IDM Mailing Archive

1996-02-02 14:57Erkki Rautio> > The Monkees were totally derided as a scam, it was rumoured they didn't > > even play

From:: Erkki Rautio <trerra@uta.fi>
To:: Adam J Weitzman <weitzman@individual.com>
Cc:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Fri, 2 Feb 1996 16:57:46 +0200 (EET)
Subject:: Re: Hey, Hey, We Are The ChemBros! (was (Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance)

quoted 6 lines The Monkees were totally derided as a scam, it was rumoured they didn't

> > The Monkees were totally derided as a scam, it was rumoured they didn't > > even play themselves on their records (remember Frankie Goes To Hollywood > > FGTH most certainly played on all of their records. No one disputes this. > They did have plenty of production help from Trevor Horn et. al., but the > Lads definitely played their instruments.

Hmm, I guess it was Holly Johnson, who claimed they didn't in his autobiography, but on the other hand, he could have been just bad- mouthing ;) "Relax" and "Two Tribes" are still decent singles, sorry about "Liverpool" though... ;)

quoted 3 lines --

> -- > Adam J Weitzman ----- Individual, Inc. ----- weitzman@individual.com > "I love the music of the 20th century!" - Bruce Willis, "12 Monkeys"

ERkki when you laugh, they can't kill you trerra@uta.fi

1996-02-03 02:27Rob ThorleyOn Fri, 2 Feb 1996, Erkki Rautio wrote: > > > > The Monkees were totally derided as a scam

From:: Rob Thorley <rt2@st-andrews.ac.uk>
To:: Erkki Rautio <trerra@uta.fi>
Cc:: Adam J Weitzman <weitzman@individual.com>, <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Sat, 3 Feb 1996 02:27:33 +0000 (GMT)
Subject:: Re: Hey, Hey, We Are The ChemBros! (was (Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance)
Reply to:: Re: Hey, Hey, We Are The ChemBros! (was (Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance)

On Fri, 2 Feb 1996, Erkki Rautio wrote:

quoted 10 lines The Monkees were totally derided as a scam, it was rumoured they didn't

> > > > The Monkees were totally derided as a scam, it was rumoured they didn't > > > even play themselves on their records (remember Frankie Goes To Hollywood > > > > FGTH most certainly played on all of their records. No one disputes this. > > They did have plenty of production help from Trevor Horn et. al., but the > > Lads definitely played their instruments. > > Hmm, I guess it was Holly Johnson, who claimed they didn't in his > autobiography, but on the other hand, he could have been just bad-

I heard that Trevor Horn got all of FGTH in the studio, got them to play one note on their instruments, sampled it, and then used those samples to make the records. I don't know how reliable that is, or whether it's possible (I dare say it is), but there you go. Rob.

1996-02-02 16:49Paul Middleton---------- >From: idm-owner >To: kent >Cc: idm >Subject: Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance >Dat

From:: Paul Middleton <pmiddlet@nla.gov.au>
To:: idm-owner <idm-owner@hyperreal.com>, kent <kent@inav.net>
Cc:: idm <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Fri, 02 Feb 96 08:49:00 PST
Subject:: Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance

----------

quoted 19 lines From: idm-owner

>From: idm-owner >To: kent >Cc: idm >Subject: Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance >Date: Thursday, February 01, 1996 6:02PM > > >> Chemical Brothers hard to find? That's disheartening > >And unbelievable too, since probably the Hell freezes >over, before we can finally get rid of them! ;) > >Who else thinks that the Bros have gotten away with an >ingenious scam by making totally similar-sounding >records, with the same *jaded* hip-hop/electro/acid samples >every fucking time, and getting them all to charts; not >to talk about making it to the cover of every bleeding >"indie" and trendspotter magazine... >

No.

quoted 5 lines The ChemBros are The Monkees of techno, though I

>The ChemBros are The Monkees of techno, though I >actually liked the Monkees ;) So that's only how I can >enjoy them: as the stupid fun they can be, when they >reach their best ;) >

The Monkees of techno? This as a form of comparison seems a bit odd.

quoted 3 lines The brothers gonna work it out - and laugh all the way

>The brothers gonna work it out - and laugh all the way >to bank! ;) >

Oh, is that what it's all about is it?

quoted 2 lines ERkki

>ERkki >when you laugh, they can't kill you

I'm not so sure!

quoted 3 lines trerra@uta.fi

>trerra@uta.fi > >

1996-02-02 13:56Erkki Rautio> >The ChemBros are The Monkees of techno, though I > >actually liked the Monkees ;) So th

From:: Erkki Rautio <trerra@uta.fi>
To:: Paul Middleton <pmiddlet@nla.gov.au>
Cc:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Fri, 2 Feb 1996 15:56:07 +0200 (EET)
Subject:: Hey, Hey, We Are The ChemBros! (was (Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance)
Reply to:: Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance

quoted 6 lines The ChemBros are The Monkees of techno, though I

> >The ChemBros are The Monkees of techno, though I > >actually liked the Monkees ;) So that's only how I can > >enjoy them: as the stupid fun they can be, when they > >reach their best ;) > > > The Monkees of techno? This as a form of comparison seems a bit odd.

Well, for those of you who don't know the history: The Monkees were a commercial pop band in the 60's, who were put together for a TV show as a cash-off for the Beatlemania going on at the same; consisting of four unknown wannabes, who could sing a bit, could fiddle with instruments a little, and most important of all, looked good to all little teeny girls ;) Among the "rock establishment" The Monkees were totally derided as a scam, it was rumoured they didn't even play themselves on their records (remember Frankie Goes To Hollywood - or Milli Vanilli? ;), their hits were all written by some professional songwriters, and not the band themselves, etc. But after all, some of their stuff was quite enjoyable (IMHO ;) - fuck about the street cred and all that jazz! ;) Well, I admit comparing CB to The Monkees was maybe a bit clumsy; my point was only that the "bros" managed to find a successful formula for themselves, were lucky to kiss the right persons' asses, were hanging around with the "rock" people and indie press (NME, Melody Maker, Select) hacks, and subsequently "made" it - and now have *hell of a problem* to get out of that "hit" rut - if you listened to their latest "Loops of Fury" EP, there was absolutely *nothing dissimilar* to their earlier records! Well, isn't this starting to look like a proof that "making it to the top" takes more record company A&R lobbying, a bit of good luck, and *a lot* of media hype THAN actual talent...? If we are talking about such old-fashioned concepts as "art", shouldn't you, *as an artist*, be able to *renew* yourself after every once in a while, or are you happy to just to put out your latest formula/conveyor-belt/mass product and give people "what they want"...? ;) In repeating themselves CB are good, I admit; we'll just see if they are around in, say, two years time... But after all, all pop music (and that's what CB *are*) is disposable, isn't it - so fuck that? ;)

quoted 4 lines The brothers gonna work it out - and laugh all the way

> >The brothers gonna work it out - and laugh all the way > >to bank! ;) > > > Oh, is that what it's all about is it?

Well, who in their right minds would object? ;)

quoted 4 lines ERkki

> >ERkki > >when you laugh, they can't kill you > > I'm not so sure!

I ignored that ;) Peace, ERkki when you laugh, they can't kill you trerra@uta.fi

Hey, Hey, We Are The ChemBros! (was (Re: (idm) Chemical Imbalance)