A Snippet About the Making of Bella Donna from Russ Kunkel
 

A friend of mine shared this link with me on Facebook. I have big issues with Jimmy Iovine, but anyway, for anyone who is interested, here it is.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/drums...ords-597399/12

Kevin

I'm sorry if you've already said and I wasn't around, but why issues with Jimmy? Russ' article seems friendly with both of them.

It's kind of a long story but in case anyone is interested...

My nick here is Pattyfan because I'm a huge Patty Griffin fan. Patty, like many musicians (and I think especially female musicians) had problems with record labels earlier in her career. Years ago she did a record called Silver Bell. After she finished it, her label got bought by another label which got bought by a big label (maybe Sony?). Anyway, her CD never got released, though diehard fans (like me :) ) had bootleg copies of it. Last year, her record label finally released it, so it got a lot of mainstream press attention and she was asked about it in various interviews, especially since she released another new CD last year as well.

I've followed Patty's career since the beginning. She is a very private person who doesn't talk much about stuff in her life except for music. (For example, she and Robert Plant are a couple but she doesn't really talk about that except as how it relates to her music). I really really respect her for this. I've read a lot of interviews with her and I've never heard her badmouth anyone, especially by name. So with that background, I started reading and listening to various interviews with her about the making (and non release) of Silver Bell. She has mentioned Iovine various times. Evidently he got the finished record and told her it was crap and then handed her a U2 record and said something like "This is how you make a hit record.". And he did that in front of a big group of record people, which was obviously humiliating for her. She has said how bad it made her feel and how she really felt like she had made a bad record and needed to make something bigger, a la U2.

First, what a ridiculous thing to say. If you know Patty's music, you know that it is not in any way comparable to U2. You don't have to like her music, but she is widely regarded as an amazing songwriter and has been covered by Joan Baez, Heart, Emmylou Harris, Linda Rondstadt, Bette Midler, the Dixie Chicks, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Joan Osbourne, and Solomon Burke, to name a few. She is not Bono and doesn't need to be.

Second, I really think that, from what she has said, he treated her with a complete lack of respect. Her music for me is really important and so I got very protective of her when I heard the story. Guys who don't respect women are d%cks in my book. Of course, I have only heard one side of the story, but since Patty has never bad mouthed one person before, I'm guessing that this is at least partially accurate.

Anyway, that's the story. :(

Kevin

Hi Kevin,
I had read those interviews as well and I agree with everything you have written. Patty is a supreme singer/songwriter and is pretty much peerless at this point in time. Stevie could learn a lot from her, both in terms of craftmanship and modesty.
Regards, Phil

While Bella Donna certainly was Stevie's masterpiece, and I credit both Stevie and Iovine with the final product, I think Iovine is an arrogant SOB and I believe in his next life he will be humbled as a result of how he treated many many people in this life.....karma will get him.

You don't like Jimmy but do you like Lindsey???

Why did you ask me if I like Lindsey?

Kevin

that's how most of the music industry works , i have heard story like this from Madonna to Toby Keith ... Lindsey has done this to Stevie many times

When you say "that is how the music industry works", do you mean records getting bought and not released? (because I don't know of other artists who this happened to). Or do you mean having someone say "Go make a record like such and such an artist" as a way to embarrass you? I'm sure that just like in every business, there are times when it's really hard, but that doesn't excuse his behavior, in my opinion. And since tone is really hard to get in these kinds of messages, I just want to be really clear that I'm genuinely interested in what you meant and not being snarky ;)

Kevin

Like Olive said Lindsey has done this to Stevie many times that's why I asked your opinion of him...As far as records being made and not getting released it happens...

this up coming release by Dolly Parton Blue Smoke , she originally was releasing a cd call blue smoke ( which was an amazing cd it leaked ) in 2005 ,the record company scraped it just before the release date and she released Those were the Days a cd of cover songs done as duets that is a ****ty Album, but was more commercial than a blue grass cd it happens and I'm sure it wasn't pretty
and the most famous... every record company told her she sucked she made a video about it . so maybe jimmy did her a favor , she's has a pretty good career

Thanks for the info on Dolly. I didn't know that. I like her bluegrass stuff so I will be on the lookout for it. :)

I"m not sure if Jimmy Iovine had anything or everything to do with Silver Bell not getting released. My issues are more about what he said and how he said it. There are ways to be in a supervisororial position and not humiliate people. He could have just said, "Look, unfortunately we don't think this CD is going to sell and we can't promote it." That would be respectful :) (stupid, but respectful, given the critical acclaim Silver Bell has gotten).

Also, it's obvious that artistic greatness does not always translate into sales, so to tell a singer songwriter like Patty to go make a CD like U2 for me is just a way of not really doing your job.

Anyway, thanks for the Dolly info!! And I think Patty is having the last laugh anyway. And for what it's worth, I love Bella Donna. :)

Kevin

It's really horrible, horrible stories! Unfortunately my gut feeling is that is just one of many out there...In the "old days" record companies had the power to pick and choose what they wanted to release and who they wanted to promote; And today they don't have that luxury. They just don't have they money to take care of everything and everyone, so I guess in a way that's better because all you have to do is raise your own money to record and release whatever you want to the general public. I know Stevie says she hates the music industry now, but for indies it's wonderful.