AUDIT! AUDIT! AUDIT!
May 14, 2011
My friend, manager, and lawyer, the legendary Marty Machat ( pictured with Leonard Cohen) once told me “A songwriter should audit a publishing company every seven years to make sure that they get every penny coming to them.” Unfortunately, I didn’t listen to him.
Now that it’s statement time, I’ve decided that it’s about time to take his advice. A company I should’ve paid more attention to is Rondor Music, which I ran when it was called Irving/ Almo music. Over the years since it was sold to the Universal Music Group, writers who have copyrights with the company, seem to be treated as a number in an accounting system, as opposed to the creative people they are, who made the company worth the $400,000,000 that it was sold for.
I hadn’t received a writer’s statement in years, and attributed it to lack of current activity. A few months ago someone I didn’t know alerted me that my name was on a list from the California atty. General’s office that said unless they found me, $600 I had coming to me from Rondor Music would be turned over to the state.
I don’t why it was so hard to find me, since I’m quite visible out here, but be that as it may I finally contacted someone named Paul Woodruff at Rondor to straighten things out.
On March 17, he sent me change of address forms which I got right back to him.
On April 19, I wrote him, “I sent you the signed papers about a month ago. I still haven’t received my money. Is there any problem?”
On April 20, he wrote back, “No problem except a very large number of people we have located an backlogged A/P service. We will be processing a supplemental payment file for the previously address unknown writers early next week.”
On May 6, after still not receiving a check I wrote him, “…I know how companies as big as yours work. There is always somebody there who can sign my check today and get it to me overnight, so please don’t expect me to believe otherwise. I’m sorry, nothing personal Paul, but your “non-excuse” seems lame and gives me reason to write about what your company has turned into. You might want to check out what I wrote about BMI and what happened since” https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/bmi-finds-a-new-way-to-screw-the-songwriter/ as well as https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/bmi-sets-the-record-straight/
On May 6, Paul e-mailed me back, “I didn’t forget about you, I do expect the check shortly. Thanks for forwarding your new book, I really look forward checking it out. Having started at Rondor, I do miss the small company that was so writer oriented. Many changes that lie ahead for the music business, already has little resemblance to what it once was.”
It’s May 14, and guess what? I still haven’t got the check!
When it finally comes, I decided to use the $600 plus add a few more grand to it and audit not only Rondor, but also Warner Brothers Music (where I worked as general Professional Manager). Warners was just sold and I’ll bet they’re still holding onto monies that belong to the writers to make their bottom line look better to the investors.
I’m urging every songwriter who has ever earned money with these companies to audit them NOW and like the late Marty Machat once said, “get everything that’s coming to you.”
Regards, Artie
Copyright 2011 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
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For the last three years I’ve been writing my book about my 50 years in the music business. I was warned not to write about certain people, certain companies, and certain things which made me want to tell more.
As my blog became more popular with over 1,870,000 VIEWS, I began to get bolder and relentlessly went after large corporations and social networks until they discontinued some of their questionable practices.
I’m proud to have been the first to write about Tommy James’ shocking book, “ME, THE MOB, AND THE MUSIC” and have an exclusive no-holds barred three part interview with my pal from the past and former label mate…probably the only such event where the participants didn’t have to go into the witness protection program right after the show!
In my book, “I DID IT FOR A SONG”, I write about my first hand experiences songwriting (Aretha, Michael Jackson,Tony Orlando, Cher, etc.) producing (the Kingsmen, The Shirelles, the Guess Who) and getting hits for Warner Brothers Music (“You’re 16″, “R+R Heaven”) and Irving/ Almo music (“I Honestly Love You”, “Our Day Will Come”).
I share my private stories about, Carole King, MORRIS LEVY, Neil Bogart, The BEATLES, Jimi Hendrix, SCOTT SHANNON, Eagles, MICHAEL JACKSON, Bert Berns, THREE DOG NIGHT, Alan Freed, BOBBY DARIN, Brian Wilson, PAUL WILLIAMS, Murray The K, TOMMY JAMES and the Shondells, Olivia Newton-John, HERB ALPERT, JERRY MOSS, Don Kirshner, RICK JAMES, Rolling Stones, ELLIE GREENWICH, Clive Davis, Barry White, DAVID GEFFEN, Marvin Gaye, QUINCY JONES, The Rolling Stones, DAVID BOWIE, Phil Spector, AND DOZENS MORE!
EXTRA! EXTRA! YOU CAN BUY MY BOOK ,“I DID IT FOR A SONG” AT AMAZON or Barnes & Noble or
TO READ A CHAPTER OR TWO FOR FREE CLICK HERE
TO READ SOME OF THE COMMENTS CLICK HERE
Thanks and regards, Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.com
Special thanks to Sally Stevens for the Rainbow’s End photopainting on the cover. http://sallystevens.fineartstudioonline.com/
http://rockphiles.typepad.com/a_life_in_the_day/
http://www.rockphiles.com/rp_artistIndex.php
Copyright 2011 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
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TOP 30 BEE GEE VIDEOS FOR FREE!
June 20, 2009
They’re all here 30 BEE GEE VIDEOS, Rare clips, ORIGINAL VIDEOS, unseen concert footage and personal remembrances! PLUS covers of Bee Gee songs by Al Green, Yvonne Elliman, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, and Andy Gibb.
I liked the Bee Gees from the moment I heard “1941 Mining Disaster” and in 1968 my partners and I picked up the US sub publishing for their 1st Australian album. Although I wasn’t able to get any cover records on their songs, I did become a lifetime fan.
NEW YORK MINING DISASTER 1941 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN7nfxx1ulw&feature=related
GOTTA” GET A MESSAGE TO YOU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-lXkFUknQY&feature=related
Even though a few of their first hits were lyrically obscure, like “I Started A Joke”and “Massachusetts”, Barry, Robin, and Maurice developed into classic songwriters. Every time I listened to one of their new records I could hear three distinct contributors who eventually melted into a universal chorus that the whole world could sing.
I STARTED A JOKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfX7C7APlr8&feature=related
In 1969 their music permeated my creative consciousness and I morphed into Shadow Mann, a hybrid of Jimi Hendrix and Barry Gibb and put out my first album for Morris Levy (Tommy James, The Exciters). While I sank into the sea of obscurity, the Bee Gees rode a wave of unforgettable hits. In 1970 when I was General Professional manager of Warner Brothers Music, I was thrilled to represent some of the group’s greatest songs. “Lonely Days”, “Run To Me”, and “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?” which we got Al Green to cut.
LONELY DAYS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pn1SGRq7_Y&feature=related
RUN TO ME http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPDwd5UiRC0&feature=related
HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOGODoE4qKc
HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART? By AL GREEN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzitOsxKJNY&feature=related
Just as the public began to get weary of the group’s sentimental fare, they updated the menu and served up a new main course. Although their music had always been soulful it wasn’t until they were produced by Arif Mardin (Aretha Franklyn, The Rascals) did they dominate the R&B market as well. “Mardin, when producing the Bee Gees’ 1975 “Main Course” album track “Nights On Broadway” famously discovered the distinctive falsetto of Barry Gibb, which became a familiar trademark of the band throughout the disco era.”
Once my late partner Lou Reizner, the man who discovered and produced the Singing Nun and Rod Stewart, developed a taste for larger than life productions, there was no going back. Still riding the success of his stellar recording of the Rock opera “Tommy” that he produced with a cast that included Roger Daltry, Elton John, Tina Turner, as well as the London Symphony orchestra… Lou was determined his next project would be as spectacular!
“Lou was larger than life himself. At 6′4″ he looked more like an action hero than the transplanted American who once ran Mercury Records International in London. I remember when I was staying with Lou and his wife Pam in Knightsbridge; he sat me down in a futuristic cocoon like chair, with built-in stereo speakers, and proceeded to play me a dozen or so tracks he just produced on the Bee Gees. Robert Stigwood had hired him to be the musical director of his soon to be produced film, “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and these incredible recordings of John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs were to be part of the sound track.
Several months later, when Lou was staying with me in Hollywood, the project had developed into something else. It seems that Robert Stigwood and Lou couldn’t make a deal, and Stigwood gave the rights to the tracks back to Lou, including 3 performances by the Bee Gees as part of a settlement.
Our lawyer and manager, Marty Machat, Russ Regan, who was head of 20th Century records, and Lou got together and came up with the idea of putting some of the biggest recording artists of the day over the remaining tracks and combining it with WW2 newsreel footage from 20th Century Fox’s’ vast archives calling it All This And World War Two”!!!”
Ultimately, the Official “Sgt. Pepper’s” Film was released to dismal reviews and box office returns, but the Bee Gees survived to become the biggest stars of the disco era with their records and songs featured in the movie, “Saturday Night Fever”
“STAYIN” ALIVE” BY THE BEE GEES http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY
YOU SHOULD BE DANCIN'” BY THE BEE GEE GEES http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JoZS6LgqYI
IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU by YVONNE ELLIMAN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Do14z5ycic
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBMriOspUvA&feature=related
The morning the Academy Award nominations were announced for the best song of 1977 “How Deep Is Your Love” was conspicuously absent from the nominees. Since it was my favorite record and song at the time I felt an obligation to find out what was going on. I went up to RSO records and asked my long time friend Al Coury, who was CEO of the company what happened.
He didn’t seem that upset when he told me that someone at his company submitted the song for consideration too late to be included. Al wasn’t that upset, because that same morning it was announced that the soundtrack for “SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER” had just sold 27 MILLION units making it the biggest soundtrack of all time!
My favorite of all their albums however is “Spirits Having Flown”, which includes “Tragedy” and “Too Much Heaven”, both written on the same day.
TRAGEDY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSVTOMkJdqs&feature=related
TOO MUCH HEAVEN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeGMrUdhovk&feature=related
The Bee Gees became the biggest group in the world, and dominated the airwaves like no one since the Beatles! Even when their own record sales suffered from a disco backlash, they continued to have hits with other artists including their brother Andy.
SHADOW DANCIN’ by ANDY GIBB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZxA3FVUwvk
DON’T THROW OUR LOVE AWAY (OUR LOVE) by ANDY GIBB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAs8YU3L084&feature=related
EMOTIONS by SAMANTHA SANG http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mkTg1Cyun4
ISLANDS IN THE STREAM by KENNY ROGERS and DOLLY PARTON
WOMAN IN LOVE by BARBRA STREISAND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ppc_dT-J5E&feature=related woman in love
WHAT KIND OF FOOL by BARBRA STREISAND and BARRY GIBB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdQ6o9Aig9o&feature=related what kind of fool
GUILTY by BARBRA STREISAND and BARRY GIBB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxMOByRYbsY&feature=related
The last time i saw Barry, Robin, and Maurice was at the ATLANTIC RECORDS anniversary party at Madison Square Garden in 1989. Since the tragic passing of Maurice and Andy Gibb, Barry and Robin have vowed never to perform as the Bee Gees again.
EXTRA! EXTRA! I’M HAPPY TO SAY THAT ROBIN GIBB HAS JUST COME OUT OF A COMA. OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU FOR A COMPLETE RECOVERY. given only a 10% chance to survive Robin Gibb confounds doctor and awakes from a deep coma. Playing music that he and his brothers recorded has helped his recovery tremendously according to his family. Once again proving THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9219806/Robin-Gibb-confounds-doctors-by-waking-from-coma.html
THANK YOU ROBIN, BARRY, MAURICE, AND ANDY YOU’VE ENRICHED OUR LIVES HERE ON EARTH MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW!
Highest regards, Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/celebrating-two-million-views-today-on-artie-wayne-on-the-web/
copyright 2012 by Artie Wayne
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