Wikileaks: 1975 Russians not into soul music

[Enrique]

they might like Richard Betts, however. No mention of William Nelson.

via the Atlantic

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/wikileaks-kissinger-cables/63975/


http://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1975MOSCOW00360_b.html

1. EMBASSY SUGGESTS, FOR DEPARTMENT CONSIDERATION, FOLLOWING AMPLIFICATION OF PARA 4 REFTEL DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE POPULAR MUSIC GROUPS FOR USSR TOUR.

BELIEVE "SOUL" GENRE NOT OF TOP INTEREST HERE, AND SUGGEST PRIORTY CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO "SOFT ROCK", "BLUES/ROCK", OR "COUNTRY ROCK". WHILE THIS WOULD BE NEW FOR SOVIET TOUR, AS WOULD MOST ASPECTS CURRENT MUSIC, BELIEVE TIME RIPE TO MAKE ATTEMPT. WHATEVER POPULAR STYLE IS REPRESENTED BY GROUP FINALLY SELECTED, WE HOPE TOP INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS (WHO ARE CREATIVE AND INFLUENTIAL FORCES IN CONTEMPORARY POPULAR MUSIC) CAN BEAPPROACHED FIRST IN PREFERENCE TO LESSER-KNOWN, MORE DERIVATIVE ARTISTS.

2. THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES; LIST OF COURSE NOT EXHAUSTIVE:

A. SOFT ROCK--BOB DYLAN, JAMES TAYLOR, DON MCLEAN, OR LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 MOSCOW 00360 101333Z JONI MITCHELL

B. BLUES/ROCK--THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, LYNYRD SKYNRYD, "ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION", OR RICHARD BETTS

C. COUNTRY ROCK--POCO, CACTUS, THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND, OR LEON RUSSELL. STOESSEL LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNN

[Brickbat]

1. "Do you want to forfeit the simple joys of human life? The friendship of factory folk?"

With info and English subtitles here:
http://boingboing.net/2010/12/28/soviet-anti-rock-and.html

[tridim]

2. Any idea who they picked?