Crass Moolahtopia Talk

[Robb McCaffree <nsrjm@nursepo.medctr.ucla.edu>]

mizzell@earthlink.net wrote:

> 
> ...concerning buying tracks from artist to use in commercials
> 
> ""...many agencies shy away from contacting original artist.  Andrew
> Chinich, executive producer and head of the broadcast department at
> TBWA Chiat/Day in New York, says that it's because "people think it's
> more money, but it's not.  I don't pay an artist more than I pay a
> music house."
> 
>   He also notes that it can be cost-effective compared to copping the
> rights to a well known hit.

re: Kate Bush's Fruitopia spots: 
> 
> "I told her, "I could give $250,000 to Sony or I can throw it at you."
> Unlike many less-established bands, Bush had enough clout as an artist
> to take the deal.
> 

I remember someone wrote in defense of Kate's work on Fruitopia 
last year (and I think the spots are great and don't need to be 
defended) that she probably made more from them than she had 
from the entire commercial release of her catlog.

Guess that supposition's all shot to hell.     :- )

It's a big chunk o' change, to be sure, and an amount for which 
she had only to come up with approximately five minutes of music 
(excluding length variations of the same themes). But a couple 
of big-selling singles could make her that much* -- and she's 
had plenty. 

I think it's a huge compliment that Chiat/Day thought that only 
katemusic could make the innovative spots work, and illustrated 
this point by using existing katemusic with the spots before 
making their decision. Personally, I was just glad to have 'new' 
katemusic and committed them to tape so I could listen to them 
in the car. Perfect, happy driving music that fits in well with 
TRS!

Robb

*I remember reading that Pat Benatar had donated her proceeds 
from "We Belong" to USA for Africa and that the amount was 
approximately $100,000. Now, "We Belong" was a #5 hit in a huge 
market that Kate has yet to crack. But Kate, unlike Pat, has 
been successful internationally...and her singles pretty 
consistently land in the top 10 of several countries. I hope I'm 
not assuming too much in thinking that she has made as much from 
her big singles.