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Looper's Delight
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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 > >