All posts containing the tag: "Linda Perry"
Posted Mar 7th 2008 2:48PM by TMZ Staff
The record producer who discovered James Blunt -- the "You're Beautiful" dude -- says she did all the work to make Blunt's multi-platinum "Back to Bedlam" album a huge success -- and Warner Music screwed her.
In court papers filed in New York, Linda Perry -- ex-singer for 4 Non Blondes, 'memba them? -- says she signed the whiner back in 2003, and did "tireless promotion" for "Back to Bedlam," even though Warner Music was lukewarm on it. Then the album exploded, grossing over $100 mil for Warner.
Perry says that's when things got ugly, claiming the big label reworked its deal with Blunt behind her back, and screwed her out of more than $5 mi.
A Warner rep said that Perry "has always been and will continue to be compensated in accordance with the terms of its contractual arrangement with Atlantic."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: James, James Blunt, JamesBlunt, Linda Perry, LindaPerry
Posted Jul 18th 2006 4:44PM by TMZ Staff
Christina Aguilera's version of "Beautiful" is a great song. The tune itself is well written and Christina sounds amazing. But, it took a little luck to get the voice and the song together. The song's author, Linda Perry, says she wanted the song for herself and "didn't mean to give it to Christina at all." She told RockNWorld how the collaboration came about:
"In fact, the way it actually happened was the first time Christina came to my house for the very first time, because at the time I had a studio in my house. And she was very nervous. She was aware of my band I was in and she happened to like my voice, so she was feeling a little insecure, and nervous and vulnerable, and she asked me: "Could you sing me a song to break the ice, to make me feel a little comfortable?" And I said, sure, okay. I had a couple months prior, written "Beautiful" and so I sat down at the piano. And of course that's the song that's closest to my heart, so that's the song I played for her. And she started from across the room and, as the song kept going, she got closer and closer and closer to me. And it was actually very sweet. So by the end of the song, she was standing right next to me at the piano. Can you write the words out and put it on demo...demo it down. And I'm all "Why?" Got all defensive (laughs). And I'm all WHY? And she says, because I want that song. And I was like, "No,no, no. this is MY song." And she's like, "It's perfect for me." And I was really taken aback by that."
Christina certainly made the song hers. But, according to Linda even that took a little bit of finagling too. Linda goes on to describe the first time Christina sang Beautiful at Linda's home studio:
"Christina came down over the next day. I gave her the words. And again we're all in one room, because that's where my studio was, it was not separated. It was like when you sing, I was right there. And she had a friend with her. The music starts. She literally looks at her friend because she's nervous and says "Don't look at me." And she starts the song. Well when I heard that take go down, I got goose bumps all over me. And I knew that was my vocal. And for seven months I fought for that vocal. So that vocal that made it on the record is the scratch vocal, the very, very first time she sang that song."
In a world of over producing, it takes some special talent to pull off something like that - Christina's surely got it.
Filed under: Music, Sound Bytes, Christina Aguilera
Tags: Christina Aguilera, ChristinaAguilera, Linda Perry, LindaPerry
Posted Jul 14th 2006 3:00PM by TMZ Staff
Recording artists often complain about not having control over what songs they record due to overbearing record execs. Record label suits typically suggest dictate what songs are recorded for big time record releases, particularly in the pop area. However, sometimes the artist finds a way to work with the songwriters and songs of their choice. Such was the case with P!nk.
In a recent in-depth interview with Rocknworld.com, songwriter Linda Perry tells how P!nk was determined to work with her on the "Missundaztood" record. Linda, who had a huge hit of her own with 4 Non Blondes, has worked with luminaries like Gwen Stefani, Jewel and Cheap Trick and also wrote beautiful monster hits for Christina Aguilera and James Blunt. But, as the project got underway, the record label execs stepped in and extricated Perry from the project. They felt they knew what was right for P!nk more than she did. According to Perry she was persistent and "hired herself back" to P!nk's team. Luckily for all, as Perry and P!nk teamed for a well done record. If the label had their way, who knows how it would have turned out.
This is a prime example of how labels need to be more trusting of the talent. Suits should stick to writing checks and let the artists take care of the art.
Filed under: Music, Sound Bytes
Tags: Linda Perry, LindaPerry, Pink
Posted Jan 19th 2006 12:19PM by TMZ Staff
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP MUSIC WRITER
Linda Perry, the prolific producer and songwriter for Pink, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and others, was in London to get a jolt of inspiration from the city's trendsetting music scene when a friend slipped her a demo from an unknown singer-songwriter.
It was poorly produced and Perry deemed it mediocre as a whole. Yet the scratchy tenor and lyrical content left Perry transfixed when she heard it three years ago.
"Anybody with an ear could hear that this guy was amazing," says Perry, who maintained her poker face while she was listening but recalls "kicking my manager under the table like, `Oh my God!"'
Now the rest of the world knows why Perry was so riveted. The singer on that demo, James Blunt (whom Perry signed to her fledgling label) has become music's latest It Boy due to his soulful, stirring single, "You're Beautiful." The ballad, about a split-second encounter with a stunning woman that leaves him wondering what might have been, became a mainstay on adult contemporary formats before crossing over to top 40 radio, where it has become a top 20 hit.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Music
Tags: James Blunt, JamesBlunt, Linda Perry, LindaPerry
