I've always defended Damon, but his latest comments..

[daysleeper]

yes, it is funny that somebody who so stringently divides both songwriting credits and royalties equally feels placed to make the solo announcement that the band is over...

I don't think royalties are equal. I read years ago that Damon gets around 50%, Graham 25%, Alex 15% and Dave 10%.

I believe that is correct. Sure I read that in a book.

[2-J]

I am pretty sure that is not true and I really think the claim should be backed up with some evidence. (why the hell would Dave get less than Alex? Or, for that matter, why would Graham get more than the 'other two'??)

In the official songwriting credits, music is always credited to Albarn / Coxon / James / Rowntree. Damon insisted that the songwriting be split like that - at least for the music (don't know about the words credit and if that would impact on the royalties). Source: the Damon Albarn Unheard book, an original document from 1989 records this fact.

[Francesca]

I agree with what Allo Vera said about Damon being impulsive and wanting things NOW, when as a matter of fact it does take time for things to click plus they all have a million things going on in their lives. If only he accepted the fact that it is going to take time for them to find the 'magic' again simply because they have stopped playing regularly with each other for a looooon while (and no, I am afraid some tea, biscuits and jamming once in a while doesn't qualify as a regularly functioning band): if it doesn't work immediately it does not necessarily mean it is not worth trying again and again until it does.
Of course it needs scheduling and effort, but does Damon really need someone pointing out to him just how incredibly brilliant the outcome could be? For all gods in heaven, quick someone give him an ipod and put ALL the freaking Blur albums plus b-sides on repeat until he drops on his knees, arms aloft and finds the 'true enlightment'...


Francesca

[dannnn]

yes, it is funny that somebody who so stringently divides both songwriting credits and royalties equally feels placed to make the solo announcement that the band is over...

I don't think royalties are equal. I read years ago that Damon gets around 50%, Graham 25%, Alex 15% and Dave 10%.

I believe that is correct. Sure I read that in a book.

I read it in the 'Blur' book by Jon Ewing. 9th one down at the below:

http://www.vblurpage.com/discography/books.htm

[blurdamongorgeous]

I just wish he'd stop ruling out blur

[BongToffee]

I just wish he'd stop ruling out blur

This^

[2-J]

yes, it is funny that somebody who so stringently divides both songwriting credits and royalties equally feels placed to make the solo announcement that the band is over...

I don't think royalties are equal. I read years ago that Damon gets around 50%, Graham 25%, Alex 15% and Dave 10%.

I believe that is correct. Sure I read that in a book.

I read it in the 'Blur' book by Jon Ewing. 9th one down at the below:

http://www.vblurpage.com/discography/books.htm

Interesting, thanks. I'm not about to dismiss it out of hand. If that's true, it's very strange and goes against some other things I've heard / read.

[tenement funster]

But I imagine the equal influence part for arranging songs is very wrong.

No one's questioning that Damon wrote the lyrics, melodies and most/all chord structures - but those rough ideas as far as I'm aware were taken into rehearsal and formed by the whole band and radically changed from their initial form. I'm sure the band were very democratic and I can't imagine either Alex or Dave were there being dictated to any more than Damon was. Do you really think Damon was writing Alex's bass lines? Don't be fucking daft! This isn't Oasis ya know, where one band member was carrying the others.

[andym]

I am pretty sure that is not true and I really think the claim should be backed up with some evidence. (why the hell would Dave get less than Alex? Or, for that matter, why would Graham get more than the 'other two'??)

In the official songwriting credits, music is always credited to Albarn / Coxon / James / Rowntree. Damon insisted that the songwriting be split like that - at least for the music (don't know about the words credit and if that would impact on the royalties). Source: the Damon Albarn Unheard book, an original document from 1989 records this fact.

Well even if it's credited Albarn / Coxon / James / Rowntree there always could be an agreement of that 50 / 25 / 15 /10 thing. If they signed a paper with that percentage, then it's likely. i'm no expert but if Damon brought the song, Graham made most of the arrangements, and the other two played their part then that percentage seems fair.

yes, it is funny that somebody who so stringently divides both songwriting credits and royalties equally feels placed to make the solo announcement that the band is over...

Not so strange if we assume the band operates on a veto system and the other three want to do it (neither assumption improbable). That Graham left before raises the intriguing possibility of Graham, Alex and Dave continuing on under the Blur name, but that aside...

That would be weird but interesting. But Graham is so important in the blur sound that it could work. I mean, Happiness in Magazine and A&E really sound like Blur records. Or at least records that Blur could have made.

[damon4president]

well, no, it doesn't really. Not all Blur songs were formed by Damon taking demos to the studio (although many were); some were written there and then, with relatively equal contributions. Alex wrote the guitar chords for She's So High, and Graham the verse lyrics, for example. It just sounds too strangely clear-cut to me, but I guess that's the nature of recording contracts. To suggest that Graham's contribution to Blur's music is 25%, as this contract apparently does, is way off the mark...

[andym]

yeah that's weird, but if that's what they signed then... doesnt matter who wrote what, who brought what. Is there a good book about Blur and all those stuff ? i'm interested...

[2-J]

well, no, it doesn't really. Not all Blur songs were formed by Damon taking demos to the studio (although many were); some were written there and then, with relatively equal contributions. Alex wrote the guitar chords for She's So High, and Graham the verse lyrics, for example.

Oh yeah there are cases like that and of jams, but the impression we get is that the overwhelming majority started with a Damon home demo.

[damon4president]

yeah that's weird, but if that's what they signed then... doesnt matter who wrote what, who brought what. Is there a good book about Blur and all those stuff ? i'm interested...

3862 days is the 'official' book, and it does give a fairly comprehensive history, although it only goes up to 1999... alex's bit of a blur is good for a laugh, but if you want clinical facts then it's not particularly helpful... there aren't many other 'histories' that are very good, really; I suppose John Harris' The Last Party is good in terms of interview material, and putting the music in context of the social conditions, but I'm not his biggest fan...

Oh yeah there are cases like that and of jams, but the impression we get is that the overwhelming majority started with a Damon home demo.

yes, started that way, but for the most part they ended up sounding completely different upon release. I think that Alex, Graham and Dave's contributions are of equal worth, because, when it comes down to it, it was their version of the song that made all the money, not Damon's 4-track demo.

[2-J]

The Martin Roach book is actually (somewhat surprisingly) pretty good, and includes some interesting interview material. Only goes up to mid 1996 though.

[andym]

Thanx