Robert Fripp's Diary

The long English summer evening

Diane & David are in the North visiting Bill Nelson. Discipline are keen to encourage Bill to leave his home studio and get out in front of live audiences.

Yesterday I responded to Monday's telephone call and investigated an interesting, wildly unlikely, proposition. Which fell into place, against astonomical odds, and now a future is lining up in front of me which could not take place from my own initiative.

Today I received a letter from a former Crim member who doesn't trust my business decisions. "Given (RF's) history of business decisions and that applies now more than ever, to my decision not to entirely trust (RF) with my `children' and `their future'". He also feels that I patronise him. Excerpted from my reply:

"I'm aware that my business choices and decisions lack your confidence. The `future' of your `children' is entirely yours. And why would you, or should you, trust me with them? I am not their godparent. But the future of children from a strange and multiple parentage is a more complex matter; further complicated when some of the children are sold into slavery, the parents have varying aims, aspirations, needs, agenda and a history of divorce and disagreement.

Here's two examples from my recent `history of business decisions' which may confirm your lack of trust:

i) DGM earns nothing from our Japanese releases: all the income goes to the artists. This is because the record company margin goes to a Japanese firm which represents the DGM / Crimson catalogue within Japan, and liases with Pony Canyon to promote the overall catalogue. This includes the EG / Virgin titles in which DGM has no interest. We felt this was in the best interest of the artists. (Actually, we hope to change this situation!).

ii) When Alliance went bankrupt, DGM absorbed the loss. This, rather than become bankrupt in turn and dump the losses on the artists.

There are more good examples along this line, but perhaps these are sufficient to confirm your distrust of Fripp as businessman and Venal Leader.

I don't understand you feeling patronised, so I offer no comment."

This follows another response from a former Crim three weeks ago, directed through their manager. Two of that artist's concerns were these:
Q. The artwork costs of a relevant DGM archive release were 13,000+. Why so much?
A. The artwork costs of an earlier, comparable release not prepared by the DGM Art Department were 20,000. For me, the saving of 6,000+ is sufficient validation of our decision to set up an art department in-house.

Q. Why publish a letter to the Crims in the Diary? This is personal to the Team.
A. Transparency. DGM's fifth Business Aim is to provide a model, and support the efforts of others. Anyone associated with the EG approach to transparency might appreciate this concern. Specific personal details relating to the artist were not discussed in the Diary.

Yesterday John Wetton `phoned, back from Germany. He is looking to return to the Bournemouth area (where we were both in College together for a time). This evening I've called Trey & Pat (out) and Adrian (spoke to Martha), Hernan Nunez (out), Bill Nelson (out) and Paul Richards (in). Paul is very up from the recent CGT touring, and looking forward to more.

Tomorrow I'm off to Manchester for a hot date with the Little Horse. Her "weekend off", from her 15-week series for the Beeb being filmed in Glasgow, is spent co-presenting the Heaven & Earth show (Sunday morning live). She flies in & I'll drive up from here.