Danny K
Joined: 08/15/01
Posts: 226
|
|
The Meaning of Life
Friday, December 8, 2006 at 9:34 AM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
Hi Gang,
Got a little story for you.... 
A couple of months ago I moved back from Amsterdam to London and have gathered a couple of clients who I make websites for - its all worked out quite nicely and, though I work hard, still have time for the odd bit of music.
About 5 years ago I did a publishing deal with a library music company that provide music for all different types of usage. It was quite a good deal (though not the Mo'wax 5 album deal I had dreamt about) but it brought in about £3,500 which I seem to remember I spent in about a month. Most of it just payed back overdraught now that I think about it.
Every 6 months or so I get a cheque (depending on how much it has been used) and for about 3 or 4 years, they were never more than about £300; better than a slap in the face but not exactly life-changing. Then in March last year - they started to get a little healthier. Out of the blue I got a cheque for £1500. When I looked at a statement I saw that most of this money was coming from one tune - Windchill - and that its source was Czechoslovakia. My Czech Cheque I called it. It was with this money that I took me and my girlfriend (Lizzie) to Amsterdam for a little holiday. It was on this holiday that we decided to move there later that year, bouyed on with the September cheque of that same amount. It was at this point I decided to join PRS (the performing rights society - UK equivalent of BMI).
While I was in Amsterdam I set up an account in the UK to collect this money thinking that by the time I came back, there might be a grand or 2 in there. Unfortunately while I was away the bank, in their infinite wisdom, shut the account down by mistake, so I put it at the back of my mind to contact PRS and get them to send the money somewhere else. There had been 2 combined payments of £140 so not exactly worth throwing myself off a bridge for.
It was back in October that I was walking in the park near where I live when I gave PRS a call. I told them my new bank details and they said they would update their records accordingly. She then informed me that the October payment had just gone through. I asked her how much the payment was for thinking it would be about £100 or so at most.
She informed me it was £3500. I almost dropped my phone! Where had all this money come from? Once again she told me most of it was coming from one tune - Windchill - and that its source, this time, was France.
Anyway - I had problems. The money had been payed into a closed account so in theory should have just been bounced back to PRS, however in practice seems to have got lost in a bank black-hole where no one can seem to trace the cash. There is a record of it though and I have had to spend a couple of hours on the phone every couple of days trying to sort the damn thing out. At first they said there was no problem and that I should expect the money at any point - but then changed their tune about a month later, saying they never received it back at PRS and now they are trying to trace the amount so I can lay my grubby paws on it. Its been a real trial actually - and when this time last week, he told me there was to be a further delay on the trace (due to the person at the bank having an emergency operation and being off work for the next month) I was getting fairly hacked off. It was only in error that the bank had closed the account in the first place. I was fairly down about the whole thing really seeing as I wasn't even going to get the cash for Christmas.
I almost left it there but then realised that the matter had taken so long that the next payment must be fairly soon. Geeroy at PRS told me it was actually Dec 15th and he would have a look see how much I was due. For some reason I had it in my head that it would be much, much less than last time.
He, oh so casually informed me that I was to expect....
 £12,100
After I picked up the phone off the floor again, and had regained the power of speech momentarily, found out that once again Windchill had made me an absolutely mint - most of it again from France.
So, in short, Vive la fuckin Francais.
Windchill isn't the name I gave to the tune. Part of the deal (from my side) was that they renamed the tunes so, in effect, I kept control of the copyright. The song's original name is "The Meaning of Life" which I wrote back in 2000. It didn't even make it onto any of my albums but boy am I pleased I wrote it!
Download: The Meaining of Life
Its all about music - its all about having fun....
So come this time next week I'll have a cool 12k in the bank. Think I might pay a visit to the mac shop.
|
|
|
DoublePlusGood
Joined: 08/14/01
Location: Portland, Or
Posts: 157
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Friday, December 8, 2006 at 9:50 AM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
That is such a crazy story Danny! But congrats on the payoff, and the track is really smooth as well!
-Erik
|
|
|
LoveCraft's Adjectives
Joined: 08/14/01
Posts: 247
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Friday, December 8, 2006 at 11:49 AM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
Dude . . . 
|
|
|
Kylo
Joined: 02/16/05
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 787
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Friday, December 8, 2006 at 12:05 PM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
Quote:Vive la fuckin Francais. 
Totally- That's freaking amazing- Have you puked yet too?
Congratulations!!! 
"Energizer bunny arrested- charged with battery."
|
|
|
Planet Bliss
Joined: 01/15/02
Posts: 31
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Saturday, December 9, 2006 at 4:57 PM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
 You can afford to replace the broken phone with that pay check!
|
|
|
(((stereofect)))
Joined: 09/02/01
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1333
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Saturday, December 9, 2006 at 10:43 PM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
Quote:£12,100
Very nice!!
That's roughly $27,000 Canadian dollars. 
Man, it takes me a year of bustin' my arse five days a week to make that much money.
Nice one Danny! Enjoy the windfall.
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.” Albert Einstein
|
|
|
Multi-Panel
Joined: 09/23/01
Posts: 217
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:22 AM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
that's really nice
and the tune is fine too, it has a touch of melancholy.
|
|
|
doofgoblin
Joined: 01/21/02
Location: charlottesville, va
Posts: 191
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 7:31 AM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
Deserved
|
|
|
Sonic Wallpaper
Joined: 05/22/01
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1266
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Friday, December 15, 2006 at 8:22 AM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
Cool Danny - congrats
where's the spoken sample from? did you not have to clear it?
|
|
|
P9FM
Joined: 03/29/02
Posts: 198
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Friday, December 15, 2006 at 9:24 AM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
It's great when life surprises you like that. Nice song - congrats on the windfall
not an Obliminal thought in his head
|
|
|
A Bit Crusher
Joined: 01/26/02
Location: Tilburg
Posts: 1794
|
|
RE: The Meaning of Life
Friday, December 15, 2006 at 10:44 AM
|
Quote
Top Bottom
|
Congrats!
|
|
|
