Tori Amos Newsletter
Sign-up to receive daily news on Tori Amos by email.
Tori Amos Filmography
Source:
Theiapolis
Tori Amos Resources
Table of Content
Tori Amos: Conflict with the music industry
Conflict between Tori and the music industry has surfaced on various occasions. Atlantic Records, her label in 1994, wanted her record "Under the Pink" to be changed significantly before its release. She told them that it was not going to happen, and that if they brought it up again she would burn the masters.
Then in 1996, while working on her "Boys For Pele" album, she had a meeting with the heads of the label. The people in positions of power there were changing and there was a serious confrontation. Amos questioned why her work was not being promoted properly and it was revealed to her that the label preferred to spend their money trying to break newer artists who they felt would make them more money. Amos demanded to be freed from her contract, but the label refused. Instead they chose to exercise their option to keep Amos on board until she had released an additional four albums (as stipulated in her contract). But because they felt their power had been challenged, they made it clear that they would intentionally do as little as they could do (legally speaking) to promote the works so that her career would be decimated by the time she had a chance to switch to a new label.
The label fully followed through on their threat. For example: artists usually provide the label with a section of seats to each of their concerts that can be given to local radio honchos in exchange for the promise that the artist's new work would be heavily played. Atlantic Records gave Amos’s tickets while requesting that other artists on the label be played as a return favor. This and other tactics were employed in a vindictive attempt to ruin Amos’s career, and it seemed to work temporarily, as album sales steadily declined.
Ultimately, and with questionable intent, Atlantic records released a widely distributed press release listing the acts that they were "dropping from the label" due to alleged poor album sales. Among them were singer Poe and Amos; this was factually inaccurate. Amos’s contractual obligations had simply been fullfilled and neither side was interested in renewing the contract.
If Amos’s reputation suffered for Atlantic's insults, it did not do so for long. After establishing a new deal with Epic Records, she achieved her most successful American radio single to date.
<<
Biography -
Acting >>
Table of Content
Latest Film News
See Also:
