Robert Fripp

Robert Fripp's Diary

Wednesday 18 March 2009

Bredonborough.

11.45

Ever since Tartustock in Estonia was offered, I have been having performance dreams, pretty much every night. Last night it was playing Larks’ II with gloves on both hands at too fast a tempo & unsure of the notes. At the end of one section, I brought it back it at a slower tempo – too slow.

Mr. Painter & his painters are painting the upper stairwell I…

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The grey will provide a more satisfying ground when the Pammies are rehung, taken down for safety when Cheese Constructionists were replacing the lantern over the stairwell while re-roofing our home.

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A morning walk around the town with the Minx, followed by morning coffee & tea in the Angel & Trumpet. A pleasant alteration to the morning’s conventional demands, presently mostly those of disputation.

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To the North American Federation Of Guitar Circles…

my own sense of The OCG was of a beginning. quantitatively small, in terms of venue & audience, but a "small" event that will continue to grow. in 25 years' time, it might have a "larger" resonance than presently.

14.34    When the world is not only mad, but insisting on presenting its argument to this effect, go outside. The garden I…

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VII...

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VIII...
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Good to embrace the earth.

16.34    A little practising. Hoorray!

The street I…

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17.56    More e-flurrying.

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A very reasonable & decent e-mail has come in from a person at UMG, acknowledging error & culpability in one of our current dissensions…

Subject: GROON & CAT FOOD

I was the Catalogue Product Manager who put together the Island box set, Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal. I’m also a very old fan of your work. I even have a clause in my will that “Here Comes The Flood” from “Exposure” (not PG1) is played at my funeral. There’s nothing like planning ahead!
 
I’m also the one responsible for not alerting Island Records back in 2005 that “Groon” and “Cat Food” were only licensed to us for a physical release. I’m afraid it was a combination of incompetence and naivety on my part which lead to this sorry mess. Pure and simply put it was a case of the left hand not letting the right hand know what was going on.
 
When we were alerted by DGM of our mistake we took immediate steps to produce a new master without Groon and Cat Food and alert all of our “digital” partners to remove the original master. It would appear that everyone with one exception complied, but this only came to our attention very recently. It’s most unfortunate.
 
I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused to you. I’d also like to ask you if you could see your way to reconsidering our request to re-license both “Groon” and “Cat Food” for the physical version of Strangely Strange. It would be a tragedy if our Island box set didn’t feature any King Crimson, in this the 50th anniversary of Island Records, as the band were integral to the telling of the Island story.
 
I have little difficulty with mistakes. This is my own primary form of learning, and often in public.

Firstly, there is a mistake.
Secondly, we recognise there is a mistake.
Thirdly, we acknowledge there is a mistake.
Fourthly, we move to address the consequences of the mistake.

No problems here.

But I have major problems with the Second Tier Lawyer at Sanctuary UMG who blocked any movement in addressing our concerns between October 2007 & February 2009, claiming the authority & confidence of those above him at UMG; (and who was then moved out of the loop by the Mr. Senior Person above him at UMG in February 2009).

The difficulty with granting a licence for the Island compilation is that I have no confidence in their procedures. Similarly, with the recent request from Atlantic for their compilation of the same period. From my reply to the straightforward man at UMG…

Subject: Re: GROON & CAT FOOD
 
thank you for your info, and i hope that your funeral goes with a bang (but not for a while).
 
i've similarly declined requests for KC to be part of an Atlantic best of comp as well, for the same reason. i agree, it's a great pity.

 19.43    Local pals have popped in, and out again.

The street I…

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