The Daniel Johnston Benefit Project update!

[Gammon Records]

Hello Daniel Fans!

I wanted to drop in and give all of you an update on where the Daniel Johnston Benefit Project is at.  Currently all the songs are done but two of them are yet to be sent in.  I need to mastering the project and that should be in a few weeks.  We are setting up the artwork for the package with a top photographer and the shoot is going down this week.  Gammon has decided to set a tentative street date for the project for July 22nd.  To properly “work” a project to press and radio the best way to go about it is to work on a 3 to 4 month lag time.   Gammon now plans to make a formal press release mid April.  It’s great watching all of you figure out who is on the project, keep it going!

Best,

Jordy

[wickedwill]

jordy,
 is gammon gonna heavily promote it and push it? i felt they dropped the ball on doing that on rejected unknown. this could be a big chance for dan and i think pushing it in the music mags will help alot more. im sure the fans will agree. push it promote it!!! i will graffitti it all over my small town!!  this could be the year!!!

[Gammon Records]

You bet we are going to promote.  We have a PR team, a radio team, and a street team.  In fact, I have a feeling we will ask all board members to help out one way or another.  Hold off on the graffitti, we'll send you posters and stickers to hang up at record stores. I must say, I thought Gammon did a fine job getting the word out about Daniels last project and I'm sorry to think we didn't.  Trust me when I tell you it's a very hard job. The record did well here, very well over seas and Japan was great!  We all toured Japan because of the Fear Yourself record.  

When you release a record out can really count. I think July is great because we can work it big through september when kids go back to school. Over all I know this will be a great record because I worked on getting the artist and bands for the last year and a half.  I can't wait for it to come out.  I'm sure we'll do some give a ways here on the boards too!  Thanks or your comment wickedwill!

[wickedwill]

im sure it is a tough job and your work is cut out for you BIGTIME. i do live in a small college town and if you send me posters and stickers they will go to good use!! i hope you didnt take the dropped the ball as a slag. i just want to see this year to be the year for daniel and i will do my part like i said i live in a small town and know all the folks well at the music stores and anyway i can help i will. if the fans pull together and slap some posters up and talk to folks and turn them on to the AWESOME work of daniel we can make 2004-2005 with the documentary a great and successful year for him. thanks!!!

[dejected]

FYI... Rejected Unknown went through two other labels before Gammon ended up with it.

[Gammon Records]

It's true, Rejected Unknown was a very hard project to work because it was released twice before we released it. We did our very best to re-pump life back in to it the record.  This is very hard to do for to many reasons to get in to here.  But, I felt this was a good place to start with Daniel and take a chance with him for the long haul.  Remember, at that point he did not have anything new out for about 7 years.  

Wickedwill, I didn't take your post as a slag at all.  I wish all of you knew just how hard it is to make a record work.  If it was easy we all would be doing it, right?

I do want to set up a fan package where we can send tools (posters, postcards and maybe pins) and have fans run to record stores (and other cool places) to drop stuff off.  This would help a TON and is very grass roots.  Maybe we can have fans put up posters in fun places and take a photo of it then post the photos on the Gammon website (or even here)?  Or, if you or anybody has any ideas please lay them on me.  I'm open minded and all ears.

[dejected]

What I could use is the literature that you use in a "PRESS PACK" that introduces people to Daniel, etc.  When we send things out to college radio, etc., we don't have something that is a clean, brief presentation of what Daniel is all about.

So if you could share the "content" (press clips, articles, summary) of a press pack, that would be great.

-dj

[dejected]

Beck is now public about his contribution to the Daniel Johnston Tribute album:

http://www.beck.com/news/index.php?year=current

[Stress Records]

I must say, I thought Gammon did a fine job getting the word out about Daniels last project and I'm sorry to think we didn't.

The job Gammon did with Fear Yourself was weak by anyone's standards. Take a look at their web site - instead of posting upcoming tour dates they still have last year's schedule up.

Over all I know this will be a great record because I worked on getting the artist and bands for the last year and a half.

Would you care to explain what that has to do with it being a great record? A great record usually depends on great songs and great artists, not some clueless A&R shmuck.

Sorry to place such a negative sounding message on this board but when I look at the Gammon web site it's an utter joke and absolutely infuriating.

[wickedwill]

i agree that the website is a joke 100% all you see is a little blurb and i do mean little about the upcoming tribute album why not a big ass hype job!?!and giving dans cds away with the purchase of songs in the key of z vol 1 & 2. does he benefit by that in anyway? good point stress!!

[Gammon Records]

I have to admit that the Gammon website could be a lot better.  But, we need to pick and choose what we work on because we have such a small staff.  We have just brought on a guy to work on our website.  We made some changes last week and we do have more to come.  Yes, we could have a ton more info about artist and projects but it's really just a basic site to sell CD's from.  People who know and love all the bands on Gammon can always find a link back to the artist for more info.  I don't think it's a record labels job to keep up and maintain a site for an artist.  With that said, I think we have a tight roster this year and I don't think the Gammon site will affect the bands who have signed with us.

Jeff, I find it strange you feel Gammon did a week job with Fear Yourself.  Could you have done a better job with non existent distribution ( Gammon now goes through Caroline / EMI) or the fact that you only put out cassettes and have a one person staff?  What do you know about marketing a record?  When was the last time you spent money working a record?  I hire PR, Radio, Street teams every record we do.  That’s more per release with up front cash then I would bet your label has grossed in a year.   As far as “some clueless A&R schmuck” goes, are you referring to me?  I hope not.  If you want to make comments about real things, how they work (maybe you can learn a thing or two) I am more then willing to help you out.  If you want to take shots at me or my label this will be ignored.  The ironic twist to your post Jeff is that the two people who should be routing for Gammon’s success is Daniel and yourself .  You have to be quite aware that your success now is based upon our record sales and our visibility which drives the sales of your cassettes.  
 

[wickedwill]

in my opinion i think the cassettes would still continue to sell no matter of whose success. they are the original way daniels music was heard and fans can be fickle. i know when the cassettes i have now wear out from constant playing i will be back to stress for more and i plan on living to a ripe old age so the folks at stress have me hooked looking forward to seeing a big ass hype job on the gammon site soon. and cant wait till the tribute album.

[Gammon Records]

I think you're spot on wickedwill.

[dejected]

Let's all commit to staying BEHIND to the MANY good things that are happening RIGHT NOW.   What has happend in the last three years and especially the last one year in the 22nd year of an artist's career is all phenomenal.   Everyone EVER involved with Daniel should be proud of it.

If you want to moan on about the "I could have done it better" stories, go fot it.  , but the timing seems off, isn't it.   I mean, look at what is happening!

Sure - Jordy thinks he could have out-marketed Jeff in the early days and we can all under-rate the very real blood sweat and tears Jeff put into Daniel.   Then again, Jeff (or others!) may think they should be running the show now and characterize Jordy as unequiped or faltering.   That's what opponents do to each other, I suppose.

In the end, Daniel and his father are the decision makers right now - and guess what - Daniel is a great song writer and a terrible decision maker!!  And his father is stuggling with an ever-morphing market and the advances of every other joe blow who thinks they can do it better.  RIght now, Jordy is the designated driver.

Right NOW what has occurred with this tribute album is worthy of our salute.   The timing for bashing seems not thought out.

Then when this dies down we can return to running fingernails across the chalkboard to our hearts content.

Then again - speak on if you have something to say - it does make interesting conversation!

[Henry Long]

Jordy-
The idea of a "fan package where we can send tools (posters, postcards and maybe pins) and have fans run to record stores (and other cool places) to drop stuff off..." is very appealing.

I personally can think of a number of awesome independent record stores (Bert's) here in Wilmington and Newark, the University, WXPN, WVUD, the hipster hang outs, etc, as well as the entire city of Philadelpia in general.

What and when do you see this happening? Can we establish who gets stuff to distribute (out of the sheer kindness of our hearts and our manic obsession with Daniel's music) and who doesn't, in order to help ensure it all doesn't end up being sold on e-Bay or something?

Anyway, to quote (sorta) the Matrix, "This is the one."
Best wishes for a successful bombardment.