7 Empire Success Continued from page M -O ment after Skyhooks disbanded in 1980, the Mushroom Rec- ords building houses management offices for a great many of the label's acts. At the forefront is Ray Evans Management. Evans, Gudinski's partner in Mushroom and a director of all the various "arms," represents Renee Geyer and Russell Mor- ris, as well as Ian "Molly" Meldrum (kingpin of the hugely powerful "Countdown" national rock tv forum) and radio tele- Festival Records vision personality Derryn Hinch. Loud & Clear Management Continued from page M -8 (Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons, Sports) is run by Michael Roberts, "Allan Hely has been a father figure to me. He freely shares Geoff Skewes' Downunder Management represents Wendy & his vast experience and gives me unlimited backup. He's sup- the Rockets, Adrian Barker's Beat Management looks after ported us with a lot of money at times -even when other the Models and the Swingers, and MEO 245 are covered by people in the company weren't all that sure about us. There Sandra Robertson Management. have been times when he's convinced me to pass on deals Up in Sydney, Premier -Harbour Agency/ Frontier Touring that I was determined to accept because he knew a better one director Michael Chugg manages Mushroom act Kevin Borich Michael Gudinski presents a rare gold would come along, and he was right." 1980 (also Stars until their disintegration). single award to pop chart champion Festival and Mushroom are kindred spirits because both Liberation Records Christie Allen for her 1979 national are independents. Festival is the only "major" that is not a A new label, distributed through EMI (so as to avoid any top three hit ' Goosebumps." branch office of a multi -national record company. It is part of Festival), to carry carefully conflict of interest with designed Rupert Murdoch's News Limited organization and has sur- selected international rock repertoire from such artists as vived since 1952 by securing a vast number of international Greg Kihn Band, Mink DeVille, the db's, 999, Hazel O'Connor, powerful section of Australian media and entertainment. and domestic labels. Though denied a steady stream of prod- Ian Gomm and Joe Cocker. As with Frontier Touring, Little "This is one of the few countries where this can be done" says uct from a parent company, it is rarely beaten for chart su- River Band manager and Tumbleweed Music owner Glenn general manager Gary Ashley, but it's nowhere as sinister as premacy year after year, by passionately working repertoire Wheatley is an active participant, thus roping in yet another some people would have you believe. from such fellow indies as Stiff, A &M, Chrysalis, Mushroom, We put no pressure on our acts to go with either our book- Regular, Arista, Jive and Avenue. ing agencies or publishing companies and will even put that in "Festival and Mushroom have worked together as a family their contracts if it bothers them. There have been Mushroom since our first release almost a decade ago," says Allan Hely, acts, such as the Aliens, who have signed with Nucleus (the Festival's managing director. "Mushroom has had our total "other" major booking firm), but most of them willingly use support in exactly the same measure as our many inter- Premier or Harbour for obvious reasons. national licensors. "Ten years ago, I considered Michael Gudinski to be one of By controlling all the loose ends we know exactly what's the most promising a &r talents in the business and the past going on with an act, where it needs to be built and what prob- decade has proved my judgement totally correct and beyond lems it has. We can make promotional expenditures go a lot my highest hopes. I feel I've taught him some business acu- further by co- ordinating its application and sharing the bur- men which has contributed to his remarkable ability to recog- den over record label, publisher, management and booking nize and develop talent. There is a lot of value in having everything centered agency. - "Since inception, Festival has actively supported local tal- when a band or manager comes in the building they can usu- ent, so I was willing to take on a new label that was prepared ally attend to all their business in one visit and there is no lack to seriously represent Australian artists and producers. I felt it of communication between the various areas. was worthy of our support and strength to enable it to survive "Of course, having the whole package helps immeasurably and eventually flourish, both here and on the international in tieing up international deals for acts. For example, not hav- market. ing Greg Macainsh's publishing really did hinder Michael's at- "The most personally satisfying aspect of our decade to- tempts to get an American deal for Skyhooks. But, to be com- gether has been the success and recognition of sc many Aus- Michael Gudinski, left, backstage with pletely honest, we don't like to give away too much to tralian performers outside of this country. Michael has Renee Geyer and Skyhooks /Sports /Jo outsiders. Who does? If Mushroom Records works hard to worked unceasingly toward that goal and I know this is only Jo Zep & the Falcons drummer Freddie break an Australian act, why should some ancient old publish- the beginning of what will unfold during the eighties." Strauks. ing company collect heaps of money ?" Billboard Billboard MUSHROOM RECORDS TOO GOOD C r . J1 /t i /t /i /i ir i í STIFF RECORDS FROM AßrM RECORDS U.K. CONGRATULATES MUSHROOM RECORDS www.americanradiohistory.com.