Ya'll need to help me understand something:

This morning on CNN news, there was a report that Warner Bros. will buy out Madonna's Maverick label. She'll still record for Warners, though.

I just remember Prince's appeal to Madonna, asking her to leave Warners. Now Warners is dicking Madonna over. Oh...did she sell out? Either way, I have EVEN less respect for Madonna. Didn't Prince say this was going to come to pass? Now it's come to pass...

What r u on about? Prince never asked Madge 2 leave Warner.
Warner music, by the end of their contact, had the right to buy out Madonna's 35 %
stake in Maverick. The lawsuit was ignited over a dispute as 2 what
Maverick was actually worth.

It has nothing 2 do with Madonna's recording contract.

prince and madonna were considering a merger between Maverick and NPG Records in 96 or 97. nothing came of it.

MashedPotatoKid said:

That's because it isn't true Madonna saw Prince's label more as
a harem rather than a business venture
[This message was edited Tue Jun 15 13:38:18 2004 by Martinelli]

Well one way or the other Madonna is now getting the Slave treatment that Prince once got and I think it is really telling that he did warn her and everyone else in the industry that this was going to happen to them one day. I still don't think Prince gets enough credit around here for his business sense but hey people will think what they think.
What I am more interested in (and I know that this is off topic) is how the industry and by that I mean Billboard, Nielson, and Soundscan as well as the majors is ganging up on the Prince CD/Ticket sale design. I wonder where that is going to take us in the next couple of years? Imagine how many units of American Life Madonna would push if she did the same thing.
Peace

chiltonmusic said:

Good points. I don't think I'm quite senile yet, but I do remember Prince requesting that Madonna leave Warners. Please correct me with proof if any of you have it. I think ChiltonMusic makes some valid points. Seems like Madonna IS getting the slave treatment. She's still obligated to record under Warners...AND they now have Maverick. According to the reports, they now own Maverick. Correct me with proof to the contrary.

MashedPotatoKid said:

Do you have a source for this statement?

I find it hard to believe that Madonna would even consider such a worthless transaction considering Prince's pathetic history of label management.

The Maverick Label is not a profitable company anymore. They had no choice but to sell.
Madonna will always be at Warner., and that's not always a bad thing. She deosn't have what it takes to go solo(no contract). I still like her though.

Also, Prince doesn't get enough credit for his business ideas. Yes there has been good and bad, but of late, it's been all good. Now credit is due, ecspecially with the cd/ticket bundle. Do you think he thought soundscan would even consider counting them when he first thought up the idea? Plus the fact that he can go to a label and tell them what the agreement will be.

bonnie184 said:

With Musicology, Prince was in a great position with nothing to lose - not part of the big corporate machine, yet having enough history behind him to leverage his ideas.

He wouldn't be there without his commercial past, and I think he's in the best position of practically any artist of his stature.

Here's the open letter he wrote to Madonna back in '99.

January 10, 1999:
Open Letter 2 Madonna
from The Artist:

Madonna: artist 2 artist, eye am sure u understand the connection eye feel 2
my music. U more than any1 at Time Warner knows the patience and care with
which we give birth 2 creation... and u maybe moreso than any1 knows how
much a new artist longs 2 find a place amongst "the chosen few" 2 flaunt
those creations (and at the same time put food on one's table). Music
lawyers, managers and execs make deals best suited 4 their futures as well
as urs in most cases... OWNERSHIP OF MASTER RECORDINGS IS ALMOST NEVER AN
ISSUE! (let's remember, it was 1978!)

Eye dreamt of u and eye at the Grammy Awards and felt a need 2 write this
letter 2 u. In my dream, eye approached u and asked u if u remembered me,
and u said "sure"... u were on ur way up 2 receive 1 of numerous awards u
will no doubt receive that night, and eye asked u 2 help me with my fight 2
retain ownership of my legacy and u said, "eye don't own ur masters, Time
Warner does... if it was my company, u could have them."

"But eye say 2 u, dear sister, it IS ur company as long as u remain in their
graces... 4 all Artists, Madonna, make a stand 4 what is RIGHT... surely
they will listen 2 u!" In the dream u seemed 2 feel me and yet u were a bit
non-committal... so as u approached the podium, eye followed u, and as we
stood side by side, eye said, "b glad this a commercial break!" and eye
walked offstage and looked 4 Wyclef. Interpretaions aside, artist 2 artist,
"U Can Help Us... and eye know u will becuz u REMEMBER ME."

Madonna still owes Warner 2 more albums. I think that they will release a best of and some other kind of complilation CD. In the end Prince was right though.Everyone has so much to say when he does something wrong, but everyone well mostly everyone is quiet when he is right or does something right.

I love that open letter.

It's proof positive that Prince, like many of us, suffers from mental illness.

laylow03 said:

Madonna is not getting the "slave treatment" from Warners.Maverick Records was a joint venture between her and Warners,but it was due to expire by the end of this year.Both parties wanted to terminate the joint venture.The only disagreement was about how much the label is actually worth.Madonna willingly sold her shares in the company.She's anxious to move on and now she can do so.The great thing is,there wasn't a long,drawn-out court case and the whole matter was resolved quickly.For her part,Madonna wisely allowed her lawyers to handle the case,while she focuses on her career and a world tour.
[This message was edited Wed Jun 16 2:00:48 2004 by DavidEye]

Martinelli said:

thank you! I'm glad there's some people who actually know what this case is all about

MashedPotatoKid said:

Absolutely false.

bonnie184 said:

I'm not so sure that Madonna will always be at Warners.Other labels are interested in signing her...


http://www.prince.org/msg/8/96584


Reportedly,she owes Warners two more albums and is negotiating to give them a "Live" album from her current tour,and a multi-disc box set,which would fulfill her contractual obligations (Warners has been wanting to release a Madonna box set for awhile now).These would be released in time for the Christmas shopping season,and she would be able to sign elsewhere by the end of the year.She's on tour until mid-September,so nothing will be decided or announced before then.There are also plans for her to start up another entertainment company with mogul Barry Diller (one of the wealthiest businessmen in America),so I don't think she's the least bit concerned about Maverick anymore.

DavidEye said:

Well it sounds like you might know more about it than me. I just think somethink stinks around Warners and their treatment of Madonna. Somebody else wrote that they did not think she was strong enough to go independent and I agree same with MJ.
Still don't you think she was shafted in the slightest?

DavidEye said:

I don't know this, so I'll ask: Does Madonna own her master recordings?

chiltonmusic said:

Business sense??? He signed away all his music, and was trying to clean up the mess years later. Groups like U2 had the insight to avoid problems like this from the get go. Fiascos like The Crystal Ball are not gonna win him the cover of Forbes.

Prince was one of the earlier high profile musicians to raise some hell about what they were getting paid, but it doesn't take business saavy to figure out when you're getting screwed.

Tom said:

Yeah but I think Prince does have a great sense of business I mean look at Musicology. Also I think we all base these arguments on the thought that Majors are honoring their end of the bargain and I don't think that they do. I mean I really feel the underlying theme to the whole MJ Sony war is not his music or if it sales but rather if it does not that puts them in a more powerful position to get his Beatles cataloge. I just don't think actually I know they don't play fair and they stack the cards against the artist. U2 also had competent managment that fought for them to even have that type of deal on the table. For all we know Prince was never even offered a deal where he could own his Masters you see what I mean. If he ever really opens up about it I think it will be very interesting.
Peace

I can't believe Madonna now has had a name change.... Esther!

That was her mother's name and she changed as her conversion to the Kabbalah(just a confirmation name). Glad she didn't use an unpronouncable symbol

NPG2045 said:

thanks for that. i used to have that text saved somewhere and lost it.