-
'American Idol'...A Stage Of Entertainment
May 5, 2006
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
"I never called my work an 'art.' It's part of show business, the business of building entertainment ... we are not trying to entertain the critics. I'll take my chances with the public."
-- Walt DisneyThis week DISC&DAT talks to Executive VP of Promotion of the RCA Music Group, Richard Palmese, about the AMERICAN IDOL phenomenon. The show is breaking new ratings records this year with 25-30 million people watching every week, and it's been the #1 and #2 ranked show(s) every week since it started this season.
I was most fortunate to have the opportunity of working with Richard when he came to MCA Records from his job as Sr. VP of Promotion at Arista in 1983 where he worked with Clive Davis, and was one the industry's most respected promotion professionals.
Having him as my boss when I was Sr. VP of Promotion at MCA made my so much easier because Richard sat in the promotion hot seat at Arista for eight years. He understood what tools were necessary to make a label's promotion team respected at radio, and I was never turned down when I asked for the tools I needed to succeed. We worked together for eight years and during that time, under the leadership of Irving Azoff, MCA Records President and Chairman, MCA became the #1 label in market share at both radio and retail.
Richard left MCA in 1996 to return to work again with Clive Davis at BMG, who has the label rights to the AMERICAN IDOL winners.
With this season's AMERICAN IDOL garnering the biggest audience numbers ever and last season's winner, Carrie Underwood's album already at triple platinum, first season's winner Kelly Clarkson at five million and heading towards six, I thought it would be a great time to talk with Richard about AMERICAN IDOL.
SM: First of all Richard, thanks for taking time out of a busy schedule to talk to me about AMERICAN IDOL. I know how valuable time is when you're juggling a whole bunch or records at radio! To start off with, how many CDs have all the IDOL winners and contestants you've released sold so far in total? It's obviously in the millions ... but do you have a number you could give us?
RP: Twenty-five million and still counting!
SM: Twenty-five million ... incredible! What do you think the reason is for AMERICAN IDOL being the huge success it is ... it's bigger than anyone ever predicted or anticipated, and this year the ratings are the best yet.
RP: There are a lot of good reasons. Simon Cowell is obviously a star. Talent contests are fun. Most importantly, AI tapped into the musical heart and soul of an America without an Ed Sullivan show that captured a huge audience every Sunday night and introduced the public to emerging artists by bringing them right into their homes. It's also, like the old Ed Sullivan show (and other great TV variety shows), a show that the whole family can watch and enjoy together and that's rare these days.
SM: It seems to me that in some ways, AMERICAN IDOL is doing something that radio used to do ... it's actually nurturing these people in front of an audience each week and after 10-12 weeks, some basic and elementary form of artist development takes place. Radio used to nurture artists they liked years ago without them having to have huge sales in the market(s). Then, when that artist had the right song, there was a true explosion at retail ... sort of like what happens now when the winner(s) of AMERICAN IDOL finally release their CDs. You agree with this at all?
RP: I grant you that consolidation has challenged radio's creativity. The fast food mentality of the Internet, Napster, and the iPod have all contributed to a world where music is nurtured less than ever before. IDOL fills a big part of that void and brings to life the thrill of discovering new talent, which is still the most exciting part of the business. And of course with IDOL, the public is participating in the eventual outcome, so that makes it all the more engaging. Once the public realized just how big a part they play in the outcome of AI, the audience continued to grow and grow.
SM: The judges on the show always talk about the songs and song choice. Isn't the lack of great songs by a lot of artists today one reason why the business today is different from the days when artist development played a part and artists continued careers by continually finding great songs (if vocalists) or writing them if songwriters/performers?
RP: Well, I'm most fortunate to work with Clive Davis, who has always been focused on finding great artists. We have great talented artists who write great songs here at the RCA Music Group. However, if someone needs hits, Clive's got them is his top draw ... he's passionate about music and his passion drives the success we've enjoyed here.
SM: You said to me in an earlier discussion that in some part AMERICAN IDOL is playing a part in preserving the pop music culture. Since the show's impact has been phenomenal, why haven't more radio stations concentrated on finding great artists and songs and also had similar success?
RP: Why focus on radio? I think radio has done its job well and it's still the number one platform to expose new artists to the masses. It's radio's job to build audience (and that's a hard job), and it's our job (the music companies) to provide them with HIT music that they can program for maximum results for both of us. When radio and records work together, we both win as a team and that synergy provides a great component for our mutual success.
SM: AMERICAN IDOL spikes sales for guest artists (one need only look at the charts following guest artist appearances to see the results!) and the competition to get on the show must be intense. Who chooses what artists will get the exposure and be a part of the show?
RP: The producers of AI make those decisions, we have no input on that.
SM: I noticed that albums by Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow and others took great jumps at retail after their exposure on AI. Andrea Bocelli's current album, 'Amore', jumped pack into the Top 10 on the album charts following his appearance.
RP: I think that speaks volumes and evidences again just how truly mass appeal the show is and that the audience will absolutely react at retail when they're exposed to great music and artists they like. Having an artist with such renown worldwide stature like Andrea Bocelli on AI proves the demographics in the audience are incredible. Barry Manilow's album, 'The Greatest Songs Of The '50's', which was already platinum, had huge weeks at retail following his appearance and Rod's 'Great American Songbook' CDs all showed increases as well.
SM: How did Clive and J Records/BMG get involved with AMERICAN IDOL? Was it because of Simon Cowell's relationship with Clive when he worked in the UK?
RP: When we merged J with RCA we inherited the IDOL deal, and needless to say we're thrilled we did!
SM: How much input does Clive have on the content of the albums the winners record?
RP: Clive works closely with Simon Fuller (19 Records and AI Producer),our A&R staff, and the winners in choosing the material. I think the collaborative effort from all has proven very successful thus far because we're all interested in making the best album possible for each individual. Based on the success we've had at retail, radio, and the charts (AI winners/contestants have racked up 29 number ones on the BILLBOARD charts in various formats), so far the formula has worked wonderfully.
SM: It looks like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are HUGE successes, and congratulations on both! Did you ever expect this kind of multi-platinum success?
RP: THANK YOU. Kelly and Carrie have been incredibly success stories, but as you well know, despite extraordinary exposure, there are no guarantees in our business. We are thrilled with the success of all the IDOL winners and contestants with whom we've released albums and we look forward to working with them all on their follow-up projects.
SM: Was radio quick to embrace the AMERICAN IDOL winners when they released their albums?
RP. Radio accepts the star power of each and every IDOL, but they need to be convinced they are not just TV stars of the moment and that they are real recording stars as well. Each winner went through a different process at radio and they were not really treated as an 'event' when their albums were released, with the exception of Carrie at Country radio. Country radio embraced Carrie and she was in turn quickly embraced by the country audience. Carrie recently received two CMT Video awards and we all feel Carrie's going to be around a long time
SM: I don't think any single thing has impacted the retail record business recently like the way AMERICAN IDOL has since it hit the air. Nothing has the impact and immediacy of delivering retail like IDOL. Do you think it's possible than another TV vehicle might come along and provide the same type of exposure for singers/songwriters/musicians?
RP: I hope so and I'd love to watch something like that. It would be great to have another vehicle like that to introduce even more new talent to the public. New artists have always been the true lifeblood of the industry and anything that would help expose even more talent in the right showcase would be great. So maybe that will happen ... it would be great!
SM: Thanks so much for your time Richard. Here's wishing you and the team at the RCA Music Group huge success when this year's winner's album is released.
RP: Your welcome Steve, my pleasure.
The Dual Disc Scores Again ... A Follow Up
A year ago (May 6,2005), I wrote in this newsletter: "The DualDisc is not the sole remedy to a lot of the problems out there at retail in the music industry. However, it has provided hard evidence at the cash register that people will BUY music in good quantities when it's priced right and when they get 'more bang for the buck' ... anything that gets people into the habit of buying music at retail is indeed encouraging."
Though there are still some in the industry who think the DualDisc is not viable at retail, this week Bruce Springsteen's new album, 'We Shall Overcome: The Pete Seeger Sessions,' debuted at number 3* on the BILLBOARD Top 200 album chart and number 3 on amazon.com with sales of 150,000+ in change.
I don't think the release of the album as DualDisc is the sole reason for this great chart entry, but I also believe the album would NOT have had nearly as big a debut if it had just been released as a CD.
How many music consumers (Springsteen fans or not) would actually buy a collection of old Pete Seeger songs by any established artist of Springsteen's stature these days? (How many even know who Pete Seeger is?) I'm of the opinion, this album would not have had such a dramatic chart debut without the value added component to the consumer, the video content.
Once again, the DualDisc has proved again it is something the public will embrace. This type of consumer engagement at retail is indeed important in a time when CD sales are declining and I hope others take note and see the value of the DualDisc and the opportunities it presents for furthering sales on both established and new artists.
Apple, Labels Stick With 99 cents Per iTunes Song
Apple Computer and four major record labels have renewed their deals to sell songs on iTunes for 99 cents, an Apple representative said Monday.
"We've renewed our agreements with the major music companies and we're pleased to continue offering iTunes customers music at 99 cents per song from a library of over 3 million songs," the representative said in a statement. Earlier on Monday, the Financial Times reported that the four major labels--Universal, Warner Music Group, EMI and Sony BMG--had agreed to the deal, which the Apple representative confirmed.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Is The Web The New Hollywood?
LOS ANGELES--Hollywood will survive the user-generated video revolution, while the Web needs to work on a business model to make the most of Hollywood's resources.
That's the conclusion of a panel debate between representatives from AOL, EMI, Google, Yahoo and Brightcove who gathered Wednesday morning at a conference in the heart of Hollywood called OnHollywood 2006. Hosted by media-resources service AlwaysOn Network the conference aimed to provide a forum for digital media and entertainment executives to discuss the role of the consumer in creating content and leading innovation.
Read more about it by clicking here.
New Group To Standardize Digital Music Data
In an effort to better track digital music sales, several big-name record companies, digital music services and music rights agencies have founded a consortium called Digital Data Exchange.
The purpose of DDEX (pronounced "dee-dex") is to establish standards for the meta-data in digital music files, mainly for sales and rights-tracking purposes.
Founding members of the consortium include artists' rights group ASCAP, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and EMI Music, as well as several other music rights societies and agencies from the U.S., U.K. and Europe. Apple Computer, Microsoft and RealNetworks, which all provide digital music services, are also charter members.
Read more about it by clicking here.
France Backs Down On iTunes DRM Stance
The French government has apparently reconsidered a proposal to force Apple Computer to make the songs it sells through its iTunes Music Store playable on devices that compete with its iPods.
A French Senate committee has removed wording from proposed legislation that would have forced technology companies to license their digital rights management schemes, according to the Web site of The Inquirer.
Apple, which did not return repeated phone calls, and other DRM holders doing business in France, are likely elated. While the law must still be voted on, the alterations in the legislation signify willingness by some in the French government to honor the rights of companies that don't wish to share their technology with competitors. Senate debate on the bill begins Thursday.
Read more about it by clicking here.
HOW HE GOT IN THE PALM TREE IN THE FIRST PLACE IS ANOTHER STORY
Keith Richards was treated for a concussion in a New Zealand hospital this week after he reportedly fell from a palm tree while vacationing in Fiji.
THE DAWG RE-UPS
Randy Jackson re-upping his 'American Idol' contract in a multimillion dollar deal.
AND MEANWHILE
In his new book, "Desperate Networks," New York Times TV writer Bill Carter discloses that Fox pays American Idol panelist and co-producer Simon Cowell $36 million a year. The book also reveals that in just the four months that it does air, it offers 45 hours of programming, while other hit shows air about 24 hours for an entire season. (Source: here)
NOW HE AND FELLOW BANDMATE NICK LACHEY CAN COMMISERATE
Former 98 Degrees member Jeff Timmons busted Apr. 23 for alleged drunk driving and driving without a valid license.
MOTLEY DIVORCE
Girl, girl, girl trouble for Nikki Sixx. Donna D'Errico filed for divorce from the rocker Friday after nine years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
RADIOHEAD ROAD PLANS
Radiohead announcing a string of U.S. summer tour dates, kicking off in Philadelphia June 1 and wrapping in Los Angeles June 30. The band has no plans to release a new album in 2006, but will showcase new material at the shows.
CELINE REPORTS HEARING PROBLEM
Celine Dion suffering from a rare ear disease called labyrinthitis, which she has been telling her fans could last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a year, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
MORE CASH ON THE WAY
"Like the 309," the last song written by Johnny Cash before his death in 2003, will be included on American V: A Hundred Highways, due for release on July 4.
HIS 15 MINUTES WERE UP A LONG TIME AGO AND NOW THIS?
Mr. T getting his own advice show beginning in October on TV Land. The show, called 'I Pity the Fool,' will feature the macho man traveling the country and dispensing help and inspiration
WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE IF THIS HAPPENS
Guns N' Roses are scheduled to open two European dates for the Rolling Stones in July.
THOSE LEAKS NEVER STOP
The Red Hot Chili Peppers lashed out at a music pirate who leaked their new album, due for release Tuesday, onto the Internet and begging fans not to download it. "For people to just steal a poor sound quality version of it for free because some a--hole stole it and put it on the Internet is sad to me," Flea wrote in an open letter. Stadium Arcadium is the band's first studio album in four years--apparently, someone simply couldn't wait any longer.
COMING SOON!
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium (5/9)
- Paul Simon, Surprise (5/9)
- The Raconteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers (5/16)
- Dixie Chicks, Taking the Long Way (5/23)
- Def Leppard, Yeah! (5/23)
- Ralph Stanley, Distant Land to Roam (5/30)
2006 Industry Conferences
Date Name Location Streaming Media East 2006 May 23-24 New York Home Entertainment 2006 June 1-4 Los Angeles
Quotes of the week
"I can safely say I have no interest in Lindsay Lohan, nor do I understand anyone else's."
-- Nick Lachey, in a radio interview with the Charlotte, North Carolina-based Ace & TJ Morning Show"Katie is a young girl's name. Her name is Kate now. She's a child-bearing woman."
-- Tom Cruise, explaining his reasons for renaming his fiancée to reporters at the London premiere of Mission: Impossible III."My God is a God who wants me to have things. He wants me to bling! He wants me to be the hottest thing on the block ... The God I serve says, 'Mary, you need to be the hottest thing this year, and I'm gonna make sure you're doing that.' My God's the bomb!"
-- Mary J. Blige in Us, proving that she has quite a different view of Christianity from the general public."Maybe I ate too much lobster?"
-- Teri Hatcher telling Oprah Winfrey maybe that's the reason she hasn't seen Ryan Seacrest since they were photographed kissing in March because he broke things off shortly thereafter.
NARIP Information
NARIP (The National Association of Record Industry Professionals) promotes career advancement, education and good will among record executives. To find out more about this great organization, how you can join or attend their events, just go to: www.narip.com.
The B-Side - 'Blips'
WELL, LET'S HOPE THAT AFTER 21 PREVIOUS TRIES, THIS TIME SHE GETS IT RIGHT: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- It could be the ultimate in May-December relationships. A 33-year-old man in northern Malaysia has married a 104-year-old woman. The Harian Metro tabloid reported it is the groom's first marriage and the bride's 21st. The new groom told the paper he found peace and a sense of belonging after meeting the much older woman.
-
-