Original subtitles

ANNOUNCER: Tonight on "Wiseguy."

That little weasel is poaching on me.

You know, that guy is shameless.

What's shame got to do with this business, Vinnie?

You do what you gotta get done, or it gets done to you.

You're overmatched here, girlfriend.

I'll rip your implants out.

Let's cut an album!

I don't have enough original material.

I mean it, Diana.

You don't have to talk to anybody you don't want to.

Are you the guy in the song, Vinnie, someone

to watch over me.

I don't want you near her.

Did he hurt you?

He made love to me.

[theme music]

(SINGING) Whoa!

I feel good.

[tires screech]

[sirens blare]

I feel good.

I knew that I would, now.

(SINGING) So good.

So good.

I've got you.

I feel nice.

Sugar and spice, yeah.

I feel nice.

[crashes]

Like sugar and spice.

So nice, so nice.

Ah!

'Cause I got you.

Come on, baby.

[crashes]

--in my arms, yeah.

We got it, baby.

[laughs]

My love can't do me no harm.

Yeah, baby, come on. --feel nice.

[tires screech]

Yeah.

Sugar and spice.

So nice, so nice.

But I got you.

Woo!

Ow!

[scats] Ah!

Woo!

Yo!

[laughs]

My love can't do me no harm.

Ow!

I feel good.

I knew that I would, now.

So good, so good, 'cause I got you.

[bangs]

FRANK: We're dealing with creatures

from another planet, Paul.

PAUL: This research project for Terranova's has already

cost the OCB over $100,000, and we haven't

taken our first mug shot.

Where's all the counterfeiting, fraud, and corruption

I've heard so much about?

Vinnie's already inside Shakala Records.

What more do you want, Paul?

For starters--

[taps keys]

--Isaac Twine.

Isaac Twine owns Shakala Records,

which swallowed Dead Dog, the company we're

fronting for this operation.

That means Vinnie's working under Twine's umbrella.

That gives him an insider view to an industry that

is wall-to-wall corruption--

$800 million worth of it a year.

And if I read the poop sheets correctly,

the foremost receptacle of this money is--

[taps keys]

--Winston Newquay.

The former Sam Fishbine from the East End of London.

He wanted to buy Vinnie out and show him the door.

Twine was willing to keep him in the business, where

he will eventually do us some good,

if you give him some time.

How about it, Paul?

Why?

So we can pick up some more of Bobby Travis's bad habits?

Travis and Vinnie have a record that's 85 with a bullet

bright side by Diana Price.

It's a habit a lot of people would like to pick up.

You're pretty zen-like about all this.

Since when did patience become one of your virtues?

Well, since when did it stop being one of yours?

Paul, are you hesitant about this case

because you think the music industry is nothing

but a bunch of folks with chartreuse hair

and bones in their noses?

I don't know.

I hope not.

But why can't they sing like Hank Williams?

(MUMBLING) I dunno.

I wish they sounded like Chuck Berry.

[hard rock playing]

So that's The Bloodsucking Freaks, huh?

Well, it sounds like great music for tearing down houses.

Gonna sign them up?

I would if all I cared about was getting records played

on college radio stations.

REM got started out on college radio stations.

Look where they are now.

Well, good for them.

They deserve it.

So The Replacements, they're outrageous, high-energy,

and smart, but until their album scored this year, all that

got them was a cult following.

Shakala leaves cults to bearded holy men in Oregon.

We want somebody who's going to break

away from the pack, a monster.

All right, all right.

I promise I won't rest till we sign the next Springsteen

or Michael Jackson, all right?

[chuckles] Let us bow our heads and pray.

[chuckles]

Ha-ha.

Yeah, well, in the meantime, you and Travis have to get

Diana's name on a contract.

I've been going through Dead Dog's files.

It expires in six months.

And with her record taking off, Newquay

will probably sign her, even if he just wants to bury her.

She's all locked up.

Count on ink, not loyalty.

Yeah?

RECEPTIONIST (ON PHONE): Call for Mr. Terranova.

It's for you.

Thank you.

[clears throat] Yo?

Vinnie Terranova, Dead Dog's new owner?

In the flesh.

Monroe Blue's the name.

We got some business to take care of.

"Struttin' Honey," "Guiding Hand"--

could it be that Monroe Blue?

None other.

Oh, wow, man, I've been looking all over for you.

You know, you are a great songwriter.

Wrote more major tunes than you got teeth and toes.

Yeah, listen, I got a singer that needs some material.

You interested?

Damn straight.

But I got no pencil.

Where I am, they don't allow me to have any sharp objects.

Oh, well, what are you talking about?

Where are you?

Well, it ain't the Waldorf, baby.

VINNIE: Well if it ain't the Waldorf, where is it?

[chatter]

You Terranova?

Yeah.

Thanks a lot for blowing my bail, man.

Yeah, sure.

Some valuables, huh?

A wallet with $27 in it, a ring that's probably not good enough

for a Cracker Jack box, and this watch Mo Helmsdale

gave me instead of my royalties for Struttin' Honey.

You remember Mo?

No, but "Struttin' Honey" was on the radio the first time

I ever convinced Maria Fopiano to climb

in the back seat with me.

You score?

[chuckles]

If you did, you got more out of the song than I ever did.

That doesn't mean I don't care about it.

My songs, baby, they're my real valuables.

Yeah, man, I understand.

Yeah, I got it.

My lawyers say the cops are going to stick to their story

about me being drunk.

Mm-hmm.

And that you broke into a jukebox in some bar,

scooped as much change as you could,

and tried to outrun them in a chase

that exceeded 90 miles an hour?

Now, get out of my chair.

Yeah, right.

Man, 90-- woo.

I didn't think that bucket of bolts

could romp and stomp like that.

That wasn't no sea cruise I was on, man, uh-uh.

Wasn't no oo-ee, oo-ee baby.

And I was P ever-loving O'd.

You know that bar I was sitting in,

you know what was playing on the jukebox?

"Struttin' Honey."

Hmm.

Let's see, number three in the top 10, been on the chart

29 weeks.

It's a great song.

Of course it is, baby.

I wrote it--

15 years ago.

They kept playing it over and over again.

The new version by that white group, Ice Nine.

Man, every time I put on the radio, there it is again.

And I can imagine all those yuppie fools just wearing

out their CDs playing it.

You got any good scotch around here?

Now, why don't you stick to the subject, Monroe?

You still haven't given me a legitimate reason

why you broke into a jukebox.

I haven't got a dime in royalties off that mother.

That legitimate enough for you?

Nothing, huh?

Man don't play innocent with me.

What do you take me for, anyway?

I don't like being jabbed in the hand with the rip-off stick.

Your problem is with Radiance Recording.

Maybe you oughta have a little talk with Winston Newquay.

Newquay?

Talk to him?

You ever meet the dude?

Yeah, a couple times.

Then don't be stupid, man.

Newquay wouldn't give me a picture of warm spit

unless he needed a new song.

Then he'll get all pearly and act like he never shucked me.

What's to eat around here, anyway?

PERCY: Diana, there's always been a lot of rumors

surrounding your career.

Now, do you have anything to say about sleeping

your way to the top?

You and Winston Newquay were quite an item.

Most people feel there's no way you can resurrect your career.

Hey, what-- - Get the hell out of here.

- Fine. - Go on!

Fine.

Sorry for the trouble.

Percy, wait a second, OK?

Some other time, Travis.

This is the amateur hour.

Vinnie, what are you doing?

Most people gotta go out of pocket to get ink.

He was gonna give it to us for free.

"Backbeat Magazine" has a readership

of over a million fanatical music fans who spend mucho

dinero on records and tapes, which, by the way,

is what we're supposed to be doing for a living.

VINNIE: Didn't you hear those insulting questions?

Mr. Sensitivity runs a record company--

into the ground.

[sighs] Can we talk about this later?

We'll straighten out your contract, too.

I gotta run.

Where do you think you're going?

People to meet, dollars to reap.

Ciao.

I hope you don't mind.

I thought I'd work on some songs.

I mean it, Diana.

You don't have to talk to anybody you don't want to.

Are you the guy in the song, Vinnie,

someone to watch over me?

[phone rings]

Yeah?

RECEPTIONIST (ON PHONE): Mr. Terranova?

Mr. Twine wants to see you.

[cheering on tv]

AMBER: Look, Gary, you're not listening

to me here, all right?

I said hold off on the accounts until the end of next month.

And then write it off as an advance against Jersey

Turnpike's next album.

No, I don't know when they're going back into the studio.

Well, it could be next week.

It could be three years from now.

Look, we're making music here, Gary, not sausage.

All right.

Well, you let me know what you want to do, OK?

Hey, I was watching that.

Yeah, well, I can't hear myself think, Isaac.

I'm trying to run a business here.

(SARCASTICALLY) I'm trying to run a business here.

How much you taking?

It's only $1,200 here.

Will you just relax?

Relax?

Relax, Isaac?

We got more money going out than coming in.

You're betting everything from sumo wrestling to surfing,

and now we're in business with Travis and--

VINNIE: Let's all say the name now, shall we?

That's Terranova, with two Rs.

[chuckles] You wanted to see me, Isaac?

Yeah.

Hey, let's take a little ride, see how your luck

is still holding out, OK?

Oh, you might check the game from time to time.

I've got $5,000 riding on Argentina.

They're the ones in the powder blue.

Thank you.

Isaac?

In three hours, we are entertaining 200

of the most powerful radio executives in this country.

They're not coming there for me.

They're coming to see Diana.

Well, just the same, don't be late.

And Vinnie?

What?

Don't let him hand out any more markers.

Hey, that's not my problem.

Oh, yes, it is.

He writes them on Shakala stationary.

Come on, come on.

[chuckles]

[cheering on tv]

Hello.

How are you doing?

Just fine.

How about yourself? - OK.

How you been, sir?

All right.

Thanks.

Paulburt, meet Vinnie Terranova,

an associate at Shakala.

How you doing?

You know the rules, Isaac--

$25,000 cash buys in.

All previous markers must be paid.

Don't worry.

It's all there.

115 Gs, plus my buy-in and Vinnie's, too.

Your a prince, Isaac.

I don't remember you calling me that last week.

It was something about my African origins and incestuous

sex.

Best of luck.

I thought you were broke.

[chuckles] I was until yesterday.

Now, don't tell Amber.

There's a whole lot you got to learn about this business,

isn't there?

Yeah.

And it's a 40/60 split on your winnings.

Now, any problem with that?

That's fine.

Anybody here got a light?

[chuckles] Ah, such a pretty glow.

OK, now, what are we playing here?

It's straight poker--

very serious.

Sounds good to me.

Let's get into some trouble.

Come on, Diana, come on.

You know a single's useless without an album.

Come on.

Look, look, I admit it, OK?

I admit it.

When I first went into that studio, when

I went into that session, I thought that, you know,

you'd had it. You'd lost it.

It was gone.

You know, you'd been away too long.

But then I realized, once we started to work, that you had

something magical, that between us, something

magical was starting to happen.

Now, I'm willing to push back everything on my calendar

for you, baby, but you just gotta give

me something I can work-- ow!

When are you gonna stop doing that idiot powder?

It's dummy dust.

It makes him stupid.

Oh, thank you, Mother. Have you met my other mother?

Mom, meet Mom.

Mom, Mom.

OK, I'll stop as soon as I finish with this oz, half

of which is now a part of your carpet

and your floor and et cetera.

Diana, please, please, make a record with me.

I don't have enough original material.

[laughs incredulously] I can't believe this.

What are you afraid of?

You're the woman who took on Claudia Newquay,

for crying out loud.

That's something I've only fantasized about.

I'd try it, but I know I can't take it.

I know I can take Tanya.

That's why I'm with Tanya.

Because I know--

[shrieks]

[playful mumbling] Come on, Diana.

You just need to relax and let yourself

do what you know how to do.

I'll take care of the rest.

Trust me.

It took me a year to write that song.

At that rate, it would be 2001 before I

had enough for an album. - No, no.

No, no bad thoughts.

Negative thoughts-- no, no, no, no, no negative thoughts.

Think positive thoughts.

Music is like skiing.

You're at the summit.

All you need to do is just point your pips down and push off,

just whoosh.

How many times do I have to tell you I don't have enough--

[mumbling] All right-- material, material, material.

I know where you can get some material--

Monroe Blue. He's in the lobby.

He can come up with 10 songs in a weekend.

All he needs is a felt tip pen and a cocktail napkin.

Lay off her, Johnny.

What?

All I'm saying is you're pushing too hard.

This isn't easy for her.

Oh, I'm pushing too hard?

Oh, I'm pushing too hard.

Well, I'm sorry.

Pushing too hard?

Sometimes when I see genius getting in its own way,

I get a little wackadoo about it.

And even though things are so clear to me--

and they are with you--

I need Tanya to help me realize that not everyone else

sees it as clearly.

Tanya's got more sense than anybody I ever met.

16 years old, she's got the wisdom of the ages.

And the most beautiful eyes and the lips and-- and-- excuse me.

So what do you say?

Let's cut an album!

[laughs]

$55,000 for an hour's work.

Ain't too shabby, huh?

[chuckles] I believe we have a function, Benny.

Thank you for your generosity, Winston.

We gotta do this again real soon.

Just name the day, Isaac.

Thank you.

Thanks a lot.

For you, my man.

Hey, hey, hey, hey hey.

That's $500.

Ain't life grand?

Here you go, pal.

Have a nice day, huh?

BOBBY: Look at 'em--

pigeons pecking at the record industry's version of popcorn.

Program directors and music directors, Vinnie, the most

powerful people in radio.

And Isaac Twine's job here tonight

is to get them to order up exactly what he wants.

And I gotta tell you, I'm kind of disappointed.

I was expecting to see something like the last days

of the Roman Empire.

All there is is yuppies sucking down imported water.

You're about eight years late for the good times, pal.

Yeah, that's figures.

[loud music]

You know, everything now is so antiseptic,

even Tipper Gore wouldn't mind rubbing shoulders with us.

But if it's loose women and drugs you want,

I can always call up some old friends of mine,

put a little something together.

Oh, yeah?

Nah.

I'm kind of a new wave guy, anyway, you know what I mean?

Vinnie, where is Diana?

This showcase is supposed to be for her.

She pulls a no show, it's going to take a lot more

than the usual amount of graft to get

any radio station in the country to play her record.

It's not like she hadn't broken hearts before.

You know, somebody oughta tell her that, in this business,

a second chance is a last chance.

Diana knows what's at stake.

She'll be here.

[chuckles] She better be.

Here comes trouble.

Hi.

Well, hi.

You look wonderful.

How are you doing?

ISAAC: That little weasel is poaching on me.

So throw him out.

You must have somebody around here that does heavy lifting.

That's what he wants, an incident,

some scene-- anything to put him in the spotlight and that--

that kid he's showing off.

Eddie Tempest.

I thought I read you were supposed to sign him.

We better greet our guests, shall we?

Sure.

Big mouth.

- I like your hair like that. - Sky.

Winston, how are you?

Have you met Eddie Tempest?

I hear you're wearing out his new record.

Sky Sherlock, Eddie, program director of KTMP Dallas--

Hi, Eddie.

--an Arbitron god.

That's nice.

Where's the food?

VINNIE:

You know how they are, Sky--

eat, sleep, and make little rock stars.

[music playing]

Well, everything's going swimmingly--

no Diana.

Perhaps you can explain to me your fascination

with a piece of meat you have already chewed to the bone.

Ah, thank you.

Your claws are showing, Claudia.

I don't want you near her.

Darling, I'm just here to push Eddie into the spotlight.

You are here to watch the second coronation

of Diana's career, and you don't have a dime of it--

darling.

That can change.

And if it were to change, keep your fingerprints off any part

of Diana except her money.

[halfhearted laugh] She just loves Diana's work.

ISAAC: Good to have you and Claudia here, Winston.

Enjoy yourselves.

Mi casa, su casa.

A new breeze blowing, Isaac?

Excuse me.

You've just got to hear this kid.

Some other time, huh?

It's Twine's party.

Eddie, baby.

Now, did you mean--

You know, that guy is shameless.

What's shame got to do with this business, Vinnie?

You do what you gotta get done, or it gets done to you.

Yeah.

So how you coming with Monroe Blue?

Trying to get him together with Diana.

In the meantime, I got him lined up a couple of gigs,

maybe getting him some quick cash.

Vince, we need Diana here an hour ago.

[sighs]

Well, she was at the office when I left.

Maybe she still is.

Well, if she is, she's not answering the phone.

All right, all right.

I'll be back as soon as I can, OK--

with Diana.

We'll see you.

[playing awkwardly]

Damn.

Hey, hey, come on.

It didn't sound that bad.

Maybe you should have your hearing checked.

I need songs, Vinnie, and they just aren't there.

Well, look, I tell you what.

I did Monroe Blue a favor, and he owes me.

And I think that he would love to write songs for you.

Now, what do you say I try to get you two together, hmm?

Monroe's a great songwriter.

Well, can I take that as a yes?

- Yeah. - Good.

Then why don't you take the rest of the night

off because you're supposed to be somewhere else, anyway.

[sighs] I don't know if I can face that kind of pressure.

I don't even know if I want to try.

[clears throat] Diana, didn't you tell

me one time that that was the price

you had to pay for doing this?

You did.

Now, this thing tonight, it isn't

for Twine or for the honchos at the radio stations.

It's for you.

It's your choice.

Well, when's she gonna to get here, Isaac?

I mean, a lot of these cats are primed for the street.

I got somebody bringing her here.

Everything's copacetic, OK?

Hey, listen, if Diana doesn't show--

OK!

You were looking for trouble!

You thought you found it, but you didn't until just

now because it just got here.

Hey, blast from the past!

Hey, Timmy!

How you doing?

How you doing, baby?

Long time, no see.

TIM: Long time, dude? That ain't the word.

How's it going? How's it going?

JOHNNY: Oh, good.

Oh, listen, hey, have you met Tanya?

Yeah, no, just at your wedding,

a miniature golf course. Crazy.

[laughs]

Crazy.

If you'll excuse me.

Hey, no sweat, Isaac. Nice to see you.

This is Timmy.

He's the King Kong--

I hear you're going to need a stand-in.

I could have Eddie and the kids here do a quick set.

They could borrow some instruments from the band--

$10,000 says that Diana will show.

$10,000 against Eddie playing?

All right.

Hey, man, how long we gonna stick around here?

As long as I want you here.

I'm trying to arrange an impromptu gig for you.

The exposure would be incredible.

It's Diana Price's night.

I didn't want to be here in the first place.

[drawer slams]

I guess this is our night to find each other

in private moments, huh?

Uh, yeah, I guess so.

About ready to take off?

DIANA: Yeah, let's get it over with.

OK.

What were you looking for in here?

Oh, I was just seeing if I was getting an honest count.

Are you?

I can't tell.

You never will.

Come now.

Nobody's paying advances anymore.

We'll buy the kid a stereo and pay

the rent on a studio apartment, and I'm afraid that's about it.

Well, no Diana?

No surprise.

At least you have a publishing catalog.

What'd you say, Claudia?

The Dead Dog publishing catalog has some value.

I hope that makes up for Diana not showing up tonight.

I haven't given up on her yet.

Honey, you're too smart ever to trust

a bitch like Diana Price.

[laughs] Ah, but you're forever the trustworthy

pedigree lap dog.

What?

You're overmatched here, girlfriend.

I'll rip your implants out.

Claudia, Claudia, I'm sorry.

That remark was totally uncalled for.

Not at all, not at all.

- Please, Claudia. - No, no.

Don't apologize.

Don't apologize when you're right.

I've spent a fortune on this facade.

You can't hide that in front of a friend, I guess, huh?

Look I was parrying my sword because I

thought yours was drawn.

I was just trying to make friendly conversation.

I guess I'm--

I've forgotten how.

Look, we've both forgotten a lot of things about our lives.

Maybe some of it's worth remembering.

Claudia.

[suppressed laugh] Well, that was a surprise.

Maybe we ought to do that more often.

Well, more often than every five years,

I think that'd be great.

Yeah.

God, Amber, my life is just so empty.

I feel like I've gonna just reach

in and pull it up by the scalp.

We asked for it, we got it.

No, I think you got better than I did.

It's so funny.

I was just going to say the same thing to you.

Oh, you crazy.

Isaac-- Isaac, my goodness, look at him.

I mean, he's-- he's so full of life.

And Winston is just a--

well, Winston is a stalagmite.

We got 'em, didn't we?

I mean, we set our sights.

We fired.

[laughs]

What?

What?

Do you remember our Riverside Drive rabbit hole?

Brown water, no heat, and rats.

- Rats. - And roaches.

And the roaches.

And the endless stream of Sixth Avenue

anal retentive's weekday.

BOTH: [laughing]

[sighs] Well, now maybe-- maybe our lives

aren't so bad here at the top.

You mean our rodent-free environment?

I don't know.

I don't know why I think of those rats so fondly

sometimes, either.

Maybe it's just that our lives had had so much promise that--

there was so much promise.

I'm sorry, Claudia.

Hey, listen, you're happy, aren't you?

Happy?

I don't know.

Sometimes I wish Isaac had more of Winston's qualities--

you know, business focus.

You love him, don't you?

What, you don't love Winston?

On occasion.

But the thing is Winston--

Winston doesn't permit it.

That's all.

I'm so sorry, Claudia.

You know, Isaac lives this cast your fate to the wind

life that drives me crazy.

Oh, but I'm still so much in love with him.

That's great.

I'm so happy for you.

I gotta go.

What about Winston?

Well, I've got my own car, and Winston has some business

that he has to take care of.

Yeah.

It's trash time.

Beer trash time.

Hey, shit.

Look what you've done to my shirt.

Oh, the hell with it, man, the hell with this whole damn

party if we ain't going to be playing.

Look at this creep.

Look at this cradle robber.

Bobby, I'm gonna kill this guy, man.

Forget it.

No, no, no, no.

Man, I can't take this stuff--

No, forget about it.

Mm, that's good.

What the hell's wrong with you?

What's wrong with you, man?

What do you mean, what's the matter with me?

We'll finish this some other time, man.

Well, there goes the neighborhood.

Hey, hey, hey.

Hey, hey, hey.

Oh, Diana, your sense of timing is impeccable.

Do you need to warm up or anything, vocalize?

Isaac, will you relax? She's fine.

She's all set.

Right this way, honey.

You're gonna be great. - No, wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

Travis and I got some business to take care of.

I'll send a limo for you out front when you're done, OK?

[kisses] Knock 'em dead.

Thanks, Vinnie.

Well, Terranova with two Rs, you're certainly

starting to earn your keep.

You took the spotlight off of Newquay.

Yeah, well, it was Diana's to begin with.

[chuckles] I'm on a roll with you, kid.

I just picked up another $10,000.

Newquay bet me that Diana wouldn't show.

Oh, yeah?

[laughs]

Hey, why don't the three of us get some of that champagne

that we're paying for, huh?

We?

What is this we stuff?

[music - "brite side"]

[applause]

(SINGING) Whenever I collapse whenever

I fold in your arms, that's when I know I'm holding you,

holding you within my grasp.

Whenever I feel trapped, held the inescapable,

I try to put my mind at ease, protect

the heart worn on my sleeve.

That's when I feel brand new.

I'm looking on the brite side.

I've got my visuals.

I'm looking on the brite side.

My 20/20's true.

I'm looking on the brite side.

That's when I know it's you, you.

Whenever I'm in red, a guardian angel flying round my head,

I feel your touch warm as red's embarrassment innocence blush.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I've got the wrong limo.

No, you don't.

Please.

You were wonderful tonight.

Winston, I don't need this.

I just want to talk to you.

There's nothing to talk about.

Claudia's drunk again.

I had her taken home.

Diana, I need you with me.

It'll never work, and you know it.

(SHOUTING) Drag my butt out of bed at 11 o'clock

in the morning to come down here for you Heckle and Jeckles.

Where's Diana?

She'll be here.

Will you relax?

Look, I want a contract before I write word one.

You ain't getting no virgin here, Vinnie.

Looky here.

See this?

"Struttin' Honey" just went gold, man.

That's money I'll never see unless Newquay

gets a personality transplant.

Not now, Monroe.

I heard it all before.

I'm trying to run a business here.

Son of a bitch.

What's this?

What is that?

It's a bill.

What does it look like?

It's for $57,000 from some outfit named Music Blitz.

Why am I being billed for this?

You think you only get to share in the profits?

Well, what is it from?

We just received the returns of Jersey

Turnpike's last album.

What are you talking about?

I thought that was a hit.

Double platinum.

VINNIE: Well?

Music Blitz sold something like 430,000 LPs.

This is for what they couldn't sell.

We've got to make good on the deal--

70/30, right?

Your numbers, Vinnie.

You mean to tell me we got to pay them back for that?

ISAAC: That's what the contract says.

$57,000-- guess what Diana Price's

album is going to bring in?

It's no big deal.

She's gonna sell like ice cubes in hell--

that is, if she ever gets around to cutting an album.

[laughs] Welcome to the music business, chief.

Yeah.

MONROE: [laughs]

BOBBY (ON ANSWERING MACHINE): Diana, it's Bobby.

You were dynamite last night.

They loved you.

Vinnie and I got something going that we think

is perfect for you.

Give me a jingle right away.

Ciao.

You always liked mimosas in the morning,

just like the Chateau Marmont, those long weekends

in Lotusland.

[soft music]

You're fragile, Diana, the way an artist ought to be.

I miss what we had.

I never found anything to replace it.

Nobody even came close.

You miss me too, don't you?

You don't have to be without me.

You need me, Diana.

I can take care of you.

I know how to handle your career.

I took you to the top the first time.

I can do it again.

Nobody can do for you like I can.

I'm right, aren't I?

Aren't I?

Be good to me, Winston.

You know I will.

I always have.

[door creaks]

This is a waste of time.

Yeah, well, just humor me.

Where's the Jersey Turnpike returns?

They're right here.

They arrived yesterday. Here.

Knock yourself out.

Thanks.

It is freezing in here, Vinnie.

Yeah? Waste of time?

Take a look. Read the label.

"The Osmonds Live"?

Here's another one.

Look.

Shadows of Knight?

Look at this.

Son of a--

Paul Revere and the Raiders?

It's a rip-off, man!

Every one of these is over 15 years old!

I'm gonna beat Albert Cushman to death

with his own damn walking stick!

The punk reneged on our deal.

Hey, I want you to enlighten me about something here.

I've got my name on $57,000 worth of debt because

of this mamaluke, Cushman.

You think he passed on me?

I got my own bill for $150,000 Gs.

I don't have the ready cash to handle that.

Well, where do you get the money

to pay your gambling debts?

Yeah, I'd be real interested in knowing that, too, Isaac.

That is none of your business.

It was my debt.

I took care of it my way.

And that's all you need to know.

It's none of my business?

If you spend as much time on business

as you do scams and gambling, we'd be retired

to the South of France by now.

I hate the friggin' South of France!

Hey, will you guys leave the domestic argument for later?

Now, I want to take a ride and see this Cushman guy.

I do too much business with Music Blitz.

I'd rather just absorb the loss than rock the boat.

If we don't have shelf space, we can't sell records.

Don't worry.

I'm gonna figure out a way to get even.

Well, I want in on it.

You're taking this very personally, aren't you,

Vincent?

You're damn right I am.

So am I, Isaac.

Travis, man, where you been?

I thought you were gonna find me some work.

I did.

I got a call an hour ago.

You think you can find the words to extol the virtues

of an el cheapo compact?

A car commercial?

Uh-uh, no way.

$20,000 plus per diem.

Hey, what's good enough for Lou Reed

and Leon Redbone is good enough for Monroe Blue.

But I still mean all the bad things I

said about you, you and Isaac.

Mr. Terranova?

What?

Diana Price called for you.

She wants to see you and Mr. Travis.

This is not over with yet.

Great.

I've been trying to reach her all day.

I think we can talk her into cutting some of Monroe's songs.

VINNIE: Now, tell me what happened.

Winston.

Winston?

Did he hurt you?

He made love to me.

What?

I can't stay in this same town with Winston.

He'll find a way to get to me.

I don't know what to do.

What do you mean, he'll get to you?

What do you mean by that?

How much do you know about Winston and me?

All I know about you is that you were lovers

and that he was behind your first hit.

That's all.

I met Winston when I was 20.

I had just dropped out of college.

He was a natural force, like nobody I'd ever met.

He made me Diana Price, dressed me, took me to parties,

got me the right producer.

He made me seem like the only person on Earth.

That's what he does.

That was a big part of my fear.

I knew that if I made a comeback and I was successful,

he'd be there on my doorstep, and he wouldn't go away

until he got what he wanted.

If I stay around here, I'll sign with him again.

I told him I would last night.

Diana, you stay away from him.

I can't.

I love him, and he knows it.

If Winston wants something, he'll use anything

in his power to get it.

Diana, you can't turn back now.

You're almost there.

Don't you see that?

I need some time to write my songs with no complications.

This is all too quick.

If I have my songs, then I have a chance

to survive without them.

How much time do you need?

Six months, at least.

Six months, yeah.

What?

Vinnie.

I'll give you six months, any place you want to go.

I can't take your money.

It'll be against a percentage of your album.

Don't worry about it.

A friend of mine has a little place in Jamaica.

I could go there.

Good.

You are the guy from the song, aren't you?

No, Diana, I'm just another record company mogul.

Well, thanks.

Yeah.

Bobby Travis, you're always a surprise.

WINSTON (ON PHONE): A verbal contract

is as good as a written one, Isaac,

and you know that, damn it.

Now, I want to know where Diana is

and what the hell you think you can

accomplish with this madness.

I've tolerated your eccentricities for years

because I find them mildly amusing,

but this goes beyond the pale.

Now, I can crunch you like a beetle

beneath the heel of my McAfee wingtip--

crunch.

Do you hear that, Isaac?

That is you and your babbling little company.

Do you hear me?

We hear you, Sammy.

I gotta tell you, I've never been on a case like this

before.

Well, maybe that explains your behavior.

You know, it's not like dealing

with gangsters or gun runners or even the rag merchants.

Those people tell you what they feel.

You do this, you stepped over the line.

But dealing with these characters in the music

business, they're like--

it's like dealing with killer Smurfs.

It is.

It's like they're all cute and cuddly until they

go for your jugular vein.

They suck the blood out of you with a wink and a smile

and then go to each other's parties.

You do not let these people seduce you, Vinnie.

That is their business.

No, it's not just the people, Frank.

If Vinnie feels like he's under some kind of a spell,

it's the music.

It can be pure, even when everything

surrounding it isn't.

We all have a preconceived idea of what music should be.

Now, the chance to make that happen

is what fuels this whole industry.

I think Vinnie's getting caught up in it.

I want him caught up in making arrests.

[sighs heavily]

Although I gotta tell you, I am as impressed as hell

with how far you've come in the music

industry in such a short time.

Thanks, Frank.

And I gotta tell you, I really like it.

The plays are interesting.

The stakes are high.

And no two days are ever the same, believe me.

I guess I am getting caught up in it.

And when they pulled that record switch on me,

I took it personally.

I couldn't distance myself from it.

It's because you're thinking like a businessman and not

a cop.

Yeah, you're right.

I should have been happy I finally had

a crime I could see and touch.

Well, if it's any consolation to you,

Beckstead'll be ecstatic.

It was a pretty nifty little scam

Cushman had going, sticking 15-year-old records

into the dust jackets of 6-month-old album covers

and then collecting on the return.

That's probably gonna be happening

a lot now because everything's going digital.

They gotta unload that vinyl, and these guys

figured out a way to make a killing doing it.

You're sure Twine's not going to press charges?

Yeah.

So where does that lead us?

Well, I think we can get Cushman,

but it'll tip our hand.

If I let it play out, I got a feeling

we could find out where Isaac gets his gambling money,

and that'll start opening doors.

As long as Newquay's behind door number three.

Yeah, well, he's apoplectic that we

took Diana away from him.

He's never had an artist snatched

from him like that before.

Good.

You just keep pouring salt into his wounds

till he makes a mistake.

OK.

I gotta start thinking more like an outsider.

Well, that's where your regional director comes in.

I'll be there to remind you you are an outsider.

And as long as you're a cop, you'll always be one.

[music playing]

[theme music]