OREGON MUSIC / APRIL 2002 photo Pat Snyder OREGON STUDIO/MASTERING ������������������������������������ ��������������������������������������� ����������������������������� ��������������������� ��� ��� ������������������ ������������������ No Joke! Now’s your chance! Expires April 30, 2002. ��� ����� ������ � While supplies last. Expires April 30, 2002. �� ������������������ ��������������� ������������� � Expires April 30, 2002. �� �������������� �������������������������������������� �������������� ������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������� TWO LOUIES, April 2002 - Page 3 photo Buko uly 4th, 1993. Richard Berry, the writer drums, Rich Gooch played bass, Gary Ogan played During Berry’s stay in Portland, the Oregon His- of Portland’s Greatest Hit, “Louie Louie” piano and Gregg Perry played Hammond B-3. torical Society installed a plaque at the recording Jheadlines the Blues Festival. Saxophonist Perry said, “I looked over his shoulder and realized site where the Kingsmen recorded “Louie Louie” Renato Caranto and guitarist Mark Spangler pic- after all these years, I was fi nally seeing how ‘Louie on April 16, 1963. Richard Berry passed away in tured. For Berry’s historic set, Jon Koonce played Louie’ was supposed to be played on the keyboard.” Los Angeles January 23, 1997. LL We’ll be looking for the Too Louies “Mothman”. The movie sucked but it was coverage. cool to fi nd the spot where Dan Riddle’s music gets used. Too bad they didn’t pay Jason McCormick him enough to keep his cell phone turned Portland, OR on. MINIMUM RAGE “You guys did a story on The Red GC BLOODBATH Sector and me leaving the band to Dear Editor, What’s up at Guitar Center? I picked up the audition for Powerman 5000. I got March issue of Two Louies with the Free Richard Petrillo tee shirt letter about the the gig and I’m now in Hollywood guy who threw the pie in Fred Durst’s face, and within days, the manager, the assistant working on the new record.” manager and a dozen people are all fi red at the Clackamas store where it happened! Chris Gore Did Limp Bizkit’s manager chew some ass Dear Editor, Milwaukie, OR Enjoyed the coverage of King Black at Guitar Center Headquarters? Goodbye Continued on page 31 Tony, Smokey and the crew? Acid’s movie music for Richard Gere’s TWO LOUIES, April 2002 - Page 3 Joshua James & the Runaway Train @ the Tonic Lounge. Page 4 - TWO LOUIES, April 2002 TWO LOUIES, April 2002 - Page 5 ���������������������� ������������������ This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Gibson Les Paul Guitar. So it only makes sense to hold the 9th Annual ‘City of Roses Vintage Guitar Show’ on June 9th, Les Paul’s birth- day. Come join us in celebrating Les Paul’s Birthday and the 50th Anniversary of the Les Paul Guitar. ����������������������� ������������� 12566 SE 93rd Clackamas, Oregon ��������������������������� ������������ ������������ Page 4 - TWO LOUIES, April 2002 TWO LOUIES, April 2002 - Page 5 Page 6 - TWO LOUIES, April 2002 TWO LOUIES, April 2002 - Page 7 Record Producer Agreements: The Basics fi nancial repercussions for the artist. agreement. The record company will own all his month, I want to talk about the If the Artist Is Signing The Deal. If the masters and will normally have approval rights basics of record producer agreements, producer agreement is between the producer and over the masters. This gives the label the right Ti.e., the kind of agreement used when a the artist, the record company will often (but not to reject any masters which are not technically or record company or signed artist is hiring a record always) have the right to approve or reject the commercially satisfactory. producer. AN OVERVIEW Under the terms of the typical record pro- ducer agreement, the producer is paid a cash advance. The producer will also be entitled to be paid royalties on future record sales, subject to certain conditions (described below). However, producer. Also, the record company will typically If the producer owns the studio where the the record company, before being obligated to require the producer to sign a side agreement project is going to be produced, generally the pro- actually pay producer royalties, will be entitled directly with the record company (sometimes ducer will submit a recording budget for the esti- to fi rst recoup (deduct) from those royalties the called a “Producer Declaration”). This document mated studio fees and the miscellaneous recording amount of the advance originally paid to the pro- will say that if there is any confl ict between the costs (e.g., session musicians). These expenses will ducer. Any remaining amount will then be paid terms of the agreement between the artist and usually be referred to in the producer agreement to the producer. producer, and the recording agreement between but generally will not be considered as part of the So, for example, if the advance is $25,000 the artist and the label, the terms of the recording advance to the producer. Therefore, the studio and the producer’s royalties eventually add up to agreement will supersede and preempt the producer fees and expenses will be recoupable as recording $60,000, then the producer will receive an addi- agreement. This permits the record company to, costs from the future combined producer and artist tional $35,000 (i.e., $60,000, minus the original in effect, override any provisions in the producer royalties, and not just from the producer’s future $25,000 advance). agreement which are contrary to the label’s normal royalties alone. policies, and to avoid any contractual obligations 2. Payment of An Advance to the Producer. RECORD PRODUCER AGREEMENTS: not already contained in the artist’s recording The agreement will provide for the producer to be WHO SIGNS THE DEAL? contract with the label. paid a certain cash advance. This advance will be Depending on the terms of the artist’s record- Record Business 101: If you’re a producer, recoupable from the producer’s future royalties, ing contract with a record company, it may be the you want to do everything possible, before you start as shown in the example given at the beginning record company who contracts with the record producing a record, to try to get the record com- of this article. producer, or alternatively, it may be the artist who pany to agree in writing to pay you your producer Sometimes, the advance is paid on a “per does so. royalties directly, rather than you having to collect track” basis, and the amount per track can range If the Record Company Is Signing The Deal. your producer royalties from the artist. from $1,000 to $25,000, and even more for top If the producer agreement is between the producer First of all, the artist may very possibly not producers. and the record company, the record company will have the money to pay you when your producer 3. Producer Royalties. Usually the producer generally require a “Letter of Direction” from the royalties become due. royalty is in the range of 3% to 4% of the retail price of records sold. For hot producers, the royalty is often higher. In most instances, the band’s recording agree- ment with the record company will provide for an “all-in” artist plus producer royalty. For example, if there is an “all-in” artist/producer combined roy- alty of 14% of the retail price of records sold, then if the producer royalty is 3%, the artist will receive the remaining 11%. This remaining percentage payable to the artist is usually called the “Net Artist Rate.” (Incidentally sometimes, particularly in the case of country music recording agreements, the artist, authorizing the record company to pay a Secondly, even if the artist “directs” the record royalty rate provided for in the recording contract certain designated advance and royalty directly company to pay you directly, such directions are is an “artist only” royalty, and not an “all in” (artist to the producer. not binding on the record company, and so the plus producer) royalty rate. In that situation, the Depending on what approval rights are con- record company may refuse to do so. artist’s royalty rate is not affected by what the tained in the pre-existing recording agreement producer’s royalty rate is.) between the artist and the record company, the RECORD PRODUCER AGREEMENTS: Producer agreements and recording agree- record company may be contractually required to THE BASICS ments usually provide that no royalties will be paid obtain the artist’s written approval as to the selec- The basic provisions of record producer to the producer until all recording costs have been tion of the producer, as well as the terms of the agreements are as follows: recouped at the so-called “Net Artist Rate.” Using producer agreement. From an artist’s perspective, 1. Payment of Recording Costs and Owner- the example from above, if the producer royalty is it is very important to have this right of approval, ship of Masters. The record company pays the 3% and the “all in” artist plus producer royalty is since a “sweetheart deal” between a record company approved recording costs. Often there is an item- 14%, then the “Net Artist Rate” is 11%. Once the and a producer can sometimes have very negative ized recording budget attached to the producer Continued on page 27 Page 6 - TWO LOUIES, April 2002 TWO LOUIES, April 2002 - Page 7 Dig Up The Astroturf- Jeff Trott Black Apple Records he theme for this year’s Houston Astros post-Enron baseball team? No, this is the first solo album from Jeff Trott. Trott has never been in Ta successful local band. He is not the toast of Paris and four countries. He has never had an album in the local Top Ten. His is not a household name. Yet, Jeff Trott is one of the most successful musicians ever to inhabit our soggy environs.