Not only for him, but I imagine for herself as well. While woke racists were busy dissing Combs for appropriating the music of a woman of color, Chapman was humming all the way to the bank. (This is not a criticism…she deserves every penny.) Profits in pop music accrue to the writer, not the singer, and since Chapman is the sole author a…
Not only for him, but I imagine for herself as well. While woke racists were busy dissing Combs for appropriating the music of a woman of color, Chapman was humming all the way to the bank. (This is not a criticism…she deserves every penny.) Profits in pop music accrue to the writer, not the singer, and since Chapman is the sole author and owns her publishing, by June of 2023 she had already earned $500K in royalties from Combs’ version. I can’t imagine how much she will continue to earn into perpetuity from this one cover alone. You’d think BLM would celebrate this fact, but they’re too ignorant to think clearly.
I first heard Chapman in the 80s when she was playing in the lesbian bars in Boston. She stood out even then. What’s amazing about her is that she always was, and still is, the same humble, soft spoken genius, an exemplar of the rule that sometimes “less is more.”.
It’s so heartwarming to see her recognized again as a great artist, and to partner with Combs for their mutual benefit. I apologize for feeling sentimental, but I see moments like this one as a beacon of hope cutting through the toxicity of identity politics. Truly a win-win.
White people have been covering black songs for decades. I never heard Chuck Barry or Ray Charles complain. Too busy counting their money, I guess. It's amazing what woke progressives can find to complain about.
But if anybody wants a good laugh, listen to Pat Boone's version of Tutti Frutti by Little Richard. That's a version that should NEVER have been recorded.
Groupthink and virtue signalling have taken over. It's disheartening to see how willingly people plug their brains into woke ideology. But then, all of a sudden, something unexpected happens. Luke Combs finds Tracy Chapman's song, it speaks to him, and he decides to record it. Then comes the pile-on by zealous numbskulls. But Tracy isn't having any of it. A powerful vibration emanates from those two decisions, and here we are, in an unexpected, better place. I'm a pessimist by nature but this gives me hope.
Look into Perspectiva Substack...they are looking into examining music and its relationship to the 'Metacrisis'. One essay opined that we, as a Society, have become intellectually obese as a result of the 'internet age' and music is nourishment rather than food. Interesting analogy/metaphor, I thought.
It's true. I recently put together a Playlist of all the bands from the jazzy-hiphop-hippy dippy- groove is in the heart music of the (mostly) 90's that really felt like healing was happening between the races. I miss that time. Remember De La Soul, Urban Dance Squad, PM Dawn, Arrested Development, Stereo MC's, Soul II Soul, Digable Planets, Jurasic 5, etc.
Not only for him, but I imagine for herself as well. While woke racists were busy dissing Combs for appropriating the music of a woman of color, Chapman was humming all the way to the bank. (This is not a criticism…she deserves every penny.) Profits in pop music accrue to the writer, not the singer, and since Chapman is the sole author and owns her publishing, by June of 2023 she had already earned $500K in royalties from Combs’ version. I can’t imagine how much she will continue to earn into perpetuity from this one cover alone. You’d think BLM would celebrate this fact, but they’re too ignorant to think clearly.
I first heard Chapman in the 80s when she was playing in the lesbian bars in Boston. She stood out even then. What’s amazing about her is that she always was, and still is, the same humble, soft spoken genius, an exemplar of the rule that sometimes “less is more.”.
It’s so heartwarming to see her recognized again as a great artist, and to partner with Combs for their mutual benefit. I apologize for feeling sentimental, but I see moments like this one as a beacon of hope cutting through the toxicity of identity politics. Truly a win-win.
More of same, please, before it’s too late.
White people have been covering black songs for decades. I never heard Chuck Barry or Ray Charles complain. Too busy counting their money, I guess. It's amazing what woke progressives can find to complain about.
But if anybody wants a good laugh, listen to Pat Boone's version of Tutti Frutti by Little Richard. That's a version that should NEVER have been recorded.
Ray Charles did a country album back in the 60s covering a bunch of songs by white artists.
It’s a beautiful album too.
Back then, artists were pushing a zeitgeist: unity, despite differences. We've lost that thrust, seemingly willingly.
Groupthink and virtue signalling have taken over. It's disheartening to see how willingly people plug their brains into woke ideology. But then, all of a sudden, something unexpected happens. Luke Combs finds Tracy Chapman's song, it speaks to him, and he decides to record it. Then comes the pile-on by zealous numbskulls. But Tracy isn't having any of it. A powerful vibration emanates from those two decisions, and here we are, in an unexpected, better place. I'm a pessimist by nature but this gives me hope.
Music is the perfect food.
Look into Perspectiva Substack...they are looking into examining music and its relationship to the 'Metacrisis'. One essay opined that we, as a Society, have become intellectually obese as a result of the 'internet age' and music is nourishment rather than food. Interesting analogy/metaphor, I thought.
Intellectual obesity is a good metaphor for how, through consuming the internet, we’re stuffing our brains with junk ideology, junk science, etc.
I’m curious how music functions in this paradigm. I’ll take a look! Thanks.
Very well stated B!! Your words are my thoughts….
It's true. I recently put together a Playlist of all the bands from the jazzy-hiphop-hippy dippy- groove is in the heart music of the (mostly) 90's that really felt like healing was happening between the races. I miss that time. Remember De La Soul, Urban Dance Squad, PM Dawn, Arrested Development, Stereo MC's, Soul II Soul, Digable Planets, Jurasic 5, etc.