THE HEW ROCK FROM THE U K Sire Records Expands Through Its Lengthy Involvement With The British Music Scene don, my introduction to the British scene in contact with Len Wood, then managing Stein by Seymour came from the record and sheet music director of EMI, King’s U.K. licensee. At one My teenage years were so consumed charts of New Musical Express and Melody meeting he and Syd Nathan, King’s fiery with rock ‘n’ roll music that I marked the Maker that appeared in this country in Cash founder, were heatedly debating King’s at- passage of time with such events as Atlantic Box and Billboard each week and, later, tempt to secure an option on all EMI reper- changing the color of its label from yellow to from the magazines themselves. Itwashere toire if it was passed on by Capitol. Nathan red, Bobby Lester being replaced by Har- that I first became aware of sub-publishing, did not succeed, but it was not until several vey Fuqua in the Moonglows, and RCA noticing that many of the American hits years later that I realized how important this purchasing Elvis’ contract from Sun. Grow- were published by different companies I option could have been. ing up in Brooklyn in the mid-1950s gave had never heard of, such as Lawrence When I heard the Beatles’ first me easy access to the great live revues held Wright, Boosey and Hawkes, Campbell- Parlophone record, “Love Me Do,” I was periodically at that borough’s premiere Connelly, Keith Prowse, Feldmans, not overly impressed. Their followup, venues, the Fox and Paramount Theatres. Francis, Day & Hunter, Macmelodies and “Please, Please Me,” was one of the most The airwaves were full of great music: Alan Peter Maurice. exciting records I had heard during the Freed on WINS and Jocko Henderson and The record labels were different, too, early part of 1963. It was really surprised, Jack Walker spearheading R&B on WOV, with names like Parlophone, Pye Nixa, months later, to see the record released on with WLIB, WWRL, WNJR and WHOM in Oriole, Top Rank and Fontana. It was a Vee-Jay, as I felt certain Capitol would see Seymour Stein hot pursuit. great shock to learn that RCA’s “Nipper" the potential for America, especially since The four-year period from 1954 to the was actually the registered trademark of by that time, “From Me To You" and “She Among the acts he produced were John end of 1957 was rock’s first golden era, and EMI’s HMV label, as was theColumbia label Loves You” had followed it to #1 in Britain. Mayall’s Blues Breakers, Ten Years After the music turned itself inside out. There and their “musical note" trademark. All It was only Vee-Jay’s subsequent and Savoy Brown. Mike was about to break was the infusion of rhythm and blues into American Decca records were released on bankruptcy and EMI’s wisdom in licensing away and devote himself full-time to pop with the emergence of such immortals either Coral or Brunswick, as the two "She Loves You” to Swan Records as a operating his little blues label, Blue as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Decca’s, although distributed by the British one-off that eventually secured the Beatles Horizon. I offered him some help in getting Domino, Bo Diddley, the Drifters, Ray company, were totally separate. Decca was for Capitol. But Capitol was to continue the company started and, after several Charles, The Flamingos and, later, Sam then the most aggressive company in licen- passing on acts even after the Beatle months, was approached about becoming Cooke and the Isley Brothers. White- sing U.S. repertoire, most of which ap- breakthrough. They basically released more involved. Sire bought a 50% share in influenced rock, mostly country and peared on its London American subsidiary. those artists from the Brian Epstein stable Blue Horizon, and, during the early years of rockabilly, broke through in 1956 with Elvis, EMI’s comparable label was Stateside, but like Cilia Black and Peter and Gordon, the company’s success with Fleetwood followed by Gene Vincent, Johnny Cash, it was a poor second. With material from allowing the Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Mac and Chicken Shack, I spent months at Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Eddie Phil Spector’s Philles label, Eddie Cochran Hermits, the Hollies, and the Animals to go a time in London. Cochranand others. NewYork wasthecen- and Johnny Burnette from Liberty, Fats elsewhere. Decca, having virtual control of Mike had total control of A&R, and this ter of its the music business and had own Domino & Ricky Nelson from Imperial and its American company, saw to it that Lon- left me free, by mutual agreement, to sign special music “do-wop” with groups like Duane Eddy from Jamie, Little Richard don released product by the Rolling on behalf of Sire. My first signing — the Heartbeats, Five Satins, Cleftones and from Specialty and many others all Stones, Zombies, Moody Blues and the perhaps prophetically — was the Deviants Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers and available on London/American, the young remainder of its roster. Pye, having no U.S. in 1968, who many credit as being Britain’s Dion and the Belmonts. By 1957, branches British record buyer must have eyed that company of their own, would send their original punk aggregation. This was of this music had spread to all major black label as the Two-Tone of that period. releases each week to the various labels followed by Barclay James Harvest, Climax urban areas, but particularly Chicago, While still in my final years of school, I they represented. At that time (1964), I was Blues Band and Renaissance. Britain’s Detroit, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. secured a job working with Tom Noonan working with George Goldner, Jerry Lieber close proximity to the continent put me in Then, toward theend of thefifties, aslick, and Paul Ackerman at Billboard. This posi- and Mike Stoller at Red Bird, and I remem- contact with the music scenes in Holland, more stylized form of rock, lacking the tion made it easier to obtain copies of ber their scrambling with Warner Brothers Germany and France and led to Sire’s sign- spontaneity of^the music that preceded it, British releases. My favorites were “Picture for rights to Petula Clark's “Downtown.” ing of Focus. began to take hold in America. Although of You” by Joe Brown, “Shakin’ All Over” by Pye also had the Kinks, the Searchers and Awareness of the various European certain of these artists like Ricky Nelson, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, “What Do You Donovan. markets and the importing of product into Gene Pitney and Bobby Vee were to make Want” by Adam Faith, “Move It" by Cliff In 1966, when Richard Gottehrer and I the States brought Sire into a relationship significant contributions to rock, most of it Richard, “Apache” by the Shadows, Marty started Sire Records, almost immediately with JEM Records soon after that company was too watered down for my tastes. It was Wilde’s “Bad Boy,” and, of course, Joe we began looking toward Britain as a talent was established. Together, we formed during this first lull in rock and roll that I set Meek’s legendary instrumental, “Telstar” source. This was more out of necessity than Passport Records and enjoyed much my sights on England to expand my by the Tornadoes. design. Clive Davis had recently taken over success during the mid-1970’s. The label is horizons. at to that Moving on from Billboard to King CBS and was determined bring still owned and operated by JEM. Aside from the odd hit like “He’s Got the Records, the Cincinnati-based home of company rock credibility at any cost. The Over years of constant visits, I developed In Whole World His Hand” by Laurie Lon- James Brown and other R&B greats, I came deals he negotiated, followed by the other somewhat of a British instinct and attitude. majors who were keeping pace, ushered in When the “new wave” scene started to the modern recording contracts and big emerge in New York, I knew this music “this is not nostalgia THE TROGGS are in their prime!" advances of today. As a fledgling company, would find immediate acceptance in Sire could not hope to compete. • Tim Sommer, Trouser Press England. The Ramones and Talking Heads On one of my first trips to England, I met were among the first bands to tour the U.K. Mike Vernon, a staff producer at Decca and “(an) ageless act” Legend has it, in fact, that it was while • Rolling Stone pioneer in that country’s blues revival. watching the Ramones (opening for the Flamin' Groovies) on July 4, 1976 at the “no skeleton crew Roundhouse that both the Clash and Sex of impostors” Pistols decided to turn professional. The in- • Chicago Reader terplay of bands during that period saw both the Stranglers and Boomtown Rats “a great rock open for the Ramones, while Dire Straits' and roll show” first tour was as support to Talking Heads. Richard Hell did an early Clash tour, while • Illinois Entertainer the Dead Boys toured as special guests of the Damned. Early in 1978, we began to seriously eye new British rock bands. The first to be signed were the Rezillos, who, after two hit April 18, 19: albums and several singles split into two Appearing: Max’s Kansas City New York City separate units, the Revillos, now on Din- March 30: April 24: disc, and Shake, who remained with Sire.