SPOTLIGHT ON ALLAN RINDE!
June 9, 2010
Here is the story of how I met my longtime friend, Allan Rinde, former publicist, the west coast editor of Cashbox magazine, head of West Coast A&R at Columbia Records, (who was behind Billy Joel’s first hit “Piano Man”), the man who helped to break “Jesus Christ Superstar”, and owner of “Genghis Cohen”, one of Hollywood’s top restaurants, which I named and hosted for many years.
” It’s the winter of 1968 , and I just finished writing a special press release for my new album as “Shadow” Mann on the label my partner Kelli Ross and I co – own with the nefarious Morris Levy! I walk up Broadway to 57th street to Cashbox magazine. I give my three page release to the new guy who’s just started to work there, a former publicist, Allan Rinde. He glances at it as I hype him on all the excitement going on at my company and how Morris Levy is going to make me the new Tommy James! When he hands it back to me it has a C- at the top with a few grammatical errors circled, I realize this asshole has actually graded my paper! I hold my tongue and tell him I’ll bring it back “corrected” before his deadline.
The next morning I bring in the revised press release. Allan finds it acceptable and puts it in the magazine. Through gritted teeth I thank him for his suggestions and invite him to have dinner that night with my producer Ronnie Haffkine and me at the Roundtable, a hot night club that Morris Levy owns. On our way downstairs to be seated, a belligerent drunk sees me in my Black Suede Shadow outfit with a giant red eagle on the back, then pushes me out of the way! When he makes a nasty comment. Two tough guys suddenly appear, throw him down the stairs, and ask, “Are you all right, Mr. Shadow?”
I brush myself off, pick up my black floppy Shadow hat from the floor; compose myself as the tough guys ask what should they do with him? I benevolently say, “Let ‘em go…this time,”. As soon as they eject him from the club, a somewhat impressed Allan and I join Ronnie at my usual table.”
top photo l to R – Allan Rinde, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Williams, Tim Rice, and Artie Wayne
bottom L – R “Shadow” Mann in winter attire and “Cookie”
Special thanks to Carol Tandy for the bottom photo
From my forthcoming book, “I Did It For A Song” Copyright 2010 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/celebrating-a-million-and-a-half-visitors-today/
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June 9, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Artie, Artie, Artie…..
Re Allan Rinde…..He’s still got the best Mabu in town!!!!!
June 9, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Artie,
Spotlight hits the bullseye! Yes, Allan’s guiding hand was invaluable to all who were members of his posse.
June 10, 2010 at 3:22 am
I shall remain forever grateful that through you, I met Allan the very first day I started work at Chrysalis Music Group USA. I am sure you remember the meeting. Something to do with my naively allowing the addition of a bridge!
I regard him as one the best friends I have and have ever had.
June 10, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Hey Artie,
I had know idea of Allan’s music biz resume!! None! How funny is that? And a hello to Don Williams. Hey I have a new record out. It is called Lighthouse.
Love you,
susan
June 10, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Artie,
More! More!
Allan was my roommate for one great couple of years – Artie, you’d been to lolts of the parties. When he was living with me, he couldn’t even boil water for tea without melting a hole through the bottom of the kettle.
Allan moved to West Hollywood as director of A&R at Columbia. I arrived in LA about as year later to find it had been 6 months since Allan had affectionately and playfully lobbed a cream pie toward his secretary during a company party.
Allan got canned (not be confused with potted), I got to LA some months later and everyone’s excited about an upcoming party Don Williams was hosting at his Encino estate – “AND ALLAN’S GOING TO COOK THE FOOD!” “Huh? I said, (remembering all the tea pots…) “Wha?!!”
The way I got it, Allan spent 6 months perturbed owing to the to the consequences of the loving pie toss — his penance: imponderable, unmentionable, GO TO CHINESE COOKING SCHOOL! From whence stemmed the restaurant Arties brilliantly named Genghis Cohen’s Kosher Chinese….”
Allan’s the greatest – great friend and still reigning master of the Atari operating system, classic comics and Chinese cream pies.
June 20, 2010 at 7:54 am
Artie,
These stories are near and dear to me. I laughed my ass off on the grade he gave you. That’s so Allan. Ha Ha. I met Allan shortly after that when he made me the East Coast Girl of the week in Cashbox. I guess it was a good way to get my picture in there and then later he reviewed my record “Show Me how to Love” that came out on Decca. Then he made me the West Coast Girl of the week. I was always shy around Allan because(I was a teenager) and he always seemed so quiet and serious. Little did I know I was just more used to people like you and Ronnie Haffkine. Loud ! So, I knew Allan in New York and then when I moved to L.A. I ran into him a lot because of you I believe and he had that famous dinner at Don’s and from there his restaurant was created and I worked for him as a bartender/waitress for 18 years. What an amazing trip ! Love you Allan. I’m sure there’s more but I don’t want to take up the whole page. :-)
January 27, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Sunny! I have loved that record for years and would love to interview you for an upcoming Capitol Records CD comp. Get back to me when you get a chance at now_sounds@yahoo.com
May 27, 2011 at 8:25 pm
I knew Allan back at FDU where he ran the sign shop, and was involved somehow in WFDU, the campus closed circuit station. When the call came that the last FM frequency in the NYC market was being opened up because the United Nations didn’t want it anymore, Allan tossed me the project which started me on my mature career. Now, three careers later… well it’s almost time to retire and maybe go back to radio. BTW, whatever happened to radio?