Bon Jovi "Fan Album": Burning Bridges- Out 21 Aug

That's what I thought at first, the record company wanted to have a bigger percentage of the touring $$$. But when you think about it, Richie has co-written almost every succesful single, especially in the last 15 years so him leaving could also have something to do with it. Maybe it's just my inner fanboy thinking but, I hope Richie's name carries that much leverage, that way in 4 or 5 years time when they get back together they can tell Mercury to **** off together

Remember Jon specifically said in an interview somewhere about Richie leaving - "He doesn't own anything" - so maybe he doesn't have any say in the rights to those songs.

Oh believe me I get that, maybe all he has to do with the songs is just getting paid his share whenever they get used or played. My comment was more along the lines of the record company seeing Richie as an important enough part of the brand to maybe gain leverage on the contract (edit to add: and also put in doubt the commercial appeal any future singles/albums could have). Anyway it's probably not that way but the fanboy in me wants it to be....

Ha, I think so.

I remember listening to the radio when 'What About Now' was out so I presume it still is.

Bingo! Hardly anyone sells huge amounts of singles these days... touring is where the real money is. Even the people who have tons of #1 hits often don't write them for themselves. I'll use my other favorite artist as an example. I think he's up to 18 #1 songs, and God love him, he CAN write his own songs and used to write/co write most of his material, but now he uses songs written by outside writers more than he uses his own material. A record company doesn't care WHO is writing the songs if they are getting airplay and getting downloads and chart positions. George Strait--I thought the man was genius for years because he had so many great songs. Then I bought his "50 #1 Songs CDs" He didn't write a single one of them. Not one freaking word or note. So it's not about who is doing the writing, it's just about what's going to sell and get the label a profit.

Bon Jovi's strength is in touring and the label probably wanted a bigger piece of that pie as most labels are trying to do with touring artists now.

They also called Jon a "tenured" act in that Billboard article. That means Mercury couldn't kick him out. It was his choice to leave.

It was a business decision on the label's part: Whatever the reason, they didn't see Jon without Richie as being worth what he was, and a slice of Jon's publishing would have served as either a sort of guaranteed income, or as collateral on their investment.

It's like the United States Department of Agriculture deciding to allow chickens to be shipped 7,000 miles to China for processing, then shipped back to the U.S. for sale. It doesn't sound cost efficient (and it definitely doesn't sound rational) until you consider that the Chinese can pay their chicken processors about 95% less.

Or consider the scene in the mobster movie when the "boss of all bosses" orders you to "whack" your best friend. Nothing personal, nothing conspiratorial...just business, that's all.

What you said is true and it makes sense, but it doesn't explain why Jon specifically referenced "publishing" in BB.

That presupposes that whoever used the term understands what "tenured" means.

A lot of people outside education just thinks it means "long-term". And even if he is "tenured" in the true sense of the word, the label wouldn't necessari)y have to "drop" him. All they would have to do is make the terms of a renegotiated contract such that he wouldn't re-sign.

Wrong + misunderstanding.

First of all, Jon called himself that, not Mercury or Billboard.
2) You misunderstood Jon and the word he used. It has nothing to do with "tenured professors". Jon only referred to the duration of his working with the label. There is no such thing as a "tenured artist" the way professors are!

http://www.businessdictionary.com/de...on/tenure.html
http://www.investorwords.com/4941/tenure.html


EDIT
Synchonicity strikes again!

That's what I thought but he said that "there're only two places", that's pretty clear. I really do hope he signs with an indie label.

Same.

Maybe they wanted a big cut of the album sales, Jon thought they were leeches and left.

Right -- the negotiations probably went more like this:

Jon: "You want more of our touring revenue? Pay more of our touring expenses, and I'll tell the concert promoters 'See ya!' Or you can ask them to reimburse you, and everybody wins!"

UMG/Island: "With Richie gone and your last album the worst-selling ever, that would be a sucker's bet. But if you're willing to put up some of your publishing rights as collateral..."

Jon: "That's okay...See ya!"