“Meet Bertie Big Balls, the A & R guy! A tongue in cheek account of our experience in the music industry :o)” Streetlife DJs
This is a cutting and hilarious video that we were shown at MIDEM this weekend and illustrates some of the things that all A&R men across the world have said to upset remixers and producers at certain points in time, including ourselves. This is something producers and label representatives can relate to and gives non-producers an insight into the world of record labels (albeit at their worst)! 🙂
“We’ve all been there. I recon the longest it’s taken to get paid by a major is about 3 years. I won’t say who it was but there’s not so many to choose from so take your pick. To be honest we’ve been on both sides of the fence (with the exception of paying of course) and the whole remix thing is a very strange phenomenom. Originally it was really just used to extend a much shorter track for the 12” release and for club play. Over the years its really become a marketting tool or a way to make a poor record better. “Get that hot new sound behind our very average sound to make our release more relevant”. That said the remix phenomenon is now as old as the trees and no one should be sucked into the nonsense if they’ve got half a brain. What was missed here is the whole “the invoice is with the accounts department in the Czech Republic” line even though you’re billing a UK company. Obviously said record company uses carrier pigeons to send messages to the non English speaking Czechs and they have never heard of email or telephones. I remember one remixer telling me that if he didn’t get paid on time he’d stand in the foyer of the record company and scream and shout till they paid him. Not so easy when the money is in Eastern Europe of course.” Peter Pritchard (MD – Big In Ibiza)
Some other hilarious if cynical looks into the music industry…
Bertie Tries To Sign Newbie Singer
How female singers get famous!