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Thread started 10/20/09 4:28pm

skywalker

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Was Prince the 1st major musician/artist of the modern era to ditch the record label?

Madonna is done with WB. So many other major acts are going it solo.

Was Prince a visionary in this regard? So many seem to be following what he did over a decade ago...

[Edited 10/20/09 17:06pm]
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Reply #1 posted 10/20/09 6:41pm

carlcranshaw

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Todd Rundgren was ahead of everyone along with Frank Zappa.
‎"The first time I saw the cover of Dirty Mind in the early 80s I thought, 'Is this some drag queen ripping on Freddie Prinze?'" - Some guy on The Gear Page
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Reply #2 posted 10/20/09 7:24pm

SPOOKYGAS

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carlcranshaw said:

Todd Rundgren was ahead of everyone along with Frank Zappa.



So in other words..yes Prince was the first Major musician/artist! wink
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Reply #3 posted 10/20/09 7:52pm

skywalker

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SPOOKYGAS said:

carlcranshaw said:

Todd Rundgren was ahead of everyone along with Frank Zappa.



So in other words..yes Prince was the first Major musician/artist! wink


No disrespect to Todd Rundgren or Zappa, but I mean more mainstream commercial musician/acts. Those two have always been on the fringe of mainstream anyway.
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Reply #4 posted 10/20/09 8:17pm

toejam

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I guess it all comes down to how you define a 'major artist'. In terms of 'superstar status', yeah I guess he was, but there were lots of other successful independent artists. Although Zappa wasn't a household name, he was still somewhat a minor celebrity who would appear on talk shows and what-not in the 1970s.
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Reply #5 posted 10/20/09 9:45pm

Desire2006

The Moody Blues ditched their record label in the late 60s and formed their own record label, Threshold Records!! They even became their own managers!!!! So, Prince was in no way the first visionary in that aspect!!!!!

So, Prince, theres nothing new under the sun!!!!! biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin
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Reply #6 posted 10/20/09 11:19pm

crokey20

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skywalker said:

Madonna is done with WB. So many other major acts are going it solo.



I'm pretty sure Madonna didn't ditch WB in any way like Prince did. Her contract just ended and she decided not to re-sign.
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Reply #7 posted 10/21/09 12:20am

purpledoveuk

Peter Gabriel was before him. Prince hasn't ditched the record label/company really.... He just releases on his own label (whichmany,many artistsdo)and still relies on the big bad record companies to distribute.
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Reply #8 posted 10/21/09 1:18am

chopingard

George Michael went on strike after listen without prejudice, His dispute with Sony was before Princes if I remember rightly
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Reply #9 posted 10/21/09 1:26am

BloodyMouth

Zappa was the only artist to have sued Warners and got his masters back.

Whether you think he dwells in the fringes of pop culture or not, his estate still manages to put out at least one new release a year (as Zappa has a vault which rivals the Paisley Park vault, but more likely the other way around) and his catalog still sells strongly and he has a rabid, active, and very dedicated fan base.

He is considered by most musicologists as a major American composer.

- BM
[Edited 10/21/09 1:31am]
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Reply #10 posted 10/22/09 9:32am

skywalker

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BloodyMouth said:

Zappa was the only artist to have sued Warners and got his masters back.

Whether you think he dwells in the fringes of pop culture or not, his estate still manages to put out at least one new release a year (as Zappa has a vault which rivals the Paisley Park vault, but more likely the other way around) and his catalog still sells strongly and he has a rabid, active, and very dedicated fan base.

He is considered by most musicologists as a major American composer.

- BM
[Edited 10/21/09 1:31am]



Agreed.
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Reply #11 posted 10/22/09 10:33am

vainandy

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skywalker said:

SPOOKYGAS said:




So in other words..yes Prince was the first Major musician/artist! wink


No disrespect to Todd Rundgren or Zappa, but I mean more mainstream commercial musician/acts. Those two have always been on the fringe of mainstream anyway.


Who needs record labels when you've got cereal boxes....



And it don't get more mainstream than this....



lol
Andy is a four letter word.
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Reply #12 posted 10/22/09 10:37am

RumAndRaisin

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bowie did it with the assistance of john lennon

or was that ditching a manager?
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Reply #13 posted 10/22/09 10:39am

Ymaginatif

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I'd love to see a list of major musician/artist of the medieval era to ditch the record label!
I think Christine de Pizan was quite an independent thinker. And didn't John Gower fall out with John of Gaunt, his patron?

Come to think of it, those of Roman times would be interesting too!

wink sorry for the nonsense
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