Taylor Hicks joins Reuben Studdard in the listing of American Idols dropped by J Records. The industry as a whole is a fickle bitch, so all I can add is 'shine on you crazy Diamond' regarding Mr. Hicks. Carry on.
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If this is true, this is very bad news for Taylor. To get dropped by a major recording label is a disaster. Looks like they didn't want to bother recording a second album. What kills me the most is the SP puts their usual "this is good thing and Taylor bought out his contract". Bought out his contract?? Are they insane?
ReplyDeleteInsane, that's to be examined person by person regarding the SP members, rather I think naive.
ReplyDeleteThey have no idea the amount of money it would take to 'buy out' that contract. Did Studdard buy his out? I don't think so. Both guys were dropped within what a week of one another, sounds more like year beginning "house cleaning". It's a coin toss whether this is good or bad, but I'm leaning Not Good. Be one thing if Taylor had another label buying out his contract to carry him; that happens in the biz, not the case in this instance.
Same buzz was generated by the Bo Bice fan camp when he was dropped by RCA. Exception I think, the Underground site. Shame too, it's a good album for the most part. I was pleased that Bice was at least bold enough and proud enough of his own music to put it out there.
That said, I prefer Magni's self produced album but that's apples and oranges.
Taylor Hicks has gotten further regarding fan base and interest than Bo Bice since I'm comparing A.I. folks who have lost record labels. I think that comes from the sheer force of his personality. He may be able to do something similar to what he did on Idol - make some winning lemonade from this lemon of a situation.
re: "Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteIf this is true, this is very bad news for Taylor. To get dropped by a major recording label is a disaster."
How would you know? you been dropped by a major recording label yourself?
I agree with Sunny - could end up being good or bad - being a positive type person I'm betting it will be good for Tay.
also from both of your comments I assume neither of you consider yourself to be part of the Soul Patrol. Guess we'll have to find a way to get along without you.
Its just an opinion, but I heard several things that I thought were strong hints that this was coming. I was not at all surprised by it. And I do believe Taylor was fine with it. It is possible to do as well financially with an independent album that you control even if the numbers aren't as big. Its no huge disaster. And anonymous your writing style is very familiar to me. You (or someone who uses your exact words) have been hoping for Taylors demise for many moons. Hope on.
ReplyDeleteI don't see anything about "Soul Patrol" in anything either Anonymous or I said. Your rational makes little congruency in the topic at hand.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous" I think my 'friends' here think you are MFOYA. ;) Just give yourself a handle next post - select nickname and type something in. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt\'s nice that you have an idiot detector Sunny. It\'s refreshing.
ReplyDeleteooops - guess I don't know what "SP" stands for then.
ReplyDeletedumb me.
My referring to the SP has nothing to do with how I view Hicks, nor am I denouncing the terminology.
ReplyDeleteThe title "Soul Patrol" for his fans during his run on the show was good strategy, brought cohesiveness and purpose for the viewers voting for him.
Do I buy stickers for my automobile bumpers and create artwork to hang in my house windows like I've read some claim to do? No. Do I have to say I'm a "member" of the SP to be a Hicks' fan? No.
Fact is, the only club I've ever owned a sticker for, that I put on my truck was The Arabian Horse Association.
Man, if it works for you hicksfan7 and others, use the name for yourselves, I am not going to knock you about it. I simply don't define myself that way. At Hicks' concerts I'm not screaming "Soul Patrol", but I've still gone and enjoyed myself.
That reminds me, I read where one gal in Ohio had done something to her brake lights on her car so they read Soul Patrol. Guess Hicks might appreciate that effort.
OMG, so funny! No, I am not mfoya. I think that site is comical, but no way do I take any of that stuff seriously - as it should be (for me anyway). I am a fan, but I stay far away from SP and any fan sites. I prefer to concentrate on Taylor and not on the fanbase.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the SP thinking that this is good thing that Taylor was let go. Now, Taylor has no record company - how can that be a good thing? I look at this as he has been fired from his job. It's not a time to celebrate. The music business is cruel. You are either a hit or a miss and there's no in between and in Taylor's case, there is nothing but uncertainty. I guess time will tell, but if Taylor was hoping for superstardom, that opportunity came and went. There's always hope, but I believe Taylor will appeal to a small niche market. Taylor's music is just not commercial enough.
Sunny, I like being Anonymous, so I will stay that way for now.
I agree with you regarding the 'fired from his job' assessment. Like I have said, it's one thing to have another company wanting to buy out your contract but he's going from J Records back to indie status. If folks want to pretend this is great and they feel better for it, let them I guess. I'm concerned for the guy though.
ReplyDeleteRegarding commercial appeal, I think with just a few 'tweaks' he could obtain that commercial type of status.
Perhaps he needs to go ahead and ink that deal with the Birmingham development and get that club going.
Sunny, the Birmingham development is a dead deal. I know I read it somewhere, but I don't know the details. I think the parties involved could not agree.
ReplyDeleteSunny - no I guess you were not exactly "nor am I denouncing the terminology" - just the members. (calling us Naive?)
ReplyDeleteregarding the "being fired from his job" analogy - that is laughable. How do you get fired when you're self-employed? hahahha
Taylor was able to produce two CD's on his own before Idol - did a damn fine job with those by the way - and he had much less $$$ to work with at the time.
Regarding Anonymous's comment on Tay hoping for "super stardom" - I doubt it - he has said as much - he wants to be a working musician. And he is. I think that now - he can be, for as long as he chooses.
and I hope and pray that nis music NEVER becomes "commercial" - blech.
The Soul Patrol will become even more of a laughing stock if they keep up the celebrating of getting dropped by your record label. He didn't buy anything out. My God. How clueless.
ReplyDeleteI thought the Birmingham deal was still on since al.com brought it up in that article that was up yesterday.
ReplyDeletehicksfan7, there are varying degrees of "commercial".
ReplyDeleteRegarding employment, contractual involvement in a record label takes the "self-employment" equation out of the picture. Now, however, he is truly self-employed.
You see though, the reason he went on Idol was he wasn't moving those independently produced albums; the CDs were being sold out of his car, etc... Should he want to be able to earn a substantial and full income and keep his career going he needs exposure and record labels provide that.
Self-promotion and advertising is expensive. Producing a record, expensive.
I'm sure Mr. Hicks is intelligent enough to have made some investments that will provide income for him during slower times. He has a DVD coming out soon, and that will most likely be a good seller off of his website, but that market is limited.
Sunny, also touring - expensive. His touring opportunities will most likely be cut in half. I would not be surprised if the half filled venues and cancelled concerts during the summer tour played a part in dropping him. They most likely lost money. Perhaps the SP just does not realize these things COST MONEY.
ReplyDeleteI think hicksfan7 got mad because I called those viewing this as a good thing, 'naive'. Naive does not equal stupid, just uninformed.
ReplyDeleteYeah - the Summer tours kept getting press for the cancellations and the venues not filling up. Not a good sign considering Taylor racked up such history making voting numbers while on A.I.
I hit Splash a little while ago, they're having one brutal conversation. Wow.
'Somebody' explained it this way last nite. The record label pays all of this for their artist: studio time, musicians, cd producer, hotels, airfare, cd recording & packaging & distribution. J Records didn't stint on this for Taylor's cd. Matt Serletic didn't come cheap and there was at least one legendary musician in the studio band. If Taylor's next cd is an indie, HE has to pay for all of this. It costs bigtime and comes out of his pocket. He could be a much poorer artist (but probably a happier man so maybe the new cd will be inspired). Best bet for him would be a smaller but reputed label will pick him like the revived STAX now out of LA. Angie Stone is their only current artist.
ReplyDeletenope - not mad - just insulted.
ReplyDelete(nothing new there)
and I do still think it's a good thing - parting ways with J Records I mean. I enjoy thinking positive - but not in a Pollyanna way.
GAG. Taylor being dropped is now on the Perez Hilton gossip site with more brutal responses. Not a good day for Taylor!
ReplyDeletehttp://perezhilton.com/?p=11629#respond
The Chill-ster posted a pic of him on her CL Fanatics' site with Hicks wearing the STAX t-shirt; a likely response to rumors. Best way to go, get picked up by somebody...STAX a fitting pick up since Hicks' music a good fit for their genre.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to the STAX myspace page.
thanks for the stax myspace. I hadn't even thought to look there for them. I'm sure it will be a lot more interesting than Perez. I would hate to go through life being someone like Perez. The world is full of enough little pieces of crap like him. Little nothings doing their best to take down people who actually can do something. Whatever.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, I picked up on a few remarks that made me think this "dropping" might be coming but I could very well be wrong. Taylor may have been totally blindsided, I hope not. It just seems there had to be more to it than just low sales (by their standards) because no one else has ever been dropped that quickly. I thought they might have been so glad to be rid of the little piss-ant that they cut him a good deal on a buy out. LOL Who knows. time will tell, I guess.
Just my opinion, but I don't think hes hurting to much financally, the first 2 albums seem to have sold really well and they are taking off overseas. Along with DIMYP. I think he will be going back there soon. Don't blame him.
Crossing my fingers for stax, that would be great. Know he visited there last year. When they were regrouping, my hope was that he invested a little in them, but that was just a hope. Sure would be a good fit. I will always be looking for his music and wishing him the best of luck.
He's co-writing songs with a STAX artist, THE Steve Cropper of famed Booker T and the MG's. That implies a STAX alliance of some sort but not necessarily a signing. He wears whatever t-shirt is given to him by fans and those are available in the Stax Museum in Memphis.
ReplyDeleteSTAX would be good for him but they only have 1 current artist so far. The revived STAX is just starting up. How much money does it have??
Funding may not be in abundance, but perhaps this could be a good starting point for both Hicks and the 'new' STAX.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that said, Taylor could have just bought the shirt while walking in Memphis...
Any information currently is not forthcoming from the Hicks' camp. Nothing on STAX sites either.
Taylor said once he bought the t-shirt while visiting the museum.
ReplyDeleteMost likely he wore it because of the history behind STAX.
ReplyDeleteI don't care why he wore it - he looks HAWT in it.
ReplyDelete