Larry Sherman

[levonvincent]

So, you have spoken so candidly, and it is very exciting reading, because it feels like you are just being honest, not holding back.

Can you describe what happened to the artists from Chicago? Basically, I have been screwed by labels as well. You never get the money owed, and even if you work out contracts, many times it only gives you reason to sue, if you have the money, which we usually don't. I have even found that they don't even respond to an email or phone call once the record is out. There are labels who were all smiles until the record was released, ,they might have still owed me half the advance etc..and I literally NEVER heard from them again. Sometimes you are lucky to get a label copy or even a test press.

SO, can you share some experiences/lessons from both people who have made mistakes, and people who did not?

I know artist 'A' owns all his music, while artist 'B' owns none but got more promotion which led to more DJ gigs etc... who is better off? any of those ok now?

Thanks
-LV

[inthere]

One of the top producers of the 80's got ripped off for millions. He'd signed a publishing deal with one publisher for 50,000. He got 3 huge hits out and got offered another deal for $600,000 by another publisher. His manager made a deal with the publisher that the producer would write all new songs for them-under the manager's name. The producer agreed to this because he hadn't received any publisher checks yet from the 1st publisher---his manager told him he was getting screwed.

Since the producer thought all he would see from publishing was the advance amounts,
$600k seemed like a good deal. Well, the producer started getting huge checks from the 1st publisher for the hits he wrote for them-way more than the 600k advance he got from the 2nd publisher. He had written 3 top ten hits for the 1st publisher, but 15+ ton ten hits for the 2nd publisher.

He not only got no checks from the 2nd publisher, he also got no statements. Why? publishing deal was in the manager's name. He fired the manager, but the manager still owns 100% of the songs to this day, and the producer can never sue because that would be admitting he commited fraud against the 1st publisher.

[levonvincent]

Sounds pretty rough.

[Mo King]

...and people wonder why I haven't put a track out yet? I'm content spreading the word of House as a DJ, as I have done for 30+ years! I don't mind trying to make a cool track, but I hope my skill as a DJ is what continues to get me gigs.

Mo