noveldepot Chapter 26 Casablanca's Olive Branch
Chapter 26 Casablanca's Olive Branch
Erfe deliberately slowed his tone and offered another option: "Of course, you can stick to playing rock and roll, I won't stop you. It'll be a $10,000 signing bonus, five years, five albums, that's the deal. There are tons of rock bands in New York, signing you is like buying a lottery ticket, if you win, great, if you don't, it's fine too."
"Then let's forget about it..." Amanda instantly lost her temper, and her voice lowered.
Having personally witnessed the success of their disco transition, felt the enthusiasm of the audience, and seen the hope of becoming famous, they would never want to go back to playing rock music.
Tino simply laid it all out: "Erf, let me be blunt. Warner Bros. offered us a $10 signing bonus, 15% of the artist's royalties, and exclusive promotional resources. What exactly can Casablanca offer? Stop beating around the bush."
"The signing bonus and royalties certainly won't be as high as Warner's, but they won't be too bad either." Erf shrugged. "You know, we've never gotten along with Warner, and Neil would definitely love to make things difficult for them. As long as you're willing to come to Casablanca, we can give you the best disco production resources and the most high-profile publicity, which Warner can't provide."
"What's Neil up to? Didn't he go back to New York for Christmas?"
"He spent the entire Christmas holiday on set, you know, the disco movie 'Thank God It's Friday' starring Donna Summer. This movie was Neil's pride and joy, and it was also our first real independent foray into the film industry."
"Wow, it looks like PolyGram is going to make a killing in '78. First, the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack, and now your 'Friday Night Fever'..."
"Haha, let's talk about something practical..."
"certainly."
Tino and Irf clearly had some connection, and Zeke, completely confused by their conversation, whispered to Herbert beside him, "Who is Neil that Irf is talking about? What's the connection between Casablanca and Warner?"
Herbert leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Neil Bogart, the founder and core of Casablanca, and the former president of Buddha Records, is a legendary figure in the record industry. During his time at Buddha Records, he single-handedly started the bubblegum pop craze; after founding Casablanca, he built a disco dynasty. He has a very keen eye for talent."
"The Casablanca label was originally founded with funding from Warner Bros., who also owned the rights to the classic film Casablanca, which is why they were able to use the name. But later, Neil and Warner Bros. executives had a falling out, so he and his team bought out their contracts and started their own label."
At the time, everyone in the industry thought Casablanca wouldn't survive without Warner's backing, but unexpectedly, it became increasingly successful. Last year, PolyGram acquired half of its shares, and it's currently at its peak.
Herbert paused, then continued, "Casablanca is most famous for its high-profile publicity strategy. Neil Bogart's unconventional entrepreneurial story of breaking away from mainstream companies and starting his own business has also made Casablanca a representative of adventurous independence, attracting many musicians seeking creative freedom."
Honestly, it's a great choice for the Sirens to join. They might even be able to leverage Casablanca's resources to make movies and break into Hollywood; their career prospects wouldn't be much worse than at Warner Bros.
Zik nodded, understanding the situation.
Erfe, Tino, and Colin have begun discussing the specific terms of the contract, and Amanda occasionally chimes in, raising some minor requests, such as requiring a top-notch recording studio for the album and having a dedicated styling team, her tone full of anticipation for the future.
Zeke wasn't interested in their discussion and started rambling: "Herbert, how are we going to resolve the YMCA copyright issue now? It seems like they've skipped this step already?"
Herbert smiled and said casually, "What else can we do? Just buy the license from them. The original song isn't exactly a hit, and the audience is niche, so the licensing fee won't be too expensive. Besides, once Siren signs Casablanca and becomes one of their own, everything is negotiable."
"YMCA" has greater universality than the Village People's original song, and its commercial success is bound to be better. They're aware of this and won't overcharge. This choice isn't difficult, right?"
At that moment, Amanda suddenly spoke up, looking at Erf: "By the way, Warner also promised to help us contact top disco songwriters to find songs. Could you get Giorgio Morodel, who writes songs for Donna Summer, to write a few songs for us?"
"You want to buy more songs?" Erf was a little surprised, raising an eyebrow and his gaze unconsciously falling on Zeke. "Isn't Zeke enough for you to write disco songs? His song 'YMCA' is top-notch, better than many professional songwriters."
All eyes immediately turned to Zeke.
Qi Ke felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and quickly explained, "Uh, I'm still a student. I have to go to school, so I don't have that much time to do creative work. Finding more songwriters will give me more options."
"Wow, I didn't realize you were such a good student." Erf laughed, his tone tinged with curiosity. "Which private school did you attend? My daughter studies in New York too; you might be classmates."
Zik scratched his head awkwardly: "Uh, it's not a private school, it's a public school."
"Public school? Which one?" Erf pressed.
“In Brownsville,” Zeke’s voice trailed off, “you know, Brownsville in Brooklyn, you’ve probably never heard of it, and it’s not exactly a great school.”
"Alright," Erf shrugged indifferently, then changed the subject, "But Zeke, don't waste your talent. You won't learn anything useful in that kind of school, and it'll be hard to get any opportunities for advancement. Actually, we're quite interested in you as a lyricist and composer."
"If you're willing to join Casablanca as our exclusive songwriter, we can arrange better schools for you—the best private schools—so you can focus on your studies and create with peace of mind. We're always generous to our talented employees; we'll give you a Mercedes as a first-time hire—we won't treat you unfairly."
As he spoke, Erf waved the Mercedes car key in his hand; the metal key gleamed under the light, looking exceptionally tempting.
"Wow, is this true?" Keith exclaimed first, his eyes filled with envy. "A Mercedes-Benz as a starting salary? That's so extravagant!"
The other members of the Sirens band also showed expressions of surprise and envy, muttering "Mercedes" repeatedly. Only Amanda pursed her lips, looking completely indifferent.
Old Rossi's eyes lit up, and he frantically winked at Zik.
Erf smiled as he watched everyone's reactions and nodded. "Of course it's true. Musicians in Los Angeles often complain about those New York Jews at the Casablanca headquarters who drive German cars every day. They're convinced it's against their doctrine, hahaha."
Zeke himself was also very interested, for a simple reason: Casablanca's headquarters were in Los Angeles.
If he joins this company, he can completely leave Brooklyn and start a new life without giving up opportunities in the music industry.
Moreover, there are better schools to attend and a Mercedes-Benz to win; this is undoubtedly a windfall.
But after the initial excitement, reason gradually prevailed: Casablanca valued him only for his creative abilities.
He knew in his heart that he didn't have such talent at all. This song came from the cheat code of Tianqi. Without Tianqi, he would never be able to write such hit songs continuously.
This job can't be done for long; once the truth comes out, it's all just wishful thinking.
Erf patted him on the shoulder and handed him a business card: "Don't rush into a decision, Zeke. Jacques Morali, the producer of Village People and the original composer of the song you referenced, is very interested in you and would like to meet you."
He pointed to Tino and Colin: "Leave the contract to us, you don't need to worry about it. Go see Jacques first; the licensing of this song ultimately requires his approval. Perform well; his impression of you might affect the licensing price, and even your future career."