Hank Marvin and the Record Company that Didn't Seem to Care

I learned today that Hank Marvin is releasing a new album. Whilst this is wonderful news, I am shocked that it seems his record label seems to have no interest in it, leaving Hank to promote it himself. I posted the following on a well-known Shadows internet forum and thought it would make a good blog entry:

I think it's criminal that Hank's record company only seems to consider his work worthy of promotion when he makes the type of music that they tell him to make. I know it's probable that he doesn't have a permanent record deal in place any longer, but I'm willing to bet that Polygram/Universal would be all over him like a rash if he independently suggested an album featuring his "standard" electric guitar sound making covers of recent pop hits. On the other hand, guitarists like Brian May, Mark Knopfler and Jeff Beck are able to flex their creative muscles and try their hand at pretty much any style they want with the full blessing of their record companies. Why is Hank chained down to making bland music? He made little effort to disguise his frustration during the promotion of "Guitar Man", though we only ever saw this frustration vented in Hank's light-hearted way.

I - like many fans - am frustrated that Hank is not given enough recognition by the music industry. I think we tend to wrongly assume this is down to people not accepting his style as still relevant. I've turned full circle and now I think that this opinion is misguided. Hank is regarded in the highest possible esteem by musicians and the general public. I believe that, if his reputation as an artiste has suffered, it purely down to poor support from his record company who wrongly see him as irrelevant and so tie him down to making irrelevant music that does not adequately showcase his talent. I also believe Brian Goode has managed him poorly, treating him as a commodity, taking little interest in the music that is made, therefore not fighting Hank's battles with the record company strongly enough. These people have the privilege of handling the solo career of one of the biggest legends in the music business and yet they have mis-represented, mis-sold and mis-managed him for over twenty years.

"Django's Castle" will likely be the first time we've heard Hank playing the music he wants to play since "Into the Light" and "Heartbeat". "Guitar Player" was a highlight and had many of us drooling at the prospect of further, similar albums. Hank's playing was simply sublime. But we never had a follow-up; "Guitar Man" was a bitter disappointment; the shackles were back on. It was like restricting Andrea Bocelli to singing nursery rhymes. The blame for that, again, lays solely at the feet of the record company. Whether you like Manouche jazz or not, this new album will undoubtedly sound more exciting because it's music that Hank is obviously enthusiastic about. For this reason alone, I'm already excited. It is a travesty that "Django's Castle" is not being released through the proper channels, and all because a few boring executives think it won't make them money.

The men in suits should hang their heads in shame.

Hank, I await "Django's Castle" with great anticipation.