Stories and insight in the world of showbiz and beyond.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

IF I WERE A RICH MAN

To me the three loveliest words in the English language are “I love you.” But to the young Internet entrepreneurs, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, the three loveliest words have to be “I love YouTube.” And if I were a rich man (Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum) I would gather up 1.8 billion dollars and out bid Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin’s 1.7 billion dollar bid for YouTube just to get the rights to run their video web site all by myself.

It makes me homesick when I see all those amateur YouTube videographers making music so visual and funny. Music you can not only listen to, but also watch and laugh at. I say “homesick” because that is what I, and the thousands of kids on my show, did for so many years back in the wonderful 60s. That’s what the Lloyd Thaxton Show was all about.

The audience available today on the Internet is mind boggling. More people than my show ever reached in its best days watch YouTube videos. Some clips have been watched by more than 40 million viewers. Neilson (ratings), eat your heart out.

I was introduced to YouTube by a LT fan who saw a clip of Marvin Gaye lip-syncing his big hit “You’re a Wonderful One” from a 1965 Lloyd Thaxton Show. It’s a great clip. Here’s the link. Check it out now because I don’t know how much longer it’s going to be available.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrWCzw49NDg

The reason I said “I don’t know how much longer it’s going to be available,” is because there was also a Lloyd Thaxton Show video of Johnny Rivers, “Secret Agent Man” on YouTube.

Yesterday I checked in to see it and I got this message instead:


“THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO TERMS OF USE VIOLATION.”

This could be the future for a lot of videos on YouTube. The problem is that most videos are being played without paying for the rights to use the music or, as in the case of the Marvin Gaye video, the clip itself. Example: The Marvin Gaye clip was licensed by me for use on the Marvin Gaye DVD. The producers also had to pay for the rights to use the song. It is considered illegal to play that clip anywhere else without having the required licensing rights to do so.

I have to say that I have mixed emotions about this. I do feel that the composers who write the music and the owners of the video clips should be compensated when their music is on TV, the Internet or a DVD. That’s how they make a living, by writing songs and producing shows.

However, at the same time one must agree that YouTube is one of the most effective promotion venues around today and with proper use could financially benefit all parties concerned. For example: if YouTube would plug the Marvin Gaye DVD each time a person clicked on that particular clip, somewhat like I used to do when I plugged the same record each time it was played on The Lloyd Thaxton Show, that might be compensation enough. When “You’re a Wonderful One” became a big hit it was helped considerably by its TV exposure. If YouTube plugged the source of every song each time it was played on the web site, this could sell more CDs (like the Marvin Gaye DVD) and it would be money in the bank for the record companies, the composers, AND the producers of the DVD; a win-win situation for all concerned.

When the DVD of my show is released I wouldn’t think twice before offering my finger people presentation of “Jose He Say” free on YouTube as a promotion video. I would be willing to go down on my knees (the little kid) to thank YouTube for the 40 million people who might click-in for a bit of a sample.

The song “Jose He Say, recorded by Linda Laurie,” was a big favorite on my show 40 years ago and the video clip would not only make more people aware of my DVD, it might even put Linda Laurie’s wonderful version of the song back on the record charts.


40 million viewers? You can’t pay enough for that kind of exposure.

It would be interesting to hear what all you Mouse Cliquers think. Do you feel the music recording industry is missing a big bet here by coming down too hard on all free Internet exposure of their product?

Before the rest of the YouTube videos are “removed” like Secret Agent Man, “due to terms of use violation,” don’t you feel a compromise should be attempted? Apple did it with music downloads by introducing a “Favored Nations” fee of 99-cents per downloaded song. And they don’t even offer the advantage of plugging the music. YouTube is on the front line of revolutionizing the art of promotion and choices have to be made. Either we join the Internet promotion revolution … or, like Cuba Gooding Jr. in the movie "Jerry Maguire," just keep yelling,

“SHOW ME THE MONEY !!!!!’ until it all goes away.

My opinion? The train has left the station.

What do you say, Jose?

Stay tuned.

P.S. Since writing this blog I have found that YouTube has put up a new link for "Free Hugs." It's possible they got permission from Sick Puppies, the group playing on video. I would imagine that the producers of Sick Puppies recognizes the value of the millions of people who clicked onto their video. They even use YouTube to plug their yet to be released album and the fact you can buy the song on iTunes for 99-cents. This is more than "promotion." This is "Premotion." They just made my case.

Here's that new link IN COLOR. I love YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

13 Comments:

Blogger Gary said...

I love YouTube. I'm always looking for some good OLD clips on there and when I do see one, I WANT IT IN MY COLLECTION! I say that because I've been a collector of vintage music clips since 1985. I collect shows and clips from the 50s and 60s. There's not too many on YouTube I don't have but when I do see a clip on there that I'd like to have, I write to the person who posted it and ask them where it came from because then I will go out and try and get the clip, or the show it came from, legally. I have no idea how to copy the videos off of the site and I have no idea how to download videos to the site. Besides, if I did know how to post videos to the site, I probably wouldn't because of what Uncle Lloyd says about the writers, artists, and producers making money. It's how they make a living. I know MANY artists who don't have old clips of themselves from back then. When I find out about them, I write them and tell them how to get ahold of the right people to try to obtain copies. I've suggested a couple of them to the archive company that holds Lloyd's shows even. (Nothing but kind words from them, about Uncle Lloyd!) I've made friends with several artists after helping them out. The Lovin' Spoonful, Gary Lewis, Donna Loren, and Phil "Fang" Volk (Paul Revere & The Raiders), to name a few. Great people who really had no idea that some of this footage still existed. I figure if I can find the stuff and get copies from collectors, they should be able to as well, but I let them know who the actual source is so they can get the best possible copy and they can do it legally. I LOVE helping them out. I always tell them it's my way of saying THANK YOU for entertaining me through the years. I hope I can help out more of them and I can lead them to Lloyd. I know Lloyd said there was still about 40 shows that still exist...hopefully the next entertainer I send to Lloyd, or the storage house, still has existing clips.
NEXT!
Gary

7:36 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I discovered YouTube a couple of months ago and have had fun finding clips of my favorite 60s artists. I'm not a collector, but I tried to figure out how to save a clip to my own computer, just for the convenience of playing it without having to go to YouTube. As far as I could tell, it isn't possible.

I browsed around YouTube more and figured out how to save my favorites and create my own YouTube library - this works just fine.

I've encountered some of those “THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO TERMS OF USE VIOLATION.” notices. I guess that happens when the holder of the copyright contacts YouTube.com, because there's certainly too many clips that have been taken from coprighted videos for YouTube to police it all.

Although there may be copyright issues on many YouTube videos, sharing a few minutes of one's favorite artist isn't earning the poster any money and, if anything, is offering exposure to many 60s artists. It seems harmless and not worth the time of the copyright holder to pursue, but maybe someone is just doing their job by taking these videos offline?

I had some video footage of a recent concert that I wanted to share, so figured out how to upload clips on YouTube. This was not video that I took from a released copyrighted video. It was video I shot and edited myself, but just the same, I checked with the artist first to make sure it wasn't a problem. This artist, like Lloyd, seems to recognize the value of the YouTube exposure, so it OK.

It certainly seems that YouTube has the potential to become a major promotional vehicle for big artists, but I have mixed feelings about whether it should go that direction.

I don't know about the history of the site, but it seems like the intent is to provide a way for users to share the videos they enjoy - whether it be music, or otherwise. In many cases, it's the only way "starving artists" (musicians) can afford to get samples of their talent out there.

If the site was suddenly bombarded with infomercial type advertising by professionals that 40 million viewer count may just drop!

11:50 AM

 
Blogger Mike Barer said...

Lloyd, Good to see you embracing new technology. New mediums help us move forward. I believe that there will be a compromise. Stay tuned!

1:45 PM

 
Blogger Lloyd Thaxton said...

VIA DIRECT EMAIL TO ME

Lloyd

I don't know what the "happy medium' is that would allow a win-win-win situation regarding a compromise so that the artists can get paid, but until they do the public loses.

In that theme, last week I bought a DVD of "The man who shot Liberty Valence" and I was looking forward to hearing the late Gene Pitney sing the title song in his GREAT voice, just the way I remember it when I went to see the movie way back when it was in the theaters. Instead they had the opening credits and then the movie. I figured they would have the theme song at the end, but it wasn't to be! I figured it must have been some legal controversy that prohibited them from including the song. I have to tell you the movie WITH the song would have rated two thumbs up, but without it I would only give it ONE finger!!!!!!!

I hope that you're bringing light to this challenge will encourage all parties to meet at the negotiating table.

Mike (from Chicago)

12:49 PM

 
Blogger Mike Barer said...

That was a great video. Marvin Gaye's smoothness belied the troubled life that he must have led.

3:57 PM

 
Blogger Lloyd Thaxton said...

VIA DIRECT EMAIL TO ME - BY PERMISSION

Lloyd:

YouTube addresses a long-frustrating situation for music fans; the ability to see the artists they want to see on video. We are stuck with MTV and Britney Spears, or VH1 and their millionth re-run of Bon Jovi... no one ever said they wanted him back. But ah, on YouTube, we can see a ton of clips from French Ye Ye singer France Gall from around 1965... or other similarly not-seen material. For years, people have been collecting clips of music artists on home videotape, finding them wherever we can... most of the stuff is not released. It's a crime that, for some reason, music shows from the past are not re-run like sitcoms. Worse is that when clips ARE officially licensed, it never says what show it's from. The productions are just grist for the mill, and we're lucky to see a whole clip by an artist... legally.

American Rock 'n' Roll television has been buried under a huge pile of negligence and greed, and you, the star of the Lloyd Thaxton Show, have been obscured in this respect as well. All of you guys in L.A. made the greatest shows.... Groovy with Michael Blodgett, Hollywood a Go Go with Sam Riddle, your show.... all American genius obscured.

Domenic Priore

10:01 AM

 
Blogger Gary said...

Yep, Dom hit the nail on the head!
I haven't heard from Domenic in a while.....nice to know he's still collecting the old clips and keeping them from being forgotten....or worse yet...ERASED/DESTROYED!
Gary

4:32 PM

 
Blogger Mike Barer said...

When I saw Gary Lewis And The Playboys on your show, I became an instant fan. I learned a little about the short life of a pop music act because they fell off the radar screen totally the next year.

9:16 AM

 
Blogger Chuck Hinson said...

Geez ... have I been gone that long? Sorry ... now -- what were we talkin' about??
Actually, the YouTube experience is electric ... today's generation can get a healthy dose of the good stuff that we grooved to for so long. And we Mousers can relive thrilling days of yesteryear while rockin' to the beat that'll never die!

Like Lloyd, I tried linking to Valance, just to get that "soundtrack" treatment. Man, they've gotta let us know if it's gonna be that, and not the singer(s)! And, if there's one that's been pulled for whatever reason, keep an updated list when we click on an artist!
Oh ... there is a way of copying them to your computer, but if ya do that, and the YT Gang find out, they can pull the vid from the lineup and ... POOF! -- there's one less vid preserved for fans (existing and future!).
Some of my faves are clips from the tribute show for Mike Smith (former DC5 organist, now tetraplegic). Peter and Gordon, Zombies, Billy J and a lot more, doing their hits as well as some from the Tottenham group.

(One more quick note: Though I've been busy with the Spaper, Lloyd, I've kept up with the Mousememories here, and wanna thank you for your inspiration, motivation, determination and friendship. The Relic IS returning ...)

11:54 PM

 
Blogger Gary said...

WELCOME BACK, MR. RELIC!
We've missed you here......
Gary

6:22 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just gotta say Hi!
My maiden name is Thaxton and I don't think it's very common. Did a google search and found this.

8:49 AM

 
Blogger Lloyd Thaxton said...

Hi Anonymous:

If you think that the name "Thaxton" isn't very common, try Googling "LLOYD THAXTON." I don't think there is another on on this planet.

Don't know why people sign their name "Anonymous." At the least they could use "Anonymous Cliquer" (all my Mouse Cliquers will understand).

Lloyd

11:33 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry about that anonymous thing, I think I clicked 'enter' before I realized that I hadn't put my name in.

heh.

8:00 AM

 

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