Re: (TV) RE: Live Marquee Moon / Marketing Strategy?

[Phil Obbard <pobbard@yahoo.com>]

It could be "live in the studio", sure.

"Verlaine or Fontana Records were trying to figure out a way to 'break' him
commercially... with the strategy of
....let's release a *live* version of the song that he was most well-known
for and see what happens ....maybe it might just attract those
listeners/buyers who were 'into' guitar solos. "

I suspect the conversation was more like:

Fontana Records: Tom, only 138 people bought your last record. We can't pay the bills that way.

Tom: What if I quickly re-record my most famous song with my current touring band and put it on an obscure 12"? That way, those 138 people will buy my next LP and the 12" single.

Fontana Records: Brilliant! Except, since we're out of money, you need to record it in one take. Right now. In that studio over there. Hurry up, the repo men are here...

--Phil





________________________________
From: Leo Casey <LeoCasey@comcast.net>
To: tv@obbard.com
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 2:41:15 PM
Subject: (TV) RE: Live Marquee Moon / Marketing Strategy?

Regarding the 1987 live version of 'MM' released by Fontana/Polydor:

> No, sorry I don't, but I think it was a soundcheck rather than a show.

I'm just curious.  (OK maybe 'skeptical' :> ) is a better word).

What's the basis as to why it was more likely to have been recorded during
a soundcheck versus live in a studio?   It seems more likely to me that the
reverse would be the case.  

For instance:  Why would a musician esp. Verlaine give (waste?) one of his
greatest performances ever for/on a measly soundcheck?

I bought both releases of this 'live' version of  'MM when they came out in
1987.  My take has always been something along the lines that it was a
deliberate marketing strategy (albeit failed):

Verlaine or Fontana Records were trying to figure out a way to 'break' him
commercially; i.e., despite the high quality of his solo releases with
Elektra/Warner Brs/Virgin, all of those had sold miserably (only his
'Dreamtime' album ever appeared as low as  #177 on the U.S. music charts).
Verlaine or Fontana  came up [in desperation?] with the strategy of
....let's release a *live* version of the song that he was most well-known
for and see what happens ....maybe it might just attract those
listeners/buyers who were 'into' guitar solos. 

Kinda of like a let's try and market Tom to say a 'high-class' Joe
Satrini/Van Halen fan/[fill-in your own choice] :> ) audience.  

So Verlaine thought, what the hell ok, and went into the studio with his
then touring band of J.D. Daugherty, Rip and Smith and recorded it for one
of the sides of a Fontana 12" single promo record.  Most likely it was
recorded in the studio without any edits----just as most of the songs on the
original MM album were.

Leo
............................................................................
.
Re: (TV) Rare(?) Verlaine record

To: tv@obbard.com 
Subject: Re: (TV) Rare(?) Verlaine record 
From: "Cliff McLenehan" <klif@volny.cz> 
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 22:05:05 +0200 

............. From what I remember Clinton telling me, the song was recorded
with mics that were positioned at the mixing desk. He thought it was from a
live 
performance. I don't think it was live in the studio. It may have been at a 
soundcheck. Everything is perfectly balanced, but you're right, there's no 
audience noise...............   Cliff
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