hofmann@AMSAA.ARPA (11/08/85)
From: Jim Hofmann <hofmann@AMSAA.ARPA> Well all you music newshounds haven't mentioned this so here goes: On Friday of last week, the RIAA (Recording Industry of America Association) wherein all those nifty big labels reside has decided to "bend" to PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) demands of labeling of LP's. Keep in mind that PMRC consists and was founded of and by the wives of our legislative and executive power-brokers. On the following Monday of this week, Charles "Mac" Macthais (sp) (R-MD) reintroduced legislation which will levy a one dollar tax on all blank tapes, an issue which RIAA has been lobbying for years. Macthais is retiring soon and his been a thorn in the Republican back; supposedly this act is one of building bridges behind himself so he can thrive in his new career of (what else) - Washington lobbyist/lawyer. The one dollar of course will go to poor RIAA members who are being "bootlegged" since the influx of cassette technology. What of course isn't mentioned is how cassettes which are easy to produce are the primary means for independent musicians and other alternative types to record and distribute their music (see OPtion C-issue if you don't believe the plethora of taped music out there). Also isn't mentioned is the fact that independent labels like Homestead, SST, Twin-Tone etc are scarin' the bejesus out of the big-time execs who in turn blame the loss of business on cassette recorders. Don't believe it, though, I've found booting off LP's to be a good way to bring music to friends and usually get them interested enough to buy the LP in order to get lyric sheets/cover art/plastic vomit (whhoops, did I say that?) ... Now, I'm not gonna say there is a connection here but you, dear friends, can infer what you will ... So anyway, all you folks who didn't send in your letters to your respective congressperson during the first round of this farce ought to do it now or expect to subsidize those "poor" major record labels and their stables of "struggling" artists. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "he sits at his terminal, bound in his chair, froth coming from his mouth waiting for the latest contribution to net.kate.bush so he can add his worthless drivel to a net he's never paid for" ----------------------------------------------------------------------- hofmann@amsaa.ARPA