Heartland

spotted the subject in matter yesterday in my preferred rockers hang out.

Maybe he should hire Pete Yates......

No record.

Andrew probably wants a major release as much as anyone, but no one is going to give him one. Why? Because the success of a major release isn't based on word of mouth or quality of music, it's based on quantity of promotion - and dealing with the press...etc. isn't an Eldritch strong point, and the major labels were taught an object lesson in this for eight solid years starting in '90.

No record label is going to back a 46 year old guy (no matter how talented) who can't sell out 1,000 seat clubs and who has vaguely geeky (if unfair) associations (IE the crushed velvet types). Especially when said guy has a history of screwing over his label and failing at the one important aspect of being a major label artist (see above) promotion.

That said, with Adam gone and two relatively newish guitar types on board (and hopefully some Von compositions in the bank) an indie release could happen. I daresay Mike Varjak wouldn't be averse to getting thrown "Susanne" royalty checks every now and again, even after being fired from the band...

But wait. Think fast! Who is the most arrogant man in all of England not able to play a guitar standing up? Who is therefore at least as unlikely as Adam to be really interested in going back to 1982 and doing the indie thing?

That's right...

GMC wrote:No record.

Andrew probably wants a major release as much as anyone, but no one is going to give him one. Why? Because the success of a major release isn't based on word of mouth or quality of music, it's based on quantity of promotion - and dealing with the press...etc. isn't an Eldritch strong point, and the major labels were taught an object lesson in this for eight solid years starting in '90.

No record label is going to back a 46 year old guy (no matter how talented) who can't sell out 1,000 seat clubs and who has vaguely geeky (if unfair) associations (IE the crushed velvet types). Especially when said guy has a history of screwing over his label and failing at the one important aspect of being a major label artist (see above) promotion.

That said, with Adam gone and two relatively newish guitar types on board (and hopefully some Von compositions in the bank) an indie release could happen. I daresay Mike Varjak wouldn't be averse to getting thrown "Susanne" royalty checks every now and again, even after being fired from the band...

But wait. Think fast! Who is the most arrogant man in all of England not able to play a guitar standing up? Who is therefore at least as unlikely as Adam to be really interested in going back to 1982 and doing the indie thing?

That's right...

Hmmm. I don't think it's fair to blame too much for not playing the game.

GMC wrote:Andrew probably wants a major release as much as anyone,

I don't think so. Most "Why no record"-theories seem to assume this, but I see no evidence that he *wants* a major release. At least not have the circus that inevitably goes with it. If he wanted to, he could. But I think we all see a happier Andrew now than at the height of success, and it wouldn't surprise me if he is perfectly satisfied with just going on tour now and then. The question is what he is going to do about the slowly but steadily shrinking crowds at the concerts.

GMC wrote: That said, with Adam gone and two relatively newish guitar types on board (and hopefully some Von compositions in the bank) an indie release could happen. I daresay Mike Varjak wouldn't be averse to getting thrown "Susanne" royalty checks every now and again, even after being fired from the band...

Maybe that is what he has to do to keep people coming to the gigs. Which would be a good thing for us! I don't see some kind of indie release as totally unrealistic, on the contrary. Singles...songs for download...

My optimism will gain strength if and when a new song comes. That would suggest at least *something* is going on that could take the band in a promising direction, other than just better guitar solos.

Driven wrote:

GMC wrote:No record.

Andrew probably wants a major release as much as anyone, but no one is going to give him one. Why? Because the success of a major release isn't based on word of mouth or quality of music, it's based on quantity of promotion - and dealing with the press...etc. isn't an Eldritch strong point, and the major labels were taught an object lesson in this for eight solid years starting in '90.

No record label is going to back a 46 year old guy (no matter how talented) who can't sell out 1,000 seat clubs and who has vaguely geeky (if unfair) associations (IE the crushed velvet types). Especially when said guy has a history of screwing over his label and failing at the one important aspect of being a major label artist (see above) promotion.

That said, with Adam gone and two relatively newish guitar types on board (and hopefully some Von compositions in the bank) an indie release could happen. I daresay Mike Varjak wouldn't be averse to getting thrown "Susanne" royalty checks every now and again, even after being fired from the band...

But wait. Think fast! Who is the most arrogant man in all of England not able to play a guitar standing up? Who is therefore at least as unlikely as Adam to be really interested in going back to 1982 and doing the indie thing?

That's right...

Hmmm. I don't think it's fair to blame too much for not playing the game.

I don't blame Von for not releasing a record, if he doesn't want to. But if he does want a record, and not an indie record, I do blame him for "not playing the game", because that's how you get a major record, full stop.

The is all supposition of course, no one knows what's on in 's head, but after all this time it would be pretty stupid to A. Hold out for a major label contract. AND B. Play the holier-than-thou antiestablishment type in negotiations. That's called "Stupid", not "Cool". You have to pay the cost to be the boss. If you don't want to be the boss, fine; but abstaining because you think the suits at Warner are jerks is not helping anyone.

That's, um, like shooting yourself in the foot. As said about the record industry.

knows as well as anyone that he won't get a major-label deal. The only people to get away with a "strike" against their label like the one that Eldritch did are Prince and George Michael; The Sisters simply don't have that kind of "clout" in the music industry.