you do something they will never do.

an excerpt from the 2006 red bull music academy

bob power - it always takes longer* pt.1
*(bob's favourite production rule)

Bob Power:
»Learning, who they are musically, what they want, and a big big issue is: what the artist wants, versus what the record company wants. Giant issue. Like, I will tell you so many times, people get signed and the record company says, “God, I really love what you do, I love what you do” and the artist feels great, 'cause all artists are the same. I don't care how experienced they are, how many props they have, how many awards they have. Every artist in the world lives for people saying “you know what? I really like what you do.” And not trippin' in a weird way, you know, and doin' all these plays like, “What can I get for you?”. I mean, if the artist is an asshole, that's what they need. “What can I get for you?”, or “Do you want some tea now?" But most everybody really wants to be told, just by another human being, “thank you, I really, really like what you do”. So, record companies will say that, and they send you limousines, and they give you an iPod and all this nice shit, and..«

(laughter)

Bob Power: »In the back of their minds, generally they're thinking, “Oh good, if only I can get them to do this!”. Now most of the time, this is not that different from what you do, especially experienced A&R people really know what's going on. They do know that it's really about the artists and their artistry, and you cannot be successful or be successful for very long, changing that much about an artist. What you can do, and what I try to do as a producer and a mixer for that matter, is make people more of what they are. Find the really good things, and the unique things about what they do, and if you think back to, at least for me, a lot of artists who I've worked with, and been fortunate enough to come together with, they are very unique. D'Angelo has certain ways of playing and singing that are like no one else. Erykah Badu... Jesus Christ, you know? You hear one note come out of her mouth and you know that it's not somebody else, and in a way, that's one of the things that, both, I think we all respond to. With record companies especially, you know, is uniqueness. But anyway, record companies are always signing people for one thing, and hoping they can get them to do another. And trust me, that, and I try to educate early, young artists to this, keep straight about what you do. Keep straight about the fact that you're an artist. You know, it's funny, I get the same thing and I've been doing this a long time. If I'm at the studio, I don't subscribe to Billboard, if I'm at the studio, and I start reading Billboard, and it shows so and so with Clive Davis with their arm around him, and it shows so and so with Martin Bandier shaking their hand, you start to think, “wow, I gotta do more of that stuff!”. And it's really most important that you are an artist, that you do what you do, that you show some respect for yourself, and that you show the people around you some love and respect, and everything else follows that. So, if you are an artist and if you guys are in the position of at some point having a record label say “God, we love what you do!”, remember what I said. And it's not like you have to play it, or play the label or anything, but you gotta just remember that if it gets to a point where you cannot help these people financially, anymore, they won't take your telephone calls. And you know what? I don't hate them for that, but that's the way it is, and you gotta just remember that. And remember that you do something that they will never do , and you make a certain kind of art. Whatever stage of the process you are involved in, there's something very important to that process that you do that they don't.
So, just something to remember to kinda keep yourselves straight.«