Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 880 An Unexpected Minor Turmoil
Cigar was stunned for a while until Bian Lang and Olaf started discussing the arrangement of the song, which brought him back to his senses.

"I'm sorry, Wave, but your song brought back some old memories for me. I'm sure this is what I wanted. I'll have to trouble you with the rest of the production..."

Olaf, who was just thinking about how to quote a price, suddenly had an idea when he heard this: "Cigar, I know this may be a little difficult for you, but you know, we are going back to China after the tour, and we can't stay here to help you with the production."

Upon hearing this, Cigar immediately became anxious: "That won't do. As you all know, the remaining songs must also be recorded using this equipment. That's my bottom line. I can increase the fee..."

"After the Rolling Stones' European tour, we'll be heading back to China. There's still variety show recording and the Rolling Stones Music Festival to do. After that, we'll be going on a tour in the US and preparing for the Grammys... After returning to China, 'Omnipotent Youth Hostel' will enter its final production stage, and there's also 'Songs of the Past'..."

Olaf was about to continue his long-winded explanation, but Cigar had run out of things to say: "Olaf, I think you understand my situation. I believe in Wave, but I really don't want to wait that long..."

"You can move all this equipment to China. Anyway, after you go to meet your maker, these old relics will need to be taken over. In China, we can maximize their potential!"

The abacus beads were so blatantly scheming that even Bian Lang, the absolute beneficiary, felt a little uneasy. Did he want these things? Absolutely! Even if he didn't use them as exhibits, they were still a part of the Rolling Stone Music School's heritage.

Not to mention the added boost from celebrity influence like Cigar.

However, if Bian Lang wanted it, he would wait until they were more familiar with each other before asking to buy or exchange it; he wouldn't be as direct and forceful as Olaf. But Bian Lang also had practical problems. He couldn't stay in Europe for months to help Cigar record songs; going to China would allow many things to proceed more quickly and smoothly.

However, considering that this equipment fanatic brought a microphone worth tens of thousands of W to China, Bian Lang felt that it was not surprising that Olaf could do such a thing.

Cigar's reaction wasn't very strong. After a half-minute pause, she quietly said, "Give me some time to think about it... By the way, you're also in charge of the other instruments for the soundtrack, right? I can play guitar and harmonica live, but for the studio version, I hope it can be as perfect as possible. I'm getting old..."

Bian Lang was surprised that Cigar didn't object but instead seriously considered it, so he asked, "So, how many songs do you think this album is missing? The rest..."

The "half" mentioned earlier was just a relatively vague concept; there were a total of 7 songs sent to Bian Lang. If it really is half, then there are still 7 songs missing. If they were all Dylan's songs, that wouldn't be a problem, but Bian Lang might have to put some thought into the selection.

However, if it's just about adding three more songs to make a total of 10, Bian Lang's workload would be much smaller.

You could either pick two more songs from the album "Shot of Love," or you could pick from Dylan's top ten hits list.

"Our original plan was for 11 songs. I've also written one song myself over the years, and I'd like you to write the lyrics for it. So, we'll need your help for the remaining two songs, Wave... I'll carefully consider your suggestions. If I were 10 years younger, I think I would have gone to China with you without hesitation..."

You could tell Cigar was genuinely interested, but as he himself said, at his age, facing such a long migration, he had a lot to consider.

"Alright, then you should think it over carefully. Hopefully, we'll get a definite answer from you before we leave Europe!"

Previously, even if Olaf had dared to make the offer, Cigar would never have agreed. After all, it used to be Chinese musicians who traveled to Europe to record albums, not the other way around. While equipment gaps can be bridged with money, the difference in soft power takes much longer to overcome.

Bian Lang remembered that even back in the time before he transmigrated, many people in the music industry were going to Europe and America to record albums.

You can count the good studios in China on your fingers. If your company isn't backed by a big brand like Universal or Sony, or if you yourself aren't that big a name, you might not even be able to get in line.

However, in Europe and America, where the music industry is much more developed, the number and quality of studios and professionals are on a completely different level.

As Brother Chu said back then, the quality of recording something in Norway that cost 20 RMB could potentially be achieved in China for 50 RMB. So, from an economic perspective, going abroad directly is more cost-effective.

So back then, most pop artists went to Los Angeles, while rock musicians went to Europe.

But after Olaf arrived in China with his dowry, the situation changed somewhat. However, there were still too many applicants for too few spots, and just like on Earth, one had to use connections and wait in line. Rolling Stone prioritized the needs of its own artists and bands before allocating any surplus resources to other bands and artists in the industry.

In particular, Cigar recognized the Rolling Stones' soft power after Silva's work, completed with a comprehensive service in China, received great acclaim in Europe, coupled with the Rolling Stones' high-level performance during their European tour.

"Okay, send me the lyrics and music first, I'll familiarize myself with them. I won't be going to Rome, see you in Berlin!"

See you in Berlin!

As Bian Lang and Olaf got up to leave, Cigar pointed to the SJ200, which had been put back in its case, and said, "Consider this a small gift from me. I don't believe there are many of this model from 64 that are still in such good condition."

"I only took it out to play it when I remembered it, but it's better if you have it so more people can hear its sound..." When it comes to giving a violin as a gift, Bian Lang didn't stand on ceremony. He bent down and picked up the violin case, saying, "Thank you, Cigar, I really like this gift..."

"Oh, right, you have to promise me that you won't play any exciting songs when you use this instrument, and you won't smash it!"

Bian Lang nodded seriously and said, "Don't worry, I will only use it when performing folk songs."

"Okay, then how about we take a picture together to commemorate this..."

There's nothing wrong with Bian Lang, he just didn't expect this photo to cause him a little trouble.

That evening, Cigar, who was a huge fan of "Every Grain of Sand," posted a photo of the three of them and the song title on her social media account.

As a folk music icon who is no longer active on the front lines of the internet, the influence and speed of his updates are not that great.

But compared to the various influential figures and internet celebrities on social media platforms, within his fan and musician circles, this news was nothing short of a magnitude 8 earthquake. Although not explicitly stated, everyone who saw the news accepted one fact: "Cigar has collaborated with Wave! His long-shelved album is finally getting a reboot!"

The fans were, of course, incredibly excited; they were even more nervous than Cigar himself about the possibility that Cigar might meet God at any moment.

Just like all the One Piece fans on Earth who were urging for more chapters, everyone wanted to lock Oda in a dark room and not let him out until he finished drawing the ending. But they were also afraid that Oda would die and they wouldn't see the final chapter of One Piece.

Now that we see it's a collaboration with Wave, music fans know what's going on:
"As for Wave, I bet we'll hear this album in less than a year!"

“Indeed, I think only Wave’s speed and quality can keep Cigar up to date!”

"Thank you Wave! Thank you Rolling Stones, old Cigar's dream is finally coming true!"

"Thanks Wave, I have to go see one of the Rolling Stones' European tours!"

Unlike the enthusiastic reaction from music fans, musicians in the industry who are paying attention to this matter are divided into two distinct camps: one camp hopes that Bian Lang and Cigar's collaboration will be perfect, while the other camp naturally does not have a high opinion of Bian Lang.

The main force of this latter group is naturally the musicians who were rejected by Cigar.

Kleiber saw the message early the next morning. The moment he saw it, he felt his long-dormant competitive spirit begin to stir.

To be honest, he didn't feel bad after Cigar rejected his work. He believed the song and album were a good match, but he understood Cigar's insistence and stubbornness. He even felt pessimistic for Cigar, thinking that Cigar's dream might never come true in this lifetime!
Although Cigar didn't want that song, he wouldn't waste it. He planned to find a good folk singer and record a Grammy-worthy track. However, he wasn't that competitive back then and thought he'd wait until he met the right person.

After all, it was a song written for Cigar, and not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could perform it to the effect he wanted.

But now that Cigar has partnered with Bian Lang, Kleiber, a producer who has already reached the level of Luo and Li from the original Earth in Europe, has some ideas in mind.

Surrender? I definitely wouldn't have surrendered before the album came out!
But this wasn't the kind of hatred between him and Li Yiliang; it was more like a contest between two masters who respected each other.

"Kleiber, why haven't you said anything? Does the collaboration between Cigar and Wave make you uncomfortable? I don't think it's necessarily an album they're working on; it might just be a single!"

Kleiber's wife is a retired singer who now acts as his manager, so this analysis makes some sense.

But Kleiber doesn't think so: "Has Cigar recorded any singles in the past few years? The answer is no, so it can only be that these two are going to collaborate on this album. This might be the first song Wave wrote for him..."

"Don't worry, I'm not uncomfortable at all. I just want to argue with Wave about this! Let the audience judge... I can take out that song that Cigar rejected before and start looking for a suitable singer to record it."

I remember Cigar saying to me at the time... "Never mind, I'll just call him..."

Cigar was shocked when he received Kleiber's call. He never expected Kleiber to call at this time to ask about his album: "I'm planning to compete with Wave. This is something only the two of us should know for now. In the end, the fans will be the judge..."

"Kleiber, I don't think it's appropriate to apologize to you, but is it really necessary?"

"Don't you think this is interesting? Why are all the songs on the charts just nonsensical rap and mindless electronic music? Why can't the folk music we love be on the charts? Also, Rolling Stone released so many live English rock performances this time, do you think no other bands wanted to compete with them?"
Not all bands are like Hatter and Panama; I just want to make our market more fun for the next few years!

After hearing Kleiber's idea, Cigar gave him even more explosive news: "I'm going to move my studio to China!"

"Wait, Cigar, you're not serious, are you? Why would you do that? Your old antiques may be rarely used anymore, but they represent a kind of culture in themselves..."

“Kleiber, I agree with you, but over the years, apart from myself, no one has ever asked to use this studio for recording. He's too old, and none of you like him, so it's better to let him go where he's truly needed…”

Cigar's words were somewhat defiant, but he believed that even after Bian Lang and Olaf went to great lengths to bring these old artifacts to China, they would definitely not leave them at his manor after recording his album.

"Cigar, I really don't know what to say... Could you help me get tickets to the Rolling Stones' next show?"

"If you can't buy it, go ask someone from DGM. I don't believe they won't prepare it for you if you just ask!" Cigar said, sounding like she was joking with Kleiber.

If he can get tickets, he'll definitely pay for them himself. If he can't, he'll find a roundabout way to ask DGM for them. He would never admit that he wanted to go to the Rolling Stones' tour. After all, when someone interviewed him about his opinion of the Rolling Stones, he arrogantly said without any prior knowledge: "Only island nations in Asia have any real rock music. As for Chinese bands, forget about them!"

After hearing what happened later, I felt like I'd been slapped in the face... but he just stubbornly refused to admit it...

"If you're not going to help, then forget it. I'll just go find a scalper..."

"Don't worry, wrap it on me!"

When the CAA agent in the US, who was in charge of Bian Lang, saw this news, he was furious: "Why? Why would that old scoundrel Cigar get together with that yellow monkey Bian Lang!"

Although Cigar's departure was difficult, costing him four to five years to fall from a top folk music star to obscurity, the backlash he suffered after gaining his freedom was one of the few major mistakes CAA has made in recent years.

As for Bian Lang, this guy has absolutely no intention of being won over; the key is that he will fight back!
This made CAA feel that the matter was a bit tricky. If a Chinese person were to describe the situation, it would be like this: "The Monkey King and Erlang Shen are both in place, and all that's missing is Nezha to complete the rebellious team, which would turn the world upside down!"

(End of this chapter)