Showing a Little Transparency in Show Business

For the last one hundred years or so few artists in Show Business
Have ever explained just exactly how it Works or doesn't work-in some
Situations-but in the last month i've seen at least two Fairly well known
Stars talk in unusually truthful manners about what the bottom line really
is in show business.First i saw an article on the Web about Marshall Crenshaw.
By shear happenstance i happen to know Marshall abit.When i went to New York
City just after 1980-Marshall was the talk of the town.When i read an article
about him in "The New York Rocker" he sounded like someone i would enjoy
seeing in concert.Soon after that i saw he was playing at CBGB's one night-
so i went to visit the famous original home of Punk Rock-just to see Marshall.
He's really a terrific performer and he was riding a hot streak that eventually
landed him a contract with one of the major labels.I ran into him a couple more
time's,once more at the Pepperment Louge where a picture was taken by one of
the The New York Rockers photographers as i was giving Marshall a copy of
my Bomp single.It appeared in a big center spread the magazine put out under
the heading-The Daze of our Nights and it said "Pete Holly lay's one of his new single's
on Marshall Crenshaw while they discuss ways of trying to avoid those
constant comparisons to you know who"{Buddy Holly}.So that was pretty cool.
It was the first big shot in the arm of Publicity i ever got from a Rock Magazine.
I also ran into Marshall a couple of times in Nashville.Once i was just sitting
on the steps of an old house where my apt. was and i suddenly remmebered that
i had doctors appointment.I never have worn a watch and i didn't have a clock in
my apt. either.So i see a guy walking towards my apt. but on the other side of the street.
I could see he was wearing a Black leather Motorcycle Jacket so i thought,well he look's
like a pretty cool guy so i walked across the street to ask him if he had the Time and
he did .Suddenly i realized it was Marshall.We talked music shop for a while and
i remember him telling me that he had seen "The Who" in concert in Detroit where
he was from and that was pretty impressive to me.But the odd's that i would just happen
to ask Marshall for the time seemed pretty amazing to me.It was a cool-but kinda
strange thing to happen-I mean just think of the odd's of that happening-but that's
kinda been the one constant in my life-that the most unlikely event to happen-happens
to me.
So anyway back to web article.Marshall and the interviewer were talking about his
song's and Marshall just come's right out and say's "Someday,Someway" is definatly
not my best song,but it's the one that got the most radio promotion.So it was the biggest
hit.Radio Promotion is allmost never talked about because frankly it's a bit of a racket .
The Italian Mafia used to do all the radio promo work and thay made a fortune doing it-
so people got into the habit of not talking about it-because frankly-they didn't want to
get Wacked for having a big mouth.
Today other entities have moved into radio promo work but there's still a few of
the old italian gangsters around-but they're dying off and other people are taking over.
But the rules are still the same-if you want Radio Play-you've got to pay.So it was
interesting to hear Marshall talking about this part of the record business that nobody
ever talk's about.It's first time i've ever heard an established Rocker with impecable
"Street Cred" say anything about it.It kind of made me proud that i knew him a little.
Then about week ago Robin Wright-Sean Penn's ex-wife was on one of the
late night talk shows promoting an indie film she'd starred in and she just comes out
and say's-"even though it's a fantastic movie that i'm extremly proud of-it didn't do
well at the box office" and it only had a limited re-lease."Why is that" the host asked.
and Wright added there was no television marketing of the movie what so ever !
"I don't understand" the host said."They spend all this money to make a Great Film
and the they do nothing to promote it"."Why would they do that" he added."It just
doesn't make any sense at all".And he was right-it doesn't;but that just the strange
way Show business works.There's no big secrets and nobody seems to be in control-
In other word's-it's a crap shoot.If your lucky your movie or record will get lots
promtion and it will be a huge hit-if you're not lucky well more than likely-no matter
how great your movie or record is-it will get no-where fast.