Chapter 142: Doing It Yourself

Based on the investment in Home Alone 2, a box office of fifty million would easily cover costs, and now it's already over a hundred million. If that's not a good movie, then there really are no good movies.

Lucas looked at this box office number, practically drooling. Star Wars is good, but can you earn a hundred million bucks?

The costs are different, okay? For them, a hundred million is a massive profit, while for you, a hundred million is just breaking even. That money also needs to be shared with a lot of people; only the merchandise is really profitable.

The key problem is, do you think they aren't making money? Check out the video rental numbers, and you'll find out they're doing quite well too.

Okay, maybe not as much as Star Wars, but investments are different. One movie might not compare to yours, but what about two?

...

Onlookers quickly realized that William White's stubbornness was no joke. Why should he care if you don't like him? He could just start his own record company.

Not only did he start a record company, but he also created a music channel. This was no small endeavor; he clearly had big plans.

Steam Engine -- that's the name of the record company -- didn't have a single artist.

No one even doubted whether he could support it; if you have money, you can do anything.

Don't have good lyrics or tunes?

Buy them! If ten thousand doesn't work, offer twenty thousand. He'd just throw money at it; who could say anything?

A bunch of record companies were furious. They'd never seen anything like it; the moment he heard a good song, he'd buy it outright, not caring if he had any singers lined up.

For William White, as long as the singer isn't a songwriter, the talent is almost the same. What difference does it make if they're an amateur? Just don't perform live; in the studio, everyone's a star.

"Boss, what do you think? Why don't you sign me as a singer?"

"Get outta here! You can't hold a tune and still want to sing?"

"What's that? I'm pretty good with kids' songs."

"Jason, this is art, okay? Those jerks are already mocking me for 'not understanding art'."

"Ugh, what's so artistic about it? Seems all the same to me."

"Man, like I care about art. It's all about the bottom line, isn't it?"

...

Steam Engine's grand move indeed made life tough for struggling singers. If you couldn't pay, those musicians wouldn't give you their songs.

For art? Oh, please. Let's fill our bellies before talking about anything else.

Believe it or not, if you're willing to pay, hardly anyone would refuse. It's the singers that are basking in the spotlight, while songwriters earn a pittance.

The music industry is really different from movies. The circle is smaller, and news spreads faster.

Since there's a country bumpkin buyer here, why not try your luck?

When William White made a couple of deals, even big-name singers felt the impact. Despite his arrogance, he was generous when it came to money and fair in contracts. He certainly wasn't going to steal someone's name.

Don't underestimate this. Many musicians care about it a lot. Selling their songs isn't the issue, it's about who sings them. They hope to become famous through their work.

Ha, you really think all these songs are written by the singers?

Maybe some, but outside of country and rock, the writers and the singers are usually different people. Many excellent songwriters remain undiscovered, never getting their chance to shine.

With William White, it was different. He followed the songwriters' wishes.

These things have been the industry rules, but now they were openly discussed, making many people quite uncomfortable.

But so what? If they're upset, they have to just hold it in. If they start spreading BS, they're done for.

This so-called open strategy, knowing someone's motive doesn't help; trying to get cheap lyrics and tunes is just daydreaming now.

To openly price songs and lyrics, that's unprecedented. What's more frightening is how happy many songwriters are, knowing they won't be exploited anymore.

True artists understand the value of these creations the most, and envy, jealousy, and hatred are uncontrollable.

...

Even Michael Jackson and Barbra Streisand had to delay their new albums due to copyright issues.

It's obvious someone wanted to up the price. Since someone else bidded more, they had to talk things over.

Warner and PolyGram had the toughest time. If William White really invested twenty million, even if their current album released smoothly, they shouldn't expect any songs for the next one; no one would sell to them.

He doesn't have any singers, you say?

What's the big deal? His record company states the boss only likes creative singers. Any singing issues can be fixed with training, and with the world's best recording studio, small problems can be resolved.

Respect for original singers?

Ha, they nearly state it plainly: who cares about singing skills? With a bit of training, anyone can be a singer. The key issue is creation.

Alright, now there's a problem. That bumpkin you looked down on is splitting singers and songwriters apart.

Yeah, he's definitely stirring up the music world. Not stopping until he's shaken you up completely.

Plus, taking songs -- oh, excuse me, writing -- who can outdo a reborn person? He's just worried about being too flashy, getting others suspicious.

Right now, things are great. Since I'm just a music enthusiast and all, if everyone thinks I'm not good enough, I'll reluctantly give it a shot. Hope you're all happy.

As for whether these songs are bought, no one dares say for sure. It's an industry rule: if you take money, forget you wrote it. Otherwise, good luck in this business.

So why break the rules?

Those who ask misunderstand: in this world, there are many people who prefer to stay hidden. You can't force them to show themselves. This guy merely raised the price, that's all.

*****

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