Neil Innes Quotes

You don't want the biggest record deal as far as money goes, you just want to make sure that the people at the label really support your band and the music and stuff.

I never thought I would get signed to a label.

Getting a record deal is a meaningless thing now.

The new independent spirit at Warner Music is a perfect fit for a stand-alone label like Maverick.

I'm really happy with Elektra, I don't have anything bad to say about them at all. I always knew a major label was the right place for me to be. I never really had an opportunity to go to an independent label anyway.

So it was out of necessity that Blackheart was born. I think it's great that now, 25 years later, we're not only putting out our own music, but are able to put out music by other bands. That's really exciting for us.

There was a bidding war between Epic Records and Jive - now RCA - which was bittersweet. Just having labels bid over me was really cool, but I ended up going with Jive because it felt better over there, and they have my favorite artists like Usher, Chris Brown, and Justin Timberlake.

I was signed to a record label at the same time as my friend Elliot Murphy, who makes great records to this day.

When I first started out in the music industry and went to Elektra Records, I didn't go to be an artist, I went to get a record label started. And they said in order to have a label deal, I had to be an artist - so that's what I did.

My girlfriend at the time convinced me to send these songs to Cavity Search. When they wanted to put out my record I was totally shocked.

I can't believe I got a major-label record deal. My music was quirky, and my voice was so odd and high and girlish, it was like a weird novelty act.

My first record deal was an independent record deal back in 1995 or early 1996.

I was initially signed to a German label a few years ago.

You sign your life away, basically, when you sign a record deal, and if you have a platinum album, then you go back in and renegotiate.

If anything, I'm the most hesitant to bring on a label. That terrifies me. I think people believe major labels are linked to success. They're absolutely not that.

I never had to ask Def Jam for anything.

When you get a record deal, you got to be pretty headstrong, know your direction.

I had every major label in the world - I mean, any label that dealt with rap music wanted to sign me. I ended up going with Jive Records because I liked everything about 'em.

I'm not desperate to sign, like, a record deal. I'm very hungry, but I'm just not desperate for it.

I realized how important it was to have a good team - manager, attorney and label. It's not just about putting out a record and somebody signing you.

The Roots - we signed our first record deal when I was about 19 years old.

It was actually really hard to get a record deal after 'American Idol.'

When you find fame, or you get signed to a record label, it's not what you imagined - because you imagined they would have 100 percent trust or faith in you as an artist. Unfortunately, that's not really the case - it's what sells.

I just think that any person who wants music to be their career shouldn't focus on a record label. I have seen friends who sign to a label too early in their career, and they lost control over their music, and their releases were delayed or never put out.

If we meet some people that are in love with NFG that are a major label, then we'll sign with them. If we meet people that are in love with NFG that are an independent label - and they have a plan - well, then we'll sign to them. It's completely up to us.