90S on a BEDROCK of TALENT
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111 1, AT Ti. i i Epic Records enters the '90s at the top of lear Valdez, Burning Tree, and the Blonz. our game. The last years of the previous Epic has established an aggressive pres- decade found this company undergoing sig- STEPPING INTO THE '90s ence in alternative music. That's a broad cat- nificant changes in direction and organiza- egory which covers everything from Prong's tion. The steps we took then are paying off ON A BEDROCK OF TALENT avant -metal music to the folk -rock of the now with major hit records and the industry's Rave -Ups. The The are a major alternative most promising roster of developing artists. By DAVE GLEW, President, EPIC RECORDS band who could mean to this decade what It's been said that you can't know where Pink Floyd meant to the '70s. Social Distor- you're going unless you know where you've tion, Big Dipper, O Positive, Screaming been. Turning back a few pages, we can see Trees -these bands are the real future of how Epic arrived at its present remarkable American rock'n'roll. plateau of success. The pure -pop end of the Epic spectrum is embodied in two outstanding new artists: Ana, a teen singer on Parc /Epic whose appeal the past, too many important will extend across her own age group and be- In yond; and WTG's Louie Louie, whose voice records have been lost to a and charisma can convince a room full of to- kind of sink -or -swim mentality. tal strangers of his undeniable star quality. At this writing, both Louie and Ana have records In the years to come, Epic will on the Hot 100. Also in this category is Rick bring our great new music to the Wes, whose debut album "North, South, East, mass audience from a solid foundation built on promotion, press, video, touring, and an unwavering belief in our artists. You might say Epic began the last decade a few months early. In August, 1979, the artist of the '80s, Michael Jackson, released his come one of a select group of CBS artists to The Living Colour campaign was a long, Epic solo debut "Off The Wall." In December, have received the Crystal Globe award for hard grind which ultimately sold nearly 2 mil- 1982 came "Thriller," the best -selling album sales of more than 5 million units outside lion copies of "Vivid" and won the band their in history, with seven top 10 pop singles and their country of origin. Taken together, Glo- first Grammy. Another Grammy went to Indi- nearly 41 million copies sold worldwide to ria's "Primitive Love," "Let It Loose" and go Girls, who've now sold close to a million date. Michael reaffirmed his pre- eminence in "Cuts Both Ways" albums have sold more records with their two Epic releases. Living 1987 with "Bad" (the second largest -selling than 15 million units around the world. Colour and the Indigos are prime examples of album of the decade) and his record breaking *Brought forth a new kind of adult pop star in unique, out -of-the -mainstream acts which re- world tour. In February 1990, Tommy Mot - Basia. Her Time And Tide" debut took 18 quired painstaking development in the press, tola and I had the distinct pleasure of pre- months to go platinum, but the follow -up, on tour, and through alternative marketing senting Michael Jackson with a special award "London Warsaw New York," was gold within strategies to create breakthroughs at radio a month of release. By 1990, Basia was a and retail. We continue to apply the same Danger Danger core artist at AC, NAC, and jazz radio and on kind of tactics and dedication to Suicidal Ten- VH -1, with a hotly- anticipated summer tour dencies, whose new album "Lights ... Cam- Wes" came to Epic via Maurice Starr, produc- on the boards. era ... Revolution," has just been released. er of New Kids On The Block. *Set a new standard for crossover success The Epic Records of the '90s will continue Special mention should be made of a very with (in addition to Luther Vandross) the So- to stongly support our established artists and special new album called "Music Speaks lar artists Babyface, whose hit -filled "Tender compete vigorously for our share of veteran Louder Than Words." This record grew out of Lover" is double platinum; and Calloway, acts. But our real future will come from the a "mission to Moscow" by a group of Ameri- whose "All The Way" album brought forth the streets: from pop, from rap, from metal, and ca's top pop songwriters, who collaborated smash single "I Wanna Be Rich." This year, from the new breed of young American with their Soviet counterparts to create the watch for Epic acts like Midnight Star and rock'n'roll bands. Epic has evolved into a full - superb material on this record. The perform- Teena Marie to cross over from their long- service label with a major's resources and an ers include Cyndi Lauper, Roberta Flack, At- standing R &B base -without compromising indie's flexibility. lantic Starr, and Earth Wind & Fire, among their music or abandoning their core audi- The mainstream pop potential of rap music other fine artists. ence. is an established fact, and Epic committed in In the past, too many important records In rock'n'roll, we've revived some major ca- full when we patted with Eazy -E's Ruthless have been lost in a kind oil sink -or -swim men- reers and built others from the ground up. Records. Above The Law's "Murder Rap" was tality. In the years to come, Epic will bring our Cheap Trick arrived in 1976, and are about the first Epic /Ruthless No. 1 rap hit, and great new music to the mass audience from a to release their 13th Epic recording, "Rust- ed." It's the successor to the platinum "Lap Of Luxury," which gave Cheap Trick their first No. 1 single, "The Flame." Ozzy Osbourne Social Distortion rose from the ashes of Black Sabbath and for unprecedented sales of more than 110 now has five platinum records with Epic /As- million units worldwide in the '80s. sociated. Two other Epic platinum stalwarts, In the '80s, Epic Records: REO Speedwagon and Dan Fogelberg, will de- *Had three consecutive winners of the "Best liver strong new albums this year. New Artist" Grammy: Sade (1985), another Bad English made a platinum debut album international superstar whose three Epic al- and scored a No. 1 single with When I See bums total some 20 million units worldwide; You Smile." Alice Cooper's "Trash" was his Cyndi Lauper (1984), with global sales of first platinum album in nearly 15 years. An- nearly 15 million copies for her three Epic al- other platinum artist, Joan Jett, is now hard bums; and Culture Club (1983), who had at work on her next studio album. And we're three consecutive multi -platinum albums on proud to welcome the Allman Brothers Band Epic. to Epic with their incredible "Seven Turns," *Launched the solo career of Luther Van - coming in July. dross with "Never Too Much" in 1981. That 1990 marks Jeff Beck's 25th year as an album and its six successors have all struck Epic artist; his arena tour with Stevie Ray in fact in- Vaughan & Double Trouble was one of the platinum (two are double platinum), Above The Law Prong cluding the current two- record set "The Best most exciting and creative concert bills of Of Luther Vandross, The Best Of Love," 1989. Like Jeff Beck, Stevie was a Grammy their "Livin' Like Hustlers" will be our first solid foundation built on promotion, press, which brought Luther the highest- charting winner this year, and has five consecutive gold rap album. Metal music is the counter- video, touring, and an unwavering belief in pop single of his career with "Here And Now." gold albums to his credit. He recently teamed part of rap in its inherent rebelliousness and our artists. *Transformed Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound up with Jimmie Vaughan of the Fabulous underground appeal. Bonham's first WTG al- Machine from a consistent success in the Lat- Thunderbirds for the first -ever Vaughan bum is gold -plus; Danger Danger are driving in market into all- American pop hit -makers. Brothers album. Due out in August, it's one of toward gold with their Epic /Imagine debut al- Since 1985, Gloria has released three con- the great guitar records of this or any other bum. We're coming on strong with new bands secutive multi -platinum albums, and has be- year. like Riverdogs, Katmandu, White Heat, Nuc- W-22 A Billboard Spotlight BILLBOARD JUNE 30, 1990 .