usenovelgroup Chapter 33 We Are Disco
Chapter 33 We Are Disco
Zik and Tino then realized that it was all a prank!
Phyllis crawled under Neil's desk beforehand, and then crawled out halfway through the conversation, pretending that she had just finished "serving" Neil, just for fun.
The next second, Neil reached out and pressed a silver button on the side of the desk.
Zeke finally understood what the huge gong at the end of the corridor was for.
A loud "bang" immediately came from outside the office.
The gong was struck, the sound deafening, almost lifting the roof off, and even the walls seemed to tremble slightly.
Before the gong had even finished ringing, Neil and Phyllis continued to laugh uncontrollably. Neil slapped his desk, laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face.
That unbridled demeanor made him seem less like a tycoon in charge of a film and music industry giant and more like a carefree child.
Tino's tone was full of helplessness and sarcasm: "Shit! Neil, Casablanca is a big company now, with major decisions to be made every day. Millions of dollars in revenue and the careers of hundreds of people all hang on to the decisions of you executives. Why are you behaving like a bunch of sixth-graders?!"
Phyllis finally managed to stop laughing, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and winked playfully at Tino: "Don't be so serious, Tino. This is a privilege reserved for important visitors; ordinary people don't even have this privilege. Alright, I won't disturb your serious conversation any longer. You two can chat at your leisure."
After saying that, she tossed her long hair, turned around gracefully and walked out of the office, waving goodbye to Zeke as she closed the door.
Neil finally suppressed his laughter, sat up straight, and looked at Zeke: "Well, our brilliant songwriter, this is Casablanca. There aren't many rules, and there isn't much pretense. Anything you'd like to say? What do you think of this place?"
"Uh, that's pretty good." Zeke paused for a moment. He suddenly found this company quite interesting, and the somewhat childish Neil was much more pleasing to the eye than the shrewd Erf from before.
Neil smiled with satisfaction, took an album cover sample from his desk drawer, and handed it to Zeke:
"That's good. By the way, Village People's second album, 'Macho Man,' is basically ready. We're just waiting for Jacques to lead the boys through their final dance and vocal training. We plan to include 'YMCA' as their lead single and promote it with all our might. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Can I offer suggestions?"
"Of course, it's your song."
Zik took the cover sample, and Tino also came over, and the two of them carefully looked through it together.
The cover design is rugged and flamboyant, featuring the iconic outfits of several members of Village People. Inside, in addition to "YMCA", six other songs are listed.
But just looking at the song title, both of them frowned involuntarily.
This album is clearly a precise continuation of the gay audience market pioneered by Village People's debut album.
"Key West" (a gay resort), "Just a Cowboy," "I Am Myself" (a gay manifesto), and "Sodom and Gomorrah"—each song directly targets the core audience... not to mention the title track, "Macho Man," which is simply indescribable.
Tino spoke first: "Zick's song is a tribute to the YMCA. Won't it cause protests from the YMCA if we put it directly into this album? That would not only affect the promotion of the single, but also bring negative public opinion."
Zik nodded and added, "Yes, and I'm straight."
Although the lyrics repeatedly imply that the YMCA is not only a place to have fun and enjoy time, but also a place to hang out with your bros, Zeke didn't sing the song himself to avoid being mistaken for gay, but so far the effect is a bit worrying.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Neil waved his hand dismissively. "If it really causes their protests, wouldn't that just be giving us free publicity? We won't need to put in any effort to promote it; the media will report on it on their own, and the song will only become more popular."
And Zeke, your song is fantastic in itself, don't worry about the extras. A good melody can hide the true meaning of the lyrics, like the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," which so blatantly portrays the devil as a gentleman, yet everyone was just dancing to the beat, nobody burned their records. The masses only listen to the melody, Zeke.
But that's the famous Rolling Stones, and I'm just a poor kid.
Zik paused for a moment, but still insisted on his idea: "I still think the publicity should emphasize that this is not a 'gay song,' but a song for everyone." He recalled what Herbert had said before, "If we can broaden the audience and make the song not limited to the gay community, it will definitely be more beneficial to sales."
This would also allow him to receive more royalties, which is what he cares about most.
Neil pondered for a moment, then snapped his fingers: "What you said makes sense, let's do it this way! When promoting the single, we'll emphasize the themes of 'brotherhood' and 'national celebration,' downplaying any subtle hints, and strive to make this song appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds."
After discussing the promotion of the album and singles, Neil changed the subject:
"So, Zeke, what are your career plans for the future? Do you want to be in the spotlight and become a singer? Or do you want to stay behind the scenes and focus on songwriting? Or do you have bigger ambitions, like becoming a professional manager or even starting your own record company?"
"Isn't it a bit too early to think about these things now?" Zike forced a smile and said helplessly, "I haven't even graduated from high school yet. The most important thing right now is to finish my studies. As for career planning, I haven't really thought about it in detail."
"Wow, you're not like a Brooklyn kid at all, more like a rich kid from Manhattan or Long Island," Neil teased with a laugh. "When I was your age, I had already changed jobs several times, working my way up from a lowly handyman to where I am today in Casablanca."
I'm helping you choose a private high school. If you have your own plans, I can focus on different areas based on those plans. Do you understand what I mean?
Zeke felt a warmth in his heart. He knew almost nothing about Los Angeles, let alone which private high school to choose, so he could only tell the truth:
"Well, I haven't really thought too much about it. As long as I can make money and my family can live a good life, that's enough. President Bogart, you can decide on the school for me. I trust your judgment."
"Just call me Neil, no need to be so polite." Neil patted Zeke on the shoulder, his tone much more friendly. "Alright, I'll pick a good school for you, one with good teaching quality but also relatively free, so it won't interfere with your songwriting."
He glanced up at the clock on the wall, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said, "I still have some time. Let me show you around my office and tell you about the company's achievements so you can understand just how impressive the company you're in is."
As Neil led Zeke around the office, he launched into a long, enthusiastic presentation, his tone brimming with pride and arrogance. He was like a shrewd and enthusiastic salesman, every word showcasing Casablanca's strength.
"...Casablanca is now regarded as the gold standard in the music industry. With a group of popular artists, we have reached a height that no young record company has ever reached before, and it is unlikely that anyone will ever be able to surpass us."
Neil stood before the various honors hanging on the wall, arms outstretched, his tone arrogant.
"Disco is the hottest music genre right now, and we've monopolized the market. It's no exaggeration to say that we are disco itself. We have so many gold and platinum records in our trophy cabinets that even established record labels like Atlantic and Warner can't compete. Our control over the Billboard charts is the envy of the entire industry."