O(+> and Warner Brothers
JuvenileHi
Hi. You'll all be glad to know that I went ahead and started developing
my own Web page so you won't have to listen to my nonsense on the
newsgroup. Not that I got any complaints, but I do know it bugs some
folks and for that I'm sorry. Now on to the reason for this post.
Up until last week my ex girlfriend worked at Warner Brothers here in
Nashville. When she was hired three or four years ago, she was given a
little "Warner Brothers" fact sheet, and an interesting fact on it was
Prince was the top selling domestic artist on the label. Catalog, new
releases (she was hired shortly before Come came out), he was the USA's
top seller for Warner. Madonna was top seller internationally.
On the day Warners dedicated their new building on music row, Mo Ostin and
Lenny Waronker (the legendary execs at the helm of Warners for 30 plus
years) showed up for a private, employees only party in looooong
limousines. The party for the rest of us was later.
Then a few months later, the shit hit the fans, and Mo was unceremoniously
squeezed out of the label he had founded (Reprise) under the ownership of
Frank Sinatra. The label was originally a vanity label for Ol' Blue Eyes,
featuring such top, hip talent as Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Bob
Newhart, and Bill Cosby. Mo Ostin is the man that signed Jimi Hendrix,
Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, etc. etc. (yes, even our little purple friend),
and built Warners into the top selling Record Company worldwide. Because
of record industry politics, he was squeezed out. Lenny Waronker, his
heir, was appointed President, but he declined signing a new contract.
Both of them are running Dreamworks now.
Since Mo, Warners has had a few different presidents, including Danny
Goldberg, who was once Nirvana's manager and is now heading up Mercury.
ANYWAYS, s when Mo and Lenny left is when O(+> started having real
problems with the label. It's when his records stopped being promoted.
Hell, it's when all of Warners stuff started stiffing. Tom Petty, R.E.M.,
and many others have released fine records that rank up there with their
best, but they have gotten no support from Warners, and their latest
records have stiffed. So O(+> wanted out quick.
Where was I going with this? Oh, yeah...record company politics. I think
O(+> just got fed up with all the crap, the politics, playing the games,
and he wanted to be free. Free to make the music he wants, when he wants,
with no consideration of the marketplace, the charts, any of that
nonsense. So he plays it his way now. Don't despair if he is promoting
himself haphazardly. Enjoy the music! That is what it's all about. Not
the hype, the tours, the press...
And as a sidenote (hard to have one of those when there was no real point
to this anyway!) my ex's boss at Warners worked for Prince from Purple
Rain through The Black Album. She designed the album covers and
stuff...actually did alot of those Paisley Park albums, too...Dale,
Madhouse, Lovesexy, Good Question, etc. And Warners fired her three weeks
ago along with about 100 other people. She had worked there for 15 years,
has a family, blah blah blah...and she was given about thirty minutes to
clear out her desk.
I had never mentioned any of this stuff out of respect for my ex
girlfriend's job and her boss' privacy...but what the hell? Neither one
of them work there anymore. Trust me, I've seen the inner workings of the
music business and it is not pretty. It is very rarely about the music.
It's all about the schmooze!
So when I post things on here about the RIAA certifications, Grammys, etc.
please remember that I view these institutions as insignificant. They are
all designed for Hype and for selling records. They have no importance.
That's why they were invented! To generate press attention. Don't fret
if O(+> doesn't get a Grammy! Don't despair if he doesn't go platinum!
The only person who REALLY knows how much a record sells is the person who
writes out the royalty check. And even they are probably lying.
As for my source on the RIAA stuff, I have a friend that works at a studio
here in town, and they have those platinum record awards on the wall.
They also hang in the Warners building, and at a publishing company I
worked for. i asked about them. I was told by more than one source that
the label submits a record to be certified. The RIAA checks the labels
numbers, and if they agree, then the "award" is given. But the label has
to BUY those plaques from the RIAA. They pay the RIAA for those plaques
that are handed out during photo opps The artist, his or her manager,
agent, whatever, can also buy additional plaques from the RIAA to hand out
to radio stations and recording studios..If the label doesn't submit the
record to be certified, it doesn't become certified! There are plenty of
records that have sold a million copies that are not RIAA certified. So
they are not "certified" platinum. James Brown recently recieved his
first platinum record. His First! Because his label decided to submit an
album for certification. And you know JB has had more than a few "million
sellers"!! The record industry gives out awards so photographers will
take pictures of the award being given, and then the picture can run in
magazines and newspapers. Same with the Grammys! It is all hype,
publicity, media tricks! Please, don't get your panties in a wad about
these things! Relax and enjoy the music!
LeeLeeLee (wondering if he should have a point to his post, especially if
they are this long!!)
uh-oh. I have a Web page
http://aol.members.com/JuvenileHi.index.html
Now I offically don't have a life.
Mharrion
Thanks 4 the post, Juv-Hi!
That post is very enlightening and unfortunately true in the reckabiniz. I
work for a promoter too and I see the politics in music all the time. I
just makes me url to to work with greedy, selfish, egostical people all
the time. It is rare to find a true friend who will not backstab you. As
for The Artist, I glad he has moved on to a
higher plane:)
Peace2uNdaNewWorld,
Moni