Rap Royalty in Check!

Photos

Rap Royalty in Check!

see larger image

uploaded by Barry Artiste

• 

  uploaded by Barry Artiste | add comment

• 

  uploaded by Barry Artiste | add comment

• 

  uploaded by Barry Artiste | add comment

• 

  uploaded by Barry Artiste | add comment

• 

  uploaded by Barry Artiste | add comment

Barry Artiste. Now Public Contributor (New NP Highlighter not working)

Certainly a case where Rap means Bling to a whitebread  hippie 1970s group whose one big hit "Signs" is  world wide recognition 30 years later is something we all can agree on the Dollar sign~!

Keep them royalty checks a comin, as Dave Chapelle says "I'm Rich Beeyach"! 

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2008/07/07/6084576-sun.html

Royalty cheques worth some 'serious coin' one of the Signs that Ottawa's Five Man Electrical Band's legacy lives on

By RON CORBETT

This is a column about the best story I heard last week.

It was told in the Carleton Tavern, last Friday morning, and the person telling the story was Les Emerson. Sitting next to him was Dick Cooper.

Les Emerson and Dick Cooper, by the way, will be on the main stage of the Cisco Systems Bluesfest tonight, opening up for James Taylor.

Les Emerson is the man behind Five Man Electrical Band. Dick Cooper is one of the brothers (come on down, Brian) in '70s country-rock ensemble the Cooper Brothers. Both bands hailed from Ottawa.

The story was told, as I said, in the Carleton Tavern. Emerson and Cooper were remembering how they came to be booked for Bluesfest.

Both men can recall playing to crowds of 70,000 or more. Both men can recall having songs on Billboard's Top 100.

Both men started doing other things a long time ago, when the rock-'n'-roll dream didn't quite work out.

"There came a time," remembers Dick, "when paying the rent started to seem more important."

Both of these Ottawa bands disbanded a quarter-century ago. But after the reunion date at Barrymore's -- with Emerson joining the band -- the Cooper Brothers resurfaced.

Truth be told, however, I have arrived at the Carleton with only one question to ask. For years now I have heard that Emerson makes a tidy living from one song alone -- Signs.

I've never believed it. It's time to learn the truth.

"Is it true, Les, that Signs makes enough money for you to live on?" I ask near the end of the interview.

And the best story I heard all week begins: "Man, it's true," says Emerson, looking furiously around the Carleton Tavern for wood to knock, then realizing the table in front of us will do.

"The first time around, that song sold a million-and-a-half copies. That's pretty good. Then in the '90s a group called Tesla recorded the song and they did another million-and-a-half, which was good again."

He pauses. The story is about to pick up.

ROYALTY CHEQUE