Great to see the Mulligan catalogue available again.
Wasn't there dissatisfaction, to say the least, amongst the artists (including Dónal Lunny and the other Bothies), at not getting their royalties? From what I remember, most of the founders sold their shares and lost control of the recordings. They then passed into other hands. There seem to be rumblings of a fuller story to be told there.
Also missing from the catalogue is Paul Brady's 'Welcome Here Kind Stranger'; he's recently released it himself as a download. And how about Mick Hanley's two great albums, especially 'As I Went Over Blackwater'?
My own favourite is 'Andy Irvine–Paul Brady'. Also, Matt Molloy's first album, for its great energy and freshness. That flute/bouzouki combination was just magic.
The Mulligan label was so innovative and exciting at a time when Irish record companies were very bland and not interested in folk music.
You're thinking of the Green Linnet catalog, and yes, there was some dissatisfaction from the artists on that label. (see http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2309, for example)
Compass/Mulligan have acquired the GL catalog and are, I understand, in the process of setting financial issues right with a great body of music and a great stable of artists.
Mulligan Records was a disaster financially almost from its outset. Based on Dónal Lunny's experiences with Emmet Spiceland and Planxty, the label was planned to support musicians and run as management-cum-agency for The Bothy Band.
The problem was that neither Dónal nor Micheál Ó Domhnaill (his co-producer in residence), nor their financial backer (Diane Hamilton - who was the impetus behind the label's limited run of traditional song LPs, bearing the LUNA catalogue prefix) had any experience of running a such an enterprise.
So Mulligan Towers, as it became known, employed a business manager (who had better remain nameless for legal reasons).
Labels specialising in traditional music don't generate much income, as The Bothy Band's members discovered when embarking on European tours and were forced to busk to earn enough money for petrol to fuel their somewhat dishevelled van for a trip to the next gig.
So some likely lad spotted a niche in the market and signed up The Boomtown Rats and soon sold the rights to said band's recordings without any consultation with Geldof or other band members. The Bothy Band's recordings were also licensed to other labels, as were albums such as the Irvine/Brady one, Matt Molloy's debut and Brady's 'Welcome Here Kind Stranger'.
Some of these deals were 'iffy', to say the least, and saw both Geldof and Brady march separately into Mulligan Towers to demand return of the master tapes.
By the end of the 1970s Diane Hamilton had withdrawn from the project, The Bothy Band had split and somehow, in the process, the business manager had gained control of the enterprise.
I can't recount any more without danger of legal redress, but I can categorically state that The Bothy Band did not receive a single penny in royalties from the release of any of its four albums and I'm more than interested to know who has been paid by Compass for the rights to the label.
I hadn't heard the Mulligan story - the GL situation was more recent, but substantially similar. Sounds like Compass is in the business of rehabbing bad record companies, more power to them.
But the Green Linnet saga was very different to Mulligan and the question remains unanswered as to whether Compass Records is actually paying any royalties to those who recorded albums for Mulligan.
I wouldn't be so rapid to assume that Compass is a good guy in this affair.
Okay, well enough - the rumors reaching me have Compass coming out well, but what I hear doesn't come from the artists involved, it's from people in the industry, not connected to the situation, so I won't pretend it's worth much. Sounds like you've got reason to be pretty sure of what you're saying, so I'll take your word on it.
Hey, Shannon - Boston's good. Still working out where the tunes are, there's nothing like the pizza joint here, or if there is I haven't found it. Regards to all.
Mullligan/Compass Records
Mullligan/Compass Records
Great to see the Mulligan catalogue available again.
Wasn't there dissatisfaction, to say the least, amongst the artists (including Dónal Lunny and the other Bothies), at not getting their royalties? From what I remember, most of the founders sold their shares and lost control of the recordings. They then passed into other hands. There seem to be rumblings of a fuller story to be told there.
Also missing from the catalogue is Paul Brady's 'Welcome Here Kind Stranger'; he's recently released it himself as a download. And how about Mick Hanley's two great albums, especially 'As I Went Over Blackwater'?
My own favourite is 'Andy Irvine–Paul Brady'. Also, Matt Molloy's first album, for its great energy and freshness. That flute/bouzouki combination was just magic.
The Mulligan label was so innovative and exciting at a time when Irish record companies were very bland and not interested in folk music.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by amhrán
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
You're thinking of the Green Linnet catalog, and yes, there was some dissatisfaction from the artists on that label. (see http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2309, for example)
Compass/Mulligan have acquired the GL catalog and are, I understand, in the process of setting financial issues right with a great body of music and a great stable of artists.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
No, I'm definitely thinking of Mulligan. Someone mentioned Bothy Band CDs being sold in the shops and the band members didn't get a penny from them.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by amhrán
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
I'm glad someone's raised this.
Mulligan Records was a disaster financially almost from its outset. Based on Dónal Lunny's experiences with Emmet Spiceland and Planxty, the label was planned to support musicians and run as management-cum-agency for The Bothy Band.
The problem was that neither Dónal nor Micheál Ó Domhnaill (his co-producer in residence), nor their financial backer (Diane Hamilton - who was the impetus behind the label's limited run of traditional song LPs, bearing the LUNA catalogue prefix) had any experience of running a such an enterprise.
So Mulligan Towers, as it became known, employed a business manager (who had better remain nameless for legal reasons).
Labels specialising in traditional music don't generate much income, as The Bothy Band's members discovered when embarking on European tours and were forced to busk to earn enough money for petrol to fuel their somewhat dishevelled van for a trip to the next gig.
So some likely lad spotted a niche in the market and signed up The Boomtown Rats and soon sold the rights to said band's recordings without any consultation with Geldof or other band members. The Bothy Band's recordings were also licensed to other labels, as were albums such as the Irvine/Brady one, Matt Molloy's debut and Brady's 'Welcome Here Kind Stranger'.
Some of these deals were 'iffy', to say the least, and saw both Geldof and Brady march separately into Mulligan Towers to demand return of the master tapes.
By the end of the 1970s Diane Hamilton had withdrawn from the project, The Bothy Band had split and somehow, in the process, the business manager had gained control of the enterprise.
I can't recount any more without danger of legal redress, but I can categorically state that The Bothy Band did not receive a single penny in royalties from the release of any of its four albums and I'm more than interested to know who has been paid by Compass for the rights to the label.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Floss the Tethers
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
Thanks Floss for recounting that part of the story. It would indeed be interesting to hear the full facts.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by amhrán
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
Both of those Paul Brady albums are already available on cd, it's just a question of finding them!
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by sampy
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
I hadn't heard the Mulligan story - the GL situation was more recent, but substantially similar. Sounds like Compass is in the business of rehabbing bad record companies, more power to them.
# Posted on September 10th 2008 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
Hey Kiparsky,
Howz Boston?
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by airport
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
Sorry, Jon,
But the Green Linnet saga was very different to Mulligan and the question remains unanswered as to whether Compass Records is actually paying any royalties to those who recorded albums for Mulligan.
I wouldn't be so rapid to assume that Compass is a good guy in this affair.
# Posted on September 11th 2008 by Floss the Tethers
Re: Mullligan/Compass Records
Okay, well enough - the rumors reaching me have Compass coming out well, but what I hear doesn't come from the artists involved, it's from people in the industry, not connected to the situation, so I won't pretend it's worth much. Sounds like you've got reason to be pretty sure of what you're saying, so I'll take your word on it.
Hey, Shannon - Boston's good. Still working out where the tunes are, there's nothing like the pizza joint here, or if there is I haven't found it. Regards to all.
# Posted on September 12th 2008 by Jon Kiparsky