"The Letter" video with behind-the-scenes footage

[john]

Wasn't Baby it's You also on Billboard? Bigger reach than Variety. Being on Vevo's main web page helps exposure as well

No doubt those links helped the video. But I think those are more likely with a VEVO video, along with other kinds of promo. The Letter hasn't gotten much of any promotion aside from Haley and Haliens on social media.

[Tusk]

I think the 'unusual' circumstances of Haley's signing w/ Concord ( no big announcement, no promotion) might imply that what Haley might have is some kind of unique agreement wherein Haley has limited access to Concord resources and promotion while retaining rights on parts or a controlling percentage of what they produce together?

[Miguel]

This is the kind of deal Scott would advise her to do. Haley has some buzz. And maybe her managment is up to developing a promotional plan. Plus, I think Haley wants to retain as much control as possible. The BIY video was a Haley-driven shoot.

Distribution Deals:

Distribution deals with a major labels, commonly referred to as P & D (pressing and distribution) deals, are usually given to artists or indie labels who have created a significant buzz for themselves. In this agreement, the label takes on the responsibility of making the artists’ music accessible to the public by pressing and distributing it to retail stores and throughout the internet. The artist is responsible for all other costs in a P & D deal. That includes any promotional costs, videos, radio, posters, wardrobe…everything.

The artist retains ownership of the masters. The distributing label almost never pays an advance and takes 20% to 25% of the profits made from music sales.

These deals are useless to artists who don’t have the adequate financial backing nor an effective promotional plan to drive fans to their product. In other words, your CD maybe be distributed by Sony, but it will collect dust on some Walmart shelf, if you don’t know shit about running an indie label or promoting a record.

Artists and indies that have their street and internet grind together, find that they can do well without a distribution deal, but this takes an extreme amount of hard work and discipline.

http://www.indiehiphop.net/4-types-of-record-deals/

Given limited resources, what you choose to promote seems key. Haley hasn't had much luck in choosing singles. I wonder if some of that is because her judgment of songs is influenced by her view as a musician. By that, I mean she appreciates things about a song that a general audience doesn't. Such as an unusual structure or the skill it takes to execute.

If this is the type of deal Haley has, then it is interesting that John Burk was involved. And that they recorded to tape. They must see potential in the project.

[Tusk]

The artist is responsible for all other costs in a P & D deal. That includes any promotional costs, videos, radio, posters, wardrobe…everything.

I don't see a dateline on the article this comes from, the earliest comment is 9 years ago, so maybe 10 years ago, the music industry has changed drastically, digital downloads, streaming, multiple platforms and devices.

IF Haley has this kind of agreement, then this part of Team Haley's responsibility is a much easier road to ho than to print out a bunch of cd's & albums, their investment as far as advertising & merchandising is more easily accomplished now than it was back then

[john]

Scott's PMJ deal with Concord seems like a true "P&D" arrangement. He did the recording, and they pressed records and distribute them. Concord also probably remastered the recordings for vinyl, but that's about it.

Haley's project appears to include a mix of musicians that are her people and others that Burk brought in. Burk was very hands on in the studio and his people did all the recording, mixing and mastering.

It is my hope that there is more of a push on one of the singles that has yet to be released. Concord brings legitimacy to the record and hopefully they can help get some radio play, reviews, and appearances. I would think this kind of thing would happen when the album is released unless a prerelease single catches on organically.

There are levels of support that a label can provide and Concord has a history of making money on niche recording. There is only so much that they can invest in those records and still make a profit. And for the artist all the money spend by the label is charged back against record sales, so unless you expect a big hit it is sensible to control costs.

[Miguel]

Some notes about the singer of the original version of The Letter.

At the time, many people assumed the singer was about 40 years old. And black. He was 16.

His name is Alex Chilton. His father was a jazz trumpeter and his mother was a classically trained musician. They immersed their four children in music, both recorded and live, often hosting jam sessions at home.

Alex was later part of a power pop band called Big Star that didn't find commercial success, but was influential musically.

From his 2010 Rolling Stone obituary:

Big Star only released three studio albums, but what three incredible albums they were: 1972's #1 Record, 1974's Radio City and 1978's dark but beautiful Third/Sister Lovers all placed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and their classic tracks "Thirteen" and "September Gurls" both made the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

While they only lasted a few years, Big Star's impact continues to reverberate decades later. R.E.M. and the Replacements both named Big Star and Alex Chilton as major influences, and the Replacements' Pleased to Meet Me features a song titled "Alex Chilton." Chilton became a cult musical icon, and artists as diverse as Beck, Wilco, Elliott Smith, R.E.M., Cheap Trick, Jeff Buckley, Garbage, Bat For Lashes and Whiskeytown have covered Big Star's songs.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/b...9-20100317

NYT arts blog at the time of his death:

While Big Star is regularly categorized as power pop for its obvious Beatles touches, its music also had Memphis twang and soul. Mr. Chilton’s songs used subtle musical twists that only added to the yearning and stubbornness in his songs: starting in one key but suddenly sliding into another, deliberately making tempos and meters fluctuate. They were the kind of songs other songwriters admire.

LA Times:

(The band's) cult status grew past the point that Chilton himself thought was reasonable.

"There are only three or four of the tunes, like 'In the Street' and 'When My Baby's Beside Me,' that still work for me," Chilton said in 1995. "I think in general Big Star is overrated."

This is from 1974.



Line from The Replacements "Alex Chilton:"

I never travel far, without a little Big Star

---

After his death there was a book and documentary. The author was a woman who began working on the book before his death. She met him when he was working as a dishwasher in New Orleans.

Some footage from the documentary.



Big Star experienced a resurgence and they were slated to perform at SXSW the week of his death. It became a tribute show to him.

[Miguel]

Missed this FB comment when it was posted.

Patti Miller-Reinhart
July 20 at 11:41pm ·

My darling hubby Harry & I had a great time helping our little Haley out on her third album this year!

(included the video)