I’ll tell ya. There’s a lot of things that are a gamble in life. Hell anytime you get in a car you’re gambling with your life for the shear fact that you’ll drive well enough to avoid other drivers in your travels. In business there are stories of infamy where a CEO or owner has done something nutty to gamble on their business, then it pays off and voilá they become household names. One that I’m enamored with is FedEx. Apparently at one point they were very down and needing capital. So the CEO went to a casino, put all his money on a spot in Roulette and ended up hitting it and making enough dough to keep FedEx alive.
Reality check, FedEx was in financial straits. Fred Smith did actually go to Las Vegas during this time but apparently didn’t wager the company’s money in order to keep it alive. Hmmm, I’m not sure I believe he didn’t do that. There was some gambling going on to keep the company afloat.
James Brown, Prince, and The White Stripes are all in that same category. James Brown came out of his own pocket to release a live album that went on to define him and show that the label made a huge mistake for not believing in him. Prince, was fortunate enough to have the machinery create his following, then had to extricate himself when it came to a differing of opinions on a song/album and it’s release. Prince ended up releasing the song on his own and proving the label made a mistake in it’s choice. The White Stripes apparently got a lot of notoriety as a non-signed band, or so I’ve heard.
I’m in the process of making a big gamble. The next few months are going to prove if I’m making a good gamble. We shall see. We shall see.
As for Finley, I’d say that he certainly got some notoriety, but I’m not sure why he hasn’t exploded. I like the textures in this song. I know the O.C. did as well. That’s where he got a nice break in terms of getting this song out there. Often getting your material on a show as part of the soundtrack is a good thing. Most of the time it means money up front for the Artist. However, there are shows that do not pay a license up front. I won’t name names, but it’s sad when that happens. Everyone wants to ride the back of creativty but not always pay for it. That’s why it’s a gamble being a musician. Show Finley some lovin’.
(** Disclaimer: If Finley’s label cripples my odds, I’ll be rollin the number and raking the audio off the server. The post will continue to reign. **)