Alec Baldwin has a podcast, "Here's the Thing" which is surprisingly good - he interviews various musicians, actors, artists, politicians, etc. - 35-50 minutes (probably edited); a basic one on one conversation.

Michael Stipe from REM was the most recent guest and Alec was asking him about how REM got signed and if they avoided some of the pitfalls of the music business, and specifically asked if REM retained their publishing rights. Stipe answered that they did retain publishing AND owned their own masters. He added that "Prince always hated me for that." It was a one-off mention of Prince and not malicious or really even suggesting that they had a bad relationship (they didn't really have any relationship). To me it came across as illustrating just how frustrated Prince was by his lack of control over his music. REM had moved to Warner Brothers in the late 1980s (I think starting with "Green") after being on IRS. Prince probably thought it was hugley unfair for REM to retain their masters at WB while he didn't.

Prince hated himself for that, because it was ultimately his fuckup. He probably knew that and it made him crazy, so he had to blame others for it. And of course he probably got bad advice from some people at the time, but that's still no excuse.

.

That long contract that he signed with WB into the 90s that made him a "slave" was really his fault. I said at the time it was dumb to sign that and be trapped in a long deal, but he did it and not one of his smartest moves.

.

But of course doesn't matter much and the music is what does matter and it will live on forever.

FunkiestOne said:

laurarichardson said:

coltrane3 said:

Alec Baldwin has a podcast, "Here's the Thing" which is surprisingly good - he interviews various musicians, actors, artists, politicians, etc. - 35-50 minutes (probably edited); a basic one on one conversation.

Michael Stipe from REM was the most recent guest and Alec was asking him about how REM got signed and if they avoided some of the pitfalls of the music business, and specifically asked if REM retained their publishing rights. Stipe answered that they did retain publishing AND owned their own masters. He added that "Prince always hated me for that." It was a one-off mention of Prince and not malicious or really even suggesting that they had a bad relationship (they didn't really have any relationship). To me it came across as illustrating just how frustrated Prince was by his lack of control over his music. REM had moved to Warner Brothers in the late 1980s (I think starting with "Green") after being on IRS. Prince probably thought it was hugley unfair for REM to retain their masters at WB while he didn't.

That's interesting because the other version of the story has REM recording at Paisley Park. Prince asking MS if he owned his masters... I understood MS saud "no" & Prince responded along the lines of "well we have nothing to talk about".

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

laurarichardson said:

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

REM's catalog isn't worth anything?? Dude, get your head outta P's anus for a little while and learn about/listen to some other artists. SMDH.....

-- I am aware of REM's music I think it sucks but even if I liked it I would have know enough to know that know one even discusses this band anymore. The average person could not name one song and they never sold anywhere near the amount of CDs that Prince sold at WB. In fact the group imploded not to long after they signed a bigger deal with WB. Don't assume that Prince fans have their heads of his ass because we don't kiss the ass of rock bands. Now can you tell me how many bands today name name check REM today as an influence or if there is a REM influence in music today. I don't think Prince is bigger than Elvis or The Beatles but I know he bigger than REM. [Edited 11/11/16 6:50am]

well, let me just check the registry of 'who are current bands name checking as their influences'...this is the most willfully ignorant post i will read on the whole internet today.

[Edited 11/11/16 6:57am]

i remember an interview with stipe in q magazine, about 15 years ago, where he spoke
about running into prince backstage at an award show, i think about 1995.

he said that prince came up to him, with this very intense look and just lunged into the
whole 'do you own your masters?' thing and wanted to know the how and why etc etc.

i can totally see that happening stipe said he didn't even say hello, just went into
the masters conversation immediately. i doubt that though. i think it went a little bit
different and prince surely didn't come off as demented.

stipe was a total asshole himself during this era. they were at the top of their fame and
he was arrogant and at times a total bastard.

they have some really great music though. 'monster' is one of my favorit albums of all
time by anyone.

and they did sell a hell of a lot of albums, especially 'automatic for the people' and 'out
of time'. so i can understand that prince wanted to know how they got back their work
from warners and under what kind of deal.

wiki says they sold 85 million records worldwide.

[Edited 11/11/16 7:00am]

peedub said:

laurarichardson said:

peedub said:

well, let me just check the registry of 'who are current bands name checking as their influences'...this is the most willfully ignorant post i will read on the whole internet today.

[Edited 11/11/16 6:57am]

-/ If you keep up with any sort of musical journalism it is easy to know who is named checked and who is not but I gather you don't read much. [Edited 11/11/16 7:14am]

in fact, i do not read music journalism, as i don't need to be told what is good and what is not; i can listen for myself and decide what i like to hear. i did, however, listen to the podcast in question and hear thom yorke, front man of this little band called radiohead, cite rem as an influence. but you probably don't like radiohead, so that citation is of little merit i suppose.

[Edited 11/11/16 7:19am]

Wasn't parts of Out of Time recorded at PP?

"Out of Time" is about to be reissued (getting the "deluxe treatment)." No, REM is nowhere near as "name checked" these days as Prince and do not have the the legacy of Prince. But, they were big/important in their day and still have plenty of people who remember them. Not everyone has to be as big as Prince to be a legitimate artist.

The point of the story was NOT to a start Prince v. REM flamewar - at all. Prince's anger/frusration with his lack of control over his music is legendary and this was just an artist from the era underscoring it. Again, Stipe said this as a one-off at the end of an answer, he wasn't insulting Prince -he seemed to be implicitly regonizing that artists may now know the full extent of the consequences of not owning their music until it's too late and then they'll rightfully be angry/frustrated.

IstenSzek said:

i remember an interview with stipe in q magazine, about 15 years ago, where he spoke
about running into prince backstage at an award show, i think about 1995.

he said that prince came up to him, with this very intense look and just lunged into the
whole 'do you own your masters?' thing and wanted to know the how and why etc etc.

i can totally see that happening stipe said he didn't even say hello, just went into
the masters conversation immediately. i doubt that though. i think it went a little bit
different and prince surely didn't come off as demented.

stipe was a total asshole himself during this era. they were at the top of their fame and
he was arrogant and at times a total bastard.

they have some really great music though. 'monster' is one of my favorit albums of all
time by anyone.

and they did sell a hell of a lot of albums, especially 'automatic for the people' and 'out
of time'. so i can understand that prince wanted to know how they got back their work
from warners and under what kind of deal.

wiki says they sold 85 million records worldwide.

[Edited 11/11/16 7:00am]

Murmur and Fables of reconstruction are quality albums. Stipe did get a "douchey" for awhile.

Anyone gets that huge and it's not hard to see why.

peedub said:

laurarichardson said:

peedub said: -/ If you keep up with any sort of musical journalism it is easy to know who is named checked and who is not but I gather you don't read much. [Edited 11/11/16 7:14am]

in fact, i do not read music journalism, as i don't need to be told what is good and what is not; i can listen for myself and decide what i like to hear. i did, however, listen to the podcast in question and hear thom yorke, front man of this little band called radiohead, cite rem as an influence. but you probably don't like radiohead, so that citation is of little merit i suppose.

[Edited 11/11/16 7:19am]

I don't like radiohead and you should read music journalism if you have an interest in music it is not always about telling people what to like or buy. What I know is that Prince was right to be salty about the REM situation or any other artist at WB that was getting the royal treatment. Mo Ostin said Prince was as important to WB as Frank Sinatra he did say anything about REM.

That being said I am sure Prince got over it and moved on with his life. I also doubt he hated Mr. Stipe as from his last interview in Rolling Stone he seemed to understand the concept of forgiveness.

laurarichardson said:

R.E.M. are without question one of the greatest bands of all-time. And quite possibly THE greatest American band. From their first full-length album (MURMER) in '83 through AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE ('92) you can easily make a case for every one of their albums during that time period being considered as a classic. RECKONING is probably my favorite. I can assure you the R.E.M. back catalogue is worth mega-bucks.

I remember reading a Prince biography (probably POSSESSED) about 10+ years ago where it quoted Prince circa early-to-mid 90's as being unable to understand R.E.M.'s appeal. I believe he referred to them as "farm boys in jeans". If he did say that, wow, what a clueless statement.

[Edited 11/11/16 21:59pm]

LinnLM1 said:

DollyDagger said:

After this truly devastating week, it was refreshing to come back to the org and realize the earth is still spinning, the sun is still shining, and Laura is still making her deadly serious, utterly insane comments. Maybe we're all going to be ok after all

laurarichardson said:

I doubt REM catalog is worth anything.

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

littlerockjams said:

LinnLM1 said:

R.E.M. are without question one of the greatest bands of all-time. And quite possibly THE greatest American band. From their first full-length album (MURMER) in '83 through AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE ('92) you can easily make a case for every one of their albums during that time period being considered as a classic. RECKONING is probably my favorite. I can assure you the R.E.M. back catalogue is worth mega-bucks.

I remember reading a Prince biography (probably POSSESSED) about 10+ years ago where it quoted Prince circa early-to-mid 90's as being unable to understand R.E.M.'s appeal. I believe he referred to them as "farm boys in jeans". If he did say that, wow, what a clueless statement.

[Edited 11/11/16 21:59pm]

As a person who grew up listening to a ton of music from 1981-2016 ,and from different genres ,I can honestly say that I know a handful of REM songs and those are from the 91-93 period.

To call them the greatest American band is a reach.