136 episodes

Music Exchange (MEX) founder Martin Myers and music writer Jason Curtis host a candid weekly chat. Each session shares lived experiences, and all promote vital conversations regarding the state of the entertainment economy, local and international, current, and future.

On the Couch with MEX On the couch with MEX

    • Music

Music Exchange (MEX) founder Martin Myers and music writer Jason Curtis host a candid weekly chat. Each session shares lived experiences, and all promote vital conversations regarding the state of the entertainment economy, local and international, current, and future.

    On the Couch - #135 - MEX in conversation with Guy Macleod - Part 2

    On the Couch - #135 - MEX in conversation with Guy Macleod - Part 2

    Guy was back on Thurs at 9pm on CapeTalk



    Talking about:

    Shortage of training for filmmakers in the business aspects of film.

    How are they financed? How do you justify the cost and what is the plan to repay the money.

    Lack of institutional financing and the negative thinking around film and television projects

    The importance of having the legal issues pertaining to a project resolved from the outset – this extends to chain of title, production and distribution agreements.

    #businessofentertainment

    • 30 min
    On the Couch - #134 - MEX in conversation with Guy Macleod

    On the Couch - #134 - MEX in conversation with Guy Macleod

    With a background in corporate law at one of South Africa’s big five law firms, Guy joined the firm in 2002 and seeing an opportunity of an under serviced sector began practicing in the broader field of media and entertainment.

    The firm has since grown into a formidable boutique entertainment firm that is often described as “punching above its weight” given its client base in the film and television sector both locally and internationally.

    With more than 20 years’ experience in the legal and business end of the entertainment industry and his involvement in the production and/or financing of more than 200 projects, Guy is in a unique position to offer quick and comprehensive advice on all aspects of film, television, development, production, financing and distribution.

    Guy’s clients include global financing institutions active in film and television financing, studios, streamers and production companies as well as some well-known individual creatives.

    Guy has numerous film and television credits to his name including the Oscar nominated film “Invictus”.

    He is highly regarded both locally and internationally as South Africa's leading entertainment lawyer and has been instrumental in securing production work for his clients in excess of three billion rand.

    Guy is also a regular speaker at industry events.

    • 30 min
    On the Couch - #133 - MEX in conversation with Peter Lacey - Part 2

    On the Couch - #133 - MEX in conversation with Peter Lacey - Part 2

    Peter Lacey is a successful entrepreneur who comes from a background in the entertainment software industry, having successfully built S.A's largest independent entertainment software company, Vision Software, before selling it to Electronic Arts (EA) and running the African division for four years.

    Peter has always taken pride in the fact that South Africa has tremendous talent, both in software development and musical ability, and that all we ever needed was a channel to the international market to develop that intellectual property offering.

    Peter is a huge music fan, having been a DJ at college and he has known Brian O'Shea for 20 years. When he decided to leave EA in 2000 there was only one thing he wanted to do: create a music company with a global reputation for great music.

    Peter is a natural risk taker who has brought all artists onto the label under his motto "Pride, Passion, Patience and Persistence". Peter handles all exploitation and other business activities. These include publishing, personal and business management arms to young artists striving to break out of the traditional low income base artists presently have in this country.

    • 31 min
    On the Couch - #132- MEX in conversation with Peter Lacey

    On the Couch - #132- MEX in conversation with Peter Lacey

    Peter Lacey is a successful entrepreneur who comes from a background in the entertainment software industry, having successfully built S.A's largest independent entertainment software company, Vision Software, before selling it to Electronic Arts (EA) and running the African division for four years.

    Peter has always taken pride in the fact that South Africa has tremendous talent, both in software development and musical ability, and that all we ever needed was a channel to the international market to develop that intellectual property offering.

    Peter is a huge music fan, having been a DJ at college and he has known Brian O'Shea for 20 years. When he decided to leave EA in 2000 there was only one thing he wanted to do: create a music company with a global reputation for great music. Peter is a natural risk taker who has brought all artists onto the label under his motto "Pride, Passion, Patience and Persistence". Peter handles all exploitation and other business activities. These include publishing, personal and business management arms to young artists striving to break out of the traditional low income base artists presently have in this country.

    • 30 min
    On the Couch - #131 - MEX in conversation with Greg Cutler

    On the Couch - #131 - MEX in conversation with Greg Cutler

    Greg has kindly given me this, in the room, story of that famous recording - Yes, Greg did ALL the work ;-) 

    The story begins sometime in late 1978 early 1979. 

    Patric Van Blerk, who was on a sabbatical from the music industry at the time, had shown a great interest in the newly formed trio of Joy. He was at the time planning his re-entry into the music business after the demise of the Satbel record company and troubles at the newly formed Jo’burg records. 

    He had re-established his connection with his old song writing partner Fransua Roos after years of being estranged from him and had written a new batch of songs.

    He was looking for a new breed of artists to form the core of his then emerging label Café Society, named after the very successful café Casablanca on Rocky Street. 

    Two of the new batch of songs were “Paradise Road” and “Ain’t Gonna Stop ‘Til I Get to the Top”. 

    Linda Bernhardt and myself were invited to Patric’s house in Orange Grove on several occasions to discuss the potential of his involvement with Joy and Spirits Rejoice. Fransua Roos was present at one of these meetings and played for us, on the piano, an unfinished version of Paradise Road and Ain’t Gonna Stop.

    We were both blown away by the songs and from there on forward we knew they were going to be very powerful and perfect for Joy. 

    It was decided that the recordings would be done as a collaboration with Fransua Roos arranging the tracks in conjunction with Spirits Rejoice. Spirits Rejoice were using a spare room at Satbel Studios for their band rehearsals. 

    We arranged for Fransua to join them along with Joy in the rehearsal room to start the rehearsals in preparation for the recordings. This was a magic rehearsal session.

    Fransua played the songs a couple of times to introduce the band and the girls to the song, Patric had more or less completed the lyrics and after about a couple of hours the arrangements had come together, the girls had worked out their parts and it was sounding amazing. 

    Felicia had mastered the tone and delivery that Fransua wanted for the verses, Anneline had delivered the power going into the choruses and Thoko had the warm low harmonies that were so much the sound of Joy. 

    The phenomenal bass line was a natural for Sipho Gumede and the subtlety of the drums/percussion was a result of the amazing techniques of Gilbert Mathews on the drums. 

    Everyone was so high after these rehearsals, we knew this was going to be a big hit and couldn’t wait to get into studio to record. Unfortunately there were some complications that would hold up the recording.

    Patric was still in the process of concluding his label deal with Matt Mann of RPM records and there were questions about where we would be able to record our tracks. We were holding out for the recording to be done at Satbel Studios as they had the most advanced 24 track recording studio in South Africa at the time. The issues were resolved in the fullness of time and we started to record at Satbel studios. 

    The rhythm section we used for the backing tracks with consisted of Gilbert Mathews on drums, Sipho Gumede on bass, Paul Peterson on guitar, Fransua Roos on grand piano and Mervyn Africa on Fender Rhodes. 

    The backing track was laid within one or two takes along with two or three other backing tracks. We then proceeded to add the vocals. We were very fussy with the vocals and probably spent more than a day doing this, in fact I think we came back to some parts two or three times as the orchestration developed. 

    Fransua then went away to write the parts for the string section. The string section took a long time to record as Fransua had not held back on the complexity of the arrangement and the string players found some of the parts tricky to deliver, especially the cello parts on the intro’s and turnarounds. 

    Once we had completed the string section overdubs we all started to have visions of this being the perfect kitch

    • 53 min
    On the Couch - #130 - MEX in conversation with JP Willson - Part 2

    On the Couch - #130 - MEX in conversation with JP Willson - Part 2

    Part two, where I chatted with multi talented production man and lighting designer, Jp Willson about events, shows and weddings, and much much more on CapeTalk, just past 9pm each Thursday, on the #BusinessOfEntertainment. Please enjoy.

    • 30 min

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