Autumn 1998

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Babel surviving on goodwill & integrity

by Oliver Weindling

THE Babel Label is reliant on the goodwill and support of three main sources: the musicians, who have entrusted us with their music; the investors in the label and to whom we are responsible in making sure that (at some stage) they make their money back; the purchasers of the CDs which we produce. To each of these we have responsibilities: lto the musicians, we have to ensure that their music is released honestly and accurately and that it is listened to as widely as possible and, thus, help their incomes both directly and indirectly; lto our investors, we have to ensure that they make their money back (eventually); lto our CD buyers, that, when they pay for a CD, that they get something which will give them satisfaction.
Many organisations in this sector depend on a fourth source - official funding and grants. Thus far, in bringing out 22 releases, Babel itself has received directly just £6,000 to support its activities. For this we are, needless to say, extremely grateful. Why is it so hard for us to get official funding? First, the label started at an unfortunate time in relation to the Arts Council’s Recording Subsidy. Initially, it was too new a label to justify much success. The subsidy was supposed to be replaced by a new Lottery funded scheme. We have been waiting for it for the past two years. And continue to wait and wait.......
The grant system has also tended towards live rather than recorded performance. Perhaps recordings are generally regarded as the preserve of the major record labels and will make money. Tell that to all of the small labels over here, including the new ones such as Steve Noble’s Ping Pong Label, or the Village Life label of Paul Clarvis and Sonia Slany. Finally, we operate in a sector of music which is generally underfunded. Over 98% of the official funding goes to classical music. Perhaps there is a chance for this balance to be redressed slightly over the next year of two. It is for this reason that I have been an active participant in the organisation MusicAlliance. MusicAlliance has been arranging conferences for promoters, labels and others in jazz, world music and folk for the past five years. But this year in particular, with Chris Smith (the Culture Minister in this country, if you didn’t know) in attendance, we believe that there is a chance. Even if 98% were reduced to 96% then there would be more money for all. (Next year’s meeting will be at the Barbican on 26-28 February. Contact us here for more information if you want it!).
We are not a gimmicky label, in that we make no aggressive attempts to pander to the short-term demands of the commercial market to book glamorous guest artists for our releases or second guess a desire to get a bestseller of Kenny G proportions. We continue to trade upon our honest belief in the music scene over here and a potentially wider audience.
Oliver Weindling is the founder and director of the Babel Label.

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Babel Babble

By Dick Ward

CURIOUS. Huw Warren looked fresher coming off a three-week American tour than he did a day and a half with his family. Still, if you insist on having four very active young lads under nine years of age I guess it’s understandable... Mind you, that nearly was reduced to three after one looked rather worryingly at Dave Ramm after a Leicester TLC gig and said: 'You’re too old to be a musician!'

Leeds United fan (I believe they’re a football team) Mike Pickering didn’t just wear his team’s colours at the Leeds TLC gig he wore both home and away colours! Pathetic. Let’s just hope he had two more pairs for Christine Tobin’s Harrogate gig the next night.

Goodbye Thomas - hello Jorg Miegel. The Fun Horns’ new boy made a great debut with the Blues Collective as they stormed the seventh Neubrandenburger Jazz Fruhling.

Real blues guitarist Rick Bolton who not only lost his mobile phone outsid