In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, RCA president and COO, Tom Corson says, of the label’s partnership with Simon Cowell’s X Factor, that they aren’t “obligated to take anybody on.”
THR: After nine years of partnering with American Idol to mixed results, Sony is now the music arm of The X Factor. What did you learn from your Idol experience that you’re applying to X Factor?
Edge: What people aren’t always cognizant of is the fact that the best American Idol results come from doing great A&R. The TV platform provides amazing coverage, but if you don’t have the right songs, it doesn’t really mean a hell of a lot. Those where the A&R wasn’t the best, or they weren’t willing to be A&R’d, they didn’t last.
Corson: Make sure you’re passionate about it. We’re not obligated to take anybody, whereas with Idol we were. It was just a part of the arrangement. We were happy to do it, we did very well, there’s no grumbling about it, but my take is: let’s make sure we’re excited.
So, does that mean if they don’t think they can market the winner, they don’t have to sign them? Isn’t a recording contract part of the winner’s prize? Very strange, indeed.
RCA CEO Peter Edge feels that the American Idol contestants who were unsuccessful may not have been A&R’d well…or weren’t willing to be. Hm.
