PROPHECY AND PROFITS

For many readers, the New Age novel “The Celestine Prophecy” has provided an inspirational journey of discovery. For record executives, though, one of the most inspiring things about the book is its more than 5 million copies sold worldwide and its run of more than two years on the best-sellers lists.

So perhaps it was inevitable that an album be recorded tied to the book, and indeed, an official “soundtrack,” an instrumental collection by former Tangerine Dream member Christopher Franke, is due next month. Liner note essays were provided by “Celestine” author James Redfield whose new book “The Tenth Insight” is a current best-seller.

The surprise is which record company developed and is releasing the quasi-New Age project: Priority Records, the L.A. label best known as the home of such hard-core rappers as Ice Cube and Ice-T.

“Sure it’s different,” says Art Jaeger, Priority general manager. “But people forget we have a tremendous special marketing catalog. People forget that the California Raisins album was Priority’s first big success. Even N.W.A. came from the fact that this company saw things a little differently than the guy next door.”