Mailbag

From: Hilary Rosen
Re: Resnikoff/DigitalMusicNews and Tristan Coopersmith
I don't want to leave Walk's lawyer with the impression that Tristan does not have legal support as Resnikoff's piece implies.
The way the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund works is when support is needed, it is given. At the outset, she needed PR counsel, that is SKDK. If Walk's team is reckless enough to take action against her, she will have all the legal support she needs. Truth is always the best defense in defamation cases.
So you can feel free to print this.
Regards,
Hilary
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Most humiliating story....
I take a meeting with _______________ at _______________ with Grammy Award winning, multi-hit all male veteran act I as working with at the time. I was there as their management rep.. we were there to discuss their next project. I had never met _______________ but had sent him many a demo tape from various bands I worked with trying to break through. He was always cool and responsive and I admired him due to his connection with _______________, one of my favorite bands of all time. I looked forward to finally meeting this titan in person. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be so cool. Within 15 minutes of sitting in his office _______________ and the band began to joke about the reasons they all got into the business, to get pussy of course. Then, _______________ ever so slowly turns his head, and staring directly at me, says "and there's NOTHING like fresh pussy." Staring. The band starts to chuckle uncomfortably, he laughs, they all laugh. I sit there trying to laugh it off too. Meanwhile I just want to crawl under a rock because I'm sure my face was beet red as _______________ continued to stare me down. It was a blatant abuse of his power, meant to assert his position and diminish mine to a mere sexualized being. Keep in mind also that I am at least 10 years younger than the youngest guy in the room. Needless to say, it was hard to conduct a businesslike meeting after that and feel like you're being taken seriously. This is the kind of shit women deal with daily that men never do. I'd bet my last buck none of the band, all of whom I love dearly, even remembers that incident. For them, par for the course, no big deal. Me? I never forgot it.
Please withhold my name...
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Thank you will all my heart.
I was a professor at an Ivy League Uni.
In two separate cases men, with whom I'd worked for years, abruptly assaulted me; shoving tongues down my throat and trying to undress me.
More than anything else I felt insulted that either would think 1. I would be unfaithful to my husband; 2. Go for such a creep (each in his own way)... moi? 3. Be that unprofessional... at work? I was silent.
In one case, the man's wife was on my staff; in the other, I knew the man's wife. It took years for it for me to get it: I ceased to be a person. I was just a skirt/ a hole, something to grab when others were not around.
This goes on in academia... and it goes on in factories and convenience stores where women who have a couple of kids to feed can't afford a lawyer or to lose their jobs. With all the degrees I'd worked so hard to obtain-- born in another country-- all of a sudden I was third-world and disposable. And they knew their mark: they knew I would not have told their wives, something I truly regret. I hurt these women by not telling them with whom they were married. Thanks for your work.
Elisabetta di Cagno
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There is a huge area that also impacts women that is not being touched upon at well. That is the psychological, emotional distress and overall lowering of self-worth that women experience all the time in and out of this industry that has to do with how men speak to women, discredit their views, dismissive attitudes and of course the biggest offense no equal pay. This impacts women on so many levels that in the end it creates a different kind of abuse. Emotional, psychic and feeling of low self-esteem.
We haven't even scratched the surface around how men talk about women, how they speak to women and disregard women. I can give you plenty of examples. It impacts executives down to assistants, as well as day to day dealings in life in general with men.
Leyla Turkkan
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I have a story not related to sexual harassment but to emotional abuse and humiliation in my workplace. Since I was young I wanted to work in music and I graduated college with 5 internships under my belt. It took me a while to find a job but I landed a Coordinator role at a label in NYC. My direct boss spent the first three months publically joking about firing me. When I would ask for feedback, he told me I needed to learn to take a joke and that I was doing just fine. As I learned to ignore his comments they got worst. I showed up in the morning to threatening notes from him, but with the CEOs name on it instead. He loved to humiliate me in front of my coworkers and his contacts. A highlight was when he called me useless. At that point, I definitely felt worthless. I was put on projects purposely set up to fail and when I pointed out the flaws, I just got humiliated again. I went to HR on three different occasions to ask for help or clarity. There was nothing they could do, apparently. My last attempt ended with me writing a written note explaining in detail the words and actions said by my boss. Just statements, not accusations. The next day I was fired with a very generous severance package. I am the third person let go after making a complaint against this person. They broke my spirit, made each workday hell and made my job harder than it needed to be. Why? Laughs. Human Resources did a great job at protect their employees, but when it came to me, my boss was more important. I'm left with no job and no explanations.
Please keep me anonymous, but know there are so many like me.
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A clever and persecuted Irish man once wrote: "Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power". Never a truer word has been said.
I got my start in the music industry in the late 80's during the heady days of the "Madchester" music scene in the UK, it was the closest we Gen-Xers ever got to the Summer of Love of the previous generation and great music and good times were in abundance.
At 19 I was working songs to radio and clubs and dragging around bags of white labels to independent record stores and radio stations around the country. Working records for a variety of labels such as New Order's manager, Rob Gretton's Robs Records (he was a lovely guy) and Pete Waterman Entertainment (never met him). By the age of 20 I was very used to ducking, diving, avoiding groping hands, unwelcome invitations and attention from guys in and around the industry. The same way I had when I was 15 and 16 working at summer jobs, nothing had really changed. By the time I arrived at Polygram Records in 1995 in New York I was a tough, street-smart chick who had come to accept that sexual harassment was just part of the working world; we women put up with it, kept our mouth shut and kept going.
The music industry back then was basically a continuation of high school, there was some seriously juvenile behavior but a lot of great times, wonderful people and the occasional hit record. Work life blended seamlessly into social life, it was all consuming.
My boss at the time was the wonderful and fatherly Peter Koepke whose boss was the stellar Roger Ames. Along with Johnny Barbis, who we worked closely with, I feel very lucky to have had these men leading the charge with love and respect for the teams under them. But there was plenty of bad behavior elsewhere (not by them) and too many instances to name.
Assistants not surprisingly were the most vulnerable, there was one exec that I recall who was repeatedly trying to get his 23 year old assistant to have a threesome with he and his wife, (his wife was in on it too), another exec who would get drunk and leave notes on his assistants desk threatening to kill them, and plenty of grabby producers, artists and managers, I even had one female executive call me to her office, push me up against the wall and try and kiss me so it wasn't just the guys.
All of this was seemingly par for the course but there were definitely more sinister instances. One time a well know artist whom I didn't actually know, literally came up to me outside a restaurant where I was standing with my friends and grabbed me in between the legs (no, grabbing by the pussy it isn't just locker room talk). He stood there laughing with his friends, it was humiliating and degrading. Another incident which I consider myself lucky to have made an escape from involved a well know music exec (who has recently been ousted by many women). He pounced on me in the hallway of a building and tried to pull my jeans off with such force that he ripped the button off the denim. I managed to get the hell out of there but it definitely rattled me and I had to see him from time to time in the lobby of our offices.
These days I am an old fart working in the tech industry, an industry that is currently going through it's own reckoning with sexual harassment cases. Companies need to do better, better than the b.s yearly sexual harassment training that basically just covers their asses and checks a box. They need to get out ahead, lead, stick a stake in the ground and let their workers know that there is a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and discrimination and more importantly let them know how to report it, who to go to and what they can expect once a complaint is made. Lay it out, make it transparent, remove the fear.
Millenials get a lot of flak but they have a strong sense of justice and expect a certain level of fairness and respect, I am hopeful that we as managers can help empower this next generation of the workforce to simply do better.
Stay safe out there...
Karen Hampson
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Bob:
On November 9th everyone who works at High Road received the email from Kari Godsill that you published.
In the 17 years that High Road has existed, we had never experienced anything like this.
While Ms. Godsill is not an employee or client of High Road, and is in no way affiliated with High Road, we took these allegations very seriously. High Road takes all allegations of misconduct seriously.
We swiftly engaged help and began our own third party investigation. This is a singular incident that happened 15 years ago and there is not much information out there. That said, we continue to pursue the facts.
I have known Matt for 25 years now. I have never seen him demonstrate any behavior that would indicate anything consistent with these accusations.
We do understand that there is a lot of inequality in the workplace, in the world. We know and understand that there are abusive people who take advantage of their power, and use people for their own ends. That's something that cannot be denied. We have empathy and take great concern for situations of this nature.
High Road's reputation has been built on fair dealing, trust and integrity and we are firmly dedicated to a safer world free of any inequality and harassment. We do not take for granted our role in this music community and we all serve with utmost respect, truth and compassion.
We will continue to be forthright and honest. We will do our very best.
Frank Riley
High Road Touring
Sausalito, CA
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Flom is the man. Only person I ever met in the biz that I respected so much that he made me nervous.
When you told people your band was signed by Jason it carried enormous weght. People were compelled to listen to the single and check out your show just because he signed it. True music legend. And his old acts would show up and support you if you were in their town. It was like being in a select brotherhood.
Landon Hendricks
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Having been at Jason's side for over 25 years now, I will just say that the accolades you rightly bestowed on him are both far more than he would want to hear and far less than he deserves. Rarely have such great heart, ears, and soul ever been combined in one human.
He is also occasionally funny.
P.S. Would just add, as Jason would, that his great eye for talent and natural skill at building teams played a huge role...Kevin Weaver, Lee Trink, Geli Cobb, Dom Pandiscia, Andy Karp...the list goes on.
Be well,
Jeff Kempler
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The first band I ever signed as a manager, was a band called Hericane Alice, on Atlantic Records. Jason was head of A&R for Atlantic Records, when I first was introduced to him, through Doug Morris (then president of Atlantic). Doug told me, I needed to talk to Jason because he was the rock guy at the label. Jason had just signed Twisted Sister, Skid Row and White Lion, and was on a roll. The funny thing about this story is that, Dorothy Carvello (A&R), who worked for Jason at the time, was also looking at the band as well. A friend of Dorothy's, Victoria Seeger, who was Keith Olson's assistant, had taken the band to Dorothy as well. Hence, slight turmoil out of the gate!
So, Jason and Dorothy flew to Minneapolis in the dead of winter in a snow storm They met me and the band, at a local sold out club the band was playing that night. The band was great, and that night and Jason said, let's do this. Jason told the band after the show, they were going to be on Atlantic records. We were ecstatic to say the least. Problem was, Victoria felt she should get a piece of the band because she brought them to Dorothy at the same time I brought them to Doug. Lucky for me, I happened to be co-managing Stevie Nicks with HK, and was partners with him on anything I signed. So, Jason saw the benefit of me being the manger with HK of course…. and Jason being the mensch that he is… told Dorothy, that I should be the manger and asked me to give Victoria a point on the record and make everyone happy.
Thank you, Jason, for having my back!! You rock buddy!!
Glen Parrish
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Great stories and interview from a great guy and great music.
Man. Another person who graduated from the Atlantic Berkeley School of the record biz.
Jerry Greenberg
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He's also a genuinely nice guy. I taught his daughter in early childhood on the upper west side, wow, 20 years ago! Years later I read about him and his peanut allergy in the New Yorker. It's good to see that Jason is still going well.
Rachel Loonin
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JFlo and I became friends a few years back and I was blown away by the man I was getting to know versus the man I heard tale about- he was brash and insensitive and had an ego- that's what I heard. What I found was he was to the point, brutally honest and has an ego for good fucking reason!!! While most A&R are stumbling in the dark, he has a hand on the light switch!
He was my first rejection letter a hundred years ago and then last year I played him an artist I was writing and producing and, even though he was staying at my house, he didn't bullshit. It was "good stuff, doesn't have 'it'" and we moved on. You have to love that directness.
Now this guy has me being a part in the Innocence Project. He has me saving rhino's and I'm better for it.
He's the right kind of asshole, that Flom.
Love love him!
Don Miggs
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Thank you for your incredible and well deserved tribute to Jason Flom and for forwarding the podcast to your subscribers.
In the context of your praise: I had been helping a colleague in Virginia through several painful, though thus far unsuccessful, years in seeking legal relief for a boy who was 15 when he was conscripted by two older boys to accompany them in committing a $60 robbery. No one was hurt but the two older adults plead out and each were sentenced to 14 years in prison (One is out a few years early and the other will be soon.)
The minor, Travion Blount, took a chance and went to trial against my friend's advice. This was Virginia after all. Sadly, he was convicted at trial and sentenced to SIX life terms plus 118 years! True.
The years-long efforts to reduce the sentence through appellate courts, both state and Federal, is a long and very disturbing and troublesome tale.
One day not many months ago, I secured Jason's help as part of The Innocence Project to make a case for a pardon for Travion. Jason immediately made an earnest and eventually convincing effort directly with Virginia's governor to seek a pardon for Travion, who by then had been incarcerated with no real hope of being freed until, that is, he could apply for geriatric release at 65. He is still only 25. Three weeks ago, on the final day of his term, in the final hour in fact, Governor Terry McAuliffe pardoned Travion and two other (almost) similarly deserving clients of my colleague (who incidentally was a hard working musician/composer until he became a lawyer quite late in life.).
There is nothing more noble than to save the life of another and to give him a meaningful chance at a productive life. Who does this? Who has time? Who has the drive to put other important matters aside to serve the needs of a poor inmate with no chance for a life in freedom? Who dedicates himself to the cause of strangers in return for nothing for himself? Who is so unselfish that he would move mountains for a tragic and impossible case such as that of Travion?
You said it. There is no one in our world like Jason. Talk about knowing how to close! If you are reading this, we are very lucky and proud to know you Jason. I know you will keep up the great work you do for others in all of the areas of your philanthropy even as you, not incidentally, continue to bring great music into our lives.
Peter Thall
P.S. Further to my last e-mail, I heard from John Coggeshall, the musician/composer turned defense lawyer who carried this case through multiple years of appeals. John tells me that
"You can't say Jason Flom is imperfect down heah (yes, heah) in the South. That dude walks on water. He has even acquired a nickname: 'The Closer'. No one in modern United States history has ever been responsible for 50% of an outgoing Governor's pardons (3 of 6 altogether). Beyond belief. It's true that I gave Jason seven innings of quality work, but now you know why he's called 'The Closer."
PS While he was juggling these three, he also convinced the governor to commute an inmate's death sentence to life imprisonment. That was between puffs on his cigar.
Keep giving credit to those to whom credit is due.
Peter Thall
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I was lucky enough to have met Q a few years back. He was gracious, kind, and so sweet. He held my hand as I spoke about my appreciation for his incredible contribution to the musical landscape we see today. I was holding the mans hand and I felt like a little kid holding his fathers hand. He has that affect on people. I felt like he was my grandfather or something. I can't explain it. Just that he took me from being incredibly nervous to speak to one of the most important people in the history of music, to being so comfortable and relaxed. He listened to what I had to say, and smiled. He appreciated my endless compliments, and didn't shrug me off, regardless of the fact that he has been hearing the same compliments from countless strangers for most of his life. He made me feel like I was the first person to thank him for the countless music gifts he gave us over the years. Even if the only record he gave us was Thriller, it would still make him a legend, but he did so much more than that. He is a living legend. The GOAT.
Amir Epstein LLB
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Thanks for this! First saw Jones in 1955, when he was an 18-year-old trumpet player in Lionel Hampton's band, the first American big band jazz group to tour Britain after the war. Years later I accidentally met him at the bar in the Carlton Hotel in Cannes during MIDEM - and he recalled his days with Hampton with perfect clarity; it was the first time he had traveled to Europe. I'm glad he still gives a shit!
Richard Flohil
PS: He also produced the first English-language album by the Greek singer Nana Mouskouri - and it's terrific!
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I was blessed two years ago to have a run in with Quincy at a charity event. I was there supporting an artist I was working with who was performing that night to a VIP crowd. New artist, so he was a bit nervous considering who was going to be in the crowd. We got there early, so did Quincy. The artist was already backstage doing "artist" things.. not sure what that is...anyway, I saw Quincy from across the room and thought F it.. I'm gonna go over there and talk to him. We have a common friend who mentored me as a producer and this friend won a grammy with Quincy. He worked on the Back On The Block record with Q. My ice breaker. When I said his name Quincy didn't miss a beat.. he said, "How the fuck is he?" Smiled and continued.. "Is he still living up in Canada and married to that hot Canadian girl?" I told him yes to Canada and no to the marriage and that Ian had mentored me.. Quincy says.. "You must be a talented mother fucker then." I laughed and we continued to have an in depth conversation about the state of music... SORT OF LIKE THE ARTICLE. We talked for a good 45 minutes. I'm Canadian, and sooo stereo typically polite, so I kept looking at his handler to make sure I wasn't overstaying my welcome and she gave me the look that Quincy was enjoying himself. His views were very consistent with the article. I was in heaven listening to his brutally honest critique of the music biz.. wait, he said there was NO business. He told me all the money is in China!! He was intelligent, warm, and truly with me in the moment. That's hard to find in this industry. EVERYONE has an ulterior motive.. I have been out of L.A. for 6 years now, looking after my aging parents in Florida so I can spot the LA bullshit a mile away... He was fucking cool. I guess I got to my "no filter life" early... we sat there and tore a new asshole into a bunch of the new artists out there.. one after another... hack, wannabe, okay, to at least she's hot... Then it came time for him to hear this artist I produced and wrote the songs with. I was nervous now. Quincy was about to hear my shit in front of me... I died.
The music starts and Quincy starts in on me.. "Is that your arrangement?" "Did you write this?" I said yes, the artist and I did all of this stuff together. Quincy loved the music and I could of died on the spot. Now, I'm not telling you this to boost my ego.. there's a pay off. So, the set ends and Quincy says, bring the kid (artist) over here. I bring him over and Quincy says... "You know your a bad ass motherfucker?" The artist says "I try" in a truly humble tone.. Quincy looked annoyed and said, say it... say your a bad ass motherfucker! He tried half heartedly and Q made him say it till he meant it... It was an awesome moment. He saw real talent, recognized it and built a young kids self confidence up.. pretty cool.. We exchanged info and I only tried once to get a hold of him when I was in L.A. producing a record. It's probably best that I never see him again.. It's like a super amazing one night stand that swirls around your head for the rest of your life and you compare every other experience to it... WHAT A GUY.. thought I'd share... Sorry for being so long winded! (Canadian Politeness) I LOVE what you write Bob... keep it up!
Jason Pennock
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Met him last year in LA. In a room with Diane Warren Desmond Child and a Who's Who of music people. And a real crew. Some club next to Diane's building which she earned. Everyone swarming for pictures to tweet twit twat and Facebook and I got the serious intro from a real player. He asked about my name and I said I m half Greek and half Armenian....and he proceeded for 5 minutes to talk about the Greek isles and his time there.No music no questions about music Just his experiences in the Greek Isles. .Meanwhile I m being the ass that wants the picture and I said no to myself. The picture is forever in my brain and it was so cool. I didn't want to be that guy BUT 7-8 minutes with Quincy ...I can cross that off my Bucket List.
Chris Apostle
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Re: Recorded Versus Live
I toured a fair amount around the US, some in Canada, some in Europe, 300+ shows a year, never anything big, but big enough to live it. What I gathered from that, which I do my best to impress upon the young, hungry musicians I'm around these days(I do booking and sound engineering in a small town in East Texas and help push for growth in our music scene) is that merchandise at a show, albums included, are souvenirs. The purpose they serve is to be a reminder of the experience you gave them.
The first concern, before recording, before image, before anything else, is putting on a fucking killer live show. Shed. Become too good to ignore.
Do that, and people will help you with the rest because you converted them to believers. They'll want others to share what they've seen. It's akin to a religious experience when done right. I've seen it and been a part of it on both sides.
Thanks for writing,
Douglas Jay Boyd
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From: Kevin Spencer
Subject: Re: How To Make A Hit Record
Hi Bob! Some of your letters are good, some are great, some don't hit and some explode my heart.
This one is great. I appreciate your honesty about the people and the situations. Tony may not fully appreciate your honesty for holding court with his own rep and ego... but that's another story.
I just wanted to say that I don't normally go to things like NAMM. However, this year my touring was off this week, so I went. I came home feeling strangely much better about our industry knowing that there are so many passionate people out there about making great recordings, whether they are heard or not, they are all a stepping stone towards the one that might get heard.
My fave part about NAMM was not meeting Lee Sklar or Tony Levin... two of my bass heroes, but rather walking along and seeing some guy sitting at the Apogee booth and no one is talking to him. Everyone is busy hustling their conversations and this man is sitting all alone. 'is that Bob Clearmountain!?' It was. We spoke and he said... sit down. 'What do you do in music?' 'Do you record?' 'What do you want to know Kevin?' 'How can I help' A complete open book... so we started at Exile on Main Street and we talked for 60 minutes plus. No one bothered him... just the two of us chatting. Blew my mind. We too spoke about Avalon. I swear I could build a house and mow a lawn inside his mixes there's so much space!
Side note: Not sure if you remember but a few years ago I spoke up about the sham that is reality TV competitions, namely Rockstar INXS. You asked if you could quote me and I stupidly didn't ask the right question, 'What part do you want to quote?' So you published the email in it's entirety. The funny/Not funny part... the producer of that show was pissed. To the tune that... well, in an old school approach, sent some men to my doorstep. I learned my lesson.
Thanks for being you and not stopping.
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Subject: Re: How To Make A Hit Record
In your decidedly fan-boy fawning over my friend Tony Brown, you gave short shrift and missed an opportunity to acknowledge a 'legendary" great. "Elvis's piano player who moved on" was my friend Glen D Hardin, one of the most talented, personable and funny(!) musicians who ever set his hands on a piano keyboard. His list of credits is long and deep. He (and James Burton) played with Elvis, Emmylou Harris (he was the center of her original "Hot Band") and John Denver. Prior to that he was in a later version of The Crickets.
Back in the sixties he wrote "Count Me In", "Where Will The Words Come From" and "My Heart's Symphony" -all recorded by Gary Lewis & The Playboys"
He too lives in Nashville. Last month I saw and heard him back Emmylou's performance celebrating Brian Ahern's induction into the Musicians' Hall of Fame.
Credit (and names) where credit and names are due.
Bob Hunka
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From: Peter Asher
Subject: Re: Peter Asher-This Week's Podcast
Thanks so much for forwarding the responses. Your skilled questioning and broad knowledge made it effortless and I really enjoyed myself. And it seems to have gone down well.
This is in no sense a criticism (what you wrote below is wonderful), but I confess i am glad that someone pointed out that my sister Jane is of course so much more than just someone who was Paul's girlfriend a very long time ago. Both then and now a very successful actress, entrepreneur, writer and philanthropist - not to mention being married for decades (and still) to the brilliant Gerald Scarfe (political cartoonist for the London Sunday Times et al and creator of all the animation for Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and more.)
And my daughter Victoria is continuing in the family (show) business as well it seems having been in the successful band Cobra Starship for many years until their recent breakup and now making remarkable music on her own and cowriting all over the place etc.
And you are right - I have no thoughts of stopping. Just finishing the upcoming Elton/Bernie tribute album and got to work in the studio with my friend Ed Sheeran (on one track) and with the amazing Alessia Cara (coproducing with Oak, who is brlliant!) on another. Both unbelievably talented artists and I am as excited about them as I was about James and Linda back in the day. I love it. Having the time of my life and shall not stop till I am deaf or dead (or out of workl)
Anyway I cannot thank you enough and the reaction has been thoroughly delightful.
Peter
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