Rumor: Big Machine to be bought out by Sony?

[Carrieflattsfan]

I have no idea what this means, but it made the news, so I figured it was relevant.

Sony Said to Be in Talks to Buy Record Label of Taylor Swift - Businessweek

[JB172]

Oh the drama that would bring here.

[Farawayhills]

It's only a rumour - but it could well be true. I know Borchetta comes in for a lot of criticism here - but many in the industry see him as the Man With The Plan, so he could certainly sell out for millions to the big labels, and get a leading exec. role in the new set up.

I think the Flatts boys might benefit from having Sony behind them.

I also think there are straws in the wind that suggest Borchetta has had his eye on the Dixie Chicks (on Sony/Columbia) for a while - but I'd say, good luck with that. While it's true that he might be the one man who could market them (if they co-operated), and the demographic he caters to are the main group who want them back - I can't see Natalie agreeing to go back to Nashville, even for Borchetta's jingling cash registers. And I'd despair what he might do to my Hounds' music!

[HuiZ]

Oh the drama that would bring here.

LOL. That's my first thought too.

But then again, if Sony owns BMR, it would mean things will be run pretty differently compared to now.

[robinannhunt]

What does this mean?

Borchetta, with a roster of the biggest country acts, would run Sony’s Nashville, Tennessee- based operation as part of the sale,

[12russ79]

Boy that can't be good for Swifty.... She would actually have to share the promo dollars with other artists.....

[Gator]

^^ Maybe she will start her own label....

[clh_hilary]

^^ Maybe she will start her own label....

Artists always start their own label to copyright their music there, but they are always empty ones.

[pklongbeach]

It's only a rumour - but it could well be true. I know Borchetta comes in for a lot of criticism here - but many in the industry see him as the Man With The Plan, so he could certainly sell out for millions to the big labels, and get a leading exec. role in the new set up.

I think the Flatts boys might benefit from having Sony behind them.

I also think there are straws in the wind that suggest Borchetta has had his eye on the Dixie Chicks (on Sony/Columbia) for a while - but I'd say, good luck with that. While it's true that he might be the one man who could market them (if they co-operated), and the demographic he caters to are the main group who want them back - I can't see Natalie agreeing to go back to Nashville, even for Borchetta's jingling cash registers. And I'd despair what he might do to my Hounds' music!

I was actually about to post how crazy this rumour was. But you actually make it sound plausible.
I would actually like it for a few reasons of my own(that I shall keep to myself, wink). But the very idea of getting Nat back in the studio with the Chicks would be amazing.
I have not listened to the hounds as I am a purist. I don't like amalgomations. But I know how talented each one is in their own right. I just really wish Nat would find her voice again. It was her feistyness that made the trio really pop. And I think she needs to get back on the horse.
Anyway, I still think it is a far fetched roumor. But I am sure not against it.

[Farawayhills]

Natalie says her hiatus was not due to the 2003 bitterness (which is probably true, as she's done two major tours since then), but is due to a desire to be with her family (which I'd guess is partly true - but is likely to be overlaid by a couple of other factors) One is buying too strongly into the "Culture War" symbolism. She mixes predominantly with late night satirists and comedians, who take a cynical and stereotyped view of current divisions in politics and society. In that mindset, it isn't considered "cool" to be Country, and several of her remarks suggest she doesn't want that identification. The other factor is musical - Natalie seems to want sophisticated adult pop, or soft rock - and it's hard to reconcile that with Emily and Martie's banjo, dobro, fiddle and mandolin. I don't think they can agree on what sort of album to make. Natalie's recent single with Rick Rubin was rumoured as a secret reunion project, but I'm told that it was turned down flat by the others, who couldn't accept the musical arrangement.

On the other hand, there are slightly more promising signs. She showed a lot of energy and apparent enjoyment at the Texas charity concert. She said "You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl" and "It's goodbye for now, but not goodbye forever". And her "tweets" have been a little more positive. Instead of saying she doesn't listen to Country Music at all, she's now saying there are exceptions, and she named Joe Ely, Terry Allen and Butch Hancock (who are favourites of the other Chicks). She also performed songs from Patty Griffin's Gospel album on a recent solo gig - these are just the sort of material the others could play.

As Borchetta seems to have a very "Pop gloss" view of Country Music, she just might work with him. The comic and stereotyped image of Mountain Music portrayed in Taylor's "Mean" video would never attract Emily and Martie (who grew up with the real deal) - but it would be wrong to see that as the sum of how he can market artists. He also handles Trisha Yearwood and Sunny Sweeney, whom they could accept.

This, by the way, is the more mature Taylor, at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in October

Taylor-Swift.jpg

As I see it, they'll have difficulty matching the voice to that type of image - so it makes sense for Borchetta to broaden his artist roster.

[JB172]

It's only a rumour - but it could well be true. I know Borchetta comes in for a lot of criticism here - but many in the industry see him as the Man With The Plan, so he could certainly sell out for millions to the big labels, and get a leading exec. role in the new set up.

I think the Flatts boys might benefit from having Sony behind them.

I also think there are straws in the wind that suggest Borchetta has had his eye on the Dixie Chicks (on Sony/Columbia) for a while - but I'd say, good luck with that. While it's true that he might be the one man who could market them (if they co-operated), and the demographic he caters to are the main group who want them back - I can't see Natalie agreeing to go back to Nashville, even for Borchetta's jingling cash registers. And I'd despair what he might do to my Hounds' music!

Borchetta is VERY, VERY good at what he does, I agree if Sony did buy Big Machine and Borchetta wanted to move over to Sony he would get offered a job that is very high up on the food chain.

[Carrieflattsfan]

I have mixed feelings about this. In a perfect world, this would mean some of the artists get better promo, more backing at awards shows, and they'd have an opportunity to increase their fanbase when they're given a broader scope of opportunities.

On the other hand, there are already so many big labels out there (many of which aren't doing their jobs as it is), so I'd be a little concerned that combining all these labels would just create one big mess. If Scott B. was still in charge of his roster of artists he may fight for some of them, but I just hope they wouldn't get lost in the shuffle.

Personally, I like the idea of keeping smaller labels around, and it seems many artists like to use them as well. Rascal Flatts have been on two very small labels (Lyric Street and Big Machine), which tells me they prefer it that way and would like to have more artistic control with a smaller label. Maybe it would be a good move come awards show season, but since they're doing just fine right now (much better than during the last era), I would hate to see that be affected by a move like this.

[thaifood]

^^ Maybe she will start her own label....

Maybe she could adapt something along the lines of the Stones tongue, perhaps a finger in an ear or something & call her label "can'tsingalick" records.

[tcnole1]

If you think Carrie doesn't get the support from her label she deserves now, just wait until Taylor is under the same umbrella of labels as Carrie lol...
Sony Is Said to Be in Talks to Buy Nashville Record Label of Taylor Swift - Bloomberg

Scott Borchetta would be the head of Sony Music Nashville... That's right Borchetta would be in charge of Carrie's record label.

Sony Corp. (6758) is negotiating to acquire Big Machine Label Group, home to country music acts including Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts, according to two people with knowledge of the talks.
Big Machine, founded by Scott Borchetta in 2005, may fetch more than $200 million, said the people, who weren’t authorized to talk publicly. Negotiations are at an early stage and an agreement may not be completed, they said. Universal Music Group also may enter the bidding, one of the people said.
Doug Morris, Sony Music’s chairman and chief executive officer since July, is recruiting hit-making producers. Last week, Morris hired Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, who has 20 No. 1 songs, to start a new Sony label. Borchetta, with a roster of the biggest country acts, would run Sony’s Nashville, Tennessee- based operation as part of the sale, the people said.

Read more - Carrie & Taylor on the same Label

[teesharky]

OMG. Just when I thought things could not get any worse.

Carrie needs to form her own label or join Toby Keith's Big Dog Daddy label. lol

What a nightmare!

[12russ79]

How many threads on this do we need?
It won't effect Carrie at all.... But it will hurt Taylor because she won't be the labels only focus anymore.....

[natewsimpson]

It could potentially be good. He's cleary excellent in marketing strategies and promotion. Carrie could win him over easily. She could be the star of the label if taylor moves to universal to pursue pop.

[Farawayhills]

This is also being discussed in the music thread (where I've given some highly speculative thoughts based on some pitches from the Borchetta camp to another fan base that seemed unexpected and difficult to explain - until this possible news came out)

[Butterfly13]

I really don't see this happening.

[kewlie78189]

don't know what to think...if it is not yet confirmed then we shouldn't be discussing it!