FYI.... Forwarded withou Dale's Express with with implied permission.

I've been on Dale's list for years, unless someone is spoofing him, I'd believe it...

You can get onto his list at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chiffandfipple
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Special Announcement from Chiff & Fipple

Dear Chiff & Fipple Readers,

Many of you know Joanie Madden and most of you have heard her music and you know what she has contributed to Irish music in America not to mention our beloved whistles. Joanie writes with the following information. Some of you will already be aware of some of the background to this story:

___________________________

Dear Dale,

Hope all is well with you Whistle King!!! I'm just packing here in New York for a trip to Ireland tonight and wanted to drop you a line before I went.

I'm hoping you can help me in getting the word out in sending this message out to the Chiff and Fipple email list regarding the Green Linnet 5 (Cherish the Ladies, Altan, Eileen Ivers, myself and Mick Moloney) planned protest and mini-concert for Monday, Columbus day, October 13th at Green Linnet records in Bethel, CT (by Danbury) at 4:30. We're hoping for a great turnout and I'd love all of my fellow whistlers to come out and show their support for our cause.

As you are aware, Green Linnet has neglected to report all sales since 1999. Our lawyer estimates that approximately $450,000 is owed to us as a group. They have refused to pay us what they owe and have refused to account to us over the past four years. Their delays and actions have cost us many thousands of dollars so far and now we have been pushed to run a full fledge audit to try and get what is owed to us - an extremely expensive venture. At the present time, Green Linnet has refused us any access to the books.

I'm forwarding on this email to our Publicist Anita Daly, who'll send you a press release and directions to the event. Thanks for the help Dale! Hope to talk to you soon!

Joanie Madden
www.cherishtheladies.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        

September 22, 2003        
        
DALY COMMUNICATIONS
333 WEST 39TH STREET
SUITE 603
NEW YORK, NY 10018

212-465-2444 // anitadaly@yahoo.com

IRISH MUSICIANS TO PROTEST AT OFFICES OF GREEN LINNET MUSIC
IN DANBURY, CONNECTICUT OCTOBER 13, 2003

Claim years of non-payment of royalties and inappropriately applied deductions

WHEN:        OCTOBER 13, 2003

WHERE:         81 BEAVER BROOK ROAD, DANBURY CONNECTICUT
TIME:        5:00 P.M

Major Irish and Irish American recording artists have combined to take legal action against Green Linnet Music in a law suit unprecedented in the history of Irish music. They plan to lead a musical protest at the company's offices in hopes of galvanizing this grass roots cause. There will be renditions of old labor movement tunes and appearances by guest artists joining them in the protest -- the likes of which has not been seen since the mid 1960's. They ask that fellow musicians, their fans and others who believe in their cause come out to support them.

The famed Irish groups Altan and Cherish the Ladies, nine time All-Ireland fiddle champion and musical star of Riverdance, Eileen Ivers, National Heritage Award winner Mick Moloney and All Ireland Champion multi-instrumentalist Joanie Madden have come together because they share a common outrage at the way they have been treated by one of the major recording companies in world music.

Green Linnet Records has been a leading force in recording and distributing Celtic music for over 25 years. The company has over 300 masters licensed and features a star Irish music roster. Owner Wendy Newton has been quoted to say, "We certainly have the best profile of any Celtic label, because we not only release the records, we actively sell and promote them."   

"It would probably shock most Irish music fans to know that the artists who recorded their favorite Green Linnet albums have not been paid," said famed fiddle player Eileen Ivers. The law suit recently filed by the artists (who irreverently refer to themselves as "The Green Linnet Five") highlights the fact that Green Linnet has consistently failed and refused to provide timely accountings or royalty statements to their artists; that the company underpays and fails to report income regarding the commercial exploitation of the artist's master recordings; that they improperly reduced the rate of royalties due and inappropriately applied deductions without a contractual basis to do so and to everyone's amazement has the unfettered gall to continue to commercially exploit master recordings for years after the licensing agreements for these albums expired. Additionally the company fails to list income and pay royalties on a number of compilation albums that contain recordings from the artists. World-class musician Joanie Madden pointed out that "we tried to negotiate with them for a year. Ultimately we realized that they had no intention of bargaining in good faith or paying us."

According to their attorney, Bob Donnelly, "'The Green Linnet Five' are simply demanding that Green Linnet's numerous and continued breaches of contract warrant full payment of royalties owed, a return of their master recordings and an immediate cessation of exploiting the artists' work."

The protest will hopefully aid in bringing to light the cause of the Green Linnet 5 and a lead to a fair and just result.

If you love Irish music and want to support these artists PLEASE JOIN US!

Directions: Take I-684 North towards Brewster. Merge onto I-84 East - exit 9E towards Danbury. Take Exit 8 US-6 E / Newtown Road Exit. Turn Right onto Newtown Road go down 3/4's of a mile (you'll pass Holiday Inn, Taco Bell and McDonalds). Make a right at light onto Old Newtown Road. Go 3/10ths of a mile and the road comes to a Y. Bear Right before the stop sign onto Beaver Brook Road. After 2/10th's of a mile you'll see West End Power Equipment on your left. Go slow and turn left into next driveway. You'll see a big red Brick Building with Pilgrim Electronics written on the side - address is 60 Beaver Brook Road. Park in rear of the building.

_______________________

It's me, Dale, writing again.

I don't, of course, have any first-hand knowledge about the facts of this case, news of which has been brewing and building for some time now. I know Joanie and some of the other musicians involved and so my sympathies tend to lie with them. If you can, I'd encourage you to go to this event. If nothing else, looks like it'll be a great show!

Best to all of you,

Dale Wisely