8.18.13 Acoustic BTIKM Remix, Nile Rodges Dance Party News +

RCA direction changed in August of 2011 and I personally think that Adam felt that icy wind in his face once TSP was completed. Handover from A&R to marketing/sales/promotion entails a change in the people an artist is working with. Given that meanwhile management had changed at the top, I don't think that Adam ever had a chance, actually.

My hunch is that somewhere between August and October of 2011, Adam knew that not all was well with appreciation for TSP. But I assume that at this time he still assumed he would have the usual roll-out support. He probably went through a half year or year of uncertainty, where he went along with suggestions by his label (ie. single choices, date changes, etc), but probably had to increasingly overrule what his own instincts were telling him instead.

I am pretty sure that he had a hard time trying to 'sell' NCOE as a single, yet he did it as best he could.

That the relationship was damaged beyond repair he probably only knew once he was faced with having to do a cover album though. I do think that Adam tried for the longest time to accommodate his label and only worked his way out, once it was apparent that he was no longer supported.

The for me interesting part about all this is though

a) how many other artist seem to be fighting the same battle with RCA, making it clearly a non-Adam related, much farther reaching issue

b) that radio and billboard seems to be treating Adam better now that he is independent than before when he was with RCA. (and I am not saying this because of one Tony Knapp interview, above, even though his mentioning of Adam out of the blue is quite remarkable. TK is a separate case though). I do say this, because messages of support are coming from Billboard, from a few individual radio stations, from DJs and there is isolated play of his music in odd places since a few months. I expect that to go up further, as Adam gets screen time via Glee).

c) that pretty much everyone is agreeing that RCA is i) an organizational mess, ii) a dinosaur and iii) total idiots. I have yet to see somebody with an inch of brain say that RCA made any sense in what they did with/for Adam or makes any sense with regards to many other artists.

d) Accountants typically cut costs first, because they understand that part of business, but usually they are able to see when revenue does not come in. Right now, Sony incl. RCA is bleeding market share on the pop charts like crazy. And I don't think the album charts are looking all that great for them either. If this continues, then this management team may have a short lived run at RCA. Are they really burning their radio bridges right now, just to save a penny? Jeez...sorry for anyone still stuck with that label. Bet Ke$ha is ready to walk, and if I were at a competing label, I would be recruiting her and others now behind the scenes. Has a label ever seen an exodus of artists? Because I am predicting one, imo. Mark my words.

ETA: I know, RCA still sits on top of the charts as individual label, and Interscope is no 2, but if you aggregate the labels under the three big ones (Sony, UMG, Warner/EMI), then Sony is not on top. And UMG is gaining.

              belle! YW



      Something for Adam, for his favorite time ... Halloween ...  

   

Nope, 2011. Adam was done with the album around Oct 2011. In Dec 2011 we got BTIKM as single during Xmas week. The handover to marketing must have been in October 2011 or so.
In August 2011 Adam was granted the extension, once he had changed direction (Pharrell cooperation), but in parallel RCA overall transitioned its management and by October the new people were firmly in place.