An artist development deal is often the first of a recording artist's contracts with a major record label. In lieu of high royalties or other desirable rights, the label will promise to develop the skills and public profile of the artist. These types of deals are sometimes most helpful to the artist, but the label often takes control of the artist's management and publishing rights (dubious practices that have been compared to having a mini-monopoly with respect to the artist). Historically, such deals have been abused by both record labels and managers. Motown records made extensive use of this type of contract, and many argue that it was the sole reason for the massive success of the label in the 1960s. Berry Gordy, Motown founder, likened his approach to digging for oil and discovering a field full of gushers. Later, Motown was accused by some of its artists of practicing professional extortion.
After departing Motown's roster in less-than-favorable circumstances, Florence Ballard was unable to refer to her reputation as part of the Supremes in any future professional ventures.
Famous quotes containing the words artist, development and/or deal:
“The creative artist seems to be almost the only kind of man that you could never meet on neutral ground. You can only meet him as an artist. He sees nothing objectively because his own ego is always in the foreground of every picture.”
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)
“The proper aim of education is to promote significant learning. Significant learning entails development. Development means successively asking broader and deeper questions of the relationship between oneself and the world. This is as true for first graders as graduate students, for fledging artists as graying accountants.”
—Laurent A. Daloz (20th century)
“There is a great deal of unmapped country within us which would have to be taken into account in an explanation of our gusts and storms.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)