Maverick (company)

Last updated

Maverick
Industry Entertainment
Founded1992;32 years ago (1992)
Founder Madonna
Frederick DeMann
Veronica "Ronnie" Dashev
Defunct2009
Headquarters Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Products Management
Music
Entertainment
Film
Television program
Music video
Website maverick.com

Maverick was an American entertainment company founded in 1992 by Warner Music Group and run by recording artist Madonna, as well as Frederick DeMann and Veronica "Ronnie" Dashev. It included a record label (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), book publishing, music publishing, an adjacent Latin/Spanish language record label (Maverick Música), and a television production company.

Contents

The first releases for the company were Madonna's 1992 coffee table publication SEX , and its accompanying studio album, Erotica (released simultaneously); the book, notably, drew harsh criticism towards Madonna herself, despite the book's intention to be read as an erotic and irreverent “poetry journal” with artistic, vintage-style black-and-white photos, and a telling of fictional romantic escapades.

Journalist and biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli considered the existence of Maverick Records to be an "anomaly", as Madonna became one of the first female artists to head a real record label, and one of the few women to run her own entertainment company. [1]

DeMann was bought out of the company for a reported $20 million in 1998. Guy Oseary increased his stake in the company and took control as chairman and CEO, thus Madonna was no longer the head of Maverick. Madonna and Dashev left in 2004 after a lawsuit between Maverick and Warner Music Group, in which Maverick had accused parent label Warner of not providing sufficient operating funds to compete against other, bigger labels for music acts. Since 2009, the label has been defunct; some of its acts were transferred to Warner Bros. Records, directly. In 2014, the brand was revived as a management group, founded by Oseary, in-partnership with Live Nation Entertainment.

History

Beginnings

Maverick Records launched in April 1992 as a unit of the Maverick entertainment company. It was a joint venture among Madonna, Frederick DeMann, Veronica "Ronnie" Dashev and Time Warner, [2] and its name was combined from the names of three of the founders; Madonna, Veronica and Frederick. The company had divisions for recording, music publishing, television, film, merchandising and book publishing. The venture was part of a $60 million recording and business deal between Madonna and Time Warner. It gave her 20% royalties from the music proceedings, one of the highest rates in the industry, equalled at that time only by Michael Jackson's royalty rate established a year earlier with Sony. [2]

At the time of its launch, the company was bi-coastal, with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. The record company division of Maverick also consisted of sub-label Maverick Musica (a Miami, Florida-based satellite label focusing on Latin-American music) and Maverick Music Publishing. The first releases for the company were Madonna's 1992 coffee table publication, Sex , and her studio album Erotica , which were released simultaneously to great controversy. [3]

Commercial success

Platinum record for Madonna's 2001 greatest hits album, GHV2, released by Maverick Records. Madonna platinum record 2.png
Platinum record for Madonna's 2001 greatest hits album, GHV2 , released by Maverick Records.

Maverick's first commercial success was with the self-titled debut album by Seattle-based grunge band Candlebox. Released in 1993, the album would be RIAA-certified quadruple platinum in the United States. The following year, the label signed Canadian musician Alanis Morissette, whose third album (and Maverick debut) Jagged Little Pill was released in 1995, and would be eventually certified 16× platinum in the U.S. (overall global sales of 33 million units)–making it the best-selling album in the label's history, and of the 1990s.

DeMann was bought out of the company for a reported $20 million in 1998, after which Guy Oseary increased his stake in the company and took control as chairman and CEO.

Throughout the 1990s to the middle 2000s, Maverick would also release albums by Erasure, Michelle Branch, Meshell Ndegeocello, U.N.V., Dana Dane, N-Phase, Dalvin DeGrate, the Prodigy, Cleopatra, Tyler Hilton, Muse, Deftones, Summercamp, No Authority and William Orbit. In 1999 Maverick released The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture from The Wachowskis film The Matrix (1999) and Marilyn Manson's single Rock is Dead from aforementioned soundtrack and their third studio album Mechanical Animals (1998). "I'm happy with Maverick as a label," observed the Prodigy's Liam Howlett. "They respect their bands; even the ones who aren't selling." [4]

Decline and final years

By the early 2000s, Maverick saw its commercial fortunes decline and business operations financially unravel. In March 2004, the label and Madonna filed suit against Warner Music Group (and its former parent company, Time Warner), claiming that mismanagement of resources and poor bookkeeping had cost the company millions of dollars. Warner filed a countersuit, alleging that Maverick had lost tens of millions of dollars on its own. [5] [6] [7]

On June 14, 2004, the dispute was resolved when Maverick shares owned by Madonna and Dashev were purchased — which effectively exiled the two of them from the company, as it then became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. Then Maverick CEO Guy Oseary, meanwhile, retained his position until WMG purchased his label shares in 2006. [5] The same year, the band Lillix, which at the time was signed to the label, claimed that the Maverick label no longer existed and that all the artists were now handled by Warner Bros. directly. In 2009, the record company folded. [8]

Two of the label's most successful artists, Alanis Morissette and Michelle Branch, left in the late 2000s. Branch left in 2007 after disbanding The Wreckers, while Morissette left after the release of 2008 album Flavors of Entanglement . Madonna's recording contract remained with Warner Bros. Records under a separate agreement until 2009.

In 2001, Maverick Picture Company was rebranded as simply Maverick Films and was solely managed by Madonna and Guy Oseary, CEO of another Maverick division, Maverick Records. In 2004, Madonna and Dashev were bought out of Maverick after a lawsuit with Warner Music Group and they no longer have an interest in the company. In August 2008, company head Mark Morgan and Oseary split with Oseary retaining the rights to the Maverick name his artist management business while Morgan retain ownership of the company's projects and changing the name to Imprint Entertainment. [9] [10] Oseary later formed a joint venture with Live Nation Entertainment in 2014 to revive Maverick as a management group. [11]

In 2010, Maverick Records sued teenage file-sharer Whitney Harper for copyright infringement, and won the case. Harper was ordered to pay $750 per song for the three dozen songs downloaded from the Internet. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, which declined review of the case following an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito. [12] The case is known as Harper v. Maverick Recording Co.. [13]

Selected recording artists

Divisions

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alanis Morissette</span> Canadian and American alternative rock musician (born 1974)

Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and musician. She is known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting. Morissette began her music career in Canada in the early 1990s with two dance-pop albums. In 1995, she released Jagged Little Pill, an alternative rock-oriented album with elements of post-grunge. This album sold more than 33 million copies globally, propelling her to become a cultural phenomenon. It earned her the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1996 and was adapted into a rock musical of the same name in 2017. The musical earned fifteen Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. Additionally, the album was listed in Rolling Stone's 2003 and 2020 editions of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" guide. The lead single, "You Oughta Know", was also included at #103 in their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<i>Jagged Little Pill</i> 1995 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette, released on June 13, 1995, through Maverick and her first album to be released worldwide. It marked a stylistic departure from the dance-pop sound of her first two albums, Alanis (1991) and Now Is the Time (1992). Morissette began work on the album after moving from her hometown Ottawa to Los Angeles, where she met producer Glen Ballard. Morissette and Ballard had an instant connection and began co-writing and experimenting with sounds. The experimentation resulted in an alternative rock album that takes influence from post-grunge and pop rock, and features guitars, keyboards, drum machines, and harmonica. The lyrics touch upon themes of aggression and unsuccessful relationships, while Ballard introduced a pop sensibility to Morissette's angst. The title of the album is taken from a line in the first verse of the song "You Learn".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ironic (song)</span> 1996 single by Alanis Morissette

"Ironic" is a song by Canadian singer Alanis Morissette. It was released in February 1996 as the third single from her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was produced by him. The lyrics present several situations that are described as "ironic"; this has led to debate as to whether any of these actually match the accepted meaning of irony.

<i>Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie</i> 1998 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie is the fourth studio album and second internationally released album by singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick Records in the United States on November 3, 1998. The album was positively received by critics and performed well commercially, breaking the record for album sales in its first week by a female artist. The first single from the album, "Thank U", reached the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100. Morissette promoted the album with worldwide touring. The album gets its name from a lyric in the track "So Pure".

<i>Under Rug Swept</i> 2002 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Under Rug Swept is the fifth studio album and third internationally released album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. Released by Maverick Records in the United States on February 26, 2002, and in the United Kingdom a day earlier, it was the first album Morissette had written and produced all on her own. It debuted at number one on charts in 12 countries, including the United States and Canada, and produced the singles "Hands Clean" and "Precious Illusions". Sales, however, did not match those of Morissette's previous two studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Oughta Know</span> 1995 single by Alanis Morissette

"You Oughta Know" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released as the lead single from her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill (1995), on July 6, 1995. After releasing two studio albums, Morissette left MCA Records Canada and was introduced to manager Scott Welch. Morissette began working on new music after moving from her hometown of Ottawa to Toronto, but made little progress. In Los Angeles, she met producer Glen Ballard, with whom she wrote songs including "You Oughta Know".

Lillix was a pop rock band from Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, formed in 1997 when the early members were in high school. The band was originally an all-girl group under the name Tigerlily composed of guitarist Tasha-Ray Evin, keyboardist Lacey-Lee Evin, bassist Louise Burns, and drummer Sierra Hills. In 2001 the band was signed by Maverick Records and changed their name to Lillix as there was another band called Tigerlily. Hills left in 2002 and was replaced by Kim Urhahn, and later by Alicia Warrington, a future WWE NXT ring announcer under the name Alicia Taylor. Urhahn has been among a rare group of left-handed female drummers. The band was considered on hiatus from late 2006 through 2009 due to the folding of their label, Maverick Records, and officially disbanded after the release of their independent third album in 2010. Their debut album Falling Uphill was an international success, selling more than half a million copies worldwide.

Warner Records Inc. is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the American film studio Warner Bros.

<i>Jagged Little Pill Acoustic</i> 2005 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Jagged Little Pill Acoustic is a re-recorded studio album by Alanis Morissette. It is a largely acoustic retrospective version of her highly successful third album, Jagged Little Pill (1995); the songs are stripped-down versions of the originals, though producer Glen Ballard has augmented them with studio production effects to create an alternative pop album. The album was released by Maverick Records in the United States on June 13, 2005, available only at North American Starbucks outlets until July 26, 2005, when it was made available in other retail stores. This limited availability led to a dispute between Maverick Records and HMV Canada, who retaliated by removing from sale Morissette's other albums for the duration of Starbucks' exclusive month-long sale. The album's single in the U.S. was "Hand in My Pocket". The cover artwork is a sepia-toned tribute to the cover of the original Jagged Little Pill.

<i>Alanis</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Alanis is the debut studio album by Alanis Morissette, released only in Canada on April 16, 1991, by MCA Records Canada. Morissette recorded the album with Leslie Howe, who also produced her second album Now Is the Time (1992), and it was certified platinum.

<i>Now Is the Time</i> 1992 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Now Is the Time is the second studio album by Alanis Morissette, released only in Canada on October 20, 1992. It was her final album for MCA Records Canada. Morissette recorded the album with Leslie Howe, who produced her debut album, Alanis (1991).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Sigsworth</span> English record producer and songwriter (born 1960)

Allan Arthur Guy Sigsworth is an English record producer and songwriter. During his career, he has worked with many artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Imogen Heap, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian, Alanis Morissette, Eric Whitacre, Alison Moyet, and AURORA. He has also collaborated with many celebrated instrumental musicians, including Talvin Singh, Jon Hassell, and Lester Bowie. He is a member of the duo Frou Frou, with Imogen Heap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand in My Pocket</span> 1995 single by Alanis Morissette

"Hand in My Pocket" is a song by Canadian recording artist and songwriter Alanis Morissette from her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). The song was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard and was released as the second single from the album on October 16, 1995 by Maverick and Reprise, five months after the album release. The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who applauded Morissette's songwriting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy (Seal song)</span> 1990 song by Seal

"Crazy" is a song written by English singer-songwriter Seal and English songwriter Guy Sigsworth. It was produced by Trevor Horn and released by ZTT Records in November 1990 on Seal's debut album, Seal (1991). The song became his first commercial hit, reaching No. 2 in the United Kingdom, while becoming his first top ten single in the United States. It has since been covered by several artists, including Alanis Morissette, whose version was released as a single from her 2005 compilation album, The Collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Oseary</span> Israeli-American talent manager

Guy Harley Oseary is an Israeli-American talent manager and writer. His clients include Madonna, Amy Schumer and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whom he has managed since 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alanis Morissette discography</span>

The discography of Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette comprises 10 studio albums, three live albums, six compilation albums, two extended plays, 46 singles, 12 promotional singles, six video albums, and 41 music videos. She has sold more than 85 million albums worldwide.

<i>Flavors of Entanglement</i> 2008 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Flavors of Entanglement is the seventh studio album, fifth international release and last Maverick Records release by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. The album, which was originally set for an April release, came out on May 30, 2008, in Germany, Benelux, and Ireland, internationally on June 2, and in the United States on June 10. It was produced by Guy Sigsworth. Flavors won Pop Album of the Year prize at the 2009 Juno Awards. The album gets its name from a lyric in the track "Moratorium".

Rob Dickins is a British music industry executive, who currently holds a number of trustee and consultant positions in music and the arts in the United Kingdom. Dickins began his music industry career at Warner Music UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maverick (management)</span> American music management group

Maverick is an American music management group formed in 2014 by Guy Oseary. A revival of the Maverick company (1992–2009), the management group also adopts the company's logo.

References

  1. ↑ Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2018) [2001]. Madonna An Intimate Biography of an Icon at Sixty. Pan Macmillan. ISBN   978-1509842797 . Retrieved January 21, 2022– via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 Holden, Stephen (April 20, 1992). "Madonna Makes a $60 Million Deal". The New York Times . Retrieved May 27, 2008.
  3. ↑ Kirschling, Gregory (October 25, 2002). "The Naked Launch". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 27, 2008.
  4. ↑ Elliott, Paul (February 1998). "Their year: The Prodigy". Q #137. p. 95.
  5. 1 2 Shawhan, Jason (August 26, 2007). "Madonna sells record company". NME . Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Madonna's label sues record giant". BBC. March 26, 2004. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Entertainment - Madonna's label sues record giant". BBC. March 26, 2004.
  8. ↑ Hampp, Andrew (October 17, 2014). "U2 and Madonna Manager Guy Oseary Is Trying to Reinvent the Music Biz". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  9. ↑ Schneider, Michael (August 8, 2008). "Maverick Films splits". Variety. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  10. ↑ Malt, Andy (May 28, 2020). "Guy Oseary steps back from Maverick". Complete Music Update . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ "The 'Maverick' Music Managers: The Billboard Cover Shoot". billboard.com. October 17, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Court rejects teen's appeal in Internet music case". The Seattle Times. November 29, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Harper v. Maverick Recording Co". Loeb.
  14. ↑ HOCHMAN, STEVE (November 28, 1999). "Maverick Records Goes for Baroque With Orbit". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved June 19, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.