Music's Greatest Moments For Me

Music's been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember.  You see, I grew up in a musical family.  Nope, no-one was a rock star, a good musician, or even a (bad) musician. 

It was 1969.  It was the era of love.  The Vietnam War had just ended.  And my late grandmother, my uncles and mom, established a record store in Johannesburg.  Several years later, they had seven record stores – called The Turntable all across Johannesburg.  All through my schooling, I worked in one of the stores every moment I could.  I loved music – and that I got paid – well, that was gravy for a young kid.  In 1978, my mom bought and took over one of the stores, renamed it Plum Records and as I grew up, I continued playing an increasingly important role in the store.  It was my love.  It was my passion and it was my life.  You get the picture.

Enough about history.  More about music.  My fondest memories:

      1.     Pink Floyd – The Wall.  It’s 1979.  I’m 13 years old.  The Wall’s just been released internationally.  It’s banned in South Africa.  I’ve gotten a bootlegged copy and it was to be the first time I’d listened to it .  It’s a Saturday night and I’m all alone.  My parents and siblings are out.  It’s cold.  I put it on my record player.  All was good until “Hey You” came on. 

“Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don’t help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight”

The lyrics spooked me – frightened me.  I turned it off.  I listened again in the morning.  Today, it’s likely my all-time favorite album.

2.      January 1980.  Sun City.  The country?  Bophutaswana.  It’s minute and entirely landlocked in South Afcrica.  I’m going with my partents and brother to see my first concert.  None other than the Village People – one of the hottest bands of the year. “Young man, there’s no need to be down …”. It’s campy. It’s kitsch.  But Oh!  so divine.  A great first concert.

3.       December 8, 1980.  I’m on the beach in Cape Town.  I hear John Lennon’s been shot dead.  I cry.  “Imagine”  “Starting Over”.  The list goes on.

4.   It's July 1981 and it's one small step for mankind - one huge step for John Sacke.  He's in New York City for the first time and to him it felt like the centre of the Universe.  He tags up with recently immigrated high-school friends, Peter and Lisa (also 15) and the three of them see Queen (opening act Billy Squier) at Madison Square Garden.  In the same trip John also sees Air Supply at the Beacon Theatre as well as Kool and The Gang at the Lincoln Centre.  Three concerts in a week - makes a great trip.  I'm still friends with Lisa and Peter (he's my closest friend).  New York City is still my favorite city.

5.   It’s 1983.  I’m in my last year of high school and I’m into clubbing.  My buddies, Hilton, Clive, Mark, Guiseppi and a few others hang out at places like Scants, Mandy’s and Q’s.  It’s all high-energy all the time.  Sylvester, Patrick Cowley, Pamala Stanley, Miguel Brown, Hazell Dean, Fun Fun and others dominate the landscape.  I remember the all nighters at Scants and the breakfasts at the Carlton.   As for the other small details?  Well, those I don’t really remember.

5.       Christmas 1984.  Under the leadership of Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, Band Aid comes together and releases “Do They Know It’s Christmas”.  It’s the first time I realize music’s ability to unite the world.  Four days after its release, it’s number one on both sides of the Atlantic and would go on to become the biggest selling 45 in history (at least until that point). 

 

6.       It’s 1985.  I’m 19 – and I’m in New York City, meeting the late Calvin Holt (founder of Serendipity – and inventor and patent holder of Frozen Hot Chocolate).  It’s the 80’s – and it’s excessive.  I’m not even old enough to get into the hottest dance club in the world – Studio 54, let alone be front of line.  But with Calvin and his groupies, I am.  Not only that – but I’m rubbing shoulders with Prince, Tina Turner as well as with Hall and Oates.  The music?  It’s big, brassy and bold.  Earth Wind and Fire, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, SOS Band and Stevie Wonder.  Happy hour's between 5 and 6am at The Studio.

7.       August 1988.  Toronto.  I’ve just arrived in Canada.  It’s the Amnesty Tour.  Sting.  Tracy Chapman, The Boss, Peter Gabriel.  Youssou N’Dour.  Wow!  I scored a ticket.  I scam my way to the floor at Maple Leaf Gardens.  And it’s the first time I realize how grateful I am to live in Canada. Springsteen's hit, "Born to Run" seems to talk to my plight then.

8.       It’s the ninety’s which meant a revival of the British Invasion aka new wave.  Whiskey Saigon is the place to be Sunday nights – and I’m there more often than I’m not.  Joe Jackson. The Cure.  The Cult.  Yaz.  The Police. The Jam.  Simple Minds.  Soft Cell.  Thompson Twins.  Level 42.   ABC.  Gary Numan.  Sinead ‘Connor.   I also loved grunge – Soundgarden, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and of course Nirvana and Weezer.  Chris Sheppard at RPM spun the wheels of steel so well.  Unforgettably well.   

9.       It’s new year’s day 2000 – and I’m joining the Polar Bear Club.  Solo.  And it’s minus 26 degrees out.  I’m at the shore of Lake Ontario.  My wife, our new born kid (he’s now 15) and parents are with me.  The theme from “Chariots of Fire” is playing on the ghetto blaster.   I’m pumped.  I’m also in and out of the lake’s frigid waters --- fast.  And, I manage to raise $2600 for The Children’s Wish Foundation in the process.

10.   2011 – Bono and the boys play Toronto. Alas, I’m not able to scoop a ticket – at least until a friend of mine offers me his – just as long as I take his wife (he has 2 tickets).  Is the pope Catholic?  Duh!  So we go.  We’re on the floor – mere feet from Bono.  Although it’s in July (the eleventh to be precise), I feel the warm tears flowing down my cheeks as the familiar refrains of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”  fill the packed-to-the-rafters stadium.

      11.   2012 - Floyd’s still my favorite band.  U2’s a close second.  Roger Waters is in town.  He’s playing the Air Canada Centre – and he’s doing “The Wall”.  Despite that he’s very anti-Israel (I’m not), I manage to put our political differences aside.  What a show.  Again, what a show.  Again, what a show.  See the show’s review here.

And that’s it?  What are your favorite music moments/ songs/ artists?  I’d love to know!

Twenty One Years in PR - What Hasn't Changed

This year marks my twenty-first year in marketing and media relations.  Much has changed.  In fact, I would argue that the face of media relations has changed more than most industries.  When I started out as a rookie under the brilliant tutelage of Andrew Burroughs, now a lawyer in New Jersey and still a close friend of mine, certain things held true – that today are almost laughable:

·         We planned and successfully held numerous press conferences; each well attended by the city’s (Toronto’s) top business and telecomm reporters.    Among others, I ensured the speakers were PERFECTLY prepped (and pretty much scripted down to the minute), the coffee was hot and the muffins ready.  A press conference today???  Huh?? What’s that??

·         Sending out a news release entailed me literally pulling a chair up to the fax machine --- one by one I faxed each reporter the news release- and since there were 300 or so reporters on my list, sending out the news release literally took hours (6 to be exact).  Then one day in 1992, the company for which I worked got a new fax machine on which you could create distribution lists.  So, I did – and that saved me hours and hours every time I faxed out a news release after that --- Woot!!  Today, it’s all email.  Tell a PR newbie to fax out releases today?  You may as well tell ‘em to whistle dixie

That said– and based on some recent (somewhat disturbing) conversations I’ve had over the past few months, I wanted to set the record straight (at least a little straighter than it is right now) about certain things in PR that have not (and likely never will) changed:

1.      Nothing in this world is free.  And neither is PR. – I’ve had numerous conversations in the past few months where potential clients seem to think that PR is free, or that indeed I work for free.   Well, you’re wrong on both counts. Totally wrong!  Ever gone to the grocery store, filled your cart with food and at the checkout was told you didn’t have to pay? Never happened to me either actually. 

2.       PR is all about credibility.  Today it’s more important than ever before.  More and more, consumers are becoming wary and skeptical of advertising. Advertising messages seem to keep becoming less credible in this new fast paced, internet-centric culture. How many ads along the sides of web pages are barely glanced at because you know there’s a catch involved? How many spam emails advertising this or that do you have in your inbox at this very moment? Consumers are automatically on the defensive about being sold something they don’t want or need. Public relations experts ensure information is presented – credibly and legitimately.

3.       The media owes you (or anyone else for that matter) nothing more than common decency.  I don’t care how hot sh%t you are, (or how hot sh&t you think you are).    Earlier this week, I spoke to someone who seemed to think the media owed him coverage, simply because a. he work up this morning or b.  he opened his doors for business or c.  his company have won a few quite prestigious awards – you get the picture …  Well, let me tell you buddy, the media owes you no more decency than two strangers on two passing ships somewhere in the Pacific in the middle of the night owe one another.

4.       You gotta start off somewhere – and any good media coverage is better than none at all.  Same said person to whom I spoke this week said he’s only interested in profile pieces in major pubs – and nothing else.  And that he gets them all the time.  Well, that’s all relative and dependent on how you quantify “all the time”.  Said client – you may want to take a somewhat humbler approach!   Think Apple got profiles before it was well known?  Or Microsoft? Fly in the ointment is that said prospective client turned down an on-topic, sweet-spot interview in none-other-than The Street Journal, despite me telling him twice that the Journal is the single most influential news pub in the world – yup – the entire world.    I don’t think he heard a single word I said. Oh well --- sucks. 

5.       Social media is not: a substitute for a sales force; the solution to all your business issues or better than PR.  Yeah, I do agree social media (when part of a strategic, integrated business plan) is very  effective – but social media does not sell, per se.  It communicates.  It coalesces and it unites.  I repeat – it does not sell.  Second, as should be painfully obvious (but I guess sometimes isn’t) – social media is a communications channel – that’s it.  It will never solve your business issues.  Finally, comparing social media to PR is a misnomer.  Social media works hand-in-hand with PR.  The one washes the other.  Saying social media is better than PR is like saying a strong defense is better than a strong offense in name-the-sport.  They work together.  Having one is neither better nor worse than having the other. 

6.       Getting PR is easy.  Yeah --- right!  Realistically, (and sadly), pretty much every trade publication, and newspaper is shrinking as a result of sluggish ad sales.  And guess what – as the pubs shrink – so there is less and less space for editorial.  Makes sense?  Let me know if you’re still struggling with this one and I will gladly re-explain (for free). 

Make no mistake, there’s no sour-grapes here.  It’s just that I wanted to set the record a little straighter.  Have I?

Cheers to a great 2013!