The Kelly Clarskon and Clive Davis drama continues to make press. Honestly, this doesn’t look for the industry mogul and the label. Artists typically want artist friendly partners/labels. Not only that, major labels don’t want this type of press, especially when labels are collapsing.
This is taken from the NY POST.
“Clive is furious because Kelly has assumed total artistic control over her new album and refuses his suggestions,” according to an insider at Sony BMG, the parent of Clarkson’s label, RCA. Davis, who runs Sony BMG, slammed Clarkson at a company retreat in April, saying she can’t produce hits.
And music industry insiders were dumbfounded when Davis took the stage during the “American Idol” finale to plug Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee’s new singles, but failed to mention Clarkson’s third album, “My December,” which debuts in June. Instead, Davis promoted the songwriters for one of Clarkson’s hits, “Since U Been Gone.”
Our insider said, “She wrote all of the second album herself – including the hits ‘Because of You,’ ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ and ‘Walk Away.’ Clive hated ‘Because of You’ so much, he would routinely mock it in meetings. It was one of her most successful singles.”
Clarkson is not only one of Sony BMG’s most profitable artists, having sold close to 15 million albums – she is also not a diva.
She hasn’t demanded to renegotiate her deal with the label, our source said, even though “she only gets like $250,000 an album when she could get millions. She refuses to take more money because she wants artistic control. And she has always turned out to be right. If Clive had had his way, she wouldn’t have sold nearly as many albums as she did.
The source added, “Kelly wanted to make a deeply personal record. Here’s an artist who didn’t demand more money, who handed in her record on time in January, after making him millions, and now he rips her? The music business is collapsing, and this is why. They won’t let people put out their real music. This is about his huge ego.”
Now KOAR can’t confirm that this scenario played out exactly in the manner the NY POST reported, but its not completely unbelievable either. Its certainly not the first time A&R’s couldn’t identify HITS. A&R guys and label execs wanting to eliminate certain songs off the record that become #1 Hits is common.
The bottom line is that Kelly Clarkson made Clive, Clive didn’t make Kelly. Simon Cowell who is a great A&R guy said to Kelly during the first half of American Idol “You are going to be HUGE STAR”. Again, Kelly created her own opportunity.
The Bottom Line: Artists break themselves, Labels don’t break artists. Whoever claims other wise is blowing smoke up your ARSE.
On another note, check out this performance of Kelly Clarkson live on ABC. Her voice and passion are impeccable. Congrats Kelly, you are a TRUE STAR!