Author: Moses Avalon
Publisher: Backbeat Books
ISBN: 0879309482
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
It started out as rage against self-serving insider, books by executives. Not until Moses Avalon wrote from the viewpoint of those on the creative side did we finally get a fair and balanced view of how the music business really works.It's been 10 years since Confessions of a Record Producer published real-life numbers showing what artists made on so-called hit records and how producers labels managers and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to cheat them out of royalties. Since then, Confessions has made it onto the required reading list in nearly all major music business programs around the world including NYU UCLA USC Full Sail and prestigious law schools like Loyola. It's stayed in the top 10% of all books distributed by Amazon and won testimonials from top industry pros confirming that it's the only publication that tells the real story of how artists get ripped off and how they can protect their assets. Now in a special 10th Anniversary Edition author Moses Avalon one of the industry's most sought-after consultants and artist's rights gurus has put even more teeth-wrenching reality at the reader's fingertips. The anniversary edition has updates on all of the old shames and many new ones created by the internet and the ongoing transformation of the music industry. Highlights The only published critical analysis of the performing rights industry Detailed numbers on how new royalties from digital downloads are calculated, collected and manipulated The changing team. Once considered to be the immortal trio manager/lawyer/producer has now become webmaster/aggregator/viral marketer. Who to tool up with, and who is just a tool, are revealed deep inside the new so-called 360 Deals offered by the major labels. Are they a desperate attempt to stay alive or can artists finally get paid? Are CDs really dead or is it an RIAA manipulation? How long can we expect the industry standard to stay relevant? Plus a DVD-ROM containing private lessons from Moses Avalon's world-famous Confessions of a Record Producer Workshop a hot ticket every year for top music lawyers, managers, producers, artists and songwriters. Groundbreaking charts and graphs show industry consolidation, who owns what, and where the future of the music business is headed
Confessions of a Record Producer
Author: Moses Avalon
Publisher: Backbeat Books
ISBN: 0879309482
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
It started out as rage against self-serving insider, books by executives. Not until Moses Avalon wrote from the viewpoint of those on the creative side did we finally get a fair and balanced view of how the music business really works.It's been 10 years since Confessions of a Record Producer published real-life numbers showing what artists made on so-called hit records and how producers labels managers and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to cheat them out of royalties. Since then, Confessions has made it onto the required reading list in nearly all major music business programs around the world including NYU UCLA USC Full Sail and prestigious law schools like Loyola. It's stayed in the top 10% of all books distributed by Amazon and won testimonials from top industry pros confirming that it's the only publication that tells the real story of how artists get ripped off and how they can protect their assets. Now in a special 10th Anniversary Edition author Moses Avalon one of the industry's most sought-after consultants and artist's rights gurus has put even more teeth-wrenching reality at the reader's fingertips. The anniversary edition has updates on all of the old shames and many new ones created by the internet and the ongoing transformation of the music industry. Highlights The only published critical analysis of the performing rights industry Detailed numbers on how new royalties from digital downloads are calculated, collected and manipulated The changing team. Once considered to be the immortal trio manager/lawyer/producer has now become webmaster/aggregator/viral marketer. Who to tool up with, and who is just a tool, are revealed deep inside the new so-called 360 Deals offered by the major labels. Are they a desperate attempt to stay alive or can artists finally get paid? Are CDs really dead or is it an RIAA manipulation? How long can we expect the industry standard to stay relevant? Plus a DVD-ROM containing private lessons from Moses Avalon's world-famous Confessions of a Record Producer Workshop a hot ticket every year for top music lawyers, managers, producers, artists and songwriters. Groundbreaking charts and graphs show industry consolidation, who owns what, and where the future of the music business is headed
Publisher: Backbeat Books
ISBN: 0879309482
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
It started out as rage against self-serving insider, books by executives. Not until Moses Avalon wrote from the viewpoint of those on the creative side did we finally get a fair and balanced view of how the music business really works.It's been 10 years since Confessions of a Record Producer published real-life numbers showing what artists made on so-called hit records and how producers labels managers and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to cheat them out of royalties. Since then, Confessions has made it onto the required reading list in nearly all major music business programs around the world including NYU UCLA USC Full Sail and prestigious law schools like Loyola. It's stayed in the top 10% of all books distributed by Amazon and won testimonials from top industry pros confirming that it's the only publication that tells the real story of how artists get ripped off and how they can protect their assets. Now in a special 10th Anniversary Edition author Moses Avalon one of the industry's most sought-after consultants and artist's rights gurus has put even more teeth-wrenching reality at the reader's fingertips. The anniversary edition has updates on all of the old shames and many new ones created by the internet and the ongoing transformation of the music industry. Highlights The only published critical analysis of the performing rights industry Detailed numbers on how new royalties from digital downloads are calculated, collected and manipulated The changing team. Once considered to be the immortal trio manager/lawyer/producer has now become webmaster/aggregator/viral marketer. Who to tool up with, and who is just a tool, are revealed deep inside the new so-called 360 Deals offered by the major labels. Are they a desperate attempt to stay alive or can artists finally get paid? Are CDs really dead or is it an RIAA manipulation? How long can we expect the industry standard to stay relevant? Plus a DVD-ROM containing private lessons from Moses Avalon's world-famous Confessions of a Record Producer Workshop a hot ticket every year for top music lawyers, managers, producers, artists and songwriters. Groundbreaking charts and graphs show industry consolidation, who owns what, and where the future of the music business is headed
Confessions of a Record Producer
Author: Moses Avalon
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1617133930
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 343
Book Description
The first edition of Confessions of a Record Producer published real-life numbers showing what artists made on so-called “hit records” and how producers, labels, managers, and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to cheat them out of royalties. It's the only publication that tells the real story of how artists get ripped off and how they can protect their assets. In a special 10th Anniversary Edition, author Moses Avalon, one of the industry's most sought-after consultants and artist's rights gurus, has updates on all of the old shams and many new ones created by the internet and the ongoing transformation of the music industry. The book features detailed numbers on how new royalties from digital downloads are calculated, collected, and manipulated, and goes deep inside the new so-called “360 Deals” offered by the major labels. Private video lessons from Avalon's Workshop are also included. Groundbreaking charts and graphs show industry consolidation, who owns what, and where the future of the music business is headed.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1617133930
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 343
Book Description
The first edition of Confessions of a Record Producer published real-life numbers showing what artists made on so-called “hit records” and how producers, labels, managers, and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to cheat them out of royalties. It's the only publication that tells the real story of how artists get ripped off and how they can protect their assets. In a special 10th Anniversary Edition, author Moses Avalon, one of the industry's most sought-after consultants and artist's rights gurus, has updates on all of the old shams and many new ones created by the internet and the ongoing transformation of the music industry. The book features detailed numbers on how new royalties from digital downloads are calculated, collected, and manipulated, and goes deep inside the new so-called “360 Deals” offered by the major labels. Private video lessons from Avalon's Workshop are also included. Groundbreaking charts and graphs show industry consolidation, who owns what, and where the future of the music business is headed.
Confessions of a Record Producer
Author: Moses Avalon
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 9780879308742
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 356
Book Description
Provides an exposâe on the record industry, discussing how musicians and producers can protect their rights, and includes information on how producers dip into budgets, artists steal songs, and lawyers write contracts in code.
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 9780879308742
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 356
Book Description
Provides an exposâe on the record industry, discussing how musicians and producers can protect their rights, and includes information on how producers dip into budgets, artists steal songs, and lawyers write contracts in code.
Confessions of a Record Producer
Author: Moses Avalon
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 1495063755
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
(Book). For more than 15 years, Confessions of a Record Producer has exposed the inner workings of the music business and empowered artists to protect their interests. With inside knowledge and hard numbers, Moses Avalon reveals the truth of how the industry functions (or dysfunctions), showing what artists actually make from their "hits" and how producers, labels, managers, and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to rip them off. This is the only music business trade book that: * Intimately analyzes the differences between ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC * Compares different types of record deals using real-world math and dollar figures * Speaks critically about relationships between big industry entities and how they can hurt artists * Gives the reasoning behind major industry trends and decisions, particularly recent deals with Spotify, Apple, etc. Since the first edition's release in 1998, Confessions has grown from an underground favorite to a widely read staple, evolving along the way to address Internet-age realities and the pitfalls coming with rapidly changing technologies. This new, fifth edition tackles the complexities of music streaming and how the diminishing revenue it provides is becoming the new normal for an industry that has shrunk by half in less than two decades. Fully updated with recent industry developments and the latest scams, Confessions of a Record Producer remains a must for artists who want to survive, thrive, and get their fair share.
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 1495063755
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
(Book). For more than 15 years, Confessions of a Record Producer has exposed the inner workings of the music business and empowered artists to protect their interests. With inside knowledge and hard numbers, Moses Avalon reveals the truth of how the industry functions (or dysfunctions), showing what artists actually make from their "hits" and how producers, labels, managers, and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to rip them off. This is the only music business trade book that: * Intimately analyzes the differences between ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC * Compares different types of record deals using real-world math and dollar figures * Speaks critically about relationships between big industry entities and how they can hurt artists * Gives the reasoning behind major industry trends and decisions, particularly recent deals with Spotify, Apple, etc. Since the first edition's release in 1998, Confessions has grown from an underground favorite to a widely read staple, evolving along the way to address Internet-age realities and the pitfalls coming with rapidly changing technologies. This new, fifth edition tackles the complexities of music streaming and how the diminishing revenue it provides is becoming the new normal for an industry that has shrunk by half in less than two decades. Fully updated with recent industry developments and the latest scams, Confessions of a Record Producer remains a must for artists who want to survive, thrive, and get their fair share.
Confessions of a Record Producer
Author: Moses Avalon
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 1617133922
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 343
Book Description
(Book). It's been 10 years since Confessions of a Record Producer published real-life numbers showing what artists made on so-called "hit records" and how producers, labels, managers, and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to cheat them out of royalties. It's the only publication that tells the real story of how artists get ripped off and how they can protect their assets. In a special 10th Anniversary Edition, author Moses Avalon, one of the industry's most sought-after consultants and artist's rights gurus, has updates on all of the old shams and many new ones created by the internet and the ongoing transformation of the music industry. * Detailed numbers on how new royalties from digital downloads are calculated, collected, and manipulated. * Deep inside the new so-called "360 Deals" offered by the major labels. Groundbreaking charts and graphs show industry consolidation, who owns what, and where the future of the music business is headed.
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
ISBN: 1617133922
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 343
Book Description
(Book). It's been 10 years since Confessions of a Record Producer published real-life numbers showing what artists made on so-called "hit records" and how producers, labels, managers, and even the artists' own lawyers conspire to cheat them out of royalties. It's the only publication that tells the real story of how artists get ripped off and how they can protect their assets. In a special 10th Anniversary Edition, author Moses Avalon, one of the industry's most sought-after consultants and artist's rights gurus, has updates on all of the old shams and many new ones created by the internet and the ongoing transformation of the music industry. * Detailed numbers on how new royalties from digital downloads are calculated, collected, and manipulated. * Deep inside the new so-called "360 Deals" offered by the major labels. Groundbreaking charts and graphs show industry consolidation, who owns what, and where the future of the music business is headed.
Confessions of a Serial Songwriter
Author: Shelly Peiken
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1495063623
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
Confessions of a Serial Songwriter is an amusing and poignant memoir about songwriter Shelly Peiken's journey from young girl falling under the spell of magical songs to working professional songwriter writing hits of her own. It's about growing up, the creative process – the highs and the lows, the conflicts that arise between motherhood and career success, the divas and schemers, but also the talented and remarkable people she's found along the way. It's filled with stories and step-by-step advice about the songwriting process, especially collaboration. And it's about the challenge of staying relevant in a rapidly changing and youth-driven world. As Shelly so eloquently states in Confessions of a Serial Songwriter: “If I had to come up with one X factor that I could cite as a characteristic most hit songs have in common (and this excludes hit songs that are put forth by an already well-oiled machine...that is, a recording artist who has so much notoriety and momentum that just about anything he or she releases, as long as it's 'pretty good ' will have a decent shot at succeeding), I would say it would be: A universal sentiment in a unique frame.” Peiken has tapped the universal sentiment again and again; her songs have been recorded by such artists as Christina Aguilera, Natalie Cole, Selena Gomez, Celine Dion, the Pretenders, and others. In Confessions of a Serial Songwriter, she pulls the curtain back on the music business from the perspective of a behind-the-scenes hit creator and shares invaluable insight into the craft of songwriting.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1495063623
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
Confessions of a Serial Songwriter is an amusing and poignant memoir about songwriter Shelly Peiken's journey from young girl falling under the spell of magical songs to working professional songwriter writing hits of her own. It's about growing up, the creative process – the highs and the lows, the conflicts that arise between motherhood and career success, the divas and schemers, but also the talented and remarkable people she's found along the way. It's filled with stories and step-by-step advice about the songwriting process, especially collaboration. And it's about the challenge of staying relevant in a rapidly changing and youth-driven world. As Shelly so eloquently states in Confessions of a Serial Songwriter: “If I had to come up with one X factor that I could cite as a characteristic most hit songs have in common (and this excludes hit songs that are put forth by an already well-oiled machine...that is, a recording artist who has so much notoriety and momentum that just about anything he or she releases, as long as it's 'pretty good ' will have a decent shot at succeeding), I would say it would be: A universal sentiment in a unique frame.” Peiken has tapped the universal sentiment again and again; her songs have been recorded by such artists as Christina Aguilera, Natalie Cole, Selena Gomez, Celine Dion, the Pretenders, and others. In Confessions of a Serial Songwriter, she pulls the curtain back on the music business from the perspective of a behind-the-scenes hit creator and shares invaluable insight into the craft of songwriting.
Confessions of a Radical Chicano Doo-Wop Singer
Author: Ruben Guevara
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520297229
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
Prologue -- La Veinte: a Santa Monica barrio -- Rubén Ladrón de Guevara Sr., 1914-2006 -- 1742 22nd Street, Barrio La Veinte, Santa Monica -- Palm Springs / Cathedral City / Las Vegas -- Binnie -- La Gatita -- Las Vegas : breakup of the family -- Sue Dean -- Beverly -- Shindig! with Tina Turner and Bo Diddley, 1965 -- The Sunset Strip riots -- The southern belle -- LACC / The New Revelations Gospel Choir -- Miss Santa Barbara -- Frank Zappa / Ruben And The Jets / Rock 'n' Roll Angels / 1972-1974 -- Miss Pamela & the G.T.O.'s (Girls Together Outrageously) -- Miss Claremont -- Miss Chino -- The mutiny -- The movie star and Miss Blue Eyes -- We open for Zappa at Winterland, San Francisco, April, 1973 -- Con Safos the album -- Mexico / Hollywood / The Whisky / Eastside Revue / Zyanya Records -- La gypsy -- The Star Spangled Banner / America the Beautiful -- The Whisky / Con Safos the band, 1980 -- Miss Aztlán -- Gotcha -- Zyanya Records -- Cristina / Día de Los Muertos / Chicano Heaven -- Born in East L.A.--the movie -- HBO/Cinemax special -- Performance art : Mexico and France -- La quemada -- La rebel -- Jammin' with Johnny -- Arts 4 City Youth -- UCLA -- Journey to New Aztlán -- Miss San Francisco : the enchantress -- Miss Mongolia -- Metropolitan State Hospital -- Trinity Elementary School -- Teaching at UCLA -- Miss Tokyo -- Mexamérica the CD -- The Eastside Revue : a musical homage to Boyle Heights, 1922-2002 -- Boyle Heights, LA Times -- Collaborations with Josh Kun -- The Iraq war -- Collaborations with Nobuko Miyamoto / Great Leap / NCRR / MPAC -- Manzanar pilgrimage -- Yellow Pearl remix -- Minutemen protest in Baldwin Park -- Rock 'n' rights : rockin' for the mentally disabled -- Resistance & respect : Los Angeles muralism & graff art -- Miss Bogotá -- Word up! a performance and theater summit at the Ford, 2006 -- Meeting my Okanagan brothers from Westbank First Nation, B.C. Canada -- Epiphany at Joshua Tree -- Miss Altar in the sky -- Rubén Guevara & the Eastside Luvers -- The Tao of Funkahuatl -- The Tao of Funkahuatl the CD -- Mex/LA -- Opening for Los Lobos at the House of Dues -- Fifty years in show biz / The Madeleine Brand Show, NPR, 2011 -- Miss Beijing -- Miss Monterey Park -- End of ten year sex drought -- My 70th birthday party -- Platonic homegirls -- Joseph Trotter -- A Boyle Heights cultural treasure -- The new face of Boyle Heights -- ¡Angelin@s presente! -- Sara Guevara -- Confessions of a radical Chicano Doo Wop singer : the solo, multi-media theater piece -- The fall -- Reflections on L.A
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520297229
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 374
Book Description
Prologue -- La Veinte: a Santa Monica barrio -- Rubén Ladrón de Guevara Sr., 1914-2006 -- 1742 22nd Street, Barrio La Veinte, Santa Monica -- Palm Springs / Cathedral City / Las Vegas -- Binnie -- La Gatita -- Las Vegas : breakup of the family -- Sue Dean -- Beverly -- Shindig! with Tina Turner and Bo Diddley, 1965 -- The Sunset Strip riots -- The southern belle -- LACC / The New Revelations Gospel Choir -- Miss Santa Barbara -- Frank Zappa / Ruben And The Jets / Rock 'n' Roll Angels / 1972-1974 -- Miss Pamela & the G.T.O.'s (Girls Together Outrageously) -- Miss Claremont -- Miss Chino -- The mutiny -- The movie star and Miss Blue Eyes -- We open for Zappa at Winterland, San Francisco, April, 1973 -- Con Safos the album -- Mexico / Hollywood / The Whisky / Eastside Revue / Zyanya Records -- La gypsy -- The Star Spangled Banner / America the Beautiful -- The Whisky / Con Safos the band, 1980 -- Miss Aztlán -- Gotcha -- Zyanya Records -- Cristina / Día de Los Muertos / Chicano Heaven -- Born in East L.A.--the movie -- HBO/Cinemax special -- Performance art : Mexico and France -- La quemada -- La rebel -- Jammin' with Johnny -- Arts 4 City Youth -- UCLA -- Journey to New Aztlán -- Miss San Francisco : the enchantress -- Miss Mongolia -- Metropolitan State Hospital -- Trinity Elementary School -- Teaching at UCLA -- Miss Tokyo -- Mexamérica the CD -- The Eastside Revue : a musical homage to Boyle Heights, 1922-2002 -- Boyle Heights, LA Times -- Collaborations with Josh Kun -- The Iraq war -- Collaborations with Nobuko Miyamoto / Great Leap / NCRR / MPAC -- Manzanar pilgrimage -- Yellow Pearl remix -- Minutemen protest in Baldwin Park -- Rock 'n' rights : rockin' for the mentally disabled -- Resistance & respect : Los Angeles muralism & graff art -- Miss Bogotá -- Word up! a performance and theater summit at the Ford, 2006 -- Meeting my Okanagan brothers from Westbank First Nation, B.C. Canada -- Epiphany at Joshua Tree -- Miss Altar in the sky -- Rubén Guevara & the Eastside Luvers -- The Tao of Funkahuatl -- The Tao of Funkahuatl the CD -- Mex/LA -- Opening for Los Lobos at the House of Dues -- Fifty years in show biz / The Madeleine Brand Show, NPR, 2011 -- Miss Beijing -- Miss Monterey Park -- End of ten year sex drought -- My 70th birthday party -- Platonic homegirls -- Joseph Trotter -- A Boyle Heights cultural treasure -- The new face of Boyle Heights -- ¡Angelin@s presente! -- Sara Guevara -- Confessions of a radical Chicano Doo Wop singer : the solo, multi-media theater piece -- The fall -- Reflections on L.A
Rick Rubin
Author: Jake Brown
Publisher: ECW Press
ISBN: 1554904404
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
There is no greater enigma than Rick Rubin working in record production today. As mysterious personally as the Buddhist religion he practices, Rubin has made one thing crystal clear: the records he produces are sonically and stylistically beyond reproach. MTV has called Rubin the most important producer of the last 20 years, while Rolling...
Publisher: ECW Press
ISBN: 1554904404
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
There is no greater enigma than Rick Rubin working in record production today. As mysterious personally as the Buddhist religion he practices, Rubin has made one thing crystal clear: the records he produces are sonically and stylistically beyond reproach. MTV has called Rubin the most important producer of the last 20 years, while Rolling...
Howling at the Moon
Author: Walter Yetnikoff
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 076791810X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
Show biz memoir at its name-dropping, bridge-burning, profane best: the music industry’s most outspoken, outrageous, and phenomenally successful executive delivers a rollicking memoir of pop music’s heyday. During the 1970s and '80s the music business was dominated by a few major labels and artists such as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand and James Taylor. They were all under contract to CBS Records, making it the most successful label of the era. And, as the company’s president, Walter Yetnikoff was the ruling monarch. He was also the most flamboyant, volatile and controversial personality to emerge from an industry and era defined by sex, drugs and debauchery. Having risen from working-class Brooklyn and the legal department of CBS, Yetnikoff, who freely admitted to being tone deaf, was an unlikely label head. But he had an uncanny knack for fostering talent and intimidating rivals with his appalling behavior—usually fueled by an explosive combination of cocaine and alcohol. His tantrums, appetite for mind-altering substances and sexual exploits were legendary. In Japan to meet the Sony executives who acquired CBS during his tenure, Walter was assigned a minder who confined him to a hotel room. True to form, Walter raided the minibar, got blasted and, seeing no other means of escape, opened a hotel window and vented his rage by literally howling at the moon. In Howling at the Moon, Yetnikoff traces his journey as he climbed the corporate mountain, danced on its summit and crashed and burned. We see how Walter became the father-confessor to Michael Jackson as the King of Pop reconstructed his face and agonized over his image while constructing Thriller (and how, after it won seven Grammies, Jackson made the preposterous demand that Walter take producer Quincy Jones’s name off the album); we see Walter, in maniacal pursuit of a contract, chase the Rolling Stones around the world and nearly come to blows with Mick Jagger in the process; we get the tale of how Walter and Marvin Gaye—fresh from the success of “Sexual Healing”—share the same woman, and of how Walter bonds with Bob Dylan because of their mutual Jewishness. At the same time we witness Yetnikoff’s clashes with Barry Diller, David Geffen, Tommy Mottola, Allen Grubman and a host of others. Seemingly, the more Yetnikoff feeds his cravings for power, sex, liquor and cocaine, the more profitable CBS becomes—from $485 million to well over $2 billion—until he finally succumbs, ironically, not to substances, but to a corporate coup. Reflecting on the sinister cycle that left his career in tatters and CBS flush with cash, Yetnikoff emerges with a hunger for redemption and a new reverence for his working-class Brooklyn roots. Ruthlessly candid, uproariously hilarious and compulsively readable, Howling at the Moon is a blistering You’ll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again of the music industry.
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 076791810X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 292
Book Description
Show biz memoir at its name-dropping, bridge-burning, profane best: the music industry’s most outspoken, outrageous, and phenomenally successful executive delivers a rollicking memoir of pop music’s heyday. During the 1970s and '80s the music business was dominated by a few major labels and artists such as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand and James Taylor. They were all under contract to CBS Records, making it the most successful label of the era. And, as the company’s president, Walter Yetnikoff was the ruling monarch. He was also the most flamboyant, volatile and controversial personality to emerge from an industry and era defined by sex, drugs and debauchery. Having risen from working-class Brooklyn and the legal department of CBS, Yetnikoff, who freely admitted to being tone deaf, was an unlikely label head. But he had an uncanny knack for fostering talent and intimidating rivals with his appalling behavior—usually fueled by an explosive combination of cocaine and alcohol. His tantrums, appetite for mind-altering substances and sexual exploits were legendary. In Japan to meet the Sony executives who acquired CBS during his tenure, Walter was assigned a minder who confined him to a hotel room. True to form, Walter raided the minibar, got blasted and, seeing no other means of escape, opened a hotel window and vented his rage by literally howling at the moon. In Howling at the Moon, Yetnikoff traces his journey as he climbed the corporate mountain, danced on its summit and crashed and burned. We see how Walter became the father-confessor to Michael Jackson as the King of Pop reconstructed his face and agonized over his image while constructing Thriller (and how, after it won seven Grammies, Jackson made the preposterous demand that Walter take producer Quincy Jones’s name off the album); we see Walter, in maniacal pursuit of a contract, chase the Rolling Stones around the world and nearly come to blows with Mick Jagger in the process; we get the tale of how Walter and Marvin Gaye—fresh from the success of “Sexual Healing”—share the same woman, and of how Walter bonds with Bob Dylan because of their mutual Jewishness. At the same time we witness Yetnikoff’s clashes with Barry Diller, David Geffen, Tommy Mottola, Allen Grubman and a host of others. Seemingly, the more Yetnikoff feeds his cravings for power, sex, liquor and cocaine, the more profitable CBS becomes—from $485 million to well over $2 billion—until he finally succumbs, ironically, not to substances, but to a corporate coup. Reflecting on the sinister cycle that left his career in tatters and CBS flush with cash, Yetnikoff emerges with a hunger for redemption and a new reverence for his working-class Brooklyn roots. Ruthlessly candid, uproariously hilarious and compulsively readable, Howling at the Moon is a blistering You’ll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again of the music industry.
White Bicycles
Author: Joe Boyd
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1847652166
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
When Muddy Waters came to London at the start of the '60s, a kid from Boston called Joe Boyd was his tour manager; when Dylan went electric at the Newport Festival, Joe Boyd was plugging in his guitar; when the summer of love got going, Joe Boyd was running the coolest club in London, the UFO; when a bunch of club regulars called Pink Floyd recorded their first single, Joe Boyd was the producer; when a young songwriter named Nick Drake wanted to give his demo tape to someone, he chose Joe Boyd. More than any previous '60s music autobiography, Joe Boyd's White Bicycles offers the real story of what it was like to be there at the time. His greatest coup is bringing to life the famously elusive figure of Nick Drake - the first time he's been written about by anyone who knew him well. As well as the '60s heavy-hitters, this book also offers wonderfully vivid portraits of a whole host of other musicians: everyone from the great jazzman Coleman Hawkins to the folk diva Sandy Denny, Lonnie Johnson to Eric Clapton, The Incredible String Band to Fairport Convention.
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1847652166
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
When Muddy Waters came to London at the start of the '60s, a kid from Boston called Joe Boyd was his tour manager; when Dylan went electric at the Newport Festival, Joe Boyd was plugging in his guitar; when the summer of love got going, Joe Boyd was running the coolest club in London, the UFO; when a bunch of club regulars called Pink Floyd recorded their first single, Joe Boyd was the producer; when a young songwriter named Nick Drake wanted to give his demo tape to someone, he chose Joe Boyd. More than any previous '60s music autobiography, Joe Boyd's White Bicycles offers the real story of what it was like to be there at the time. His greatest coup is bringing to life the famously elusive figure of Nick Drake - the first time he's been written about by anyone who knew him well. As well as the '60s heavy-hitters, this book also offers wonderfully vivid portraits of a whole host of other musicians: everyone from the great jazzman Coleman Hawkins to the folk diva Sandy Denny, Lonnie Johnson to Eric Clapton, The Incredible String Band to Fairport Convention.