A Message From Randy Sparks about the new CD:
Our newest recording is titled The New Christy Minstrels, Under the Direction
of Randy Sparks, RECYCLED/ALL-NEW & EXCITING! The First Edition of this CD
shall be on The Gramophone Label. That's my vintage company, dating all the
way back to 1963.
Why not Columbia Records (Sony) again? Haven't they been our record company
for all these years? Yes, and I’m very appreciative of their being our
company. That relationship, much more than the quality of the 1962 product,
helped us to win our first Grammy in 1963 (the company had the most voting
members in the Academy!), but they've also treated us like third-world
orphans. We don't get artists' royalties for most of the songs we recorded,
as this right to income has been stolen from us. The younger folks who now
run the company seem to care more about Michael Jackson than they do about
us. And why shouldn't they? They've likely never heard of The New Christy
Minstrels, despite that we've made MILLIONS for their company. Barry and I
have always received writers' royalties for our song Green Green (the
Copyright Laws are much stronger than talent contracts), but at the company's
bargain-basement rate. As the song's publisher, I was asked none-too-politely
for a 50% reduction, this for the sake of guaranteed promotion of the single
record. The scheme must have worked, because Green Green became our biggest
hit single, but although not a dime has been spent on promoting in the past 45
years, we're still being paid at that same rate, 50% of what Congress deemed
fair back in '62, two-cents per record, one-cent to the publisher, and
half-cent each to the writers. The current rate is nearly ten-cents per
recording. Were we cheated? Absolutely, and it's still going on!
Now we have a new recording of Green Green, and it's even better. We're also
dealing with more honorable business people this time: ourselves! We can be
trusted to be fair with us, all of us. Artists' royalties shall now accrue to
our benefit, not the Michael Jackson Face-Whitening Pharmaceutical Fund, and
the next time the ad agencies for Seven-Up or Applebee's call to make use of
Green Green for their commercials, we'll have the right to make a deal,
without consulting Sony or our greedy former managers. Life is better. Life
is good.
Why are we charging $20. for this recording? Isn't that a bit
steep? No. Not if you factor-in the following:
1. It's a First Edition, and only 2000 units will be sold.
2. Since it's a short-run for the duplicating and printing companies, the
costs are consierably more, per unit produced. We have learned that it's The
American Way to pass along such gouges to you, the consumer.
3. A considerable portion, $5. of the sales price, represents a
tax-deductible donation to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We have arbitrarily
decided to allow you to contribute on our behalf, so that we can finally
receive this honor, our own NCM Star, for which we have been eligible for
decades! Columbia Records or NBC should have paid the money for us many years
ago, but since they didn't, you are being asked to help. Think how proud
you'll be for years to come. Randy Sparks
P.S. First Editions always sell for more on e-Bay!