I won’t lie – it was a shock! Just as my good friend and co band leader Mr. Grimly and I were putting the final touches to the mix of our latest musical offering we got the call from our agent. It wasn’t a positive conversation.
The label had decided not to take up the option of renewing our recording contract – we’d been dumped! Apparently we didn’t produce material to contract deadlines (hey this song has only been 15 years in the making!), we did nothing to promote the music (it’s true that we couldn’t remember when we’d last done a world tour) and the whole image of the band was too ….. well …. gendered.
We’d got a bit huffy, pointed out that the label hadn’t exactly gone out of its way to promote us, get air time etc – but to no avail. The decision had been made and furthermore we would no longer need the services of an agent.
‘That’s fine, we’ll get on fine without you, we’ll carry on making and recording music as mates without all this bollocks.’
‘OK, just remember you can’t continue to use The Blokes brand – you sold the rights to that 10 years ago.’
Which brings us to the final release from the The Blokes (a band not a brand!):
‘Where are you now?
What songs are you singing?’
Many of us have moved around in our lives, geographical locations, jobs and friendship groups. If we are lucky we will have maintained some good friendships along the way, but many will have faded from our lives.
‘Wish you’d stayed in my life forever
Lucky to know you, all of my friends.’
Eleri
Well – this is a sudden change of fortune for us fans who relish and enjoy the Blokes’ regular musical explosions into our lives. That trumpet, the guitar solos, the sloping relaxed rhythm, the wonderful lyrics of love, friendships, vanning and walking. ,
. Today’s hit is no exception – a homage to those bonds and memories we all hold dear – the mysteries of what might have been. Again the complex score – the innovation of keyboard trumpet and guitar riffs.
Surely a new contract can be forged ? Or a new name for a continuing musical journey ?
If not .. thank you for what we have – will we be able to still access the songs ? I hope so
Mr Grimly
I have been advised by our legal representative that we still own the rights to our entire back catalogue. I think the exact words from the label were “keep the bloody music, just tell the drummer to stop harassing our A&R Director”
Bryan
Phew! It looks as though we can salvage something from the wreckage caused by corporate greed and artistic insensibility. We may be blokeless but we are still a band of mates and we can still make music!