer of the particular song is, but also on the musicians, producer, and yes, being the geek I am, the engineer. Oh... and I want the lyrics. I love to read them as I hear a song for the first time.
Am I the only one that misses looking in the booklet of a CD to find out who the drummer is? When I was preparing for my up and coming next record, the name Jim Keltner came up as a potential drummer. I jumped at the chance, as he played on some of my favorite records growing up (like those post-Beatles solo albums). I knew his name from studying the inside of album covers.
Maybe I'm old. Maybe, in an era of manufactured pop, no one cares who the programmer or session musicians are. But dang, I knew who played on the Monkee's records (The Wreaking Crew). And I would like to know, for instance, who Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse's producer) hires to play on his records. Who is on the latest Beck record? And, on a personal note, who did Katy Perry write her "I Kissed a Girl" with?
Am I alone in this?
I played guitar on a couple of friends' recent records. No one will probably ever know what a good semi-shredder I am (damn it), since most will either download them for free or iTunes the music.
And let's not forget the "thank you"s! You can name drop famous people who may help you in the future, and please relatives and unmusical friends.
Trying to succeed as a musician or a songwriter -- meaning, being able to pay rent -- is hard enough. Let's at least give credit where credit is due.
Who do I talk to at Apple?