Rap Indie Label Spotlight
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RAP INDIE LABEL SPOTLIGHT THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN RADIO ISSUE 2168 AUGUST 15 1997 Dollars and Sens endence www.americanradiohistory.com lUN CHU TIW 'DOD ACCEPT YOUR SELF [ME LBUMI N STORES 9/30 Tri ACCEPT YOUR OWN & BE YOURSELF (THE BLACK ALBUM) LEI gm FEATURING THE SINGLE: SKY'S THE LIMIT www.americanradiohistory.com 'CAUSE THE ONE WHO'S IN THE MIDDLE IS THE ONE WHO SEES THE MOST AND COMINO IN '98 ON RELATIVITY RECORDS: TIDCÄN BOTH SINGLES ON YOUR DESK NOW! ONE DAY IT'LL ALL MAKE SENSE FEATURING THE SINGLE: REMINDING ME (OF SEE © 19V7 Relativity Records. www.americanradiohistory.com A 19 "ley, ! S %44%gejafid74411.25M.416"46 a 'eII. Ili h " y / 11...... i 4 .. ...101:#."«.4,,I+.* `+irÿ,4.. b / Á # 4 t I A : i r deiI 0 % r .Ó s .* á I / tie.. .+ , 1 in oDá4,e# .> s°1s + i.a,® t-:a-. / 4 - g !+ *f --ma r` +f r www.americanradiohistory.com V First Person Inside AS TOLD TO BEN FONG-TORRES 6 News 10 That's Sho-Biz 11 Friends of Radio Branford Marsalts Moore 30 On Their Own Rap Editor Thembisa Msbaka On Being Elvis' Guitar Man turns the spotlight on a bevy of bip-hop entreprenneurs wbo are Scotty Moore, who began playing gui- Elvis was going to do. This was a standing alonefor the sake of tar behind Elvis Presley in 1954, quit small audience -250, maybe-and creative autonomy. From label in 1968. In his 14 years with the King, he was real nervous when we first bead Teddy Riley to the no-non- Moore cut more than a lifetime of hits, went out. But as you can see, he sense artist Common, learn what most of them with drummer D.J. quickly takes control. independence really means. Fontana and the late Bill Black on Years later, I'd seen 61 Classifieds footage bass, and when he quit, he really quit, some on him FORMATS turning to engineering and produc- when he was blown 12 Top 40 7be Real Don Steele tion work in and around Nashville. up like a balloon. I Top 40 Profile: But his admi el's neverforgot him. knew something was Tony Kishman Now, on All the King's Men (on definitely wrong. Elvis 14 Go Chart Sweetfrsh Records), Moore, now 65, was very vain; very 15 Alternative and Fontana are joined by Keith conscious about his Static A Little Knowledge Is a Richards, the Mavericks, Cheap Trick, appearance and every- Dangerous Thing, Part 2 Steve Earle, Joe Louis Walker, and thing. I wasn't in contact 18 College Potpourri of Paparazzi Scotty Moore (above) and hydFbóS other greats in a set of new songs. tral with anybody, but I 20 Urban Landzcape his book, That's Alright, Elvis h;t, ttl With writer James Dickerson, Moore knew there was some- Urban On-line has published his biography, That's tie fill, a little background. I thing wrong. And it Wa rin up for the Workout Alright, Elvis (Schirmer Books). A want to see what he sounds like." wasn't too long after that that he 24 Rap documentary film is due out soon. Then, during a break, he started goof- passed away. Like That! Do It Yourself? He began by addressing the recent ing off, singing "That's All Right I was sad in one way; in another Rap Profile: Mas Def RCA way, vanity, I release of Platinum: A Life in (Mama)," and we joined in the end, with his think he 37 Gavin Pocks Music, a four-CD set and that was it. We just couldn't have grown old gracefully containing were at the Hard Kopy Clean Hardcore numerous unreleased Presley tracks, right place at the right time. and still perform in front of people. Rock Profile: Life of Agony including "I'll Never Stand in Your I've got mixed feelings about Because he loved the people. 38 A' Album Adult Alternative Way," which Elvis recorded, by him- Platinum, with all those alternate I was very surprised by all the dif- Three New American self,. apparently as an audition for takes and everything. I call it an ferent artists we got on (All the Sun Records owner Sam Phillips. "outtake" rather than an "alternate King's Men). We asked them to .Songwriters Deep in Thought take." An alternate take would mean bring a song they wanted to do, or 44 Country Women in Radio, Pt. 2 Elvis had been at Sun studios to me, "Hey, let's flip a coin over an original song. We wanted to go 49 Adult Contemporary like a year before we went in these two." But if you listen to what in and not necessarily do it in their inside A/C: Smilin' Faces the studio with him, and did you've done and say, "We're not style; not in our style-we just want- 54 Jazz that one acetate for his mother ("My there yet, we're still working on it," ed to do something new. There's a On Z Comer Cb-cb-changes Happiness"). Then, unbeknownst to that's an outtake. I know fans will couple of songs on there Elvis 56 Smooth Jazz & Vocals me, he'd gone back in again, to eat this stuff up, but from my stand- would've loved to have-the 58 Gavin Americana mt make this disc that's surfaced now. point, I cringe. Good lord! Mavericks ("I Told You So") and The House in the Woos The interesting thing is that, as In 1968, for the TV special, we Ronnie McDowell ("Soulmates")- close as all of us were, traveling in were in the dressing room the first they'd fit him perfect. But aside from NEXT WEEK the car-Sam or Elvis never men- night, jamming around, and that's those two, there's nothing even The Q McCoy tioned that record. where (director) Steve Binder got close to the old sound. Workout The first time in the studio with the idea for that impromptu session I honestly don't know (how radio Cormiersaikms with artist Brian Elvis, it was actually an audition. on stage. He was looking for a hook will respond). We just said, "Hey, McKnight and RCA's Kevin Evans Going back to those early acetates for the show, and that was it: "Get let's do it," and hopefully the jocks flank a beefed-up regimen that'll that he made, it was him and guitar. up there and just do whatever you will listen to it, and if there's any get your station into top shape. This lime, Sam said, "Just give us a lit - want to do." We had no idea what tracks they like-Hey, great. GAVIN Led by Urban Editor/personal trainer Quincy McCov, these exercises promise results for any- First Words one needing to tone up forfall You might think it a stretch to connect Elvis Presley, who died 20 spiritual and the sinful in his music and years ago this weekend, with the theme of this issue: rap indies. life, and no matter his menacing image, And you might well be right. was keenly aware of musical tradition, But consider: When El.is first burst onto the scene, with Scotty and worked tirelessly in the studios. Moore, our First Person subject, above, on guitar, he was down- Rap, too, swerves between nasty GIIN Founded by Bill Gavin -1958 right scary to the keepe-s of the status quo. And he was on Sun and nice, and Common, choosing the GAVIN is published 50 weeks a year on Friday of each Records, the epitome of independence. high road, says, "Timeless music is week. Subscription Rates $325 for 50 issues or $180 Now, take our spotlight subject. Like Elvis, rap has fright- what I strive for. I want my kids to say, Hey, you were for 25 issues. Subscription and circulation inquiries: (415) 495-1990. All right., to any or all of the contents ened the establishment, and hip-hop artists have used-and, in pretty good back then.'" of this publication are reserved. Materials may not be many cases, established their own-indie labels as spring- Come to think of it, Elvis was pretty good... reproduced in any form without the publisher's boards to success. Sonia, like Presley, moved on to the bigs. permission. 01997 GAVIN, Miller Freeman Entertainment Grasp Othe -s, as Rap Editor Thembisa S. Mshaka reports, are doing 140 Second Street, San Francisco well ay staying indie. California 9-1105 l'.ìA imanimmegl: Elvis,tter the conflicts between the Ben Fong -Torres, Managing Editor Miller Freeman t A United News & Melia company GAVIN: AUGUST 15, 1997 I2 www.americanradiohistory.com "A kiss is a good thing... You can kiss In the car, kiss at home, kiss at work." -Dan Kieley, KIIS/FM-Los Angeles GAVIN See Below Give Radio a Motown Without Pity or Andre BY BEN FONG-TORRES At the MCA -owned ately in hot water, with Uptown, Harrell clicked reportedly lavish spending The long -expected dismissal with Mary J. Blige and on staffing, office remodel- of Andre Harrell as Jodeci, and had Sean "Puffy" ing, artists signings, and self- Great Big HISS President/CEO of Motown promotion (via an ad cam- has happened. paign in trade magazines). Harrell, brought in by Despite the expenditures, BY LAURA SWEZEY Als .a kiss is a good thing. It' assionat{e. You can PolyGram two years ago, Motown failed to recapture amid great fanfare anything near its past glory, For all the Zs, Ks, Qs, Vs, in the car, kiss - at (much of and Ys, and for all the home, kiss at work." it self-engineered) to and Harrell's future has Powers, Mixes, Hots and recharge the troubled label, been in question for Wilds, and the Rivers, Stars, -resigned August 7, after sev- months.