When Chad Williams, president of Resist Records, Beverly Hills, answered a call from PR NEWS last week, it was a less-than-delighted Williams we found on the other end.
The Resist Label Group is the operation that's releasing on May 27 a CD of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's musical compositions which are "interpreted" by the Morpheus Quintet.
So why Williams' attitude?
Because Williams has learned that even the best-laid PR plans can backfire when the media seizes upon something that has a sensationalist spin, and that they aren't likely to let something die - pun intended - when they can still get some sarcastic buzz out of an issue.
"We've had a lot of negative - or flippant - press," said Williams about the media coverage news the release has triggered. "What's frustrating is that people have dismantled it without even hearing it."
Williams said he knew that the project, which took a year's worth of work, would generate some controversy but he said the company - which is a small, two-and-a-half-year-old business - didn't create the release as a gimmick. Kevorkian, he added, really is a fine musician. In fact, the doctor plays organ and flute for the title, "A Very Still Life." (Chad Williams, 310/252-3911)