“The only thing I have no control over is the politics that goes on within the record company. It's always been the same, but it's far tougher now, because record companies are run by financial people; before, they were run by creative people.” PeopleRunningCompanyCreativeRecordsGoes OnFinancialCreative PeopleRecord Companies Author:Enrique Iglesias
“Oh, you know record companies. . . at the end of the day, it's business. If you analyse it, you're just a piece of meat. The minute you go bad, it's: 'Next!'.” IfsKnowsEndsNextCompanyRecordsPiecesMinutesMeatThe End Of The DayRecord Companies Author:Enrique Iglesias
“Everybody raps. We rap to make money. We do business. Ain't no other record company out there that sold as many records as we did.” CompanyRecordsRapMaking MoneyRecord Companies Author:Tupac Shakur
“Our first album was a stupid mistake by the record company. They tried to sell us as an alternative act. A big mistake!” FirstsBigsMistakeCompanyRecordsStupidSellsAlbumsAlternativesRecord CompaniesBig MistakeStupid Mistake Author:Lauryn Hill
“I still have every record company sending every new, hot track to me, to do music videos, so I'm chained by the foot to pop culture. I still know what kids dress like and speak like, and I still hang out with them. It's just the nature of my day job. I am a freak of nature that has to understand them.” KnowsStillsKidsJobsCultureSpeakCompanyRecordsFeetHotDressesTrackPopsVideoHanging OutFreakPop CultureRecord CompaniesChainedDay Jobs Author:Joseph M. Kahn
“I used to enjoy all the white bands when I was a kid listening to the radio. But the record companies, they take music and label it - like, they say "rock". Because the white singers can't sound like James Brown, they call him "soul". They've been doing that for years. That's the prejudice crap.” YearsSoulKidsUsedEnjoySoundWhiteCompanyRecordsRocksListeningBandPrejudiceRadioSingersLabelsBrownCrapRecord Companies Author:Miles Davis
“I saw the Ramones, early on at a country-rock palace in Denver. They were opening for some record-company band, so the local music establishment, and I emphasize the word "establishment," was there in force, and the handful of us who knew the Ramones were up in front. And half the fun was, you know, not only were the Ramones the most powerful band I had ever seen at that point, but they made it look so simple - that anyone could do it, hell, even I could do it. This is what I should be doing.” KnowsShouldLooksMadeCountryFunForceSimplePowerfulHalfCompanyHellRecordsSawsRocksFrontsBandLocalsOpeningMade ItMost PowerfulEstablishmentHandfulPalacesRecord CompaniesDenverRamones Author:Jello Biafra
“I can do whatever I want, I can have my band, I can use different people, I can use studio players, it's complete, total freedom for me. If I want to make a video, now that I own my own record company, if the video has an American flame being engulfed by a huge puddle of oil, I can do that, I can say that if I want to.” PeopleIfsWantI CanDifferentUseCan DoMy OwnCompanyRecordsPlayerHugeBandStudiosOilVideoFlamesDifferent PeoplesRecord CompaniesPuddles Author:Richard Patrick
“I heard a quote once in a documentary about a band that said you're better off owning everything 100 percent and selling 20,000 copies of an album than signing with a record company and selling a million copies. There has never been a truer statement about show business than that.” SaidShowsCompanyMillionsRecordsHeardBandPercentAlbumsStatementsSellingCopiesDocumentariesBetter OffShow BusinessSigningRecord Companies Author:Bill Burr
“I talked to the record company about what I had in mind. They said they wanted something lush. I figured the best thing to do was let them hear what I had in mind.” MindSaidWantedCompanyRecordsBest ThingsThings To DoThey SaidRecord CompaniesLush Author:Etta James
“I want the new band to work together for a while, and when we're ready we'll invite every major record company to see us.” WantTogetherCompanyRecordsReadyBandMajorsWorking TogetherInvitesRecord Companies Author:Tommy Bolin
“These record companies are going to be going out of business pretty soon, because people are just going to be downloading what they want to hear.” PeopleWantCompanyRecordsGoing OutRecord Companies Author:Lester Bowie
“Concerning iTunes, the deals have mainly been done with the record companies. But the artists, with some exceptions, haven't been very well-represented. This is partly because the record companies have largely been copyright owners.” WellsDoneArtistDealsCompanyRecordsHavensExceptionOwnersCopyrightRecord CompaniesItunes Author:Peter Gabriel
“But I did mine through a production company. All the music I did, I gave to the production company. Then the production company would give the record company the album. I used to do all my albums like that. It was fantastic. But now, understand, I have never planned to do anything with these other tapes. The one that are released, like the Virgin Ubiquity you have there, I wasn't going to do anything with that music. One day, I was talking to this guy that owns BBE over in England, and I said I've got some tapes and stuff that you might be interested in, and he went berserk.” GivingSaidMightUsedGuyStuffCompanyTalkingRecordsMinesOne DayEnglandAlbumsProductionsFantasticTapeVirginsThis GuyRecord CompaniesBerserkUbiquity Author:Roy Ayers
“When I do an album I try to find a producer that's excited about something that they want me to sing, and I check with the record company to find out what they think they can sell - which is their No. 1 priority.” ThinkingWantTryingCompanyRecordsSellsAlbumsExcitedPrioritiesChecksProducersWant MeRecord Companies Author:Johnny Mathis
“About 1990 there was a huge shakeup in the music industry and the 6 major record companies fired all the music people and hired business graduates to take over the spots. So the music became not as important. What really became important was the bottom line, how much money you could make.” PeopleImportantLinesCompanyRecordsHugeIndustryMajorsMusic IsBottomSpotsGraduatesBottom LineMusic IndustryRecord Companies Author:Geoff Tate
“I gave away the money advanced from my record company on my first album, I'm the type of person who likes to give. I gave to my sister. She has four little babies and bought an old house and it needed repairs.” GivingFirstsLittlesPersonsHouseCompanyRecordsFourBabyTypeNeededAlbumsLikesMy SisterRecord CompaniesOld Houses Author:Jo Dee Messina
“I certainly never doubted the ability for the guys to get together and make good music, but there was so much legal business with the record company that it ended up being like five albatrosses around our neck.” TogetherGuyAbilityCompanyRecordsFiveNecksDoubtedGet TogetherRecord CompaniesAlbatross Author:John Bush
“Some record labels want to package you in a certain way and we didn't want that. Once the record company saw we had some substance and were not a one hit wonder. They got 100% behind us.” WayWantCertainBehindsCompanyWonderRecordsSawsLabelsSubstancePackagesRecord CompaniesRecord Labels Author:Christian Burns
“That was an idea of the record company, and also that was my first album after MCA and we wanted to come back with a strong album that would be noticed. If we put the vocals by very talented people and very meaningful songs, then the vocals would be a platform so that I could be noticed again. All of the MCA albums were just loaded with problems -- you know, the right musicians, the engineers. The record company would say 'You have to make music for black radio, you can't do what you have been doing with The Crusaders.' Everybody was telling me that was over, finished, done.” PeopleIfsKnowsFirstsHas BeensIdeasDoneProblemWould BeWantedSongStrongBlackCompanyRecordsMusicianRadioAlbumsFinishedMeaningfulPlatformsEngineersVocalLoadedRecord CompaniesVery MeanVery MeaningfulMeaningful Song Author:Joe Sample
“They wanted to 'radiofy' what I was doing. I was also in a position where I was compromised. I was much younger and maybe it is because I am Irish but there was a guilt factor when the record company pays you a lot of money, you feel obliged.” FeelsWantedPayCompanyRecordsPositionGuiltFactorsLots Of MoneyObligedRecord Companies Author:Damien Rice
“I don't determine the singles. I believe the record company sends a bunch of CDs out to people that they trust in the business, and wait for their response to determine which songs will become singles.” PeopleBelieveSongI BelieveWaitingCompanyRecordsResponseDetermineBunchCdsRecord CompaniesSingles Author:Flora Purim
“Well, the good news is that there's quite a lot of cynicism about major labels within radio and the press. I think they have been largely disillusioned by the manner in which the record companies have developed music.” ThinkingWellsHas BeensCompanyRecordsMajorsNewsPressesRadioLabelsCynicismGood NewsRecord CompaniesDisillusioned Author:Mick Hucknall
“I think I'm just trying to show a more mature side of the band and I think we've really come into the sound of our band. With every album we've grown, but I think this is just a really good picture of where we are right now and how we feel our music represents us. Under the thumb of other record companies we haven't had as much creative control and I think with this record we really did our own thing.” ThinkingFeelsTryingShowsSoundSidesCompanyCreativeRecordsHavensRight NowBandAlbumsMatureThumbsRecord Companies Author:Jason C. Miller
“When a record company looks at me I'm very hard to market, I don't really fit anywhere, It's hard to get me on the air, and I'm hard to demography, but! because of that I'm not subject to trends like you pointed out.” LooksHardCompanyRecordsAirSubjectsLike YouFitTrendsLook At MeRecord CompaniesDemography Author:Leo Kottke
“I've been in fortunate position of never really having to battle with my record company to do the things I wanted to do in the studio.” WantedCompanyRecordsPositionBattleStudiosFortunateRecord Companies Author:Jonny Lang
“And you have a record company behind it, this is a key too, you need people to fight for your records, at least a little bit. So if you have a great song, it's catchy, and you've got a little bit of help, I think that's all you need. But there hasn't been that in music.” PeopleIfsThinkingNeedsLittlesHelpingSongFightingBitsBehindsCompanyRecordsKeysLittle BitRecord CompaniesCatchy Author:Joan Jett
“Blackheart Records being 25 years old represents staying power and the fact that we weren't able to get a record out through conventional means, so we had to create this record company to put out our records if we wanted to be a band that had records to give out to their fans.” IfsGivingYearsMeanFactsAbleWantedCompanyRecordsFansBandStayingConventionalStay StrongRecord CompaniesStaying Power Author:Joan Jett
“What was great about the 80s was that you still had record companies who would get behind developing you as an artist. You had these bonkers heads of department and A&R people who, even after a flop album, would let you make another one.” PeopleStillsArtistBehindsCompanyRecordsAlbumsDevelopingDepartment80sRecord Companies Author:Marc Almond
“Pop was initially ignored as a moneymaker by the recording industry. In the seventies they were still relying on Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett for their big hits. You know, most of the budget for the record companies in those days went to the classical department - and those were big budget albums.” KnowsStillsBigsCompanyRecordsIndustryAlbumsPopsBudgetsDepartmentFrankIgnoredSeventiesRecord Companies Author:Tony Visconti
“I applied for three jobs in record companies and was offered all of them. I took the most glamorous-sounding job in the promotions department and it began my love affair with the music industry.” JobsThreeCompanyRecordsIndustryAffairDepartmentPromotionGlamorousLove AffairMusic IndustryRecord Companies Author:Nicki Chapman
“As crises came up later on - "Oh, we have to compromise, and the record company wants to do this," I'd be like, "No, I don't have to."” WantCompanyRecordsCrisisCompromiseRecord Companies Author:Neil Peart
“One of the central flaws in the state of contemporary music is that the major record companies have failed to incorporate that simple fact into their business plans. They've come into an industry that's based on idiosyncratic artists and tried to erase every idiosyncratic aspect out of it.” StatesFactsArtistSimpleCompanyRecordsPlansIndustryMajorsMusic IsAspectContemporaryFlawsEraseRecord CompaniesBusiness PlanContemporary Music Author:Moby
“Albums aren't even selling anymore and there's a reason for that. Record companies are just signing single and ring tone deals and it doesn't seem like they're focusing on albums.” ReasonSeemsDealsCompanyRecordsAlbumsRingsSellingToneSigningRecord Companies Author:Rahki
“In reality, there's a limit to putting a record out yourself. When it comes to working with major record companies in the context of them owning anything, though, that will never happen. Ever. In my life.” RealityHappensCompanyRecordsLimitsMajorsRecord Companies Author:Kevin Shields
“I have my own record company. I have to answer to God, basically. I'm not young, so I want to make the best possible work I can before I exit.” WantI CanYoungMy OwnAnswersCompanyRecordsExitRecord Companies Author:Michael Gira
“Make a record in your bedroom on a cheap computer, play it on pirate radio, and that's what's it's all about. You can do something really exciting and you don't need any record companies. The way I do everything comes from that, the impact of those two things.” WayNeedsTwoPlayCan DoCompanyRecordsComputerExcitingImpactRadioTwo ThingsBedroomPirateCan Do SomethingRecord CompaniesPirate Radio Author:Kieran Hebden
“It was a chance meeting with a lady at Mariah Carey's record company who was here in our office, actually. And I pulled her in here to this very office that we're sitting in now, and I played her the clip of me and George Michael singing. And I was like, it's joyful. And that's what people want.” PeopleWantChanceCompanyRecordsOfficeSingingSittingMeetingsJoyfulRecord CompaniesClipChance Meeting Author:James Corden
“You can always pound out demos and send them to record companies, but most of the successful bands I've seen are the ones that can sustain themselves.” CompanySuccessfulRecordsBandPoundsRecord CompaniesDemos Author:Joe Perry
“We play the music we want to play and we play the places we want to play. I'd hate to be on the usual record company where you get an album out and you do a tour, and you do all the Odeon's and all the this that and the others. I couldn't just do that at all.” WantPlayHateCompanyRecordsAlbumsUsualRecord Companies Author:Ian Curtis
“Rap music and rap records used to always be like this: we get one or two shots to a piece cause it was a singles marketplace and when the major record companies saw that it could also handle the sales of the albums then they started to force everybody to expand their topics from 1 to about 10 and you gotta deliver 12 songs, so a lot of times if you took a person who wasn't really developed, and the diversity of trying say 12 different things, you know the companies were like "Cool! Say the same thing 12 different ways."” IfsKnowsWayTryingPersonsTwoDifferentUsedSongForceCausesCompanyRecordsSawsPiecesDiversityMajorsShotsAlbumsRapHandleDifferent WaysDifferent ThingsTopicsMarketplaceRecord CompaniesSinglesRap Music Author:Chuck D
“The greatest thing that ever happened to (my career) was the breakdown of the record companies, because there were no more stupid questions about how many hits are on the next record. It was very liberating.” NextCompanyCareersRecordsHappenedStupidLiberatingBreakdownRecord CompaniesStupid Questions Author:John Mellencamp
“Turning music into digital was just a con, a record-company con.” CompanyRecordsDigitalRecord Companies Author:John Mellencamp
“What was happening with me, with the album [A Period of Transition], with the people who took the pictures, the record company, everything, getting a new manager [Harvey Goldsmith]-it was all saying a period of transition to me so that was the title choice. It says what it is and obviously nobody is going to analyze that. It's exactly what it is.” PeopleChoicesCompanyRecordsPeriodsHappeningsAlbumsManagersTitlesTransitionRecord CompaniesHarvey Author:Van Morrison
“As I look back, I understand what [the record company] was getting at. They were trying to market a record and make it as commercially acceptable as possible. It hurt me and my credibility with critics.” TryingLooksHurtCompanyRecordsCriticsAcceptableIt HurtsCredibilityHurt MeRecord Companies Author:Michael Buble
“I won't necessarily make new music because when you make a record there are these great expectations on the side of the record company who are going to produce your record, promoters that are going to do your shows. They want you to do interviews, they want you to play shows. I mean, they want it to be a campaign.” WantMeanPlayShowsSidesCompanyRecordsProduceMusic IsExpectationsCampaignsInterviewsRecord CompaniesNew MusicGreat ExpectationsPromoters Author:Black Francis
“I have tons of tunes, maybe 30 tunes that I still think are great, and only because some jerk at a record company didn't think it was great, it's not out there.” ThinkingStillsCompanyRecordsTunesJerkRecord Companies Author:Terry Bozzio
“The internet seems to be what a lot of independent bands are doing these days. They're bypassing the studio - the big studios, EMI and all the record companies - and just doing it themselves, online, selling their stuff, getting known through that medium.” BigsSeemsStuffCompanyKnownRecordsInternetBandIndependentStudiosSellingMediumsThese DaysOnlineRecord Companies Author:David Gilmour
“The old ways still apply. You can still send tapes to record companies, and there are record companies, you know, there are one or two of the record companies do declare proudly that they listen to every single one that comes.” KnowsWayStillsTwoCompanyRecordsTapeRecord CompaniesOld Ways Author:David Gilmour
“Obviously record companies tend to be following what the scene is rather than making the scene.” CompanyRecordsSceneFollowingRecord Companies Author:David Gilmour