Sad news concerning Jerry Wexler.

[GA Russell]

I have no opinion regarding any of the individuals named in this thread.

However, I have noticed over the years that when a magazine or TV show does something about the idea of black artists of the fifties not being paid the royalties due them, the examples used were always Atlantic artists.

As I recall, these items never mentioned Atlantic by name. The point was never to single out one label. Usually the point made was that these artists weren't paid what they were owed when their records were selling, and now they are old and broke and could use money.

Still, I found it odd that it was always Atlantic artists who were the subjects of the profiles.

[marcello]

Maybe that explains why Ray Charles didn't show up for that Atlantic anniversary concert.

Edited August 17, 2008 by marcello

[Christiern]

I don't think Atlantic was any worse than the others.

[AllenLowe]

I have a feeling that Atlantic, if we look closely at its financial practices, is probably like Chess - neither all good nor all bad, a product of its own street-fighting world - and that when these independents were struggling to get going they did what they felt they had to do to stay in business -an d that afterwards they lost touch with the roots of their own success, if in different ways. This, of course, does not justify bad accounting practices and it doesn't help older musicians who never reall collected the rewards for their work. A more constructive thing would be to make sure we look at all the old accounting practices and re-dress them, which I believe the Rhythm and Blues Foundation has done to some extent (I remember that Ruth Brown was one beneficary) - it would be very worthwhile looking at what the R&B Fooundation has to say about all this -

[AllenLowe]

of course, I just found this article:

The Rhythm & Blues Foundation is a Cover for Record Company Ripoffs…..

As much as Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker ("Jim Dandy," "I Cried a Tear") has the right to be considered the Mother of Rock & Roll. Her death on March 10, from heart disease and the complications of diabetes that had cost her both her legs, marks the passing of a truly legendary force.

Baker's death came less than two weeks after the Rhythm and Blues Foundation engaged in its annual self-congratulatory spectacle the evening after the Grammys. This year's honorees, all worthy, were given $20,000--$25,000 to split for groups--in "grants," out of a fund established by an endowment from Time-Warner as a means of heading off major litigation over the way the company, and its Atlantic Records division in particular, cheated its R&B artists out of royalties since the 50s. Ruth Brown spearheaded that mid-80s effort, but her great friend LaVern Baker was one of her most important allies.

Today, the Foundation created by the work of Brown, Baker, and their peers refuses to address the real needs of this great but rapidly aging group of artists. The Foundation not only wont "get involved" in royalty reform issues, it effectively blocks such efforts by creating the appearance that the problem is solved and that all that remains is to adequately "honor" performers.

Indeed, at this year's awards ceremony, current Motown godfather Clarence Avant, whose label has adamantly refused to upgrade its royalty schedules, proclaimed that what R&B really needed was its own Hall of Fame--which would be a massive waste of money given the human needs. Such sentiments brought Bonnie Raitt, long an advocate of royalty reparations as well as the Foundation, to her feet in opposition. Raitt also directly excoriated Fantasy/Stax Records, the company with perhaps the worst royalty track record of any current label.

"We don't need another building," Raitt declared, "we need to get these people paid. Show them the money!" For her pains, Raitt was ignored at the ceremony and afterwards attacked, notably by Billy Vera. (Vera frequently writes liner notes for Fantasy/Stax and its business partner, Atlantic/Rhino).

In the wake of Atlantic's heralded announcement that it is upgrading "all" of its artists to a full 10% royalty on all future sales, others may believe Vera has a point.

In the past, Atlantic has instituted other royalty "reforms" for a group of thirty artists (a group which did not include, for instance, a major seller like Wilson Pickett but did include several blues singers who made only minor contributions to the label.). These have been pretty much meaningless. For instance, Sam Moore of Sam and Dave recently returned from a trip to England with more than $1000 worth of European Sam and Dave reissues that do not show up on his royalty statements. Brown has reported similar problems.

What is the real meaning of the way R&B giants are treated? Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun showed up at the R&B Foundation ceremonies in a regal limousine, wearing handmade shoes. Even when she was dying, LaVern Baker continued to perform from a wheelchair, because she needed to pay for her artificial legs, not to mention the rent.

Among the no-shows at LaVern Baker's funeral was the R&B Foundation's executive director Suzanne Jenkins, whose annual take from the endowment money people like LaVern Baker earned with the sweat of their brows is $75,000 plus benefits, i.e., four or five times per year as much as any R&B artist will receive from the Foundation lifetime.

[AllenLowe]

this is why I drive a truck -

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Thanks for those three posts Allen. I don't disagree, though $75K doesn't seem a lot of money (but for doing what?).

I think, as Chris said, Atlantic were no better and no worse than the other firms in that sector of the business.

MG

[Christiern]

Thanks for those three posts Allen. I don't disagree, though $75K doesn't seem a lot of money (but for doing what?).

I think, as Chris said, Atlantic were no better and no worse than the other firms in that sector of the business.

MG

If Atlantic is mentioned in this respect more than other contemporary labels, I think it is probably because there is a lot more money involved when it comes to Atlantic than, say Riverside, Prestige, or Blue Note. Atlantic's roots were in jazz, but it blossomed in the pop field and where there's a lot of money, there's often also more creative bookkeeping.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Thanks for those three posts Allen. I don't disagree, though $75K doesn't seem a lot of money (but for doing what?).

I think, as Chris said, Atlantic were no better and no worse than the other firms in that sector of the business.

MG

If Atlantic is mentioned in this respect more than other contemporary labels, I think it is probably because there is a lot more money involved when it comes to Atlantic than, say Riverside, Prestige, or Blue Note. Atlantic's roots were in jazz, but it blossomed in the pop field and where there's a lot of money, there's often also more creative bookkeeping.

True - but there's another factor. If you're doing a news or current affairs programme about this issue, who are you going to mention? Wilson Pickett, Ray, Aretha, Ben E King? Or Fontella Bass, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Muddy Waters, Little Walter?

Atlantic artists get mentioned because they're more recognisable names.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

As for Jerry, Mr. Goldberg, I'm a little surprised you're not more critical. How many acts or artists did Wexler first record, or was he a vulture with ok taste? Now, you can argue that if Atlantic didn't exploit X, Y or Z someone else with less means would have but a scholar of American independent record labels such as yourself knows that partnership with Atlantic did not always benefit all parties as p. In short, Jerry Wexler, cool as he could be-- and as hard as he loved to party-- was hardly necessary for most of American musical history as know it. There are a few instances where his arranged marriages paid dividend but hardly so many as to overshadow the broader regional and local cultural achievements he was picking up on.

Basically, record company proprietors/executives are entrepreneurs, middle men. In left wing terms, parasites. They find what's out there that they can make money out of. It's not like it was a really creative job, y'know But Jerry had a good nose to find it and much better than OK taste - for a parasite.

When I was fifteen - summer of '59 - I had a little argument with myself. I said that I could just advance order 45s being issued over here on the London label which had been sourced from Atlantic, whether I knew anything about the record - artist, song - and never having heard it on the radio - and know that I'd like it. I also said, in argument, that that notion was rubbish, because how could a business, a bunch of businessmen, as described above, unfailingly provide what it was that I wanted? The idea was completely counter-intuitive. But I did it anyway. So the first single I picked up under the new experimental regime was the Drifters' "There goes my baby"; two weeks later, it was Ray Charles' "What'd I say". I'd never heard of either - remember where I am. So it worked.

Would those records have been made if Herald, Savoy or one of the other NY R&B labels had picked up the Atlantic artists? I'm pretty certain they wouldn't have.

MG

[7/4]

of course, I just found this article:

The Rhythm & Blues Foundation is a Cover for Record Company Ripoffs…..

No link, no author...probably copyrighted too.

.

[Christiern]

Thanks for those three posts Allen. I don't disagree, though $75K doesn't seem a lot of money (but for doing what?).

I think, as Chris said, Atlantic were no better and no worse than the other firms in that sector of the business.

MG

If Atlantic is mentioned in this respect more than other contemporary labels, I think it is probably because there is a lot more money involved when it comes to Atlantic than, say Riverside, Prestige, or Blue Note. Atlantic's roots were in jazz, but it blossomed in the pop field and where there's a lot of money, there's often also more creative bookkeeping.

True - but there's another factor. If you're doing a news or current affairs programme about this issue, who are you going to mention? Wilson Pickett, Ray, Aretha, Ben E King? Or Fontella Bass, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Muddy Waters, Little Walter?

Atlantic artists get mentioned because they're more recognisable names.

MG

That is the same factor, MG—those artists brought in the money.

[AllenLowe]

just to add to the mix here, I will mention that my experience with small and allegeldly honest indie jazz labels has been no better - one in particular (won't mention names here) with a VERY good rep ripped me off to the tune of probably $2500 -

[paul secor]

Again, find me even a partial list of record executives who needed a benefit-- musical or otherwise-- to pay their health care or funeral expenses?

One that I can think of is Herb Abrahamson, who ended up pretty much down and out after being bought out/forced out of Atlantic Records. I believe that Jerry Wexler took his place at Atlantic.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Again, find me even a partial list of record executives who needed a benefit-- musical or otherwise-- to pay their health care or funeral expenses?

One that I can think of is Herb Abrahamson, who ended up pretty much down and out after being bought out/forced out of Atlantic Records. I believe that Jerry Wexler took his place at Atlantic.

It's not quite like that. Herb left Atlantic in the Korean War - he was a naval dentist. Jerry took Herb's place then. Herb came back after the war, but couldn't get it together. Ahmet started up a label specially for him - Cat - I think "Sh-boom" was the only successful record on the label. Herb's wife, Miriam, was Atlantic's company secretary or financial controller or something like that - not a nominal job, anyway. I can't remember without looking it up whether they divorced before, during or after Herb's move away from the firm. But there was purely personal stuff as well as business stuff going on at the time.

But he did end up down and out.

MG

[Hot Ptah]

ChaunceyMorehouse is clementine. His identity has been mentioned on this board within the past year.

I can't remember his name. I remember that he lives in Brooklyn and is a published author.

[7/4]

ChaunceyMorehouse is clementine. His identity has been mentioned on this board within the past year.

I can't remember his name. I remember that he lives in Brooklyn and is a published author.

I thought so too. But I saw some similarities between the posts of ChaunceyMorehouse and another member a few days ago that lead me to think otherwise.

One would think that a moderator would put an end to that Chauncey nonsense.

It's like tracking down the unibomber, I tell ya.

Edited August 20, 2008 by 7/4

[Christiern]

ChaunceyMorehouse is clementine. His identity has been mentioned on this board within the past year.

I can't remember his name. I remember that he lives in Brooklyn and is a published author.

So was Leslie Gourse, so is Ann Coulter, so was Frank Kofsky, so were/are countless other inept and/or hateful people. It says something when you have to hide one handle behind another.

I see that Jerry's death made the NYT front page, beneath the fold. That should bother our... photographer to the snorters?