How many do you want? Name other songwriters who said Elvis ripped them off. I don't know a single one.
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Now They're Killing Country
- Thread starter landtuna
- Start date
How many do you want? Name other songwriters who said Elvis ripped them off. I don't know a single one.
IIRC, Elvis (or more specifically, Col. Tom Parker) demanded 50% of the songwriting royalties for everything Elvis sang. The level of ripoffery belongs to the writers themselves. I have to ass-u-me that they they had no issues with it, given the alternative of not having Elvis sing their songs.
That was Col Tom, not Elvis. By the late 60s, the writers got around Col. Tom.
But that writer epitomizes the kind of talent that Elvis liked and preferred: Black and bluesy
I was alive then, and a rather contemporary to those songs. And, most significant, a go-fer, board op and resident pet white kid at R&B WJMO and its sister jazz FM in Cleveland. What Elvis did with a number of Black song writers was amazing; those of use who knew the background understood that he not only liked Black music but he liked, understood and respected black musicians and composers.
I was on it long ago, but after seeing ads on it for a special medication I take on the wall, I fired it. Found out later it was the former Target (when they had their pharmacy) was selling info to the Zuck. And it wasn't from cookies that was on the computer as it was a brand new laptop I just set up and was my first visit to FB on it.
I was using it to keep in touch with 3 friends and Mafia Wars. After what happened above we went over to MeWe. But all that is another story. Hmmm could be a story for a country song - just add a truck and beer!
I think it was said that Stravinsky's "Rites Of Spring" was said to be killing classical music -- it was considered harsh and hedonistic. Debussy was frowned upon as well. Those whole tones used in "Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun" were considered atonal in the minds and ears of the purists.
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You want to hear real country, not fake country, you gotta only play Grayson & Whitter. Edden Hammons might be another. Anything after them ain't real country.
I didn't say anyone did. I said it was a widely held perception. Same with Pat Boone.
David has it correct.
I was addressing the perception, not the reality. I wasn't in the business so I have no idea. Never said anything about Elvis' respect or understanding of Black songwriters, musicians or composers. I was just a teenager in the late 50's and myself and my peers had a whole bunch of Black performers (and writers) we liked and listened to. Because some of those songs didn't sound anything like the previous decades of Black music we had no idea they were being covered by White performers. That was a criticism leveled by the music industry.
I could reference a bunch of "widely held perceptions" about a recent election, but that would be off topic.
Lots of people believe in things that are factually wrong. That doesn't change the truth.
I just saw a story on the public radio board about a station in North Carolina that is refusing to play certain broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera because they are of recently composed operas that deal with social issues.
This gets back to what I said about classical music. There are people in every genre who don't like modern music. They believe classical music should be more than 100 years old. On the one hand, there are people who want music to be more relevant to current events. On the other hand, there are people who want music to ignore the present and stay stuck in the past. The fact is that what kills a genre is when it stops attracting fans. That hasn't happened in country music, because the music stays current.
This gets back to what I said about classical music. There are people in every genre who don't like modern music. They believe classical music should be more than 100 years old. On the one hand, there are people who want music to be more relevant to current events. On the other hand, there are people who want music to ignore the present and stay stuck in the past. The fact is that what kills a genre is when it stops attracting fans. That hasn't happened in country music, because the music stays current.
Yes they do but if pushed hard and often enough they can turn into the "truth". A certain German dictator made this nearly a science half a century ago. And if you persue these falsehoods long enough you'll discover they are still widely held.
I think that was the intent of the people who wrote the song you posted at the top of this thread. They got a lot of people to agree with them. They apparently convinced you that someone or something is "killing country." Reminds me of Chicken Little.
Hitler rose to power 89 years ago in 1933. A lot more than 50 yeas, which would have made Hitler's rise rather simultaneous with the rise of disco!
Considering my very limited knowledge of Country I think they were correct. Just like the Buggles.
Trying to watch the ending of USC vs Colorado so my use of "50 years" wasn't perfectly calculated. My apologies.
BTW, Hitler's lies actually began in the early 20's, a decade before he was appointed head of state.
But as I and others pointed out, they were wrong. The music is still very healthy, and there are still many performers who are having success sticking with the traditional approach. It doesn't have to be a one-or-the-other thing, as country artists discovered over 50 years ago.
We don't have a Minister Of Culture in this country who decides what is or is not country music. The way it works is with the open market. The music is made, and if people buy it, then it's good. If people don't, then it's dead. That's really the only arbiter of taste. And right now, country is popular, not dead.
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That post wins my personal "Post of the Month" as we close September.
Oooh, has Godwin's Law just been brought into play here? This one skirts the line...May need a judgement call.
It's actually gotten me to reconnect with a branch of my family where we had totally lost touch, since they're in Iowa and I was then in California. This, in turn, has facilitated some in-person visits with the last cousin of my mother's generation which have been totally wonderful. This cousin is now 87 years old and starting to have more health issues, so every moment I can visit her feels like a gift.
I've also connected with former colleagues from my radio career. It's interesting to see the diverging paths we have taken over time.
I try to keep the number of connections around 120, which is about the largest number of relationships that I can deal with.
There are other aspects of Facebook that aren't so great, but I have to keep in mind what people use it for. It's not Usenet, that's for sure, though I know people who've tried to use it as a Usenet substitute.
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