[kj] (OT) Lords of the New Church News

[T.B.]

"Christof hamille" wrote:



> This sounds promising.  I was not aware of the IRS dispute.  What happened 

> with IRS?  Is anyone happy with them now?

>

> Interesting.

>

> Hope Brian comes to the US and does a full on tour.


IRS Records has been defunct since about 1996.  Once the label started 
losing bands in the mid 80's and ended it's distribution agreement with A & 
M records in '85, the label slowly but surely lost steam with their last big 
hurrah signing and releasing a few albums by a handful of  metal bands, most 
noteably Black Sabbath on what was probably their 20th lineup change at the 
time as well as a series of reissues/remasters of early IRS albums on cd by 
bands like The Cramps, The Buzzcocks and The Fleshtones and a few others 
including The Lord's revamped "Killer Lords" cd.  IRS was bought out by EMI 
in '94 and was officiallly closed down a couple years later.

Many of the bands on the label, especially those signed between '79 through 
'83 wound up getting ripped off by Miles Copeland and in some cases, as in 
The Cramps and The Go Gos, sued the label with varying degrees of success. 
Basically as in the case of most labels when they sign a band, they give the 
artist a big advance to record and tour and loan shark at rediculous 
interest rates the later profits from songwriting royalties, touring, 
merchandising and hopefully record sales leaving said band in a constant 
loop of  recording and touring to pay back the record company who will 
usually advance more money to keep the artist somewhat financially stable 
for the short term until the contract expires.  If the band or artist isn't 
enormously succesful or at least has someone with some good business sense 
on their side, they're usually screwed in the long run out of money and song 
rights.  This is one of the lesser known reasons why bands who you'd think 
were well off like Jane's Addiction go out and do dodgy reunions - it's to 
pay back record companys and finally earn some money for themselves off 
their own music.

Sting has publicly mentioned getting out from under contract with Copeland 
when The Police disbanded was the most liberating thing he ever did in his 
life.

In the case of The Lords, at some point around '84, certain members of the 
band became aware that they were badly in the hole with Copeland despite 
constant touring and realized they had no chance of making any real money 
under their contract.  At this time, original drummer Nicky Turner was doing 
more and more side work as a budding talent scout/rep for Miles which set up 
conflict within the band which first led to Dave Tregunna leaving and later 
Nicky leaving to work for Copeland full time and Dave returing to the band.

T.B.