> Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:46:28 -0500 > > It seems like forever ago really.....I wanna say 1996-97 or so...is that > even possible? I looked up the old files I had when I did the KAAS > Website....and see that date around quite abit.... if so...that's like > 13 years ago! Sounds about right. I didn't join this list until 1996. After a suggestion from Mark Hershberger who I met through a Goldmine Magazine ad -- where he was looking to BUY Klaatu memorabilia. I had already met Dee and Terry in 1994 up at the old Second Sun Recording Studio in Richmond Hill for an interview I conducted for my old Great White Noise Magazine (and had dealt with label guy Frank Davies in 1990 before that). After getting on the original mailing list, I started fielding requests from fans and taking them back to Draper once a week or so to be answered. Then the ultimate question was posed: "When are the rarities coming out?" Having already been running Bullseye Records for 10 years I offered to put the stuff out. Terry called a meeting with him, me and artist Ted Jones. I'm sure it was September '96...cause the meeting came shortly after Terry's birthday that year. In that 3 or 4 hours over dinner we established what potential songs would go on this "Raarities" disc and how the artwork would pan out. The plan, at that time, was to have a crop circle on the cover featuring the Klaatu sun...and on the back would be a profile view of the field with mice running out of the grass carrying crop sheering tools, sickles and grass cutting impliments. Alluding to the fact that crop circles were the work of MICE...and not aliens. [I still think this idea would have LOOKED great...alas...it never came to pass]. The hitch to this whole deal was the fact that Klaatu was still tied to Attic Records (who had first right of refusal to the rare tracks) and I had zero track record with a major act (having only released independent records by my own acts and those of friends). Woloschuk was going to be a hard sell. So a long-term plan was hatched. Terry wanted to release a solo album. With it, I could start working a major distribution deal nationally, get Terry's AND Klaatu profile rebuild in this new age of the "interwebs" and ultimately go back to Woloschuk and show 'result' oriented business practices. So we did that in '97. The fanbase exploded and this mailing list started to grow exponentially as the word got out that at least ONE Klaatu member was active again. Then the fire was fueled again when Dee wanted in on the action. We released "Digital" and "BHB4" in 1998. That attracted a money investor and Bullseye was up and running. I secured major distro in 1999 which was another piece of the puzzle that would allow us to pitch a new deal at Woloschuk when the Attic deal expired. At that point I wasn't satisfied to just chase after the "rarities" collection. We wanted the whole catalog so it could be promoted and marketed directly to fans -- not just slapped together and tossed into retail like Capitol and Attic had done. Then there was a snag. Attic Records got bought out in 2000 and subsequently went bankrupt later that year. Another label out of Montreal began sniffing around wanting to BUY Klaatu's mastertapes from them for $250,000. The boys juggled this deal for several months before realizing a) they would have to give the rights up to the masters and b) that's all the money they'd EVER see from those songs ever again. They scrapped the deal leaving an opening for Bullseye to finally show them how to monetize and license the product, keep full control, AND re-issue the CDs the way they were meant to be done. And I've been doing that since 2001. Bullseye, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists. But Klaatu has maintained their deal with me...personally...so that we can continue putting material out as long as it remains practical and cost effective. PS - We're going to be working on the DVD release again in the new year -- now that the "Solology" has been out and has been received with open arms. Jaimie _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live: Keep your friends up to date with what you do online. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid?91815