Elvis Presley wanted to record it. Published accounts say Colonel Tom Parker asked for half the publishing. Parton said no. The session did not happen. Years later, when Houston’s version was everywhere, Parton joked that the royalties could have bought Graceland. The joke lands because everyone knows what she protected. Elvis might have sung it beautifully. Half the song would have belonged to someone else’s ledger.

WINDBAR publishes its commercial terms for a parallel reason. Clients pay for consulting — needs assessment, shortlists from a vetted factory network, sampling coordination, compliance-oriented lab checks, mass-production QC, ongoing support. The fee is the relationship. Hidden factory commissions would turn us into the Colonel: smiling at the door while someone else owns half the story. Parton’s answer to Parker was extreme. The scaled-down version appears in every sourcing call: if the deal requires you to disappear, it is not a deal. It is a loan against your name.