Archive of Arista Records Archives - DON SILVER, Author
Clive Cringes: Inclement Weather Ahead
on August 12th, 2012 in Music by casador | Comments Off on Clive Cringes: Inclement Weather AheadAretha Franklin, “Through the Storm” ”Clive’s Cringes,” by Hunter Pope, is an ongoing series examining Clive Davis’s more “interesting” signings for Arista Records. Check out part one for a full explanation. Disclaimer: Aretha Franklin is the definitive queen of soul. Her voice still shines with gospel glory to this day. But,…
Continue reading...A Talk with Julie Gold
on August 5th, 2012 in Interviews by donsilver | Comments Off on A Talk with Julie GoldI first met Julie Gold in 1979. I’d been doing A&R for Arista Records for about a year and although we were on opposite sides of the desk, we were more alike than different: a couple of twenty-three year old music-loving kids from Philly trying to make it in New…
Continue reading...Clive Cringes Part Two: Ghosts Stole my New Drug
on July 23rd, 2012 in Music by casador | Comments Off on Clive Cringes Part Two: Ghosts Stole my New DrugRay Parker Jr. “Clive’s Cringes” is an ongoing series examining Clive Davis’s more “interesting” signings for Arista Records. Check out part one for a full explanation. Respect first: Ray Parker Jr. is a legendary guitarist who owns past stints with Dizzy Gillespie and Barry White. The Detroit native was merely a teenager when he…
Continue reading...Clive’s Cringes
on July 20th, 2012 in Music by casador | 1 CommentClive Davis could spot gold in a song. The Arista Records chief–whose tenure ran from 1975-2000–was responsible for signing huge acts like Air Supply, Annie Lennox, Aretha Franklin, and Ace of Base. His biggest discovery was the late Whitney Houston, who became one of the best selling artists in music history. Bob Weir, of The Grateful…
Continue reading...Clive: Working for the Man in the Age of Vinyl (opening)
on June 22nd, 2012 in Clive: Working for the Man in the Age of Vinyl by Don Silver | Comments Off on Clive: Working for the Man in the Age of Vinyl (opening)In 1978, the summer after most New Yorkers followed the gruesome antics of a serial killer named Son of Sam, I was wandering around midtown, a roll of dimes in my pocket, a briefcase full of cassettes and Xeroxed resumes in my hand, trying very hard not to look too…
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