If Classic Petra Takes A New Record Deal

[Preacherman777]

I was thinking about the news that Classic Petra is considering a record deal that will include new management and well, given the fact that Michael has already resigned and the reason given is that the new record company will have money to invest in Petra (apparently hiring new management) it looks as though it's already a bit more than just consideration, since such things are already taking place. Anyway, if this indeed happens, I'm wondering how it might alter plans. Record companies usually have things they want the band to do. The plan has been to do another album of reworked songs and then an all original album, but might the involvement of a record company change the direction?

[executioner]

My understanding is that they are at this time in studio recording another classics album which will be released in time for the Holidays, but it might only be released in download form and not a physical CD. The physical CD might come into the picture if and when a deal is done with a label.

[brent]

A label with cash and connections can only help the cause. They might lose some control and freedom that they would have had as indie artists, but freedom doesn't pay the bills.

[Timbo]

I'm confused. It's been awhile since I've keeped up with this topic, but I thought Sony records was Classic Petra's record label. Sony records doesn't have enough $ to invest in a Petra project?

[brent]

SonyBMI was a distributor. They are easy to get in with if you press your discs with an affiliated business (Discmakers, etc). To be on the indie label they must s pay some cash to be part of the indie label, which is about a 50k buy in. They are not the label in the sense that we would think of traditionally.

[Timbo]

Do we know they are in the studio recording another?

[brent]

They would say if they were, or if they were ready. I doubt that they sold enough of the first album and DVD to really be happy, thus the need for a label to front money. That said, if the first ones were not paying for themselves, why would they do another by themselves?

[Preacherman777]

I think it's a pretty big assumption that the first one didn't pay for itself and management has continually asserted that they are going to make another one and that recording for it was to begin as soon as they were done touring. Polls were even being taken as to what songs they should do. The change in management is obvious if they are going to sign with a label and we really have no idea why they are choosing to do this. Perhaps they were approached a label and felt the offer was just too good to pass up, who knows, but I sure wouldn't assume that they were in such bad shape that they needed to do this or discontinue the project. I don't think there has been any evidence of that being the case.

[brent]

You missed the point. Selling enough to be happy is relative to profit, not sales. Lets say that they sold more downloads than physical media, which is the norm now. Say they sold 20k album downloads. If they only get 60 cents on the dollar, after all of the album placement and accounting expenses have been paid, then they still might not have enough sales to make them happy. There are artists selling hundreds of thousands and even millions of units that are not happy, because they are not seeing a good return for whatever reason.

The reason they need a label is money, PERIOD. Anyone can get some distribution. It may not be great, but it is distribution nonetheless. Anyone can get on iTunes. The age old problem is getting their mugs in front of people who will turn loose of cash, and that costs lots of money. That is money they do not have or are willing to risk.

Management should not be booking the shows. They should not be representing IMO. That is like three full time jobs, and that will put someone in the poor house quickly. They should have a manager, booking agent, and rep firm pimping them to radio, etc. This all costs more money than sitting at John L's home studio and recording. Recording is a very small part of the budget.

[pmal]

Yvonne on the blog says it was due in most part to financial reasons. So, whatever that means ...

[p-freak]

And this is what Yvonne wrote about recording:

Unfortunately, we don’t know what the plan for future recordings are at the moment. I have passed along all of everyone’s requests though. If I hear, I will let you know right away. I don’t know if they will be continuing to use this site, or be building another, but for the time being, I’ll keep sharing anything I hear. (We still talk to the guys regularly.) I will fill you all in on the changes once the record deal is in place too!

So it sounds to me like they're close to making a record deal and recording has been put on a hold until this record deal is done. Would be interesting if they would end up working with Star Song or Word again. You never know. EMI and Warner Brothers certainly have the money... But that's all speculation. I'm just hoping that they will get a record deal that is good for them.

[brent]

EMI and Warner do not have the money you think they do. Both have been downsized and EMIs assets have been liquidated little by little. Luckily the historic studios are still in tact. Star Song does not really exist.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/fe ... -citigroup
http://www.insidemusicmedia.com/music_i ... _emi_falls

[p-freak]

I didn't know that about EMI. I knew Star Song was bought by EMI in 1994 and then sort of closed in 1998, but that they occasionally released some albums under the Star Song imprint. So if EMI would've been the record label, it would've been interesting to see if they would've had the sense of history to release any Petra recordings under Star Song. But that's not going to happen now.

Well, who has the money then? The distribution of BTTR (both CD and DVD) is currently handled by P-ID Blue, which is an imprint of Provident-Integrity Distribution, which is owned by Sony. Wondering though if Classic Petra is currently only distributed to the Christian market or that they are also distributed directly by Sony. Don't think so, but it might be interesting for the future. Does Sony have the money they need?

[brent]

Sony had the money to sign Van Halen, but probably not Petra. Sony does not do Christian music directly. They had a new indie wing that did Christian music a couple of years ago, but it was only offering 360 deals to establiashed artists willing to donate 100k to the cause. Sony is not doing that well as a whole. They are putting their eggs in a few baskets, trying to mooch from the re-issues, etc.

[Preacherman777]

Well, whatever it turns out to be, it looks more and more like it's gonna shake things up a bit. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the game plan changes a bit because of this and who knows, maybe we'll be more likely to get an all original album sooner than we thought.