Steve Taylor Does A Garth Send-Up
Source: Launch
© 1998 Yahoo! Inc.
April 24th, 1998
Maybe he just got tired of being asked about it?
Christian artist/producer Steve Taylor, who also heads the eight-month-old Squint Entertainment label, held a press conference during Gospel Music Week to announce plans for his long-awaited new record. In a take on the now-famous battle between Capitol Records executives and Garth Brooks, Taylor announced that "this record isn't coming out until some changes are made at the top" of Squint.
Amid roars of laughter and applause, Taylor handed out mock-ups of his new record's cover art: a copy of Garth Brooks' Sevens release, with Taylor's face superimposed over Brooks', and the title changed to Eights.
"I just love that photo of myself, I just look so buff," the reed-thin Taylor told the crowd, adding that his new record was traditional country and, "on the second song, we just went ahead and threw in a third chord, just to be crazy."
However, he said, "you won't be hearing this album in the near future. The reason is simple: there are some good people at my record label, but I don't believe they are ready to give this album the push that it deserves. They have not been listening to my marketing ideas--including inserting the CD inside a tub of butter. Now, I love a lot of people at Squint, I love them all, but ultimately this record isn't coming out until some changes are made at the top.
"It has been brought to my attention that since I'm in charge of the record label, I'm also the one who wants my butt fired...that makes for an awkward situation. If it comes down to a showdown between the artist and the suit, something's going to have to go down."
It seems the entire charade was Taylor's way of saying he was putting his artist career on hold so he could devote more time to running Squint. The label is home to multiple Dove-nominee Sixpence None The Richer and newcomers the Insyderz.
