| For the past 15 years I have made my living sitting behind a large pane of glass. It's the glass you see in a recording studio, the one that separates the performer from people like me: the engineer and the producer. I have worked with hundreds of recording artists in this way, cutting their demos and seeing the hope in their eyes, right through the final mixes of tunes that became huge hits for them. Through it all, I have always found this "separating glass" the perfect analogy for a business that works so hard at separating the artist from their money. Conjure this image: the novice performer sits blissfully in a darkened booth, while on the other side, protected by soundproof walls and expensive machinery, bean counters and executives decide their fate. |
| Over the years, and in the dim, smoky light of a 2 A.M. recording session, many artists have confessed to me, "If I'd only known better when I signed my first deal." In this moment of crisis, when their manager isn't returning their calls, their girl- or boyfriend is angry with them, their sidemen are getting wasted, the producer is on the phone, and the label won't give them more money, they have turned to me, the unassuming technician, in hopes of a sympathetic ear. They spoke and I listened. This book is the result. |
| It probably comes as no surprise that these artists feel taken advantage of by the very companies they've made millions for. Are they paranoid, or were their expectations perhaps too high? You will decide for yourself as you learn every trick, scam, and lie they were toldand told back. |
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