smoe.org mailing lists
ivan@stellysee.de
| From | AdamGhost@aol.com |
| Subject | Re: IKE and financing new recordings |
| Date | Sun, 20 May 2007 21:38:21 EDT |
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On the IKE thing, I have some sympathy because when YOU DON'T KNOW ME came
out we had a deluxe package CD which came with an extra CD and a DVD and we sold
it for $50. I realize that's a whole different scenario but the reason I
bring it up is that, frankly, we knew that with the amount of people that we
could be relatively sure were going to buy the album, having a premium CD package
was the only way we were going to get enough cash back to do any kind of
promotion on the album. That's frankly why this upcoming compilation is the only
one of my albums so far to be priced under $10; I would have loved to drop
the price but I knew that I wouldn't get enough extra people through the door to
make up the difference in the money coming in. I think with myspace and the
Wilson album times have changed now, we'll find out soon enough.
Point being: again, if we're talking about new music models, musicians are
all now mini-entrepreneurs and they each know their individual situations
better than we do. Me, I've got a back catalog, so I can put out a low cost
compilation that will hopefully build towards a new album. Someone else might
have their own studio, or have a larger than usual reliable fan base, or what
have you.
I think particularly if we've all agreed that the rules have gone out the
window, musical product has been overvalued, etc., that it's lame to then
criticize a band for adapting to the new situation in any way they can. I band
shouldn't HAVE to go into the hole to make an album unless they choose to. If
they find another way to do it, I don't think it's anyone's business. I
wouldn't do it that way personally because I don't think I'd be giving the fans
enough for their $50, but when I was touring full time I've done all kinds of
other crap to keep going -- right down to throwing raffles. If IKE has enough
people to make it work, and doesn't alienate too many people in the process, God
bless 'em.
Again, a new musical paradigm should not mean that all avenues that musicians
can possibly make a buck are foreclosed, musicians should never expect
(although may sometimes get) a paycheck, and they should be happy to just make art.
I don't get the stigmatization of people who work hard and spend a lot of
time at something, upon offering it to people, wanting to get a little scratch
back in return. I just don't think that's for someone who's not in that
position to dictate.
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