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DonFan
09-02-2008, 12:30 AM
One of Bob Lefsetz's recent online columns talked about Guns N Roses and other artists' ongoing battles to keep their new work from leaking to the internet prior to release. We all know Irving Azoff reads Lefsetz--he has commented on his columns before--and so Irving emailed this response to Lefsetz:

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"You are missing the points on leaks. Once the album is delivered and in the pipeline the artist doesn't freak out. When it's a leak of a work in progress it's like photographing one of them in the nude that doesn't want to do that... the GNR leaks were poor quality unmixed and unfinished."
_________________________________
Bob's response to Irving:
"We can make distinctions all we want, but that's not the point.
The point is the fan wants everything, is interested in everything... He's eager for pre-release stuff, and time and time again the end result is better and the act has been forgiven.
The old days of the act being in control and holding back are done.
Henley wants perfection. That's an old paradigm, that keeps him locked up. Today's acts are open, they're part of the fan base...
We're imperfect every day, and so are the acts."

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In my opinion, Bob is completely right. No one loves Don more than I do, but his pursuit of perfection does tend to keep him locked up. And WE are the fans that Bob is talking about there--we are the ones who are interested in everything the Eagles do--we are the ones who would love to be able to hear some of their behind-the scenes rehearsals and other unrehearsed, spontaneous material.

(Notice: I am not even going to try to comment on the "seeing photographs of them in the nude" statement. The visual that conjures up is quite enough, thank you. :twisted: )

Mrs Henley
09-02-2008, 03:14 AM
I agree with you DonFan!
We are the fans indeed!

Don is you ever read this, show us some backstage stuff! :)

Glennsallnighter
09-02-2008, 07:32 AM
In my opinion, Bob is completely right. No one loves Don more than I do, but his pursuit of perfection does tend to keep him locked up. And WE are the fans that Bob is talking about there--we are the ones who are interested in everything the Eagles do--we are the ones who would love to be able to hear some of their behind-the scenes rehearsals and other unrehearsed, spontaneous material.

I agree totally with that DF. We would. I managed to pick up a LROOE 'Snippets' cd on eBay last week. It was a preview with snippets of 8 of their songs on it. Great to listen to as a 10 or so minute medley.



(Notice: I am not even going to try to comment on the "seeing photographs of them in the nude" statement. The visual that conjures up is quite enough, thank you. :twisted: )

Hehehe I had similar thoughts (and images) on reading that too DF!:blush:

ticky
09-02-2008, 11:50 AM
I have to say, I love Don. He's one of our beautiful Boys, but I know his battle for perfection has caused some annimosity among the group. On the same side, this battle for perfection has made The Eagles who they are now!

I think they are missing a huge market here by not releasing some "The Making Of.." videos for fans such as we. I love the interview at the end of farewell 1 with Glenn and Joe and it would have been nice to see a lot more of that!

As for nudity *grin* hey Im all for it!! all or partial! *grin* anything our boys want to show us! (Although I can say after seeing the Live Chat with Joe and Tim, Joe has adorable knees)

Mrs Henley
09-02-2008, 02:46 PM
As for nudity *grin* hey Im all for it!! all or partial! *grin* anything our boys want to show us! (Although I can say after seeing the Live Chat with Joe and Tim, Joe has adorable knees)

Doesn't he? lol!

ticky
09-02-2008, 03:18 PM
Ya know, I should say that in the live chat Tim was also adorable and the sweetest nicest guy you'd ever want to meet! I always think and talk about Joe, but Tim is just a sweetheart!

DonFan
09-02-2008, 04:04 PM
Lefsetz just printed some responses to the GnR column, all good points:

"I don't feel it's fair that you justify leaking songs that are in progress. It would be the same as if someone took your notes or a blog you started writing and posted it before you were done. Though it might not mean the world in the end, it would still make you feel uncomfortable."

"What would you say if it was a visual artist who was half done with their latest painting? Imagine that the painting is stolen, made into posters and given away for free with the artist name on it? There was no background to the painting and the artist only used half the colors he intended to use. Now you expect the artist to understand you when you say 'sorry but you don't have control anymore'?"

"I have sat with so called 'music people' and played them unfinished music. I've said the 'imagine if this was here, or that was there'. They never get it. I've learned you just wait until its done and THEN bring them in. There are very few music people in the world that you can explain the vision of a song before its complete and they get it."

"Henley is in control of one thing. He controls his studio work and thank god he does."

Mrs Henley
09-02-2008, 04:11 PM
Ya know, I should say that in the live chat Tim was also adorable and the sweetest nicest guy you'd ever want to meet! I always think and talk about Joe, but Tim is just a sweetheart!

I have to agree with that!

Mrs Henley
09-02-2008, 04:12 PM
Lefsetz just printed some responses to the GnR column, all good points

Thanks for posting DF!
And indeed Thank Goodness Don controls his studio work!

sodascouts
09-02-2008, 05:16 PM
I'm conflicted about this kind of thing. I certainly understand why the leakage of unfinished material upsets artists. Azoff makes many valid points.

But from a literary standpoint, if a scholar unearths an unfinished play of Shakespeare's, he's going to share it with everyone around the world - and be applauded for it. Shakespeare might not have appreciated it, but his art has reached a level beyond what he could have imagined. People hunger even for his scraps. The same is true of acts like the Eagles.

Stevie Nicks fans (including myself) have heard dozens of her unfinished demos, which have been consistently leaked through the years by someone close to her who often finds himself hard up for money. :rolleyes: Many of them are absolutely gorgeous and, IMHO, better than some of her released material. She isn't happy that we have them, but her fans treasure them. Her demo "City of Hope" even helped me through a hard time once. I only was able to hear that song because it was leaked unfinished; Stevie never released it.

It's a difficult question, and I can see both sides. However, as a fan, I have to lean towards the side of "anything is better than nothing." If the Eagles discard a song and decide they don't want to release it, and it gets leaked to the public - yes, I'm going to download it and listen to it.

As far as GNR fans go, many of them have stopped believing Chinese Democracy will ever truly be finished, and they're just taking what they can get.

P.S. I always find Lefsetz's interactions with the Eagles' management and press agent to be odd. For some reason, they always feel like a performance to me.

Freypower
09-02-2008, 06:29 PM
I wish that Lefsetz would occasionally acknowledge the other members of the band besides Don. I understand that Don is the one he admires the most, but the band is not a one man operation.

As 'unfinished' Eagles songs will never, EVER, be leaked in any way, shape or form, I try not to think about it. A documentary on the making of the album, while interesting, won't happen, because it would show two studios, one with Glenn, the other with Don. It would reveal too much about how big a role the 'backing musicians' played in the recording.

DonFan
01-31-2009, 07:37 PM
Irving is hosting a fundraiser, according to the LA Times, with quite a guest list. Here's an excerpt:

Jerry Brown gets out of the gate (http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/30/entertainment/et-cause30)
Attorney general will have a Beverly Hills fundraiser for his gubernatorial bid
By TINA DAUNT January 30, 2009

Atty. Gen. Jerry Brownwill be in town Tuesday to raise money for his gubernatorial race, featuring a cast of players whose names frequently were linked with his during his two terms as governor. It's a bit like one of those '70s revival concerts. (And before you laugh, take a look at the Eagles ticket sales.)

Irving Azoff, the legendary music rep whose clients included REO Speedwagon and the New Kids on the Block, will host the Brown event along with his wife, Shelli, at their Beverly Hills manse. (Music was very good to Irv.)

The list of co-hosts looks a lot like the A-list from the days when vintage cowboy boots, shag haircuts and L.A. cool were all the rage. The group includes Cindy and Glenn Frey [as well as] Sharon and Don Henley."

Freypower
01-31-2009, 10:42 PM
What a blast from the past. Surely even with high powered support of this type, in this day & age Jerry Brown could not be elected governor again. At first I thought it must mean Jerry Brown Jnr. Mind you I didn't know Mr Brown was Attorney General. In a Republican administration?

Glennhoney
02-03-2009, 11:34 AM
..uumm..wonder if there will be any "pics" from last night's fundraiser???? Let's keep our eyes wide opened...

ticky
05-28-2009, 11:47 AM
Thanks to @BasicRob from twitter for this article. Pretty interesting and a screencap of Joe from a video I have yet to find or see (let me know if any of ya'll find it!)
All Things Digital - Irving Azoff interview (http://d7.allthingsd.com/20090527/irving-azoff/?mod=ATD_skybox)

http://d.smugmug.com/photos/547637188_ZnmxD-L.jpg

EagleLady
05-28-2009, 11:52 AM
eek! Look at his hair, Is he trying to compete with Timmy? :hilarious:

tbs fanatic
05-28-2009, 12:02 PM
LOL - Joe looks a little scary there. Mafia hit man, maybe. :hilarious:

EagleLady
05-28-2009, 12:03 PM
Slicked back hair does NOT look good on Joe :-x

AzEaglesFan
05-28-2009, 04:52 PM
I found the video under Google then Joe Walsh-Irving Azoff BUT I can't get it to play. Dang dial up I guess.

ticky
05-28-2009, 05:16 PM
Thanks AZ! Here's the link but you have to put up with all the ads (pain in the butt..) *G* this is why I Love Joe, tho...

Joe's intro for Irving Azoff via Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/video/joe-walsh-introduces-irving-azoff-at-d7/54571227-6096-4FAC-8D3A-6F33098E7B2D.html)

EagleLady
05-28-2009, 05:22 PM
Joe was a hoot! I love Goofy Joe

luvthelighthouse
05-28-2009, 05:43 PM
Ticky, I'm SHOCKED *you* found the video clip. :hilarious: Gotta love Joe!

While Irving, no doubt, did good by our boys and they love him... me, not so much. He's a shrewd businessman, but my pocketbook doesn't like it, not one bit...

TimothyBFan
05-29-2009, 08:03 AM
I love Joe and I get a kick out of ANYTHING he has to say. But I still have little respect for Mr Azoff. I agree with Soda--that is the one thing he has said that I will agree with.

anne-o-gg
05-29-2009, 08:36 AM
"I've known Irving Azoff since 195067" LOL! so quick - so funny!:)

tbs fanatic
05-29-2009, 12:10 PM
LOL - I love Joe but he is just sooooo weird :hilarious:

MikeA
05-29-2009, 01:19 PM
LOL - I love Joe but he is just sooooo weird :hilarious:

The "weird" thing about Joe is that unless he is acting, he is as sharp as a tack...very intellectual. He has NO RIGHT to be that normal after all he's subjected himself to! God Bless Him!

tbs fanatic
05-31-2009, 05:21 PM
I've heard that before. It's curious why he puts forward the 'jokester' image so much.

Ive always been a dreamer
06-01-2009, 12:02 AM
Well Joe didn't get the name "the clown prince of rock" for nothing I guess - he had to earn it! :nod:

And I just realized anne and tbsf have twin avatars. Now just how are we supposed to tell you two apart! :wink:

tbs fanatic
06-01-2009, 11:22 AM
LOL - anne, maybe we were twins in another life :hilarious:

anne-o-gg
06-12-2009, 04:35 PM
Well Joe didn't get the name "the clown prince of rock" for nothing I guess - he had to earn it! :nod:

And I just realized anne and tbsf have twin avatars. Now just how are we supposed to tell you two apart! :wink:


lol...I changed mine, but I did it before I saw this post...I decided to go with the arm shot...**sigh**:thud:

shunlvswx
11-08-2020, 08:55 PM
Irving’s acceptance speech. I’m still looking for his video montage with Don and Joe part of it.

http://youtu.be/c6714jdWCcE (https://youtu.be/c6714jdWCcE)

sodascouts
11-09-2020, 12:36 AM
Thanks, shun!

KingWalsh
11-09-2020, 04:35 AM
I thought it was a good speech. Ya I couldn’t find Joe or Don’s either. Maybe later this week?

My My
11-09-2020, 09:43 AM
I thought it was a good speech too. I'm glad he mentioned Dan Fogelberg along with the others. Thanks, Shun!

Ive always been a dreamer
11-09-2020, 12:40 PM
Thanks from me too, shun. I enjoyed watching this. Say what you will about Irving, but his philosophy of putting the interest of his artists above all else is the formula that has made him such a success in such a dog-eat-dog industry.

shunlvswx
11-09-2020, 09:02 PM
Here’s an interesting long article in the LA Times that came out the same week as his induction.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-11-05/irving-azoff-eagles-manager

KingWalsh
11-10-2020, 07:24 PM
I enjoyed that article shun. Lots of Eagles references. Very cool.

My My
11-10-2020, 08:07 PM
Here’s an interesting long article in the LA Times that came out the same week as his induction.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-11-05/irving-azoff-eagles-manager

Thanks, Shun, really great article! Lots of great name-dropping here for us mere mortals, but of course just friends and clients of Irving. My big takeaway from the article is that it is good being Irving Azoff!

I agree with Dreamer, he gets it done for his clients, regardless of his methods.