DDD Forum :: View topic - The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

ClashWho wrote:

Taupin-Cetera wrote:

Why the hell is Chris Rock (a comedian/actor) giving the induction speech for the Red Hot Chili Peppers?

Why did Tom Hanks induct the Dave Clark Five?

Why did Robert Towsend give the induction speech for The Dells?

BANDS AS A WHOLE WHO HAVE GIVEN ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SPEECHES

01. ZZ Top
02. Hall & Oates
03. Ashford & Simpson
04. The Neville Brothers
05. Boyz II Men
06. N'Sync
07. OutKast
08. Velvet Revolver

DIGITAL DREAM DOOR LEAVES OUT GLYN JOHNS, THE BLUE CAPS, THE COMETS, THE CRICKETS, THE FAMOUS FLAMES, THE MIDNIGHTERS AND THE MIRACLES FROM THEIR CRITIQUE OF THE 2012 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:

http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/b ... -2012.html

That was a really good read, although I disagree with some of it. I'd love Sampson to do that sort of in-depth analysis of every induction year from the beginning.

ClashWho wrote:

That was a really good read, although I disagree with some of it. I'd love Sampson to do that sort of in-depth analysis of every induction year from the beginning.

I like Laura Nyro a ton, but as i've mentioned many times in the past, I find it ridiculous she's being inducted - or let alone nominated - for the Hall of Fame. What qualifications does she have that (for example) Nick Drake or Richard Thompson or Rickie Lee Jones do not?

That was a really good read, although I disagree with some of it. I'd love Sampson to do that sort of in-depth analysis of every induction year from the beginning.

Rolling Stone Magazine

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... 2-20120209

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Adds Six Backing Groups to the Class of 2012:

The Comets, the Crickets, the Blue Caps, the Famous Flames, the Miracles and the Midnighters will be inducted

By Andy Greene
February 9, 2012 12:05 AM ET

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will make up for past oversights at this year's induction ceremony by admitting the backing groups of six first-generation rock stars. The honored groups include the Blue Caps (Gene Vincent), The Comets (Bill Haley), the Crickets (Buddy Holly), the Famous Flames (James Brown), the Midnighters (Hank Ballard) and the Miracles (Smokey Robinson).

In each of these cases, the backing group failed to get into the Hall of Fame at the same time as their frontman - sometimes causing a great deal of controversy. The Hall of Fame's failure to induct the Miracles along with Smokey Robinson in 1987 caused a particularly large uproar. Hall of Fame rules state that artists are eligible for induction 25 years after their debut release. At the time, Robinson had been a solo artist for only 14 years.

The six groups will be inducted April 14th at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's annual ceremony at Cleveland's Public Hall. “These Inductees are pioneers in the development of the music we call rock and roll,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's president and CEO Joel Peresman said in a statement. “As part of our mission to recognize the most impactful, innovative and influential artists in rock, the committee brought forth these six groups that belong in the Hall of Fame.”

Beastie Boys, Donovan, Guns N’ Roses, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Small Faces/The Faces, Freddie King, Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns are also being inducted at this year's ceremony.

This is odd... and a first.

The Blue Caps - Backing band for Gene Vincent
The Comets - Backing band for Bill Haley
The Crickets - Backing band for Buddy Holly
The Famous Flames - Backing band for James Brown
The Midnighters - Backing band for Hank Ballard
The Miracles - Backing band for Smokey Robinson

These groups are all "backing bands". The frontmen/vocalists are already in the HOF.
They were not listed with the 2012 HOF "nominees".

The HOF should have started a new category. "Backing bands".
Or at least mentioned them with their "nominees".
(changing rules in the middle of the game)

I informed Sampson. I'll post what he says.
-Lew

Author:	Taupin-Cetera [ Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:38 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
They still don't know who will give the induction speech for Guns N' Roses. Maybe it will be Jann Wenner if GNR decides to change their mind and not show up ala Sex Pistols. Maybe Elton John will induct GNR.

Author:	Taupin-Cetera [ Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:51 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
Rock Hall News The presenters announced http://rockhall.com/pressroom/announcem ... nductions/

Author:	ClashWho [ Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:22 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
Taupin-Cetera wrote: ClashWho wrote: Taupin-Cetera wrote: Why the hell is Chris Rock (a comedian/actor) giving the induction speech for the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Why did Tom Hanks induct the Dave Clark Five? Why did Robert Towsend give the induction speech for The Dells? Why did Bono give the induction speech for Bob Marley?

Author:	ClashWho [ Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:29 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
Taupin-Cetera wrote: BANDS AS A WHOLE WHO HAVE GIVEN ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SPEECHES 01. ZZ Top 02. Hall & Oates 03. Ashford & Simpson 04. The Neville Brothers 05. Boyz II Men 06. N'Sync 07. OutKast 08. Velvet Revolver All of U2 inducted The Who in 1990.

Author:	Taupin-Cetera [ Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:13 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
DIGITAL DREAM DOOR LEAVES OUT GLYN JOHNS, THE BLUE CAPS, THE COMETS, THE CRICKETS, THE FAMOUS FLAMES, THE MIDNIGHTERS AND THE MIRACLES FROM THEIR CRITIQUE OF THE 2012 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES: http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/b ... -2012.html OVERVIEW It's gotten to the point where the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame can be viewed like a private social club that once upon a time had the best of intentions and lofty ideals but along the way became increasingly controlled by a select few who attempted to steer it in a direction to suit their own personal and self-centered needs. In the process it has become the very thing rock 'n' roll itself has always railed against - moldy establishment figures dictating conformity and upholding the status quo, resistant to change and too narrow-minded to see their growing irrelevance as the musical landscape changes around them at lightning speed. Over the past decade the stagnant nominating committee and decrepit voting rolls have systematically turned the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame into a personal referendum on their own limited tastes and shortsighted view of what rock 'n' roll was, is and should be. The late 60's and early 70's period of rock continues to be given far too much attention, unsurprising considering the most visible members of the voting body came of age during that period. The overwhelming white male demographic among the voters perpetuates the racial neglect, as evidenced by the fact that six of the nine white nominated acts made it in this year while just one of the six black artists on the ballot got in, and he, Freddie King, was a bluesman who is far more idolized by white British guitarists than even known to black audiences today. As this disturbing trend continues the Hall of Fame refuses to address its most glaring problem, that those making the selections represent an inordinately small cultural demographic, and compounding the problem further is that by refusing to apply objective standards to the voting process and instead leaving it up to each voter's personal musical taste when casting their ballots the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame has become increasingly open to criticism and worse yet, completely irrelevant to accurately assessing rock history. While this year's inductees include some very deserving artists, notably Guns N' Roses, The Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers, the overall slant of the other artists is so heavily tilted towards the voting body's predictable demographic tastes that it would be widely seen as scandalous if anyone outside a select few took this process seriously anymore. But anyone who truly wants to view the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame as a legitimate historical institution have had their hopes dashed year after year by the voting body's repeated transparent efforts to validate their own myopic tastes, something that reaches its nadir in 2012 with four of the seven inductees. So congratulations to those responsible for these systematic failings, The Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame's ongoing quest to be treated with respect has sunk to new lows thanks to their own inherent cultural and musical biases. Sadly, while it's an easily remedied problem, the Hall has shown time and again it cares little about historical accuracy and so purging their ranks of those guilty of this ongoing cultural elitism and diversifying the nominating committee and the voting body at large to bring about much needed new blood into the system seems far-fetched at best, and so the slow death of the institution continues unabated. Here then is the autopsy for their credibility: THE MAIN PERFORMER INDUCTEES THE BEASTIE BOYS At least the Hall Of Fame kicks off its inductees alphabetically with a group that is long overdue and entirely justified, but once again until the race issue is finally shown to be a moot point with the Hall Of Fame the question has to be raised - Had the Beastie Boys been black would they have gotten in? Answer: Eric B. & Rakim, equally qualified and more influential rap artists from the same era were on the ballot and they failed to get in. But then that's not the Beasties fault, for while they unquestionably benefitted from their race, both on the ballot for the Hall and historically, as they became the first rap artists to top the album charts at a time when hip-hop was being stigmatized culturally in the mid-80's, they also faced an uphill battle initially for respect within the rap community precisely because they were Caucasian. They quickly proved their mettle however and became legitimate stars in the field, and were among the most experimental in charting new territory, particularly with advances in sampling, while maintaining their high quality across two decades of releases in an increasingly diverse manner. Still in the eight years since anyone from the genre first became eligible, this brings the total hip-hop artists inducted to a measly three, a shameful blight considering how dominant and revolutionary the style of music was from the start. By contrast punk rock, a far less popular and groundbreaking style whose peak was much shorter lived, has five artists in the Hall. It's not for lack of qualified hip-hop candidates either, as this was already the Beastie Boys fourth time on the ballot, and their peers from the 80's rap scene have made numerous appearances as well to date, with the voters showing little awareness or respect to the most culturally significant and enduring popular forms of rock 'n' roll to ever be created. Decades after they fought for their right to party, they had to fight for their right to be properly rewarded for their efforts and even with their official induction this year the fight continues for their brethren. DONOVAN What are the odds that a 60's act would be elected to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame? Statistically, almost 100%. In 26 of the 27 years of its existence, there has been at least one inductee whose primary career achievements took place in the 1960's. The one year that failed to qualify was 2006, when Miles Davis, who recorded extensively in the 60's, though it was his 1950's and 70's work that may have taken precedent in his résumé, came closest. Additionally, over the past decade or so, as the most deserving of the 60's artists had long since been enshrined, many of the Hall's most questionable inductees (Darlene Love, The Hollies, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Percy Sledge, The Righteous Brothers, Brenda Lee, Gene Pitney, Dusty Springfield) have continued to come from that era at the expense of the other, far more overlooked, decades since rock's late 40's birth. Now add Donovan to that list. Like some of those others he's not totally undeserving, he was a consistent hit maker, a strong songwriter and seemed to embody the hippy cultural idyll that much of the 60's lore is based on. But whether that is an accurate image of the decade to begin with, and whether Donovan's contributions to the rock scene overall earned him the right to get in, especially over far more qualified candidates of a much more recent vintage, is still debatable. He doesn't have to apologize to anyone for getting in, he at least earned the right to be taken seriously after years of being viewed as a pretentious second rate Bob Dylan, but his presence among this year's inductees points to far greater systematic flaws that marks the Hall's growing cultural isolationism. GUNS N' ROSES Funny that the ultimate symbols of controversy over the course of their stormy career are in fact the least controversial inductees in the class of 2012. There was never any doubt they'd get in, nor any reasonable objections to their qualifications for being deserving of the honor. They were the biggest headline grabbers of their generation, as much for their anti-authority attitude as their platinum selling records, as GnR embodied the rebellious spirit that many feel is rock's most important cultural facet. They also backed that up with music that was wildly popular on a mass level, six Top Ten hits in their brief career, with all of their albums of original material going multi-platinum many times over, while still maintaining their credibility with the anti-consumerism mindset that dominates much of the hard rock audience. Since rock 'n' roll, more than any other style of music, thrives on larger than life figures, conflict and excess, both good and bad, GnR fit the bill as well as any in history and made them infallible candidates. Since bursting onto the scene in the mid-80's, a time when much of the dominant form of music was synthesizer driven, clean-cut and polished for maximum appeal, this bunch of hoodlums, drug addicts and outlaws from the seedy underbelly of the L.A. club scene shook up the music biz, brought riff heavy guitar rock back to the forefront and gave the press a new poster child for decadence... and truly fitting their image, they reveled in it. Unlike many who preceded them as rock 'n' roll bad boys, who seem trite and musically shallow when looking back years later, Guns n' Roses' reputation, both personally and musically, has never waned. The craziness surrounding them made them infamous, but their music made them enduring and earned them their ticket to the Hall. FREDDIE KING Here's where the defenders of the Hall of Fame's apartheid-like racial view will bitch and moan in an attempt to claim there's really no bias in the voting because Freddie King is black and made it in. Yet he is the lone black inductee this year. For the record that makes a total of THREE black artists in the past three years, or 11% of those who've gotten in during that time for those keeping score. In 2008 there were no black artists inducted, the second time in the past decade that there's been an all-white class. This for a style of music - rock 'n' roll - invented and popularized by blacks. More damning is the fact that all three of those inductees over this time were far more popular with white audiences than with blacks, and in the case of King, who was a bluesman, not a full-fledged rocker to begin with, he was someone who was idolized by the white British 60's guitarists that the Hall kowtows to. In other words, it wasn't hard to see this one coming. For the record, King was a phenomenal guitar player with two lasting hits to his name, but he was a bluesman and that style of music, while important to rock, has already seen far too many artists get in as Main Performers, often as substitutes for black forms of actual rock music that the voting body remains resistant to properly crediting, such as disco, funk and rap. King's induction no doubt alleviates, at least in the Hall's mind, some of the serious questions regarding the ongoing disproportionate racial makeup of the inductees, when in fact it should only serve to raise more questions. Such as why is it that the only black artists that seem to be assured of making it are those who appeal to the type of white 60's/70's oriented person that is allowed to dominate the voting body? When the focal point of King's induction in the write-ups and the ceremony is his influence on the likes of Eric Clapton and other white guitar gods, that only serves to show where the true heart of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame lies. King should absolutely be remembered musically, but for the right reasons and in the right way, neither of which is the case here. LAURA NYRO Rest easy Leonard Cohen, Ritchie Valens, Neil Diamond and ABBA, no longer are you the Hall of Fame's least qualified Main Inductees and unless they decide to enshrine the likes of Freddie & The Dreamers, Menudo or Fabian, there's not much chance of Laura Nyro losing this dubious honor anytime soon, though if anyone can find a way to do so it'd be this Hall Of Fame. How Nyro was even nominated, not once but three times, is hard enough to fathom. Her hit making career as a singer consisted of a bland cover of the Drifters classic Up On The Roof, which barely reached the Top 100 on the charts, and as a writer she penned hits for the likes of The 5th Dimension, Blood Sweat and Tears, Three Dog Night and Barbra Streisand, which hardly places her in the epicenter of rock 'n' roll. Her influence was nonexistent, for while she was a fairly talented songsmith, that work broke no new ground and implemented no stylistic shifts to the musical landscape, which is where influence is derived. Her most notable moment in the spotlight during her career, an appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival, was widely considered a disaster, and in the annals of rock history her presence is insignificant at best. Was she without talent? Of course not, she could write and she could sing, and she released some fairly well-received, though poor selling, albums, but that's a résumé that literally hundreds, if not thousands, of artists can easily top. How on earth could anyone justify having Nyro in when Joe Tex, who wrote every one of his 27 hits, all of which were far bigger than her lone cover version hit, and was very influential stylistically as well, failed to get elected the four times he was on the ballot? Just confining it to women, Salt-n-Pepa haven't even been nominated yet since first becoming eligible a few years back, despite huge influence in breaking ground for female MC's in rap and having a string of hits that remain widely known decades later, while nothing in Nyro's career accomplishments come remotely close to those achievements. More pressing, how could voters ignore Donna Summer for the fourth time this year when she was by far the most popular female artist in all of rock over a ten year stretch, writing much of her own material no less, totally defining the most dominant style of music during her era, while by contrast very few music fans who grew up during Nyro's productive period were even aware she existed? There are no answers, only more troubling questions. Message to Pat Boone, get your speech ready as you now have a legitimate chance at making the Hall of Fame, because if Laura Nyro's in without doing anything to deserve even remote consideration then apparently anyone can make it. THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Finally another eminently worthy inductee. Three out of seven isn't bad, is it? Well actually, yeah, it is, but the overall disgraceful quality of the Class of 2012 shouldn't detract from the Chili Peppers legitimate qualifications for enshrinement. However even in this case it wasn't as easy as it should've been for them to make it, as two years ago they were passed over on their first appearance on the ballot, but the much maligned voters rectified their mistake rather quickly for once, bringing this year's inductions some desperately needed credibility in the process. Their credentials should've made them shoo-ins from the start, after being lumped in with the alternative movement as the 90's dawned, they quickly showed they were far more versatile than most in that field. Unwilling to be confined to any one narrow stylistic compartment, their meshing of influences from funk to punk to elements of rap, hard rock, metal and alternative, along with having some of their most notable songs done in an acoustic setting, kept them from ever becoming stale and made them among the most interesting bands of their time. Their musical chops, in particular Flea's work on bass, can stand with anyone, and their songwriting was always first-rate. The RHCP's often controversial stage shows and mix of tender, intricate ballads and harder riff-oriented rave ups made them among the last few generation's most notable bands, sometimes taken for granted or obscured by the glow of a few shorter-lived shooting stars. All this despite enduing an unusual amount of turmoil, with death and detox, members coming and going and coming back again, while still maintaining a remarkable consistency and popularity that finds them every bit as relevant in the 21st Century as they were when they first hit big in the late 80's and by all rights will be expected to add to their already stellar credentials in the years ahead. THE SMALL FACES/THE FACES If Nyro is unquestionably the most unqualified inductee this year, and Donovan the most emblematic of the Hall's voters personal affinity for a specific era, and King the token minority aimed at keeping the critics at bay while still not betraying their devotion to their own musical interests, then the Small Faces/Faces selection is simply the Hall's "Ahh, fuck it, let's put them in, we can do whatever the hell we want to anyway" inductee that exemplifies the voting body's collective arrogance when it comes to their dismissal of any objective standards. It's not that the Faces assemblage doesn't have some merit as artists. They were fairly successful, much more so in Great Britain than America, and they had an impressive roster over the years, featuring not just previous solo inductee Rod Stewart, who became lead singers of the reformed Faces, but also longtime Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, as well as original Small Faces visionary Steve Marriott, later of Humble Pie. For those reasons some moderate consideration had to be given them, even though they'd still fall well short. The real issue is their induction over far more qualified candidates on the ballot this year and what that, along with the other aforementioned dubious inductees, signifies. Simply look at the characteristics of the six (out of eight) who didn't make the final cut who have far greater qualifications than the Faces and you doesn't have to be a conspiracy theorist to see the skewed pattern at work. It is inarguable the Hall has an overwhelming racial bias, both for individual artists and the successful rock styles that are continually snubbed. This year the Spinners, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, Eric B. & Rakim and War were all objectively superior candidates than the Faces (more successful in four out of five cases, more influential in every instance and all of whom were absolute cornerstones of their vital respective styles), yet all were minorities and they got sent to the back of the bus yet again in favor of another white act. The other remaining artist with more in the way of credentials who got left out, Heart, who are white, had the misfortune of having much of their respected rock legacy be compromised by the negative view of their later ballads, a form the Hall voters are always uneasy about, feeling that balladry equals pop-sellout. By contrast look at what the Faces represent - the late 60's/early 70's British reinterpretation (some would say misrepresentation) of black American music, which voters and white critics are always more comfortable praising than the authentic form under their very noses. Add the earlier Small Faces incarnation that was even more Anglo in nature and the fact they have such big names in their midst, even though two of those names are already in the Hall, and it's easy to see why a voting body made up of people who are devoted to that constituency and for years now have constantly rewarded that area of rock to a far greater degree than its earned, would give them a pass while ignoring the more significant achievements of artists outside its comfort zone. The Faces can make an outside case for their inclusion, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny when the candidates they beat out to sneak in this year all easily trump their rather shaky credentials. As an underserving inductee their inclusion itself isn't horribly offensive, but when the underlying voter rationale becomes apparent the offense becomes far less tolerable and it winds up being yet another black eye for the institution. NON-PERFORMERS Tom Dowd Coinciding with this year's Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame selections, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame announced that, after years of failing to get in despite being thoroughly deserving, former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo was finally elected by the "golden era committee"... a year almost to the day after he died. Long the Baseball Hall of Fame's most visibly egregious oversight, this honor comes too late for Santo to enjoy it, as he rightfully deserved to, during his lifetime. A similar point can be made for Dowd, who was without question the single most important engineer in rock history, perhaps in all of music history in general. He got his start working on the nascent nuclear bomb program in World War Two before taking his vast technical knowledge to the music world where he helped to build Atlantic Records into the most respected company in the business. Along the way he was among the pioneers in stereo recording, eight track, 16 track and 32 track recording, just about every advancement made between the mid-50's and mid-70's in fact, and, just for good measure, as a trained musician himself, he acted as producer for dozens of major sessions, from Aretha Franklin to Lynyrd Skynyrd, including coming up with the Indian beat that turned Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love" into a hit. No one behind the knobs was more versatile, talented, or personally beloved by artists than the affable Dowd. But he died a few years ago having watched the men whose careers he helped make with his expertise, Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, along with so many artists, get inducted into the Hall while he was cruelly left out in his lifetime. The accolade itself is entirely deserved, he is, even more than headliners Guns n' Roses, the single most qualified of this year's inductees, but a posthumous enshrinement is bittersweet, and in his case, totally unnecessary. Too often the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame does this - recently with Jesse Stone - and as much as any of its faults, it's this habit which is most shameful and most easily remedied. Don Kirshner Excuse me? Could you repeat that? Don Kirshner? In the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame? Is this a joke? It'd be hard in a year where Laura Nyro gets inducted for anyone to compete for the most bewildering undeserving selection, but Don Kirshner may just pull it off. Like Dowd, Kirshner is another inductee who is recently deceased, but unlike Dowd, virtually everyone involved is glad that Kirshner's gone and won't be around to further taint the ceremonies with his presence. Known as the man with the golden ear, Kirshner was a song plugger from the famed Brill Building during it's early 60's heyday when it was churning out hit after hit for dozens of rock artists. He started Aldon Records, a publishing house, which signed many of the hottest up and coming writers, but a publisher, while a vital entity in the music business, is by no means a creative endeavor, but rather a business enterprise. He was in no way personally responsible for any of the hits his writers submitted, other than possibly as the final arbiter of their potential. He didn't write the lyrics, he didn't write the music, he didn't write the arrangements, he simply wrote the checks and then, most tellingly, CASHED the checks those songs written by others reaped in publishing royalties. His primary claim to fame was creating the Monkees, the group and TV series, which was the most reviled concept of its era by the newly formed rock critic contingent, who oddly enough are now voting for the Hall Of Fame. Yet while that group has never recovered from its initial image problem, despite being among the most popular, innovative and yes, influential groups of their era (pioneers in music videos, the Moog synthesizer and country-rock), Kirshner, who strove to keep them locked into rigid formula and stifle any and all attempts at artistic creativity, was ultimately fired for his stringency. Bitter at his ouster, he then got his wish for total control over an artist however by creating another group, the Archies, but in order to not have to actually deal with such nuisances as human beings he presented them as cartoons with anonymous session singers who couldn't overrule his authority. So essentially Kirshner gets rewarded with an induction to The Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame for giving the world the hit Sugar Sugar and the bubblegum teen pop of that era when all along he was one of the most reviled men in the business. Somewhere Mike Nesmith just put his fist through a wall in frustration. Cosimo Matassa The Hall of Fame gets criticized no matter what they do, which is to be expected when deciding (often arbitrarily) on whom to bestow immortality in a field of music that inspires so much devotional passion as rock 'n' roll. Which is why those complaining about its questionable decisions need to look at each case individually using purely objective measures of an artist's career, eliminating their personal taste as much as humanly possible when deciding on a candidate's merits. Either someone's achievements are easily proven or they're not, and that should be the only standard that applies, regardless of one's own tastes or musical interests. When these criteria aren't followed, and too often they fail to come close to any reasonable standard of qualification, the Hall deserves every ounce of criticism leveled at them. They hear it too, though they are reluctant to admit they pay it any attention, and are adamant about clinging to the source of their problems in maintaining the current nominating committee and voting body. However, history has shown that they often use the secondary categories, which are not put to a general vote as the Main Performers are, to try and blunt some of that criticism each year. When the artists in a particular class are all white they'll name a black producer to prevent the ceremonies from looking like Lester Maddox's family reunion. When women are nowhere to be seen among the performers they'll name a female songwriter, or possibly even manipulate the entire voting process to get Wanda Jackson in as an Early Influence. And when, year after year, their glaring historical blind spots are brought up, the Hall tries to placate its critics by scanning the Non-Performers categories and cherry picking a long overdue candidate for induction, hoping perhaps to shut certain voices up... (ah-hem). Well, good. If that's what it takes to get Cosimo Mattassa in the Hall Of Fame, where he deserved to be twenty five years ago, then everyone out there with an appreciation for the full history of rock music should keep on complaining as loudly as ever. Mattassa was one of the first, and certainly the most important, of the independent rock studio owners and engineers. His J&M Studios in New Orleans housed sessions for the cream of the crop of 50's rock icons, from Fats Domino to Little Richard. Producers craved the sound he got from his makeshift setup, artists appreciated the personal touch he lent them and record companies respected the fact that no studio churned out more hits than his. So why did it take so long for Mattassa to make the cut? Maybe we didn't yell loud enough. Will his induction shut us up and get us to stop complaining about the many injustices the Hall perpetuates every year? Not by a long shot, but for a moment at least, when Mattassa's name is called and he takes his rightful place in the Hall, we'll be quiet and join others in paying our respects for his accomplishments as he so rightly deserves. RECAP No doubt people get tired of reading the same complaints each year about the Hall of Fame's dismal record centered around a lack of historical accuracy, troubling racial injustice and preferential treatment for the idols and bygone teen crushes of its voting members. Truthfully, it gets even more tiresome writing about it year after year. But if the Hall of Fame wants to be taken seriously, and by all accounts it does, then it needs to have its built-in systematic flaws and biases corrected once and for all and to have any hope of doing that they apparently need to be continually called out on their shortcomings. It's fully understood that nobody will ever agree with all selections, no matter the qualifications of those inductees, because properly crediting achievement runs counter to the subjective tastes of following music as a fan, but certain standards for an artist's credentials can always be objectively weighed and must be insisted upon, and certainly who is doing the selecting, what their agenda is, and the demographics of the voting body and the corresponding blind spots they're shown to have can all be easily remedied. Greater diversity in the voting rolls in terms of age, background, gender, race and point of origin... A revolving nominating committee to ensure differing perspectives in naming the candidates to the ballot each year... A few clearly defined procedural changes to guarantee its integrity. If these alterations were to be enacted would there still be complaints over who makes it in? Of course, but the methods for arriving at those selections would stand up to intense scrutiny, something which can not be said now and which causes the Hall to crumble in dishonor a little more each year. Ultimately a Hall Of Fame that treats induction as the ultimate award reserved only for the most deserving candidates is a much greater monument to the legacy of rock 'n' roll than anything tainted by rampant cronyism, whispers of voting irregularities, a lack of definable criteria, outright biases and widespread corruption. A Hall of Fame that doesn't insist upon the highest standards in its methods of operation can't ever expect to be afforded the respect it seeks from others. Until it strives to get to that point it will always face entirely justifiable criticism and unfortunately this year was no exception.

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Author:	Taupin-Cetera [ Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:18 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
ACTORS WHO HAVE GIVEN ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SPEECHES: 01. Billy Crystal for Milt Gabler in 1993 02. Robert Townsend for The Dells in 2004 03. Tom Hanks for The Dave Clark Five in 2008 04. Chris Rock for Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2012

Author:	Ryan [ Wed Mar 21, 2012 12:54 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
Taupin-Cetera wrote: DIGITAL DREAM DOOR LEAVES OUT GLYN JOHNS, THE BLUE CAPS, THE COMETS, THE CRICKETS, THE FAMOUS FLAMES, THE MIDNIGHTERS AND THE MIRACLES FROM THEIR CRITIQUE OF THE 2012 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES: http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/b ... -2012.html You know, instead of being an asshole, you can just email Lew to ask Sampson about that. Oh btw, as a Monkees fan, I <3 Sampson's drubbing of Don fucking Kirshner getting into the hall of fame.

Author:	ClashWho [ Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:33 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
That was a really good read, although I disagree with some of it. I'd love Sampson to do that sort of in-depth analysis of every induction year from the beginning.

Author:	lew [ Wed Mar 21, 2012 3:12 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
This is odd... and a first. The Blue Caps - Backing band for Gene Vincent The Comets - Backing band for Bill Haley The Crickets - Backing band for Buddy Holly The Famous Flames - Backing band for James Brown The Midnighters - Backing band for Hank Ballard The Miracles - Backing band for Smokey Robinson These groups are all "backing bands". The frontmen/vocalists are already in the HOF. They were not listed with the 2012 HOF "nominees". The HOF should have started a new category. "Backing bands". Or at least mentioned them with their "nominees". (changing rules in the middle of the game) I informed Sampson. I'll post what he says. -Lew

Author:	Ryan [ Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:20 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
ClashWho wrote: That was a really good read, although I disagree with some of it. I'd love Sampson to do that sort of in-depth analysis of every induction year from the beginning. I like Laura Nyro a ton, but as i've mentioned many times in the past, I find it ridiculous she's being inducted - or let alone nominated - for the Hall of Fame. What qualifications does she have that (for example) Nick Drake or Richard Thompson or Rickie Lee Jones do not?

Author:	pauldrach [ Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:33 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
piper wrote: ClashWho wrote: That was a really good read, although I disagree with some of it. I'd love Sampson to do that sort of in-depth analysis of every induction year from the beginning. I like Laura Nyro a ton, but as i've mentioned many times in the past, I find it ridiculous she's being inducted - or let alone nominated - for the Hall of Fame. What qualifications does she have that (for example) Nick Drake or Richard Thompson or Rickie Lee Jones do not? As for Drake and Thompson: Nyro's American. As for Jones: Nyro made her greatest records in the 1960's, not at the dawn of the alternative era.

Author:	Brian [ Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:46 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
ClashWho wrote: That was a really good read, although I disagree with some of it. I'd love Sampson to do that sort of in-depth analysis of every induction year from the beginning. You might already know this, but he has done a similar write-up for every year from 2006 to the present.

Author:	Taupin-Cetera [ Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:36 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present
THIS HAS BEEN SENT TO SAMPSON http://rockhall.com/pressroom/announcem ... -inductee/ Blue Caps, Comets, Crickets, Famous Flames, Midnighters and Miracles to be Inducted April 14 Cleveland (February 9, 2012) - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced today that the Blue Caps, the Comets, the Crickets, the Famous Flames, the Midnighters and the Miracles will be inducted at the 27TH Annual Inductions Ceremony on April 14 in Cleveland. These artists will be included along with the previously announced inductees Beastie Boys, Donovan, Guns N’ Roses, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Small Faces/The Faces, Freddie King, Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns. The induction of these six groups is the result of a special Rock and Roll Hall of Fame committee review conducted to identify situations in which groups should be recognized along with the original lead singer inductee. “These Inductees are pioneers in the development of the music we call rock and roll,” said Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “As part of our mission to recognize the most impactful, innovative and influential artists in rock, the committee brought forth these six groups that belong in the Hall of Fame.” The six groups, the frontmen which have already been enshrined, will be inducted in Cleveland on April 14, 2012: the Blue Caps (Gene Vincent was inducted in 1998), the Comets (Bill Haley was inducted in 1987), the Crickets (Buddy Holly was inducted in 1986), Famous Flames (James Brown was inducted in 1986), the Midnighters (Hank Ballard was inducted in 1990) and the Miracles (Smokey Robinson was inducted in 1987). The 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 14, 2012, in Cleveland and premiere on HBO in May. The 2012 ceremony will again be open to the public, as it was – for the first time in the event’s history – at the 2009 Inductions in Cleveland. Leading up to the April 14 ceremony, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will host more than a week of special events, including the grand opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s new Library and Archives, tours of the newly redesigned Museum interior space, the unveiling of a major Grateful Dead exhibition, the Rock My Soul gospel tribute, a free concert for Cleveland and a special series of education programs designed to teach students across the nation about the history and impact of rock and roll. All inductees are ultimately represented in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Through approaches as creative and diverse as the music itself, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum tells the story of rock music with its exhibits, education programs and Library and Archives. The Library and Archives is the world’s most comprehensive repository of written and audio-visual materials relating to the history of rock and roll. Subject: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: 1986-Present Taupin-Cetera wrote: Rolling Stone Magazine http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... 2-20120209 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Adds Six Backing Groups to the Class of 2012: The Comets, the Crickets, the Blue Caps, the Famous Flames, the Miracles and the Midnighters will be inducted By Andy Greene February 9, 2012 12:05 AM ET The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will make up for past oversights at this year's induction ceremony by admitting the backing groups of six first-generation rock stars. The honored groups include the Blue Caps (Gene Vincent), The Comets (Bill Haley), the Crickets (Buddy Holly), the Famous Flames (James Brown), the Midnighters (Hank Ballard) and the Miracles (Smokey Robinson). In each of these cases, the backing group failed to get into the Hall of Fame at the same time as their frontman - sometimes causing a great deal of controversy. The Hall of Fame's failure to induct the Miracles along with Smokey Robinson in 1987 caused a particularly large uproar. Hall of Fame rules state that artists are eligible for induction 25 years after their debut release. At the time, Robinson had been a solo artist for only 14 years. The six groups will be inducted April 14th at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's annual ceremony at Cleveland's Public Hall. “These Inductees are pioneers in the development of the music we call rock and roll,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's president and CEO Joel Peresman said in a statement. “As part of our mission to recognize the most impactful, innovative and influential artists in rock, the committee brought forth these six groups that belong in the Hall of Fame.” Beastie Boys, Donovan, Guns N’ Roses, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Small Faces/The Faces, Freddie King, Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns are also being inducted at this year's ceremony.

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