Haley reportedly splits with Interscope

[jjames865]

IM hopeing A Indie label picks up Haley.LOw pressure work, High returns? Better yet I will win the Texas Lotery 500.000.000. Powerball and bank roll Haleys own label.

Now we're talkin'

[Tusk]

What does "a cautionary tale" mean?

I interpret it more as a 'cautionary tale' for the label on how they handle reality show talent contestants.

He faults part of why it didn't work out for Haley was the decision to make "Free" her first single, which, in his opinion, didn't reflect the 'type' of singer the American Idol viewers fell in love with.

I’d suspect that a big part of the problem was that her first single, “Free,” utterly abandoned the artistic identity she established while on American Idol

He pointed to other songs on LU, that better represented the "AI Haley", as better first singles than "Free"

What made this strategy frustrating for a fan like me (in case you hadn’t guessed yet) was that Listen Up! was loaded with torchy tracks that could have filled an Adele-ish niche on alternative (and perhaps even pop) radio. Breakup stomper “Wasted Tears” would have sounded at home alongside neo-soul acts like Duffy and Fitz and the Tantrums, and the fiery independence anthem “Hit the Ground Runnin’” (below) was practically begging for a nationwide push.

He contrasted Interscope's handling of Haley with the way they handled Phillips, that, instead of forcing to mold him into something he wasn't, or was counter to the type of music AI audience voted for during the season. They worked with the style that Phillips established on the show

Interscope, which took the Idol reins from RCA starting in season 10, has taken a different approach with Phillip Phillips, who was crowned Idol‘s latest victor this past May. Rather than try to shoehorn the gravelly-voiced Georgia strummer onto AC-radio with a schmaltzy coronation song, the label made the bold decision to pursue a sound that fit Phillips’ established style and one that was fresh and current.

So the 'Cautionary Tale' is directed at labels to develop the artist by working with what they did best, instead of forcing them to be something that they and their fans are not familiar with, summed up in one of the last paragraphs.

(This is the cautionary warning to Labels...)

So consider this a memo, all you label execs who will one day manage contestants from American Idol, The X-Factor, The Voice, Duets, or Whatever New Singing Show Comes Out Next: Don’t abandon the sound these singers developed on national television and expect fans to just go along with it. Instead, hone in on that aspect of each artist that made their time on TV magical and develop that.

So, no, it has nothing to do with,

never try to do anything because if you aim high things might not work quite as well as would be perfect so you may as well stay home and get nothing rather than having a more modest success,

...but more to do with cautioning that the Labels need to allow the contestant to be who they are and who their fans fell in love with if they want to have long term success for both the contestant and the label

Unfortunately, that the spammers have picked up "Haley Reinhart: a cautionary tale", which, out of context, the phrase has a negative connotation the way it reads. As if to say, somehow the tale is a warning about anything Haley did. I suspect that's why Miguel commented:

Just great.

[midnightblues]

Ok so to bag it all up, it all started with the release of Free as a single right?So if they put OH My or Undone Hales would have had better success with sales on her album Free was the singel that put the downfall OF LU into motion.Bs Its a great album Hales did well with it. This is IMO

[Tusk]

Ok so to bag it all up, it all started with the release of Free as a single right?So if they put OH My or Undone Hales would have had better success with sales on her album Free was the singel that put the downfall OF LU into motion.Bs Its a great album Hales did well with it. This is IMO

The emphasis on "Free" is because Haley was only given ONE single to sink or swim, so the choice of that single basically decided whether Interscope would extend it's relationship with her and "Listen Up".

That's why so many were upset that Haley didn't get a second single. She never got a chance beyond the one song she did not write.

Remember when "Free" came out? Part of the talk was that, she didn't write it, but it was the one she chose that closest reflected her style from the songs they presented to her.

The talk also was, that "Free" was an introduction song, to introduce her 'sound'/style to the general public. By framing it that way, it implied there was going to be a second single that would be THE one which truly represented her. "Free" was not meant to be her hit. Her hit was supposed to be the song that followed "Free"...

That she never got a shot at a second single/video with a song she DID write, is the point in reflecting on how "Free" failed to lead to a second single.

So that's why "Free" is definitely pertinent in discussing why and how we came to where we are.

[jjames865]

[quote='midnightblues' pid='18275' dateline='1354153201']
The talk also was, that "Free" was an introduction song, to introduce her 'sound'/style to the general public. By framing it that way, it implied there was going to be a second single that would be THE one which truly represented her. "Free" was not meant to be her hit. Her hit was supposed to be the song that followed "Free"...

Tusk, do you recall if that was spelled out anywhere by her team or was that what we her fans thought the strategy would be given the fact that on the cover of her CD Free, Oh My!, and Undone were highlighted?

[Tusk]

The talk also was, that "Free" was an introduction song, to introduce her 'sound'/style to the general public. By framing it that way, it implied there was going to be a second single that would be THE one which truly represented her. "Free" was not meant to be her hit. Her hit was supposed to be the song that followed "Free"...

Tusk, do you recall if that was spelled out anywhere by her team or was that what we her fans thought the strategy would be given the fact that on the cover of her CD Free, Oh My!, and Undone were highlighted?

Not sure I read anywhere that anyone spelled anything out, or spelled out any strategy at all. There was really not alot of chatter from Interscope's end on much of anything, really. Most of it was garnered from what we got from Haley.

That's why I said the "talk" because I remembered, even though I still like "Free", back then, there were also many fans that were dissatisfied with "Free" and were so much happier when "Hit the Ground Runnin" and "Wasted Tears" came out, and thought either of those songs should have been the single.

"Free" was the 'step child' of LU to many fans, that Haley didn't write it, made it somehow a lesser song, so the discussion went to which of the songs she did write should be next.

I also remember in several interviews Haley recounting how "Free" came about to being the Single, that she was still on tour, and picked it out of songs she was offered. I felt that she pointed it out so often sort of was a way of distancing herself away from it in a sense, because she didn't write it, and it wasn't really her choice (over her own songs)
(Don't discount that Interscope gets most of the profits for "Free" as factoring into the decision to push it instead of the other songs that Haley has writing credits for)

[midnightblues]

And so you see where this is going. Interscope gave Haley one chance to make a hit with a single that was never destined to become anything but a video. And to try to introduce her with limited exposure and promotion but expecting a substantial amount of returnable income.Such delusional thinking. Okay so now that everything is been diagnosed by Haley fans and it's pretty accurate to this point I hope lessons will be learned. That if another record company hopefully an indie company picks up Haley they could do a lot more with her. Downside they cannot rerecord listen and up that's stinks. And I thought my ranting was finishedLOL there's always more to bitch about h eh e

[jjames865]

And so you see where this is going. Interscope gave Haley one chance to make a hit with a single that was never destined to become anything but a video. And to try to introduce her with limited exposure and promotion but expecting a substantial amount of returnable income.Such delusional thinking.

That's what amazes me as well as baffles me. This is what they do for a living. How could they be that far off base? Really makes no sense.

[Babbs234]

All I know is that all of us were there for Haley! We waited a year for Listen Up! We have loved her, cheered for her, supported her, bought her cds, spred the word about her music to everyone we knew. Some if us have even traveled far distances to see her. We all wish her cd sold better.

If I could wave a magic wand, I would make Haley be at the top of the charts! I hope Haley becomes very successful in the next year!! Cheers everyone!!

[yanni5]

Well said Babbs!