Dark Horse Records Partners with BMG, Will Release New Recordings

Saw another Joe Strummer post on the Dark Horse Facebook page, and it got me wondering.

Does anyone know whether Dark Horse actually still owns the rights to the Splinter albums and some of their other original artists? Or whether they still have possession of the tapes?

I’ve read that after a certain period of time and/or under certain conditions the rights can revert back to the artist. After all these years I’m starting to wonder whether the seeming lack of activity regarding the original catalog might be down to this sort of thing?

Mark

 

Great post and interesting question Mark!

I can't recall what the contract deal was for Splinter or the rest of artists signed to George's label!

Since Splinter's material hasn't been reissued prior to the Big Pink (S. Korea label) CD's or even in late 80's or 90's once by Rhino records or another boutique label - it does make you wonder!

There's a book by writer Simon Leng about George Harrison, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from 2003 with Bob Purvis providing answers on working w/ George and more on Splinter era. Maybe someone else on Forum has it and can check it out for your questions!!

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Excellent points by both of you. I really think at this point the Splinter material from Dark Horse is not happening. I think we will know for sure once the 50th Anniversary of All Things Must Pass is out and some time passes. If nothing comes out after that I we will get anything. I'd like to be wrong like the rest of us.

 

The only current Splinter website is here with released material from early 80's and more into this new decade...

Splinter - Legacy

Splinter Legacy Official Site | Bill Elliott & Bobby Purvis

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I think a big reason the Splinter material was never released is 1. It wasn’t a high priority for George and 2. The FPSHOT tape vault was an unorganized mess until just recently and finding all the tapes would have would have been near impossible. We need to remember George couldn’t even find all the Esher Demo tapes for the Anthology 3 project and you would think that would have been a priority. It was only when the vault was finally organized years after his passing that the rest of the tapes were found.

I agree that if the Splinter Dark Horse era albums are ever going to get an estate sanctioned release, it would have to be in the next couple of years or we can most likely forget it.

 

Just curious but do we know whether the estate actually controls any of the rights making this necessary? In a lot of those old 20th century contracts the possession of the tapes and rights to release them were owned by the record label rather than the artist. Not in all cases but a lot of them. Doesn’t seem right in the grand sense of things but in those cases legally, I didn’t think the label needed it to be sanctioned by the artist.

Not sure about Splinter’s contract but it’s this sort of thing that prompted my question last night.

Mark

 

While the official BMG/Dark Horse Records deal announcement on January 23, 2020 doesn't specify Splinter it does indicate projects planned in year 2020 and beyond of " "

The Deals: BMG Enters Global Pact With George Harrison's Dark Horse Records, mxmtoon Signs With AWAL & More ​

"Future releases in 2020 will include compilations, live albums, and box sets featuring rare and unreleased recordings from the Dark Horse label, many of which will be available digitally for the first time."

"We will also be expanding the Dark Horse family with new artists and classic catalogues in the coming years to include a rich and varied roster of incredible musicians whom we love.”

 

The Harrison Estate owns the Dark Horse label and has possession and ownership of the masters and outtakes for all the George and non-Harrison releases (Splinter, Ravi Shankar, Attitudes, Jiva, Henry McCullough, Stairsteps, Keni Burke etc) on the label. The only (current) exception is Joe Strummer's catalog which his estate recently leased to the label.

 

The first Splinter album and the Shankar Family and Friends albums would be instant purchases for me if the new Dark Horse ever bothered to reissue them. Even though I already have original pressings of both.

Why the relaunched label is instead putting out Joe Strummer albums escapes me.

 

The Shankar Family and Friends album was re-issued in the 2010 Collaborations box set which is now sadly out of print.

Why the relaunched label would release a Joe Strummer album before Splinter or Ravi? Because any Joe release would sell a thousand times better...and I don't think that would be an exaggeration.

 

Good point. I’d still like to see a standalone LP or CD reissue of that album.

I guess so. Why even bother to relaunch the “Dark Horse” label and name, though, if you’re going to be reissuing Joe Strummer albums? Start a new record company to do that. It’s as if they relaunched the Zapple label and put out a Sex Pistols album on it.

 

Oh ok, my apologies wrong estate. With the recent passing of Bill Elliott I thought you were referring to his estate in your other post. Sorry about that.

Mark

 

They put out the Chants of India album last year with a lot of fanfare and a snowball's chance in hell of actually finding a copy to purchase. Maybe they could reissue that now in a collectors' box together with Ravi's two other Dark Horse albums. That would make a nice marketable package.

 

And if that works they could then put out a similar 3-album set of Splinter music: the two original Dark Horse albums + an album of B-sides and rarities. Sold!

 

Or that rare Splinter demo collection released in July of 1975 that was pressed up by George through Dark Horse label for promotional purposes between first and second LP releases...

Catalogue #D H 2

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Single LP in plain sleeve w/ affix sticker.

℗ 1975 Ganga Publishing B.V.

Apparently recorded in one day (live with no overdubs) in 1973 at F.P.S.H.O.T. and then pressed in 1975 and issued to record executives, radio stations and music associates. Not commercially released.

The songs are acoustic demos. None of the songs were used except for Love Is Not Enough which was used on a Single release on Dark Horse Japan back in November 1976 and re-recorded for Splinter's Fall 1977 LP release on Dark Horse Two Man Band..
Bob Purvis is reported to have commented that "The acoustic album was made when we were messing about in George's studio; we didn't know it was being made. I hated it, but now after all these years, I don't mind it. George did it with good intentions."

 

master reversion is and has always been extremely rare. it has to do with the initial terms of a recording contract.

one in which the issuing label *traditionally* owns the masters in perpetuity.

anything to the contrary would have been the result of a deal made by a legacy artist with the ability to extract such a provision as a "master reversion" right.

any "new" artist would not be able to do this. traditionally. now?

who knows what deals spotify is offering lol.

to your query as to "permissions"? none are needed to release/re-release works recorded under a previous agreement. absent the foregoing possible exclusions.

 

Mark, no apology needed as I can be unintentionally vague when I post.

Yes! This definitely needs to be part of any Splinter box set/re-issue campaign.

 

There were three original Dark Horse albums.

The Place I Love
Harder To Live
Two Man Band

In addition to the unreleased acoustic set discussed above.

 

Oops, yes, of course, there were three. I was just thinking of the two originals I still have! I didn't know about the acoustic album which definitely sounds worthy of a new release. Anything 'produced by George Harrison' should see the light of day.

 

The acoustic album is available on YouTube in what I recall being good quality. I think if you search on the title listed above it should be easy to find. It is really good.

Mark

 

Track 1 from the beautiful promo LP
[uploaded in 2016]

"Split Crow Road"

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Billy Idol's new EP will be on Dark Horse.

Billy Idol Previews First New Music in Seven Years With 'Bitter Taste' Video

The Roadside EP, available to preorder now ahead of its September 17th release, marks Idol’s first release on George Harrison’s Dark Horse Records, recently revitalized by his son Dhani. “I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Billy Idol to the Dark Horse Records family,” Dhani Harrison said in a statement. “Billy is a legend, and his music couldn’t fit the Dark Horse persona any better. I’ve loved his music throughout my whole life, so to be able to give this new music a home on our historic label is a massive honor.”​

 

Hmm. So the 'Dark Horse persona' is now defined by the likes of Joe Strummer and Billy Idol? Seems a far cry from the east-west experimentations of George and Ravi or the gentle harmonies of Splinter. I guess Dhani really likes these washed up punksters.

 

I’m waiting for those Limp Bizkit reissues on Dark Horse.