Elvis, CBS, Rhino and (Who else?) Me
Friday, February 4th, 2005 at 9:50 amA site is up that chronicles Rhino’s Elvis Costello reissues. It’s a great story of a smaller label taking care of a back-catalog in a way the major labels have no idea how to.
I worked at CBS Columbia records as a house hippie in Elvis’ 80’s heyday and wormed my way into many (100? more?) live shows. Always a mind blowing show, never the same show twice, which can no longer be said of his last few tours. When I say not the same show, I mean not even the same band, instrumentation or song set. I once saw him five nights in a row in one theater in Los Angeles and he had five completely different band line-ups.
I also worked at Rhino when it was a three man operation (two of them from my high school) and was amazed at the catalog they were building then!
The difference between the two labels was striking. CBS had signed hundreds of artists and had no idea how to treat them or their music (this was around the time they initially refused to release Herbie’s “Rockit”) and drove them into poverty. Rhino, to the best of my knowlegde, has never had a recording artist under contract (maybe Weird Al? or that kazoo band that did Zepplin covers?) but treated the music they were collecting with reverance and revived the careers of many treasured artists who were literally discarded by the majors.
CBS (now Sony Record) retains 100% of the rights to the back catalogs of artists they dump. About 80% of the time they stop pressing the CDs and prevent anybody else from doing the same. The artist is left in debt, in poverty and with a career’s worth of music they are not allowed to sell. What is the company waiting for? They are desparately hoping the artist will commit a messy suicide or die in a firey plane crash so they could reissue a ‘tribute’ or ‘greatest’ hits.
Rhino gathers up this back catalog music and treats it with the respect it deserves and do their best to make sure the artist or their estate are treated fairly.
Elvis has dozens of albums and thousands of songs in his catalog and knows the danger. He isn’t waiting for his plane crash or career to be 20 years over to make the change.
CBS fired me several times over the course of 10 years.
Rhino fired me once after a week and a half and I never heard from them again.
One of these labels knows what they are doing.
[link via Keith]
February 4th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
As a sincere, 1 step away from a restraining order, devotee (check the last name, it’s not really mine, I use it as my stage name) of Elvis all I can say is that I personally know only one person who can speak with true insder knowledge of the early years with Elvis at the labels, and that’s Victor.
I’m a little disgruntled at any comments about Elvis’ less then completely stellar or lackluster current day performances, but you have to understand, for me he could get on stage say hello, sing, “I Want You” acapella and I’d think it was the best show he’d ever done.
Rhino is showing true respect for thier artists. They always have. I know someone who has worked for them for almost 10 years now. Made it past that week and a half. Large record conglomerations are like any corporation. Enron didn’t care about its stockholders and CBS doesn’t care about it’s artists.
Meanwhile I have to listen to “Delivery Man” just one more time.
February 4th, 2005 at 6:26 pm
hmmm, insider… you mean like “Victor’s insider the mail room”? Elvis did consult me early in his career — consult like “cream, no sugar”
and for the record (oh, I’m going to regret this) I never said ‘lackluster’ or ‘less than stellar’ — but the shows are predictable and I miss the surprise — the last three Elvis tours that I saw (one with you! no?) were essentially the same show. (ducking)
February 8th, 2005 at 7:22 am
Vic,
This is a bit ot..
You were at Rhino when it was a “3 man operation”? I met a guy there named Chas in 79(maybe it was bit bigger by then?) who was one of the principles..he was married to a woman named Atlee Austin, who worked for CBS at the time. I was in LA doing a Big Show record..anyway, he was a great guy, funny, down to earth, the opposite of 1979 (all time?) LA. He even sent me the entire rhino catalog as a Xmas gift in 79! including the fabulous freddy Blaze, king of Men lp. I think he left before Rhino became RHINO INC..anyway, there’s no mention of him on the Rhino site..I would like to find him, as i am doing a project that could use his considerable expertise..did you know him, and/or know whaere he is?
thanks,
jp
February 8th, 2005 at 9:35 am
Rhino was run out of a warehouse. If I’m not mistaken Chas (3rd to Harold and Richard) was the name of this unbelievably talented sax (bari?) player who was constantly practicing every free minute when he wasn’t stocking records. He played free/space jazz and while it might have drove some people nuts I was mesmorized as his honks and tweaks filled that huge building with beautiful discordant noise. (I sort of remember Atlee as well from Century City.) When I’m about to shuffle of this mortal coil I’ll forget my kids names but I’ll never forget the sounds of that sax.
Meanwhile after a quick google I only came up with a Chaz Austin (ex-husband of an Atlee!) but trust me, it’s NOT the same cat. Sorry, but thanks for letting me remember…
February 8th, 2005 at 10:13 am
thanks Vic. I googled him as well but nada. Maybe..harold knows..