confusion abounds
Apr. 21st, 2003 05:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mickeymThis is mostly for my reference, but if anyone else benefits from it, rock on :)
Okay. So, I've rewatched Driven.
According to the tape, in 1996, Johnny was over in Germany where he was managing (for Transcon) BSB, along with two other acts. Jan Bolz contacted him, said they really like all the american groups coming over, and were there any others Jan and his fellow execs could take a look at.
Johnny has a 2 song CD and a picture of the Nsync boys that he shares with Jan; upon hearing it, Jan indicates interest in going to Orlando to listen to the boys live. Johnny then flies back to Orlando himself to meet for the first time with the Nsync boys and let them know about BMG's interest. Major rehersing ensues.
Jan and one of his cronies comes to Orlando, meets with the boys, watches them perform (possibly the April showcase at Dr. Phillips High?). Really impressed, thinks they're very talented. Meets with Johnny, who then meets with the guys, tells them BMG is interested, but with two conditions:
1) must change the name; too difficult for Germans to say (and what the heck does it mean?)
2) drop Lance; he's not at the same level as the other guys.
Haggling ensues; Johnny says in Driven they all agree Lance isn't going anywhere -- presumably that means Johnny (and probably? possibly? Lou, as well).
The result ends up being the guys are offered a contract with BMG/Transcon.
At this point in Driven it's mentioned that Lou invites Johnny in to manage the group. Presumably goes along with the contract signing, since it's not mentioned prior, and the Driven timeline seems to be pretty chronological.
Possible/Probable timeline:
April '96 - Dr. Phillips showcase (possibly attended by BMG reps?)
June/July '96 - offer made for contract, with conditions; counteroffer made, haggling over conditions, etc.
August '96 - contract signed; Johnny signed as manager; boys go to Europe
~~~~~~~~~
I've noticed in fanfic, we've given Lou close to god-like powers; he's always around, there's always the 'if Lou hears', 'if Lou finds out', 'if Lou ______'. Can anyone confirm (or deny) that Lou was in Germany on a regular basis with the guys? Or Johnny? Obviously some sort of management guidance was required...why do we all assume it was Lou?
Anyone?
Okay. So, I've rewatched Driven.
According to the tape, in 1996, Johnny was over in Germany where he was managing (for Transcon) BSB, along with two other acts. Jan Bolz contacted him, said they really like all the american groups coming over, and were there any others Jan and his fellow execs could take a look at.
Johnny has a 2 song CD and a picture of the Nsync boys that he shares with Jan; upon hearing it, Jan indicates interest in going to Orlando to listen to the boys live. Johnny then flies back to Orlando himself to meet for the first time with the Nsync boys and let them know about BMG's interest. Major rehersing ensues.
Jan and one of his cronies comes to Orlando, meets with the boys, watches them perform (possibly the April showcase at Dr. Phillips High?). Really impressed, thinks they're very talented. Meets with Johnny, who then meets with the guys, tells them BMG is interested, but with two conditions:
1) must change the name; too difficult for Germans to say (and what the heck does it mean?)
2) drop Lance; he's not at the same level as the other guys.
Haggling ensues; Johnny says in Driven they all agree Lance isn't going anywhere -- presumably that means Johnny (and probably? possibly? Lou, as well).
The result ends up being the guys are offered a contract with BMG/Transcon.
At this point in Driven it's mentioned that Lou invites Johnny in to manage the group. Presumably goes along with the contract signing, since it's not mentioned prior, and the Driven timeline seems to be pretty chronological.
Possible/Probable timeline:
April '96 - Dr. Phillips showcase (possibly attended by BMG reps?)
June/July '96 - offer made for contract, with conditions; counteroffer made, haggling over conditions, etc.
August '96 - contract signed; Johnny signed as manager; boys go to Europe
~~~~~~~~~
I've noticed in fanfic, we've given Lou close to god-like powers; he's always around, there's always the 'if Lou hears', 'if Lou finds out', 'if Lou ______'. Can anyone confirm (or deny) that Lou was in Germany on a regular basis with the guys? Or Johnny? Obviously some sort of management guidance was required...why do we all assume it was Lou?
Anyone?
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no subject
Date: 2003-04-21 05:49 pm (UTC)It's hard to know for sure, but I get the feeling Lou was around at least part of the time with Backstreet. He's in the footage of the basketball game of crossover love, for example, and the way the guys talk about their personal feelings of betrayal when it comes to him would seem to indicate that he was more than just the money man. (Kevin's said their "former manager" would talk about how they were like family and had to watch out for each other, which made the fact he was robbing them blind all the more painful.) And, speaking of money, Lou's said that he spent $3 million of his own money getting Backstreet started. I find it very hard to believe that he'd have made that kind of investment without being around to watch over it.
Incidentally, it's always surprised me that with all the 'N Sync complaints about abuse by Transcon -- the sixteen hour days, the fact their mothers had to insist on one day off a week, etc -- that they decided to keep Johnny on as manager after they left Lou. Even if Johnny wasn't directly responsible for their schedule, he would certainly have been responsible for enforcing it. Why was Johnny considered "good" when Lou was "bad"? I've always wondered.
no subject
Date: 2003-04-21 06:33 pm (UTC)Maybe at the time, Johnny was just keeping things going, per Lou's orders? Or, he knew the pace they had to do (from working with BSB)... only this time, they had moms along a lot more (I know AJ's mom toured with them some, and Jane some, yes? -- but I got the feeling it wasn't nearly as much as Diane and Lynn did).
re: Lou and BSB, I copied this from Cressy's timeline (Nov. 02 '99):
Chasez also claims that Pearlman dissuaded the group from consulting lawyers, never showed them contracts for their BMG or RCA label deals, and pressured them to hire Wright and pay him more than the Backstreet Boys did in order to shift Wright’s focus to ‘N Sync... ‘N Sync’s Joshua "J.C." Chasez called Pearlman an "unscrupulous, greedy" businessman who "while hugging us and calling us ‘family’ was picking our pockets, robbing us of our future and even endangering our health."
Looks like JC said very similar things to what Kevin said, re: being family and being robbed. And the thing about hiring Johnny and paying him 'more'... who really hired him, Nsync, or Lou? Johnny said in Driven that he was 'invited by Lou' -- so did the boys not get a say (initially) in who their manager was?
Hmm. *g*
no subject
Date: 2003-04-21 08:27 pm (UTC)I think, if anything, the opposite is true. Jane has said she was there until Nick turned eighteen, and AJ and Denise were so close that she continued travelling with them well after AJ's eighteenth birthday. I believe she took some kind of job with the crew (catering?) to keep herself busy since she was going to still be around. There's a bunch of interviews over the years where AJ mentions his mother is 'there', and she even went on the 2001 B & B tour with them.
... who really hired him, Nsync, or Lou? Johnny said in Driven that he was 'invited by Lou' -- so did the boys not get a say (initially) in who their manager was?
Maybe Lou hired them on behalf of 'N Sync after getting their approval, hence from Johnny's pov, it was Lou who asked him, even though 'N Sync had given the go-ahead?