A World Before X Factor

By Neil A. Watson and Mr Neil A Watson

Before the world became obsessed with TV talent shows and spray tanned music moguls hellbent on building their own popularity rather than the artists whose careers they were entrusted to promote, the music industry was a far more honourable profession. Artists worked hard to learn instruments, write songs, record demos and style themselves and that was just the start of their road to fame and fortune. They then had to persuade an A&R guy to listen to their music. This could take months, sometimes years but it highlighted the lengths artists and musicians would go to in order to succeed in the music business. These days standing in the car park of a shopping mall for a few hours will get you an audition in front of a 'music industry executive' whilst being filmed as part of his talent show circus.A World Before X Factor is a nostalgic look at the music industry before the TV talent show model turned it into a televised freak show. If singers weren't good they never got on the first run of the ladder. If they're no good these days a clip of them performing will be broadcast on a prime time talent show to millions of people, not to mention the endless follow up hits on youtube. It's a little undignified and something I imagined we once viewed as bad taste along with looking at fat ladies with beards at the circus.In the 1980's the London music scene was thriving, from the still glowing embers of punk, rose the New Romantic movement which created the very beginnings of electronic dance music that is the essence of dance & pop music today. Within an 800 metre circumference existed the UK music scene in London, W1. All the major record and publishing companies had their offices here and the streets were abuzz with singers, songwriters, talent scouts, producers, managers, agents and A&R guys all showcasing and promoting their music to the nearby radio and TV stations. The interaction, the energy, the relationships, successes, the failures, the highs, the lows are covered in this book as told through the eyes of a 17 year old talent scout working for the most successful independent publishing company in the world. The story is a tale of humour, humility and personal relationships that have become life long friendships unlike the relationships born between artist and mentor that engulf our media today. The music industry that gave us The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix has been taken over by record companies who have given us Kris Allen, David Cook, Taylor Hicks, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino, Ruben Studdard, Leon Jackson, Steve Brookstein, Matt Cardle, Joe McElderry, Alexandra Burke.......Taxi For Simon Cowell !!

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1478238038
• ISBN13: 9781478238034
• Release Date: October 2012
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.6" x 5.0"