I am continuing to prepare my notes for inclusion in that DVD, while listening to Soundscapes from Newlyn Church, Cornwall, and The Painted Bride, Philly, both last December. And I checked the July 1st. 1974 KC show in Central Park, NY, the last performance of that outfit; this with a view to making it the Collectors' Club Selection No. 4, April 1999. We are also looking (literally) at the possibility of releasing Club videos. We have bootleg+ quality of KC live in Argentina, October 1994, and P2 at The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco.
The big audio project (intended pun) for Chris Murphy and myself next week is mixing 7 shows from ProjeKct Two. These will include the debut performance in Nashville and the two nights at Park West, Chicago. This will be the basis for the "Live Groove" CD, and Club optional releases. Today Chris finalised the mix of "Heavy ContruKction", P2 live in Northampton. This is "King Crimson - a Single Trio" by another name. But more comments on Crim & The ProjeKcts later.
Now I am off to London for a hot date with my wife, whose opening yesterday was a success. Bunny's flowers arrived and Toyah was very touched to learn that every time he ate a cabbage leaf he put one to the side, the same with carrots, until he had enough to trade for a bouquet. What a Bun this is.
Recipes for Super Tasty Soup when time permits; and yes, probably hearing and listening should be reversed.
Meanwhile, two pieces from today's written work:
I
Addendum to "Endless Grief"
Music Week (June 7, 1997) reported the cessation of the case with an on-the-record quote from Mr. Alder, most of whose conversations with the UK industry weekly had been off-the-record. Mr. Alder is quoted as saying: "This is a case which should never had happened. Robert has wasted a lot of money". If I had ever entertained a doubt that Mr. Alder was qualified to speak with authority on my behalf, then this would itself be sufficient validation. My reply was published in Music Week on July 5th. 1997:
"In your news item headlined `Six-year battle ends after Fripp and EG Music settle ... Mr. Alder is quoted as saying, `This is a case which should never have happened. Robert has wasted a lot of money'. Firstly, this is a case which probably would not have happened if Mr. Alder had paid my royalties on time. Secondly, John Kennedy's legal fees are some of the best money I have ever spent. John's professional advice set standards of clarity and straightforwardness to which I was unaccustomed."
John Kennedy left the practice of law, a few months prior to the final settlement of this case, to run Polygram UK. A little time before this he was awarded an OBE for his charitable services. A bona fide Hero of the Music Industry, John's "clarity and straightforwardness" was both novelty and revelation to a guitarist with my experience of advisory circumstance.
The final remaining documentation was exchanged in September 1997.
I have been asked what I gained from six years of dispute and litigation. This requires answers from several directions, and deserves better than I am able to offer here. The quick answers are these:
1. Everybody lost, despite improvements in the royalty terms and conditions by Virgin and BMG.
This is the condition of the world.
2. The first rule of applied art: turn a seeming disadvantage to our advantage. The greater the seeming disadvantage, the greater the possible advantage.
This is the condition of the artist.
3. A supreme personal challenge in a nominally Christian culture.
This is the condition of our aspiration.
4. A continuing education in the life of a professional guitarist.
This is the condition of the working musician.
I have begun the second half of my professional life with the same level of commitment and energy which I brought to the first half. This, I would not have believed possible. Discipline Global Mobile, all that is springing and growing from it, all that is being nourished from its undertakings, would not have been possible without the collapse of EG and my refusal to accept their conduct.
I have, with help and prayer, forgiven Mr. Alder; although I do not yet love him. Where there is no outer acknowledgement of error, there can only be inner action. But my feelings, my condition, is my own responsibility: this is where I may proceed, if able, and subject always to the operation of grace. As has been wisely said, it is not injustice we should fear but justice; and justice is not dispensed by courts.
II
ProjeKct Four: Press Release.
The members of King Crimson's newest fractal, ProjeKct Four, are:
Tony Levin (bass) Pat Mastelotto (drums)
Trey Gunn (Warr guitar) Robert Fripp (guitar)
ProjeKt Four begins rehearsals in Nashville, and performances in Colorado and the West Coast, during October 1998.
(RF insert: the shows are likely to be in Boulder, Aspen, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco, depending on availability of venues).
A particular vocabulary, repertoire or leitmotif has currency for a particular period. Then the wind changes direction and everything is different. The traditional response of King Crimson, when faced with the end of a cycle, is to break up. And in this KC's timing has been impeccable.
Our current approach is different. Rather than disband and cease to exist for a period, we are fractalising into smaller units within the Double Trio and working together, privately and publicly; this, rather than for all six of us to clatter and bang away simultaneously - which is wonderful and frequently invigorating, for some of the time. ProjeKcting is loosening up the band's view of itself and our sense of possible futures.
The practical difficulties of King Crimson working together are immense: expectation from audiences - of repertoire, and what the legendary and august Crimson is, or might be; expectation from the group of what it is, or might be about-to-be becoming; major logistical problems in touring; and the huge expense in putting the full team together, whether to rehearse or tour.
In November 1997 King Crimson began a series of projeKcts by fractals of its six members: Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn, Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto. The aim of these smaller Crimson projeKcts, or sub-groups, is to function as Research & Development units on behalf of, and for, the Greater Crim and to create music for the next generation of Crimson repertoire. The projeKcts may become as much and as little as they may, recording and touring as stand-alone and independent units.
ProjeKct Two was chronologically the first of the smaller units into action, featuring Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp & Trey Gunn, which recorded the double album "Space Groove" at Studio Belewbeloible in the Nashville Sector during November 19, 20 & 21st. 1997.
PROJEkCT ONE, was the first King Crimson sub-group planned, and the second into action. Bill Bruford, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn and Tony Levin improvised four nights of music at the Jazz Cafe in London, December 1-4th. 1997.
King Crimson Fractals
Album: PROJEkCT TWO - "Space Groove" (DGM 1998)
Album: PROJEkCT TWO - "Live Groove" (DGM November 1998)
Personnel:
Adrian Belew V Drum
Robert Fripp Guitar
Trey Gunn Warr Guitar
Album: projeKct One - "Live At The Jazz Cafe" (DGM November 1998)
Personnel:
Bill Bruford Drums & Percussion
Robert Fripp Guitar
Trey Gunn Warr Guitar
Tony Levin Basses & Stick
Now, off to London ...
Collectors Club Price Differential
We recently received a letter from a prospective club member querying the price differential between US club releases ( $16 ) and European club releases ( £13 ). He suggested that it was unfair that Europeans should pay £13, while americans, at current exchange rates, pay only £10.
He asks if it would not be appropriate to adopt a single worldwide price to reflect the global nature of Discipline.
The reason for the price disparity is simple :
Firstly, the European price contains VAT ( sales tax ) at 17.5% while the American price does not, as, except for Californian residents, they do not pay it. This reflects a general difference that European shops are required to list prices inclusive of VAT, while in the US prices are quoted exclusive of sales tax ( you always pay more than you think you will !) . A truer price comparision would therefore be
European CDs £11.06 + VAT
US CDs $16 ( or roughly £10.00 ) + Sales Tax ( where appropriate )
The European CDs remain slightly more expensive because the cost of manufacture, copyright payments, shipping and labour are slightly higher in the UK than in the US.
We examined the possibility of manufacturing and dispatching all the Cds in the US, but this is not feasible. Firstly, it would be contravention of current copyright laws. More importantly, however, it would cost $7 per CD to ship a CD to Europe, due to the additional shipping costs and also the customs forms that have to be completed on all Cds sent outside the US. And it is still possible that, because you have imported the CD, the dreaded VAT man will ask you to pay the VAT when your CD arrives in Europe.
It may be that our pricing policy is in some way flawed. We are not, however, "discriminating between members of the same club, just because they happen to live on different continents". We have carefully examined our policy to try to make it fair for everyone.
David Singleton 20 Aug 98
