Not to cross threads, but Arista put out what was probably one of the very last--if not thee last--1) truly great 2) mass-market 3) two-sided 4) vinyl singles of my generation: "Hey Ya!" b/w (a/w?) "The Way You Move."
RIP... i think gil scott-heron was the first artist signed to the label.
I don't know if he was THE first - I've also heard that the first Arista signee was Garland Jeffreys (who had one solitary single before pressing on to A&M)...
quick search turned these up but i guess it could be wrong. i seem to remeber hearing clive davis say in an interview gil was the first.
Interesting trivia: Gil Scott-Heron was the first artist signed by hitmaker Clive Davis to his newly-formed record label Arista back in 1975. That???s a long from Whitney Houston and Kenny G.
Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jackson were the first artists to be signed by Clive Davis for his then new Arista Label in 1974, reputedly signing them after seeing a live performance in New York.
During that first year, not only did Arista sign Scott-Heron and Jeffreys, but they also had Patti Smith, Monty Python and a whole gang of avant-garde jazz acts like Anthony Braxton. A long way from Whitney and Kenny G, indeed.
I wonder which artist was the "money" turning point @ Arista?
Probably Barry Manilow, and to a lesser extent Melissa Manchester. They were with the company from the start; when Arista absorbed Bell Records, Manilow and Manchester came with the package. They were just getting started on Bell, and by the time Arista took over in early '75, they began selling records from jump street. And basically financed the Anthony Braxtons and Cecil Taylors of the label. But that adventurous streak was gone by the eighties.
I wonder which artist was the "money" turning point @ Arista?
It's probably more complex than a simple turning point. Wikipedia highlights how signing Aretha was "pivotal" but how signing Whitney was more of a financial breakthrough (she was a "breakthrough" that became their biggest selling artist). But maybe Whitney signed because Aretha signed before her (given that they are both in the r&b diva mold).
I wonder which artist was the "money" turning point @ Arista?
It's probably more complex than a simple turning point. Wikipedia highlights how signing Aretha was "pivotal" but how signing Whitney was more of a financial breakthrough (she was a "breakthrough" that became their biggest selling artist). But maybe Whitney signed because Aretha signed before her (given that they are both in the r&b diva mold).
Even so, Arista was already an established, hit-making, multi-million-dollar label by the time Aretha showed up.
I wonder which artist was the "money" turning point @ Arista?
It's probably more complex than a simple turning point. Wikipedia highlights how signing Aretha was "pivotal" but how signing Whitney was more of a financial breakthrough (she was a "breakthrough" that became their biggest selling artist). But maybe Whitney signed because Aretha signed before her (given that they are both in the r&b diva mold).
Even so, Arista was already an established, hit-making, multi-million-dollar label by the time Aretha showed up.
Was Aretha even 'relevant' in 1980? Hadnt she peaked by then? Dont tell me about that Ridin On a Freeway 80's shit either.
I wonder which artist was the "money" turning point @ Arista?
It's probably more complex than a simple turning point. Wikipedia highlights how signing Aretha was "pivotal" but how signing Whitney was more of a financial breakthrough (she was a "breakthrough" that became their biggest selling artist). But maybe Whitney signed because Aretha signed before her (given that they are both in the r&b diva mold).
Even so, Arista was already an established, hit-making, multi-million-dollar label by the time Aretha showed up.
Was Aretha even 'relevant' in 1980? Hadnt she peaked by then? Dont tell me about that Ridin On a Freeway 80's shit either.
I think Aretha had peaked in terms of her output by the time she signed w/ Arista, but she would have still been a hugely important icon, no? So, relevant in that sense. And probably still acknolwedge to have potential great work in her. (Although the style of music in the 80s clashed harshly with her own style.)
I wonder which artist was the "money" turning point @ Arista?
It's probably more complex than a simple turning point. Wikipedia highlights how signing Aretha was "pivotal" but how signing Whitney was more of a financial breakthrough (she was a "breakthrough" that became their biggest selling artist). But maybe Whitney signed because Aretha signed before her (given that they are both in the r&b diva mold).
Even so, Arista was already an established, hit-making, multi-million-dollar label by the time Aretha showed up.
Was Aretha even 'relevant' in 1980? Hadnt she peaked by then? Dont tell me about that Ridin On a Freeway 80's shit either.
I think Aretha had peaked in terms of her output by the time she signed w/ Arista, but she would have still been a hugely important icon, no? So, relevant in that sense. And probably still acknolwedge to have potential great work in her. (Although the style of music in the 80s clashed harshly with her own style.)
Of course she was an icon.
Now im gonna check what they did with Aretha while she was there, since its supposed to be a major sign...........
Aretha in the 80s is like Sinatra in the 70s - still selling records, still on the radar, but hardly the trailblazer they used to be.
In Aretha's case, even if "Jimmy Lee" and "Freeway Of Love" were huge hits, no one considered those cute li'l pop tunes on the same level as "Respect" or "Chain Of Fools."
Arista had a rep for jumpstarting stalled careers - Dionne Warwick, Santana, etc. Aretha was just another in that line, IMO.
Aretha in the 80s is like Sinatra in the 70s - still selling records, still on the radar, but hardly the trailblazer they used to be.
In Aretha's case, even if "Jimmy Lee" and "Freeway Of Love" were huge hits, no one considered those cute li'l pop tunes on the same level as "Respect" or "Chain Of Fools."
Arista had a rep for jumpstarting stalled careers - Dionne Warwick, Santana, etc. Aretha was just another in that line, IMO.
No doubt.
Props. They did keep here career going for most of the 80's.
Although, for the hell of it, I just watched a little bit of that ultra-nostalgic "Jimmy Lee" on Youtube. If that were all she ever did, I wouldn't elect her into ANYBODY'S Hall of Fame. Yikes. Arista kept her in the public eye, but if her Arista sides were all she ever did, she'd be a mere footnote like Cheryl Lynn.
Although, for the hell of it, I just watched a little bit of that ultra-nostalgic "Jimmy Lee" on Youtube. If that were all she ever did, I wouldn't elect her into ANYBODY'S Hall of Fame. Yikes. Arista kept her in the public eye, but if her Arista sides were all she ever did, she'd be a mere footnote like Cheryl Lynn.
You know whats funny is that she had a gang of hits in that era, but i dont recall ONE Slow Jam that gets played on Local Black Radio now.
Although, for the hell of it, I just watched a little bit of that ultra-nostalgic "Jimmy Lee" on Youtube. If that were all she ever did, I wouldn't elect her into ANYBODY'S Hall of Fame. Yikes. Arista kept her in the public eye, but if her Arista sides were all she ever did, she'd be a mere footnote like Cheryl Lynn.
You know whats funny is that she had a gang of hits in that era, but i dont recall ONE Slow Jam that gets played on Local Black Radio now.
All the Aretha hits that I remember from the 80s were all mid- to uptempo. I remember "Jump To It" was supposed to be a big deal because Luther Vandross produced it, and he was like the It Guy of that moment.
IIRC my buddies mom would get free Arista vinyls on the regular and this had a DJ Promo Arista sticker on the front.
theres the sticker^^
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
Arista put these out in 1980/1981, thus making Fela accessible to curious provincial post-punk types in the North of England (like me) when he'd hitherto been heard about more than heard outside of Africa. I copped these in my local branch of Boots (the UK equivalent of Walgreens or something) back when they sold records, and I still have both of them.
batmon
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Not to cross threads, but Arista put out what was probably one of the very last--if not thee last--1) truly great 2) mass-market 3) two-sided 4) vinyl singles of my generation: "Hey Ya!" b/w (a/w?) "The Way You Move."
They're not really making 'em like that anymore.
Even the wack shit too.
Phyliss Hyman early shit is my shit, too bad Whitney came along to shift their focus.
I don't know if he was THE first - I've also heard that the first Arista signee was Garland Jeffreys (who had one solitary single before pressing on to A&M)...
http://jazztimes.com/articles/25256-gil-scott-heron-to-appear-at-bb-kings-in-nyc
http://www.soulbrother.co.uk/reviews/92016.html
Cause I know Davis had Barry Manilow write certain songs for Hyman when they absorbed Buddha Records in the mid-70's.
Probably Barry Manilow, and to a lesser extent Melissa Manchester. They were with the company from the start; when Arista absorbed Bell Records, Manilow and Manchester came with the package. They were just getting started on Bell, and by the time Arista took over in early '75, they began selling records from jump street. And basically financed the Anthony Braxtons and Cecil Taylors of the label. But that adventurous streak was gone by the eighties.
It's probably more complex than a simple turning point. Wikipedia highlights how signing Aretha was "pivotal" but how signing Whitney was more of a financial breakthrough (she was a "breakthrough" that became their biggest selling artist). But maybe Whitney signed because Aretha signed before her (given that they are both in the r&b diva mold).
Even so, Arista was already an established, hit-making, multi-million-dollar label by the time Aretha showed up.
Arista Freedom
Was Aretha even 'relevant' in 1980? Hadnt she peaked by then? Dont tell me about that Ridin On a Freeway 80's shit either.
I think Aretha had peaked in terms of her output by the time she signed w/ Arista, but she would have still been a hugely important icon, no? So, relevant in that sense. And probably still acknolwedge to have potential great work in her. (Although the style of music in the 80s clashed harshly with her own style.)
Of course she was an icon.
Now im gonna check what they did with Aretha while she was there, since its supposed to be a major sign...........
In Aretha's case, even if "Jimmy Lee" and "Freeway Of Love" were huge hits, no one considered those cute li'l pop tunes on the same level as "Respect" or "Chain Of Fools."
Arista had a rep for jumpstarting stalled careers - Dionne Warwick, Santana, etc. Aretha was just another in that line, IMO.
No doubt.
Props. They did keep here career going for most of the 80's.
You know whats funny is that she had a gang of hits in that era, but i dont recall ONE Slow Jam that gets played on Local Black Radio now.
All the Aretha hits that I remember from the 80s were all mid- to uptempo. I remember "Jump To It" was supposed to be a big deal because Luther Vandross produced it, and he was like the It Guy of that moment.
IIRC my buddies mom would get free Arista vinyls on the regular and this had a DJ Promo Arista sticker on the front.
theres the sticker^^
Arista put these out in 1980/1981, thus making Fela accessible to curious provincial post-punk types in the North of England (like me) when he'd hitherto been heard about more than heard outside of Africa. I copped these in my local branch of Boots (the UK equivalent of Walgreens or something) back when they sold records, and I still have both of them.
Had no idea Beverly Johnson made a record (she was one of the highest-profile models of the 70s), although I shouldn't be surprised