diymy Chapter 29 Exclusive Lyricist and Composer
Chapter 29 Exclusive Lyricist and Composer
After the contract was signed, Zeke and Herbert went straight to Morgan Guarantee Trust Bank and cashed Jacques's $20,000 check.
As required by the court, Zeke deposited $10,000 into his trust account and transferred the remaining $10,000 into a discretionary account.
After finishing their business at the bank, the two drove to the attic where Amanda and her family lived.
The car was parked downstairs, and Herbert turned to look at Zeke: "I'll talk to them about this in a bit, so you don't need to worry too much. Jacques and Village People are both signed with Casablanca, and Erf is practically one of their own, so things won't get too tense."
He flipped through his memo: "Let me see... Village People's second album is about to be released, and if everything goes smoothly, the single 'YMCA' will be officially released in January. After your creative talent is proven by the market, your reputation in the industry will only grow."
"I've already figured out a plan. First, we'll try to reach a swap agreement. Then you can write another song for the Sirens, and that song will definitely fetch a higher price. With this agreement in place, Casablanca won't give up on signing them, and you won't breach the contract. It's a win-win situation for everyone."
In a short period of time, Herbert came up with a deal that satisfied the interests of all parties, protecting Zeke's interests while also taking into account the demands of the Sirens and Casablanca. Zeke became increasingly satisfied with him and even more grateful that he had found the right lawyer.
"But don't be too tight on the deadline," Zike quickly reminded him. "Creative work is all about inspiration, and I don't know when I'll be able to write a new song."
"Don't worry, these things are never certain." Herbert nodded. "They're transitioning to disco and need to prepare their first album, which naturally takes time, at least a few months. This time should be more than enough; we won't rush you."
"Okay." Qi Ke breathed a sigh of relief, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.
He was in a great mood at the moment. With money came confidence, and accepting Casablanca's job offer and running off to Los Angeles was not a bad choice.
With this money, plus the steady stream of royalties from the YMCA in the future, even if he loses his job in Casablanca, he can live a stable life on the West Coast and completely escape the quagmire of Brownsville.
The two entered the attic, where the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Eiffel had already contacted Jacques and learned of the changes in circumstances.
Zeke, who originally went to discuss copyright licensing, ended up selling the song "YMCA" to Jacques instead. Tino, Amanda and Keith from The Sirens, and others were all filled with disappointment and anger, feeling betrayed. After all, it had been agreed that the song would be sold to them, but Zeke resold it to someone else at the last minute.
Holly stood to the side, looking at Zeke with disbelief, her eyes filled with confusion and hurt, as if asking, "Why did you do this?"
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under everyone's gaze, Zeke quickly pulled out the check that had been refused payment by the bank and handed it to Amanda, saying calmly, "I'm sorry, Amanda. However, I think our deal isn't complete, is it? Your check can't be cashed, so our previous agreement wasn't valid in the first place."
These words silenced the entire Siren band.
The opportunity for fame that was within reach and the record deal that was within easy reach seemed to have slipped through their fingers. Everyone was filled with regret and pointed the finger at Amanda, accusing her of easily believing Brian's instigation and rashly freezing the checks, which gave Zeke the opportunity to resell the songs.
Tino clutched his hair, looking utterly devastated, muttering repeatedly, "I should have gone with Zeke. How could I have let him go alone..."
Looking at Tino, Zick felt a pang of guilt. He must be filled with regret, thinking that if Tino had come with him to meet Jacques, they might have been able to stop the deal, and perhaps "YMCA" would still be a Siren's song, and their contract wouldn't have changed.
Herbert smiled and whispered a few words in Zeke's ear.
Zik then realized that there was another reason for Tino's regret, perhaps even the most important one: his deal with Jacques was entirely impromptu, and Tino was absent from the entire process—he didn't lead the way, facilitate the deal, participate in the negotiations, negotiate the price, or oversee the contract. Herbert handled everything on his behalf, and according to the rules, Tino, as the agent, shouldn't have received a single penny of the proceeds.
"Don't worry, Tino." Zick was secretly pleased that he had saved a lot of money, but he still walked up and patted Tino on the shoulder. "I won't abandon the Sirens and you. We can still talk about that deal. Your efforts won't be in vain."
Herbert intervened at the opportune moment, stepping forward to address the group: "Everyone, please calm down. Things aren't beyond repair. I've already spoken with Jacques and Mr. Erf and drafted a new cooperation agreement that will protect Zeke's interests while also allowing the Sirens to successfully sign with Casablanca."
"What agreement?" Keith asked immediately.
"Zick promised to write a new song specifically for Siren's first disco album. The price of the song and the specific revenue sharing terms will be discussed in detail after the release of the single 'YMCA' in January, based on the market response. At that time, we will definitely give everyone a satisfactory answer."
After hearing this, the anger and disappointment on everyone's faces gradually dissipated. Although they failed to get the YMCA, having Zeke write a new song and retaining the opportunity to sign with Casablanca was still a pretty good result.
"By the way, Mr. Erf, regarding the Casablanca club we talked about before, could you help me find a private school in Los Angeles?" Zeke asked.
Erf's eyes lit up, and he immediately offered his terms: "Of course, Zeke. We want you to become Casablanca's exclusive employee, writing songs exclusively for the company. The company will provide you with generous income and allowances, top-notch recording studio resources, and will also connect you with excellent singers and producers in the industry, taking charge of the copyright management and commercial promotion of all your works."
"Of course, the private school and Mercedes-Benz that were promised before will also be delivered."
"But there's one thing," Herbert cautioned, "in exchange, all the works you create during your employment are considered works made for hire, and the copyright usually belongs to the company. Your share will be paid out as a performance bonus."
Upon hearing this, Zeke immediately protested sternly: "If you want to take the copyright to my work, fine. I can create for Casablanca, but the copyright must belong to me. That's my bottom line."
Erf didn't seem too bothered by this point. After thinking for a moment, he proposed another way of cooperating: "Since you care about copyright, let's do it another way: sign a contract to become the company's exclusive songwriter. Strictly speaking, this is not a formal job."
The company will pay you $150 per week, but this isn't a fixed salary in the traditional sense; it's an advance on royalties to ensure your basic living expenses. This money will be deducted from your future royalties, essentially an advance on your income.