#1625852 - 08/04/00 10:03 AM
Song split hell
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Pro Jules
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Registered: 03/11/00
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Loc: A yank living in London, UK si...
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A bunch of people I know got together a year agoe with a 'lost' pop star to write some music and hope to form a band. The band thing went by the wayside after a while, so writing was the main goal with the pop star to sign a deal and everybody to get a 1/4 or 'four way split" of the songwriting credits.
Pop star got signed and is reluctant to sign a paper agreeing the verbaly agreed split. One of the 3 writers regards himself as the only true writer and is having trouble with getting his head around the agreed split (happens to be related to the POP star, and is the only one of the 3 that the pop star has introduced to the label) .
The label boss asked if he could come down to the studio (owned by one of the writers) to see where they did everything, the pop star swerved the label bosss round to her house instead, thus keeping the 4 way split team out of sight.
Pop star claims she wansn't confident at the start (read between the lines that , now she has gained confidence she can shaft the others)
They have a whole album of material written, hopefully the label will fall in love with it and her recent colaberations with other writers aint as good.
After a year and a half of hard work , my chums seem to be holding out thier hat, begging for confirmation of what is thier right. 1/4 of each song. The pop star and her related songwriter truly belive themselves to have made a more significant contribution, which is a crock, I know.
How can they relax? The pop star has a manager who will, of course, try to f**k the other writers and divert most of the cash to the pop star.
The pop star got a $120,000 recording deal cash advance on signing (thats just the first half or third, there is more to come). Noone involved has a publishing deal. She hasn't had the class to throw the writers (on social security) a grand or two each as a thank you.
I keep trying to get the 3 guys to stick to gether, but it looks like it could depressingly split into:
pop star & relation
writer 3 and writer 4.
If the pop star is not carefull writer 3 & 4 will let the label know whats going on and bar use of the songs via a lawyer. Either way they are too old and crazed to permit the pop star shaft them for 1 and a half years work.
Of course they shoud have written down an agreement before hand, that I do know. Please skip over that obvious advice and advise what is to be done now.
It's clear that if there is too much hastle over the songs the pop star may suddenly 'not feel right' about them, or suddenly dislike them. I belive the label will fall in love with the songs and thats one good thing for my 3 musketeers. They don't expect to produce the album, (one of the writers is v bummed I told him to be glad of the publishing break...he has no production track record to speak of bar these demos).
My chums of course look forward to getting little publishing deals via having songs coming out by he pop star on the V hip label she has signed to.
Songs pending recording dates, (none schedualed as of yet) what to do?
Thanks
Jules
[This message has been edited by Julian standen (edited 08-04-2000).]
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#1625853 - 08/04/00 01:56 PM
Re: Song split hell
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THE MIX FIX
Platinum Member
Registered: 03/01/00
Posts: 1552
Loc: NYC Area
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Julian:
Wow!!
Should we "toss this over" to Chris Stone to not answer?
If I was writer #3 or #4, I would try to get DIRECTLY to the label to plead their case. It's obvious that the Manager, Pop Star, and Relation have NO intention of giving them any credit, so WHAT have they got to lose?
If they're old and crazed enough to block the use of the songs by legal means, then they can only BENEFIT from contacting the label directly.
I don't know how the laws are in England, but the "Copyright" in the USA can be disputed, if two of the four writers claim that they also wrote the songs, AND you have all the tracks recorded.
The label MAY not want to deal with the lying and cheating of the Pop Star and Company, so they experience no OTHER legal problems, and may dump the POP star from the deal.
Everybody will lose, in that case, but AT LEAST, writers # 3 & #4 will not be the only ones to get fucked from this deal.
I say shut down the Pop Star, and her accomplices as well!! 
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Bob.
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#1625854 - 08/04/00 09:55 PM
Re: Song split hell
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alphajerk
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 03/06/00
Posts: 7950
Loc: asheville nc usa
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ditto, threaten her with legal action and that might change her outlook and cave in [label none the wiser] and then back it up if it goes nowhere with her attitude [then the label will know].
sounds like either way right now, the writers 3/4 are going to get screwed.
_________________________
alphajerk FATcompilation "if god is truly just, i tremble for the fate of my country" -thomas jefferson
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#1625855 - 08/04/00 10:38 PM
Re: Song split hell
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Doctor Al
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Registered: 05/05/00
Posts: 192
Loc: ,,US
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>>>>Songs pending recording dates, (none schedualed as of yet) what to do?<<<<<
you guys are forgetting what legal help costs nowadays. The pop star's got the 120K and a lawyer. writers 3 & 4 cant REALLY get legal help on an "if come". That means the record could come out & stiff and nobody could afford to pay for legal help except the pop star. Plus if the record stiffs, the songs aint worth anything at the time anyway.
I'd lay low and see what happens. The odds say nothing will happen. If the thing takes off big, then a lawyer may take it for a cut of the take if he wins.
Next time sign songwriter contracts as you finish each song. Trust NO ONE.
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#1625856 - 08/05/00 11:44 PM
Re: Song split hell
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Pro Jules
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 03/11/00
Posts: 2729
Loc: A yank living in London, UK si...
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More laying low, seems reasonable.
FYI guys it's illegal for a lawyer to take a cut or percentage in the UK. They can charge an hourly fee that's painfull but never a cut. That's why there are about 1000% less ad's offering people who slipped at work or who burned themselves with a cup of coffee at McDonalds millions of dollars via litigation in this tiny country.
Thanks,
Jules
[This message has been edited by Julian standen (edited 08-05-2000).]
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#1625857 - 08/06/00 09:00 AM
Re: Song split hell
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THE MIX FIX
Platinum Member
Registered: 03/01/00
Posts: 1552
Loc: NYC Area
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Well, I HAVE to agree with Al on one thing. TRUST NO ONE, except, maybe your parents!!
(Notice, I didn't say Wife or Husband, as the case may be...I'm sure MANY of you can attest to THAT!!) 
Good luck, Julian!! I hope it works out for you, in any case. 
Please keep us informed. It will be like the "Survivor" series of the EQ boards. Let's see who gets kicked out next!!
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Bob.
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#1625858 - 08/06/00 08:20 PM
Re: Song split hell
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Pro Jules
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 03/11/00
Posts: 2729
Loc: A yank living in London, UK si...
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for obvious reasons, this should NOT get printed in the magazine!
Jules
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#1625859 - 08/06/00 11:10 PM
Re: Song split hell
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alphajerk
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 03/06/00
Posts: 7950
Loc: asheville nc usa
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damn, thats what we need in amerikka. the only guys "winning" lawsuits these days are the laywers. i cant believe the florida cigarette settlement, that will be one rich lawyer, nobody else will see shit. of course you trust no one, like the cigarette companies need to tell everyone that their product i nonaddictive [of which isnt totally proven yet, its a tolerence thing, not an addiction, but i will kill you for a cigarette.] and people cant figure out that INHALING smoke into your lungs is healthy??? they deserve NOTHING, dont make the rest of us smokers look so damn stupid  . and everybody is so damn suehappy here. it would be a lot less lawsuits if the lawyers couldnt take a cut.
sorry, i despise the legal system and laywers. if something needs an overhaul, its the courts.
_________________________
alphajerk FATcompilation "if god is truly just, i tremble for the fate of my country" -thomas jefferson
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