These 3 artists have something in common

[Tdarcos]

These three artists are all related because of something about their music:

1. Paul Simon
2. Johnny Rivers
3. Neil Diamond

[AArdvark]

Their suck factor?


THE
JOKING
AARDVARK

[Tdarcos]

Their suck factor?


THE
JOKING
AARDVARK

Not bad, but no. A specific thing, or action, about their music.

[Tdarcos]

It is something you would notice immediately if you saw a phonorecord or CD of one of their songs.

[Jizaboz]

Another clue?

[Tdarcos]

Hint: These artists do something with their songs that is almost always exclusively done by record companies.

[AArdvark]

Payola?

[Tdarcos]

Payola?

I was hoping someone would say something like this. What I was thinking was "screw themselves over on royalties."

Seriously now, while this was fun, it is not the correct answer.

Hint: It is not an illegal act* but instead is a legal act. And there is a double meaning in the previous sentence.


-----
* Technically, paying payola to radio stations or disk jockeys to get them to play a song is not illegal. It is only illegal if it is not disclosed (47 U.S. Code Sec. 317) before the song is broadcast.

[Tdarcos]

The answer is that
1. Paul Simon
2. Johnny Rivers
3. Neil Diamond
are the named copyright owner of their sound recordings. In almost every case a record label is listed as the copyright owner of a song they release.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Oh boy. All right. Erm. Ouch.