Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Hucknall: "Beams? What beams?"

Mick Hucknall thinks that music in Britain is in a bit of a terrible state, truth be told, and he blames Simon Cowell. While taking no personal responsibility, of course:

"Our culture isn't supporting recorded music in the same way it did 10 years ago.

"The X Factor's done an incredible amount of damage. It's benefitted one or two individuals - like Slimy (Simon) Cowell - who've made a fortune, but I wonder how much the actual artistes will make or if anyone will know who they are in 10 years?

"It's great family entertainment for people who don't give a toss about the recording industry, but for us as artists it's very damaging."

Of course, endless 'Greatest Love Of All' compilations with I'd Give It All Up For You and Something Got Me Started, churning out every time we hit a gifting season, choking up the dumpbins of Woolworths and the aisles of Tescos - that wouldn't be a problem, would it?


4 comments:

M.C. Glammer said...

I wonder if anybody knows any of the other "artistes" who were in Simply Red until recently. And just how much money did Mick's bandmates make in their long, chartopping careers?

Anonymous said...

In the same interview he witters on about songwriting..

"I would love to see shows where people actually write the songs rather than sing other people's. We need to nurture the next generation of songwriters."

Which to be fair is a bit rum from him who's hits include the cover moneys too tight to mention, the cover, everytime we say goodbye, the cover, if you dont know me by now, the cover, the air that I breathe and the album Blue contains 5 cover versions and just about every album they have done has at least one cover on it.

Chris Brown said...

Much as I hate to be a pedant - especially about the back catalogue of Simply Red - "I'd give it all up for you" is a lyric in 'Something Got Me Started'.

@Peter - While I'm at it, you forgot 'Ghetto Girl', 'It's Only Love', 'You Make Me Feel Brand New', three quarters of the Montreaux EP and the highly sample-based 'Sunrise' and 'Fairground'... and that's just the singles. Jesus, how come I know all this?

M.C. Glammer said...

"I would love to see shows where people actually write the songs rather than sing other people's."

Yeah, that Burt Bacharach is killing music.

I wonder if Mick also insists these songwriters hire in journeymen musos then make out they're a proper band and not one man and his performing dogs.

Perhaps he's being literal and rather than go see any of the modern self-penning bands, he actually wants to see somebody sit onstage and write.

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