With an irrefutable reputation achieved over thirty-plus years working with a stellar cast of clients (New Order, The Stone Roses, REM, Happy Mondays, The Police, Massive Attack, Bob Marley, Matchbox Twenty, The Pixies, Elvis Costello, and Peter Gabriel — to name but a few) it is not for nothing that U2’s manager, Paul McGuinness, has said, “Tony Michaelides has long been one of the UK’s foremost record promoters and undoubtedly one of the best that U2 have had the pleasure of working with.”

Tony is recognized and respected by both the artists he has nurtured and by his peers for the wealth of experience gained through a career that has spanned working within Transatlantic and Island Records to founding and running his own promotions company, TMP, for over 20 years — one of the most successful in Britain. He began working with Circa Records and their artists (Massive Attack, Neneh Cherry, etc) from its inception and also instigated all regional promotion at Factory Records, where he worked for 10 years. Tony forged a long-standing relationship with BMG, enjoying one of their most successful period ever with Annie Lennox, Whitney Houston, Take That, Natalie Imbruglia, Westlife, and Puff Daddy. It was here he spent several years working with the now-legendary Simon’s: Fuller and Cowell.  In 1984, together with running his promotion company, Tony was asked to step-in and replace Mark Radcliffe on Piccadilly Radio, presenting their specialist music programme. It was a gig that lasted over 12 years.

1996 marked a personal highlight when Tony was asked to be publicist for David Bowie’s Earthling tour, responsible for all press, radio, and television. The following year, TMP linked to Lippman Entertainment, one of the world’s most successful management companies as well as acting as consultants to Warner Chappell’s LA office and Atlantic Records’ New York office.

As the new millennium dawned, changes beckoned. Record companies were downsizing and Tony declared: “if I can no longer do it the way I want, then I don’t want to do it all.” Thus began the next phase of his career, as a consultant for the Manchester Business Consortium, as a Member of The Brits Voting Academy and as consultant and advisor to The Music Managers Forum Master classes. He became a regular panelist and moderator at the UK’s major music conference, “In the City,” and was also one of the founding members of The Manchester Music City Network.

Mentoring sessions in Canada and the UK continued until Tony moved to the USA after being granted a Green Card as an “Alien of Extraordinary Ability,” a prestigious accolade in itself and awarded only to  ”that small percentage who have risen to to the very top of the field of endeavor,” to quote the US government website and  be granted this classification.

Bono said at the Point Theatre in Dublin, as the Rattle & Hum tour closed, “(we’re) going to go away now and dream it up all over again. That was about the size of it for Tony too.

With such an illustrious career, it seemed a natural progression to document it all in a book.“Insights from the Engine Room” is Tony’s first in a collection of Insider Insights. Throw in speaking, mentoring and coaching with a multitude of stories to tell and you have it, Tony Michaelides.

Simon Cowell 2009 NME Cover

I haven’t read the whole article but I’m sure by later today, I will add fuel to the fire. Simon Cowell on the front cover of theNME ( New Musical Express, what was once a highly influential paper for discerning record buyers. Repeat WAS) It created intrigue, I didn’t buy a record because of a review but I was curious enough to want to hear it and make my own mind up as how to dispose of my precious disposable income. It was there to whet our appetites and were slavering, hungry and ready for our nourishment. Now the NME matters not and they have splashed the nemesis on the front cover. Nothing is any different from the last five years that Simon Cowell has reigned and all things Simon Cowell continue to dominate the ‘coveted’ Christmas Number One.

First question, why is it coveted? Maybe once it meant something, now it’s a forgone conclusion. And before you jump up and tell me Rage against the Machine pipped him to the post for the first time in half a decade, so what? It won’t change anything, it’s an outcry, we’ve had them against wars, politicians,you name it we’ve voiced it. The public gets on it’s high horse and voices it’s opinion. Within a week Joe X Factor Winner will be outselling Rage against the Machine, everyone will be full of festive bird and trimmings and it’ll be buysiness as usual.
And so to the NME article. And let’s be totally honest here, written to get people to buy a paper they no longer care about. Because the nemesis is on the cover. Whatever you think of Simon… he is bigger than Swine Flu and far more contagious. He changed the way we watched television (we being a generalization) and he changed the way people bought records. He got them to watch his programs and to buy his records,  whereas most recently they bought very few records and didn’t give a fuck about music on television. Arise M(MUSIC????) Televison??

Let us debate.From said article…

Simon Cowell believes he single handedly managed to save the industry from ruin, he says in a new interview with NME. Things were looking pretty grim before he started with the two shows ( X Factor and Britain’s got Talent ). Cowell says and the fact that he managed to get such high ratings on TV boosted interest in the music the contenders on the show made. One thing lead to another, and more and more people started going into music stores to buy music, which would not have happened otherwise, the star says.

“The music industry was in a huge decline. What I would argue in my defense is that shows like Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor have actually got people more interested in music again and are sending more people into record stores. We haven’t seen this kind of uplift in years,” Cowell tells NME. In making this statement, he also comes to contradict other stars who claim that these two shows only bring out the worst in the industry, in that they artificially promote manufactured pop stars who have no staying power – this, despite the fact that some of those who appeared on the show have gone to sell millions of albums all over the world, like Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle.

Correct, more people did go in to record stores to buy music, but not music as such Simon, they bought YOUR music. He says he single handedly saved the industry from ruin. Again I beg to differ, he saved SONY/BMG from ruin and for that they pay him more than most labels turn over nowadays. I don’t think he saved Universal from the disastrous year they have just had and the massive sums of money they had to be seen to invest in new albums from U2 etc to look like they were playing the game. Which when all is said and done is the incessant, mindless game of catch up. He’s already lapped you several times over, you’re on the starting blocks…….No particular place to go! While Simon Cowell saved the music industry, Universal laid off a bunch of people. Where lies the saviour in that? And  next year… there will be even more redundancies. The music industry is incapable of keeping up with him, because he is more gifted than them in knowing what the  people want. And now he has the only shows that people watch that have music on. He can pick and chose what wannabes and what stillhavetobes are on it. He is the only kid in town, the only one with that choice.
Call it the dumbing down of record buyers, call it apathy, call it what the fuck you want but nobody does it anywhere near as successfully as Simon Cowell and every A and R person in the music business wishes they had and ounce of his midas touch. But they don’t . They cannot lead and they cannot follow, they scratch their combined heads and they have no answer. Simon Cowell will dominate for as long as he chooses to , there is no deposition in sight and he ain’t abdicating. He is too powerful. He started the battle and he won the war. In the music industry people used to be constantly looking over their shoulders to see where the competition was, from wherever. That’s what made it exciting, everyone vying for pole position. You pip someone, they pip you. We were a nation of pippers, now he’s Pip Central, he’s piped the lot of ‘em and they’re all totally pipped off.

Where is the competition, where lies the challenge?  He’s so adept at it now, it can’t be demanding. He’s even working with Clive Davis and Simon Fuller who also know the ropes better than the competition. All for one and one for all… these Three Muskateers all sit under the BMG empire.

I worked there and with all them for 7 years in the 90’s and directly with the two Simons. Clive Davis probably didn’t know me from Adam and he never invited me to his pre Grammy’s Party. For that I am eternally grateful, I hate puking at parties. In those days it was a different set up and a different level of success. Like most record companies, they had success and then they didn’t. I saw Simon Cowell rise from nothing and I know what he has that his competitors don’t have……. belief, resilience and an ability to deliver, consistently. More than the rest of them put together. You may not like it but you can never underestimate the power he has in knowing how to do it. He may appear he’s bitching about RATM but he’s just winding everyone up, he’ll love the fact that he creates so much controversy that a nation must rise against him

The first of many rants I suspect. I will return but for now, Merry Christmas Simon.

Simon Cowell the next Oprah?

Looks like Simon Cowell is about to surpass Tiger Woods and maybe the sponsors will have a new kid in town. Simon has so much money but I don’t think he’s even tapped in to that income stream yet. I wonder why? By his own admission he does this to make as much money as possible which begs the question, how much money does any one person need? How much is enough? Clearly the motivation is power but when power surpasses wealth as the reason you get up in the morning, we have scary monster. Power wants more power until the frenzy becomes fueled by the desire to dominate. One person is taking over the media, they are about to do whatever he says. Whatever Simon touches turns to gold and we are a society of gold diggers or at least the media is. They are not the miners but they are the mine. ‘Dig me up and give me a career,’ they are saying and if there is a chance to work with Simon Cowell they will. He is their lifeline, grab his coat tails and do as he says, it works. Power to invincible power.

Simon now will be looking at Oprah and thinking, that’s me in two years. As Oprah steps aside at around that very same time, Mr Cowell will be poised. I can see them polishing their silverware. What is left, why not sit on her throne?  You have proved your popularity and after all how many more times do you really want to sit through the auditions of American Idol and assemble the first two programs of people humiliating themselves in the name of fame. Famous for being talentless, allowing a baying mob to laugh hysterically and take that laughter to the pub. Film an audition for the sole purpose of entertainment. Since when did nothing mean something?

Arise Sir Cowell I knock you not. I worked with him and I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t impressed with his relentless pursuit for success. It was always about his confidence in knowing he could deliver. This immovable object, himself. Nothing would deter him from proving everyone wrong. And now there are Facebook groups determined to prevent him getting to number one. We’ll see how powerful power is when that coveted Christmas No 1 comes. But whatever happens it won’t spoil his Christmas. He is Santa Claus, he’s every fucking clause television ever drew up.

Why not give him his own show, damn give him his own network, let him do what he wants. It hardly matters now, if Simon Cowell was to front a show on the significance of hedge trimming for the new decade people will tune in. He has commanded the attention of everyone, if Tiger Woods had a brain he would caddy for him. How can one man do this and survive with his flies zipped up is commendable. Simon has waved his magic wand and it isn’t that one. Dignity reigns!

Simon needs to take a well earned rest and come back safe in the knowledge that no one will take his crown. There is no one coming up behind, no one even close. If it’s power he craves then back off and watch the competition fight for pole position …and then walk on to prime time television once more and tell everyone you are back. All that will happen in between is people will write how much you are missed. They’ll talk about you even when you’re doing nothing, you doing nothing is more newsworthy than others doing anything!

I heard that X Factor, the show that did for the UK what American Idol did for the US has, together with Britain’s got talent(Remember Susan Boyle…) has just being picked up as a joint deal in the US. Now wait and see what happens. He will double his income and his net wort is already 125 million. Nice work if you can get it.

Why would he care about the next series of American Idol? What can it do that it already hasn’t done. Who cares who wins, the final of X Factor attracted an audience of 20 million in the UK last weekend when it was aired. Out of a country of 55 million or so, over a third of the population watched it. And what a time to go an negotiate a contract for the US. Negotiate is hardly the right word, negotiation is a two way thing, this is an open check book. Simon will take no prisoners, sign here I have empires to build.

How much is enough?

Tiger Would?

As the cult of celebrity thickens, it’s fast becoming an epidemic. I’m sitting in Orlando just down the road from the once squeeky clean Tiger Woods who’s now looking like he was a tiger after all. He only ever popped out for a round of golf but now he’s got to be feeling a little caged in with the world’s media camped outside his Isleworth estate.

And now we discover he’s had more than one illicit affair. Each day we have another ‘Woodette’ stepping in to the media circus. Apparently the girl who originally had denied any wrong doing might admit to doing right by admitting to doing wrong. Could it have something to do with the other scarlet woman having just landed $150,000 from US weekly.? Maybe I could convince someone I was his love child and land a pay check? Er, maybe not…

While his Escalade  needs an extreme makeover somewhere to the tune of $8,000 he seemed to think his image would remain untarnished. His check book can more than cover the cost of the vehicular damage yet I can’t help wondering why his millions weren’t better spent protecting his image. We have actual persons deployed nowadays as image consultants and why he didn’t find the best we’ll never know. Did he really expect that by keeping quite this would go away. Yes you Mr Woods billionaire and most rewarded sports star on earth. This was NEVER going to go away and now when a simple ‘I fucked up’ statement to all and sundry might have sufficed it’s a big time headache. All the vultures are out and it looks like they are baying for blood. His sponsors were quoted as saying they didn’t have a problem with this but now as each day goes by they must be wondering that this is bad publicity. I’m looking at it and wondering how much could one man possibly lose in one week. Never mind the sponsors what about the missus?  He’s already apparently ‘renegotiating’ the pre nup. Is that a prenupshutmeup  to stop her selling her side of things to the press? And  what could that be worth! Then there’s the publishing advance from hell. Here fill in whatever you want, just give us the meat and bones

I firmly believe in this day and age of people making fortunes out of celebrity fuck ups he should have found one image consultant supremo and slapped an open check on their desk and say, ‘Get me out of this, whatever it costs, just get me out of this.’ Money well spent and money very well saved.

Let’s be honest a man knowing what he’d done and with unlimited funds to employ the best would have someone come round, cut a check and say, ‘Make this go away.’ For a guy who seemed to have it all and the type of brand sponsors fall over you would expect he would have made a better job of all this. Where are his advisers, he must have them? If not …Tiger I’m here, I’d have done it for you!

Even though his sponsors are saying they are sticking by him, how long can all this bad publicity realistically be tolerated? I feel particularly sorry for one of his sponsors, Nike who’s slogan is ‘Just do it.’ A TV ad with Tiger Woods on…….and a tag line that fires across the screen saying ‘Just do it?’ I think there might be some people sat behind closed doors rethinking their marketing plan or at least who their marketing plan should involve. Here is a brand that can, after all attract the creme de la creme from the sporting world and there are a good few few celebrity sports people that are far less maintenance. And you have thought a golfer would have been so much ’safer’ than a football or baseball player. Maybe not..

There is plenty more to come from this story. Tiger, Tiger’s burning bright but for now I’ve gone.

Before long it’ll become the two of them. They’ll want to put them in the jungle, ‘I’m an ass Cole, get me out of here.’ The TV program makers nowadays need the easiest, dumbest material to work with, they’ll be welcomed with open arms. They put them in a bath with cockroaches ( insert your own choice of footballers here) and they’ll make them eat things that wriggle. She’ll scream and he’ll sneak off and shag someone and the ratings will hit the roof. He’ll be sorry. He is sorry, very sorry. And then it’ll be over and they’ll go home richer and happier because the publicity will be everywhere. What supermarket wouldn’t want them to open their new perfume department. And then there’s the books

Do I sound bitter? Never, just disillusioned. I’d love to meet the person who first thought all this shite was an idea worth pursuing in the first place. He (it’s bound to be a bloke) should be flogged, publicly. The ratings would be excellent. Worse still why is a public accepting of this. What’s wrong with you Britain, you pay your license fee and you let them do this to you. At least in the USA you don’t have to pay for cable if you don’t like it. ( I don’t) Neither do I have 400 channels, all of them showing varying degrees of crap. People are going to the gym nowadays to work on their wrists so they can channel hop, it’s tiring. I make better TV in my head and it’s free. Pop round sometime.

It’s always interesting to observe from a distance and comment on something you haven’t actually seen but by all accounts, it’s not that hard. Same female judges who just seem to look the part, not that either has any relevance in being able to mentor or guide anyone. They are both nothing short of average, why would anyone give a flying fuck about any advice they gave them. After all no one in their right mind would aspire to wanting to be them….or would they? Has Victoria Spice, sorry Beckham( better brand) shaped the future for the female icon. Wherever she got the name ‘Posh’ from I have no clue unless pops having some dosh allows you to claim the title. Posh must mean wealthy, it used to mean upper class. Mmm, not quite sure where that fits, she’s not that…

This is sure to continue ( I haven’t even mentioned Simon Cowell! )but now I must return to more mundane things like sorting out my life. It’s there it just needs some order. What I can promise you is plenty more from Blog Tone. It all started here for me in Blogsville, I loved it and it lead to my book and already I have more I’m itching to write. I don’t seem to get the time to blog. I’m an idiot, pass me a football and make it a posh one.

this show seems to be the UK’s American Idol.

Just look at the obscene amount of money being spent on yet another comeback. Is she running out of money? Clive should have told her she’d been making shit records for too long instead of proving yet again how artist’s careers are down to him. Wasn’t it last comeback time he recruited a bunch of people to appear on the album and sing with her. Help a Whitney time again. We’ll be having Whitneythons next.

She was the crooner and balladeer for eternity, but since when did eternity have a place on earth. There’s ballads and there are crap ballads……Dolly, I will never forgive you for letting her do that song. ‘Whitters’ made it her own and turned it in to an anthem, albeit at funerals but hey, it’s a powerful song and she sung it well. And she can sing, it’s just everything else that comes out of her mouth. Do we need  Oprah to give her the voice to tell us that Bobby Brown was a train wreck? He’d been a write off for ever, it’s his prerogative. Weird business when you can make a career out of one song. And it’s OK for her to spill out her drug addiction now to win back her fans. Are we supposed to feel sorry for here since she helped to settle Peru’s national debt?

Well there’s a suprise, she’s got a new record out. Funny how you don’t do these things when you DON”T have a record out and you’re on the front page of a newspaper looking like a char woman but less sexy. What’s the point, there’s no money to be made and you can’t let us know ‘I’m back.’ Cos you’re not, you’re slipping out the back.

Just go away, this is (was) a business about embracing new talent and unless you’re relevant (Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin or The Pink Floyd and there are plenty more, just not you , luv) you’re history, and not good history at that. It’s about the great records you gave us. Step up to the table and tell me one great record you’ve plastered your name and face all over? There aren’t any, you just have a mentor who or for some reason thinks you walk on water. My cup runneth over, you suck.

I could go on forever about you woman but it’s still more publicity and you don’t deserve it, you’re just one of those people that can’t stand the thought of being ignored. Well hopefully the world will realize that you’re a waste of theirs and everyone else’s money.

How can you justify what I just read in the Sun newspaper….

Her comeback could cost her a whopping £6.8million.

That’s the amount leading accountancy firm AAT has calculated it will take for the pop queen to launch a comeback in these credit crunched times. The legendary solo artist’s record label faces shelling out £675,000 for an album, £5.6million for a world tour, an image update at £16k and nearly £11k for a team of hairdressers, stylists and make-up artists.

And in the current economic situation that’s nothing short of obscene. Money that could be spent on new exciting talent that record companies no longer want to spend. Well how can they when they are to spend THAT on THIS. How many careers could you launch with that instead of habitually reigniting the dying embers from someone who should have long since faded. How many of those talents would ever be afforded two days on Oprah seeking forgiveness(record sales)

Whitney Houston never did any promo when she didn’t have to, and now she does she gets the biggest show on earth. If God had a chat show she’d be the first guest. Now the reality is that no one would give a toss whether or not she made a record, it just means that whatever they need to spend to make her feel the Queen of all Divas they will. And they do even though she KNOWS she’s the Queen of the Divas. She invented it.

Bye bye Whitney, gone and forever forgotten you’d hope. But as long as Clive Davis is around how many more Whitney Houston comebacks will we be forced to endure. If you’ve gone away, there’s a reason. Please stay away.