Do it with an English Recording Co if you want to try a Major Label. My experience with the Parlophone Company was straightforward Extremely Honest and honorable and no hidden or devious stuff. Just the opposite was my exdperience with an American Label and, following my pleasant association with Parlophone, I contacted Capitol (Parlophone's American outlet) as advised by George Martin who was Parlophone's A&R guy at the time, and was told in no uncertain terms that they never deal directly with artists because they are unreliable. They only dealt through Professional representatives. Mind you, at the time I started my American recording career, I was Chief Air Traffic Controller at Suffolk County Air Force Base, one of the USAF's Fighter Bases responsible for the defense of New York City. Mind you, this was in the early 60's, things might have changed, but I doubt it. Be very very careful with American recording Companys. This is only my experience, but, I understand it's typical. Parlophone was so scrupulous in their accounting that my last royalty check was for 2S6p (about 35 cents) and they must have spent a lot more than that tracking me down through bank accounts. Also, Parlophone paid the entire cost of the recording sessions. In the USA, the cost of the session comes right off the top of the artist's royalties.

My TETRA recording of "Good Morning Captain" released in 1957, Just before I was transferred to England, was only released in New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It sold 400,000, was on all the Jukeboxes and was being played on the Rock and Popular stations as well.
I NEVER SAW ONE CENT IN ROYALTIES. Sheb Wooley copied my arrangement and style word for word and note for note and now everyone sings it the way I recorded it. Before that Jimmie Rogers' version was the only one anyone sang and it was entirely different. (Oh by the way, "Good Morning Captain was my version of Muleskinner Blues, which I learned from Jay Stump) .

TAKE WARNING

Jody Gibson