100 Years of Payola

Interesting article at www.performingsongwriter.com/vault/special_89.pdf

The gist is that payola was not just an isolated problem in the 50s & 60s.

Additional listening resources

You may have some luck finding some older recordings (public domain) at archive.org. You can usually download an MP3 or stream the selections. I found Mamie Smith's Crazy Blues there. Just an example; I know it's on the CD.

Another way to expand your learning experience is to create a custom radio station on Pandora. It's free. I just 'seeded' a custom radio station with Matchbox Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson and although it won't play the song you want immediately, it will play similar stuff. The station I just created is now playing Terraplane Blues by Robert Johnson.

[Edit: Here's a tune that should be mandatory listening for students of early American music: Stealin' by the Memphis Jug Band.]

David Byrne and the evolution of music

David Byrne has a fascinating article in Wired about the changing face of the music industry. He really illuminates new distribution channels and illustrates how the legacy record companies are too big and will be crushed under their own weight.

There's a bonus interview with Brian Eno that is well worth a listen.

One of the most interesting things is that record companies treat downloads just like CD sales. They get a massive income boost, because there's no physical product, and the artists get screwed. There are some pretty charts showing who gets what when you buy a CD and a description of where your iTunes money goes.