Deconstructing Pop Culture

The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (“NARM”) is holding its annual convention this week in Los Angeles. Members of NARM are music wholesalers (distributors that sell records to stores) and retailers (stores that sell records to consumers). The basic idea is that record companies (the companies originating, marketing and promoting the artists, then selling their [...]

[Read more →]

Here are some memoranda re: interpretation of various issues arising under Capitol Records’ contracts with the Beatles. The relationships between the parties were unnecessarily complex and many of their disagreements arose primarily as a result of the loose contract standards and practices prevailing in the 1960s – early 1970s. The agreements did not envision, or [...]

[Read more →]

Here is a collection of agreements and documents relating to this article on Music Industry Newswire.  From time to time I will post additional materials to this site. CEMA P&D deal format late 1980s Bust It Records – Joint Venture Agreement with Capitol Capitol Artist Agreement – basic contract Capitol Production Agreement – basic contract [...]

[Read more →]

When I was on Capitol-EMI’s corporate staff in the early 1980s, I had a number of unvaryingly peculiar interactions with Guy Marriott, then head of EMI Music Business Affairs worldwide. I don’t attribute their oddity to Marriott, personally; for several different reasons, which I will endeavor to set forth; they just partook of an aura [...]

[Read more →]

Here are some personal reflections about working with Russ Bach, President of CEMA Distribution (the distribution arm of Capitol-EMI Music in the U.S.) from around August 1987 to around March 1999. As set forth in various books and articles about their history, the activities and operations of publicly-traded record companies, such as EMI Music, are [...]

[Read more →]

Here is a copy of it dated March 1993. CEMA Sales Policy Handbook – March 1993

[Read more →]

Dick Griffey passed on September 24, 2010. I had close interactions with him in the mid-1980s in connection with his label Solar Records. I also became friendly with Virgil Roberts, his head of business affairs. Roberts went on to become a successful Los Angeles attorney. Solar stood for “Sound of Los Angeles.” Some of Griffey’s [...]

[Read more →]

For some time Billboard Magazine published a “Top 200” chart, which purported to identify the 200 best-selling records in the country. It used a variety of methodologies over time to comprise this data. Initially it relied on “store reports” from a limited (“small-n”) sample of retail record stores, together with feedback from local radio stations, [...]

[Read more →]

Here are two documents pertaining to SBK Music Publishing and SBK Records, cited in my post “Capitol-EMI in the Late 1980s – Early 1990s.” EMI Prospectus to Acquire SBK 1989 SBK Records Joint Venture Agreement

[Read more →]

Here is a copy of the prospectus EMI issued in connection with its acquisition of Virgin Records. Virgin Music Acquisition – Prospectus

[Read more →]