Interesting. I think I'm very hazily unclear on what his situation. At some point he was managed by Doc McGhee with talks of label interest but hesitation to go with an indie label after the Dangerbird fiasco with Aftermath.

But this also implies that no albums were released digitally during the pandemic which I don't think is the case. Why can't you release a song, regardless if it ends up on the album or not, to the public to show people you're still working on stuff and get attention. I guess it depends if you're signed to a label or not? If he isn't, he has full right to do what he wants with it, if he is then there's no danger.

I'm sure legalities are more complex than what I'm suggesting but dude has had years of opportunities to put stuff out, to give an interview saying you don't write bad songs and then sit on a hundred of them....I guess I don't get the point?

Doc seemed to dissapear during the RSO period. Richie and RSO were both removed from his website at his point at least.

Anyone releasing stuff digitally during the pandemic were doing so directly with no endgame (ie no album to promote just dropping the odd song here and there), or already had label support on a project. The majority of people, quiet rightly, delayed the album until they could release physical formats, promote it and tour it.

I'm 99% sure that Richie wasn't signed as a solo artist to any label during the pandemic. If he was then it would have been out by now. The label would have made sure of it. Once RSO signed to BMG thats when things finally started to be released after months (years?) of "the album is finished". Doc isn't managing him, so it's highy likely that he didn't even have any real management in place. This is a guy that struggles to use social media. How was he supposed to release new music to digital platforms without a label or management?

I know I'm making a lot of presumtions here, but it's the only thing that makes sense.

If you don't have a label and you release your best songs from the record, it will be hard to find one that will want to put it out when your best chances of promoting it are already out on the streaming platforms. You will also not be able to licence it for as much money if it's already out there, compared to exclusivity.

I think I do. If you truely believe that your songs are that good then you don't want to put them out and no one hears them. True, that could happen anyway, but as an artist you want to do everything in your power to make sure that those songs get a chance of being heard.

It 100% made sense to wait, but not for this long, unless he had to get the label and management side of things sorted. even then, come on Richie, release the damn thing already!! :rolleyes:

Gotcha, a lot of stuff I didn't consider. I want the best for the guy, I do, but his track record of doing stuff and not releasing it, and I know the pandemic had a lot to do with it, I think he could have done more. Good on him for wanting time off but some clips released officially would have done wonders. Doesn't even need to be his BEST songs.

I don't wanna sound harsh but holding off on putting out a single thing in four years in the chance someone wants to license it. He could have just as easily put out a song that didn't/wasn't going to make the album. If he recorded close to 100 songs, choosing one to show he's out there and interested in starting it up again, there's no reason he couldn't have. I think you're right about Doc, that mighta been an RSO thing.

IMHO he waited too long. Some key moments to get stuff out would have been 2013/2014 after the band departure while he was fresh in everyone's minds and had some online visibility and the Hall of fame induction. Anyways that's my rant on this haha.

God you're not wrong. Even if he'd slow down he could have released 2 or 3 solo albums before now. It is frustrating, but I guess I've just come to accept it. The guy is pretty much in retirement now with the odd burst of activity. It is what it is.

I'd be really interested in knowing what his mindset is. Does he want to wait until he has some kind of a tour ready before releasing it? Does he still have that old school mindset of wanting a major label to pick it up?

I think he does kinda still have that old school metality, yeah. He got burned on a indie label last time and I think that put him off, like Cap said. But he has to be realistic - times have changed since 2012 and there are a lot of really good indie labels out there. There are a lot of sharks too in the music industry though, and it can sometimes take a while to find the right people to work with. That's where a good manager will come in and earn his pay! BMG is a pretty big label, but they did zero with RSO. A really good indie label would give him more attenion, and make more of an effort, than a major in my opinion.

I'm sure he will line up a tour in UK/Europe when the album is out, not sure about the US.

Personally I think he was restricted into such a narrow box from his time in the band, it's led to a very eclectic writing style. RSO was such a mixed bag of rock. pop, country, bossa nova and the songs previews thus far delve further into the soul/horns/motown with guitars song. It's all very hard to promote as one cohesive thing to an audience that I really think wants.....the sound he's trying to get away from.

Whether or not he wants to tour has a lot to do with it. He has to be realistic enough to know the albums aren't going to make money, the North American tour for Aftermath was canceled and that was when he was STILL IN THE BAND. Its Europe or bust at this point.

The discussion is interesting but it seems like you all think he expects to become a commercial success. Like he needs to arrive at a specific moment to appeal to people, but the reality is he is already in his box.

He isn't going to be grabbing many new fans, his record isn't going to sell in any great numbers, his tours are going to be small at best, and whatever he puts out isn't going to attract much attention. That is whether the album is his best ever or his worst ever.

That is just the way it is, and I presume he must know this? Or does he think he is going to re-emerge as a relevant artist that grabs attention, sales, and critical success? If he does, he is heading for a fall.

I think he does know his position, though. So, my problem is why not just put the music out there? If it is eclectic, so what? Just make the music you want to make without chasing any idea of success. Nothing he does, good or bad, is really going to move the needle much on who is going to consume his music.

Seems other posters think he is waiting for label support. Fair enough, but do you think he is rejecting labels routinely or they are not actually coming to him?

I think you are missing the point here. It's not about selling millions of albums or having a hit or any of that. i'm sure that Richie is realistic enough to know that that isn't going to happen. I don't know a single band that wants to put out music without making sure that they have exhausted every possible avenue of getting it heard by as many people as possible. It's nieve to expect that an artist can just put music out there and it will be heard. You have to promote, push it, whether that's to the rock press, radio, the internet, it all makes a huge difference. Certianly here in UK and Europe there are avenues for that. Maybe in the US not so much.

Just last week i heard Stranger In This Town on Planet Rock Radio during the day. This is the biggest rock station in the country. They would be all over a new Richie album, as long as there are some rock songs on it. Virgin Radio just did a post about his album, my other half heard it featured as a news article on their station. This is a big station in the UK. He just did an interview on UK TV. All of this with nothing to promote. You make it sound like there are no avenues for him to promote his new stuff, which simply isn't the case, at least in this part of the world. And that kind of thing always helps with numbers when it comes to new releases. No, we are not talking millions, but we are talking about making people aware that you have a new release out there that wouldn't be if you just put it out without any promotion (see RSO...).

There are always ways of expanding the reach of your new music in this day and age. Anyone just putting out music without putting any thought behind that is kinda wasting their time...

It's not about waiting for label support. It's about finding the right label that he trusts and feels good about. It's a minefield out there.

Is he getting major label interest? Unlikley. Is he rejecting major labels? No way.

I can reel off a handfull of really good independant labels, without even thinking hard about it, that would kill to have Richie on their roster. He will be getting offers from indies 100%. Is it possible that he is rejecting the indies due to his previous experiences. Maybe.

Again this is where really good management would come into play to get him the right deal with the right company. Realistically he probably wouldn't be signing a record deal as such anyways and would licence the record that he has already financed to them, like Bon Jovi do. It's much more common way of doing it these days for acts of all sizes.

I have mixed thoughts. I don't think he thinks he'll get massive commercial appeal with his new material, no, but he's also working in a lot of songs with that uber-pop element to it. "All That Glitters Is Not Gold" with that dance beat and modern sound feels like it's trying to appeal to a new crowd (yet it's my favourite of the batch, go figure)

I don't know if it's lack of interest from him, lack of good management, wanting major success, the self satisfaction of writing and recording but pandemic aside, these long gaps have been his M.O. since the early 2000s. Previously he had the band to legit blame with the touring schedule. Dude has been out for almost ten years now. Dangerbird screwing him over must have sucked but there's a middle ground here he's not even close to so I don't know why we're finding reasons why it's taking him so long to put out music.