interesting article by ted gioia on spotify fake music. hope ok to post this richard
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Interesting article thanks.
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Very interesting that Spotify are doing this. There are of course many other internet ‘radio’ stations that operate using unknown musicians covering well known tunes, and it seems that soft jazz is more often than not the genre. I wonder how widespread this practice is in forcing playlists to become more cover artists than the original?
I seem to recall, several decades ago, that certain budget record companies would release compilation LPs of the “pop hits of the day”, but which were played by session musicians, and engineered to sound as close as possible to the original songs/artists.
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I have noticed that background “muzak” in public places has been replaced by awful covers of anything at all sung like a jazz ditty. Like borrowing the words only. And literally anything will do. 2Pac, Metallica, to Journey to whatever.
You think you’re listening to Norah Jones while shopping for clothes. It sounds the same… But she’s saying to “Smack My Bitch Up”.
All fed by streams dedicated providing ultra low cost shop floor music.
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Firs big laugh of the day 
I remember being really annoyed when I bought the soundtrack for When Harry met Sally. Except it was Harry Connick Jr playing music from the soundtrack of. Shame I got rid of it now as I quite like him, but at the time I was really miffed not to get Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald
Ahh the old classic, “Music Inspired By the Film” soundcrap.
I have a couple friends in the industry. Business side production in the 90s and a session artist from LA in the 70s and 80s. From tje stories they tell me, the industry has been rotten top to bottom forever.
Good music is in spite of, not because of.
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Music For Pleasure, 13/6p?
If you were lucky, about 1 track per album sounded somthing like the original artist.
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Yes, that name rings a bell. It may well have been them, but Wikipedia shows MFP was a subsidiary of EMI, so had access to EMI’s catalogue as well. Indeed, we still have the LP of Pink Floyd’s “Relics” on the MFP labe.
Wikiwotsit also mentions Pickwick Records, who also produced “sound-alike” music.
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Spotify like any streaming service is about business and money, not the music. All music sales are to a point but streaming takes it to an extreme.
In these circumstances, streaming can be a race to the bottom and one of the medium’s worst threats and least desirable attributes. Streaming can be useful too of course.
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My father was a fan of buying such records.
MFP was part-owned by EMI and Hamlyn they did also produce budget original/rerelease/compilation works but some I think were the “Top of the Pops” (these were Hallmark/Pickwick) style music of the day by unknown artists.
Pickwick was the main producer of music that was replicated by other artists of current (for the time) chart-topping tracks in the UK. The quality was pretty dire.
As a young boy, I was always intrigued by the name Music for Pleasure. I supposed that the other albums we owned must have been Music for Penance, perhaps, or maybe Music That’s Good For You.
Mark
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Elton John amongst others was a regular contributor I seem to recall. My old dad loved them.
Sir Elton kept the wolf from the door in his early years by recording the lead vocals for more than 50 songs issued on these albums.
Elton John cut his teeth playing on these albums as Reg Dwight before going solo
Stephen
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woolies was full of these albums - i remember buying one - young innocent and easily fooled - i learned my lesson
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I didn’t know that although I was aware that he was to the piano a little like Jimmy Page was to the guitar as a session musician in the mid 1960’s.
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Just having a nosey I notice Trevor Horn was also involved. He’s a new one on me.
Like the musicians, I suppose the producers had to cut their teeth somewhere.