IN THESE TIMES MAR. 21-27.1979 23 BUSINESS Boomtown Rats: not enough from their first made the & IL£~«~... f*,n, y !?.» laS.S British Top Ten, and their tours were continual sell-outs. Hvsr weridsr why thai new , the group you jusi Icvs, the one with Rats' second album, was released "can't miss" writer; all ever in Britain early in 1978 and quick- them, flops? While 1 wo^ldr.'t ly became an even larger seller be so vuJg&r as to suggest that than their first. A single taken the way ari act is proraotes is the from the new album, "," most important factor in detsr- had the distinction of bumping mining its SUCCESS, there is little John Travolta off the Number doubt that publicity campaigns, One position in the British charts packaging, and marketing deci- —an event celebrated by the Rats' sions ears play crucial roles. placing an ad in the British rock Boomtown Rats, with Fingers (in pajamas), Roberts and Geldof (on right). Some reck base's become im- press showing the slick Travolta after Tonic came out. Columbia mensely popular without eiabcr- caught in a rat trap (below)—and publicists set up press and radio ate initial backing frors their rec- sold in the neighborhood of one Mercury's idea of good hype interviews in every city in which ord companies. Boston corses im- million copies. the band appeared (including the mediately tc mind, £s does Dfre However, at the same time that ones cited in this article). They Straits (see/JT, Dec. 13, 1,578), the Rats were becoming one of was to send out 25 or 30 also provided complementary on 2. smaller as.d nore artistic Britain's biggest rock groups, tickets to media and record store kvel. Yst a let of bands with sig- they were doing miserably in the dead rats in plastic bags personnel. Full-page advertise- nificant ccKiraercial potential, U.S. According to George Kne- ments in publications like Rolling HO I. J.Q /"ACHs fciOn *Si6JTltp H86C; i.Jt.5 meyer of Mercury Records (the to selected dealers. Stone were run in conjunction careful auo. intense efforts of a band's American label, a subsid- with the tour. Radio spots began record company's publicity and iary of Phonogram), the first popping up regularly on album- marketing dcpa?ttr.snts in crder Boomtown Rats album sold "un- noting that "our album sold Inc., which recently released in oriented FM stations. According to find their audisnee. One such der 10,000 here in the States," more on import in New York America the Rats second album, to Columbia's Stewart, sales fig- band is the Bcorr.town Rats, and sales generally considered to be City than they shipped to the A Tonic for the Troops. (As part ures for the album are not yet an examination c-f their checkered, in the disaster level for a major whole New York State." of their contract settlement with available, but it appears that though brief, recording history company. As could be expected, Mercury Mercury, the Rats gained the Tonic is getting strong airplay may shed some light sn the econ- has a different view of the rela- rights to their first album. They and receiving good critical notices. omics of the rock music industry. Pinch-penny promo. tionship. Knemeyer told IN THESE put two of its strongest tracks on Ultimately, a lot of other fac- The Rats, as they are popularly Band members, now signed with TIMES that "at the time, we were the American version of Tonic.) tors in addition to promotion will known, were formed in Dublin another American record com- approaching them as a New Wave One of the giants of the record- determine the commercial success during the middle of 1976. Tak- pany, feel bitter towards Mer- band, and we did ads in the ing industry, Columbia had the of a rock band. Talent, fortunate- ing their name from a street gang cury for its handling of their first Trouser Press, New York Rock- distribution network capable of ly is still often rewarded. Finding mentioned in Woody Guthris's album. In a conversation with IN er, and several other New Wave both putting in stores and a striking pose or gimmick can autobiography, Bound for Glor?, THESE TIMES, keyboard player publications." When asked getting them eye-catching display make the difference, as can be they rapidly became one of lie- and guitarist whether it was correct to call the space. Compared with other rec- seen from groups spanning the land's most popular bands. Mov- discussed this. Rats a punk band, he admitted ord companies, their publicity de- distance from neo-cartoon char- ing to England in search of a Roberts charges that Mercury that the tag wasn't accurate in partment is both well prepared acters like Kiss or Boney M to larger audience, within a short had few creative ideas. "They're their case, but pointed out that and persistent. the wild-man intellectualism of time they 'were signed by Evjsign OK with somebody like Rod when "their first album was re- The promotional campaign Warren Zevon. Foreigner, Bos- Records (a small label distribut- Stewart, who somebody else has leased, just about any new band Columbia devised for the Rats is ton, and Toto represent big bucks ed by the Phonogram Corpora- broken, who they don't have to out of Britain was being labelled a model of how a company gets bands that have found instantly tion) and released their debut al- do any work on," he says, "but 'punk rock.' Our ads tried to put its bands known. A month be- recognizable, risk-free hit writing bum, Boosntovm Rats. they can't break acts, and that's out that they were much more fore releasing Tonic, Columbia formulas and will undoubtedly The move to En.gb.nrl came at what we needed." than punk rock." In that case, brought Geldof and Fingers to keep trotting them out until their a fortuitous time. The Rats' mus- Fingers is particularly angry why not place ads in broadly- the U.S. for a multi-city promo- fans lose interest. ic, based en equal measures of about a publicity stunt he feels based music publications like tional tour. In San Francisco, for But particularly for a new R&B, hard rcsk, arid the cynical, hurt the band. "Their idea of a ! "At that stage, example, they met with writers, group, promotion often makes ' socially-aware, and intelligent promotional gimmick for our Knemeyer responded, "we had X radio announcers, record store the difference between public lyrics of vocalist , first album," he says, "was to amount of money to work with, workers, and Columbia person- and critical recognition and being emerged on vinyl just in fee to mail out 25 or 30 dead rats in and the gold or platinum groups nel over beer, wine, and sand- lost among the hundreds of new connect with Britain's burgeon- plastic bags to chosen dealers got priority" (A "gold" album is wiches. Those assembled heard acts that never escape obscurity. ing New Wave movement dur- around the country." He also one that sells over 500,000 units; the forthcoming album, received Leaving aside the worst excesses ing the God Save the Queer, sum- charged that Mercury did a ter- a "platinum" album sells over "bios" about the band and care- of record promotion—the shame- mer of 1977. Two singles taken rible job distributing the album, one million.) fully selected reprints of favor- less hyping of the mediocre, the Knemeyer also cited the diffi- able reviews in the British press, irresponsible use of sexist imag- culty Mercury had in selling the watched a Hard Day's Night- ery, and outright bribery—within Rats. "One of the problems," he inspired videotape of the Rats the context of the modern rock explains, "was that radio used performing "Rat Trap," and got industry it is difficult to argue ats reviewed the equation that if it was New to talk informally with Geldof with ' desire Wave it must be bad, and the al- and Fingers. for commercial, as well as critiea! es (""), Geldof bum got little airplay." Still, Kne- About a month later the album success. While we may strive ts By Bands approaches his subjects with a meyer said that Mercury spent was released in America and re- develop a system in which must daring and pointed wit not often "20 to 30 grand" on promotional view copies were sent out. As a cal achievement and creativity A Tonic for the Troops dis- found in rock. tours. The Rats did not, however, result of the earlier efforts, re- can be separated from the con- plays the musical growth of the The subject of youthful angst perform in the U.S. while under viewers and radio programmers straints of the marketplace, it is Boomtown Eats since they re- may have been explored by pop contract with Mercury. and DJs would already be fam- important to recognize how far leased their debut album in 1577. writers from Smokey Robinson Both Roberts and Fingers feei iliar with the "product," or at the away that goal is and how little U In particular, the new album is to Johnny Rotten, but Geldof's that Mercury mislabeled them as very least would be able to distin- offers in the abstract to a present- marked by a unique pimctua- treatment of the theme on "Rat a punk rock band. According to guish the Rats' album from the day rock band like the Boom- tiott—a sort, of herky-jerky move- Trap" ranks with the best: Finger, "The president of Mer- dozens of other new records they town Rats. ment that was sot characteristic It's only 8 o 'clock but you 're cury at the time we were with received that week. The Rats have understood (cor- of their earlier, more derivative already borqd them was an accountant, and he Similarly, Columbia hoped that rectly, I think) that about the only style. The Rats may still give the You don't know what it is but didn't really know anything about Tonic would receive prominent Way to reach the audience they occasional impression that they're there's got to be more music." Fingers summed up the display in record stores and bene- .believe they deserve is through coping riffs from Bruce Spring- You 'd better find a way out, Rats' attitude towards Mercury: fit from steady in-store play. (The aligning with one of the giant steen or vocal intonations from hey kick down the door "We obviously feel piqued that rise, particularly in California, of industry corporations. As gui» Ray Davies cf She Kinks, jut It's a rat trap and you've been our first album has been wasted. record supermarkets with huge tarist Roberts put it, CBS knows their own distinctive soxtsl is caught It's done very well in Britain, but floor space has completely "which side their bread is but- clearly emerging. I admit to being pretty caught the market here is huge. We've changed the way rock albums are tered on, in that if they get an act Bob Geiclcf lias become cne myself, caught up in the precise, actually wasted a year and a half sold. Consumers are now more that they think can make some of the mcst creative lyricists though relaxed, ensemble play- or two years by being foolish likely to come to a store without money for them they're going to around. Whether cynical ing of the band and in Geldof's enough to sign with Mercury." necessarily planning to purchase go out and promote it as much as ("Dorr: 3elieve Whs: You stylized vocals. I think that the Roberts added, "That's why it a particular album. Consequent- ! they can. And that's exactly what Read")* sardonic C l' Never Rats are simply too different, was very important for us to sign ly, how an album is displayed and they're doing with us." • Loved 15va Brauc"), joking too avant garde, if you will, to with a big label. The distribution the frequency with which it is and word-playing about various be a commercial smash, at least is so good." played in the store have taken on ways to commit suicide (".'Liv- in the current musical climate. much more significant roles in the ing in an Island"); or offering a But nobody ever went broke Full tilt for Tonic. sales of records.) colorful look at Hs own ncircs- betting against my predictions. The label he referred to was Col- The Rats began a nationwide umbia Records, part of CBS, tour of the U.S. around a month LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED

24 IN THESE TIMES MAR. 21-27,1979 THE RELATIVELY

UNKNOWN EINSTEINPhillipe Hulsmann On the centenary of his birth (March 14), protective force, but rather as a threat to Albert Einstein was recognized for many his natural rights, or even to his economic achievements, and lauded as a warm and existence. Moreover, his position in society gentle person. Few chose to point out that is such that the egotistical drives of his Einstein also supported socialism. Here are make-up are constantly being accentuated, his reasons, first published in a longer ver- while his social drives, which are by nature sion in May 1949, in the first issue of weaker, progressively deteriorate. MONTHL Y REVIEW. The economic anarchy of capitalist so- ciety as it^exists today is, in my opinion, the Is it advisable for one who is not an ex- real source of the evil. We see before us a pert on economic and social issues to ex- huge community of producers the members press views on the subject of socialism? I of which are unceasingly striving to deprive believe for a number of reasons that it is. each other of the fruits of their collective Let us first consider the question from labor—not by force, but on the whole in the point of view of scientific knowledge. faithful compliance with legally established It might appear that there are no essential rules. In this respect, it is important to real- methodological differences between astron- ize that the means of production—that is to omy and economics: scientists in both fields say, the entire productive capacity that is attempt to discover laws of general accept- needed for producing consumer goods as ability for a circumscribed group of phen- well as additional capital goods—may le- omena in order to make the interconnec- gally be, and for the most part is, the pri- tion of these phenomena as clearly under- vate property of individuals. standable as possible. But in reality such Private capital tends to become concen- methodological differences do exist. The trated in few hands, partly because of com- discover of general laws in the field of econ- petition among the capitalists, and partly omics is made difficult by the circumstance because technological development and the that observed economic phenomena are increasing division of labor encourage the often affected by many factors which are formation of larger units of production at very hard to evaluate separately. the expense of the smaller ones. The result Second, socialism is directed towards a of these developments is an oligarchy of social-ethical end. Science, however, can- private capital the enormous power of not create ends and, even less, instill them which cannot be effectively checked even in human beings; science, at most, can by a democratically organized political supply the means by which to attain certain society. This is true since the members of ends. But the ends themselves are conceived legislative bodies are selected by political by personalities with lofty ethical ideals parties, largely financed or otherwise in- and—if these ends are not stillborn, but fluenced by private capitalists who, for all vital and vigorous—are adopted and car- practical purposes, separate the electorate ried forward by those many human beings from the legislature. who, half unconsciously, determine the slow evo- bfiijigs are, very variable and susceptible to change. Moreover, entier existing conditions, private lution of society. Memory, the capacity to make new combinations, capitalists, inevitably control, directly or indirectly, For these reasons, we should be on our guard the gift of oral communication have made possible the main sources of information (press, radio, edu- not to overestimate science and scientific methods developments among human beings that are not cation). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in when it is a question of human problems; and we directed by biological necessities. This explains most cases quite impossible, for the individual cit- should not assume that experts are the only ones how it happens that, in a certain sense, man can izen to come to objective conclusions and to make who have a right to express themselves on questions influence his life though his own conduct, and that intelligent use of his political rights. affecting the organization of society. in this process conscious thinking and wanting can Production is carried on for profit, not for uoot" I recently discussed with an intelligent and well- play a part. There is no provision that all those able and will- disposed man the threat of another war, which in „ Man acquires at birth, through heredity, a bio- ing to work will always be in a position to find em- my opinion would seriously endanger the existence logical constitution that we must consider fixed ployment; an "army of unemployed" almost al- of mankind, and I remarked that only a supra- and unalterable, including the natural urges which ways exists. Since unemployed and poorly paid national organization would offer protection from are characteristic of the human species. In addi- workers do not provide a profitable market, the pro- that danger. Thereupon my visitor, very calmly tion, during his lifetime, he acquires a cultural con- duction of consumers' goods is restricted, and and cooly, said to me: "Why are you so deeply op- stitution that he adopts from society through com- great hardship is the consequence. Technological posed to the disappearance of the human race?" munication and through many other types of influ- progress frequently results in more unemployment I am sure that as little as a century ago no one ences. Modern anthropology has taught us, through rather than in an easing of the burden of work for would have so lightly made a statement of this kind. comparative investigation of so-called primitive all. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste It is the statement of a man who has striven in vain cultures, that the social behavior of human beings of labor, and to that crippling of the social con- to attain ah equilibrium within himself and has may differ greatly, depending upon prevailing cul- sciousness of individuals which I mentioned before. more or less lost hope of succeeding. It is the ex- tural patterns and the types of organization that This crippling of individuals I consider the worst pression of a painful solitude and isolation from predominate in society. It is on this that those who evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system which so many people are suffering in these days. are striving to improve the lot of man may ground suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive What is the cause? Is there a way out? their hopes: human beings are not condemned, be- attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained It is easy to raise such questions, but difficult to cause of their biological constitution, to annihilate to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for answer them with any degree of assurance. I must each other or to be at the mercy of a cruel, self- his future career. try, however, as best I can, although I am very con- inflicted fate. I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate scious of the fact that our feelings and strivings If we ask ourselves how the structure of society these grave evils, namely through the establishment are often contradictory and obscure and that they and the cultural attitude of man should be changed of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educa- cannot be expressed in easy and simple formulas. in order to make human life as satisfying as possi- tional system that would be oriented toward social Man is, at one and the same time, a solitary be- ble, we should constantly be conscious of the fact goals. In such an economy, the means of produc- ing and a social being. As a solitary being, he at- that there are certain conditions that we are unable tion are owned by society itself and are utilized in tempts to protect his own existence and that of to modify. As mentioned before, the biological a planned fashion. A planned economy, which ad- those who are closest to him, to satisfy his own nature of man is, for all practical purposes, not justs production to the needs of the community, personal desires, and to develop his innate abilities. subject to change. Furthermore, technological and would distribute the work to be done among all As a social being, he seeks to gain the recognition demographic developments of the last few centur- those able to work and would guarantee a liveli- and affection of his fellow human beings, to share ies have created conditions that are here to stay. In hood to every man, woman and child. The educa- in their pleasures, to comfort them hi their sorrows, relatively densely settled populations with the tion of the individual, in addition to promoting his and to improve their conditions of life. Only the goods that are indispensable to their continued exist- own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in existence of these varied, frequently conflicting, ence, an extreme division of labor and a highly- him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in strivings accounts for the special character of a centralized productive apparatus are absolutely place of the glorification of power and success in man, and their specific combination determines necessary. The time—which, looking back, seems our present society. the extent to which an individual can achieve an so idyllic—is gone forever when individuals or rela- Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that a inner equilibrium and can contribute to the well- tively small groups could be completely self-suffi- planned economy is not yet socialism. A planned being of society. Trie abstract concept "society" cient. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that economy as such may be accompanied by the com- means to the individual human being the sum total mankind constitutes even now a planetary com- plete enslavement of the individual. The achieve- of his direct and indirect relations to his contemp- munity of production and consumption. ment of socialism requires the solution of some ex- oraries and to all the people of earlier generations. I have now reached the point where I may indi- tremely difficult socio-political problems: how is it The dependence of the individual upon society cate briefly what to me constitutes the essence of possible, in view of the far-reaching centralization is a fact of nature that cannot be abolished—just the crisis of our time. It concerns the relationship of political and economic power, to prevent bur- as in the case of ants and bees. However, while the of the individual to society. The individual has eaucracy from becoming all-powerful and over- whole life process of ants and bees is fixed down become more conscious than ever of his dependence weening? How can the rights of the individual be to the smallest detail by rigid, hereditary instincts, upon society. But he does not experience this de- protected and therewith a democratic counterweight the social pattern and interrelationships of human pendence as a positive asset, as an organic tie, as a to the power of bureaucracy be assured? •

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