Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 2 in the US and No. 1964 - Greenberg joined Seaboard Distributors in Hartford, CT, as a record promoter, where he promoted records to radio stations for such labels as Atlantic Records, Chess Records, Liberty Records, Mercury Records, Phillips, Roulette Records, and many others. The highly respected executive, who celebrates her 20 th anniversary with the label this year, was most recently Atlantic's General Manager/Executive Vice President of Black Music A&R. In her new post, Gaba will work alongside Co-President, Black Music Mike Kyser. Wexler had hired Greenberg and acted as his mentor, teaching him the daily operations of the record business. [82][83][84] The four-story warehouse, located at 199 Broadway, was the former location of Vogel's Department Store, before it closed down in March 1975. My early years began with the Rolling Stones, Bette Midler, Abba, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Phil Collins, U2, Stevie Nicks and so many more, including songs that I forgot I promoted until I hear them in a store and point up and say, I worked that record!. Brown received a voluntary payment of $20,000 and founded the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1988 with a donation of $1.5 million from Ertegun. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. [33] LaVern Baker had a No. [5] Ertegun hired Billboard reporter Jerry Wexler in June 1953. [26] He deleted the old '100' and '400' series of 10" albums and the earlier 12" albums in Atlantic's catalog, starting the '1200' series, which sold for $4.98, with Shorty Rogers' The Swingin' Mr Rogers. 1). Wexler dismissed developments in pop music, dubbing the musicians "the rockoids". So significant was Brown's success to Atlantic that the label became known colloquially as "The House That Ruth Built". Much of this was due to Kalodner, who later admitted that, as soon as Gabriel was dropped from Atlantic, he realized he had made a mistake. But the Ertegun brothers held the majority of stock while Wexler controlled about 20 percent. There are so many artists Ive been lucky to be involved with, and I love breaking music from so many different genres, she says, launching into a long list that includes INXS, Stone Temple Pilots, Hootie and the Blowfish, Jewel, Matchbox 20, Skid Row, Brandy, Kid Rock, Tori Amos, En Vogue, Aaliyah, and of course our current super-bigs, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Cardi B, Coldplay, Lizzo, not to mention this years chart goliath, Roddy Ricch. 4 R&B hit with "Tweedlee Dee", but a rival version by Georgia Gibbs went to No. in large type (which spawned copycat vandalism). Two of Atlantic Records' most accomplished A&R execs, Brandon Davis and Jeff Levin, have been promoted to Executive Vice Presidents and Co-Heads of Pop A&R for the company. Lance Gross Dallas Martin, the Atlantic Records A&R executive whose successes include records by Roddy Ricch and Meek Mill, has been promoted to executive vice president of A&R at. The announcement was made today by Atlantic Chairman/COO Julie Greenwald and Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman . Although the group didn't use this version, it guided them in their subsequent production. Atlantic Records. [26] In this system, recordings were made using two microphones, spaced at approximately the distance between the human ears, and the left and right channels were recorded as two separate, parallel grooves. Ertegun asked about artists' royalties, which he paid, and this surprised Columbia executives, who did not, and the deal was scuttled. Aaron Bay-Schuck. Songwriter Bert Berns hated Spector's arrangement and thought it ruined the song, so Berns re-recorded it with The Isley Brothers and it became a hit. Jerry L. Greenberg is an American music executive, who at 32, was the youngest president of any major record company in the recording industry and received that title in 1974 as President of Atlantic Records. [2], In 2006, the label denied "Weird Al" Yankovic permission to release "You're Pitiful", a parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful", despite Blunt's approval. Reissue producers and archivists subsequently located some tapes that were at first presumed 'lost', but which had survived because they had evidently been removed from the New Jersey archive years earlier and not returned. Darin moved to Los Angeles and signed with Capitol. Flights will operate daily except Tuesdays. In late 1961 singer Solomon Burke arrived at Jerry Wexler's office unannounced. [21], In 1952 Atlantic signed Ray Charles, whose hits included "I Got a Woman", "What'd I Say", and "Hallelujah I Love Her So". Collins later commented, "We didn't use his version, but we knew what he was getting at. [35] Nesuhi became head of artists and repertoire (A&R),[31] led the label's jazz division, and built a roster that included Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre, Herbie Mann, Les McCann,[5] Charles Mingus, and John Coltrane. A few people had tagged him and I reached out to ask if he would be so kind to let me interview him. I posted something on my Instagram asking my followers to tag interesting locals. 1989 - Tommy Mottola, who took over Sony Music, offered Greenberg a label in California. Kenny . Jerry Wexler said, "we're gonna put her back in church. [26] He had been living in Los Angeles for several years and had intermittent contact with his younger brother. Moving up the promo ranks, she was appointed Vice President of National Promotion in 1988 and Senior Vice President two years later. 7). Atlantic Group is representing a privately held investment firm serving some of the world's most influential families and organizations. The deal closed in early 2004, consolidating Elektra Records and Atlantic into one label operated in the eastern United States. . Abramson's departure opened the way for Ahmet Ertegun to take over as president of the label. Over 60 years of recorded music history from Aretha Franklin & Led Zeppelin to Bruno Mars & Ed Sheeran. Websites. 1972 - Within five years, Greenberg held two titles; Vice President of Radio Promotion, and Vice President of Artists and Repertoire for Atlantic Records. From Ertegun he learned how to treat musicians.[73]. 1974 - Ahmet Ertegun, now Chairman, announced Greenberg as President of Atlantic Records, making him the youngest president of a major record company at 32. [31] Ertegun and Wexler realized many R&B recordings by black musicians were being covered by white performers, often with greater chart success. Vice President of A&R at Atlantic Records Los Angeles, California, United States. Few music industry vets approach the level of royalty in the radio world that Andrea Ganis, Varietys Hitbreaker of the Year, inhabits. 4), "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Soul No. [89] Although Yankovic could have made the parody anyway, claiming Fair Use, his record label, Volcano Entertainment, thought it best not to "go to war" with Atlantic. Stereo versions of Ray Charles "What'd I Say" and "Night Time is the Right Time" were included on the Atlantic anthology The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues Recordings, 19521959. Wexler lost his temper and threw Geffen out of his office, but Geffen called Ahmet Ertegun the next day, and Ertegun persuaded Geffen to convince Clive Davis at Columbia to let Atlantic sign Crosby, Stills & Nash.[5]. 2, Pop No. In 1968 the label issued History of Rhythm and Blues, Volume 4 in stereo. Spector became one of the most successful record producers of the 1960s. It was groundbreaking., And although she may have blazed a trail as a female executive in the male-dominated world of promotion, for her its all about team success over individual success, in service of the artists. Vice President, A&R. Phone Email. [5] Ahmet ostensibly stayed in Washington to undertake post-graduate music studies at Georgetown University but immersed himself in the Washington music scene and entered the record business, which was enjoying a resurgence after wartime restrictions on the shellac used in manufacture. Wexler exploded and replied the payment would mean the end of their relationship with the label. 2 after spending almost six months on the Billboard R&B chart although McGhee himself earned just $10 for the session. Acceding to Ertegun's demand, Collins took the unusual step of overdubbing extra drums on the finished master tape, and he later commented, "He (Ertegun) was quite right. As part of the negotiations, Collins and his bandmates wanted their own 'vanity' label, Duke Records, but according to Kalodner, and despite Ertegun's personal interest, the group's demands, and their relatively modest performance in the US made Atlantic executives ambivalent about the deal. But when Ahmet learned that Nesuhi had been offered a partnership in Atlantic's rival Imperial Records, he and Wexler convinced Nesuhi to join Atlantic instead. Following his departure, Ertegunwho had previously taken little interest in Atlantic's business affairstook decisive control of the label[66] and quickly became a major force in the expanding Warner music group. Atlantic Records was founded in September 1947 in New York City and incorporated in October 1947 with Abramson as president, Etregun vice-president in charge A&R, production and promotion. "I thought we were going to die", Wexler recalled. In September 1964, the Ertegun brothers and Wexler were in the process of buying out the company's other two shareholders, Sabit and Bienstock,[51] and it was proposed that Leiber and Stoller buy Sabit's shares. [3] [4] "With the new EDM music scene emerging, a new music label from Ibiza and LA is a perfect fit," said Greenberg. Atlantic archivists have since rediscovered other 'lost' material including unreleased masters, alternative takes and rehearsal tapes by Ray Charles, Van "Piano Man" Walls, Ornette Coleman, Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz. Although the extended length of much of their material made it somewhat difficult to promote the band with single releases, their live prowess gained them an avid following and their albums were hugely successful their third LP The Yes Album (1971), which featured the debut of new guitarist Steve Howe, became their first big hit, reaching #4 in the UK and just scraping onto the chart in the US at #40. 2003-04 - Mirage Music Entertainment has been reactivated with a distribution deal through Sony Music. Although Leiber considered dropping the matter, Stoller pressed Atlantic for payment. 1, Pop No. Leiber and Stoller backed down, but the relationship ended anyway. Collins replied "The drums come later," to which Ertegun retorted "By that time the kids will have switched over to another radio station." 3 in September 1952, and "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" with Connie Kay on drums reached No. But when Ertegun offered him another chance, the result was "Splish Splash", which Darin had written in 12 minutes. The breaking point came when they asked for a producer's royalty. In 1956 he started the '8000' popular series (selling for $3.98) for the label's few R&B albums, reserving the 1200 series for jazz. Atlantic signed the band to an exclusive five-year contract, one of the "most substantial" in the label's history[74] Zeppelin recorded for Atlantic from 1968 to 1973. The building was purchased less than a week earlier and had been scheduled to reopen as a Nadler's Furniture Center, in an effort to revitalize the downtown area. By the age of eighteen years, Greenberg already had his own record label, called Green-Sea Records. 1 on the R&B chart and No. They licensed the name from America's No. 2), "Since You've Been Gone" (Soul No. [19], Recording engineer and producer Tom Dowd played a crucial role in Atlantic's success. The union action forced Atlantic to use almost all its capital to cut and stockpile enough recordings to last through the ban, which was expected to continue for at least a year. The label was originally formed as an outlet for blues and deep Southern soul; its first single, Otis Clay's version of "She's About A Mover", was an R&B hit. Wexler was a fan of Burke's and had long wanted to sign him so when Burke told Wexler his contract with his former label had expired Wexler replied: "You're home. The signing was complicated by the fact that Nash was still under contract to Epic Records (The Hollies' US distributor), but Ertegun used his diplomatic prowess to overcome this by arranging a 'swap' he released former Buffalo Springfield member Richie Furay from his Atlantic contract, allowing Furay's new group Poco to sign to Epic, and in exchange Columbia Records (the parent company of Epic) allowed Nash to sign to Atlantic. Over the course of two decades, starting from the release of its first recordings in January 1948,[3] Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most important American labels, specializing in jazz, R&B, and soul by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Ruth Brown and Otis Redding. Atlantic Records has named Keith "Keefa" Parker Vice President of A&R. Based in Los Angeles, Parker most recently served as an executive producer on Roddy Ricch's breakthrough album . Big Joe Turner's April 1954 song "Shake, Rattle and Roll" was a No. In addition, Mirage opened a subsidiary office in Jamaica with Stacy Greenberg as General Manager and an office in Las Vegas, NV. In the years that followed, Foreigner became one of Atlantic's biggest successes, and one of the biggest-selling groups in history, scoring a string of international hits and selling more than 80 million albums worldwide, including 37.5 million albums in the US alone. Army. He gained executive control of the label and influenced the Warner group. No further albums were issued as the label lasted less than a year. Irene received a Bachelor of Science degree from Saint John's University. Cotillion's catalog quickly expanded to include progressive rock, folk-rock, gospel, jazz and comedy. Atlantic missed an important signing in 1955 when Sun owner Sam Phillips sold Elvis Presley's recording contract in a bidding war between labels. [5], Although Leiber and Stoller wrote many popular songs for Atlantic, their relationship with the label was deteriorating in 1962. Two female artists were personally signed by Wexler, with album releases in 1969, Dusty Springfield (Dusty in Memphis)[67] and Lotti Golden (Motor-Cycle),[68] although Golden also had a close working relationship with Ertegun, who was instrumental in her signing with the label. In 1976, the label started focusing on disco and R&B. In 1962 folk music was booming and the label came very close to signing Peter, Paul & Mary; although Wexler and Ertegun pursued them vigorously the deal fell through at the last minute and they later discovered music publisher Artie Mogull had introduced their manager Albert Grossman to Warner Bros. executive Herman Starr, who had made the trio an irresistible offer that gave them complete creative control over the recording and packaging of their music.[61]. Jerry L. Greenberg is an American music executive, who at 32, was the youngest president of any major record company in the recording industry and received that title in 1974 as President of Atlantic Records . [24][25], Atlantic was one of the first independent labels to make recordings in stereo: Dowd used a portable stereo recorder which ran simultaneously with the studio's existing mono recorder. 1633 Broadway Fl 10, New York, New York, 10019, United States. Jeff Levin started at Atlantic in 2010 and has since A&R'd a wide range of artists across the Warner . 1 pop hit. He later recorded two more parodies, "White & Nerdy", and "Do I Creep You Out", both released September 26 to replace it. When released in February 1949,[5] it became Atlantic's first hit, selling 400,000 copies, and reached No. His death was confirmed by the coroner's office, Pacific Attorney Group. But joy also comes in birthing the babies who we continue to build and develop you never know whos going to become our next superstar!. Charles signed a contract with ABC-Paramount that included higher royalties, a production deal, profit-sharing, and eventual ownership of his master tapes. 1, Pop No. The band recorded for Atlantic Records, Roulette Records, United Artists, and DCP Record labels. For much of its early history, Jerry Wexler had been managers of the label,[73] while Ertegun had concentrated on A&R and had less interest in the business side. 2007 - Jerry Greenberg joins the board of MusiCares established in 1989 by The Recording Academy. MTB handled tribute bands Led Zepagain (Led Zeppelin tribute band), Rolling the Stones (The Rolling Stones tribute band), ABBACADABRA (ABBA tribute band), Bonfire (AC/DC tribute band), Bella Donna (Stevie Nicks tribute band), The Long Run (Eagles tribute band), Fan Halen (Van Halen tribute band) and others. The first song Wexler produced with Burke was "Just Out of Reach", which became a big hit in September 1961. white) audience. Upon joining Atlantic, Kallman established his A&R credentials by signing and A&R-ing several hit artists, including Notorious B.I.G., P.O.D., Aaliyah, Brandy, Timbaland, Lil' Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A. Ertegun was directly involved in the recording of the band's 1978 album And Then There Were Three, personally remixing the album's projected first single "Follow You, Follow Me". Leiber, Stoller, Goldner, and Wexler suggested their plan to Ertegun at a lunch meeting at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote "Smokey Joe's Cafe", which became a hit for The Robins. [29] In 1951, Atlantic was one of the first independent labels to press records in the 45rpm single format. 7, selling over one million copies and becoming the bestselling song of the year for Decca. Atlantic was a powerhouse then as it is now, so I got to work legendary acts throughout my career, says the New York native.