ISSUE 256 A i t u sFEBRUARY 26, 1979 ..).1Ar..R. O UT ETTE ho signed these guys?" into the production of erstwhile That's the time-honored gospel singer Mavis Staples's W response to much of the solo albu m — which brings up a music that comes pouring out of major A&R problem. the vinyl pipelines each month, "If you're doing black music and anyone who's ever received, today and it's not disco," Wexler say, a fresh-pressed Jobriath says, "you've got a hell of a albu m in the mail can surely problem on your hands. I mean, sympathize. so many doors seem to be closing In an effort to throw some light on the artist & repertoire Meaning radio? Exactly: "It's business — that process by almost a cliche. Everything's so which artists are sought out, formularized; there's no more signed, and ultimately marketed inn free-form, there's no place to go, — Walrus conducted a survey of there's no underground. And of key major-label A&R personnel course a very terrible thing to on both coasts. How do they deal with is the virtual Coventry perceive their job? What are that black music has been put their special problems in into by FM radio — by the world, evaluating new talent? What I mean. Sure it's demographics, does the public want? How does and its the advertisers and radio help — or hinder — them? people playing safe. But if this The answers were illu minating, isn't another reversion to racism to say the least. — in a subtle way — I don't know * * * what the hell it is." "Everybody knows how to Wexler sighs a very knowing make records today," says Jerry sigh. "The dollar calls the shot, Wexler. "Getting a swinging you know. Wherever the track isn't shit anymore. Who advertisers and the stockholders can't do that? Production of the radio station perceive the expertise is not the point. It's dollars to be coming from, that's back to feeling. It's like all the the way it'll go. Altruism will horses are starting off at the play no part in it. Nor will taste." starting gate together when the At least Warner's is taking gun goes off — so what's the some risks in combating the difference?" current philistinism (after all, At 62, the near-legendary can the label that brought back Wexler — who entered the music Captain Beef heart be entirely business back in 1947, working timid?) But associate A&R for Billboard, and since 1953 has director Karen Berg — who made "a couple of hundred TOP A&R ME N worked with Television and the albu ms and maybe a thousand Cars at Elektra/Asylu m, and has singles" — knows his chosen biz , been one of Wexler's most backwards. And he has some ATTE MPT TO BALANCE valued assistants since signing strong, seasoned opinions about on with Warner's in December A&R policy and production — '77 — wishes other labels would both of which come under his ART AND follow their example. purview as senior VP at Warner "Other major companies do Bros. in New York. CO M MERCIALIS M not seem to be taking as many "If one endures," Wexler risks as I think they should be observes, "one learns what the BY KURT LODER taking," says Berg. "I think it's components of a phonograph important for the industry, not record are. There are three I call it serving the artist — and elucidate that in the best just for each individual styles: There's the so-called which is my way: you try to possible manner." company, that we try to be docu mentary style, where you bring out best — by whatever Wexler has a producer's taking some chances." go and hear Muddy Waters means necessary — the essence perspective, as you might And of course radio, too. playing in a bar on the South of that artist in ways which are imagine. And although he "Definitely. You have to try to Side, and you bring him to the neither docu mentary nor personally enjoys everything break some rules. It's very hard studio and do your best to necessarily studio confections. I from hard-core Western Swing to get through, sometimes, the duplicate exactly what you have dealt mainly in my life with to Television, Talking Heads, deadlock and the 'safe airplay.' heard in the bar last night. people who could sing; the and the nether limits of Fripp & But you just have to try to find "Then there's the Phil Spector notion of bel canto enters into Eno, his first love — after other ways to do it, then. approach, which is studio the picture, from Clyde instrumental music — is soul "The almost blacklist of punk confection, where you have a McPhatter and the young singing. It's not surprising to and New Wave in the U.S. was vision and you try to realize that La Verne Baker right up through hear that, after completing the really damaging, I think, to a lot in the studio, and the studio Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin or second Dire Straits albu m in of new artists," Berg contends. becomes your implement. Dusty Springfield. I try to Nassau recently, he "Whether or not any band might "Then there is the third way — discern the essence of the artist enthusiastically threw himself have been better than others in A&R ROULETTE reb ed New Wave — a term that I dislike more than punk — there was no judgement made. Bands or artists weren't judged on the basis of whether they were good or bad; if they were New Wave or punk they were automatically bad — which I different outlook. Rosencrantz, DENNY ROSENCRANTZ M.C.A. BRUCE E. GARFIELD found infuriating, and after all, was instrumental in the patronizing, to just about all early careers of such disparate young musicians." artists as Rod Stewart, Uriah Not everyone shares these Heep, Graham Parker, Thin sentiments, of course. Take 29- Lizzy . and the reviled New year-old John David Kolodner, York Dolls. West Coast chief of A&R for "I've been involved in a lot that Atlantic Records. might have been ahead of its "Luckily, my taste is very time," says this former Mercury adolescent rock and roll," says promo chief. "New Wave scared this onetime Philadelphia music everybody, and the only bands writer. "For instance, I heard that made the impact were the Dire Straits record and I mainstream bands with punk liked it, but I didn't think it was overtones — Elvis Costello, or right for America at this time. I whatever. was wrong." "I thought the Dolls and the Runaways were gonna change the face of music — but it was JEFF ALDRICH CHRYSALIS ROBERT FEIDEN ARISTA the Ohio Players who went on to sell millions of records. That showed me right there — there's a lot of luck involved in A&R. " Since he arrived at MCA a little over a year ago, Rosencrantz says he's "dropped a lot of acts. There's only so much energy and money a record company has — \ and this company has promised me that when someone is signed now, there'll be money behind •mmellima -r•••e" / _1 /2 them." RODGER WATSON CHRYSALIS Roger Watson, head of U. S. JERRY WEXLER W.B. A&R for Chrysalis, describes himself as a "public-school, Kolodner is Atlantic's British fairly upper-middle-class rock specialist (Foreigner, Yes), English man" who's been in the and he says of such groups that music business since the "as long as they make the hits halcyon days of 1965, when he they'll be stars . when they first went to work for Decca in stop, they'll be a me mory." Very London. prag matic. As for New Wave, he "It was an incredible training considers it ugly and repulsive. ground," says the 32-year-old Not so tight radio formats, Watson, "because we had the however. Rolling Stones and the Who. I'd "It makes my job much go down to see the Who at the harder," he admits, "but Marquee, and I did the first test personally, I love tight- pressing of 'My Generation.' The formatted FM radio, which I first black people I ever met in think is unusual for an A&R (Continued on page 29) NEIL PORTNOVV R.C.A guy. I love KMET and WPLJ, I love Kent Burkhardt's formula — but you have to remember, it's an advantage to me. I make radio records." Filling up those tight formats with com mercial music is another problem altogether. "I work every day from nine to six or seven, and I go out every night, except maybe Saturday night. I also go out on the road. But I'd say you have to see a thousand acts before you see one good one." e 4 Over at MCA's Los Angeles offices, A&R head Denny Rosencrantz has a decidedly WARREN SCHATZ R.C.A. MARK LINDSAY U.A. LENNY WARONKER W.B. 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