Clive is at Odds with Clarkson; One of Sony BMG’s Most Profitable Artist
Posted May 30, 2007 — in Music News
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!
isn’t this the guy (davis)that had his own label J-records ?and if Sony is smart they would fire Clive before giving Kelly any grief.it is a good thing that ego has nothing to do with this….
Comment by larry anderson — May 30, 2007 @ 11:39 am
you can’t really say that kelly made clive. he’s been working the music business since before she was born. obviously he’s way wrong in trying to handle her like this, but he’s made his fair share of hits.
Comment by melie — May 30, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
Comment:you can’t really say that kelly made clive. he’s been working the music business since before she was born. obviously he’s way wrong in trying to handle her like this, but he’s made his fair share of hits.
KOAR Comment:
Im not saying that Clive Davis isnt aggressive and he is certainly a respectable entrepreneur. But Whitney Houston made Clive as much as Britney Spears made Larry Rudolph. Its not the other way around. Clive Davis is in a ‘position’ to team up with the “BEST” talent. Generally speaking, Kelly Clarkson made Clive. No doubt. Clive Davis had several failures as we all have. He was lucky as we all have been lucky to team up with real artists with a vision like Kelly. I would manage her, but she is stuck with the crumbling firm…
Dean
Comment by King — May 30, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
it’s beyond me how a label can treat one of their top3 artists like that. RCA has Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. IMO Kelly is the most authentic one, the one who can have the longest and most successful career of the 3. Yet they jerk her around like that? Unbelievable!
Fire all those suit-wearing jerks who live on Park Avenue, and who are still stuck in the 60s, 70s and 80s! It’s time for a change. Our generation needs to take over!!
Comment by randy — May 30, 2007 @ 2:28 pm
Right… Kelly wrote all of ‘Since U Been Gone,”Because of You,’ ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ and ‘Walk Away’ herself and just credits Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Dave Hodges, Ben Moody & Max Martin, Dr. Luke (again) respectively…
out of the kidness of her idol heart.
Those people deserve the shout-out Clive gave. Hit songs are hit songs and the ONLY thing that matters (hence the existence of one hit wonders).
Comment by ThisTimeAround — May 30, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
We are going to end up reverting back to a “baby” biz market like in the 50′ and 60’s: regional artists who become very successful on their own who go on, or start with, independently owned regional labels who develop a “brand” or “sound” that have very loyal followers. These artists and labels will rely on new methods of marketing, or “alternate industry”, as mentioned here at KOAR. Singles are king again just like then; NOT the album. Only artists who put out consistent, unparalleled music will maybe get away with the album. Massive PACKAGE TOURS will become a huge new (reverting back to old as in 50’s and 60’s) way of breaking artists. After success is achieved on this level, I am going to guess that once successful enough in this regard the artist or label will then choose how to take the product national and then worldwide. The biggest stars in history were built on this model; its organic, raw, and extremely possible.
Thank God, Al Gore, nerdy kids, and Bill Gates for the internet; its an artists world for the first time ever. Kelly will soon be able to tell Clive to buy some new sun shades and find another puppet to dangle. The “baby” Kelly Clarkson’s are out there, and they are only going to start coming around more in the years to come.
Comment by brandon — May 30, 2007 @ 2:48 pm
Clive davis huh? All we heard for months around here was how Pearl Jam was going to sell 10 million of the Avacado album. Try 1 million. That’s no way to treat your cash cow.
Comment by Brett — May 30, 2007 @ 3:06 pm
This is all about EGO!!
It’s definitely not a money issue.
The fact that she doesn’t wanna listen to the man with the “golden ears” pisses him off.
Comment by Dave — May 30, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
an impeccable rack, to boot.
Comment by capt wtf — May 31, 2007 @ 12:41 am