Jim Lauderdale dropped from RCA

Janice Brooks · From: Pleasant Gap Pa

Once again the major labels look at $$ and not art.

From "The Tennessean" : Wednesday, 4/19/2000
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Without 'star-level' clout, Lauderdale released from RCA

Jim Lauderdale
By Peter Cooper / Staff Writer

Nashville singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale's departure from RCA
Records is another indicator that country radio remains all-powerful
in making or breaking Music Row acts.

"I'm not happy about this or proud about this," RCA Labels Group
President Joe Galante said of his decision to cut Lauderdale from his
roster.

"But I have no evidence that country radio is going to open up to the
fringes, and we're about reaching that star sales level."

With a voice reminiscent of classic country star Buck Owens and a
resume that includes writing country hits The King of Broken Hearts,
Halfway Down and You Don't Seem To Miss Me, Lauderdale would not
initially appear to be a "fringe" artist. But his rootsy sound, though
critically heralded, is dissimilar from most current radio acts.

While industry analysts speak of the need for more "mid-level"
artists, Galante said major labels are set up specifically to, as he
put it, "do volume." The result is a top-heavy format where several
acts (including Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, George Strait and Faith
Hill) sell a disproportionate number of CDs while the bulk of the
artists scrap for what's left over.

Lauderdale's manager, Frank Callari, said more roster cuts may follow
as Arista's July merger into RCA draws nearer.

"I think there's more to come," Callari said. "They're going to fold
Arista into RCA. They'll have more acts, but no more slots to fill on
radio."

Arista's roster includes established acts Brooks & Dunn and Alan
Jackson.

Galante said neither Lauderdale's release after two albums nor Jason
Sellers' recent exit from an RCA affiliate was precipitated by the
merger.

Lauderdale was nominated for a Grammy this year for his duet album
with bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley. That album, released on Virginia
independent Rebel Records, has sold about 20,000 copies, which is more
than Lauderdale's two RCA discs combined.

"There are a lot of mom-and-pop stores that sell bluegrass, and that's
not our expertise," Galante said. "We don't claim to be in the
business of selling 25,000 units. We're set up for volume, and it
either fits or it doesn't with us."

This is not the first time Lauderdale has proved an ill fit for the
mass market. He was previously released from Warner Bros., Columbia
and Atlantic.

"I'm baffled by the Jim Lauderdale phenomenon," said Mercury Records
artist Kim Richey. "He's one of the best singers in town, and I would
have bet good money on him."

The Jim Lauderdale phenomenon is not limited to Lauderdale himself.
Matraca Berg, Bob Woodruff, Joy Lynn White and others made critically
heralded, major-label country discs in the 1990s that failed to crack
country radio playlists. Those performers lost their deals after one
or two albums.

Lauderdale parted RCA with kind words, thanking the label for allowing
him opportunities to record two discs and noting that he is nearly
finished recording a new album.

"It was a gutsy move for them to sign me," he said. "It was a risk for
them, and I like to take risks musically."

Whether companies will continue to allow musical risks in the country
format is up for debate. Galante asserts three things: that country
radio will remain closed to "fringe" acts, that country radio airplay
is necessary for "star-level" sales, and that major labels are all
about achieving those star-level sales.

Such factors would seem to preclude future risks, push atypical
artists out of the major label picture and guarantee stability at the
expense of innovation.

But country-radio listenership has remained in decline since the
beginning of 1996, according to Sean Ross of Billboard magazine's
Airplay Monitor.

And Mike Kraski, Sony Nashville's senior vice president of sales and
marketing, said his label is working to fine-tune a business model
more reliant on club tours and small-station radio airplay than on
mainstream country radio. The efforts are centered around Charlie
Robison, Bruce Robison and Jack Ingram, artists signed to Sony's Lucky
Dog Records label.

"That's the grand experiment," Kraski said. "It's now beginning to
bear fruit."

Released 18 months ago, Charlie Robison's Life of the Party is now
selling an average of 1,000 units a week without much support from
mainstream radio.

"It's challenging to radio, and it's threatening," Kraski said of Life
of the Party, which has now sold more than 60,000 copies, enough to
put the project in the black.

"We're hoping that even without country radio we can develop a
consistent fan base. And I think radio may come along eventually."

Bruce Robison's first two Lucky Dog discs garnered critical acclaim
but have not been large-scale commercial successes.

"If I had been signed to RCA, the same thing that happened to Jim
would have happened to me," he said. "The guys at Sony love to sell
tons of records, too, but they think something is going to happen with
music like mine and Charlie's."

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

I know the forum is well stocked with folks who feel that somehow nothing but "traditional country" is real music. I, for one, see the loss of folks like Jim as a terrible one as far as preventing country music from once again flourishing and moving away from it's currently narrow confines. But is Jim's music (and other more 'Americana'-like artists) "traditional country"? Certainly not. So who else out there also sees this as an unfortunate turn of events?

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Janice,
This really $ucks to the highest degree! The major labels are really killing great music and artists. Thank God for labels like Rounder and Sugar Hill or any of the indies out there who still bring us great music. It's just not about the music any more at all just the almight dollar. As I'm writing this I'm playing a CD by James House "Days Gone By" which is one of my favorites. It came out in 1995 and got a lot of air play here in Southern Virginia with tunes like "A Real Good Way to Wind Up Lonesome" and "Little by Little". I don't know how it did elsewhere but I love this one. I don't think there was ever a follow up as I haven't seen another one by him. As far a Jim Lauderdale. I think he should try to get on Rounder like Allison Krause and some of those acts did and be appreciated for what he does. We have a place here called Birdland Music where we can get all the latest CD's by people like Jim, the Derailers, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Dale Watson, and the people who really have something to say!

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Have a good one! JH U-12

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

That's a dang shame!!!
To add another note to that type situation. Dale signed with Sire/Warner last year and we cut a new CD for them and it's not looking good at all for us. This particular deal for us may be over; because the record company can't find a distributer for the CD; because it's "TOO COUNTRY"; as they say.
Oh well; I guess we just keep playing local bars all over the world for 200 people or so that show up>

This industry sucks and if all of the sudden you can't find me; it's because I'm on some island somewhere playing nothin' but Hawaiian Music; cause they are about to drive me right out too.
Ricky

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Ricky Davis
http://hometown.aol.com/sshawaiian/RickyHomepage.html
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html
sshawaiian@aol.com

[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 20 April 2000 at 10:48 AM.]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I'm just waiting to hear some comments from those folks who are always on here telling us how GREAT country music is now.

Well...come on...tell us!

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

In one respect the Sony part might be good news to people that like trad country. If labels are willing to take on small projects on there offshoot labels then there might be a viable market for trad country as well as other forms of music.
If a label could be content to support an artist that sells 60,000 units we would be back in businesss. The trick is to find a way to bypass radio. I think that it is happening. We are now in an awkward stage of the change.
Also if you guys think "new country" sucks have you checked out whats passing for music in the pop scene ? Boy bands, and teenager chicks with boob jobs that can't sing, dance or anything. Its pathetic. They don't even bother writing songs anymore.
I have buddys that play in the R&B scene and they are into the new country music. R&B has been in a horrible rut for a long time now. At least new country music still uses musicians.

And Janice, I have rarely dealt with a major label guy that was concerned with art on any real level. They get paid alot of money and they just want to keep ther jobs. If they start talking about how much they dig your music and art you should hire another lawyer to keep an eye on your lawyer

!

You guys that think that the music business has much to do with music are dreaming.

I live for music...but thats my problem !

Bob

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Franklin D-10

[This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 21 April 2000 at 01:00 AM.]

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

Bob,
Er, ditto...

JB Arnold · From: Longmont,Co,USA (deceased)

Hey, listen, at least RCA had the guts to be honest about it. That's what's behind all the problems with Country today-Real Country doesn't ship the kind of numbers the big outfits need to make any money-and it never has. What's going to have to happen is that some small regional labels are going to have to jump up and fill the void. The problem is that if they get any good at it they get gobbled up by the big operations who want a whack at their roster.

You can forget about radio support-there aren't enough real country listeners in any given market to keep a station on the air. Even the worst station's audience numbers are probably higher than those a "real" Country format would provide. It's going to have to happen by live shows, word of mouth, and the internet. The boomers have taken over the Country airwaves, because they were abandoned by the pop and R&R stations. But they want nice, pop rock melodies, not raw country. It's no coincidence that Shania's success is powered by the same production brains behind Aerosmith.

Distribution will have to be over the net. Maybe there are some specialty shops that will stock Indy releases, (There's one in Denver, and another in Boulder). But those are rare.

I'm reminded of an interview I heard with Jimmy Buffet-when he first started out, he worked mostly the Southeast-Up and down Hiway 1A-and would go to Nashville once a year to spend 2 days recording an album. He would sell about 75-100,000 units, which was just high enough to get to keep making them, until he hit it big with "Changes in Latitudes". (He had minor hits with "Come Monday" and "Pencil Thin Mustache" prior to that.) By his own admission, by today's standards, he would never have gotten the second release out. They'd have hogtied him and thrown him to the gators.

Ultimately, the radio problem is tied to new laws allowing multiple ownership of stations in market areas. There's just no room for the little independents who used to play that real country all night long all across the South and into Texas and the West. I remeber driving through those areas as a kid, and I LOVED that stuff. It's gone.

The real Country acts are going to have to do their own distribution through the 'net. On top of being hot players, someone in the band will have to be a webmaster as well. Then it's up to the fans-but on the net, and without having to sign away a good portion of your profits, you can break a small act into the black with good PR and decent music on relatively low sales numbers. Eventually that'll happen, and the industry will open up again. Till then, we're ALL underground artists.

John

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Better Late than Never!
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel

[This message was edited by JB Arnold on 22 April 2000 at 06:22 AM.]

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