What if Reba's joining Carolwood Records?

[Matt B]

Big Machine seems to have forgotten they have Danielle Peck on their label.

They've also been doing next to nothing for Kate & Kacey Coppola either

"You're Not My Judge" fell flat on its face after it got released... it had a crappy home video-style music vid and they'd had no promotion either

That song was an e-single only. It wasn't a radio song. They'll have some stuff soon.

[indulgedcountrymusic]

That song was an e-single only. It wasn't a radio song. They'll have some stuff soon.

It was?

That makes it even worse, they didn't even give it a chance to try radio

[Graceless]

1. Obviously, I'm sure y'all have figured out that Reba will not be joining Carolwood Records. If you do your research, Reba has had ties with Scott Borchetta (CEO of Big Machine/Valory) for many years. Her "Duets" album fulfilled her contract with RCA, so obviously, since she's a smart woman, she's shopping a deal somewhere else. I'll be HIGHLY surprised if she DOESN'T end up with Borchetta.

2. Yes, Tim McGraw started up his own label with Byron Gallimore (Stylesonic)... and no, I wouldn't expect to see him releasing albums on that label any time soon. Tim will never get out of his deal with Curb. There are issues between Mike Curb and Tim that the public doesn't know about that will forever prevent Tim from being released. Which is why the relations between Curb and Tim are increasingly strained (read: The press release Tim released upon the bad sales of his GH3 package) Mike Curb RARELY lets any artists out of contracts... his are perhaps the most binding off all the music industry. Think about it... LeAnne Rimes sued Curb Records back when she was 13/14... she's still on the label. Would you sue a label and continue to be on it if you could help it? No. I didn't think so. There is a whole lot more to deals that the general public knows about.

3. It doesn't take 1 million dollars to get a single to the top of the radio airplay charts. But close. It varies based on how long the single is on the charts, but it can take up to $250,000 for country. That will obviously increase if the single crosses over... but a song rarely crosses over until it's hit No. 1 on the country airplay charts. This money doesn't directly buy airplay, but it goes toward the promotion costs (if you don't know what this means, find out what a "radio promotion" department does before reading any further, otherwise, you're wasting your time and brain power). It takes a lot of manpower, which equals money, to get a song up the charts. It has nothing to do with popularity or requests. This doesn't mean "Payola." It just means that there is a team of people who are constantly out there making sure the radio program directors keep their songs at the top of their lists.

[Graceless]

Lyric Street is like Curb. They hyperfocus on one artist (Tim in Curb's case, RF in Lyric Street's case) and ignore the rest. I'm sure that Josh Gracin, Sarah Buxton, Phil "I Sing Flatter than Alfalfa" Stacey, Trent "Where the *(@#$ is my second album" and SHeDAISY could back me up on this.

Actually, it's not that they "ignore" artists. If you had a business and you had one produce that sold better than any other product what do you think would happen? Well, first of all, the money that the best selling product made, you would put that towards developing other products, or diversifying. It would be stupid to put all your eggs in one basket, so to speak. The last thing a "one-horse" label wants to do is just focus on the big selling act. They want to use the money generated from the big selling act to develop other acts so they too became big selling acts. It's a simple business formula. Curb is doing it. They use the money from Tim and LeAnn to promote acts like Rio Grand and Cowboy Crush. Lyric Street uses the profits from Rascal Flatts to develop their acts.

It's textbook business development.

[Graceless]

Curb is evil. They aren't promoting by beloved LeAnn Rimes properly.

It could have something to do with she suing them a few years back...

Why do you say they aren't "promoting" her properly? Do you even know what that means? They've actually done a great job wih her... she's a had at least one Number 1 record and the follow-ups have all had a great deal of success that have resulted in album sales, which ultimately, is their goal.

Just because she isn't headlining nation-wide tours and selling millions of albums her first week (who is anymore!), you think they aren't promoting her properly.

Take a music business class and then you'll realize the stupidity in your statement.

[Graceless]

Lyric Street is like Curb. They hyperfocus on one artist (Tim in Curb's case, RF in Lyric Street's case) and ignore the rest. I'm sure that Josh Gracin, Sarah Buxton, Phil "I Sing Flatter than Alfalfa" Stacey, Trent "Where the *(@#$ is my second album" and SHeDAISY could back me up on this.

No they don't focus on one artist. The fact of the matter is that the way radio is nowadays, it's harder to get a hit single. They started Carolwood to be able to get more music on the charts. Phil Stacey's no longer with Lyric Street. Sarah's new single is doing fine and josh and Bucky Covington both have singles doing ok on radio right now. Curb is having success with more than McGraw.

Then can you explain why, after 12 years, LeAnn Rimes still hasn't broken through? Why Curb screwed her over by releasing an album without her consent, then screwed over Tim by releasing Greatest Hits 3.1415926 just because they're trying to delay the last studio album in his contract? Why Amy Dalley had SEVEN singles released but no album?

Actually come to think of it, BNA is just as bad. They trapped Lonestar in that sippy cup formula and it totally wrecked their careers. Kenny's been trapped on the beach for ages now, but he's not even close to being buried yet. And Kellie Pickler gets all the promotion in the world, yet radio totally snubs her.

How do you think that LeAnn hasn't "broken through?" What do you consider "breaking through?"

Curb didn't "screw her over" by releasing an album without her consent. She TURNED IN AN ALBUM. That's how an album gets released. The artist records it, when they think it's ready, they bring it to the label to approve (or not approve). So, if at the end of the day, she didn't like it, she shouldn't have turned the album in.

As far as the release of the Tim McGraw Greatest Hits... 9 out of 10 record deals have clauses in them about labels releasing Greatest Hits projects if the label should so desire, usually IN ADDITION to the 5 (approx) original material albums the artist is required to turn in to fulfill the contract. The label was most likely 100% within their rights to release a Tim greatest hits package again. After all, it's in the contract. If it wasn't, then Tim has the right to sue, but he won't because he doesn't have a right. He may be "upset" because he was working on a studio album, but really, he has no legal right to disagree with it, as it's most likely in his contract with Curb.

BNA didn't "wreck" Lonestar's career. Richie McDonald wrecked Lonestar's career.

[TenPoundHammer]

Curb didn't "screw her over" by releasing an album without her consent. She TURNED IN AN ALBUM. That's how an album gets released. The artist records it, when they think it's ready, they bring it to the label to approve (or not approve). So, if at the end of the day, she didn't like it, she shouldn't have turned the album in.

Wasn't there one album that they released without her consent ( the one that was mostly b-sides, outtakes and such), and she didn't find out about it until she read about it on a web forum?

[Why do you say they aren't "promoting" her properly?

The point is, after 12 years, her singles are still barely inching their way up the chart. That should not be happening to an artist after 12 freaking years. Each song she puts out seems to do worse than the one before it most of the time. Granted, it's partially LeAnn's fault too, I've heard that she's been cancelling concerts left and right, and made no attempt on her part to promote "What I Cannot Change".

[Matt B]

Ten Pound Hammer,

When LeAnn first came out there were 2 previously recorded albums that her FATHER and Manager sold to Curb for release to capitalize on her then growing stardom. As for not promoting her latest singles, the label has promoted them. Radio isn't playing them. There have been only 4 Female artists to crack the Top 10. So that's what you should expect. Basically, in radio's eyes, Heidi Newfield has replaced LeAnn, at least for now.

Graceless:

Did you not see my comments earlier about Curb's contracts? I've never taken a music business class but know that artists have long hated the contracts they have to sign with the label for various reasons. An artist like Jeff Carson JUST got out of his deal.

[TenPoundHammer]

An artist like Jeff Carson JUST got out of his deal.

"I'm holdin' on to something that keeps letting me go."

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Thanks for filling me in on some of this information. I just think that Curb has done some really stupid things over time, and am not impressed with their track record. Jeff Carson, Perfect Stranger, Rodney Atkins, Ken Mellons, etc. all had albums delayed for YEARS before they finally had a decent charting single. Amy Dalley had SEVEN singles, including a #27, a #23, and a #29 but no album. Lee Brice has had a #29 and a #32 but no album. I've never seen this kind of thing on any other label (except for Sarah Buxton having a #31 and a #26, but just a digital release of her album). #38 but no physical album I can understand (yes, Jypsi, I'm talking about you guys), but #23?! It's just ridiculous.

[Matt B]

An artist like Jeff Carson JUST got out of his deal.

"I'm holdin' on to something that keeps letting me go."

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Thanks for filling me in on some of this information. I just think that Curb has done some really stupid things over time, and am not impressed with their track record. Jeff Carson, Perfect Stranger, Rodney Atkins, Ken Mellons, etc. all had albums delayed for YEARS before they finally had a decent charting single. Amy Dalley had SEVEN singles, including a #27, a #23, and a #29 but no album. Lee Brice has had a #29 and a #32 but no album. I've never seen this kind of thing on any other label (except for Sarah Buxton having a #31 and a #26, but just a digital release of her album). #38 but no physical album I can understand (yes, Jypsi, I'm talking about you guys), but #23?! It's just ridiculous.

Dude, Josh Gracin had to have "We Weren't Crazy" tracking well before his long-delayed album was released. Mark Wills took his album to a new label (with the same label president- Mike Kraski) to get his new album out. It's just the nature of Nashville nowadays. They're super cautious before they release an album. Amy Dalley probably should've had an album come out but with sales declining nowadays, it makes sense for them to not release stuff. I don't fault the labels. Now with digital abilities, though, I think they shouldn't shelve anything that they have. It will make them some money. Then again, they can't write it off as a loss if they release it. Labels do that all the time. They write off the losses of an album's cost to be made if they don't release it and shelve it instead.

[TenPoundHammer]

Dude, Josh Gracin had to have "We Weren't Crazy" tracking well before his long-delayed album was released.

I totally forgot about that one. That's almost worse than Amy Dalley nearly hitting Top 20 but not having an album.

[JR Journey]

Man, the claws are sure out on this thread ...

[indulgedcountrymusic]

Dude, Josh Gracin had to have "We Weren't Crazy" tracking well before his long-delayed album was released.

I totally forgot about that one. That's almost worse than Amy Dalley nearly hitting Top 20 but not having an album.

But on the bright side at least they put out several singles for her to try and get her off the ground

They could've given up after 2 average-charting singles and booted her out the door

I think it is best to not release an album sometimes if it means it will do terribly...

[Razor X]

... Tim will never get out of his deal with Curb. There are issues between Mike Curb and Tim that the public doesn't know about that will forever prevent Tim from being released. Which is why the relations between Curb and Tim are increasingly strained (read: The press release Tim released upon the bad sales of his GH3 package) Mike Curb RARELY lets any artists out of contracts... his are perhaps the most binding off all the music industry. Think about it... LeAnne Rimes sued Curb Records back when she was 13/14... she's still on the label. Would you sue a label and continue to be on it if you could help it? No. I didn't think so. There is a whole lot more to deals that the general public knows about.

What do they do, sign artists to lifetime contracts? Tim McGraw has been with Curb since what, 1993? I'm no expert but I would have thought that an excessive term (and 15+ years does seem to be excessive for a recording contract) is grounds for having a contract nullified in court. You say that Tim will not be released anytime soon, but I was under the impression that he owed Curb one more album -- that's why they released the third Greatest Hits collection -- to prolong the life of his contract. Unless they plan to continue stalling on the release of that next studio album, he should be free of them in the next year or so.

I realize that struggling artists sometimes will agree to anything to get that first big break, but if Curb's contractual provisions are so egregious and beyond what most other labels expect, I can't imagine any decent agent allowing a client to sign with them.

[Jordan Stacey]

Well looks like Reba is leaving MCA but she's signed with Valory instead of Carolwood.

[Rainbow]

Well looks like Reba is leaving MCA but she's signed with Valory instead of Carolwood.

I am a bit shocked to hear this actually... I never would have thought she'd actually leave MCA.

[JR Journey]

I kinda knew an MCA split was inevitable. I am just glad she didn't go to this Disney-owned label. I wouldn't have been totally surprised if she had went totally independent on her own Starstruck Records though ...