Originally Posted By: Mike sings
After all most musicians get paid to play the music someone else wrote. Be it a classical musician playing Bach or a studio musician recording for an artist, the musician touring with an artist and even most artists: neither of them actually wrote the music they play and therefor cover a song someone else wrote...


Yet another one who throws classical music into a discussion where it really doesn't fit. I doubt we will hear anything new from Johan, will we? Or Wolfgang, or Ludwig....

And also don't start telling me about Sinatra and Bennett. They do standards and showtunes.

These discussions are about blue collar working class musicians. Some play covers, some hold out and try to prove to the world they can write. Somebody wrote EVERY song you hear. Be it Bach, Mozart, Gershwin, Copeland, Porter, Arlin, or Lennon and McCartney, they were originals at some point for somebody. Nobody goes to see the Cleveland Orchestra to hear a piece that the 3rd viola player wrote. Now I will say that the 3rd viola player is an outstanding player, far better at his craft than I ever was at mine, but that crowd at our Severance Hall does not want to hear "Bob's composition" in the middle of a Mozart program.

One of the replies contained the comment about asking about original music and the band replies "...but nobody wants to hear original music." And to that I will add "so we sell out and hide our writing skills under a bushel just so the owner likes us and has us back for the same $300 and a bar tab."

Once again, if you enjoy playing covers, god bless you for doing it. I hate it, and I won't do it anymore. It makes me feel like a painter selling copies of Whistler's Mother that I painted. I may have done the physical painting, but James Whistler had the real talent when, in 1871, he painted the portrait of his mother, Anna. People who can do a good job copying can sell their work and make money doing it, just like playing copy music.

I have never sold a song. I have never put out a CD of my own work (in progress). I played cover music for years. And at the time I bought into the party line. Now, at an advanced age and in a different place mentally about music, I no longer play in the band because they play extremely long shows and do mostly covers. I simply don't want to do it. I will rarely go out to see a band that plays covers, and to compound the felony, the SAME covers. It just doesn't interest me. I would rather see 60 minutes of mediocre originals than 3 sets of perfectly executed covers. That's only me and my preference. But please spare me the apples to oranges comparisons of a classical orchestra or a famous crooner from the 50s. It's not the same thing. I have yet to see someone at the level of a national act come out and play 90 minutes of copy music to 19,725 people in an arena. And the reason THAT is not apples to oranges is because THAT is what I consider being a performer in earnest. Riding that bus from town to town, playing 3 shows a week and having your people sell those t-shirts for $45, and your CDs, your baseball caps, your posters, your keychains..... Yes, Todd Rundgren (my favorite artist by a longshot) did Never Never Land on A Wizard, A True Star, and he did a soul medley with I'm So Proud, Ooh Baby Baby, La La Means I love You and Cool Jerk, but that was an homage to his hometown Philly Soul, not his life's work. He even did a half cover album on Faithful.

All I am saying is that I don't like copy bands, no matter how good they are. You can go see 2 or 3 every night if you like. I just won't be your wingman.

Last edited by eddie1261; 12/29/14 08:56 PM.