LA Times: “Not Just In It For the Money” (subscr. req.). A notable quote: “The details are still being worked out, but Gail Zappa, Frank’s widow, says that the concept is pretty simple. Fans will pay an annual fee (probably around $100) and receive a set number of new releases each year (probably five), some of which will not be available elsewhere. Subscribers will have some level of choice as to what titles they receive from an ever-expanding catalog, and will also likely get bonus material and other special merchandise.”
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Meta
Where do I send my hundred bucks? Cash, credit card or precious gems?
That’s too expensive. An insult is what it is. You’ll let her get away with it too.
I can feel one of my Marxist Critiques coming on.
As the ZFT thinks of setting up a Zappa Club, King Crimson Collector’s Club is sinking…
If a live and kicking band like King Crimson has (only) 3000 members, a number considered unsufficient by the KCCC, I wonder how many paying members the Zappa club will be drawing?
More here: http://www.disciplineglobalmobile.com/club/outline.shtml
I think they should offer it like this:
A guaranteed number of releases per year.
If they fail to deliver that number, everybody can choose from the regular catalogue, or transfer the remaining money to the next year.
Or something like that. And I want a membership card!!!
“if they fail to deliver…”
Now, what makes you think THAT would happen??
At least it’s cheaper than Prince’s ‘club’.
and not only do you get the desenex burger, but look here,sister, who you jivin’ with that Cosmic Debris? If you want it here it is, come and get it…
A fool and his money…and I’ll be the first fool to sign up anyway…here’s my credit card number just charge all future…
Ben, give us a Marxist Critique!
Ah, would that it were really Ben Watson…
Well, the way I see it Barry is that the cigar chomping, top hat wearing, bourgeois capitalist harridan is duping the proletarian masses into parting with their hard earned roubles on the basis of a dangled carrot which will transpire into nothingness. Zappaphiles of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but the shirts off your backs.
I will not be subscribing. The ZFT couldn’t run a bath never mind a club requiring detailed record-keeping and careful accounting. You would have to be mad to part with that much money up-front where those chumps are concerned.
Question: whatever happened to this commodity known as “The Record Shop”? You know, I remember back in the olden days, an artist would, like, release a record, which would then get distributed to The Record Shop, and then, like, I would go there and, like, buy it. A quaint little curiousity from goneby times, I know…
Ah, nostalgia…
Barry, you are describing a quaint little bit of the past that has been overtaken by greed and partisan politics. Let me review the food chain you describe:
Artist (democrat)
Record Company (republican)
Distributor (republican)
Retail chain (republican) and/or Independant Record Shop [if such still exists] (maybe democrat?)
Final consumer (doesn’t matter)
I don’t know for sure, but I can guess the players along this chain who get the biggest piece of the pie…further complicating matters in the case of the ZFT is the “Artist” is no longer with us. That role is being played by an in-over-her-head widow.
Where do I send my hundred clams?
That was not really Ben Watson. That was a man one of whose names begins with G
If the widow is in over her head, she should do the sensible thing and get out.It’s not politics, it’s business; and the business is marketing FZ ‘product’. Gail would be working in a gas station if FZ hadn’t understood at least that much. If the ZFT follow this ‘club’ route they’ll narrow their market down and eventually the club will go out of business. Why did FZ do tours? To promote his product and expand his audience. You’ve got to get out there and sell the stuff, or get someone else to do it for you. Just do some straightforward licensing deals; you can keep creative control and retain the rights. The company you sign up with might even be willing to help old Joe Travers get his act together! (And they would at least be able to issue a press notice that we can understand).
This just in from z.com forum:
In-over-head widow desperately seeking Kerry (McNabb, that is…)
Hello.
I am looking for a real, current contact information for Kerry McNabb. Is there anyone out there in Zappaland that can help me?
The first person to get me something real will get something real from me.
Thanks,
gz
Something real from gz… Just the thought should be good for a few nightmares…
http://www.zappa.com/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=general;action=display;num=1089931807;start=0#0
Yes there are plans to tell GZ where Kerry McNabb is, sometime in the future.
Probably.
thanx fer the great belief in music being the best