That thing about wireless as a song-selling lyric device...
I worked in the bicycle industry for a couple decades and dug into its history a bit. Along about 1890-95, as the bicycle grew into one of the most dominant industries of its age (by some measures, proportionally bigger than computers are now) it also became a dominant cultural icon worthy of mention in other contexts – yeah, music. Because anything labeled with an illustration (or just the word "bicycle") – (yeah, the playing cards) would sell better. And the song about Daisy on the "bicycle built for two" was written in honor of an actual wedding of a renowned cyclist and his bride, who left the ceremony on a tandem.
The story about the new patent office housing all the patents about every enterprise in America EXCEPT bicycles – which had their own separate building – is apparently apocryphal, but it captures how much they had embedded in society by the mid 90's.
I’ve been listening to noise (brown and other kinds) on the Infinite Noise Project Substack, which I have subscribed to. Sometimes the noise suggests a musical instrument such as violoncello or Rhodes piano, other times nature sounds or just abstract sounds. I’ve listened to many kinds of ambient music, and the Infinite Noise Project is my favorite by far.
"Send me a kiss by wire...baby, my heart's on fire"!
I'm delighted to see that some of my favorites made the academic-novel list. "Wonder Boys", I've read over and over--likewise "Straight Man". And "Crossing to Safety" is one of my sacred texts (correction: all of Stegner is great).
Oh, the "cut-in". You can't talk about this phenomenon without mentioning Irving Mills. If I remember correctly, both Jolson and Crosby got a cut-in just for recording a song.
That Down Beat poll winners graphic is bananas. Howard McGhee as top trumpet player of 1949? Maynard as a 3x winner in the early '50s? Clifford Brown / Lee Morgan / Freddie Hubbard shut out? In a related story could not be more excited for the Freddie Hubbard Mosaic set that showed up under the Christmas tree yesterday.
The organist Anna Lapwood is a complete gem. Make sure to check out all her stuff on TikTok playing the royal albert hall organ. She is making organ cool again.
Regarding doling out composer credit as an economic scheme--I wonder if this is why every actor and their brother has become a producer or executive producer on shows they act in in the past decade.
In the bit about the London Bridge Station pipe organ and Pipe Up, you ask, “Can we do something like this in the US?” There is at least one organization doing something like this here: the Organ Clearing House in Newcastle, ME (https://www.organclearinghouse.com/). 🙂
That thing about wireless as a song-selling lyric device...
I worked in the bicycle industry for a couple decades and dug into its history a bit. Along about 1890-95, as the bicycle grew into one of the most dominant industries of its age (by some measures, proportionally bigger than computers are now) it also became a dominant cultural icon worthy of mention in other contexts – yeah, music. Because anything labeled with an illustration (or just the word "bicycle") – (yeah, the playing cards) would sell better. And the song about Daisy on the "bicycle built for two" was written in honor of an actual wedding of a renowned cyclist and his bride, who left the ceremony on a tandem.
The story about the new patent office housing all the patents about every enterprise in America EXCEPT bicycles – which had their own separate building – is apparently apocryphal, but it captures how much they had embedded in society by the mid 90's.
I’ve been listening to noise (brown and other kinds) on the Infinite Noise Project Substack, which I have subscribed to. Sometimes the noise suggests a musical instrument such as violoncello or Rhodes piano, other times nature sounds or just abstract sounds. I’ve listened to many kinds of ambient music, and the Infinite Noise Project is my favorite by far.
"Send me a kiss by wire...baby, my heart's on fire"!
I'm delighted to see that some of my favorites made the academic-novel list. "Wonder Boys", I've read over and over--likewise "Straight Man". And "Crossing to Safety" is one of my sacred texts (correction: all of Stegner is great).
Oh, the "cut-in". You can't talk about this phenomenon without mentioning Irving Mills. If I remember correctly, both Jolson and Crosby got a cut-in just for recording a song.
Anymore insights about Finnegans Wake? How about an essay on FMP Records? Keep up the great work Ted! 😎👍🍻
That Down Beat poll winners graphic is bananas. Howard McGhee as top trumpet player of 1949? Maynard as a 3x winner in the early '50s? Clifford Brown / Lee Morgan / Freddie Hubbard shut out? In a related story could not be more excited for the Freddie Hubbard Mosaic set that showed up under the Christmas tree yesterday.
Wonderful Ted!
The organist Anna Lapwood is a complete gem. Make sure to check out all her stuff on TikTok playing the royal albert hall organ. She is making organ cool again.
German classical music streaming service, Idagio, pays by minutes of play.
I don’t want to pick nits, but books DO stink when they get old.
Regarding doling out composer credit as an economic scheme--I wonder if this is why every actor and their brother has become a producer or executive producer on shows they act in in the past decade.
In the bit about the London Bridge Station pipe organ and Pipe Up, you ask, “Can we do something like this in the US?” There is at least one organization doing something like this here: the Organ Clearing House in Newcastle, ME (https://www.organclearinghouse.com/). 🙂