Hello, Hello, Reality Check. Let's All Just Calm Down.
Al Gibrone
--
HTTP://MEMBERS.TRIPOD.CO.UK/Musical_Clam
Adrian
> It's all kicked off on this site, just one innocent comment about =
> McDonalds and it's starting to make Serbia/Kosovo seem like an argument =
> about who's going to have the last choclate biscuit.
Gee, I thought that it was a great discussion. It was very civil and
friendly, and everybody was conceding points when the other guy made a
good argument. That's what a discussion should be. You share your
thoughts, concede some points, agree to disagree on others, and then
everybody goes out for a coke together.
Al:
> I'm into a lot of bands who I like just because of the music they play. =
> I've never really got into one so much, that it turned into something =
> approaching RELIGION.
Don't forget that the idea of the newsgroup is to discuss. Sometimes
things get a little exaggerated in the heat of a discussion. Personally,
I think that makes the discussion more fun, but I suppose I am a
melodramatic sort of guy. I do want to make it clear, though, that while
I might engage in hyperbole and overblown language, I am quite serious
about the major points that I have been making. In my opinion, Hanson is
a profound influence on music, our culture, and peoples' lives.
Al:
> to get where they have today. Did they have to play bars & clubs & dives =
> to build up their fan base?. Did they play these places to 2 men & a =
> dog? and consider jacking it all in because ot the demoralisation. Did =
> they send endless demo tapes to record companies trying to get one of =
> the A&R men to their gigs?.
> NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO, AND NO
> They had rich parents who stumped up a huge wad of cash to record one =
> song, (which I quite liked (Mmm Bop) by the way). They paid an even =
> bigger amount to a clever marketing company to publicise and hype the =
> band, on the novelty of 3 brothers who only had an average age of =
> (approximatley) 12? playing their own instruments in a band together. =
Wrong. Completely wrong. The Hansons' parents are moderately wealthy,
but not rich. They contributed money for the boys to produce two
independent CDs. Besides that, it was up to the boys to bust their butts
and get a record contract. They were turned down by eight different
record companies over the years before Mercury finally signed them two
years ago. At that point, of course, no more of their parents' money was
infested in the boys' career because the money started rolling in from
record sales.
Al:
> Except little drummer boy, who couldn't play more than one song live, =
> because his arms got tired. Bless him.
> Which brings me back to my first question. If Hanson worked really hard =
> to make it big, how did they do it with a drummer who's arms got tired? =
> and also how did Hanson put all this work in, when they were still at =
> school?
Yes, it is very sweet when you think about the fact that Zac was only ten
when MoN was recorded, and a ten-year-old has limitations. I remember at
the Arthur Ash performance, he had a bad stomach ache, but he still came
through like a trooper. And there was the time when they were boo'ed
before they performed the National Anthem at the World Series. Zac was on
the verge of crying, but with his brothers at his side, he performed
heroically, as did they all. These are the kinds of stories that build my
admiration even more for these remarkable and extraordinary young men.
Incidently, they are home-schooled. That's probably why then never
developed the harsh cynical edge that most kids derive from the public
school experience.
Adrian
.........
Bagman
Al, Hi been a long time, hope Andy hasn't been boring you to tears.
Adrian, well done you weirdo, oops sorry overblown language and Hyperbole
I'm afraid, didn't really mean it, well I did but weirdo is a term of
endearment so deal withit.
So Hanson's parents are moderately wealthy and financed two independent CD's
for the boys. Oh the hardship, I too am in a band and like Al have had to
play the two men and a dog gigs, loosing money hand over fist, struggling
for my art, having to give up the recording sessions when the band's
transport needs major repair work.
MODERATELY WEALTHY !!!! come off it they've got herds of cash and would
probably have just kept pumping money in until things went the boys' way.
Sorry I am completely with Mr Gibrone on this one.
they were turned over by 8 record companies, probably the ones that saw that
Hanson have a limited shelf life, Mercury took them to milk them dry quick,
I am sorry but VH-1 will not be running Hanson 30 year specials cos they
won't happen, limit shelf life, a gimmick that'll run until the coke habit,
alcoholism, on tour with Iggy Pop suicide attempt, nihilistic punching out
Marilyn Manson happens.
I personally have been turned down by far more record companies, and don't
try to tell me it's cos I don't have the talent, or tell me I don't have the
ability to change the world cos I'll just find this insulting, especially
when you have nothing to base this on, I have written songs in bands that
have made people cry, that's reall emotion. Nah what I didn't have was rich
parents or a very marketable 'aren't they cute, writing pop songs before
their pubes appear'.
oh yeah, about this 'fan in the making' BS, I liked MmmBop, I liked Where's
the love' yeah I got pulled in by the singles but that doesn't make me a
fan.
So Adrian, let's drop the fuss and blunder, the hyperbole and (as Mr Gibrone
put it) the almost religious admiration for the band. Put your points down
in cold black and white, in answer to the following;
1. Hanson got a deal cos their Parents pumped shed loads of cash in.
2. Hanson were very marketable, the image and time was right, they were
right for the business, they have not influenced a thing
3. Jackson 5, Osmonds, it's the same thing
4. I don't care how old Zac is, he should be able to play the drums properly
by now
5. Home schooling develpos freaks, going to school creates the proper basis
for social interaction, hanson will grow up F**ked.
6. Mr Gibrone has a point, it really has kicked off here, but I'm not
complaining.
The BagMan has spoken, reply expected.
Adrian
<Bag...@bagone.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> 4. I don't care how old Zac is, he should be able to play the drums properly
> by now
Zac turned 13 this past October, which means that he was still only twelve
during the summer concert tour. Believe me, this young man knows how to
play the drums extremely well. EXTREMELY WELL. In fact, there is no
question that among the three brothers, he is the best at his chosen
instrument. Isaac is quite good at the guitar, and Taylor is fairly good
at the keyboards, but Zac is an UNUSUALLY gifted drummer. Many people in
the music industry have acknowledged this, such as Stevie Nicks, who
called Zac a "kick-ass drummer."
Personally, I have never heard the story that when the Hansons started
out, they couldn't play too many consecutive songs because Zac's arms got
tired. If sounds like it could be true, though, when he was ten or
eleven. However, Zac has done a lot of growing since then, and he is a
very strong lad. He has a very characteristic style of drumming. He sits
at the drums with a very straight back, and reaches with his arms to hit
each of the drum-components, without ever hunching over. He bangs the
drums VERY HARD, in fact harder than any other drummer that I have ever
seen or heard. And he can drum for as long as it takes, certainly
throughout an entire concert.
Zac's drumming is very prominent. One time, I listened to the radio for a
while, trying to see if any other song I heard utilized such powerful,
prominent, skillful, and "stand-out" drumming, and none did. I dare you
to buy LIVE FROM ALBERTANE and listen to it for the drumming. Listen to
SPEECHLESS and other songs, and you WILL respect Zac as one of the best
drummers you have ever heard. And he was only 12 at the time. Simply
amazing.
Adrian
..........
Nicky
>Wrong. Completely wrong. The Hansons' parents are moderately
wealthy,
>but not rich.
Don't you think that they are rich now? Their sons sell over 12
million CDs and they don't give any money to their parents who
have looked after and cared for them for years? I don't think
so.
Bagman
with the usual overblown sense of the melodramatic, I've got two things to
say:
1. Yes he can drum, for about five minutes, drumming is also about stamina,
and the boy just don't cut it.
2. Where's the replies to my other 5 points, we can hardly have a discussion
if you are going to ignore most of what I say!
Actually let's add a third thing, Zack is extremely talented drummer, nah
he's pretty technically competant but that about it, and he hits the drums
hard, nah sorry haven't you heard of microphones.
So where's the reply Adrian.
Adrian
I should have said that the Hanson parents WERE only moderately wealthy at
the time when the boys were struggling to get a record deal. That was the
point of contention. One of the other guys claimed that Hanson had a "leg
up" because their parents were rich and pumped a lot of money into their
career. That simply isn't so. Today, I suspect a portion of the profit
goes to the family. However, you will be interested to know that the
Hanson boys filed almost two years ago to legally become "independent
adults." This means that the money that they earn belongs to them. If
they chose to give a portion of it to their parents, or pay them for
helping to manage their career, then this is certainly their option.
Adrian
.......
Adrian
> So Adrian that's one of the six points replied to, which you managed to do
> with the usual overblown sense of the melodramatic, I've got two things to
> say:
I will respond to what I feel like. I may still respond to your other
points if I have the time and inclination. One reason why I did not
respond to most of your points is because you were asking for explanations
on matters that I had already clearly addressed. Perhaps you aren't
reading very carefully.
Bagman:
> 1. Yes he can drum, for about five minutes, drumming is also about stamina,
> and the boy just don't cut it.
This is more evidence that you aren't reading carefully. I made it quite
clear that Zac has the physical strength and stamina to play his drums
with great gusto throughout an average-length concert and beyond. In
fact, he is an unusually strong drummer, as evidenced by how hard he hits
his drums. When he was 10-11, this may not have been true, but it is
certainly true now.
Bagman:
> 2. Where's the replies to my other 5 points, we can hardly have a discussion
> if you are going to ignore most of what I say!
See my response above. I am not obligated to answer your every point.
Most of your points had already been addressed. I might still offer
further commentary on some of them, but I would be more motivated if you
were to read my previous responses more carefully. Otherwise, I am just
repeating myself to someone who turns a deaf ear. Also, since the
transformation of Andy to "The Bagman," you have become somewhat rude and
off-putting, which makes it less enjoyable to chat with you.
Bagman:
> Actually let's add a third thing, Zack is extremely talented drummer, nah
> he's pretty technically competant but that about it, and he hits the drums
> hard, nah sorry haven't you heard of microphones.
No, you're wrong. You're not discussing or offering a legitimate
opinion. You're just disagreeing for the sake of doing so. There is a
big difference between the sound of a drum hit hard, and the sound of a
highly-amplified drum hit softly. A distinctive feature of Zac's drumming
is that he really bangs his drums hard, and that creates a sound that's
rather different from the average drummer. Listen to the music, and then
we can talk about it some more.
Bagman:
> So where's the reply Adrian.
Right here. But as I indicated above, I would be more enthusiastic about
responding if you softened your tone and tried to be nicer and more
polite.
Adrian
............
Su Moon
talent at playing the drums. When I saw them play live, I was quite
impressed with Zac's ability to play strongly for such a long period of
time (I think I remember the concert as being over an hour long). And,
this was not just for one night, but after they had played many shows
already!
And, before anyone accuses me of being some teenybopper who doesn't know
good music from bad, let me just say I am a 30 year old music fan, who's
other favorites include bands such as the Who, Aerosmith, the Stones,
the Sweet, T.Rex, Badfinger, as well as others.
So what, Hanson is young. They still have talent.
Nicky
Bagman wrote in message <7jrjq8$8dr$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>...
>2. Where's the replies to my other 5 points, we can hardly have
a discussion
>if you are going to ignore most of what I say!
I agree. I wrote about what they could do to regain their
musical success amongst other things and these things would have
made for a great discussion but they were all ignored....
BTW Adrian, I have read your reply to Bagman's post.
Nicky
Adrian wrote in message ...
>Bagman:
>> So Adrian that's one of the six points replied to, which you
managed to do
>> with the usual overblown sense of the melodramatic, I've got
two things to
>> say:
>
>I will respond to what I feel like.
That's rude considering that Bagman and I have made an effort to
respond to most of the things that you have said.
Nicky
Su Moon wrote in message
<2811-376...@newsd-123.bryant.webtv.net>...
>Hey! I don't know where you got the info that Zac has no
stamina or
>talent at playing the drums. When I saw them play live, I was
quite
>impressed with Zac's ability to play strongly for such a long
period of
>time (I think I remember the concert as being over an hour
long). And,
>this was not just for one night, but after they had played many
shows
>already!
I know people who, at the age of 12, could play the drums
strongly so you're going no where with that point....
Anyway, as Zac is in the music industry, he should be able to
carry out his job. If he can't, he should quit. You can't
seriously use this as evidence as to how good a drummer he is...
can you?
>So what, Hanson is young. They still have talent.
They should do if they are in the music industry, so you're going
nowhere with that point except for acknowledging that some people
believe that they are manufactured.
Nicky
Adrian wrote in message ...
<n...@spam.please> wrote:
>> Don't you think that they are rich now? Their sons sell over
12
>> million CDs and they don't give any money to their parents who
>> have looked after and cared for them for years? I don't think
>> so.
>
>
>I should have said that the Hanson parents WERE only moderately
wealthy at
>the time when the boys were struggling to get a record deal.
That was the
>point of contention. One of the other guys claimed that Hanson
had a "leg
>up" because their parents were rich and pumped a lot of money
into their
>career. That simply isn't so.
But how can you know this? Hanson may say that they didn't get a
"leg up" from their parents, but that may be untrue. And how can
you know that Hanson's parents are only moderately wealthy? Have
you looked at their bank statements? Pop stars do lie (example:
Britney Spears). Yes, and that is what Hanson are.
>Today, I suspect a portion of the profit
>goes to the family. However, you will be interested to know
that the
>Hanson boys filed almost two years ago to legally become
"independent
>adults." This means that the money that they earn belongs to
them. If
>they chose to give a portion of it to their parents, or pay them
for
>helping to manage their career, then this is certainly their
option.
I thought so, but they are very selfish if they do not give their
parents any money....
Adrian
> >2. Where's the replies to my other 5 points, we can hardly have
> a discussion
> >if you are going to ignore most of what I say!
> musical success amongst other things and these things would have
> made for a great discussion but they were all ignored....
Well, there has been a lot of verbiage and good discussion exchanged at
the newsgroup so far. I'm sorry that I haven't had time to delve into
each and every point that you made, Nicky. In actual fact, the issue of
"what they can do to regain their musical success" is a great one for
discussion. Why don't you start a new thread on this topic, and we can all
respond?
Bagman:
> >> So Adrian that's one of the six points replied to, which you
> managed to do
> >> with the usual overblown sense of the melodramatic, I've got
> two things to
> >> say:
Adrian:
> >I will respond to what I feel like.
Nicky:
> That's rude considering that Bagman and I have made an effort to
> respond to most of the things that you have said.
I didn't think that it was inappropriate given that the Bagman was
demanding responses from me. I love discussion, as long as all parties
are generally respectful and good-natured. I was curt with the Bagman
because his behavior was somewhat off-putting to me. I'm sorry if we got
off on the wrong foot. Also, I had the distinct impression that he was
not reading my posts very carefully because he seems to keep demanding
that I address the same issues over and over. Let's all try to be a bit
more respectful, and we'll get along just fine.
Su Moon:
> >Hey! I don't know where you got the info that Zac has no
> stamina or
> >talent at playing the drums. When I saw them play live, I was
> quite
> >impressed with Zac's ability to play strongly for such a long
> period of
> >time (I think I remember the concert as being over an hour
> long). And,
> >this was not just for one night, but after they had played many
> shows
> >already!
Nicky:
> I know people who, at the age of 12, could play the drums
> strongly so you're going no where with that point....
Wrong Nicky. Su is addressing the Bagman's point for the third or fourth
time (after I already addressed it). He keeps stating over and over that
Zac Hanson does not have the physical strength and stamina to perform
several consecutive songs. We have tried to be patient, and explain to
him over and over again that Zac is a very strong young man and that he
has performed at dozens of full-length concerts, and drummed strongly
right up until the end. It's getting rather ludicrous to have to keep
repeating something that has HAPPENED in front of millions of fans at
concert after concert after concert.
Nicky:
> Anyway, as Zac is in the music industry, he should be able to
> carry out his job. If he can't, he should quit. You can't
> seriously use this as evidence as to how good a drummer he is...
> can you?
Oh please, Nicky. Why are you joining the Bagman on this pointless
crusade to repeat over and over again that Zac cannot perform his job as a
drummer? I have told you very clearly that he is well-known in the
business as an UNUSUALLY gifted drummer and that he has the stamina to
perform well beyond what is necessary. Discussion and debate are fun, but
simply repeating the same misinformed point over and over is rather
boring. Sorry.
Su Moon:
> >So what, Hanson is young. They still have talent.
Nicky:
> They should do if they are in the music industry, so you're going
> nowhere with that point except for acknowledging that some people
> believe that they are manufactured.
You miss her point. She is saying that you shouldn't pre-judge them on
the basis of their youth. Don't assume anything about their "limitations"
on the basis of their age.
Adrian:
> >I should have said that the Hanson parents WERE only moderately
> wealthy at
> >the time when the boys were struggling to get a record deal.
> That was the
> >point of contention. One of the other guys claimed that Hanson
> had a "leg
> >up" because their parents were rich and pumped a lot of money
> into their
> >career. That simply isn't so.
Nicky:
> But how can you know this? Hanson may say that they didn't get a
> "leg up" from their parents, but that may be untrue. And how can
> you know that Hanson's parents are only moderately wealthy? Have
> you looked at their bank statements?
Walker Hanson was an executive in an oil company, which is a high-paying
job. However, the evidence is not consistent with "great" wealth. Up
until recently, the entire family lived in a very small house. Zac,
Taylor, and Ike shared a tiny bedroom that was so small that one of them
had to sleep on a trundle bed stored under the bunkbeds where the other
two slept. Walker apparently earned enough money to rent the equipment
necessary to produce two independent CDs for the boys. However, each song
had to be recorded in less than four hours because of limited resources.
For example, you can actually hear a telephone ringing in the background
of one of the older songs because the money wasn't there to make another
recording.
Adrian:
> >Today, I suspect a portion of the profit
> >goes to the family. However, you will be interested to know
> that the
> >Hanson boys filed almost two years ago to legally become
> "independent
> >adults." This means that the money that they earn belongs to
> them. If
> >they chose to give a portion of it to their parents, or pay them
> for
> >helping to manage their career, then this is certainly their
> option.
Nicky:
> I thought so, but they are very selfish if they do not give their
> parents any money....
The Hanson boys are anything but selfish, but don't forget that the money
does belong to them. Same with any child-star. There are multiple
options for how to deal with this situation, such as holding the money
until the child is an adult. In the Hansons' case, they chose to declare
themselves legal adults NOW so that they could make the appropriate
decisions. And it seems to me that they have.
Adrian
........
Adrian
> 1. Hanson got a deal cos their Parents pumped shed loads of cash in.
This misconception has been addressed in my previous posts.
Bagman:
> 2. Hanson were very marketable, the image and time was right, they were
> right for the business, they have not influenced a thing
Wrong. At least in the USA (and England as Nicky points out), there has
been a very strong prejudice for the past several years against bands
composed of young boys. The image was completely WRONG in terms of
marketability. Record companies were all advised, "don't touch this act
with a ten foot pole." The fact that such a large percentage of the
public accepted Hanson as a legitimate band was a huge surprise to just
about everybody. They became a success IN SPITE OF the climate, not
because of it.
In terms of influence:
a. They have opened new vistas for bands that would otherwise not have
had a chance.
b. They have brought an entirely new kind of music to the fore, and have
thereby inspired and influenced contemporary music.
c. They have shown that bands with stigmas (such as youth) CAN get past
the prejudice if they are good enough and work hard enough. This is very
important.
d. They have shared themselves with their public far beyond what any
other band has ever done. We have gotten to know them as human beings.
This has made them more than just a band to their fans. They have become
a true phenomenon. They are the topic of over 700 webpages, numerous
chatrooms, numerous newsgroups, hundreds of fan-fiction stories, and the
list goes on and on.
e. Through their example and some inexplicable magic that surrounds them,
they have positively influenced the lives of millions of people around the
world. They have shown us that with hard work and dedication, we can make
our dreams come true. They have shown us that obstacles can be overcome.
They have shown us that we don't have to be mean, underhanded, or callous
to achieve success. They have come into peoples' lives and "saved them"
in more ways than I could ever articulate. Make fun if you will, but this
is the simple truth of the matter.
Bagman:
> 3. Jackson 5, Osmonds, it's the same thing
You will have to be more specific. There are obvious similarities, but I
see more differences than similarities. What exactly do you mean, besides
the fact that the Hansons are also a group of young brothers?
Bagman:
> 4. I don't care how old Zac is, he should be able to play the drums properly
> by now
Zac is a superb drummer by every criterion, and by any standard. As far
as I am concerned, the discussion on this point is over until you have
anything to add other than repeating the same misconceptions over and
over.
Bagman:
> 5. Home schooling develpos freaks, going to school creates the proper basis
> for social interaction, hanson will grow up F**ked.
I imagine that there are advantages and disadvantages to home-schooling.
I could talk forever about how public-schooling wastes kids' time,
desperately supports mediocrity over excellence, and promotes undesirable
behaviors that stick with us for life. On the other hand, it does
"toughen" us for the real world, and I suppose that is an advantage. But
the Hansons are certainly not missing that benefit because they are
engaged in a very tough business, and involved in social interactions at
many different levels above and beyond what public school has to offer.
Bagman:
> 6. Mr Gibrone has a point, it really has kicked off here, but I'm not
> complaining.
Sorry. I really don't understand what you are trying to say here.
Adrian
.........
Nicky
>> >I will respond to what I feel like.
>Nicky:
>> That's rude considering that Bagman and I have made an effort
to
>> respond to most of the things that you have said.
>I didn't think that it was inappropriate given that the Bagman
was
>demanding responses from me. I love discussion, as long as all
parties
>are generally respectful and good-natured. I was curt with the
Bagman
>because his behavior was somewhat off-putting to me. I'm sorry
if we got
>off on the wrong foot. Also, I had the distinct impression that
he was
>not reading my posts very carefully because he seems to keep
demanding
>that I address the same issues over and over. Let's all try to
be a bit
>more respectful, and we'll get along just fine.
Agreed.
>Nicky:
>> I know people who, at the age of 12, could play the drums
>> strongly so you're going no where with that point....
>
Adrian:
>Wrong Nicky. Su is addressing the Bagman's point for the third
or fourth
>time (after I already addressed it). He keeps stating over and
over that
>Zac Hanson does not have the physical strength and stamina to
perform
>several consecutive songs. We have tried to be patient, and
explain to
>him over and over again that Zac is a very strong young man and
that he
>has performed at dozens of full-length concerts, and drummed
strongly
>right up until the end. It's getting rather ludicrous to have
to keep
>repeating something that has HAPPENED in front of millions of
fans at
>concert after concert after concert.
Yeah, but I'm saying that Zac *should* be able to do this. I'm
saying that by you and somebody else saying that Zac is a good
drummer just because he can drum is ludicrous. He *should* be
able to drum as he is in the music industry. *This* hasn't been
addressed before. The Bagman is questioning whether Zac can
drum, I'm saying that he should be able to drum.
And then you said....
>Oh please, Nicky. Why are you joining the Bagman on this
pointless
>crusade to repeat over and over again that Zac cannot perform
his job as a
>drummer?
I'm not! *This* (what I'm saying) hasn't been said before.
>I have told you very clearly that he is well-known in the
>business as an UNUSUALLY gifted drummer and that he has the
stamina to
>perform well beyond what is necessary. Discussion and debate
are fun, but
>simply repeating the same misinformed point over and over is
rather
>boring. Sorry.
I agree - that's why *I'm* not repeating the same point over and
over and over again.
re: Wealth of parents/Adrian said that they were moderately
wealthy.
>Nicky:
>> But how can you know this? Hanson may say that they didn't
get a
>> "leg up" from their parents, but that may be untrue. And how
can
>> you know that Hanson's parents are only moderately wealthy?
Have
>> you looked at their bank statements?
>
Adrian:
>Walker Hanson was an executive in an oil company, which is a
high-paying
>job. However, the evidence is not consistent with "great"
wealth. Up
>until recently, the entire family lived in a very small house.
Zac,
>Taylor, and Ike shared a tiny bedroom that was so small that one
of them
>had to sleep on a trundle bed stored under the bunkbeds where
the other
>two slept.
I don't know how true this is [nor can anybody else except for
Hanson themselves - I don't trust or believe what pop stars
(whatever you want to call them) say]. Anyway, why if Walker had
a high-paying job did the Hansons live in a small house? I don't
know where the logic is in that! Was it because Walker was
saving up to record Hanson's two independent CDs? My next
question is: why did Hanson choose to move to a non-indepent
label? We can have this discussion soon.....
Adrian:
>Walker apparently earned enough money to rent the equipment
>necessary to produce two independent CDs for the boys. However,
each song
>had to be recorded in less than four hours because of limited
resources.
>For example, you can actually hear a telephone ringing in the
background
>of one of the older songs because the money wasn't there to make
another
>recording.
But most bands have faced this in the past. Most bands are
poorly funded, so Hanson were lucky to get the money to record
two CDs. Question to The Bagman: does your band have the funds
to record two CDs?
>Adrian:
>> >Today, I suspect a portion of the profit
>> >goes to the family. However, you will be interested to know
>> that the
>> >Hanson boys filed almost two years ago to legally become
>> "independent
>> >adults." This means that the money that they earn belongs to
>> them. If
>> >they chose to give a portion of it to their parents, or pay
them
>> for
>> >helping to manage their career, then this is certainly their
>> option.
>Nicky:
>> I thought so, but they are very selfish if they do not give
their
>> parents any money....
>
Adrian:
>The Hanson boys are anything but selfish
Do they give money to charities regularly? Have they donated the
profits for one or more of their CDs to charity? Have they
performed at any concerts where all profits go to charity for
this reason, not to promote their music? In spite of all of
Hanson's hard work that you've been telling us of, other people
work harder for less money and others go through terrible
hardships - they have been through more than Hanson will ever go
through in their lives because of their wealthy parents.
>but don't forget that the money
>does belong to them.
Are they religious? Doesn't the Christian religion say that
money is a gift from God and as such belongs to nobody. That it
should be shared and used for good? However, most of this won't
matter to anybody because of the society in which we live. Maybe
Hanson should set an example to give to charity (if they do not
already).
>Same with any child-star. There are multiple
>options for how to deal with this situation, such as holding the
money
>until the child is an adult. In the Hansons' case, they chose
to declare
>themselves legal adults NOW so that they could make the
appropriate
>decisions. And it seems to me that they have.
What have they done with it? I'd be interested to know...
Adrian
> >Wrong Nicky. Su is addressing the Bagman's point for the third
> or fourth
> >time (after I already addressed it). He keeps stating over and
> over that
> >Zac Hanson does not have the physical strength and stamina to
> perform
> >several consecutive songs. We have tried to be patient, and
> explain to
> >him over and over again that Zac is a very strong young man and
> that he
> >has performed at dozens of full-length concerts, and drummed
> strongly
> >right up until the end. It's getting rather ludicrous to have
> to keep
> >repeating something that has HAPPENED in front of millions of
> fans at
> >concert after concert after concert.
> saying that by you and somebody else saying that Zac is a good
> drummer just because he can drum is ludicrous. He *should* be
> able to drum as he is in the music industry. *This* hasn't been
> addressed before. The Bagman is questioning whether Zac can
> drum, I'm saying that he should be able to drum.
Perhaps I should have simply said, "yes of course he can drum." That
point should be quite clear. The next issue is, how well can he drum? In
fact, he is quite extraordinary. I dare say that almost anybody who
listens to LIVE FROM ALBERTANE, even if they like nothing else, will say
that Zac's drumming is something very special. The fact that he was only
12 is just "icing on the cake" that makes it even more incredible that he
is so good. And just to be clear once again, he is extraordinary by ANY
standards for a person of ANY age. He just happened to be 12.
Adrian:
> >Walker Hanson was an executive in an oil company, which is a
> high-paying
> >job. However, the evidence is not consistent with "great"
> wealth. Up
> >until recently, the entire family lived in a very small house.
> Zac,
> >Taylor, and Ike shared a tiny bedroom that was so small that one
> of them
> >had to sleep on a trundle bed stored under the bunkbeds where
> the other
> >two slept.
Nicky:
> I don't know how true this is [nor can anybody else except for
> Hanson themselves - I don't trust or believe what pop stars
> (whatever you want to call them) say]. Anyway, why if Walker had
> a high-paying job did the Hansons live in a small house? I don't
> know where the logic is in that! Was it because Walker was
> saving up to record Hanson's two independent CDs? My next
> question is: why did Hanson choose to move to a non-indepent
> label? We can have this discussion soon.....
I strongly doubt that the Hanson camp lies to the public about much of
anything because they are so closely scrutinized. They've never been
"caught" in a lie, so I doubt that they do it. In terms of wealth, let me
try to be clearer. I will guess (just a wild guess), that Walker perhaps
made $150,000 USD per year. That's a lot of money in terms of providing a
comfortable life-style, savings, and investments. But that does not make
a person RICH. It doesn't make a person capable of doing anything they
want such as throwing millions of dollars into a risky career venture for
his kids. The fact that the Hansons lived in a small house just shows you
that even a good six-figure salary does NOT permit a person (especially
with a large family) to do whatever he wants financially.
Adrian:
> >Walker apparently earned enough money to rent the equipment
> >necessary to produce two independent CDs for the boys. However,
> each song
> >had to be recorded in less than four hours because of limited
> resources.
> >For example, you can actually hear a telephone ringing in the
> background
> >of one of the older songs because the money wasn't there to make
> another
> >recording.
Nicky:
> But most bands have faced this in the past. Most bands are
> poorly funded, so Hanson were lucky to get the money to record
> two CDs. Question to The Bagman: does your band have the funds
> to record two CDs?
Let me try to be clear about this. I am not trying to suggest that the
Hansons were paupers who had to scratch for every penny needed to support
their musical career. Both financially and emotionally, they got a lot of
support from their parents. They were safe and comfortable, and they had
financial support beyond what is available to most fledgling bands. My
point is that you are significantly exaggerating their resources. And you
are implying that they had the kind of wealth that made it very easy to
get their career moving, and that they didn't have to bust their butts to
get signed by a record company. Not true. Things were actually pretty
tough for them, and they sure did have to bust their butts.
Nicky:
> Do they give money to charities regularly? Have they donated the
> profits for one or more of their CDs to charity? Have they
> performed at any concerts where all profits go to charity for
> this reason, not to promote their music? In spite of all of
> Hanson's hard work that you've been telling us of, other people
> work harder for less money and others go through terrible
> hardships - they have been through more than Hanson will ever go
> through in their lives because of their wealthy parents.
The Hansons are not known for putting a lot of time, energy, and money
into charitable endeavors at this time, but they have certainly done some
charitable work. Don't forget, they are only starting to build their
empire, and there are a lot of expenses involved. Much of the profit has
to be turned back into the "business." So, give them time, and I'm sure
that they will do more charitable work. Also, many artists do a lot more
charitable work than they publicize. While people like Michael Jackson
make big publicity out of every dime they give to charity, other folks (of
higher character in my opinion) such as the Artist Formerly Known as
Prince give TONS of money to charities, but simply don't publicize it. We
cannot know for sure how much money Hanson gives to charities.
Nicky:
> Are they religious?
The evidence is that they are strongly religious. But they have a
philosophy that they do not talk about it very much. It is a private
matter with them.
Adrian:
> >Same with any child-star. There are multiple
> >options for how to deal with this situation, such as holding the
> money
> >until the child is an adult. In the Hansons' case, they chose
> to declare
> >themselves legal adults NOW so that they could make the
> appropriate
> >decisions. And it seems to me that they have.
Nicky:
> What have they done with it? I'd be interested to know...
I don't have specific details. The evidence seems to suggest that a lot
of the money goes back into the business. Also, they recently bought a
new house. Some money goes into everyday living. Their lifestyle still
seems relatively modest though, so I suspect that they are also saving and
investing for the future.
Adrian
........
Bagman
you are a star, congratulations on handling all of my points, I still
disagree with you regarding the Parents money, and Zak's drumming but as you
say these points are becoming laboured.
My point about the Jackson's and the Osmonds was based on the marketability
and image, rather than the music but again this point goes round in circles,
I would have to say I can see how strongly you feel about how Hanson have
struggled through despite all odds and I still feel cynical about the whole
deal, and stick by my point about better songwriters being out there.
the whole home schooling/public school (funnily enough public school in
England means the exact opposite to it's meaning in the States) is an
exciting and very deep topic but to be honest it's totally off the Hanson
NG.
Glad to see you say that I can make fun of any point, cos you simply know
that I will.
Zak served me with a Whopper !!!!!
Hee Hee
Adrian
> Zak served me with a Whopper !!!!!
YIKES!!! I hope he was gentle with you!
Adrian
Bagman
ha ha nice one,
Adrian wrote in message ...