I.P.O. Records & Thompkins Media Group enter label agreement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) April 16, 2009 -- For Immediate Release:

Award winning singer/songwriter John Mandeville has just struck a partnership to have his I.P.O. Records debut “We Belong To Heaven” released in conjunction with Thompkins Media Group. Mandeville is of course no stranger to the charts, topping the adult contemporary, Christian and gospel categories numerous times after penning tracks for the likes of Avalon, 4HIM, Point of Grace, Tammy Trent and a slew of other superstars. His partner at Thompkins Media Group (T.C. Thompkins) has a legendary resume as well, logging in top executive positions at Stax Records, Capitol Records, ABC Records and CBS/Epic Records (where he served Regional Director, National Director and Vice President of Promotions, developing the esteemed likes of Sade, Luther Van dross and Michael Jackson across his blockbusters “Off the Wall” and “Thriller”, the latter of which is the largest selling CD in history topping 40 million units).

Not only does the pairing provide a creative renaissance for both industry heavy-hitters, but also a personal rebirth. In a strictly artistic sense, “We Belong To Heaven” is an ambitious inspirational pop undertaking, that’s just as likely to resonate with fans of Sting as Steven Curtis Chapman, characterized by stirring instrumentation and an even more empowering lyrical undercurrent. And Mandeville certainly means every word of his life changing story that began with an attainment of industry accolades and notoriety, followed by a major label record deal opportunity at the tip of the 2000s that eventually fizzled with corporate restructuring and sent the artist’s life into a tailspin of addiction and marital problems.

“This project really wrote itself as a result of what I was living through, it was meant to be a monument of change for my family, sort of like David wrote the Psalms,” he recalls of those initial sessions. “This was the turning point, the line in the sand, to see all the drama come to a close”. It was my chance to find my heart and return to a place of hope, while also returning to the heart of who I am as an artist.”

Though it may have originally started as a private lament turned proclamation, “We Belong To Heaven” soon caught the ears of the veteran Thompkins, who was so moved by what he heard that he reached out to Mandeville via MySpace, struck up an immediate friendship and eventually offered his professional support of the project.

“I was immediately attracted to his music for the sake of the art and message, even though my background wasn’t in Christian music,” Thompkins confirms. “But I know artistry when I see it, and between the style of his arrangements and the message, I was hooked.”