Re: Squids?

[Kaleidoscope <lawtonj@project4.computer-science.manchester.ac.uk>]

In <m0jupPH-0000doC@chinet.chi.il.us> katefans@chinet.chi.il.us (Chris Williams) writes:

>Chris here,

>J. Fingerle asks:

>> Recently, in the traffic concerning Record Companies, the term squid has
>> been used.  What does this mean?

>  Not a damn thing. Just me being a smart-ass. I my original post I compared
>dealing with record companies with taking a bath in a tub full of live squid.
>I have since concluded that I was too easy on the record companies, and too
>hard on squid, creatures which are by comparison inoffensive and, to my
>knowledge, had nothing to do with signing Vanilla Ice.

>                                Chris Williams of
>                                    Chris'n'Vickie of Chicago
>                                        katefans@chinet.chi.il.us


Now here's a funny tale. It involves the bloke who is Vanilla Ice's UK publicist
- it's his job to sell Vanilla Ice - he also does things like fly to Japan as
a representitive of V.I. - that's his day job. Before V.I. it was some other
long since forgotten teen group. So Julian Henry (for that's his name) is an
evil git who doesn't understand art and music. Erm no.

In his spare time he runs a record label (JSH Records) to release stuff so far
by his own band 'The Hit Parade' who are obscure to a very major degree to the
extent that most British fanzines don't write about him, let alone the music
press. He'll play gigs for little more than transport cost apparently as he 
loves playing live. He also wrote arrangements for the Would-Be-Goods (on El
records) who? (on who?) and generally puts a lot of effort into music where
profit is the least likely thing he'll ever see.

(it get's possibly tongue in cheek here)

And in general I've found record companies quite easy to deal with - I got a
birthday card off one the other day. But then that's maybe because I deal with
record companies with a staff of 3 or less who are commited to the music they
put out. Which is something I'm starting this summer.

Consider the number of small & locally run labels like that, who put out the
majority of music (they must do if you added it up) against the few major
labels - and then say ALL record companies are evil & profit motivated.
Don't like big profit motivated companies.Then don't deal with them, and
support the smaller ones. Pirate the music from the majors & get satisfaction
that you've fought a blow against capitalism :-).

J.