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Re: Revisiting the Billboard Interview
Could this be when the wheels came off completely?
What are your thoughts on how Universal has handled the album?
Unfortunately I have no information for me to believe [that] there was any real involvement or effort from Interscope. I'm not saying there wasn't. But in my opinion, without [Interscope Geffen A&M chairman] Jimmy Iovine's involvement, it doesn't matter who anyone talks to or what they say -- virtually nothing will happen from their end.
I do know [that] I've been asking for a marketing plan for over five years and still haven't got anything. We've asked for a complete breakdown of promotion expenses and efforts from all parties but unfortunately I've received very little information, if anything, so far. On another note, the draft booklet leaking and, I believe, the early shipping of preorders and the inclusion of the early draft booklet for the release was through involvement with Interscope, which was a mess. That's not to say they don't work for other artists and make things happen. I feel they work very hard for whatever it is they truly want to sell, whether it's good or ...
I can say how the band feels, and that is that to a man they hate the record company other than Universal International with a passion. And that's with me talking with them about the record company negatively hardly ever, if at all. They're not blind: They hear the talk and see the results. Our involvement with Interscope has been more than frustrating for them. It's not like anyone here wants to have any negative views, impressions or opinions. They don't go around bitching about things all the time and they don't let it get in the way of whatever they're supposed to do here, but it is what it is.
Here's how things worked until they were no longer involved-that is, until recently. Jimmy [Iovine] and whoever would come down to the studio. Things would be good for a month. Then, according to whoever was involved at the time from their side, someone above Jimmy would start putting pressure regarding us on him, Jimmy would start pressuring others at his label [and they] would begin doing the same with us. We get that it's just how business -- and perhaps especially this business -- tends to work, but after a month of this the whole thing would get ugly and extensively interfere with getting anything productive done, and near the middle of the third month we'd arrange for Jimmy to come down again. They'd go away happy and the entire process would repeat itself over and over and over.
[Former Interscope Geffen A&M president] Tom Whalley brought in Roy Thomas Baker to produce and [A&R executive] Mark Williams suggested Marco Beltrami, among others, to play strings on the album. And Jimmy had an idea for low guitar in a track and the EQ on a drum part. That's it as far as I'm aware. They were all good things, but in all sincerity, that's it. Now, what efforts were made to help keep Universal or Vivendi off us for as long as possible could very well have been extensive, and in that regard either would have been or would be most appreciated. I like Jimmy, but I've never understood him in regard to us or this album. Everything's always been, "That's easy," or "We can fix that, no problem," but unfortunately rarely added up to any kind of reality for us until [he found] Bob Ludwig for mastering.
We'd love to have their and Jimmy's support after this. But to continue at this juncture feeling as we do, keeping things so behind the scenes, unfortunately feels like the same 'ol same 'ol for all of us and, at least momentarily, a bit much to digest. Jimmy did point us in the right direction for mastering, and I believe he's sincere in his appreciation of our record but still for whatever reasons gave up pretty early in those areas.
We feel that, unfortunately, we've never been really anything all that much more other than a throw it at the wall, see if it sticks, no real ground work, something to take advantage of, last quarter, cook the books, write-off, fuck this headache, hoping to get lucky scam. And, unfortunately, for all their nice words and assurances, nothing that's happened since the week or so before the release has shown us much of anything to the contrary. So at least in regard to the U.S., for the most part I don't look at it like we have a record company -- I look at it for the most part like we have friendly but otherwise cutthroat loan sharks, and we were lucky to get what we got but feel we could have done more if they were at least, especially with some of their backgrounds, a bit more involved creatively. So in light of pirating and the mess the major labels are in, I have no sympathy for the record companies, based on our experiences in the U.S.[/i]
Its funny how everything seems to have stopped since this public tongue lashing of Interscope. Mabye GN'R and Axl are completely on their own now, albeit tied to a major label, but one that will not offer them any more support whatsoever.
Surely a dispute thats become a stalemate between GN'R and Interscope would put the brakes on everything i.e videos, tours etc.
Everyone has been talking about Best Buy being victims or villains in this travesty of an album launch, but mabye they have been legitimately and unwittingly caught up in an older, more bitter fued between Interscope and GN'R.
Just another depressing and hopeless theory for you all to mull over 
Re: Revisiting the Billboard Interview
The wheels came off in fall 2002.....and that's when it should have been released.
I find it difficult to buy any excuses because of the time involved. If the various parties involved couldn't come up with a marketing plan in five years, then they couldn't come up with one if given an extra five years. In 2002, Axl said track sequencing was done, cover art ready,blah blah blah, so why the excuses in 2008?
All parties involved are just trying to cover their asses because it turned into a fiasco, which in hindsight they should have seen coming, and the best way for ass covering in this scenario is silence.
Axl cant point fingers at Uni, Uni cant point fingers at him, Axl cant point fingers at Best Buy, and Best Buy cant point fingers at Axl.
They all fucked up. Best Buy fucked up by betting the farm on it, Axl fucked up by releasing it, and Uni fucked up releasing such an amateurish product. At least Axl and Uni get to walk away from this fiasco with a fat bank account.
Re: Revisiting the Billboard Interview
You can't really blame Universal/Geffen for being pissed off and not giving a shit after 2002 --
Axl really shouldn't be surprised. 2004 they cut his funding. And some pretty credible sources have stated that the label has washed their hands of him after years of trying to help him.
And really...
THEY GAVE HIM 13 MILLION DOLLARS AND SEVEN YEARS TO MAKE THIS RECORD!!!!
They aren't exactly being monsters. Funny thing is he still doesn't understand why they're treating him like this.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Revisiting the Billboard Interview
It does sound to me like they're not doing good business though. I think a lot of making a record with a big label seems to go to if the people running the show at the time are business based or music based, and if they understand your music.
Re: Revisiting the Billboard Interview
Who funds a tour and videos? Is it the band?
How much help would they get from the label if the attitude is "the band, to a man, hates the record company with a passion"?
Mabye thats part of why there was talk of a joint tour with Van Halen, GN'R dont have much options to get out there on their own unless they fund it themselves.
Re: Revisiting the Billboard Interview
when it came to advanced promotion months in advance making chinese democracy a monster commercial success with a new epic video ready..axl took his ball and went home
You keep saying that very statement over and over. Is that like an automated response or something? That and, the statement about chicken dinner's grandest hour. I don't know, something I just picked up.
Anyway, it seems clear the label washed their hands of this years ago and was just happy to get their money back with the Best Buy deal. And GNR doesn't care to make any extra money for the label if they're not gonna get any help from anyone at Universal. The band gets most of their money from touring anyway, record sales are a much smaller fraction. Of course better record sales could lead to better sales for tours, etc. It just seems like neither side wants to budge here to help the other. I'm not sure what their contract situation is but Universal probably doesn't want to let them go because they still make a good deal off of the back catalog. Unfortunately GNR may be stuck between a rock and a hard place and forced to play ball, which of course Axl doesn't like to do. He seems to like to play by his own rules and that doesn't always work to his/our/anyone's advantage.
Re: Revisiting the Billboard Interview
Who funds a tour and videos? Is it the band?
How much help would they get from the label if the attitude is "the band, to a man, hates the record company with a passion"?Mabye thats part of why there was talk of a joint tour with Van Halen, GN'R dont have much options to get out there on their own unless they fund it themselves.
I don't know the logistics. I would think it's a shared expense(s). Does anyone know how the Rock Band deal got done? Was that through the label? Because if it was, that's SOMETHING they did, right?
