New vinyl day ..you may recognise the artist ..

[jono1uk]

so ..new vinyl for me ...although 30 years old!
it is just about to get played for myself ( and the neighbours)  

the yellow piece of paper is a photocopied review of the album  from July 1988 Q maagazine  -note the last line!!

[Michael Messer]

Wow Jono, that's amazing to find a photocopy of the Q mag review! That review worked wonders and got me on BBC Radio 1 and touring all over the place. I was the first person to cover a Michelle Shocked song. Michelle and her manager, Pete Lawrence, were so amazed that they called to thank me!

I reckon that this copy was owned by someone connected to the record company, or booking agency, or the radio plugger. I can't think of any other reason for the review to be there and to be properly labelled.

I was a hairdresser, that is true, but I packed it in when I was 23 years old. So it is not really relevant to my music or my music career. I think Andrew Vaughan picked up that because Chuck Berry was also a hairdresser. I remember him telling me that when we met sometime after the review was published.

30 years ago.... PHEW!!!!

Shine On
Michael

[jono1uk]

there is a sticker on the back "Geoff Atherton Promotions" there was an Island Records "plugger" of the same name in 70's maybe him? incidentally the record was bought by me online from Finland ..

[bonzo]

What other interesting 'snippets' are going to emerge from your mysterious past Michael? Lol!

Best wishes to you all, John

[jono1uk]

i am expecting a "short back and sides" at the Worcester workshop..

[Stevie]

I'd go for a Diving Duck's **** if I had enough left on top!

e&oe...

[bonzo]

I think we'd better stop before we come to a parting of the ways!

Best wishes to you all, John

[Michael Messer]

Jono, I knew it had to be someone involved. Geoff Atherton was the plugger for the record company and got me all of my first radio sessions and airplay on the first two albums. Geoff was great, he was a real old school music biz plugger. They don't exist anymore. He took me to the pub by Broadcasting House where all the presenters met for lunch and introduced me to the right people.

All the other hairdresser stuff..... I'm not going there! Everyone has a past and I am very proud of mine. I was right in the middle of the fashion world. I was pretty good at it and I had a great time, but it was never really me. I knew I had to escape, but while it lasted I had an absolute ball!

Shine On
Michael.

[Michael Messer]

When I look back at those times it makes me see how much the music industry has changed. The only way to make a record back then was for a record company or management company to become interested in your work and get behind you. They invested in the artist, giving them studio time and launching them into the industry. Even the indie and punk labels were proper record companies, they were just smaller than the major labels and had a young energy, but they were proper record companies. I had friends at Stiff Records and they were a proper record company. These days that does still exist, but on the way to that the artists have to invest in themselves and create their own publicity machine, which to me is not too far away from vanity publishing. Well that's how it appears to be. In 1987 I was trying to make a record and I was introduced to a record company man that liked and believed in what I was doing, so he created the publicity machine, not me. That is so different to watching artists on Facebook asking all their 'friends' to "vote for me" or "buy my CD because I'm good" ....I find that, especially with young artists, slightly uncomfortable. I didn't send my music to the BBC or to any radio stations, my plugger took it to the BBC and the other stations and smooched with the right people to get it played. "Do me a favour for old times sake, play Michael's record on your show" That's the proper music biz! ....well it is to me. Until sometime in the mid to late 2000s, that's how the business operated. Everything has to change and move on, but to me it appears to be a free-for-all and overcrowded. With self released music there is no quality control, so while there are some great records being made, there are also millions of terrible ones clogging up the system. Now I really sound old!!!!

There were less people trying to achieve what I was trying to do and there were very few people with shiny National guitars. I know I keep saying it, but it was so different to now.

The first album I self funded and self released was Call Of The Blues, which was my tenth album. After talking with various people in the business I decided to run the promotion myself and do it like Geoff Atherton used to do, and it worked. Everyone now is so desperate for the limelight and a few gigs, that they will do anything to be seen and they do!

Apologies for my out-pouring there, but seeing Jono's copy of Diving Duck with the review and Geoff Atherton's name on it just made me think about those times and what it was like. I have a great deal to thank Geoff Atherton for, because Geoff, more than anybody gave me a career. He pushed me into the mainstream media with what essentially wasn't mainstream music at all. Thanks Geoff!

Shine On
Michael

[Michael Messer]

This was the tour poster photo for the Diving Duck release.


Michael Messer 'Diving Duck' tour poster by Alan Messer ©1987

Shine On
Michael

[Deleted]

That's a great insight MM.
28 years ago, I made a single (mini EP actually). I recorded it in Bristol and moved to London in 1990 to plug it. I would get an appointment with the receptionist at a record label, and go in and talk to whoever was there and hand over a couple of copies with a handwritten bio.
I went to quite a lot of labels, but despite being told numerous times it was a good record, without fail it was followed by "but it's not what we are looking for".
I had some copies in Tower Records for a while, but sold none - I would even busk all day outside tower records to get peoples attention.
I have to say it was a thoroughly dispiriting experience. In terms of promo, I paid viz magazine something like £14.11 to get in to their viz top ten, I was no 7 for two months, beating the Wonderstuff!
I'm at the age now where I'm glad to just be able to record my stuff onto CD and sell a few copies. At least I get all the proceeds.
TT



Actually, as an footnote, I was a registered nurse for a number of years. In one of my last jobs, I was working in occupational health at a London Hospital and was asked to give flu jabs to the staff of a record label.
Whilst setting up on a table, I noticed a list - an xmas card list - of about 50 MAJOR artists (e.g. Moby, Depeche Mode), with their names and addresses. I had thoughts of just taking it and sending off demos etc to all of them. Common sense prevailed, and I got on with the job of jabbing the staff!
TT

Attachments:

[bonzo]

But I bet you had some fun along the way!

Best wishes to you all, John

[Michael Messer]

Thanks TT. I wasn't sure if it is all a bit too "me", but if people are interested, I am happy to write about stuff like that. I could write for hours on my experiences in the wonderful world of making music.

Yours too, very interesting. I remember doing in-store promotions at Tower Records. They did quite a big promo job on Diving Duck and Slidedance. I have pictures somewhere of the MM window display. I sold a lot of records at Tower.

Can I, or we hear your EP please?

Shine On
Michael

[Deleted]

My good friend Andy L. was manager at Tower records back then, so he did me a favour.
I don't have an electronic version of it, only on 1/4" tape and the vinyl. I'll see what I can do, but I have re-recorded two of the tracks since.
Here's one - not really blues...

Here's the other.

TT

[Deleted]

Sorry if this de-rails the thread, but back in the day (late 1980s?), I frequented a music shop in Bristol.
I remember distinctly a very large poster on the wall of what I think now was either a dobro or a fiddle edge. Being honest I wondered how a guitar with all those speakers could work.
My memory makes me think it was brown / brass, but now I'm wondering if it was part of any of your promos - could it have been one of yours or someone else familiar's guitar?
I'm fairly sure it wasn't the cover of brothers in arms...
TT