Interesting quote

[Razor X]

"Your older listeners who want old country music sounds are wonderful people, the backbone of this country, loyal radio listeners when the kids aren't around, but they don't buy records, not enough to keep us in business, not enough to keep even the old fashioned artist in guitar strings. It's the kids who buy. The little red schoolhouse is no more."

---- Steve Sholes, executive with RCA Records, in a 1966 address to country radio DJs. Taken from the liner notes of Connie Smith: Born To Sing

[JR Journey]

That is quite interesting a quote indeed. I was the most surprised however when I read the year. It sounds very much like the way the industry (radio anyway) is going today. And it seems like only a decade or so ago, it wasn't at all like this in country music. Country music was still very much adult oriented content until the last 5 years or so. And I think a mind-set like this is wrong to the point that kids aren't the only record-buyers (or even a large enough demographic at all for actual tangible CD buyers) today - certainly not the concert-ticket buyers either.

[Razor X]

They keep trying to force that argument on us, though, some 40 years later. RCA tried to push Connie toward pop music for a time, but she never did have a big crossover hit, and it was her more country-sounding recordings that were more successful, and are what she's remembered for today. There was another interesting quote in the liner notes from Connie herself:

"When I came to town, the philosophy was totally opposite of what it is today. Back then, there was room for a million, but one of each. Now, it's a million of the same. If you're an individual, you're out."

How true.

[President Dan]

What's interesting is that today you will often read articles in Billboard where industry people say that Country's continuing financial viability is in the fact that most of its listeners are older and are less likely to illegally download CDs and more likely to buy them. Things have changed.