RF Soundscapes. February 26th. 2006. Rhythm And Brews, Chattanooga, USA.
In the latest wodge of Durrants’ Press Clippings that arrive at DGM, are various comments criticising That Awful Venal Hypocrite Who Took Microsoft’s Dollar!
Actually, as an example of clean, straightforward business for the professional player, Soundscapes at Redmond last November is worth consideration...
Steve Ball http://www.steveball.com/ of MS approached me several months ago to produce a series of exploratory splashes that might be used as part of the new MS Vista OS, currently under development. David & I recorded several at DGM & sent them off to Steve for listening. As is well known, the other half of Fripp & Eno produced the opening splash for Windows 95. There is, therefore, a logic in approaching the Venal One, quite apart from the personal connection. And, in business, personal connections are not everything; just, nearly everything.
The personal connection: Steve Ball is a good friend of mine, a Crafty from the early period of Guitar Craft, a resident at the Red Lion House, and a guitarist with whom I have shared many stages, modest accomodations & van drives with The League of Crafty Guitarists...
https://theleagueofcraftyguitarists.com/
. Steve left MS in 1999 to be a part of the BootlegTV project which raised $4 million in venture capital, spent it, and closed the doors when IT went into downturn during 2001. Should anyone have reservations regarding players in the music industry, please know that venture capitalists provide an entirely new dimension in liberal education.
David Singleton’s creative insight gave rise to BootlegTV, the major DGM project of 1999-2001, which has now been translated into www.dgmllive.com. In the meantime, Steve Ball has returned to Redmond. A significant gain for MS, in my view.
Last November I was visiting Seattle with Slow Music. Steve, knowing this, suggested that I extend my stay by two days & visit Redmond; work in the MS studio with him; and look at developing several splashes as discussion- documents for Vista. The fee, for one day of my time in a city I was visiting, was less than that for Eno’s for Windows 95 splash; and represented more net worth for this working player than the previous two weeks of Soundscaping on the road (which nevertheless helped pay for the Solar Voyager). As an aside, Slow Music was Collaborators’ Rate (ie nothing plus expenses).
A basic principle of my professional life is this: work with people, not companies. So, in Redmond I was working primarily with my pal Steve, who works for MS, and who was the producer on the job.
Q. Would RF have worked for a MS without Steve?
A. Probably, subject to various details.
Q. Would RF have worked for MS gratis?
A. No. This was a clean, straightforward, professional transaction & involved
That Awful Man’s venal impulses being addressed sufficiently.
Q. Would RF work on a Steve Ball project at Collaborators’ Rate?
A. Yes.
Q. Would RF work for a tobacco company?
A. No.
Q. Would RF work for a liquor company?
A. If he drunk the liquor in his personal life, yes. So bring on the champagne & offer endorsement deals.
Q. Would he work for Apple?
A. Yes, subject to various details, including being asked to do so. MS were ahead of Mac on this, so full credit to them (ie to one of their employees).
Q. What was RF’s musical interest?
A. To present Soundscapes to a wider world than would otherwise hear the music.
Q. What did RF do with Microsoft’s money?
A. Pay bills & buy a new-generation i-Pod.
Vista is a great leap forward for 89% of computer users. I found the Vista team motivated, committed, positive, friendly & supportive. And if working with a motivated, committed, positive, friendly & supportive team held a governing imperative for much of my professional life, then most of the early years of KC would never have happened.
Innovation – what’s innovation? One practical example, here in Venal’s Chamber...
This Great Leap Forward of the slumbering variety was implemented last night around 01.45 – a tired mattress that probably began its user-friendly existence at the Red Lion House. Hey - maybe Steve Ball slept on it!
[Excerpt from RF’s Diary - Thursday 26th. January, 2006]
Too bad Vista was so awful and short-lived.
But, as to your contention, it is always helpful in working with companies, to remember that companies are made up of individuals. And as such, address to the individual one finds themselves in front of, not the company.
Bought an iPod with MS money 😁
But the point remains valuable: always work with people you trust and respect (as long as they are in companies you trust and respect).
In all other cases, regardless of the fee: run, Forest, run. The damage will be irreparable.