Legendary Rockstar Slams iTunes, Calls Apple a ‘Digital Vampire’
- Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:31pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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Pete Townshend, guitarist and brain behind the legendary English rockband The Who, gave a smoldering criticism of Apple and their signature iTunes software while speaking at the 6 Music inaugural John Peel lecture in Salford, England, Monday night. The lecture was dedicated to John Peel, a well-known english DJ who passed away in 2004. Drowned in Sound writes that Townshed was scheduled to speak on the topic “Can John Peelism survive the Internet? In an age of free downloads and a disposable attitude to music, can creative people earn a living, and without radio how can the ‘unpolished’ music that John Peel championed find an audience?”
The Who guitarist’s speech on music piracy shifted to a heavy criticism of Apple and their iTunes software:
“It seems to me that a conversation between my inner artist with the late Steve Jobs would have been impossible. I seem to remember that once in an interview I let my artist out of the box for a minute too long and he said he wanted to cut Jobs’s balls off. As I force my artist back in the box again, I hear him say that in fact he really likes his iPad and loves to noodle with GarageBand. My inner artist is a bit of an ageing Mod you see. He really thinks the late Steve Jobs was one of the coolest guys on the planet: loved his black outfits, cut his balls off, look at my red Vespa …etc. Irrational.”
Townshend’s gripe with Apple centers on his belief that iTunes has hurt the music industry by eliminating elements of music publishing, such as editorial guidance and creative nurture, that are integral to the creative process. In his opinion, all iTunes provides is distribution and banking, and “some marketing.”
After listing what he sees as what musicians historically get from music publishing, Townshend outlined his ideas of how Apple can provide for the elements it takes away. The most jarring comment from The Who guitarist came when he said:
“Now is there really any good reason why, just because iTunes exists in the wild west internet land of FaceBook and Twitter, it can’t provide some aspect of these services to the artists whose work it bleeds like a digital vampire Northern Rock for its enormous commission?”
Some of Townshends ideas included Apple employing talent scouts “from the dying record business” to give guidance to new acts. and to provide financial and marketing support to the best ones. For the future of the industry, Townshend said:
“Musicians need to be heard, to be judged, if possible to be paid, but also allowed to believe they had more than a single chance to get a hit. Software systems that offer this model will survive and prevail – loved and embraced by musicians of every sort – whatever happens financially. “
Townshend took time to echo past statements condemning those who download and share music illegally, saying that the internet was “destroying copyright as we know it.“ Townshed made the point to acknowledge that those who illegally download music ”may as weel come and steal my son‘s bike while they’re at it…I wonder what has gone wrong with human morality and social justice.”
BBC notes that iTunes accounts for more than 75% of all legal downloads and have declined to comment on Townshend’s remarks. While harsh on internet music piracy, Townshend stated he found himself at a dilemma:
“A creative person would prefer their music to be stolen and enjoyed than ignored. This is the dilemma for every creative soul: he or she would prefer to starve and be heard than to eat well and be ignored.”
Full transcript of Townshend’s speech.
Since Townshend made his comments, music critics across the internet have discussed his harsh words, with many in disagreement with the rock legend.
Ian Port of SF Weekly wrote, “While we’re all for supporting musicians, Townshend’s diatribe was sorely misguided and misinformed.” Port backed his claims with five points he feels the rockstar overlooks, including “If it weren’t for Apple and iTunes, we would have more internet piracy, not less,“ and that ”Apple is a business– a large, shrewd, brutally self-interested American corporation.”
Felix Cohen of The Guardian notes:
“Broadcast media is losing its power as the sole arbiter of cultural significance, and sites such as those you mention (and many more), plus Twitter, Facebook and so on allow us to find and support many more artists who don‘t feel a need to make a straw man of their ’inner artist’. Innovative business models such as KickStarter in the US and PledgeMusic in the UK are helping people to get the resources they need to bootstrap albums, tours, creative products and art, and, as you note, banking and distribution are provided by the platforms at Amazon and Apple”
What do you think of Townshend’s comments? Is iTunes a good thing or bad thing for the music industry?
Video from the event featuring Townshend’s harsh words towards Apple:
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Comments (62)
ProudTeaPartyMember
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 4:03amTwo words, “child pornography”.
Report Post »Zorro6821
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:04amPete is a has been rock star. Get with the times, everything is now digital and soon even DVD’s will be obsolete. Pete has no Problem Looking at Child Porno, but when it comes to money he draws the line. What a loser. Steve Jobs was a visionary.
Report Post »jaylew
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:00pmahahahahahhaa hilariously great post. and please don’t forget Townshends famous “I now know what it feels like to be a woman” comment……which in any context caused me to think of an old “funny” car that used to make the drag strip circles in the NHRA. It was called “The BackUp PickUp”…and I seem to recall that it was an angry red color. From the Who to Dragstrips in one fell post. Thanks for the laugh poudteapartymember…you have made my day.
Report Post »theaveng
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 12:59amTwo words, Pete’s wrong.
>>>”those who illegally download music ”may as weel come and steal my son‘s bike while they’re at it…I wonder what has gone wrong with human morality and social justice.”
When someone steals that bike, then it can no longer be used by the original owner. He has been deprived of the pleasure of biking. It is truly stolen. BUT when someone copies a song, the original owner Still has his song and can still gain pleasure from it. Nothing has been stolen, just as fire is not stolen if you light your candle from my candle.
Report Post ».
Clearly Mother Nature has designed both music and fire to be freely shared person-to-person until they are shared by all people everywhere, without diminishing anybody’s pleasure via the duplication.
Ruler4You
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 3:03pmiTunes and APPLE suck. They want to control your future use as well as your present use of their products that you buy to use software they sell you to buy products … see the pattern here?
Yea, its a novel marketing scheme. It’s the T.V. of our time. Big deal. T.V. is a GIANT let down. An entire industry built around the “lowest common denominator” mentality. Wow!
But, lets take it out of the hands of ‘moguls’ and take it right to the people! We‘ll sell ’em the IFs (interfaces) and build the infrastructure, charge a subscription fee… presto! A business.
But wait, we haven’t even seen the content battlefield, yet. This one will blow your mind. Let’s see how much air it gets.
Report Post »Guitar Master
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 2:45amzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
From THE REPORTER
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Although a musical icon, Peter Townsend is not known to be a good guitar player. Bang on the guitar, yes. . . . play really well, no. I mean if this was Eric Clapton maybe we should all give-a-listen but from Peter Townsend – I – don’t – think – so !
Report Post »blattack
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 8:33amPete…Just Shut Up. Power chord guitar player at best, Now Eric Clapton..Jimmie page, Jeff Beck, Robin Trower, Stevie Winwood, Little Stevie Ray Vaughan….Now they are guitar players and song writers…………..
Report Post »Dolus
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 10:13amJust what the heck does a personal opinion about his guitar playing have to do with his points about the music industry and Steve Jobs ? Expertise in any occupation REALLY has nothing to do with an intellectual point about the industry in which one is employed.
Report Post »justin.blake
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 12:56pmThe claims that just because iTunes exists, musicians now cant be hear, or guided creatively by the record labels is pure bunk. What it does mean is that musicians can create the music THEY want to create, and let the masses decide for themselves what they like. Colbie Callait became a sensation purely her MySpace profile that had her own songs. Heck, she tried out for American Idol singing her original song, ‘Bubbly’ and was rejected by those who represent the recording industry. So Pete, back off dude! The day of the all powerful record label that takes ‘creative control’ of an artists talent and also their $$ is going away. There is more music out there than ever before because people actually have the freedom and ability to get it out there via the Facebook/Youtube/Twitter you so despise Mr. Townsend. I call that a win for all artists out there!!
Report Post »gsplgtr
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 1:06pmto all those trashing Pete for his guitar playing, let’s not forget the over 9000 pieces of music he had copywritten. He is a clasical pianist by traning. That is why when listened to in that knowledge, his songs and arrangements sound more like a clasical music played with rock instruments. Quadraphinia for example.
Report Post »symphonic
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 2:17amAPPLE had an opportunity to increase innovation and creativity. But what did they do? They took the profit OUT of the equation for the budding musician and instead kept it all to themselves. For that, they are SCHMUCKS
Report Post »Rice Water
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 12:55amPete Townshend is like a god to me (I was even willing to overlook the child porn thing), but I have to disagree with him here. The music industry was basically a big machine to screw over the artist in as many ways possible (Dave Mustaine’s rants on this are priceless, and Slichter’s book “So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star” is great as well). The bottom line for me is that modern technology has largely made the music industry unnecessary; people can produce their own studio-quality music with a macbook and about $1000 worth of software/hardware, and distribute/market it via facebook, youtube, etc. And real artists are going to continue to create music, whether they get paid for it or not. It‘s a total fallacy to assume that artists will no longer create art if they’re not compensated. That’s why God invented day jobs.
And finally, I really have no qualms about illegally downloading music. If I find a band I like, I’ll support them by going to their shows.
Report Post »Kaoscontrol
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 1:39amI gotta admit — I have a little trouble overlooking the whole “child porn thing”.
Report Post »Zorro6821
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:07amRice Water…..Very well articulated for someone on the Blaze.Totally agree.
Report Post »BannedByHuffpo
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 12:28amHey … the MOOLAH ain’t in the music anymore.
It’s “THE MERCHANDISE” stupid!
Taylor Swift Inc. makes one helluva lot more money on T-shirts than record sales.
Report Post »hillarie
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 12:19amMetalist, you took the words out of my mouth. I’m not really interested in what this accessory to child rape has to say. If human excrement like him didn’t buy the stuff, it wouldn’t be produced. He and his ilk are the direct cause of the torture of the children in these videos.
Report Post »blazingaway
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:50pmthere are so many artist and so much music (noise) that it’s all just a lot of nonsense. The true artist have lived and their music will live on. Most of these artist today are trained, packaged, monkeys doing the same crap with a different stage. They are told what to sing, where to sing, how to sing. and what to look like. It’s all plastic, idol and x-factor nonsense. Cheap crap, no love
Report Post »Metalist
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:47pmPete, I wonder, have you cleared up all the charges that you were downloading child porn, paying with your credit card? I would be quiet if I were you. Pervert.
Report Post »endgamer
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:41pmHere’s the problem Pete.. Video Games, and the CRB. When you market music that is made by DJ’s instead of musicians the music made by musicians eventually will die. I was at a Halloween party and the kids there all loved the music of my day, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Aerosmith, and the list goes on and & on. These kids are lost musically and the radio plays corporate cookie cutter garbage today. Most don’t even know how to play an instrument outside of Guitar Hero!! Itunes & others actually allows digital media to be sold economically. Sure there is going to be piracy, there always has been. If you can record it you can pirate it. Radio is in transition to the internet and it has been stifled by regulation and FEES from the copyright royalty board. Radio will be great again once internet radio gets the CRB out of their pocket. I own an internet radio station and their will be no growth with their progressive TAX on internet radio only.. Terrestrial radio has only FCC licensing. No Royalties. Here is another example of progressive-ism killing business..
Report Post »Epic Fail
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:40pmThis coming from a pedophile. He kind of lost all credibility when he started getting into kiddie porn.
Report Post »POdVet
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:40pmHis objection to itunes is obvious. Thanks to modern technology, we no longer have to buy an album with 10 garbage songs to get one decent one. We can just pay for the one song we like. Now if they want to sell entire albums, they have to stay off the drugs long enough to put a decent one together.
Report Post »smokie
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:00amSeems that he mixed “Endless Wire” by himself in the garage. It’s tinny and tuneless, no editing- if he thought it, he wrote it, whether or not it was going to work, and.. he’s stone deaf.
Report Post »Don’t buy it.
It’s very convoluted and the only good thing from it is that you realize that Roger Daltrey has to be the Best friend to have in the world to put up with that.
Tri-ox
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:38pmAnd?
Report Post »GrumpyCat
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:36pmI’m so old I remember when motorcycles were dangerous and sex was safe.
I’m so old I remember when a gas can was worth more than the gas it held.
I’m so old I remember when “artists” complained that no bands other than the top few ever made any money, but the record labels always profited and wrote contracts which treated bands as indentured servants.
I never saw an actual contract but word was the band got about 10% of an album’s price from the record label. Apple sure is a ripoff in comparison for paying 70% of the sale price to the band.
Bands have managers? Just what the heck are they supposed to be doing for their pay? I say they should be doing exactly what Townsend claims Apple should be doing. Under Apple’s way the band is freer to do whatever they want, and have a greater percentage to do it with.
Report Post »saranda
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:23pmPete you lost me when I scrambled to get tickets for The Who’s “farewell” tour in 1979 only to have you tour many times after that. Old rockers need to stay home. Rather hear a CD of a great performance than see 60 year old belt out tunes out of tune and with no physical show.
Report Post »FreedomWitness
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 9:41pmYou obviously have not seen the who in the past 12 years. Pete, clean and sober, rocks harder than ever and puts his heart and soul into every performance. Remember it was THE WHO that blew the roof off Madison Square Garden during the Concert For NYC after the 9/11. LONG LIVE ROCK!
Report Post »LV2SURF
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:16pmOh. The business of music changed as times changed. Oh. Things changed. Oh. Oh, yeah. But … the artist got had in the old days, too. Some did make some dough though. Seems fairly well true today. Maybe nothing’s changed. I don’t know. The sound sounds like a sound bite. Good way to make a headline.
Report Post »SIXFRIGATES
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:13pmWow, the Apple fanboys must still be sulking in the fact that Steve Jobs wasn’t ever really what they wanted to believe he was. He didn’t invent anything, he forced true geniuses to do it essentially with a knife at their throat and their health on the line.
Report Post »LV2SURF
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:12pmMaybe.
Report Post »THE EQUALIZER
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:57pmWho the hell is Peter Townshend? A stupid hack who worked a week in the 70′s! Who cares!
Report Post »dogwater
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 12:24amEqualizer,
Report Post »Calling Pete Townsend a “stupid hack who worked a week in the ‘70’s”, can only mean you are ignorant.
FreedomWitness
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 9:34pmDogwater could not be more RIGHT! YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:51pm.
Report Post »Blue’s at the Subway Lounge in Jackson Mississippi back in the day. Nothing better than a Subway Hot Dog & a Bucket of Beer……….
Saxindacity
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:51pmWhat is this over rated multimillionaire ranting about? There are many artists more talented than he who would love to get royalties and exposure from i-tunes for their work.
Report Post »sawbuck
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 7:38am“A creative person would prefer their music to be stolen and enjoyed than ignored. This is the dilemma for every creative soul: he or she would prefer to starve and be heard than to eat well and be ignored.”
__________________________________
What a load of used guitar strings..!
TELL THAT TO “ METALLICA”
Report Post »WHO WHERE RESPONSIBLE FOR SHUTTING DOWN NAPSTER
DUE TO LOST ROYALTIES.
PrfctlyFrank
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:48pmSo was it Townshends inner artist, or outer artist, that got charged with having a ton of child porn on his computer?? Who listens to this idiots opinion anyway??
Report Post »Dalady
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:37pmHe was just doing research, right? Riiiiiight.
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:48pmPete Townsend is just spoiled and drunk with all the moolah he managed to make within the old shyster music industry. He thinks THAT was a better system? Well, of COURSE, he doe$$$…
“Meet the new shyster
Report Post »Same as the old shyster”
LinkedIn G
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:46pmWon’t get fooled again
Report Post »drago
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:39pm“Who”cares………
Report Post »doctroprint
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 10:37pmI totally agree. digital vampire ..well said. try transfer music from i tunes that you purchased to another app.
Report Post »ChevalierdeJohnstone
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:36pmWhy should it be possible to transfer music from itunes to another medium? Do you think you _own_ the music? No, you do not. You paid for the product – a computer file playable on certain devices and software formats. If you want to own the _rights_ to a piece of popular music, it’s going to cost you a heck of a lot more than $0.99.
I don’t blame you for being a moron, I blame the U.S. education system. And your parents.
Report Post »endgamer
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 11:42pmGo to emusic.com.. You can transfer the music anywhere and it’s usually 25% less than iTunes or more..
Report Post »