One day in 1973, while driving down La Brea in Hollywood, I saw Jerry Moss waiting in line at Pinks hot dog stand. I leaped out of my car and introduced myself!
He was standing with Jack Daugherty (the Carpenters producer) They were both surprised and amused by my boldness…which led to both of them opening the doors of the A+M lot to me. As time went by, I became friendly with not only Jack, but with Richard Carpenter, John Bettis ( who co-wrote “Top Of The World”, “Yesterday Once More”and Paul Williams ( “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “Old Fashioned Love Song”). We would sit around Paul’s office, discuss music and play songs for each other.
About a year later, when the top position at Irving/Almo music became vacant, Paul Williams suggested to Jerry Moss that they consider me for the job.
In 1974, I left Warner Brothers Music and was asked to join the Irving/Almo publishing arm of A&M Records. The company had been run by Chuck Kaye, but Chuck had decided to take some time off. I was in the right place at the right time.
The following is the actual press release that Rondor Music (the parent company) put out to announce my hiring:
MOSS NAMES WAYNE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IRVING/ALMO MUSIC
Jerry Moss, president of A&M Records, has announced that effective March 15, 1974 Artie Wayne has been named executive director of publishing for Irving/Almo Music. He was formerly general professional manager and director of creative services for Warner Bros. Music.
Wayne was first discovered by Bobby Darin in 1959…who sent him to Donny Kirshner who had just formed Aldon Music with vet song man/producer Al Nevins. It was there that Wayne learned how to write songs from Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Neil Sedaka and Howie Greenfield.
He went on to collaborate with Paul Vance and in 1963 co-wrote his first hit “Meet Me at Midnight Mary” with Ben Raleigh and produced Bell Record’s first hit with Joey Powers.
In 1965, Wayne went to Scepter Records with Ed Silvers, where he produced the Shirelles, the Kingsmen and the Guess Who. When Silvers moved to the coast to join Viva Records, Wayne stayed in New York.
Unable to afford to sign Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, whom he worked with at Scepter, he took the duo to Eddie Holland, who signed them to Motown. In the next four and a half years, Wayne and partners Sandy and Kelli Ross build Alouette Productions into the top New York administration and exploitation firm of the late sixties. They represented Quincy Jones, (Joey) Levine and (Artie) Resnick, (Gary) Geld and (Peter) Udell, Bobby Scott, Janis Ian, Ron Haffkine, Leslie Gore, Bo Gentry and Jerry Jeff Walker.
After moving to the coast in 1970, he contributed pieces to Rock and Fusion magazines and reviewed acts for Cash Box before joining Viva Music as professional manager.
For the last three years, Wayne has been general professional manager and director of creative services for Warner Bros. Music. He directed the New York, Hollywood and Nashville professional staff, which has been dubbed “The Warner Raiders.” During those years, they represented the works of America, Badfinger, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, the Faces, the Fifth Dimension, the Kinks, Gordon Lightfoot, Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Graham Nash, Randy Newman, Stephen Stills, John Sebastian, Sly and the Family Stone, Jimmy Webb, Neil Young and many others.
He spearheaded campaigns that resulted in multiple recordings by Three Dog Night, the Lettermen, Bobby Sherman, the Jackson Five, Johnny Winter and Art Garfunkle. His “Raiders” were also responsible for over 50 “cover” records of “Theme From Summer ’42” before the composition received a Grammy or Academy Award nomination. In 1973 the company boasted 55 chart singles and representation in the average of 33 chart albums every week.
More recently, Wayne acted as musical consultant on Warner Bros. Films’ “Cleopatra Jones” which resulted in two top 20 records by Joe Simon and Millie Jackson.
Although his time only allows him to be an occasional song writer, over the years he had nearly 200 of his own compositions recorded, including, among others, titles by Aretha Franklin, Bobby Darin, Jose Feliciano, Chi Coltrane, Rick Nelson, the Jackson Five, Miriam Makeba, Tiny Tim, Wayne Newton, and most recently, the much-covered “Flashback” (co-written with Alan O’Day) with chart records by the Fifth Dimension and Paul Anka.
My first day at the office I found “I Honestly Love You” and sent it to Olivia Newton John https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/olivia-newton-john-tries-to-squeeze-one-more-hit-out-of-jeff-barry-and-artie-wayne/
The following week I discovered and signed Rick James
https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/26/rock-and-roll-heaven-soars-on-internet-tribute-to-croce-perren-and-james/
I had a chance to work with Brian Wilson https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2007/03/29/brief-encounters-with-brian-wilson/
I didn’t have a chance to work with Billy Preston https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/25/rock-and-roll-heaven-rocks-internet-special-tribute-to-cash-pitney-preston/
Got to work with my old pal Jeff Barry https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2007/02/10/jeff-barry-i-honestly-like-him/
Became friends with Barry White https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/28/a-very-special-tribute-to-barry-white-mickey-most-and-jimi-hendrix/
During a time when women were treated unequally in the music business, I did everything I could to give talented, qualified women a break. I promoted my Secretary, Margo Matthews, to the Head of the Copyright Department where she remained for over 30 years.
Brenda Andrews, had been a secretary for seven years before I arrived. Not only did she have a good song sense, but she was showing songs in the catalog and getting more covers than anyone on the professional staff! I doubled her salary and made her an official songplugger. I’m happy to say that she retired a few years ago after becoming senior Vice-President of the company!
Lance Freed, the son of disc jockey Alan Freed, was fairly new to publishing at the time, but had potential. He ultimately became president of the company, a position which he still holds today.
I was told by Jerry Moss when I was hired that I was in charge of the World Wide Publishing operation, only to find out from one of A+M’s lawyers on the eve of my departure to Europe, that I was only in charge of the operation in the US!
Jerry was out of the country, so I couldn’t get this “mistake” straightened out. Besides, I had a meeting in London the next day with Richard Branson to make him an offer to buy his company…Virgin Records.
(To Be Continued)
Copyright 2007 by Artie Wayne
Brief Encounters With Bob Dylan!
May 20, 2007
In 1963, I was writing songs and producing records under my real name, Wayne Kent, and my friend Jerry Landis, who was about to change his name to Paul Simon, was a song plugger for E.B. Marks music. I was thrilled when he asked me if I’d like to meet his producer at Columbia records, Tom Wilson, who had started producing the “Wednesday Morning 3:00 AM” acoustic album.
We adjusted our ties and sport jackets, as we waited on the couch in the A&R dept. at Columbia records then…Tom Wilson’s door opened. I was surprised to see a nattily dressed, 6’3″ black man emerge ( Paul never mentioned his ethnicity) followed by a scrawny pale white guy in a gray suit and a pink dress shirt, unbuttoned at the collar. I recognized him from the album cover I’d been playing for about a year, “Bob Dylan”, which John Hammond produced. Jerry ( I mean Paul ) introduced me to them as Wayne Kent and we had a casual conversation which I honestly don’t remember. I do, however, remember the feeling that I had being in the presence of greatness that was yet to be realized. Three men who would eventually change the course of popular music, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and Tom Wilson!
The next time I was introduced to Dylan was about a year later, when I was recording and writing under the name, Artie Wayne. I just had a hit as a writer and producer with Joey Powers and, “Meet Me At Midnight Mary”( Raleigh/ Wayne) , but royalties were slow coming in. Paul Simon, convinced me to start playing showcases at the Bitter End and Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich village, so I could get some work and even offered to play back-up guitar. During a break after one of our sets, I was standing by the rail of the Tin Angel, all decked out in neatly creased denim, when an old pal from 1650 Broadway, Al Kooper walked over. The last time I saw him was when he was riding high on the charts with a song that he wrote, “This Diamond Ring”, by Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
I hardly recognized him, with his hair down to his shoulders, black boots and a cape that almost touched the ground. I also couldn’t stop raving about his organ playing on “Like A Rolling Stone”. As we were catching up on old times, Bob Dylan, looking “Positively 4th Street” walks over and reminds Al that they have to be somewhere. Al introduces me to Bob as Artie Wayne, who stares at me with a slight look of recognition in his eyes. I didn’t say anything, cause I figured he’d never remember our first encounter anyway!
In 1969, I was recording under the name Shadow Mann, and was going around the country promoting my album, “Come and Live With Me!” On my trip back to New York, I saw that a concert promoter friend of mine, Ron Delsoner was putting on a show with Laura Nyro. I asked if I could get a couple of tickets, but they were sold out. Then he invited me to stand with some of his friends backstage and watch the show from the wings. One of those friends turned out to be Bob Dylan.
I was a bit embarrassed to meet him this time dressed in my evening Shadow outfit, which included a custom made black suede jacket with a Giant Red Eagle on the back, black suede bell bottoms, and a big black floppy hat. Ron proudly introduced me to Bob, as his old friend Shadow Mann. I noticed Bob glancing at me from time all during Laura’s concert…then halfway through the show, he looked at me, smiled enigmatically, and said,
“Are you holding? (slang for do you have any drugs?)
Shit if I had, I’d have a more exciting end to this story!
Copyright 2007 by Artie Wayne
For Brief Encounters With Paul Simon https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/10/23/a-brief-encounter-with-paul-simon/
For Story of Shadow Mann https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/06/legendary-music-man-morris-levy-meets-shadow-mann-a-legend-in-his-own-mind/
EXTRA! EXTRA! NOW YOU CAN BUY MY NEW BOOK ,“I DID IT FOR A SONG” AT AMAZON or Barnes & Noble or from Smashwords
TO READ A CHAPTER OR TWO FOR FREE CLICK HERE
TO READ SOME OF THE COMMENTS CLICK HERE
Back to Artie Wayne On The Web https://artiewayne.wordpress.com
“If Everyone Cared” by Nickelback, is the most important song to come along since “Blowin’ In The Wind” by Bob Dylan. It has inspired and engaged everyone I know who’s taken a few minutes to listen to it! It wasn’t created as an anthem to raise money like, “Do You Know It’s Christmas” or “We Are The World”, it was written because it had to be written…and a video was made because it had to be made! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-QfLJbEN3k
I don’t know about you…but I’m still singing along. Although Nickeback performed the song in their familiar rock style, you can hear the Folk and Gospel influence deep within it’s musical structure. A lot of friends of mine, who can’t find their kind of music anymore, are going to be pleasantly surprised by this treasure.
Chad Kroeger, lead singer and writer of “If Everyone Cared” said in an interview. “We wanted to inspire people that were going to see the video and maybe show people that you don’t need a team of personnel, you don’t need a lot of money,” he said. “What we’re showing in the video is an individual that decided that they would like to somehow make a change and make the world a better place on their own, and they succeeded.”
The video is as compelling as the song. It’s all summed up, in the last seconds of the video, in a quote by the late, Margaret Meade.
“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, It’s the only thing that ever has.”
Copyright 2007 by Artie Wayne
Nickelback is generously giving the proceeds from all digital sales of, “If Everyone Cared,” to Amnesty International and International Children’s Awareness Canada.
For an inspiring article about, “If Everyone Cared” check out Sebastian Prooth http://tektrekgamer.wordpress.com/2007/05/10/a-we-are-the-world-for-our-time/
Whoppy And Streaker Present The Best Videos And Websites Of 2006!
December 27, 2006
All in one place…Top 10 You Tube vids, Top Viral Videos Of All Time, Justin, Mary J., Rihanna, U2, Best Rock Archives, Viral vids, Top art museums, best websites What do a couple of cats know about videos and websites? Let’s find out!
BEST MUSIC ARCHIVES
I wanted to locate a video I’d seen on MTV of the group OK GO performing, “Here It Goes Again”. They do imaginative, synchronized moves on four moving treadmills, filmed by a single camera in one continuous shot! You can imagine how I felt when I discovered the FatAdam.Com’s collection of ” The Top Ten Viewed You Tube Videos Of All TIme”. Not only did I find the video I wanted, I found the Token’s “Lion Sleeps Tonight”, performed by a CGI Hippo and dog, Plus eight other internet smashes I’d never seen before!
http://www.fatadam.com/2006/12/03/top-10-viewed-youtube-videos-of-all-time/
IFILM.Com never ceases to amaze me with it’s constantly updated coming attractions, previews and Viral Videos! http://www.ifilm.com/
Top Viral Videos Of All Time!…The title says it all! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15958470/
Then I found some incredible videos on my Spectropop pal, Laura Pinto’s website!
“In 2001, A&E’s Biography presented a fantastic documentary called ‘Hitmakers: The Teens Who Stole Pop Music.’ This documentary, which is available on home video under the name ‘Songmakers,’ covers the work of the gifted composers and producers from the Brill Building era, early 50’s to late 60’s. Biography launched the weeklong series with a 90-minute special featuring a wealth of historical information, archival photos and footage, and interviews with dozens of singers, songwriters, producers and insiders – among them, Carole King/Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller, Neil Sedaka, Jack Keller, Don Kirshner, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, George “Shadow” Morton, Mary Weiss, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Steve Lawrence, Shirley Alston Reeves, and so many more including a 1991 interview with the late Doc Pomus. Recently, the Hitmakers special was added to the popular video site YouTube in nine parts, approximately 10 minutes in length each. Being a huge fan of the Brill Building music in general and Jeff Barry in particular, I wasted no time in posting all nine videos to my Oldies Connection MySpace blog. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!” http://blog.myspace.com/oldiesconnection
Spectropop… One of the main reasons I joined Spectropop, was the appreciation, by its members, of the well-crafted Pop song, the kind that dominated the Top 40 charts in the 1960s. The site is full of information and entertainment that has brought me back dozens of times this year! I personally want to thank “Spectrotopper”Mick Patrick for helping to create and maintain one of the best music sites on the web.
http://spectropop.com
Wolfgangs Vault…Bill Graham, the unequaled concert promoter and humanitarian, who died in a helicopter crash in 1991, has left quite a legacy. Not only did he loom larger than life in the careers of the Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Janis Joplin, ad pop infinitum, he was astute enough to extensively document most of the acts that performed concerts along the way.
Bill was always nice to me and let me and my pals in backstage to watch his shows from the wings…even though he knew I was there to probably pitch a song or impress some girl. I can’t tell you how surprised…and happy I was to see a segment about him on the CBS Network show “Sunday Morning”, that spotlighted his vast collection of memorabalia that includes millions of posters, unused concert tickets, photos, high quality audio and videos from concerts at the Filmore West and Filmore East.
http://wolfgangsvault.com/
Coverville…Creator and host, Brian Ibbott, is one of the most consistant podcasters around. His twice weekly show spotlights new covers of older songs, that never cease to amaze me! This week is his 277 th show (all of which are downloadable), which features the official 2006 Coverville Countdown!
http://coverville.com
BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
The Smoking Gun…One of my faves! “The Smoking Gun brings you exclusive documents–cool, confidential, quirky–that can’t be found elsewhere on the Web. Using material obtained from government and law enforcement sources, via Freedom of Information requests, and court files nationwide, everything here is 100% authentic.” http://www.thesmokinggun.com/about.html
TMZ…Harvey Levin and pals seem to get the scoop on celebrity mis-behavior, and is quoted often as a source on news and entertainment shows.
http://tmz.com
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
I grew up with top 40 music listening to Pop, R&B and Country side by side. Today to get that kind of diversity is impossible, so now I must get my music from 4 different sources.
MTV…The pioneer in pop videos where you can see videos on line! The best artists to watch, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, JoJo, The Killers, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, All American Rejects, Cold Play, Black Eyed Peas and Jay-Z http://www.mtv.com/ Here’s Justin Timberlake and, “Sexy Back” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgtmETjMT7Y
VH1…Check out…James Blunt, John Mayer, John Legend, Nelly Furtado, Pussycat Dolls, Shakira, Ne-yo, Riianna, Mary J. Blige, Green Day, Danity Kane, and the Fray http://www.vh1.com/ Here’s one of my personal favorites…Rihanna, “Unfaithful” http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1154844957034870481&q=rianna+unfaithful+video&hl=en
BET…The Black Entertainment network A bit rap heavy, but diverse within the Genre. This is the place where artists break out! Chris Brown, Timbaland, Ludacris, Mary J. Blige, Emenem, 50 Cents, TI, R.Kelly, Fat Joe, Jaimie Fox and Kanye West.
http://www.bet.com/ Here’s the Artist of the Year, Mary J. Blige and “One” featuring U2 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3297419603290460058&q=Mary+J.+Blige+videos&hl=en
CMT…Country Music Television plays the best country videos. Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Allison Krauss, Sugarland, and Shania Twain. http://www.cmt.com/ My favorite of the year, Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbvZlfTulYc
BEST ART MUSEUM WEBSITES
The Louvre in Paris…Still one of my favorite museums in the world, even though I was once thrown out for trying to photograph my hand puppet Kah-Kah on the shoulder of the Venus De Milo! Take A virtual tour. http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp?bmLocale=en
New York’s Museum of Modern Art…Where many of my romances began and ended in front of Monet’s “Water Lillies”. View permanent collection http://www.moma.org/
Los Angeles County Museum…finally has become a world class destination!
http://www.lacma.org/
BEST DIFFICULT TO CLASSIFY VIDEOS
My longtime friend, Ken Schaffer, inventor of the “Wireless Microphone and Wireless Electric Guitar”, put a video up on that he and his son , shot at the launch of the Columbia Space Shuttle. I asked Kenny to describe what you’re about to see.
” I’d done some work with NASA, so we (Kenny’s then-wife and then 8 year old son) got front row seats in the VIP bleachers – a mile and a half just west off launch complex 39A. anyone closer was a bird. It was an hour before dawn, so the view to the east was amazing – and you can see the dawn-coming glow framed around the pad. All NASA guys were ecstatic in their agreement that this was the most beautiful launch in shuttle history.
It was the first day of March 2003. The mission was to fix the Hubble Telescope (which you can actually see near the moon at the start of the video!). It was beautiful – brighter than the sun, louder than ay train Woody Guthrie rode – bone rattling – awesome in the same way as St. Basil’s Cathedral in St.Petersburg “How can human bubbleheads create something so beautiful!?” It was the last successful mission of the Columbia. You know the rest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdjID2osZ0A
To see what Kenny Schaffer up to these days http://tv2me.com/
The next video, my friend and journalist Ellen Sander created about Amsterdam. An unpretentious look at one of my favorite cities in the world. In her words,
“The Van Gogh Museum was one of my most coveted destinations and it did not disappoint. In the lobby a quartet was playing a Dutch version of Hank Williams’ Cold Cold Heart as we walked in, and they continued with a gentle repertoire of country and folk music. The exhibit upstairs was small, the Van Gogh family’s collection of around 70 of Vincent’s paintings. I was thinking of the consonances between the works of Bob Dylan and Vincent Van Gogh as I walked around. They both broke the mold, they both crafted their work out of inference and references that embodied their images. The portrait of Vincent by Gauguin was there as was Van Gogh’s canvas of Gauguin’s Chair, the emptiness of which almost echoed with sobs.
In the exhibit you’re so aware of light and shadow and brushstroke, how a drip of multiple colors from the same paintbrush defined the grain in the trunk of the Small Pear Tree in Blossom. Vincent. You were here, you are here.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh2FnQRDIqU
Here’s an inspiring video, that author and composer, Patti Dahlstrom sent me. She writes, “Having a nephew who is #1 in his class as a Marine Lt. flying Harrier jets and another nephew who is an Honors junior at West Point, has enlightened and educated me about military service. This is more than a choice, it is a calling, as many who are reading this were called to music.
We would not have what we have today, any of us, without people who were willing to fight and die to protect our loved ones, our families, and our freedoms. Unfortunately, negotiating has never solved anything with a tyrant; we tried it with Hitler and Hussein. The only temporary peace we receive is a grace from those who are willing to defend us from those who wish to dominate and/or destroy us.
Today’s military is voluntary, which means they are there because they want to be. They don’t want to kill or be killed, they want to defend freedom. If they pay the ultimate sacrifice, so be it. It is their calling, and they understand the consequences of such a path. I once read that spiritually the souls who come to fight our battles are the same throughout history. This is the job they come to do. Please take a moment to view this wonderful video and to hear this wonderful song in tribute to those who allow us our reality.” http://www.managedmusic.com/php/BYGIndex.php?page=Listen_To_BYG_Introduction#
The last video is produced and directed by Sebastian Prooth. It’s the updated demo version of Alan O’Day and the Late Johnny Stevenson’s number one hit, “Rock And Roll Heaven”, featuring singer Ronnie Kimball. Prooth humbly says,
“I’m very pleased it affects so many people on such an emotional level. We all remember at least one of the people featured in Alan O’Day’s song. This video serves to remind us of not only the artists remembered in pictures, but also the ones that we remember personally. I hope it will be enjoyed and appreciated for years to come.”
https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/20/rock-and-roll-heaven/
HAPPY NEW YEAR from Artie Wayne on the Web and Whoppy and Streaker on the couch!
Website http://artiewayne.com Blog https://artiewayne.wordpress.com
To reach Alan O’Day http://alanoday.com
Sebastian Prooth http://sebrt.com
Ellen Sander http://ellensander.com/crackpot.html
Copyright 2006 by Artie Wayne
Artie Wayne On The Web 