Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!ucselx!bionet!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!gateway!dont-send-mail-to-path-lines From: lawtonj@project4.COMputer-science.manchester.ac.UK (S89) Newsgroups: rec.music.gaffa Subject: Re: Where are all the blokes? Message-ID: Date: 24 Apr 91 11:23:37 GMT References: <9104221913.AA04501@tzone.mpd.tandem.com> Sender: Love-Hounds-request@EDDIE.MIT.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 34 Approved: Love-Hounds@hayes.ims.alaska.edu In article <9104221913.AA04501@tzone.mpd.tandem.com> dwelch@DEVNULL.MPD.TANDEM.COM (Dan Welch) writes: >I've come to think that women writers/singers are just BETTER than >most men . . . but the a man that I listen to as regularly as women is Possibly, but here's some thoughts on the matter. I sat down & worked out my favourite song-writers, whether in groups or not, and it turns out that most men are in groups, and most females are solo artists. But wait I thought.... Surely Suzzane Vega & Kate Bush use a core of musicians on most of their LPs that is their 'band', and many of the 'bands' I like use enough session/guest musicians to not count as bands at all. Then you've got Roger Waters late period Pink Floyd stuff, which was really Waters solo(not my fave band, but an example) There's also a few one-man bands like Another Sunny Day, or Brighter, or The Hit Parade (Ok the last two are duos now) (who are they all, you ask - ah, that would be telling) where one person covers themselves with a group identity. What about The The (Matt Johnson). Then you've bands that are collections of great songwriters, like the Blue Aeroplanes, or the Fieldmice, where any of the songwriters could easily make a solo career too. And it occured to me - marketing! - basically it's easier to sell a female singer/songwriter (which is why I guess they have more prescence as a label is more likely to sign something marketable), whatever their qualities as a songwriter. In fact I'd guess it's easier to market a solo artist without her band, than as a band with a female lead member. What about the 'Patti Smith Group' - anyone remember the one's who weren't Patti Smith? Blondie - remember the 'Blondie is a group' advertising campaign? and who still associates the word with Debbie Harry? Still - I can't really come up with a contemporary male Bush (OK George Bush! but you know what I mean) or Mary Margaret O'Hara yet, whether they are in groups or not,but that's probably because they write from a very feminine perspective. Julian Lawton - University of Manchester. Flames to lawtonj@p4.cs.man.ac.uk.