Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Just found this old interview from 2001. Interesting.

Axl interview Rock & Pop FM Argentina
Rock & Pop FM, January 22nd 2001

R&P: We know that Chinese Democracy will be released in June, but we wanted to know what the reasons are for taking so long before releasing the album?

Axl: We hadn't written songs or recorded for many years. There were band changes and there were many changes in the record company.People in the record company had many opinions and they wanted to make the best possible record. Every time that we thought that we had the correct songs, then somebody thought that we could make it better. We started over, we continued adding songs, continued recording and recording. I think that when we release the album, it's gonna be something that I'm gonna be proud of and confident in. Then, we will also have an extra heap of songs. This band has played only been together for six weeks before Rio. So it is still very new for them to play together as band, with Robin (Finck) and Buckethead. That was a surprise. Obviously, that was the correct decision to make, but it was not originally planned to have three guitarists.

Wow I have never read that interview before.

I say the record label have a lot to do with it.

In my Opinion GNR were never built on Singles.


They are a great song, listen to the entire album type band.

So maybe the Record label wanted Axl to come up with 3 or 4 Sure Fire HITS before they'd release it.


Before anyone starts, this isnt a diss.

Its just GNR dont do the conventional 3 and a half minute radio friendly single.

Maybe the record label was afraid that the style of GNR wouldnt work like it did cause of how messed up domestic radio is these days.

That meant something what was it?

Great point.  I think that the band wasn't planning on having 3 guitarists, but Bucket was brought in to work on a few tracks and they decided he should stay.  Also interesting to think the record label has turned down CD a few times.  There it is, black and white.  Proof right there.  CD HAS been rejected.   :yes:

bucket was in the band and robin came back from NIN.

That's correct, Buckethead was to be Finck's replacement after he left to do the Fragility tour with NIN. When Finck suddenly returned, Buckethead's fingerprints were now already all over the album and the new band and so he stayed on. When Buckethead left, that's a big part of the GN'R disappearance from between the end of the ill-fated '02 tour and this past year's activities. With the way the songs were now arranged and had been played, should he continue with just Finck as sole lead guitarist or should Buckethead himself be replaced? Don't forget there was a long wait to see if Buckethead might come back or somehow be persuaded to return. Axl even considered taking on a guitar role in the live band himself, briefly (that would have been...odd). And so, Bumblefoot, a most excellent, fusion-style player. I enjoy his new role in the band far more than I was expecting. It should always be noted, however, that Robin Finck is the direct replacement to Slash upon his departure, and himself was a member of the band alongside "classic" Gunners like Duff and Matt. It really was never envisioned as a two lead band. Robin was it until he left.

very true. who was it that introduced axl to robin again? was it matt? i can't remember, i read it a long time ago. i've also read stories about how axl came in and said that robin is now the new guitarist, not slash, but this was in an interview with one of the former gunners so i wouldn't take it as truth unless axl or robin backs it up.

True, and Robin does get the majority of the leads out of the three guys.   He's the clear leader of the guitarists.

However, I recall a Gilby interview (i'll post if I find it) where he said part of why he ended up quit/getting himself fired was because he didn't want to play in a 3 guitar band and Axl wanted 3 guitar players.

I think the way the guitar playing is done in this band is fucking brilliant with their different styles.   I love how on November Rain each guy gets his solo.

on the topic of the thread, I really dont know..  who knows what has caused all the delay.  ???

Yes, you're right come to think of it. Matt had introduced Axl to Robin as a guitarist who would play well with Slash, after recording with Slash and Zakk Wylde together hadn't gone to anyone's liking. At the time Axl was going for two leads plus a rhythm. By this point, Axl and Slash were too far gone and Robin happened to work out really well with where the band was going, in Axl's eyes. According to Matt, Axl said that "He would be a great replacement for Slash." In the summer of '97 Finck officially joined GN'R as their lead guitar player. Paul Huge was rhythm. I guess Axl abandoned the thought of needing a second lead once Finck took over, and something tells me he never intended for Slash to actually stay long enough to record with a new guitarist. Remember this was all coming right after the first Snakepit album, and Slash's involvement in the band was at a real weird place, especially since "Sympathy for the Devil."

On the subject of the topic, It's possible that when changes happen inside a company, "products" can be delayed. It's the same with the music industry.

I remember Bon Jovi's "Crush" was scheduled for a release in 1999, but then Mercury, band's label, was bought by Universal and Island Def Jam. Then the album's producer, the late Bruce Fairbairn died in may the same year. Point is, the album was delayed and was finally released at the end of 2000 (june I think).

So, It can be the same with Chinese Democracy. Changes in the company, legal bullshit, etc.

Here is the whole interview : http://www.rosesofvelvet.com/forum/index.php?topic=2952.15

It is a very good read. It may be helpful to understand what's going on... ;)

The same interview has been here (http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/articles/showarticle.php?articleid=38) since 2001....





/jarmo

Where do you live that June is the end of the year?!!

LP

thanks for the link jarmo  :)

I second that.... :rofl:

The record company is deffinetly holding back the release of Chinese Democracy  :rant:

Of course, it's always someone else's fault, never Axl. Damned record company! ::)

Yeah to hell with the record company. Its definitive the record companys fault.
Lets attack them in some kind of way.

How could the record company stand in the way of an album that probably has no intention of ever being released?

It's all Axl's bullshit.

It doesn't sound like the rec comp was "in the way." It sounds more like they were giving Axl oppinions and he was taking them into consideration.

Actually, it looks like the album was rejected, because the record company didn't like the songs, so Axl is forced to change them over and over.

It works with The Blues too.  In 02 The Blues was a lot heavier, and in just 4 years they've changed that song a lot, made it more radio friendly.  Could it be that Universal rejected The Blues also? 

But there it is!  CD HAS been rejected, multiple times before 2001, not to mention how much it was rejected in the following 5 years. 

I thought that's how it worked with Finck too.  BH was Finck's replacement, and when Finck came back they decided, what the hell, why not have 3 guitarists?   Thanks for clearing that up for me. 

They couldn't.  But they have rejected CD a few times, which means it is meant to be released.  Go read the interview again.  Are you sure you read the right one?   : ok:

I don't know how you get that from this...

There were band changes and there were many changes in the record company.People in the record company had many opinions and they wanted to make the best possible record. Every time that we thought that we had the correct songs, then somebody thought that we could make it better. We started over, we continued adding songs,

"Rejected" is a strong word. That's why I said, from looking at the bold words above and trying my best to use the english skills I learned in school, it seems more like Axl was taking the Rec Comp oppinions into consideration. Who's to say he couldn't have just said, "It's fine. Go with it" to the rec comp?

In a way though that is rejecting it.  Telling someone that they can do better is a polite way of saying "NO, this isn't good enough."  But of course none of us were there so we don't really know what happened... it's all speculation on our part.  I doubt the record company is holding up the release of this album again but if it doesn't come out by the end of the year it WILL be blamed on someone and I guarantee the blame won't be put on Axl.  It will be someone else's fault regardless of it being Axl's fault or not.

Every time that we thought that we had the correct songs, then somebody thought that we could make it better. We started over, we continued adding songs

Right there. ?Of course Axl won't come out and say they "rejected" it, that would make the album sound bad, right?

So with that quote there, he says he started over and continued adding songs. ?Now if it was just opinions on how to make stuff better, why would they start over, or why would they continue adding more songs? ?They did it because the record company didn't like what they had, so they go back to square one, and keep trying to make better songs that would be worthy of CD. ?

Because the actual rec comp quote is the word "thought." "Thought" is the same as oppinion. He didn't say, "They told us it could be better." Or, "They wanted something better."

Rejected, rejected, rejected, rejected. (Ah that feels so good) Say it again, oh,oh, oh, ahhhhhhhhhhh. I need a cigarette.

The best song is supposedly Prostitute, but it was recorded before this, which says something about why we?ve been waiting so long.

But would you just come out to Axl and say, "This album fucking sucks, re do it or we aren't fucking releasing it!"

NO!  Of course you wouldn't, it's just polite to put it that way.  And you are missing that even if they did say something meaner to Axl, he wouldn't put it in a public review.  He wants to make CD look as good as possible.  You're missing that one part. 

Who ever said the best song is Prostitute and why do people always talk about this song as if they've heard it??  Like during the "What song should GN'R open with at shows?" TOPIC, some people said Prostitute and they have no fucking clue about what the song even sounds like!!!

Not sure which interview, but i read somewhere too that Prositute was the strongest song off of CD. 

You should really read my post a few posts before this one.

people where saying that about CITR

Who!

Some guy involved with the album claimed that Prostitue was the best song years ago.

That has been said about a few different songs over the years but what's the point in claiming a song we have never heard to be the best off of the album?? I don't ever recall anyone saying that Prostitue was the best song CD has to offer, so I would like to read this interview if it does indeed exist and if it does, I doubt it is anything recent.  Which is probably why I don't remember it.

I would link it, but I'm too lazy to search for it again, theres a article somewhere in the history section of this board.

I did, but it's aparent Edward Rose did not. 

I've never heard it said about CITR, just about Prostitute and a few others. 

I'm sorry... I do realize how hard it is to search for something using your mouse and your eyes and not moving from your chair.  I wouldn't want you to over-exert yourself.  It's not a big deal anyway and I'm sure I read the interview a long ass time ago and if it's old it's completely irrelevent anyway.

And you're missing the part where I think (think... just my oppinion) that people should respect his choice of words and not take it upon themselves to put words into his or the rec company's mouths. That's all. You're probably right.

A simple choice of words, like "may have rejected it" would be better in my oppinion.

You kept going on about who said the song was the best, and now you're saying it's irrelevant.

The drummer they had before Brain (Josh Freese or something) said on a question about CD: "When it finaly comes out, look out for a track called Prostitute"

Dont remember where I read it, think it was a interview over at splat or something

Damn, Josh Freese hasn't been in the band for many, many years.  I do trust the guy's opinion very much as he is one of the top drummers alive today but I'm sure the track has changed since he last heard it.  Let's get back on topic though and stop talking about Prostitute.

This is a strange thread. Interesting to look back on but that interview is old and these insights aren't new. It's obvious the album has been worked and reworked, done, started over and done again. That's how they end up with so much material. Obviously Axl was into the more industrial OMG sound for a while, feeling he couldn't make a traditional guns record without slash, and things like that - they've changed a lot i would imagine.

As for if the album was 'rejected' i'm sorry to make this comparison but it's easy... in 01 michael jackson released an album called invincible. It was talked about a lot and was supposed to be his big comeback to the top of the charts (it didn't do very well). But when he was recording, the record company told him they wanted the next Thriller. The album ends with an uninspired song called Threatened, which is about as close to thriller as you can get (and ultimately it's sad, because nobody really wants a song like thriller, they want a song thats equally different and exciting.
Anyway my point is that artists as big as MJ or Axl can release anything they want (somebody will make money), but when it comes to the money at stake, the company isn't 'rejecting' CD but they want axl to recapture the success he previously had. Axl knows he can't re-write AFD, but the company is just listening to the record and thinking 'will this song make as much money as sweet child?'

Thank you.  : ok:

Does anyone here care to state how much UYI 1+2 sold worldwide to date? (I'm not refering to the US alone)

i don't think it's possible to track :-\

Sure, the name would sell, but Universal is probably looking at comparing it with UYI and AFD.  And that's something that should not be done.  I think if that little GNR name wasn't there, we'd have heard CD by now. 

I think part of the problem of why its taken so long, is because Axl so desperately wants to beat appetite... To many GNR is considered a one album wonder, like Boston(who if you look at their history theres several similarities) where they have one cd that just sold a shit load and every track is killer, ask most people about GNR and theyll say "appetite was amazing, UYI was ok"


it started with UYI where to beat appetite, axl made it a double album, with huge epics, and wanted to tour until it hit 30million...

No, probably Universal doesn't want  release Cd, because it's to weak for them.
 

Around 30m total I think they sold about 15m each world wide

Here is a link

http://www.mjni.com/news/details.aspx?ArticleNo=508

Thanks, it just goes to show to some people, that GNR were something after AFD.

i dont think so.... Universal releases shitty albums all the time... and people will buy it no matter what... it makes no difference if its good or shitty, people will buy it.

Slash said Axl wanted to hit 40 million.

Mr MojoRisin,
In the past, the album has already been rejected by Universal, it's written down in black and white in this interview. It can happen again.
 

the fact of the matter is, They want to get this thing out there.. theyve blown 13million on it.. you think they want to blow more??

that was back in 2001, but its all up to axl now...

I'm more concearned that the track didnt change since he last heard it...
after all the songs we've heard in 2001 barely changed during the past 5 year, so why would prostitute be any diferent?
(including the 99 demos)

for instance, hasn't an orchestral arrangement added to the song since then?
Or was it before?

strange why the GH suit article and the NY times said axl hadn't delivered the album to the label.

Oh really?  If you actually listen closer to all the versions, they have changed quite a bit over time.  Plus, who says the leaks are from 01 anyway?  Where's your source on that?  I think the links are a lot more recent than 01, and if you compare the leaks to the 99 leaks, there's a difference. 

Thank you!  Nice to see someone can actually read.

My bet is Jimmy Iovine himself, who is as good and as honest as they get with his artists, after listening to the songs on the "5th floor", decided the band needed to rework some of the songs. ?Axl has mentioned, that the record company asked them to keep working on stuff, and that has been one factor for the delays. ?Great read, check the areas in bold.
 ?;)

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-iovine26nov26,1,2363052.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews&track=crosspromo

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TITANS
Ears wide open
He interned with Lennon, got Dr. Dre on the air, was musical matchmaker for Gwen Stefani. Jimmy Iovine listens and imagines, then makes it happen.
By Robert Hilburn
Special to The Times

November 26, 2006

"WHEN I first went into the studio with John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen, I thought making records was going to be fun, like going to a Rolling Stones concert," says Jimmy Iovine, reflecting on his route to becoming a record industry tyco4on. "But fun had nothing to do with it. Fun wasn't even on the menu.

"Bruce would spend eight hours trying to write one line of the lyrics to 'Jungleland' and longer on the guitar part to 'Thunder Road.' He'd try it one way and then tell everybody 'again' and 'again' for days. I fell asleep for four hours one night and the first thing I heard after waking up was Bruce saying, 'Again.' "

Iovine, the 53-year-old son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, is in the bright exercise room of his Holmby Hills estate, though he doesn't look much different here, in his Nike baseball cap and sweat suit, than he does in his Santa Monica office.

As he steps onto an elliptical trainer, the slender executive isn't just looking for a cardiovascular boost but for another hit record ? to join the ones he has had as producer or record company head with such artists as U2, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Tom Petty, 50 Cent and Gwen Stefani.

Iovine had the business smarts to build Interscope Records from a $30-million start-up in 1991 to the crown jewel in the world's biggest music firm, Universal Music Group, but he believes his most important role is in finding and nurturing talent. He constantly draws upon lessons from his studio apprenticeships in the '70s.

"I've always wanted to bring to this record company the intensity and drive of those artists," says Iovine, whose roster of labels also includes A&M and Geffen Records. "Every artist can't be Springsteen or Lennon or you'd only have two artists on your label, but you want to encourage everyone to reach for that spark of passion that I saw every day in them.

"I also learned that the songs are everything. If the songs aren't there, you're dead. You must do whatever it takes to get them right ? as much time, as much pain."

Iovine brought one intangible with him to the music business: an instinct for hits, and his 35-by-30-foot exercise room is where he searches for them several mornings a week.

It was here 11 years ago that he first heard a forceful young Detroit rapper who was in L.A. seeking a record deal. An intern at the company heard Eminem live on the radio and was so impressed he got a copy of the broadcast for Iovine. He played it for premier rap producer Dr. Dre one Saturday, and Dre was so impressed he went into the studio with Eminem the following Monday. The result: worldwide sales by Eminem of 65 million albums ? or nearly $1 billion.

Last fall in the room, Iovine heard new tracks by Nelly Furtado, a young Canadian singer he inherited when Universal bought DreamWorks Records.

Iovine had tried to sign Furtado, a pop singer with teasingly seductive dance and hip-hop sensibilities, and he was fond of Furtado's 2000 debut album and, even more, a remix track she did with hip-hop producer Timbaland.

But Iovine felt Furtado's new music was too "mature" ? his polite word for uninspired ? and he made a mental note that morning: "Timbaland!"

Meeting with Furtado a few days later, Iovine advised the twentysomething singer to scrap the tracks she had done and go into the studio with Timbaland. Furtado jumped at the suggestion so fast it surprised Iovine, but artists do listen when you've got his track record.

In June, the Timbaland-produced album, "Loose," entered the U.S. pop charts at No. 1, thanks in part to a sassy single, "Promiscuous." Worldwide sales: more than 2.5 million.

By focusing on the music rather than chiefly on quarterly spreadsheets, Iovine fits into the grand, entrepreneurial tradition of post-World War II executives who built the modern record business ? people such as Ahmet Ertegun, Clive Davis, David Geffen, Mo Ostin and Iovine's mentor, Doug Morris, with whom he confers six to 10 times a day.

"I don't talk to my artists about record deals," Iovine says. "I talk to them about how we are going to make their records better. To do that, you've got to infiltrate the artist and get their trust and confidence so that you can help push them in directions they might not see or might not even want to go at first, and that can cause tension, but that's just part of the creative process.

"If you don't speak the truth in the studio, your relationship with the artist is finished. It's not enough to just tell them everything is great. The most important thing is to tell them when it's not great."



All energy, all the time

THERE'S no exercise equipment in Iovine's fifth-floor office in Universal's West Coast headquarters, but on a recent fall afternoon, he still seems to be in constant motion.

Even when music is blasting from the massive sound system, Iovine is multitasking, exchanging BlackBerry messages with artists or managers, or listening to staff members fill him in on the latest airplay reports.

As the music plays, Iovine points out tracks he likes and suggests improvements for others ? a better chorus, a stronger beat. It's as if he's got this massive computer in his head, filled with all he's heard over the years ? and he draws sounds from it to make new recordings more appealing.

But he also keeps looking around the room for reaction to the tracks because he believes strongly that hit-making takes a team.
"A lot of record executives are solo acts," says Iovine, his leg draped over the side of his favorite chair. "But I want everybody's ideas. I'm talking about the people at the company, and producers and artists as well. They are all gigantic allies in setting the tone for the company. Gwen brought me the Pussycat Dolls. Eminem and his manager, Paul Rosenberg, found 50 Cent."

As Iovine meets with his staff, he's surrounded by some remarkable mementos. Against one wall is the mellotron that John Lennon used with the Beatles in making "Strawberry Fields Forever." On another wall is a signed copy of Bono's handwritten lyrics for "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own." Iovine was with the band in Dublin, Ireland, the night U2 recorded the song about the death of Bono's father.

These touches are more than comforting. They remind Iovine of the obsession of those artists and his own drive, so intense that Iovine (who is married and has four children, ages 12 to 18) has been taking Prozac for years to maintain balance in his life.

"Bruce said to me a few years ago that we were both lucky because we were able to keep that low self-esteem that got us here," he says, smiling. "Some people get to where they don't want to deal with the tough things anymore. They give it to someone else, but I'm still willing to move mountains to make things work. I haven't earned a free pass from hard work."

Rest of article:

A little help from Mr. Lennon

THE Interscope co-founder isn't the only record company chief with musical "ears" to assume his post over the last two decades, but he is by far the most successful, despite a rough start in the conglomerate age.

With co-founder Ted Field, Iovine launched the label under the Time Warner umbrella, but the media empire, upset over Interscope's gangsta rap acts, severed ties with it in 1995. Morris, who championed Interscope at Time Warner, jumped at the chance to be in business with Interscope again at his new home, now Universal Music Group, where he is chairman. (Field left Interscope in 2001).

One of Iovine's strengths in working with artists is that he's endlessly entertaining, able to charm a roomful of people with one-liners about life in the music business. If you wanted to make a film about him, you'd look for a young Al Pacino type ? short and Italian, with quiet good looks.

Personality and charm surely contributed to Iovine's swift rise in the music world. At 21, he was working as a "runner" at the Record Plant studio in New York when Lennon and engineer Roy Cicala asked him if he wanted to work with them on Lennon's "Mind Games" album.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And a little More, sorry:

His enthusiasm ? and musical insight ? also played a role in a chance meeting in 1977 that changed his life. He was in the Record Plant lounge when Patti Smith walked in. Iovine was working on Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and she was in another studio recording the follow-up to her brilliant debut, "Horses."

"With Patti, I saw things in her that she didn't even see," Iovine says. "She wondered why her records didn't sell more, and I told her it was because her first album showed only one side of her ? the punk/poet thing. To me, there was a lot more, a sort of mix between the street poet aura of Jim Morrison and the energy and excitement of the Rolling Stones. I thought she needed to put all sides on a record to really reach everyone with her music."

Iovine was speaking just as a fan, so he was shocked when Smith asked him on the spot to produce her next album even though he had no experience as a producer.

He was especially thrilled to work with Smith, whose background as a poet gave her words an especially striking, adventurous edge, because he prizes lyrics above all in music; Iovine believes great lyrics speak to an artist's depth and vision, and they're the hardest thing to find in a new artist. But he wasn't intimidated. He pushed Smith hard.

The moment of truth was when he realized there wasn't a track dynamic enough to be a radio hit. His answer was for Smith to record a Springsteen song left over from the "Darkness " sessions, a brooding tale of romantic desire titled "Because the Night."

Smith didn't like the idea of recording someone else's song.

"I talked to her every night about the song," Iovine recalls. "I'd go, 'Patti, you've got to trust me. This song could be the key to getting more people interested in the album.' I think one reason she finally gave in was that the song wasn't finished so she was able to write the verses, and it was brilliant. I still love those lines about 'desire is hunger, the fire I breathe, love is a banquet on which we feed.' "

Thanks to "Because the Night," the Smith album, "Easter," reached No. 20 on the national pop charts ? and the success of the album attracted other record-makers to Iovine. Among them: Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks. His separate albums with them, "Damn the Torpedoes" and "Bella Donna," respectively, each sold millions.

For Nicks, who was making a solo album after her success with Fleetwood Mac, Iovine did more than help shape the sound or reach outside for a hit song. He didn't know that much about Fleetwood Mac, so he listened to "Rumours" before he went into the studio with Nicks ? and he realized instantly the challenge in making a Nicks solo album.

"If you are going to make a Mick Jagger solo record, you've got to make sure people don't miss the Rolling Stones. With Fleetwood Mac, you had three voices, now you are only going to have one. With Fleetwood Mac, you had three writers, now you only have one. With Fleetwood Mac, you had the musical inventiveness of Lindsey Buckingham and the comfortable feel of that rhythm section."

Iovine's game plan to supply those missing elements offers a revealing glimpse of what he can bring to a project. Fortunately, Nicks had lots of songs, so material wasn't a problem. But there was a Petty song that Iovine thought would be perfect for Nicks, and he got them to agree to a duet on the song, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." He also teamed Don Henley with her on a Nicks song, "Leather and Lace."

To add some of the musical color of Buckingham and the rest of the band, he pulled in musicians he admired, including two he remembered from his days in the studio with Springsteen and Petty ? keyboardists Roy Bittan and Benmont Tench.

"Whenever I'd work on the sound mix on Tom or Bruce's records and find a spot in the record that needed a lift," Iovine recalls, "I would always find myself reaching for Roy or Benmont because they were always doing something interesting."

Over the next few years, he worked with Bob Seger, Dire Straits, Pretenders and Simple Minds. Despite the success, Iovine saw a new generation of musicians rising in the wake of the Sex Pistols and the Clash, and he felt they would want their own producers. He realized his future was in running a record company, where he could employ his talents over a wider range of musicians. He started Interscope with Field, a film producer and Democratic Party activist. Iovine was 37.



In rap's corner

MOST major labels were slow in the '80s to pick up on the creative and commercial potential of rap, and Iovine doesn't pretend today to have had a special insight into the music ? until it virtually walked in the door. John McClain, an Interscope executive, and Suge Knight, who had started the indie rap label Death Row, brought him a young record producer named Dr. Dre (real name Andre Young).

"One reason I hadn't been that interested in hip-hop is most hip-hop records sounded cheap, tinny," Iovine says now. "But Dre's music sounded better on my speakers than most rock records. I didn't know hip-hop, but I knew my speakers, and this was fantastic."

In his first solo album, "The Chronic," Dre made hard-core rap more accessible for mainstream radio by adding seductive R&B and funk textures to the sound. Iovine didn't need to give Dre direction in the studio, but he played a key role in breaking down resistance to the new style in the record industry.

When mainstream radio stations balked at "The Chronic," Iovine and his Interscope team bought one-minute ads that just featured music from the record. They went on 50 stations and the listeners started calling, wanting to hear more. Iovine also persuaded MTV to play gangsta rap.

Iovine has since come up with a flexible game plan for working with nearly 100 artists on his labels, including U2, Beck, the Black Eyed Peas, the Game and TV on the Radio.

With some, such as self-contained rock auteurs Trent Reznor and Eminem, he pretty much stays clear of the studio. With others, including Stefani and the Pussycat Dolls, he or another member of the staff will be actively involved.

Iovine put Stefani together with artist-producer Pharrell Williams, who helped her record the culture-bending, Grammy-nominated single "Hollaback Girl" and worked with her manager, Jim Guerinot, in expanding the singer into fashion, films and a website magazine. Many critics have dismissed them, but Stefani and her band, No Doubt, have sold some 25 million albums.



A work in progress

IT'S the day before Iovine is to head to London to meet with U2 and Stefani to hear new music, and he's on the elliptical trainer, listening to a new recording by Stefani.

As he pushes the pedals of the trainer, Iovine is asked about one of his big disappointments of recent years: the Hives.

Iovine goes into a long litany of the personal and professional roadblocks that can keep a band from reaching its potential on record. It feels like a filibuster until he cuts to the chase.

"They just didn't come up with the songs," he says bluntly of the last Hives album, which failed to live up to the enthusiasm the Swedish band had built on its indie releases. "They thought people were just responding to the attitude in their shows, and it was never just that. But I'm not giving up. I've already spoken to them, and they know what they need to do."

Iovine pauses.

"You heard what Andr? 3000 said about 'Hey Ya,' didn't you?" he says finally, referring to the wacky and wonderful OutKast hit of 2003. "He said there wouldn't have been a 'Hey Ya' without the Hives ? that he was influenced by their energy. It'd be interesting what Andr? 3000 and the Hives could come up with in the studio with Pharrell."

Two weeks later, Iovine is back from London and a side business trip to South Korea, and he wants to talk about a different topic: the future of the record business.

"I met with Samsung, and it convinced me more than ever that the structure of the record business doesn't work," the label executive said, sitting on his office patio. "If we don't fix this business, people won't look back on us in 20 years and applaud because of all the great artists we signed. They'll remember us as the generation that watched the music business die, and I don't want to be part of that legacy."

But what can anyone do in an industry whose album sales are falling faster than a bungee jumper at the county fair ? even someone who has been called the "future" of the record industry by no less an entrepreneur than Apple's Steve Jobs?

Iovine, who learned much about positioning a company for change from Jobs, thinks there are solutions.

"Until now, the record industry has thought primarily in terms of defense ? 'How do we stop the leak?' " Iovine says, referring to finding ways to combat what he brands as the "stealing" of music through file sharing, piracy and other means. "We have to get into more of the revenue stream. The eventual answer may be a flat fee that enables you to listen to all the music you want. Sites like iTunes need to become a more fulfilling experience ? besides music, they should allow you to communicate with other fans, buy concert tickets, T-shirts, maybe even get unreleased recordings by your favorite artists."

He's so excited about the future that he spends nearly an hour on the topic before returning to music and playing a new track that would end up on U2's new greatest hits album.

It is near the end of a long day, but he's energized. Iovine is looking forward to hearing lots of music that has piled up during his trip. He can't wait to get back on the treadmill.

*

His take on Rap was very interesting, considering who dre has under his built ....eminem , 50-cent, the game , ice cube ...so the music balrring from his window was the story of that dude visiting the dmv office ...interesting

People can come up with countless delay rumours & reasons, moaning, bitching, and what not.  But, in the end, if Jimmy Iovine says "work on a few of these songs, add a beat to the chorus and turn up the bass on our 1st single..." you do it.  The delay, is certainly due to Iovine and company not being ready to roll this out, or not thinking the timing was right this X-mas season.  Universal has the power, if the songs are good, to make this album fly off the shelves.  That is the bottom-line, and that is most likely why the album is delayed.  From what I gather, Iovine is personally involved in this, so I do find it a little disturbing that this "publicity" piece does not mention GNR at all.  He still might not be 100% confident in the project.  But, rest assured, when it does come out, Iovine has signed off on the roll out, marketing, first single, artwork, etc. 

"Now that's House music, you can buy a house if you release that."

your post here, it's powerful , and deserves it's own thread , ty for posting

I think the record company could ultimately play a bigger part than expected in approving the album
Ultimately its the record company who have financed the album and they are the ones who will get it out
Even if Axl has blown so many million dollars on the album, and he is a top priority, at the same time I'm sure the label isn't going to let him get away if they don't feel the material is up to standard, obviously they don't only want something from him, they want something they feel is worth it

Rather than a few unconfirmed song titles and "Oh My God" we really don't have any idea of the quality of the studio material, not necessarily only the songs themselves, but the musicianship, how it sounds, the production etc etc etc

Do not hesitate to put up a new post with the story linked, if you think so. ?Thank you. ?

I help maintain a Metallica Bitorent site . And I put it up there.



www.metallifukinca.com

I think it more has to do with Universal not thinking they could get it done/have enough time for promo to have it out for X-mas season.. they could, but theyd be rushing especially when the album was finished/handed in mid/late October..

you can say he could have them change it, but keep in mind, this isnt an album thats just been in the works for 2 years, this thing has been in the works for roughly a decade.. and small tweaks have been done for roughly a decade...

I doubt its small "tweaks" by iovine holding it up..

Universal wants to make as much $$ back as possible.. if they dont feel they can this year, they wont...

Did that have anything to do with Gun's & Roses?

yeah jimmy runs universal , it has alot to do with gnr

I just heard Welcome to the Jungle to kick of the Monday Night Football snow game tonight it must be a sign.  On a serious note, there was nothing mentioned about Gun's in the article. it was focused on Rap and pop.

jimmy runs universal , guns are signed to universal , jimmy decides who and what gets released .. think about it

yeah jimmy is the man but i think axl kinda does things his way, not jimmy's way. not that he doesn't have weight in the matter

Jimmy runs Interscope, and that article has nothing to do with GNR. You cant assume because Jimmy said something about need to rewrite songs and shit that he was talking about GNR. We know from the songs we have heard so far that there are at least 3 great single choices. Thats only stuff we've heard so far. Theres no way Jimmy would make them go back and rewrite that shit again, hes not stupid enough to do that.

This thread is titled "Could the record company be in the way of a release."  This article gives insight of Iovine's modus of operandi.   I doubt he made them re-write anything, but tweaking a few songs that are planned on being released as singles is possible.  Universal is notorious for getting their stuff on the radio, and to them making the songs catchy for the audience is essential to their big releases.  Moreover, the delay could be due to logistics, like getting their reps into visit programming d  Tirectors about promised spins, drive time spins, etc.  There are many details that make or break a successful release, and I am sure Iovine, whom is a big Axl fan and friend, wants to make sure this album cements his status as a legend.   I think he cares about Axl, and knows the work he has put into this.  He does not want to see this fail because of a failed marketing and distribution strategy.  If it takes a few more months to get all the stars aligned, so be it. :yes:

The only thing Jimmy Iovine cares about is making money, he dont give a flying fuck about the music. If he did he never would have signed the pussycat dolls.....

thanks Chineseblues, the article had nothing to do with Gun's. People are reading way more into this!!!

maybe the record company is frustrated that Axl is using their 13 million to write piss off songs? all the songs we've heard, save CITR, are songs about his girls or his ex friends. if there's one thing that never flies, it's direct emotional self-indulgence. people want to hear unrequited love songs, but don't name the girl or talk about exact stuff....facts is, these songs, while i like all of em, just aren't pop hit material. There's no sweet child, Dont cry, november rain, paradise city or jungle anywhere in what we've seen. The album, assuming the generalt rend of it is the songs we've heard so far, is screaming at us that it'll be the kind where it gets great reviews based on its experimentalism and scope, but people will be saying Axl needs to use another venue to let his shit out, thus none of the songs will be hits because the lyrical and emotional content.

Riotact.. Better & I.R.S are way better then the c rap that is passed on radio today as a hit.

jimmy is the head of universal man , read page 3 , surf , ....google ,

Again no he isnt, he is the head of Interscope....

interscope is a intety of universal music group and the biggest fraction of the unit . I stand by my comment


qoute"

Iovine had the business smarts to build Interscope Records from a $30-million start-up in 1991 to the crown jewel in the world's biggest music firm, Universal Music Group, but he believes his most important role is in finding and nurturing talent. He constantly draws upon lessons from his studio apprenticeships in the '70s."


he pulls all the talent strings whether you like it or not"

I actually found that quote reading the article on the link


the company was interscope in 1991 an dmoved on to becoming unviersal music group , owning a&m , gefen etc etc e3tc

You can stand by whatever you want, but the fact remains what you are saying isn't true. Jimmy runs Interscope records, not universal. Universal is run by someone else entirely. Just like Geffen is being run by someone else other then Jimmy.

Who cares Chinese?  So you have no clue about Universal Music Group--LOL!  Why are you trying to start a fight?   You are completely out of the loop if you don't realize that Jimmy Iovine is working on this project.  He has been for years.  OK!  PM me if you want any further clarification.  If not, then good night.

I never said he wasnt working on the project, where did I state that at all? Im just stating that Jimmy does not run Universal, which is the truth. Never once did I say Jimmy wasnt working on the project.

OK, so this post was relevant because it deals with the man who is planning the roll out of this album for the record company.  Glad we agree upon that.  Now, when is the record company going to deliver a single to radio?

No dude it still isn't relevant to the band. If they would have mentioned Guns then yes I could understand that, but it didnt. Are we going to post every article about anyone who has ever been involved with this project now? But whatever, I'll never convince you of that.

i never said that...i said there's nos weet child, dont cry etc...GnR gets held to a higher standard. OMG was acres better than anything that came out when it was out, yet it got nowhere because it's not quite on the level of GnR's hits. And as good as better and IRS are or may be, they aren't sing along pop rock ghits, which, tho i never listen to theradio, seem to be what pass as rock hits these days.