You can be a Badass too!

[ScottFree4All]

Hi all,

My song Badass (co-written with Jennifer Levy) has just been released on the new Janiva Magness CD. Janiva is a legendary blues artist. This was all through a Taxi listing and I am very excited.

Please help a starving artist (me) by purchasing the CD. Every little bit helps. Thank you very much.

http://www.janivamagness.portmerch.com/ ... 1&featured

Cheers,
Scott

[funsongs]

Congrats.
fwiw: remembering this one, I checked to see when I'd posted a reply to your having posted news about this song: it was Dec. 31 2013... in the wee hours, last day of the year.
I was wondering if you would be required to remove your "original" SC posting once this went to publication... in this case, with this female artist; one I'd not heard of before.

Cheers.
Peter

[ScottFree4All]

Peter - my original version of the song remains on my Soundcloud page and I am free to pursue any and all licensing opportunities.

https://soundcloud.com/scottfree4all/badass

Cheers,
Scott

[Kolstad]

It's badass to put the hook in the verses instead of the chorus, as well!!
It fits so well Janiva Magness, she's badass too!

It's a peak moment, Scott.

[VanderBoegh]

This is great, Scott! I just went to iTunes and downloaded the "Badass" single. So, that's $1.29 for the industry as a whole, and hopefully something like at least 10 cents for you? Can't wait to compare & contrast your original with Janiva's version. Seems like things moved really quickly on this... she must have gone straight to the studio the very next day after securing this deal from you. If you don't mind my asking, was it tough working through all the legalities of an artist deal? How fast did the deal move? Did you have any contact with her, or was it all done through her management/production company or the record label? Lotta questions, always curious how these things work.

Congrats to you, amigo.

~~Matt

[ScottFree4All]

Hey Matt,

Sorry I didn't see this until now. Thank you so much for being a Badass! This whole deal was actually very simple. Apparently Janiva herself screened the songs right before Christmas and her comment on the forward was that she thought the song was great and she was taking it to her producer right away. I actually forgot about it, because at that time I didn't know it was her and it was Christmas time. Then at the beginning of Feb I received an email from Janiva directly saying that she'd like to go into the studio immediately and do it. I gave her my permission - but to be honest the toughest part was to pin down my co-writer Jennifer, because she was on the road with a limited computer. To make a long story short, and upon Taxi's advice I got Jennifer to sign over a POA granting me complete rights to "negotiate." Jennifer and I are good friends so this involved some trust on her part - but I am trustworthy. The mechanical rights agreement wasn't signed until last minute - but was standard. Since I had already set up a publishing company through ASCAP - Jennifer agreed that I would receive all royalties and distribute her cut to her. This was all standard stuff. There was no negotiation and I have no limitations. She, of course owns the master - but I still own the song and the publishing. And now I have a signed CD thanking me - and noting that I am a Badass too!

Prior to this Janiva left her record label and started her own label for this one. I wasn't aware of the back-story initially. She said this CD was very personal to her and wanted to do songs her own way. She wrote or co-wrote all but three songs, mine being one of them. I dealt with Janiva at the beginning but then her lawyer I presume after that. Janiva is busy as hell and I don't want to bother her. I want her to sell CDs!

So we'll see how this progresses. It's cool as I wasn't looking for this - the opportunity rose through a Taxi listing. Fact is stranger than fiction - on to the next one!

Cheers,
Scott

[bobporri]

So cool. Congratulations to you and Jennifer.
Bob P.

[marcblack30]

Very cool Scott! she did a nice job with it, but I fell in love with the vocalist on your demo (she rocks) so I think I like that version slightly better Still, goal accomplished, well done!


Marc