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RE: Major Label Deals, the downside (no looping content)



Originally, this ended up in Cyberia . . . (at least I think so)

If you saw it, sorry delete it!


> WOWIE,
> 
> Good article
> 
> From my point of view the only things that this article forgot to mention
> were: [1] the fact that the lawyers who cut the deals make out really
> well; [2] if you have a production deal with a producer, they make out
> really well; [3] it didn't mention the amount of artistic pressure that
> can be brought to bear on a band.
> 
> Having "been through" a major label deal I would say that the biggest
> mistake "my" band made was to actively pursue the carrots-on-sticks that
> were inticting us along our way - - we should've gone on to do the indie
> EP that we had planned  to do, but the idea of "fame" and the "cachet"
> that a MAJOR LABEL DEAL holds was a little too much for (some of) our 
>weak
> consititutions. 
> 
> In terms of lawyers (nothing against 'em, these are just the facts mam):
> the BIG entertainment lawyers- - the ones that are supposed to get you 
>the
> "good" deal - - make anywhere from $200-300 an hour (this is dated circa
> 1990, so it's gotta be more now), and they charge for every little thing
> too; copying, phone calls, you name it. We had one deal that fell through
> and then got one with "our" label. A good chunk of change from our 
>advance
> went to pay the lawyers involved (maybe 40%?). BIG MONEY (at least for
> us).
> 
> Producers get pretty big bucks (more than you ) AND can IMHO screw up 
>your
> record (they just go on to the next one while you're left holding the bag
> - - the CD has your name on it, that better be important to you). 
> 
> We were told all along (and we listened !?! - -  doh) "We just love the
> integrity of your music, blah, blah, blah." Of course it later became "We
> love  your integrity, BUT we really need a hit single" . . . which later
> became "We love  your integrity, BUT we really need a hit single . . . 
>and
> we want to pull the album and cut some more sides" . . . all along they
> KNEW that we weren't that type of band.  
> 
> 
> RE Publishing: Someone always wants to give you something for it (at 
>least
> at first); Springsteen didn't do it, etc. 
> 
> Story: Our A&R guy was the guy who signed Soundgarden to A&M. We asked 
>him
> about how they dealt with the publishing scenario. He said that they
> didn't sell it, BUT that they were "living with their parents" and 
>"eating
> government cheese" (true?) . . . this was somewhere around the time of
> Badmotorfinger (I think right after it had come out).
> 
> 'Nother one: Legendarily, Axl Rose et al were still living on the streets
> in Hollywood a year after Appetite for Destruction came out and was 
>making
> them "millionaires"  . . . the money hadn't quite started to reach them
> yet - - and THEY were successful!
> 
> 
> I have a lot of respect for people who can weather the major label storm 
>-
> - I certainly couldn't. However, I would say that I wouldn't suggest it 
>if
> your emotional and musical well-being are valued parts of your
> conciousness.
> 
> Sorry if this is too long and uniteresting (delete!)
> 
> stig
> 
>