Cobain Continues Redone: A Kurt Cobain Survives Timeline

MatthewFirth

Toxic34 said:
(Since Brett Morgen ended up doing TTL's equivalent of "Living with Michael Jackson" and Invincible was fully promoted with videos and touring, allowing him to fulfill the Sony contract and jump to Exploitation Records, his life goes much better. Morgen provides the sympathetic, truthful look at his life that Martin Bashir promised but didn't deliver, so it helps turn his reputation around. Thus, Michael has a new phase of his career looking into film like he always wanted, as well as ending touring, but not performing. Without the 2005 trial and media circus, he isn't reduced into a shattered man, hounded to death.)
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(So should he release a new album next? Or should he begin work on film?)
 

Toxic34

(Michael will always release albums and perform, but touring is over, and these occur more sporadically. MidKnight (which is actually the revival of an actual project he was attached to in the early '90s, promised by Jon Peters and Peter Guber when they ran Sony Pictures, but collapsed when projected director Anton Furst (production designer on Tim Burton's Batman) committed suicide) is the first film he does, and it fulfills a lifelong dream of his, so he gets to do that more often and branch out)
 

Toxic34

September 4, 2004-As of this moment, Senator Kerry seems to have a solid lead in the polls, with 61 percent of the proposed vote. During this period, right-wing media like Rush Limbaugh and Fox News resort to brazen personal attacks on his character and record, notably his service in Vietnam prior to speaking out against the war. At the same time, Nirvana begin having discussions with Rob Cavallo over the planned followup to Dixie Dope.
 

Toxic34

September 6, 2004-Springbok moves to begin talks with Icon Productions, Mel Gibson's production company, to consider a three-picture deal to collaborate together on. Gibson's partner, Australian producer Bruce Davey, states the offer is promising, especially with Jennifer Todd's promise to not interfere in Gibson's vision for his films.
 

Toxic34

(The Ohio irregularities are still going to be in play. At the very least, the public will have a much stronger sense that Bush was installed, not elected, both times, and maybe, the Democrats like Nancy Pelosi won't say that "impeachment is off the table". At the absolute least, when Obama wins, there could be a stronger sense to hold the Bush administration accountable for their actions, because of realizing from the start that the bipartisan olive branch won't be accepted.)
 

Toxic34

September 13, 2004-The following is taken from an article in Forbes, entitled "How Springbok Changed The Music Industry."

"I think that what Springbok, and Exploitation Records in particular, has done has made things far less stressful and and acrimonious," Irving Azoff, who is a key player in the organization, states firmly. The massively successful manager (who has managed The Eagles (as well as the solo careers of Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh), REO Speedwagon, Journey, Lindsey Buckingham, Dan Fogelberg, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Sammy Hagar (until after the drama-filled Best Of Both Worlds tour with Van Halen, after which he split from the Red Rocker to manage Van Halen itself), Meat Loaf, and Nirvana; and who also managed MCA Records in the '80s before moving to Warners and founding Giant Records in the '90s), best known as being described by Don Henley as "our Satan", gives a "cat who ate the canary" smile as he talks. "A precedent was set. Every artist on the roster has artistic freedom, with the potential to earn the right to not have their albums rejected by the label. They have full ownership of their masters and timely and equitable royalty payments. The label treats each act and their release as a priority, with full connections to radio stations, MTV, VH1, and all the possibilities that the Internet has provided. You have to spend money to make money, and give the artists plenty of rope, including raises. Because it's the long-term revenue streams that matter most, not the money that comes in immediately."

Azoff chuckles a little. "For too long, the labels and the executives that run them have been guilty of shortsightedness, continual laziness in wanting to repeat formulas, and milking every last cent out of their acts, without regard to the future. And without Springbok, that paradigm was never going to change. Because it's not just gaining all the acts we can that gives us joy. It's getting all the other labels, major and indie, to wake up and smell the coffee at last. I can say that our poaching of so many legacy acts and giving them a new lease on life did the trick. Because now, you have Sony, UMG, WEA, Disney and indies like Sanctuary, Frontiers and Edel AG sweetening the pot to their remaining artists so that they wouldn't jump ship and come to us. Because of that, we have almost eradicated litigation in that sector, and ensured that the coffers of the industry will always be nice and fat."

Besides the recent purchases of two old independent labels to add prestige and assets to the company, as well as being the first new label (besides Jimmy Buffett's Mailboat Records) to retail directly to consumers without a third-party distributor (such as how the Disney-owned Hollywood Records is distributed via UMG), Springbok/Exploitation recently created a special advisory board in which many of the leading managers in the music industry today, regardless of whether or not any of their clients are signed to Exploitation Records, can get together and discuss new developments and use each other's clout to their advantage. Besides Azoff and Springbok figure Jerry Weintraub (who besides his legendary film production credits also managed John Denver and The Carpenters, and helped book Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley's performances), the advisory board is filled with many notable managers, including:

-Howard Kaufman, once Azoff's lieutenant in the '70s, but later created his own agency with some of Azoff's clients, and manages the likes of Aerosmith, Stevie Nicks and Michael Jackson currently
-John McClain and Dieter Weisner, other members of Michael Jackson's management team
-Ray Danniels, longtime manager of Rush, and previously also managed Extreme and Van Halen during the '90s
-Larry Rudolph, manager of Britney Spears
-Punch Andrews, longtime manager of Bob Seger and now also manages Kid Rock
-Allen Kovac, manager of Meat Loaf, Richard Marx, Yes, Blondie, Deborah Harry, Hanson, Ashba and Motley Crue
-David Sonenberg, manager of Meat Loaf's famed collaborator Jim Steinman, and also manages the likes of Joan Osborne, The Spin Doctors, The Fugees and Wyclef Jean
-Jerry Heller, hip-hop manager who cut his teeth with N.W.A.
-Roger Davies, longtime manager of Tina Turner and Janet Jackson, former manager of Olivia Newton-John and also currently manages Cher and Pink
-Merck Mercuriadis, current manager of Elton John and Guns N' Roses
-Andy Gould, manager of Rob Zombie and co-manager of Guns N' Roses and Pantera
-Walter O'Brien, manager of Pantera and related side projects Down, Superjoint Ritual and Damageplan
-Jim Beach, longtime manager of Queen, even after the death of Freddie Mercury
-Sandy Gallin, former manager of Cher and Michael Jackson in the late '80s and early '90s, manager of Dolly Parton and partner in their production company Sandollar Productions, responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer
-Rene Angelil, manager and husband of Celine Dion
-Elliott Roberts, founder of Asylum Records with David Geffen in 1970, former manager of Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Talking Heads, and longtime manager of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman and The Cars
-Jeff Rosen, current manager of Bob Dylan
-Richard Bishop and Seppo Vestrinerien, former managers of '80s glam metal band Hanoi Rocks, whom Exploitation Records has recently signed with hopes to make the reformed band finally break through in North America
-C.M. Murphy, manager of Australian band INXS
-Guy Oseary, manager of Madonna and partner in Maverick Records
-Paul McGuinness, longtime manager of U2, as well as PJ Harvey
-Frank DiLeo, former manager of Michael Jackson and Madonna
-John Silva, once Nirvana's main manager in Gold Mountain Entertainment, but still part of their management team
-Danny Goldberg, once Silva's partner in Gold Mountain, and previously cut his teeth being North American manager for Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band
-Steve Stewart, longtime manager of Stone Temple Pilots
-Peter Mensch and Cliff Burnstein, heads of Q Prime, management branch for Metallica, The Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Doc McGhee, manager of Kiss, Scorpions, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Skid Row, former manager of Motley Crue and Bon Jovi
-Susan Silver, manager of Soundgarden and Alice in Chains
-Phil Ehart, drummer and manager of Kansas
-Bud Carr, former manager of Kansas until 1989
-Joe Rascoff, business manager for The Rolling Stones
-Joyce Smyth, lawyer and manager for Mick Jagger
-Jane Rose, Keith Richards' manager
-Lee and John Eastman, manager and lawyer for Paul McCartney, also father and brother of his wife, Linda
-Danny Sugerman, manager of The Doors as a brand since the death of Jim Morrison and manager of the new live version, The Doors of the 21st Century
-Bill Curbishley, manager of The Who and Roger Daltrey's solo career
-Richard Flanzer, manager of Jackson Browne and former manager of Roger Daltrey
-David Spero, former manager of Michael Stanley and Joe Walsh, manager of Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam and Dave Mason
-Tony Smith, manager of Genesis and the solo careers of Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford
-Anita Camarata, credited as manager of the Sex Pistols as a brand, and personal manager of Steve Jones
-Sharon Osbourne, wife and manager of Ozzy Osbourne as well as manager of Black Sabbath
-Wendy Dio, wife and manager of Ronnie James Dio

When queried about whether the new advisory board effectively means the music industry is now a de facto oligarchy, Azoff merely chuckles once more. "What else is new? If anything, it's always been that way. We're basically making it more honest."
 
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Toxic34

September 14, 2004-Scott Weiland's second solo album, Contraband, is released by Exploitation Records. Notable on the album are a series of songs recorded by Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses backing Weiland, including his bracing songs "Fall to Pieces", "Slither" and "Set Me Free." This collaboration came about when Weiland joined the three members onstage at a memorial concert for Randy Castillo, the former drummer for Ozzy Osbourne and replacement for Tommy Lee in Motley Crue, who died of stomach cancer in 2002. The four of them made a deal to work together in the future for this album, but schedules first had to be cleared regarding STP and GNR commitments. Critics praise the album. "Whereas Weiland's first album, 12 Bar Blues, was fairly experimental and varied in its approach, this is a raw, down and dirty, grimy rock record," David Fricke states in Rolling Stone. "It connotes both the best of '80s sleaze with '90s abrasiveness, with Slash's bluesy undercurrents coming to the fore."

September 17, 2004-As preparations for the 2004 Presidential debates, starting in Coral Gables, Florida, get underway, Democratic Senator Max Cleland is asked about what will happen should President Bush win reelection. "You've seen what has happened since 9/11. There has been an urgency in the Democratic Party that was long missing. We managed to regain Congress in 2002, and were able to hold a considerable amount of President Bush's non-war related policies in check. Under our leadership, America ratified the Kyoto Protocols and is firmly committed to combating global warming in a responsible manner; we overhauled the No Child Left Behind Act to something more palatable for both parties, if not necessarily as far reaching as it should be; we're starting the road to actual reform for Social Security and Medicare; and reversed the road of budget cuts for NASA for the first time in decades. We still have a lot of work to do, of course, because the Bush administration and the Republican Party is determined to obstruct us at every turn, and prevented a lot more from being done. Simply put, if President Bush wins again, it's going to be more of the same for us, and it'll pave the road for a definite White House victory in 2008."
 
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TheGuyWhoHeartsHistory

(This won't fully contribute to Bush's victory of course, but I think that he should make at least one comment on the trail that emphasizes his view on Nirvana and their contemporaries being "degenerates" who'll "corrupt the youth".)
 

Toxic34

(That makes a lot of sense, especially like between the first and second debates, to try to shift the narrative after his initial disastrous performance in Coral Gables.)
 

Toxic34

September 20, 2004-A listening party for Elton John's first album with Exploitation Records, Peachtree Road, is held at Centerstage Atlanta. Like the album suggests, it was recorded in Atlanta, paying homage to the street by his American home, and is notably the first album which John has produced by himself. Carrying influences of gospel and country, it's a notably sedate and reflective album. In addition, a workshop production for the musical Lestat is announced to take place at the same venue in two weeks.
 

Toxic34

(That's very true, also the continual misuse of songs completely against GOP policies and beliefs, like "Born in the USA" and "Rockin' in the Free World.")
 

TheGuyWhoHeartsHistory

Very true, although it's clear that Nirvana's material would be antithetical to the ideals that he holds true. So it's not far-fetched for him to decry their material in an attempt to cozy up to the Moral Majority.
 

Toxic34

September 22, 2004-Rumors of a protest concert at the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables on the eve of the debate begin to spread, with conflicting reports of different artist lineups in mind. Notably, none of the people named as allegedly organizing the concert either confirm or deny the report.
 

Toxic34

September 24, 2004-Denver and Delilah Animation and Don Bluth unveil a teaser trailer for a film adaptation of Space Ace, pegged for release this time next year by New Line Cinema. New Line founder and head Robert Shaye personally expressed interest in the project as something to help keep the "mini major" studio in the running while waiting for Peter Jackson to buckle down to preparing The Hobbit as well as making them something more than "the house the Freddy Krueger built."
 

Toxic34

September 26, 2004-Exploitation Records announces that Aerosmith has officially been signed to the label for a price of $40 million. Back on March 30, the Bad Boys from Boston released a double album, Honkin' On BoBo (which saw them reunited with Jack Douglas in the producer's chair, along with Marti Frederiksen and assistance from the band), with one disc of blues covers (most notably featuring the likes of "Baby Please Don't Go" and "You Gotta Move"), and a second disc of original material. Especially notable on the second disc are certain songs written in the past that have now been finished off, such as "Sedona Sunrise", "Devil's Got a New Disguise", "Black Cherry" and "Do You Wonder." This album fulfilled Aerosmith's contract with Columbia Records/Sony Music, leaving them free agents. While the band has been on tour to promote the record, negotiations for a new label were held on various calls. Exploitation Records managed to snag them, as well as secure a deal to release a solo project for Steven Tyler somewhere down the line.

Joe Perry, while also interested in doing solo releases in the future, has decided against using Exploitation Records to release such material, instead forming his own label, Roman Records (after one of his sons), with a distribution deal via Jimmy Buffett's label Mailboat Records. Likewise, Exploitation Records was also not able to secure a deal for a hypothetical Whitford/St. Holmes reunion record, which is snapped up by Mailboat directly.

Walter Yetnikoff crows about the deal in the press release. "Aerosmith have always been among the undisputed greats of American hard rock, and it brings me great joy to be involved in their future, with a deal that will allow them to flourish artistically. Any investment in them is absolutely sound." Longtime A&R representative and friend John Kalodner is likewise pleased. "I've been with the band through thick and thin, during their comeback at Geffen, to their homecoming at Columbia, and now Aerosmith is going to take flight like never before."

September 30, 2004-Despite the rumors, the protest concert on the eve of the first presidential debate turns out not to come to fruition. As for the debate itself, Senator Kerry ekes out a considerable lead with an impressive performance, while President Bush seems to flounder and not know what word to say next, constantly repeating himself. Many pundits begin to predict that a Democratic victory in November is forthcoming.
 
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Toxic34

October 2, 2004-Writing and demos for the followup to Dixie Dope proceed at a fairly brisk pace. The band decides that this will be more of a straight-ahead punk album than the last one, retaining only Cavallo as producer this time around, though they are open to other influences. At the same time, Cobain suddenly begins discussions regarding framing the videos of both albums together into a coherent story, parts one and two. He broaches this idea with an unlikely figure, Samuel Bayer, who directed the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, and who famously fell out with Cobain because of how it was shot. Feeling that there might be a way for both their visions to complement each other this time around, both begin begin to work out a treatment for this idea. Cobain is also aware that Bayer longs to follow other music video directors and branch out into film.
 

Toxic34

October 4, 2004-New Line Cinema founder and head Robert Shaye officially announces a three-picture release deal with Springbok Productions. Talk over what other types of movies can fit the deal begin to surface. During a conversation, Shaye, his partner Michael Lynne, Theron and Jennifer Todd suddenly start talking about the notorious 1981 film Mommie Dearest, and how it utterly failed as drama. This plants a seed of maybe seeing if Christina Crawford can be persuaded to allow another chance to do her account justice.
 
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