Musically, the last dying moments of 2003 were painful to witness. They were a timely reminder on just how badly the UK’s music lovers are served by the print and broadcast media. But first the few positive moments starting with my personal discovery of Katie Melua and her seasoned mentor, Mike Batt. My interest in this formidable twosome started with me hearing Melua’s debut single, The Closest Thing To Crazy, and wanting to know and hear more. I managed to contact Mike Batt who subsequently emailed answers to several questions about the collaboration. It’s an interesting and encouraging story about discovering real talent, and how to help it succeed on a small independent label, with a little help from the broadcast media. It’s also an object lesson to artists and record companies on how it should be done, and is unfortunately all too rare…

The second high point was the wonderful music that Santa sent me. The latest from Emmylou Harris (STUMBLE INTO GRACE), Tom McRae (JUST LIKE BLOOD), Ryan Adams (LOVE IS HELL, PART 2) plus a classic Gram Parsons recording (GRAM PARSONS & THE FALLEN ANGELS LIVE, 1973 - with a Virgin price tag that writhing in guilt…). Sadly, because the first three weren’t received for review on release, they didn’t figure in our ‘best albums of 2003.’ They should have done.

Which brings me nicely onto the low points of these last days of 2003. Last night I witnessed the most cynical money making scam of the year, and when ‘goodwill to all men’ took on a whole new meaning… World Idol brought together the winning Pop Idols from eleven countries to sing for their world launch supper, and a further opportunity to swell to overflowing Fuller and Cowell pockets (together with other third party service providers).

It was a gruesome and excruciating experience to watch artists like Will Young and Kelly Clarkson have to prove themselves all over again in front of those ‘all-knowing’ judges. No doubt this little excursion was built into watertight contracts, and the artists involved had little choice in the matter. ITV and all responsible for this dreadful event should hang their heads in shame, and I hope that viewers recognise the purpose of the show, and do not make that 25p phone call… And Ant & Dec suffer from frost-bite…

Alex Parks was a deserving and exceptional winner of BBC’s Fame Academy. But to you avid readers of album reviews, can you tell me how many reviews you read of Parks’ debut album INTRODUCTION? I counted two broadsheet reviews, and believe me I’ve looked… I admit to having my doubts on just how the record label would treat such a distinctive and unusual talent, but the album is an excellent one that includes at least two of the best original songs I’ve heard in 2003. Now I know the album was sent out to every major reviewer for every major magazine, so perhaps someone can explain to me why it was so casually ignored…

How many times did you see the likes of Blue, Busted, Westlife, Sugarbabes, Atomic Kitten, Sophie Ellis-Bextor on TV in recent weeks? Or rather can you tell me when they weren’t on TV? But hype queen of the closing days of 2003 was undoubtedly the ‘posh’ quarter of the Beckham family. How such an untalented individual can grab every interview slot, every video slot, every documentary slot, every headline slot, every ‘live’ performance slot, every cosy sofa chat slot is beyond me. The oxygen of publicity is a precious commodity that should be made available to the very best talent; artists who would welcome just a few short gasps. In 2004 I hope this media circus comes to a grinding halt. In your dreams Tone, in your fuckin’ dreams…

TV and Radio are the most powerful tools for exposing talent. Katie Melua’s airplay on BBC Radio 2 served to convert real talent to commercial success at home, and probably a long-term future in world markets. But this in 2003 was a rare exception. As a Public Service broadcaster, funded by the British public, the BBC has a duty to enlighten us as to the best of UK and world talent. It doesn’t. Rather, it pushes out numerous boats that we have travelled in numerous times before. Further, it alone, through its nationwide network of radio and TV stations, has the power and money to take risks (risks?)without financial penalty. Take a look at our top albums of the year and tell me how many of these artists have you heard played on BBC Radio 1 or 2, or seen on BBC TV… With the heavy restrictions imposed by current and past UK governments on the issuing of new radio and TV licences, the BBC has virtual a monopoly on what we see and hear. The corporation’s participation in the hype bandwagon and its ignorance of some of the finest talent from home and abroad represents a major scandal.

But what if it introduced a policy of ‘Talent and Great Music First’? What if its numerous research staff opened their eyes and ears to the wonderful talent and music out there, and adopted a more proactive approach to play-listing on the terrestrial airwaves? Dream on Tone… After all they have just ‘dramatically revived’ the format of the country’s most-watched pop TV programmes, Top Of The Pops, in order to halt its dramatic ratings decline (from an audience of over 6 million to under 2 million). Did you spot the difference? And just who was it that gave the Spice Girls and Victoria Beckham such a massive (and mimed) PR platform…

To the many unseen and unheard great artists out there, the question, ‘What if?’ must haunt them, as some struggle to fill small venues and travel to the next one, and scrape together enough money to make their first or second recording. The BBC, our BBC, has much to answer for, but does not listen or care.

But, What If?

Ed