Discussion of all things related to Public Domain

[tom poe <tompoe AT amihost.com>]

The artists under contract with Green Linnet, as well as the former
artists, are not getting paid.  The boycott is against Green Linnet.  At
this time, it would seem the contracts are all in breach.  The artists
need to consult with a lawyer and make their decisions whether to
continue with the contract, or not.

A boycott can easily help the artists by demonstrating the sudden loss
of sales due to the boycott, which encourages the label to rethink their
position.  Even this discussion of whether to boycott or not begins to
raise the bar for supporting the artists.  Each station that mentions
the threat of joining the protest when it occurs helps the artists, not
the label.

If the artists under contract know they can find a unified support group
like the internet stations to help them, and spread the word, like we
should all do for this "first protest since the 1960's", they will begin
to rethink their reliance on the labels, and shift to true
independence.  They really no longer need the labels to pursue their
careers successfully.
Thanks,
Tom Poe
Open Studios
Reno, NV
http://www.studioforrecording.org/ 

On Sat, 2003-10-11 at 16:45, Ken Nagelberg wrote:
> In light of this protest, details which are redistributed below, comes a
> moral question.  Do we, as folk dj's, boycott Green Linnet recordings in
> support of the artists?  Or, would such a boycott actually make things
> worse, since it could result in a decline in record sales for the company
> and make it even more difficult for them to pay the artists.  Or, do we
> decide that this we are just "channels for music" and stay out of the fray.
> Which brings up the whole Green Linnet/Thistle and Shamrock issue again.
> (For those of you who missed earlier posts on this list, some have suggested
> a boycott of Thistle and Shamrock because it accepts underwriting from Green
> Linnet).  Personally, I have always boycotted the show because it, like most
> NPR/PRI programs, is self righteous and aimed at a a rich, white audience.
> 
> Ken "Dr. K" Nagelberg
> "It's For Folks"
> WBNY-FM, Buffalo, NY
> 
> http://www.afm.org/public/press/press_10-10-03.php
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10th, 2003
> Contact: Honore Stockley (315) 422-4488 ext. 104
> >>From the Office of Thomas F. Lee, President, American Federation of
> Musicians:
> 
> Musicians to Demonstrate in front of Record Label
>  The artists, who irreverently refer to themselves as "The Green Linnet
> Five," are planning to do a "sing-in" protest at the record label's
> headquarters in Danbury, Connecticut. This will be the first protest
> demonstration by recording artists against a label since the 1960's.
> "This protest is not just about the five of us - it's also about the
> countless other Irish artists who have also been stiffed but who can't
> afford to sue a company with the financial resources of Green Linnet,"
> said Mick Moloney, who is a professional musician, as well as a
> professor of Irish music at New York University. "We will sing some
> great old labor movement songs that were well known to the first
> generation of Irish immigrants in America," Moloney added. "It will be a
> great concert with an important message," Moloney said.
> 
> "It would probably shock most Irish music fans to know that the artists
> who recorded their favorite Green Linnet albums have not been paid a
> dime for many years," said famed fiddle player Eileen Ivers. The Green
> Linnet Five hopes that their protest will cause the company to account
> and pay all of their artists the royalties, which are long overdue.
> Cherish the Ladies lead musician Joanie Madden said, "Green Linnet has
> gotten away with this outrageous behavior because Irish artists sat back
> and did nothing â?¦ well those days are officially over!"
> 
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