Green Linnett Screws Artists 2003

Subject: RE: Green Linnett Screws Artists
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 10:32 PM

I work at Folklore Productions; we're the North American booking agency for Lunasa, Dervish and Rosalie Sorrels, among many others (see our web site at www.folkloreproductions.com for the others). Anyhow, yes, these three artists have repeatedly expressed their anger, dissatisfaction and frustration at the unresolved issues with Green Linnet. Legal action appears to be the only recourse.
It would be good if someone from GL would address these concerns in some forum or other, so that their position can be heard too.

Subject: RE: Green Linnett Screws Artists
From: Willie-O
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 10:26 PM

Well that's pretty depressing. I remember seeing those "Celtic Compilation" CD's in big stores and thinking, that looks pretty cheesy, then looking closer and seeing Altan etc, and thinking, wow, how'd that happen...and it's only...

Pretty interesting world when a record company can "unilaterally decide" to rerelease artists work and not pay them royalties. Gosh, does RIAA know about this? I bet they'll get right on it... (not).

W-O

Subject: RE: Green Linnett Screws Artists
From: artbrooks
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 10:25 PM

Any nonanonymous comments out there?

Subject: RE: Green Linnett Screws Artists
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 09:44 PM

It's not just its Celtic acts that have been screwed over by Green Linnet. Speak to the Klezmatics, Pete & Maura Kennedy, James Keelaghan, Rosalie Sorrels, etc. and you'll hear the same kind of stories.

Subject: Green Linnet Screws Artists
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 09:37 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New York -- Major Irish and Irish American recording artists have combined to take legal action against Green Linnet Music in a lawsuit unprecedented in the history of Irish music.

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, of Danbury, Connecticut, has been a leading force in recording and distributing Celtic music for over 25 years. Along with its Xenophile and Redbird labels, the company has over 300 masters licensed and features a roster that has included, among others, Eileen Ivers, Cherish the Ladies, Mick Moloney, Altan, Lunasa, Martin Hayes and Denis Cahill, Tarika, Sharon Shannon, Patrick Street, Phil Cunningham & Aly Bain, Wolfstone, Tommy Sands, the Bothy Band, Jez Lowe, Liz Carroll, Jimmy Keane, Robbie O'Connell, and the Kennedys. 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." And, indeed the rapid expansion of the company and their high-profile role as the major sponsor of the hugely popular NPR syndicated show "Thistle and Shamrock" was a barometer of their
success.

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 lawsuit 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 for several years despite repeated requests and demands; that the company underpays and fails to report income regarding the commercial exploitation of the artists' 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. According to their music 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.

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." One of the biggest sources of outrage against concerns the issuing of close to 100 CD compilations of existing artists' recordings over the last decade.

This appeared to be a cynical ploy to exploit the world-wide popularity of Celtic Music in the 1990s at little or no cost to the company. Green Linnet issued scores of budget priced albums with the title "Celtic" and then decided unilaterally that no royalties would be payable to the artists on their sales. It is believed that these compilations ended up selling hundreds of thousands of copies, though the exact figures are unknown to the artists because Green Linnet has refused to account for them except for a few statements which Madden characterized as "woefully incomplete."

The case of the world famous Irish group "Altan" is a good illustration of the case presented by the artists. Altan were contracted to Green Linnet for a five-record deal which ran from 1987 until 1993. Green Linnet admits to owing Altan a figure in excess of $100,000 in unpaid artist and publishing royalties. Almost unbelievably Green Linnet refuses to respond to requests for sales records, invoices or other back-up information. As a result, the members of Altan are uncertain of how much they are truly owed.

On a number of occasions since 1997 Altan has sought to negotiate monthly payments from Green Linnet to clear what was already then a significant backlog in money owed to the band by the record company. However Green Linnet consistently failed to adhere to the promised repayment schedules while constantly ignoring a large volume of formal requests from Altan's management to resolve the situation.

The members of Altan are appalled at the inordinate number of budget priced compilations licensed by Green Linnet to other companies that feature their work. There are over 75 albums listed on Green Linnet imprints alone that feature Altan tracks. Green Linnet has licensed additional Altan material to other labels for various unauthorized compilations.

In promotional materials Green Linnet states that Eileen Ivers is an Irish American treasure. Among the foremost fiddlers of her generation, she has expanded the boundaries of traditional Celtic music throughout her illustrious career. Although Green Linnet may regard her as a treasure, the company has steadfastly refused to pay any of the treasure it has earned from the sales of her records. Like her fellow artists, Ivers believes that the $65,000 in royalties which Green Linnet acknowledges that it owes to her, is only a small portion of the true amounts that are due and owing. Its most recent violation concerns the blockbuster, award-winning movie, "Gangs of New York." MiraMax Films licensed Eileen Ivers' recording "Lament for Staker Wallace" from the
album entitled "Wild Blue" for use in the movie. MiraMax agreed to pay a licensing fee of $15,000 of which $11,250 was legally due to be paid to Eileen Ivers. As a showing of their "good faith," company president Wendy Newton promised to pay Ms. Ivers the full $15,000. When no payment was made for several months after the release of the film, despite Ivers requests for this money, a probe was launched. Ms Ivers finally established through painstaking investigation that payment had been made directly to the record company. The president of Green Linnet stated through her lawyer that the company had already spent Eileen's money and despite their "good faith" promise, Green Linnet once again refused to pay her.

"Originally we were content to allow our attorneys to work out these problems and not speak about these issues in public," Eileen stated. "But this act of deception was the final straw that broke this camel's back. Now we want the world to know what they are getting when they buy a Green Linnet record. If we can save even one more artist from making the mistake of signing with this company, this will all be worthwhile."

Eileen Ivers has gone on to form her own internationally distributed record label called Musical Bridge Records.

Over 35 known compilation albums contain Eileen Ivers tracks from her Green Linnet recordings. To add insult to injury, Green Linnet took the unprecedented step of issuing or licensing two greatest hits type albums despite the fact that Green Linnet only had two Eileen Ivers albums to begin with. Ivers complained, "I feel like my fans may have been decieved into thinking that they were getting new albums from me when all that Green Linnet did was to recycle old material."

Green Linnet has yet to account for and pay licensing fees and royalties to Eileen for these recordings. In short Green Linnet admits to owing an estimated $65,000 dollars to Eileen Ivers but refuses to pay.

"It's been years since Green Linnet has sent any royalties for my solo album, four Cherish the Ladies albums, or countless compilations that they've placed us on," says Joanie Madden, founder of Cherish the Ladies, the only full-time touring, all-women's group in Celtic Music. Green Linnet stated in their romotional materials that "Over the last 10 years, Cherish the Ladies have become one of the premier Irish traditional groups in the world, and their recordings are always among Green Linnet's top sellers." Green Linnet cknowledges that it owes Cherish the Ladies and Joanie Madden over $70,000 dollars in unpaid royalties although Joanie Madden believes that "this is just the tip of the iceberg."

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Mick Moloney is a National Heritage Award winner. This is the highest honor a traditional artist can receive in the United States. He has performed on and produced over 75 albums of Irish traditional music. Many have been on the Green Linnet label including recordings of the famed group The Green Fields of America, Eileen Ivers, and the distinguished musician and composer Seamus Egan. He and the other artists in The Green Fields of America present complaints against Green Linnet similar to Altan, Cherish the Ladies and Eileen Ivers; unauthorized use of recordings for compilations and failure to supply accurate sales figures and to pay royalties owed.

Green Linnet seems indifferent to the fact that is going down in infamy as a company which has in effect declared war on its artists, losing no opportunity to mistreat and exploit them at every opportunity. Sadly Green Linnet and its ownership represent an anomaly in the world of contemporary recorded music; a throwback to the bad old days before reform of the industry when many record companies routinely cheated their artists. Artist attorney Bob Donnelly said that he was approached by the folk music division of the musician's union to represent 25 other artists who have also not received the royalties to which they are rightfully entitled. "I wish I could fight for all of them but I just
don't have the time," Donnelly said. "One can only imagine how many other artists are out there who have simply given up. I hope our lawsuit gives them the courage to persevere."

It would appear that the ownership and management of Green Linnet have felt secure in mistreating their artists because historically folk and traditional musicians have not possessed the resources to take legal action against major corporations. What Green Linnet clearly did not anticipate is that so many distinguished artists would come together to take collective action against them.

The distinguished Irish musician and teacher Mick Moloney summed it up by saying, "In recent years the management of Green Linnet has come up with a typical rejoinder when confronted by artists demanding justice. 'Sue us,' they say. Well, it's finally happened."

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See here (click) for attribution of the source of this information, such as it is. Since it is information about folk music, it seems to be appropriate to post it here. However, attribution should have been given when the article was posted. It would also have been appropriate for the poster to use his or her own name, rather than posting anonymously.
Slander is most insidious when it's anonymous.
-Joe Offer-