From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V2 #216 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Sunday, August 27 2000 Volume 02 : Number 216 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] What Do We Do, Anyway? ["Young/Hunter Mgt." ] [RS] Richard Shindell in Hampton, Va ["Joy Munsey" ] [RS] Somewhere near Paterson at the Bottom Line ["Norman A. Johnson" Subject: [RS] What Do We Do, Anyway? Dear Listers, Jeff wrote: > Im just curious, specifically what role and responsibilities does > Young/Hunter Management fulfill for Richard? And how do they relate to his > agent Tim Drake? > Like I said, just curious. > Thanks! > Jeff Well, that makes two of us, Jeff. I've been Richard's responsible manager since 1997, and I still can't figure it out.... Basically, there are two simple analogies: a) we're the hub of a wheel, where all things pertaining to Richard's career meet. b) we deal with all the "left-side-of-the-brain" parts of Richard's career. We see our job to be to provide our clients (Richard, Peter Mulvey, Chris Smither, Cry3, with the career they want. The "macro" task is to spin a story that is compelling, consistent and is marketable. that means, f'rinstance, that we want to show that Richard is an artist who is at the apex of contemporary songwriting, wose career is on the upswing, who is at the cutting edge of contemporary folk. We try to make all details of his career that the public is going to see reflective of that. If possible, his tours need to have a feeling of momentum behind them. We try to ensure that his support acts are people on-the-rise (we insist on naming the support act - only occasionally do we let the promoter choose the support, and then they are _supposed_ to clear it with us. We write and design Richard's press materials (but we let Richard approve his photos without much input from us). We try to figure out the best recording situation for the artist, the right publishing situation, finding the right booking agency (we were fortunate that Richard was already working with Tim when we came on board, so that part was taken care of), negotiating contracts, trying to make Richard as much moolah as possible without compromising his integrity or exhausting him, setting up a support team (someone to compile Richard's tour books - the day-to-day details of life on the road; someone to administer Richard's business affairs, someone to administrate the snail-mail list, someone to oversee the web page; to order and ship product on the road, make hotel, airline and rental car reservations, to coordinate all activities between Richard and the band on band-date shows, and all the details that come with an artist living in Argentina and having a carreer in North America), working with and making sure all is going smoothly between Richard and his publicist (Michaela O'Brien), keeping an eye on whether or not Richard is getting the press and airplay he needs, checking the weekly Sales Reports we get from Signature; answering fan inquiries. We design his record covers (RH and SNP, anyway) and the t-shirts, maintain the inventory of supply for mailorder... We also work constantly with Bug Music, Richard's publishing administrators in trying to get Richard's music on tv and in movies (we don't do this too well), we try to find Richard opportunities abroad (we don't do that so well either), we make sure everybody who owes Richard money pays it (SSRC, Shanachie, Bug, ASCAP, the venues); we set up Richard's endorsement deals with C. Fox guitars and Elixir strings (his choices), help him get equipment when he needs it, etc. etc. We talk daily with Richard's agents, Tim and Lynn, about upcoming tours, planning routing, juggling Richard's wishes, going over offers that have come in, suggesting tweaks, choosing the support acts and coordinating details with them, issuing fliers to each venue, making sure posters and promo materials have gone out. We also talk all the time with other managers In short, we select the team and coordinate all the activities amonst the members of the team. And who's the team? Off the top of my head, here's the support team for Richard Shindell (imagine what the support team for Brittney Spears must look like): Management: Charlie, Carol, Kerry Label (Signature): Jim, Flora Retail: Brad Hunt Radio: Brad, Biff Kennedy, Sean Coakley Publicity: Michaela O'Brien Publishing Administrators (Bug): David Hershland, Dave DuRocher, Garry Velletri and Kim Hylick are the ones I work with most. PRO: ASCAP, Sue Devine, Brendan Okrent Business Manager: Kathleen Denney Legal: Michael Lesser, Nelson Bogart Agents: Tim Drake, Lynn Zampino Management tour coordination liason with Richard: Toby Goldberg Tourbooks: Suzanne Shaver Gal Friday has been Katie Mahoney, but she's starting Wesleyan, so she'll probably be too busy to do a lot from now on. Tour Manager (on band dates): Kris Bergbom Web-Site: Kerry Snail Mail List: Heyman Mailing Service ....and like so. Its a lot of details, but I think we do a pretty good job. A bit of bragging: Jim Olsen and I just sat down and worked out the first reporting of royalties and record sales for PATERSON from February release until 6/30/00. Sales are over 22,000 copies, and the record has - to all intents and purposes - fully recouped. To have a record recoup in the first reporting period is virtually unheard of in the music business. This means that Richard now controls his master recordings AND is putting a nice chunk of change in his pocket with the sale of each copy (we get a percentage of that chunk, of course). And, to compare, in its first reporting period, August 1997 to June 1998, Shanachie reported that REUNION HILL sold 11,935 copies. So, in approximately half the time, Richard and Signature sold twice the number of copies - and at double the royalty rate (at least). That's why I think we can say we do a good job. So... that's sort of what we do. Hope I didn't go on too long (but what the hell, it's Saturday). - -- Charlie ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 13:08:58 -0400 From: "Joy Munsey" Subject: [RS] Shindell in Hampton, VA Hi I live close to Hampton and was trying to get info on Richard's show there Sept. 12. I came across this webpage. The Harris Creek Acoustic holds concerts in someone's house - very unique! I've never heard of such a thing! A very unique place to see Richard! I hope to go. http://www.pilotonline.com/fun/hca.html Joy ***************************** Joy Munsey jmunsey4@home.com Webpage for Larry Campbell at: http://www.members.home.net/larrycampbell2000/index.htm ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 17:00:18 -0400 From: "Joy Munsey" Subject: [RS] Richard Shindell in Hampton, Va Hi Here is a website for Harris Creek Acoustic. I was given the website when I called for the tickets. Only 80 tickets will be sold because the concert will be held in someone's living room! How cool!! Lucy Kaplansky will also be performing there in October. http://www.pilot.infi.net/~hca/ Also, I've been told that Richard will be contributing to Charles Lyonhart's new album due out around November!! Larry Campbell is the producer, along with Lincoln Schleifer. Joy ***************************** Joy Munsey jmunsey4@home.com Webpage for Larry Campbell at: http://www.members.home.net/larrycampbell2000/index.htm ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 00:49:26 -0400 From: "Norman A. Johnson" Subject: [RS] Somewhere near Paterson at the Bottom Line Hey, this list is really quiet. Not even much talk about Dave and Tracey. obligatory ;-) At Tuesday's Bottom Line show, Dar made an oblique-- or is that obtuse-- reference to Richard. Introducing either "What do you love more than love?" or "Spring Street", Dar mentioned a William Carlos Williams play that I think is called "Spring". She said something about people doing something somewhere near Paterson, NJ then said "Guess who got that title". The way Dar said it was very funny. Anyone up for doing SNP songs for SOTW? Norman ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 09:41:07 +0200 From: Katrin.Uhl@t-online.de (Katrin Uhl) Subject: [RS] new round of SOTW? Norman asked: > Anyone up for doing SNP songs for SOTW? > Yeah, let's do a new round of SOTW! I love reading everybody's thoughts, even though I don't think I have posted a lot of SOTW mails myself. And then Charlie definitely made my boring Saturday afternoon much more entertaining with his detailed "work report", which, among other things, included the remark: > we try to find Richard opportunities abroad (we don't do that so well > either) Well, there's always room for improvement ;-) And maybe, maybe my fellow European house-concert-partners-in-crime Dave and Pete along with myself could be talked into letting Richard play in our living rooms one of these days. Which would make for a three country-tour of Europe come to think of it. back to my coffee and newspaper-Sunday morning, Katrin ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V2 #216 ***********************************