(Credits: Far Out / Elektra Records / Joel Brodsky)
Wednesday 9 October 2024 at 3:00 UK time
One issue that many artists face throughout their career is the question of authenticity. At what point is it acceptable to “sell”? Is it ever okay to sell? What constitutes a “sale”? When a band that preaches peace and love allows their music to be used in an advertisement for a company that exploits its workers and essentially embodies capitalist greed, many fans are quick to judge. However, in a world where musicians struggle to make money from their art alone, some people believe it is acceptable to use capitalism to their advantage; It is a dog food industry, after all.
John Dinsmore, drummer for The Doors, isn’t convinced by the idea of his music appearing in commercials, believing he would betray his core values as an artist if he allowed companies to use his music to advertise the latest fad or trend. The Doors rose to prominence in the 1960s as icons of the counterculture movement, opposing widespread, artificial consumerism with their blues and psychedelic-infused songs.
The lead singer, Jim Morrison, was an obsessive artist who did not see his musical creations as a means to sell millions of records or become the most popular band in the world. He died in 1971, leaving behind a legacy of true originality. This position has remained with Dinsmore, who believes that many artists are hypocritical in terms of what they preach versus who they allow to use their music.
“I’m terrified when I hear a phone message from our manager saying that we have another offer for huge sums of money if we let one of our songs be used as the background for a commercial. They’re not giving up! I think it’s hard to imagine that everyone doesn’t have a price,” he wrote in an essay. 2002 in The Nation newspaper.
He added: “Apple Computer called on Tuesday – and they actually had the audacity to spend money to cut ‘When the Music’s Over’ in an ad for their new Cube Computer software. They want to air it next weekend, and they’ll give us a million and a half dollars! A million and a half dollars!” “. “Damn! Why did Jim have to have that integrity?” he joked.
While discussing this issue with his bandmates, Dinsmore remained adamant that the band should not give in to such ridiculous financial offers. “I’m very clear that we shouldn’t do that. He made it clear that we don’t need the money. If I learned anything from Jim, it’s to respect what we’ve created. I have to pass. Thank God, in 1965, Jim said we should divide Everything, everyone has veto power of course, every time I succeed, they double the offer!
He also took the time to call out several English musicians who had given up on having their music used in advertisements. “Those impeccable English artists are falling prey too. Pete Townshend keeps fooling us again, selling Who songs to SUV-hungry yuppies. I hope Sting has given the shamans he hangs out with in the rainforests a ride in the back of that The car he advertises, because as beautiful as the burlap interior is, the car – named after an animal that may be facing extinction – is a gas guzzler.”
While Dinsmore admits he had an epileptic seizure in the 1960s, he has since come to his senses. “It was back when the first whiffs of rock stardom hit my nose. I hope I’ve learned something since those hard times, like: What good is a second-hand world?”
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