Who get`s Tolki`s royalties?

[scorpions]

I have been listening lately so much Stratovarius that I came to think when I looked from album booklets those song credit´s and many are Tolkkis songs...so my guestion is who get´s now the moneys from those songs, since Tolkki gave away he`s right to all Strato material?

I wonder have he ever regret that desicion. It must feel really strange to not own them anymore

[NeonVomit]

From what I understand, the remaining members of Stratovarius do. Tolkki waived all rights to the name and back catalogue when he left.

Whether or not he regrets it is a different issue that only he can answer.

[Ragehead91]

I wonder have he ever regret that desicion. It must feel really strange to not own them anymore

You do remember all the fits he threw ever since he left and all the smack-talk about Strato when RR Forum was still online? I doubt that he is really happy with the desicion he made.

[JensJohansson]

A sort of timely question, since I just had the unpleasant task to go through all the accounting stuff for the past few years, to get a general overview over what happened, and also to make sure Lauri and Matias don't have to eat any costs due to follies of the previous lineup.

TT assigned his share of the record royalties to me, TK and Jörg. He at some point considered that extremely generous, and as far as administrative headaches I have to agree. As a practical matter, it's probably simpler to administer the Strato catalog without him being involved.

As I promised him -- and the other guys agreed -- not to just simply grab his share of those royalties, but to account them towards the damage he caused in the hope of paying him again at some time in the future, I did look at the accounting with an eye towards that end as well.

Now that I have had a closer look, in concrete numbers his gift was a less impressive gesture. Stratovarius' back catalog simply doesn't generate so much income at the moment. At the current rate of income, he'll be even with the rest of the old lineup in the year 2126. If you count only the actual expenses we had to cover and not the wasted settlement, he would be even -- already! -- in the year 2028.

There is also the writer's royalties of course (mechanical royalties and for stuff like air play etc). They would go directly to him (via any publishing company middleman) and I don't think his waiver could be construed as him giving away those (nor do I think he should have ... but whatever.) In some cases, such as the R.R. "New Era" record, I heard that he sold the publisher's share of the songs to two different publishing companies in order to get an advance from both. I don't know if he did that also to some other songs. In such cases I believe the royalties would be kept in escrow until it's clear how they should be divided.

Brilliant composer, but irregular to say the least when it comes to business practices.

-shrug-

[AGAG]

He owes everything he makes from now on, so I guess it'd be a fresh start for him. I hope he makes some really good music

[icecab21]

now should the band get the usa break id like them to get than number could be reduced by years

[AAAAAAAAAA]

Who gets Tolkki's royalties?

JENN!!
:rotflmao1:

[Plisken]

At the current rate of income, he'll be even with the rest of the old lineup in the year 2126. If you count only the actual expenses we had to cover and not the wasted settlement, he would be even -- already! -- in the year 2028.

2126 ! thats... hmmm you think Tolkki did the math himself before signing away his rights?

...probably not, he seems like the kind person that does things on impulse. Shoot first, think later kind of stuff.

You would think Tolkki paired with someone like jens it would balance out but I guess not.

OH! I got an idea jens! why dont you guys make score books for all the albums from Episode to Polaris! You could get royalties from that to help you guys out. You guys already re-did the old shirts which I think are awesome!

[icecab21]

score books would be a great idea

[Ragehead91]

[
OH! I got an idea jens! why dont you guys make score books for all the albums from Episode to Polaris! You could get royalties from that to help you guys out. You guys already re-did the old shirts which I think are awesome!

They didn't redo them. I think those are original shirts from 1997 and 1998. Why else would they write "Some of these shirts have natural detrition caused by time. These shirts are really old (and final)!!"

[scorpions]

Thank`s Jens very much for telling how the situation is

[JensJohansson]

2126 ! thats... hmmm you think Tolkki did the math himself before signing away his rights? ...probably not, he seems like the kind person that does things on impulse. Shoot first, think later kind of stuff.

He's actually good at math, at least basic math, I don't mean calculus etc, I don't think he is interested in that sort of thing.

As much as he resents it, I think part of him also cultivates this image of a reckless madman. It's a way to avoid responsibility for some stuff.

The 2004 stunts, signing the RR agreement with Frontiers, the "Saana master was stolen" stunt, etc, all were essentially calculated moves that didn't work out.

Firing Lassila and Ikonen and getting me and Jörg into the band was a calculated move that did work.

Signing that waiver however -- I do believe that wasn't calculated. I think he felt genuinely bad about what he did (and the outcome of the Frontiers mess), and also very hurt about the hard but true words in the statement that we made... it described a view of things which was completely different from his own. And truly insulted that there seemed to be even a possibility that Stratovarius would go on without him, I have a feeling that may have been his strongest feeling.

I think he still feels terrible about that -- or at least his narcissistic self does, that strange part of him which loves power, which loves the word "massive" and which keeps ranting about how badly his art gets pissed on.

And I think that feeling is reflected in a lot of his actions wrt Stratovarius since May last year. As you all (maybe) remember he made the waiver shortly after the statement that we signed "the remaining members of Stratovarius". We did that just to keep options open by the way, at the time I was very much on the fence still regarding carrying on with the band myself. Jörg was 100% against it.

For me, when signing that "the remaining members of Stratovarius", regardless the fate of the band, I must admit, it was not only dotting an i or crossing a t. I partly felt a tinge of gratification in irritating Tolkki too. After all, the dude had just lied to the rest of us and wasted hundreds of thousands of euro.

I note with a certain satisfaction that this thread only has 269 views -- I think of it almost like a chat between maybe 10 or 20 interested readers.. many of which may even be past and present members of the band. Nobody else cares anymore!

I'm stoked about Wacken anyway. Ah yes, must remember to put the news on the Strato mainpage.. soon.

[mayhem-for-all]

I'm stoked about Wacken anyway. Ah yes, must remember to put the news on the Strato mainpage.. soon.

Is the new album going to be worked on before or after it?

[AGAG]

I'm stoked about Wacken anyway. Ah yes, must remember to put the news on the Strato mainpage.. soon.

Is the new album going to be worked on before or after it?

+10,000

[Alex Bongestab]

Hey Jens,

Thank you very much for all of your insight and also for your time to always come here and share information/news/facts that a lot of other artists would tremble before posting.

I am a very old Stratovarius fan who did not post very much and I even don't remember the last time I posted here.

Stratovarius helped me a lot when I was having a really hard time a couple of years ago. I won't waste too much of reader's time here to highlight how incredible Stratovarius really is.

After readings tons of interviews/posts/statements.. so on and so forth... There is something inside of me leaning towards the new Stratovarius. I truly admire and respect Tolkki for his brilliant songwriting and for what he did for to us with his songs and I also admire and respect the new Stratovarius a lot.

Tolkki is sometimes a very confusing person and I believe he just made some really bad decisions that left you guys on tall grass. It seeems that he did with purpose but somewhat regreted that decidion and has been trying to amend ever since.

We will for sure will not now everything that happened, everything that had really happened, the documents and so on..

I believe that somehow this could be really avoided if Tolkki had resigned from Stratovarius and if he would had given you guys heads-up about his future steps, we wouldn't have lost 751 or more days of nonsense and misdirection anger.

Hopefully you guys can come to good terms some day and leave all of this behind, but I don't see Kotipelto and Jorg ever again speaking with Tolkki.

"Polaris" is an excellent record and to my account, it remains more Stratovarius than Tolkki's last works, which they are excellent as well. Stratovarius is now a little bit more to the point, a little bit more "heavy" and benefited a lot with your insights.

The only good thing is that we have 2 very awesome bands.

"Winter Sky" is truly one of the most beautiful songs I have ever listened to and gives me hope for a brighter future for you and the guys.

[RazielSR]

I'm stoked about Wacken anyway. Ah yes, must remember to put the news on the Strato mainpage.. soon.

Is the new album going to be worked on before or after it?

+10,000

+100.000

[palarmux]

I'm stoked about Wacken anyway. Ah yes, must remember to put the news on the Strato mainpage.. soon.

Is the new album going to be worked on before or after it?

+10,000

+100.000

thats question I want to get answer too

New album... Yummy

[Kecos]

Thanks for giving your insight on things like this, and even posting at all Jens. I think it's cool that you bother to even post at all and I find it interesting reading what you have to say

[Arkash]

I note with a certain satisfaction that this thread only has 269 views. I think of this thread almost like a chat between maybe 10 or 20 interested readers.. many of which may even be past and present members of the band. Nobody else cares anymore! Laughing

Well, soon this whole story will contribute to the legend of a legendary band...soon, it will fade into the darkness of the abyss of the void of the golden dragon of the forgotten lands...oh, okay, I shut it and get out, that wasnt funny... (just wanted to sound Manowarish and Rapsodish!)

About Wacken and the new album, yeah, I wonder that too!

[Beast_Pete]

I'm stoked about Wacken anyway. Ah yes, must remember to put the news on the Strato mainpage.. soon.

That reminds me we missed the chance to drink together again in Wacken 2007. I think we should drink twice because of that next year... in Budapest and in Wacken.

[Rebel]

I'm a little peeved that Strato will be at Wacken 2010, not Wacken 2011. I had been hoping to see In Flames, Blind Guardian, Strato, and a few others in one festival, but it seems Wacken is opposed to the same bands two years in a row

[Beast_Pete]

Actually Strato played there in years 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007 and I was expecting them for year 2009.

[Intiaani]

"Polaris" is an excellent record and to my account, it remains more Stratovarius than Tolkki's last works, which they are excellent as well.

This is true. Tolkki's style has somehow remained in Stratovarius. Especially Porra has kind of adopted Tolkki's songwriting, at least in Polaris. Tolkki himself has taken a new direction. I don't like Age of Aquarius songs nearly as much as Polaris or former Strato stuff though. Although, ain't this whole Stratovarius-still-sounding-like-Stratovarius more like keeping the grip from something that has worked since Episode, even for longer? It was, or maybe it was just natural to compose more "Tolkkish" songs. That's what Kotipelto said in Soundi magazine interview in the summer anyway, in "We just made the songs and thought they sounded like Stratovarius, so we didn't change the name after all" style.

It was actually Tolkki's decision how Stratovarius sounded like each time, and he ended up doing the same until catching the feel of the grande finale, in my eyes, Elements Pt. 1 (not the best, just the most grandiose). So, it feel like Stratovarius' new line-up has kind of been safe and secure maintaining that old style (that works for me at least; my favorite music ever), maybe just unconsciously but still. Tolkki's the one that's gone on musically, but he hasn't found the "it" similar to that he did somewhere in mid-90s, not in my opinion anyway.

About the song on Polaris that really gives me hope... Emancipation Suite Pt. II: Dawn. Winter Skies is like the Intermissioned The Land of Ice and Snow, but even more epic. Wasn't that a good definition? Still one of the best songs on the album definitely, very beautiful.

[NeonVomit]

I'm a little peeved that Strato will be at Wacken 2010, not Wacken 2011. I had been hoping to see In Flames, Blind Guardian, Strato, and a few others in one festival, but it seems Wacken is opposed to the same bands two years in a row

Makes sense, really. They don't want to keep having the same lineup over and over, it seems. Some people go every year regardless, so it would be a bit pointless to go to keep seeing the same bands.

[Ragehead91]

Am I still the only one who doesn't like Winter Skies?

[AGAG]

Probably...
It's a great song you know?

[Ragehead91]

Probably...
It's a great song you know?

Nope. It's a boring piece of trash.

[AGAG]

Probably...
It's a great song you know?

Nope. It's a boring piece of trash.

That's what I said, probably you're the only one thinking that way

[hiro23]

Ragehead:it's perfectly okay if your the only one that thinks that, it's your opinion and it should be valued, I personally think it's a great ballad and it's one of my favorites however I'm not going to try and force that opinion on you.

As far as all the events past and present go I'm still of the same opinion, I don't understand why Tolkki did what he did however I still support both Stratovarius and Revolution Rennaisance.
Maybe Jens and I can have a drink together one of these days.

Not to sound like I'm parroting everyone else but I would also like to know about when the follow up album is to be recorded.

[icecab21]

Am I still the only one who doesn't like Winter Skies?

you have star ocean to drink to that with you

Ragehead:it's perfectly okay if your the only one that thinks that, it's your opinion and it should be valued

Not when he calls the song "trash". If you can value that, cool, but as soon as someone says they can’t value a song, I can’t value that opinion as something to be respected.