Billboard, March 24, 1979: Difference between revisions
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In recent months, Charly has started signing acts direct, and the roster includes Steppin’ Out, a jazz-rock group called National Health; new-wave band the Softies and the group Here and Now. It has a staff of 12 in the U.K. and pays a great deal of attention to promotion, especially in the servicing of discos and clubs throughout the U.K. | In recent months, Charly has started signing acts direct, and the roster includes Steppin’ Out, a jazz-rock group called National Health; new-wave band the Softies and the group Here and Now. It has a staff of 12 in the U.K. and pays a great deal of attention to promotion, especially in the servicing of discos and clubs throughout the U.K. | ||
After a spell with President, Visser and Luc-Young turned to Pye for | After a spell with President, Visser and Luc-Young turned to Pye for distribution and the partnership has proved highly successful. | ||
Distribution remains one of the main problems facing the independents, though Paul Lynton had a ready-made network available to him when he joined as managing director of the Pinnacle Records’ operation in mid-1978. A former general manager of Hansa Records U.K., and partner with Paul Grade is his own production and publishing company, he was given the task of building the four-year-old label, set up by Pinnacle Electronics, claimed to be the second largest distributors of accessories in the U.K. | |||
Pinnacle was formed by Ted Scully, chairman, and apart from a hit with the band Flintlock and some spoken word cassettes in the "Storyteller" series, had not achieved the success hoped for by the parent company. Since Lynton joined, Pinnacle has scored with several chart entries including Mankind's disco version of "Dr. Who", licensed from Motor Records of Slough; Flintlock's "Hey You You're Like A Magnet"; and Colorado's "California Dreamin'," licensed from the Italian Durium label. | |||
[Extract] | |||
Stiff Records is another independent which has found prominence over the past couple of years. The label was started "as a laugh" by the two founders and even the label name and U.K. catalog prefix clearly indicated the company's attitude to the industry itself, a "stiff" being an Americanism for a failed record. | |||
Stiff was set up in July 1976 by Dave Robinson, who had managed Brinsley Schwarz and a then up and coming Graham Parker, with Jake Riviera, formerly manager of Dr Feelgood, one of the few bands to make real progress after emerging from the "pub rock" scene of the early 1970s. | |||
On borrowed money, Robinson and Riviera launched Stiff Records with "So It Goes" by former Brinsley Schwartz member Nick Lowe, who was managed by Riviera. The single sold enough units to at least break even. As with other small labels, Stiff did not go through normal retail outlets but through a network of specialist record shops and mail order companies which were springing up to cater for the influx of new wave product - product more often than not rejected by the establishment major producers/manufacturers. | |||
Stiff soon established itself in the U.K. industry with its products and clever advertising slogans, generally the brainchild of Riviera. So it was not surprising that many predicted the death of Stiff when Riviera decided to quit the company, taking two of its major acts, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. | |||
This trio ended up with another "mini" major, Radar Records, set up by Martin Daws, former managing director of United Artists Records U.K., and fellow music executive Andrew Lauder. | |||
Meanwhile Robinson won through on his own, by the second year, handling the successful launch of Ian Dury, a U.K. chart artist. | |||
Stiff stands out in the U.K. way above its rivals in terms of chart success, advertising ploys and gimmicks and no matter how large or successful if gets Stiff takes the same industry attitude. From the start, it has believed in its product, believed it to be the best in every aspect from content to launch campaigns, regardless of money in the bank, and this attitude has paid big dividends. | |||
Stiff is handled in the U.K. by EMI through a contract originally signed through Island's licensing deal and general manager Alan Cowderoy sees no reason for a change. "Island and EMI have been good to us and we have no problems in that area. That means we can devote more time promotion and our product, key factors in the Stiff operation. | |||
Certainly Stiff has had an enviable ratio of single and album chart successes but it was the controversial Stiff tour of the U.K. at the end of last year which put the company up there with the majors in terms of impact and national debate. | |||
That tour revolved around the hiring of a British Rail train ferry Stiff acts to and from gigs throughout the country. The sheer expense of it all led to industry critics being convinced that it would mean the financial death of Stiff. | |||
"But we live on," says Cowderoy, "We found the money from various sources. And all the gigs made money, while some companies took advertising space in our exhibition coach. But the important thing was the promotional value as it took Stiff acts the length and breadth of the country. And, of course, we followed up by taking the roadshow over to the U.S. for the Bottom Line dates. | |||
Stiff shies away from signing overall blanket deals for its product around the world, preferring to sign individual deals in each territory. "That's another major advantage of our operation," says Cowderory. "We can get good royalties for the artists and they can all get individual attention from the various companies concerned. We're a good-time company, and it's fun, and that's what it is all about." | |||
That attitude might shock some more staid record companies but there can be no argument that Stiff and its contemporaries are here to stay. A healthy number of successful independents can give the major records companies a run for their money and provide strong competition. | |||
"There will always be independent labels," says one leading company executive. "We majors have to live with them. They help make us aware of the every-changing trends in musical tastes. They deal at street level and that's where the music comes from." | |||
A summary of advice from the majors to the "minors"; "Keep overheads down, don't run before you can walk, don't flood the market with releases, get proper distribution and most important, make sure you have product which can be confidently sold in the marketplace." | |||
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Revision as of 22:07, 5 November 2016
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