RPAGF Chapter 83 A Sensation in Britain
Chapter 83 A Sensation in Britain
Chapter 83: A Sensation in Britain (Bonus Chapter Upon Release; Happy Children's Day!)
"Holly, for God's sake, it's 3:30 in the morning in Los Angeles, and I have school tomorrow."
Zeke groggily opened his eyes, reached for the receiver, and whispered so as not to wake Judy, who was fast asleep beside him.
Holly, on the other end of the phone, showed absolutely no remorse. Her tone was light and cheerful as she casually apologized with a laugh, "Sorry, sorry, I was so excited I completely forgot about the time difference!"
"I can't help but share some great news! The BBC's hit show Top of the Pops just broadcast Sweet..."
Full music video for "Dreams"!
"That's a national music program in the UK, with weekly viewership often reaching tens of millions. It's a trendsetter for the entire European music scene! We've become a sensation!"
It's no use telling me now, Holly, since you can't watch British TV broadcasts live in the US.
Zik leaned against the headboard, let out a long sigh, and silently complained to himself that being woken up in the middle of the night was really a ridiculous waste.
He was very confident in the quality of the music video. Although it wasn't a big production, it was definitely much better than the shoddy stuff on the market. He also understood Casablanca and PolyGram's production strategies.
PolyGram is jointly owned by two long-established giants, Philips of the Netherlands and Siemens of Germany. Since 1962, PolyGram has been expanding globally, acquiring Mercury Records, MGM Records, Verve, Casablanca Records, and RSO Records in the UK, forming a truly impressive portfolio.
Europe is its absolute stronghold, with deep roots and influence that far surpasses its American counterparts. This time, the company has directly poured all of its promotional efforts and core resources for SweetDreams into Europe, making its intentions crystal clear.
It's the classic strategy of exporting and then selling domestically.
Recognition from mainstream British television stations and top music programs is equivalent to an offshore GG (Good Quality) license.
There's no need for local audiences to witness it firsthand. As long as the established fact that "Europe has fallen madly in love with this song and this band" is created, major American radio stations and record labels will actively quote it again and follow suit, using overseas word-of-mouth to bombard the domestic market. This is a hundred times less effort than simply promoting it in the United States.
But this kind of treatment is only available to artists who are considered "favored sons." Artists like the Villagers, who are signed to Jacques' company and then commissioned to release music through Casablanca, can forget about it. They can only honestly work their way up step by step in the American market.
Thinking of this, Zeke fought off his sleepiness and asked softly, "How was your live premiere in the UK?"
"Explosive! Absolutely amazing!" Holly's voice was brimming with excitement even through the receiver. "It's even more popular than when we sang 'YMCA' at the gay club in New York! Amanda gained countless fans, and the whole band and I got a huge wave of die-hard fans!"
Upon hearing the word "gay club," Zeke felt a strange sense of unease.
The style is a bit off. SweetDreams and YMCA are completely different. How can it accurately hit the tastes of the gay community in the UK?
"What? Wait a minute, I'll answer it in the living room," he said, gently putting down the receiver and leaving the bedroom so as not to wake Judy.
"Okay, go on."
A soft, ambiguous chuckle came from the other end of the phone. Holly, her voice tinged with amazement, exclaimed, "Zick, the atmosphere here is so different. We simply can't believe there are so many gay people in the British music scene. In New York, people always chat about 'Did you know he's Jewish?', but in London, the topic is always 'Did you know he's gay?'"
'
These words sent a jolt through Qi Ke's heart.
Before he could speak, Jimmy on the other end of the phone interjected, his voice filled with shock: "Zick, do you know that behind almost every 'British Invasion' that swept the globe and reshaped the music scene, there were gay managers!"
"Brian Epstein of the Beatles, Kit Lambert of The Who, Simon Napier-Bell of The Weavers, Robert Stewartwood behind the London-based Bee Gees, and even Andrew Oldham's early success!"
"And Elton John!"
New information kept coming from the background, and it was as if everyone had opened the door to a new world.
"He and his manager, John Reed, are both in the industry. Reed is also Queen's manager! They came to see our show yesterday, and afterwards they invited us all to dinner today."
The next second, Tino's furious voice came through the receiver again: "Damn it! I don't want to deal with this bunch of gays, it's ridiculous!"
"Think what you want, Tino! But we have to go to this dinner!" Holly immediately retorted loudly, her attitude extremely firm, before returning to the phone to chat with Zeke, laughing.
"Zick, have you ever wondered where the long hair trend of the 1960s originated? Ha~ That's right, blame those gay managers, especially Brian Epstein, who was both gay and Jewish."
"It's not just artists and agents; the top executives at the BBC and Sir Joe, the powerful figure at EMI, are all insiders. The entire British record industry and the BBC media circle are full of talented gay actors, producers, and top DJs, controlling most of the media and music resources."
"Without dealing with them, you can't break into the British mainstream music scene. Okay, let's stop here, we have to rush to Manchester tomorrow!"
The phone call ended abruptly, leaving only silence in the living room.
Qi Ke stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the pitch-black night, completely dumbfounded.
He had always known that the music scene in Europe and America was complex and chaotic, but he never expected that the British music scene in the 1970s would be in such a state.
What is this, a country of gay men? He silently mourned for Jimmy and Anton, hoping the British wouldn't turn them gay.
In the following days, the trend completely confirmed that PolyGram's "low price" strategy was a great success.
"Sweet Dreams" has made a meteoric rise on the UK singles chart, defying the odds and soaring from the bottom few dozen to the top of the UK singles chart in just one week, dominating the top of charts in many European countries.
Soon after, top American music media outlets such as Billboard and Rolling Stone, as well as various industry gossip columns, followed up with reports, proclaiming: "The British are going crazy for this chill electronic music from Los Angeles."
Its explosive popularity in Europe quickly spread back to the top trend circles in New York, such as Studio54 and WhiskyaGoGo in Los Angeles, instantly attracting attention from the entire US industry.
Casablanca capitalized on this excellent momentum, officially launching the "Sweet Dreams" single in American record stores, and very shrewdly prioritizing the 12-inch deluxe edition.
Neil's business acumen has always been sharp.
He was well aware that the Spider Band was still relatively shallow and a complete album could not be polished in a short time. Rather than delaying the hype and waiting for the album to be completed, it would be better to rely on the word-of-mouth of the singles to capture the market and make enough profits.
After all, regular single releases are a prelude to album releases, and the main focus is on 7-inch small single discs with lower costs and thinner profit margins, while the 12-inch deluxe version has a higher premium and more exaggerated profit margins, which perfectly matches the current popularity and is a sure-fire way to make money.
As the single went on sale in the United States, it was simultaneously featured in GG magazines, and Rossi's phone lines were ringing off the hook with orders, most of them transoceanic calls, with a large number of distributors in Europe contacting him to place orders for Domino Mask merchandise.
The stock of 10,000 units couldn't hold out for two days, so Rossi Brothers Trading Company quickly placed a large production order. The overwhelming demand made Qi Ke regretful; he should have stocked up more. Judging from the current situation, this merchandise wouldn't have any trouble selling.
It was another Friday morning, and the sun was shining brightly.
Zeke got ready early and drove to the Casablanca headquarters.
He received word from Larry Harris that the entire Villagers band would be at the company for a meeting today, which was a good opportunity for him to make contact, and he certainly didn't want to miss it.
Upon arriving at the company, he went straight into the most familiar publicity and marketing department, where he casually chatted with a group of familiar employees at his workstation.
Not long after, a figure flashed by at the office door, and TJ dragged his extremely exhausted body in.
His face was pale, his eyes were dark, and he looked exhausted. After entering the room, he slumped into his office chair without saying a word, and didn't want to move anymore.
Qi Ke was all too familiar with that look of someone who hadn't slept all night.
The office fell silent instantly. TJ was known for his womanizing ways, and no one could resist their curiosity.
Unable to suppress his doubts, Qi Ke asked, "What did you do last night to be so exhausted?"
TJ sighed heavily and said weakly, "Last night, the two girls I live with got drunk and called over six or seven friends, and then things just spiraled out of control—"
After saying this, he closed his eyes completely, slumped in the chair, and fell into a semi-comatose state, without even the strength to lift his hand.
The office was deathly silent.
This guy just threw a wild party with nine women, but when he talked about it with this group of married people, he spoke as casually as if he were reading a classified ad from a Sunday newspaper.
Zik swallowed hard.
Since moving in with Judy and furnishing their cliffside cabin, he had become more settled and subconsciously categorized himself as "stable and settled," and hadn't longed for such an absurd and indulgent life for a long time.
but...
nine.
There are a total of nine!
He shoved a piece of chocolate into TJ's hand with a hint of envy. TJ froze for a few seconds, practically asleep with his eyes open, muttering to himself expressionlessly, "I may never be able to be satisfied with just two women again."
"Poor guy." Larry, who had come over to join the fun, looked at him and shook his head with a sigh.
"What's so pitiful about this?" Zeke couldn't help but chuckle. "Shouldn't this be the ultimate luxury everyone envies?"
"You're still young, you don't understand the price involved—"
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, their voices varied and their explanations complex.
Just as the office atmosphere was both lively and subtly tense, the receptionist rushed into the work area like a whirlwind, speaking rapidly: "Hey, Zeke! Victor Willis's here!"