ADVANCE ALLOCATIONS

We were running three projects simultaneously (and I’ll never do that again!) – the live double CD project was still in the compilation stages when we began pre-production on Billie's Bones, we were still re-doing the artwork on all of the old catalogue ( I wound up doing the re-mastering on those 16 albums in-between the overdubs and editing on Billie's Bones) ,  and we were working on Billie's Bones.   That meant money had to be juggled between the three projects on a daily basis.

As you can see, the money came in dribs and drabs. Fortunately for me, when the BMG money arrived in 2002, we set it aside (though I had to pay taxes on it!) for this project, and that gave us our start-up money. Oh Boy Records gave me half my advance when we began pre-production, which helped enormously.  One of the reasons it’s so hard to make an independent album and use union musicians and an outside studio is because it has to be funded – at least partially – up front. I’m fortunate because every company I was working with understood that the musicians, studio, engineers etc. had to be paid as we went along. 

When I’m bargaining for lower fees and costs, I always promise that the studio, musician, cartage company, whomever, will be paid within a week of rendering their bill.  The big labels sometimes take up to 60 days to pay; I can’t afford to work that way.  Portions of each affiliate’s advance went where they were needed, with me hoping it would all work out in the end. (And, as I said, updating the budget daily.)   Fortunately, all three albums came in on budget, and we managed to pay everyone on time, even though the JVC advance for this record wasn’t due until two months after delivery.