Martin: Fascination is one thing, promoting an urban legend is another. I don't think any of the Prestige producers were handing out scag the way you buy popcorn at a movie theatre. Prestige got its rep because it operated the cheapest way possible -- no rehearsals, no multiple takes, ascribing all originals to its in-house publishing company etc. Artists were in and out of the studio in the time it took to cut the requisite # of tunes to fill an LP. Thus junkies in need of a fix would have any easier time finagling a date from Prestige then from Riverside, Atlantic, Blue Note, Savoy etc. They'd then show up, go through the musicial motions and presto, leave with enough money to score. Not that everyone who recorded for Prestige was a juinkie, and not that some exceptional music wasn't made under these strange, to say the least, circumstances. Ken Waxman --- mwisckol@ocregister.com wrote: > i have to admit to being fascinated by stories
of bad habits and sefl-destruction, and have an appetite for more specifically, this rumor that in the '50s a gig with prestige earned you 50 bucks and bag of smack -- hence, "the junkies' label."
martin --- mwisckol@ocregister.com wrote: > i read these comments here about pepper and baker never taking any responsibility for their lives, and i wonder. i've yet to search out the "right" chet baker albums to turn me on, but i saw pepper a few times in the early '80s and he blew my mind. i wouldn't want him for my roommate, but i know a few responsible musicians who are very decent people and who i'd gladly share a house with -- but whose musical talent is no where near the level of pepper's. and of course bird wasn't the most responsible cat either.
yes, there are plenty of fucked-up artists who made great art....
the notion occurs to me that some of the same people pointing out these junkies' irresponsibility may be the same ones who have previously been protective, against publicizing the bad habits of specific musicians in comments on this listserv. i have to admit to being fascinated by stories of bad habits and sefl-destruction, and have an appetite for more. specifically, this rumor that in the '50s a gig with prestige earned you 50 bucks and bag of smack -- hence, "the junkies' label."
martin
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