While you're waiting...

While you're waiting for me to redo 'I'm Back' (looks like I need to re-record the vocals), and finish the 'Keep On' dance mix before going back and finishing 'Keep On' proper - not to mention the other 6 or 7 tracks I need to write and record in order to complete 'Fiftieth Anniversary Edition' the album - you might want to browse the magazines here in the waiting room.

Ah, now here's an interesting article from Charles Arthur which I read only last week, about one Fiona Apple and the painful relationship with her record company, Sony.

A slightly different Apple tale: of Fiona, and her unreleased third album. This links to his blog, and the story there links through to the article on the The Register.

The story reminded me of Cafe Jacques. Anyone remember them? They were a great Scottish band who signd to Epic and then watched their albums languish on the shelves because the record industry decided that in 1977, the only thing that sold was punk. Because of their contract, they weren't allowed to work with anyone else. So, signing a record deal (the holy grail for most struggling musicians) effectively silenced them for three years, bar a few sales in Scotland.

I've got the albums on vinyl downstairs. Now, you can only get CDs through Japanese import, if at all, and vinyl on collector sites.

Roll on the internet! Surely the stranglehold that distributors and marketeers held in the past must be weakening?

Right, I'm off to hunt for Cafe Jacques.mp3