Sinister: It's always the quiet ones

[lulou]

All those years nurturing his creativity on the dole has paid off, Stuart
David, estwhile bassist of Belle and Sebastian has made pots of cash by
allowing one of his tunes to be used by Xerox.

I heard Stuart interviewed and he seemed surprised that this story was
picked up now, as the advert has been running for years, but here it is..

Article in the Herald last Monday (courtesy of Google cache)..

 " The few seconds of music that proved a œ500,000 earner
  MARTIN WILLIAMS       November 22 2005

 THEY don't have a record deal and give away their music free through
Their website. But Looper, a little-known Scottish band, have earned about
£500,000 in royalties after one of their instrumentals was adopted as the
signature tune for Xerox, the largest document management company in the
world.

Mondo 77 is heard each day by millions of Americans on national
television, although the vast majority will have no idea that the band,
which formed through Glasgow School of Art, is responsible for it.
While pop tracks are often used to sell everything from iPods to cars,
they usually have a short shelf life.

However, Looper's simple electronic tune has become a permanent fixture
in the US, having been a staple on every Xerox advert since it was
discovered by company executives three years ago.
The track, which was first released five years ago on the band's album
Geometrid, has also previously cropped up on the films Vanilla Sky and
The Edukators. The Glasgow-based band was formed by Stuart David, a
founding member of Belle and Sebastian, and his wife, Karn.
Mondo 77 was chosen for use in the commercials by Adam Leibovitz, who
edited the initial adverts for Xerox. "The song's simplicity, energy,
modern style and sense of humour made it an important element that worked
well with the communications objective of the commercials," said a
spokeswoman for the firm.

Their UK record company Jeepster closed four years ago, and Looper
recorded their last album, The Snare, the following year.
  It was the first of a proposed five-LP deal with the Mute record label,
  also home to Depeche Mode, Erasure and Goldfrapp, but the band
  subsequently left Mute.

  "We don't sell any records any more," said David. "I am pleased that
  Looper didn't take off in a big way it's not good for you in the long
  run, I don't think.

  "I can only think of two or three fans we've ever heard from off the back
  of the Xerox ad. I think people who hear it on the ad have less
  opportunity to find out what it is.

  "It [Mondo 77] brings in enough money for us to have been able to treat
It as being our job."

  The band is working on an album which they hope will be available as a
  download only.

  David formed Belle and Sebastian with Stuart Murdoch in an all-night cafe
  in Glasgow in 1996, after meeting while on a youth opportunity scheme
  learning to be music engineers.

  Looper formed the following year for a show at the Glasgow School of Art,
  initially as a side project of Belle and Sebastian, with which David was
  the bass player.

  He played samplers, sang and told stories, while his wife projected her
  films and presented kinetic sculptures.

  Signature Tunes

LEVI'S Marvin Gaye  I Heard It Through The Grapevine

GUINNESS Perez Prado Guaglione

VODAFONE The Dandy Warhols  Bohemian Like You

NIMBLE (bread) Honeybus I Can't Let Maggie Go

SMILE (internet bank) Supernaturals Smile

 MILLER LITE The Hollies He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"

Links:

http://www.looperama.com/
 http://www.theherald.co.uk/


Linda
x
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 +-+       "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper           +-+
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