Could the record company be in the way of a release?

[Minneapolisnewsman]

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.




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[Minneapolisnewsman]

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.

*

[flicknn]

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

[Minneapolisnewsman]

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."

[flicknn]

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

[ben9785]

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

[Minneapolisnewsman]

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

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

[flicknn]

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



www.metallifukinca.com

[guns_n_motley]

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."

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...

[dboyd13]

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

[flicknn]

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

[dboyd13]

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.

[flicknn]

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

[Verasa]

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

[chineseblues]

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

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.

[Minneapolisnewsman]

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

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.

[chineseblues]

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

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.

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.....

[dboyd13]

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

[riotact_vancity]

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.

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.

[dboyd13]

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