If American Idol fans have been following the Adam Lambert/ Hi Fi Recordings cat fight - the latest "just in" - won't send 'em into a tailspin.
Yeah, it's all just a lot of - they said, she said - eh?
In a nutshell, it was announced last week - after the single "Want" was released on iTunes - that Hi Fi would press a full-fledged album later this summer from a bulk of musical musings Lambert apparently conjured up in a recording studio with little ado over the past two or three years.
Understandably, Lambert has a legitimate reason to be upset, if what he asserts is true.
"Last Friday I was surprised to find out that songs I recorded in 2005 were being released."
"Since then I discovered the entire track listing revealed online today."
"I was shocked to learn that songwriting demos of songs that I co-wrote and recorded over the past few years may be released in an album. Like a rough draft that a writer does before finishing a book, I did not intend my work on these demos to be heard by the public.
"I was unaware that anyone intended to release these recordings until I heard about it in the press and I'm very disappointed by this entire situation."
If you can't trust your handlers, then might as well pack it in, kiddo.
Those kind of woes obviously led to Michael Jackson's early demise if the truth be known.
Will Adam have to cut Hi Fi loose?
Maybe not, but the two need to confer, and get their creative differences squared away.
It's a messy kind of train wreck spilling out all over the music industry landscape in living color.
In an effort to effect damage control - and prevent their meal ticket from jumping ship - Hi Fi released their own version of the tawdry tale.
"As we've already outlined, releasing this music was always the plan. That plan was changed by 19 Recordings after Adam won America over with his extraordinary talent."
"It's a shame that his management/record company choose to disavow their client's work and discredit him as a songwriter.
"As an independent company whose role it is to help put this out, we at Hi Fi think this is an absolute slap in the face to Wilshire Records."
"That small indie music company, run by an experienced music producer, Malcolm Welsford, thrives on finding, nurturing and championing new talent, and now they find themselves at a tremendous potential loss."
"Adam's songwriting partner, Monte Pittman, now finds himself at a tremendous potential loss. Via the press, in the words of the musician they dedicated so much time and money to, they are being told that their work with Adam should never see the light of day."
Or, be given half-the-chance to take a stab at the unpredictable pop charts.
In a kissy-face effort to salvage the ship before it goes down, a Hi Fi rep rebounded a tad in the eyes of Adam - no doubt - when he ended his press release with a statement rife with glowing tributes about Adam's musical gifts.
To save their necks? No doubt.
"We apologize for what has become a tiresome tit for tat, particularly on a day that we mourn the loss of a truly original, game-changing entertainer, but unfortunately, each statement released in Adam's name contains a different story."
"We remain steadfast in our assertion that we seek only to share the music Adam wrote, according to plan, so his fans know the depth of his talent and see that he will be handsomely rewarded for his work."
But, here comes the kicker!
On the heels of the mud-slinging, Hi Fi noted for the record one stickler which may back someone into a corner they can't squeeze out of.
Not even with a king-size jar of KY.
Yeah, someone may get fu**ed - um - in the end.
After all, record execs are now alleging that they have a bona fide recording contract with Adam, which was signed on Feb. 12 (2008).
Holy American Idol, Batman!
In fact, it was because of that little piece of binding legal "tender", that the CD track - "Want" - got the "green light" to be released through iTunes a scant few days ago.
Oops!
Well, 'ya know what they say: the proof is in the pudding.
Someone may have to fess up pronto to save face - and more importantly - avoid litigation.
In the final analysis, I lean on Adam's side when it comes to a course of action.
Any true artist who is a professional would balk at the idea of cutting a CD that wasn't up-to-snuff - especially in view of the stunning turn-of-events which occurred in recent weeks on American Idol - which has turned Adam Lambert into a household "brand" name, for starters.
Nor is it to the advantage of Hi Fi to release recordings of their top dog which are demo-grade - and quite possibly - below professional recording standards.
Adam and Hi Fi need only tweak and rearrange the material on the demos in order to strike a potential mother lode, in my estimation, as I noted in a blog post earlier this week.
After all, an artist's early recordings - coming on the heels of International success - are often deemed the most valuable to collectors, connoisseurs, and music-lovers in general.
Haven't the dueling partners ever heard of the phrase musical roots?
Into the studio, girls!
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