EP Signings
Signs and Signals
A sign is an entity which signifies another entity. A natural sign is an entity which bears a causal relation to the signified entity, as thunder is a sign of storm. A conventional sign signifies by agreement, as a full stop signifies the end of a sentence. (Contrast a symbol which stands for another thing, as a flag may be a symbol of a nation).
The way in which a sign signifies is a topic in semiotics and philosophy of language.
Any given signifier or symbol is dependent upon that which is intended, expressed, or signified in a semiotic relationship of:
* Signification
* Significance
* Meaning
* Importance
Thus, for example, people may speak of the significance of events, the signification of characters, the meaning of sentences, or the import of a communication. These different relationships that exist between sorts of signs can help people and sorts of things that are signified can be called the modes of signification.
The range of uses of signs are varied. They might include: the indication or mark of something, a display of a message (i.e. a notice), a signal to draw attention, evidence of an underlying cause (for instance, the symptoms of a disease are signs of the disease), a character for a mathematical operation, a body gesture, etc.
Signing a Record Contract
A recording contract (commonly called a record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists under contract are normally only allowed to record for that label exclusively; guest appearances on other artists' records will carry a notice "By courtesy of (the name of the label)", and that label may receive a percentage of sales.
There is space for the artist, and an authorized signatory of the record company to sign the contract, which in terms, seals the deal.
EP's
In the 1950s and 1960s, EPs were usually compilations of singles or album samplers and were typically played at 45 rpm on seven-inch (18 cm) discs, with two songs on each side. Other than those published by RCA, EPs were relatively uncommon in the United States and Canada, but they were widely sold in the United Kingdom, and in some other European countries, during the 1950s and 1960s. Beginning in November 1967, EPs were included in the British singles chart. The first EP to benefit from this was The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour album, a double-EP containing six songs from their made-for-TV movie, the Magical Mystery Tour, which reached number two on the British singles' chart. After that time, the line between an EP and a "single" vinyl record containing more than two tracks became more blurred.
In the Philippines, seven-inch EPs marketed as "Mini-LPs" (but distinctly different from the Mini-LPs of the 1980s) were introduced in 1970, with tracks selected from an album and packaging resembling the album they were taken from. This Mini-LP format also became popular in America in the early 1970s for promotional releases, and also for use in jukeboxes.
Stevie Wonder included a bonus four-song EP with his double LP Songs in the Key of Life in 1976. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was less standardization and EPs were made on seven-inch (18 cm), 10-inch (25 cm) or 12-inch (30 cm) discs running either 33⅓ or 45 rpm. Some novelty EPs used odd shapes and colors, and a few of them were picture discs.
Alice in Chains was the first band to ever have an EP reach number one on the Billboard album chart. Its EP, Jar of Flies, was published on January 25, 1994. Linkin Park and Jay-Z's collaboration EP, Collision Course, was the next to reach the number one spot after Alice in Chains. In 2010, the cast of the television series Glee became the first artist to have two EPs reach #1, with Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna on the week of May 8, 2010, and Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals on the week of June 26, 2010.
In 2010, Warner Bros. Records revived the format with their "Six-Pak" offering of six songs on a compact disc.