http://theactfrancis.com/blog.html The Act Francis: Blog Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:15:00 -0700 http://theactfrancis.com/blog.html/producer_files_30m_suit_against_lady_gaga Rob Fusari filed a $30.5 million lawsuit against the Grammy Award-winning performer, saying his protege and former girlfriend ditched him as her career soared.
"All business is personal," said the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in a Manhattan state court.
Lady Gaga's spokesman, Dave Tomberlin, didn't immediately respond to an e-mail sent Thursday by The Associated Press.
Fusari had credits on such hits as Will Smith's "Wild, Wild West" and Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious" when a friend steered the piano-playing singer — then known by her real name, Stefani Germanotta — to him in March 2006, according to his lawsuit.
Though he initially dismissed her, he realized she had star potential after hearing her play in his Parsippany, N.J., studio, the suit said. He spent the next several months working with her every day and "radically reshaping her approach," persuading her to drop rock riffs for dance beats, it said.
As they co-wrote songs such as "Paparazzi" and "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich," which would appear on her debut album, "The Fame," he transformed Germanotta into Lady Gaga, a name adapted from Queen's "Radio Ga Ga," the lawsuit said.
In a 2009 interview with the AP, Lady Gaga said her "realization of Gaga was five years ago, but Gaga's always been who I am."
"I was Gaga from the time that I was 19 through my first record deal," the 23-year-old said of her over-the-top, avant-garde style, which has captured the imaginations of millions of fans. "I always dressed like that before people knew me as Lady Gaga. I was always that way ... I stuck out like a sore thumb."
According to the lawsuit, Lady Gaga and Fusari's relationship turned romantic and then became a business partnership in May 2006, when they created a joint venture called Team Love Child LLC to promote her career. Fusari's share was 20 percent, it said.
Fusari — whose account of his role in the multiplatinum-selling artist's early career has been told in interviews — says he introduced Lady Gaga to a record executive who ultimately shepherded her to Universal Music Group's Interscope Records, which released "The Fame" in 2008. The album has sold more than 3 million copies in the United States; Fusari has a producing credit.
But the lawsuit says their personal and business relationship had soured by then and he has been denied a 20 percent share of song royalties, 15 percent of merchandising revenue and other money he's owed. He acknowledges getting checks for about $611,000 but says that isn't his full share.
Lady Gaga won two Grammys in January: best dance recording, for "Poker Face," and best electronic/dance album, for "The Fame."]]> http://theactfrancis.com/blog.html/producer_files_30m_suit_against_lady_gaga Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:15:00 -0700 Music and Lyrics. - The Act Francis - Blog http://theactfrancis.com/blog.html/warner_music_group_to_stop_streaming_free_music
The move means that acts including the likes of Muse, REM and Red Hot Chili Peppers may not be available on new streaming services.

The label's chief executive, Edgar Bronfman Jr, said that the kind of services offered by streaming sites were "clearly not positive" for the music industry, reports BBC News.

"Free streaming services are clearly not net positive for the industry and as far as Warner Music is concerned will not be licensed," Bronfman explained of the decision. "The 'get all your music you want for free, and then maybe with a few bells and whistles we can move you to a premium price strategy', is not the kind of approach to business that we will be supporting in the future."

However, a spokesperson for Warner Music confirmed that, at present, the new plans are only likely to affect future deals, reports The Guardian. This means that streaming applications such as Spotify that already host Warner Music artists will be able to continue doing so.

Bronfman added that he wants to work on getting more people to take out subscriptions with applications unique to Warner Music, where a set fee would be paid in return for content. He reasoned that the amount of potential subscribers for that would "dwarf" the number of people who currently buy music from sites such as iTunes.]]> http://theactfrancis.com/blog.html/warner_music_group_to_stop_streaming_free_music Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:05:00 -0800 Music and Lyrics. - The Act Francis - Blog http://theactfrancis.com/blog.html/ticketmasterlive_nation_cleared_by_us_with_changes Under terms accepted by both companies, Ticketmaster must license its software to AEG Live, its largest customer. Ticketmaster also must sell its Paciolan unit to a Comcast Corp. joint venture or another suitable buyer. The new company also will be banned for 10 years from retaliating against any concert site that signs a ticket-sales contract with a competitor.
The $889 million merger “will change the landscape of the live entertainment business,” said Allen Grubman, a New York- based music industry attorney whose clients include Madonna, Elton John and U2. “Artists are focusing tremendously on live performance because that’s an area where there is still a lot of money to be made.”
The combined company creates a new business model with a presence in almost every segment of live entertainment, including the operation of concert venues and merchandise sales. Worldwide concert ticket sales more than doubled to $4.4 billion in 2009 from $1.7 billion in 2000, while compact disc sales fell 65 percent, according to industry magazine Billboard.
Live Nation is the world’s largest concert promoter, while Ticketmaster is the leader in ticketing and artist management.
“We concluded the transaction as originally proposed was anticompetitive,” Justice Department antitrust chief Christine Varney told reporters today, saying the settlement will be good for consumers. The deal is subject to public comment and requires approval by a federal judge.

Conditions

Varney said the merged company also will be prohibited from bundling ticketing services with concert promotions. Seventeen states joined in the settlement, and Canada’s Competition Bureau announced a similar resolution.
Ticketmaster Chief Executive Officer Irving Azoff called the resolution “a great win for fans.”
The combined company, to be called Live Nation Entertainment, will be led by Barry Diller as chairman, Michael Rapino as chief executive officer and president, and Azoff, executive chairman and CEO of Front Line artist management.
The companies overcame opposition from U.S. lawmakers, rival concert promoters, consumer groups and artists including Bruce Springsteen, who argued the deal centralizes too much power in concerts and ticketing.

Shares Rise

Ticketmaster, based in West Hollywood, California, rose $2.10, or 16 percent, to $15.40 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. Beverly Hills, California-based Live Nation rose $1.35, or 15 percent, to $10.51 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
Based on today’s closing prices, Ticketmaster investors will receive stock in Live Nation valued at $15.49 a share, or a total of $889 million.
“The proposed settlement allows for strong competitors to Ticketmaster, allowing concert venues to have more and better choices for their ticketing needs, and provides for anti- retaliation provisions, which will keep the merged company in check,” Varney said.
The case is the first major antitrust action by President Barack Obama’s administration. Matthew Cantor, a partner at New York law firm Constantine Cannon, said the compulsory licensing provision was unusual and a sign that the Justice Department had serious concerns with the merger.

”˜This is a Win’

“Clearly Justice felt that merely having sold assets would not have allowed the potential competitors to be significant players,” Cantor said in a phone interview. “From the Justice Department standpoint this is a win.”
Los Angeles-based AEG said it can abandon the licensing partnership at any time. The company said in a written statement that it intends to “aggressively explore” using a new service to replace Ticketmaster.
Following the merger announcement, AEG had expressed concerns about using a ticketing service controlled by a rival. AEG is the second-largest concert promoter behind Live Nation.
“AEG is already engaged in ongoing discussions,” AEG President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy J. Leiweke said in the statement.
The companies agreed to combine almost a year ago. Under the amended terms announced today, Ticketmaster investors will receive 1.474 shares of Live Nation for each they now own. Live Nation expects to issue 84.6 million shares to Ticketmaster stockholders, according to a statement.
Under the original accord, the exchange rate was set at 1.384 shares of Live Nation for each of Ticketmaster.]]> http://theactfrancis.com/blog.html/ticketmasterlive_nation_cleared_by_us_with_changes Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:52:53 -0800 Music and Lyrics. - The Act Francis - Blog