Bet & Mobo Music Awards

[danchip]

With everything that is going on in the world with BLM and equality at the minute, is it not time the MOBO's & BET music awards were scrapped?

Can you imagine the uproar if there was a MOWO or WET awards

[Mozz71]

//Because I can tap my foot to a rythym without having to recall anything African.//

But if that rhythm has African roots, you already condemned it as rubbish in your previous post. You don't know where the roots of the foot tapping music has come from, it probably not where you think.

[Mamyalynne]

If you've got rhythm Theland you're almost there.

[Mozz71]

//I would agree that if I agreed//

Sorry Andy, that was gobbldigook even by standards.

I meant that I would agree with your point if I didn't disagree with you on the origins.

I knew what I meant ;-)

[andy-hughes]

Theland - // Because I can tap my foot to a rythym without having to recall anything African. //

And that makes my point wrong?

I figured as much - if that's the best you can do, you'd be better arguing with naomi on religion, because if that is your thought about the origin of popular music, this is absolutely not your field of expertise.

[andy-hughes]

Mozz - // I meant that I would agree with your point if I didn't disagree with you on the origins.

I knew what I meant ;-) //

I knew what you meant as well.

I am sure we neither of us want to get bogged down in the semantics of 'roots' versus 'influences' because that would be an argument that would last for weeks.

[Arksided]

I'e never thought the MOJO awards were any good at all... at least the Brits were funny... on occasion. Mick and Sam, need I say more.

[andy-hughes]

Arksided - // I'e never thought the MOJO awards were any good at all... at least the Brits were funny... on occasion. Mick and Sam, need I say more. //

A assume you mean the MOBO awards …

Personally, I avoid all awards shows unless by invitation - I think they are largely pointless.

No musician creates their art with the view to being given an 'award' which is nothing more than a majority subjective opinion, and therefore essentially meaningless, except in terms of increased album sales and a higher profile for a short while.

[jno]

you were never invited to the Music of Javanese origin awards, andy?

[Arksided]

Well spotted Andy I did mean MOBO, and agree I'm not a fan of award shows either but used to watch the Brits. In mi yooof init.

[ParsleyDumpling]

Apologies Mozz71, it was the American Music Awards, and he won the R&B category. He was the first non black artist to win it, it didn't go down well, in some areas.

[Theland]

This is the root of that, and that has its roots in the other, and that reflects the influence of something else etc etc etc.
We'll probably end up tracing back our music to a group of pygmies in central Africa, knocking hell out of a hollow tree trunk with an antelope leg bone.

But, my opinion is not expertise, and if you gentlemen say so, given your knowledge and experience, then I am happy to humbly give in to your superiority in this field.

It puzzles me though.
How did the Beatles strum a guitar in somebody's back yard, without knowing their roots?

[andy-hughes]

jno - // you were never invited to the Music of Javanese origin awards, andy? //

Sadly not (I imagine!!)

I was invited to the Folk Awards the year that Ian Campbell got a Special Award.

For those who don't remember, the Ian Campbell Folk Group were what you instantly thought of when you thought of 'folk music' in the late '50's and early '60's - they were a permanent fixture on early BBC TV.

As Mr Campbell ruefully advised the audience, he made twelve albums with his group, and then his sons came along and made one album whose sales instantly dwarfed the sales of his twelve albums combined - understandable because his sons are the Campbell brothers of UB40.

It was a fabulous night, I spent the apres-ceremony chatting in the bar with Mark Radcliffe, his great friend Noddy Holder, and actor Stephen Mangan - I felt seriously 'un-creative' in such illustrious company.

[andy-hughes]

Theland - // We'll probably end up tracing back our music to a group of pygmies in central Africa, knocking hell out of a hollow tree trunk with an antelope leg bone. //

There is no probably - that is exactly it.

Music is as primeval as Man, and both originated in Africa - so you did know all along and were just being a tease!!

[andy-hughes]

Theland - // It puzzles me though.
How did the Beatles strum a guitar in somebody's back yard, without knowing their roots? //


You don't need to 'know' the roots or origins of anything in order either to feel its influence, or to operate it.

Paul And John knew that Buddy Holly made fabulous records, so they started there - the trace-back from there backwards didn't interest them, they were too busy trying to work out how he did it.

I don't 'know the roots' of how computers work, but I don't need to in order to type this reply to you.

[Mozz71]

//it was the American Music Awards, and he won the R&B category. He was the first non black artist to win it, it didn't go down well, in some areas.//

Ah, that makes more sense. I guess haters gonna hate.

I wonder how much was down to race, and how much was disagreeing that his music wasn't real R&B. I'd wager the second one, and to be fair, they have a point (considering that 1989 would've been for something from Faith. Some of his 90s music was pure R&B, 80s not so much)

[Arksided]

Andy-Hughes, no disrespect as you seem to have met the world in popular music (No better term) have you ever met Paul Simon and his thoughts on Graceland?

[andy-hughes]

Arksided - // Andy-Hughes, no disrespect as you seem to have met the world in popular music (No better term) have you ever met Paul Simon and his thoughts on Graceland?

Thank you - I wish I actually had met the world, there are dozens on my list!

I haven't met Paul Simon, but in my experience, the bigger the star, and the bigger the controversy they may have experienced, the less likely they are to talk about it, especially to a journalist.

I interviewed Don Maclean and asked him what I thought about Madonna's cover of American Pie - given that it is reckoned to be, if not the very worst cover ever, then certainly well in the ball park!

He responded by saying that he was pleased that she kept his song in the public consciousness.

That is probably his tried and trusted response, because it says absolutely nothing, apart from a possible reference to the shedloads he will have coined from writer's royalties.

I interviewed Tommy Lee, drummer from Motley Crue for Drummer Magazine, and before I was introduced to him, his PR told me that under no circumstances was I mention Pamela Anderson, his ex-wife and co-star in a very public and famous sex tape. I was advised that if I did so, he would walk out, and the interview would be terminated.

I pointed out that I was a writer for a drum magazine, and Tommy is a drummer, so drums is likely to be the entire range of our conversation - his ex-wife is not going to crop up from my side, I can;t legislate for what he may say.

The PR was typically humourless, as they usually are - these people take themselves way too seriously - but I was allowed into the inner sanctum.

"Hi Tommy, I'm Andy Hughes from Drummer Magazine, and we're going to talk about drums … " was my opening statement. Tommy smiled like a child on Christmas morning - here was someone who didn't want to dig for scandal, just talk about what he loved, and we have a wonderful chat.

But back to Mr Simon - assuming I was not warned off in advance, I am sure he would have a vanilla answer ready for any questions about Graceland.

[Arksided]

Thanks for your Honesty Andy-Hughes, I know who Tommy lee is, so if I were an journalist for a mag (I Play Drums) I wouldn't be able to resist asking about his fill-ins and false bits. (Compensate for when you mess up on a drum kit) as for Paul Simon I'm pleased you got the gist of my comment, refering to the OP post. As for PR obviously they'd sacked for not doing their job otherwise.

[andy-hughes]

Arksided - // Thanks for your Honesty Andy-Hughes, I know who Tommy lee is, so if I were an journalist for a mag (I Play Drums) I wouldn't be able to resist asking about his fill-ins and false bits. (Compensate for when you mess up on a drum kit) as for Paul Simon I'm pleased you got the gist of my comment, refering to the OP post. As for PR obviously they'd sacked for not doing their job otherwise. //

Indeed they would. They exist in a sort of nether-world, they are not the talent, but that have to please and liase for the talent, and that makes the antsy and bitter almost all the time.

As for Tommy Lee, I couldn't understand how a man who has lived his lifestyle, including ingestion of seriously high levels of narcotics in industrial volumes, could look so healthy! He looked at least twenty years younger than his age, he must have some amazing genes.

Such a nice man, I really liked him a lot.

I always ask players for their kit stats because we listed them with interviews, and they usually refer the question to their drum tech who sends the details over.

Tommy confirmed he would do that, and when I got home that evening, the stats were on my e-mail - a level of efficiency I have not encountered before or since.