Could a Taylor Swift format work?

[secondchoice]

We will never know what impact any artist would have had before public access to the internet. Just think what impact the Beatles or Elvis could have had.

IMHO: The song writers an singers at Motown had the talent to impact race relations with out social media. You have to wonder what would have happened if the Internet was around?

 

[michael hagerty]

This is like "What if Napoelon had nukes?"

You can't measure what impact any pre-internet artist would have had because the internet itself changes behavior---the artist's and the public's.

The Beatles might have been dead meat from March of '66 onward if John Lennon's "We're more popular than Jesus" was in front of everyone's face same-day.

Or not.

We'll never know.

 

[tall_guy1]

I hope she isn’t a Democrat either. If all the Swifties vote for her instead of Trump or Biden, she will win

Being that her first hit was in 2006, even if those fans were teens and tweens then, 2006 was 17 years ago -- a 13 year old fan in 2006 is 30 now. An 18 year old fan then would be 35 years old now -- middle age. Obviously, her fans are older than the perception.

Doesn't mean they vote, though. Which still means nothing, as Taylor would probably never run for any office.

It does make for an interesting sidetrack to the conversation.

Man, that is a complete hypothetical. She is a Democrat, but wouldn't happen in a million years. (though same thing was said about Trump.) Though pretty bizarre she is dating a KC Chiefs player. Mahomes and Kelce being everywhere seems weird seeing as though they were a losing team growing up (talking long ago.. before they signed.)

 

[davideduardo]

This is like "What if Napoelon had nukes?"

Sidebar: the new Napoleon movie makes it seem that, if Nappy had nukes, they were in his pants!

 

[gr8oldies]

This is like "What if Napoelon had nukes?"

You can't measure what impact any pre-internet artist would have had because the internet itself changes behavior---the artist's and the public's.

The Beatles might have been dead meat from March of '66 onward if John Lennon's "We're more popular than Jesus" was in front of everyone's face same-day.

Or not.

We'll never know.

One might also want to recall that early Motown albums didn't include the artist's photos, and Berry didn't want to make black music, but music with black artists. That certainly would have disappeared early.

 

[TheBigA]

One might also want to recall that early Motown albums didn't include the artist's photos, and Berry didn't want to make black music, but music with black artists. That certainly would have disappeared early.

Berry called it "Music for Young America."

For the same reason, when RCA signed Charley Pride, they didn't use any photos, no TV appearances, or any visuals. Charley tells a story about doing a show somewhere, gets introduced, walks on to thunderous applause, that completely stops as he reaches the front of the stage and everyone sees him. People didn't know he was black.

 

[davideduardo]

Berry called it "Music for Young America."

For the same reason, when RCA signed Charley Pride, they didn't use any photos, no TV appearances, or any visuals. Charley tells a story about doing a show somewhere, gets introduced, walks on to thunderous applause, that completely stops as he reaches the front of the stage and everyone sees him. People didn't know he was black.

Just as there are stories of prejudice like that, there are ones of transformation:

In 1972 at new rock 40 WERC-FM in Birmingham, I put a Black morning guy I recruited from WAOK in Atlanta on in mornings. He was up against a guy at long-established WSGN named Rick Dees. Two books later, Dees left for Atlanta. The younger 12-34 folks in Birmingham loved our guy as they could "shove it in the face" of their George Wallace voting parents.

 

[CTListener]

Just as there are stories of prejudice like that, there are ones of transformation:

In 1972 at new rock 40 WERC-FM in Birmingham, I put a Black morning guy I recruited from WAOK in Atlanta on in mornings. He was up against a guy at long-established WSGN named Rick Dees. Two books later, Dees left for Atlanta.

Not to hijack the thread, but didn't Dees go to Memphis after Birmingham?

 

[tall_guy1]

Just as there are stories of prejudice like that, there are ones of transformation:

In 1972 at new rock 40 WERC-FM in Birmingham, I put a Black morning guy I recruited from WAOK in Atlanta on in mornings. He was up against a guy at long-established WSGN named Rick Dees. Two books later, Dees left for Atlanta. The younger 12-34 folks in Birmingham loved our guy as they could "shove it in the face" of their George Wallace voting parents.

Speaking of KC, Rick Dees is still heard there every Sunday on KMXV (not sure if anyone even in smaller towns still carries the Weekly Top 40.)

 

[CTListener]

Speaking of KC, Rick Dees is still heard there every Sunday on KMXV (not sure if anyone even in smaller towns still carries the Weekly Top 40.)

Who was saying anything about Kansas City? David's post mentioned Birmingham and Atlanta.

 

[tall_guy1]

Who was saying anything about Kansas City? David's post mentioned Birmingham and Atlanta.

KC Chiefs (Travis Kelce earlier in the thread) and Taylor Swift.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Among the irrelevant things, where Rick Dees (good lord, really??) is still syndicated is perhaps the most irrelevantist of all.

 

[radiofan2023]

Sidebar: the new Napoleon movie makes it seem that, if Nappy had nukes, they were in his pants!

He was always going off half cocked…

 

[Mark Roberts]

He was always going off half cocked…

It feels like everyone is veering toward the dark place today - nukes, racism, etc.

 

[michael hagerty]

It feels like everyone is veering toward the dark place today - nukes, racism, etc.

 

[davideduardo]

Speaking of KC, Rick Dees is still heard there every Sunday on KMXV (not sure if anyone even in smaller towns still carries the Weekly Top 40.)

In 1972, Rick was just and only the morning guy at WSGN, an AM Top 40 station in Birmingham, AL. When he left, he went to Memphis where he was very successful and got notoriety with his Disco Duck song. That was, in part, his ticked to LA.

At a dinner with Tom Rounds and his Radio Express syndication company, I got seated next to Rick. Both of us dis projects for TR, and in chatting Birmingham came up. When he learned I had been the PD at WSGN's competitor, he told me that I did him a great favor or he would have stayed much longer in Alabama and probably missed the LA opportunity which was in part due to the churn of AM and FM in the last half of the 70's.

 

[davideduardo]

Not to hijack the thread, but didn't Dees go to Memphis after Birmingham?

Yep. Should have said "Memphis". My bad. I got the morning guy from Atlanta, Dees went to Memphis. As all who have had it know, Covid does make the mind work strangely. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!

 

[Mark Roberts]

Well, then:

 

[radiofan2023]

Yep. Should have said "Memphis". My bad. I got the morning guy from Atlanta, Dees went to Memphis. As all who have had it know, Covid does make the mind work strangely. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!

Just don’t start taking your temperature in Deesgrees….

 

[boombox4]

The internet didn't exist in 1964 but if it had existed, the Beatles would still have been big, and Motown would still have been big sellers. For example, even in 1964 Motown artists were performing on TV, and people obviously knew they were black. But they still bought the records, still supported those artists.

The internet has transformed the way news and other media are consumed, but it hasn't actually sped up the transmission of news all that much. It's interactive, and that's different, of course, and the massive amount of information beats what people got in 1964 from TV, radio, Newspapers and magazines.

But TV and radio back then weren't exactly Pony Express. And anything notable usually was mentioned on radio, TV, or in the newspapers.

When Kennedy was shot in November 1963, everyone knew because of TV and radio. When he died, everyone knew. And when I say "everyone", yeah, not literally every person in the country had a radio or TV nearby, but word got out just the same -- that word being transmitted via radio and TV.

The smartphone has replaced the radio, TV and newspaper, but it doesn't mean the populace is any better informed.

RE: Lennon's 'Jesus' statement -- the Beatles almost did become dead meat because of it. There were Beatle record burnings in some areas of the US. Lennon's retraction statement helped quell the negative reactions, but even at the time he made the original statement there were many in the media who understood what Lennon actually meant -- his original point being expounded in later interviews: that the Beatles were popular on a level even Lennon couldn't comprehend, and to a level he thought was insane. He told of one woman rolling up a son in a wheelchair before or after a meet and greet, hoping Lennon could heal him. Lennon freaked out over this.

At the same time, there have been some who make equally volatile statements in the internet age and they haven't become dead meat because of it. There is so much going on that is covered by the internet, that people gradually become inurred to such statements, compared to maybe 1920 or 1960. Today, people are overloaded with info.