Adam Lambert and the 'On With the Show' Controversy - Or Why Greed Seems to Always Win
Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 10:30AM 
This whole business with Adam Lambert, Hi Fi Recordings/Wilshire and the album On With the Show is getting way out of hand. I haven’t talked about the Adam “pre album” until now because I largely think the entire situation is crap: a small label trying to cash in on someone’s very hard earned fame.
Now, it’s time to talk, so let’s get all of you up to speed.
Last week or so, John Hecker, CEO of The Music Publishing Company of America announced his label, Hi Fi Recordings, was pleased to “release Adam Lambert’s debut album called On With the Show.”
Adam is signed with RCA/19 Entertainment, thanks to his amazing run on American Idol. His RCA debut is due in the fall.
The first single from On With the Show is called “Want,” which Adam recorded as a session singer. He received a flat payment for that work and didn’t write the song. Of course Adam’s voice is awesome on the track – the guy can sing the phonebook – but it isn’t rock star Adam. The surprise release of this material forced Adam to issue a statement.
Fans are ticked and have banded together, basically boycotting Hecker, Hi Fi/Wilshire and the single “Want.”
Now, things are murkier.
Someone with Hi Fi leaked a memo – written two days ago – to TMZ.com. The memo shows the track final listing and publishing splits for On With the Show. Why was the label *just* finishing the track listing two days ago when Hecker and his cronies were talking about the amazing songs all along? Fans have wanted nothing to do with On With the Show because it’s unclear if Adam would receive royalty payment. Suddenly, the track listing emerges – and the CD will be full of songs written by Adam and his friend Monte Pittman. (Pittman is a former member of Prong and a current guitarist for Madonna). So – this complicates everything. Those songs – “Crawl Through Fire,” “Kiss and Tell,” and “15 Minutes of Fame” (which is most likely the new title of “Pop Goes the Camera”) are big with Adam’s hardcore fans. He’s had those songs on his Myspace for a long time – they were demos he was using to get a record deal.
So it seems Hecker decided “Want” wasn’t selling enough copies via iTunes so they had to rearrange songs to make the album seem more legit and to make Adam sound like a liar. After all, why would Adam release a statement saying he was simply singing songs written by someone else? He’s always been proud of the work he’s done with Pittman in the past, so I see no reason to disavow those songs now. Something here just doesn’t add up. Seems like Hi Fi is trying to cash in. Funny how they didn’t want to release an album of Adam’s songs *before* he was on American Idol.
"Want"
"Crawl Thru Fire"
Reader Comments (5)
In the past few days Hi Fi had put out so many different press releases trying to sell their album, but why didn't they release the album earlier? Adam was hired as their studio singer back in 2005.
I will never buy anything from Hi Fi Recordings/Wilshire Records. Instead I am going to buy Adam's official debut album by 19 Recordings/RCA Records this fall.
He is in a bussines industry and he knew it when he sang those songs. If at those times HiFi decided not to release an album, they were on their right not to.
As fas as they don't do something against the law, they can do whatever they want.
I bellieve they should be honest and say those songs are a younger and unexperienced Adam... but still Adam.
P.S.<3 u adam.