BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010

Subject: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 05:29 AM

Last year, the good people of Great Britain put aside their differences for five minutes and successfully united to prevent the evil that is the X-Factor, from dominating the Christmas No.1 chart position for the 4th year on the run.

As a result, LA rockers Rage Against The Machine romped up the UK charts to take the festive top pop spot with their timeless classic, Take The Power Back.

This year's campaign to Stop Cowell and his sugar-coated hordes from ruining Britain's seasonal listening, is focussing on the evergreen 4'33" by John Cage.

See: http://www.catm.co.uk/

A link to a chart-eligible purchase will be posted on the above site from 13th December.

Silence, they say, is golden. What better way to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, than with the soothing absence of tones offered by Cage's masterpiece?

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 05:56 AM

Personally I couldn't care less what will be the UK No.1 at Christmas. The X Factor stuff is all fake from a rigged and manipulated rip-off competition, but this idea of an Anti-X random record is just as false and manipulative. As a member of a Folk and Blues site, I don't see any relevance of the John Cage "silent" work to this web site.
I have no idea if I have ever heard precisely four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence. As a Yorkshireman I certainly wouldn't pay you cash to hear four minutes of nothing.
Nowadays, with Spotify, Web radio, podcasts, Youtube, Myspace and the like, plus individuals and groups selling downloads of their music completely independent from the Chart system makes What Is No.1 totally irrelevant.
Unless we have a re-release of Steeleye Span with Gaudete I don't think I'll bother.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: MikeL2
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 06:19 AM

hi GTD

My sentiments too.

cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: jacqui.c
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 07:56 AM

Unless we have a re-release of Steeleye Span with Gaudete

Now, wouldn't that be something!

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 08:12 AM

If the campaign had been for a folk music/song single, I would have given it some thought, but I have no interest in wasting money just to prove a point.

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: fat B****rd
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 08:26 AM

Last Christmas I was at college and surrounded by young studnets who were overjoyed that RATM were No. 1 as oppposed to whatever X Factor item.
I don't think any of them were particular fans of the band, but I did indulge in a certain smugness, myself.
Now, I agree with most of the above. Who f***ing cares?

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: Mrrzy
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 12:54 PM

This is a music thread - not BS - IMHO

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 05:31 AM

RATM had a CD I bought for my son back in the 90s and unfortunately has the track already on it so I wouldn't have bought it anyway. But really I am not interested in X Factor anyway anything connectd with Simon Cowell loses my interest straight away.

Maybe something from the Goons? Or as someone has already said Steeleye Span. Sorry I know this isn't the music thread and I have slapped my hand.

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 05:55 AM

I thought they were going for The Trashmen's Surfin' Bird this year?

Otherwise as I keep saying 4'33" isn't about silence - it's about the impossibility of silence, as Cage discovered in the anechoic chamber of Harvard University where he even became away of the sound of his own nervious system! It's about listening, in anticipation and hearing the random beauty of ambient sound at its most unsilent - I guess even a recording raises all sorts of other issues because it's still going be different every time you play it.

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 06:02 AM

I can't remember the last time I watched television. My wife records a few worthwile programmes which we watch as we have time, otherwise we buy DVDs or I download the odd music DVDs - watched a good Paul Brady programme from 1976 last night.

What is x factor anyway?

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: Darowyn
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 11:56 AM

I shan't buy the John Cage track.
If I want to (not) hear it, I'll just play the piece myself.
I could improvise r vary the tempo, and play it longer or shorter. Or maybe re-orchestrate it and not play each section on a different instrument.
Obviously I will not be buying any other Christmas "number one" either.
I don't recall a single one worth even the most discounted price.
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: Stower
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 05:59 PM

Keeping Cowell's company off the number 1 slot at Christmas would be what sort of victory? It wouldn't change a thing about synthetic manufactured music, which I happen not to enjoy at all but obviously there are millions who disagree with me. Let them enjoy it, if they wish. I think there are more important things to be concerned about, to be honest.

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 05:12 AM

In my opinion 'manufactured' music mirrors the worst aspects of the 'free market'. A similar argument - food in coffee shops.

(1) An independent coffee shop sells a range of sandwiches, pastries, cakes, etc - Starbucks has it unvarying food menu.
(2) Starbucks, with there capital behind them, and marketing muscle drives independent coffee shop out of business.
(3) Starbucks then argue that their food menu is exactly what customers want.

The moral - millions enjoy synthetic music as it is stuffed down their throats by the music industry - it makes the play lists, it has the backing of multi-million pound advertising campaigns, major retailers only purchase from the major companies as they worry that if they purchase anything good from an independent label, it will stay on their shelves too long.

Also in my opinion large scale retail is not so much about how big the margins are, but the volume of sales - who said - stack it high, sell it quick. I've noticed that food prices have gone up a lot since interest rates stayed low - that suggests that a big chunk of retailers profits come from the fact that they sell the goods at least a month before they pay their suppliers.

Oops looks like I got into a bit of a rant here.

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: bubblyrat
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 02:07 PM

As long as the teenagers and other young persons who listen to it at FULL VOLUME on their I-Pods, or whatever you call 'em, on the 'bus or train, suffer permanent partial hearing loss or even profound deafness, I couldn't care less ; although a re-release of "Gaudete" WOULD be rather nice !!

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 03:56 AM

In my opinion 'manufactured' music mirrors the worst aspects of the 'free market'.

Does that include the Broadsheets that are the source of much Folk Song I wonder? I would have thought as a Living Tradition all Popular Music is worthy of our interest. In any case what are the alternatives? Folk is just as prone to the vagaries of free-market fashion as any other manufactured music, though no doubt mirroring the loftier concerns of its intended demographic. Maybe its time for a Folk Delusion thread...

Why's this in BS anyway?

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: Stower
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 07:42 AM

SPB-Cooperator, to your ponts above:

(1) No one forces anyone to drink at Starbucks.
(2) No one forces anyone to drink at Starbucks.
(3) No one forces anyone to drink at Starbucks.

"The moral - millions enjoy synthetic music as it is stuffed down their throats by the music industry"

Isn't that an oxymoron: "enjoy" and "stuffed down their throats"? No one forces anyone to buy this music. I don't enjoy it so I don't buy it.

"I've noticed that food prices have gone up a lot since interest rates stayed low - that suggests that a big chunk of retailers profits come from the fact that they sell the goods at least a month before they pay their suppliers." Now that is a completely different sort of question - multinationals dictating the terms to suppliers who have nowhere else to go, thus dominating the market and creaming off all the profits for themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 08:12 AM

My point is that corporations drive out market choice so if one chooses to go to a coffee shop, the only choice is often one of the multi-nationals, or to just drink coffee at home.

In terms of music I should have said 'enjoy'.

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: Acorn4
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 01:50 PM

Can we not all back Cliff Richard to keep X Factor off the No 1 slot.

He's yer man, the People's champion!!!

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: Big Phil
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 02:08 PM

Recorded Z Fixtor on Saturday night, and watched it this morning. What a load of utter and complete rubbish, IMHO of course.

If this is Saturday evening viewing on the Telly, it would make sense to sit in the coalhouse with toothache, it would be less painfull.

Who on earth is the young girl "singing" then chanting half way through her song, is it rapping". Absoloutly dire.

Phil*

Subject: RE: BS: The UK Christmas No.1 Campaign - 2010
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 04:58 PM

i suppose when the push comes to the shove, there isn't any real significance about the 'Christmas No 1' as oppose to any other week.

In my opinion, the marketing power of the corporations will continue to churn out what they want people to enjoy, and maximise their profits. Occasionally there will be chart successes of genuinely talented performers who have worked their way up through the pub/club circuit and even, in very rare occasions a folk performer.

I still hold by my point that powerful corporations control consumer behavior by limiting choice.