Hi Bob, as you know\u2026<\/p>\n
My late father in law Larry Uttal owned Bell Records, which he sold to Columbia Pictures in the 70s. \u00a0Fed up with working for Columbia, he left after his deal was up to start another label, and was replaced by Clive, who renamed Bell Records as\u00a0Arista. And Arista’s first hits were by artists that Larry had signed\u2014Barry Manilow, Melissa Manchester and the Bay City Rollers.<\/p>\n
Clive spent the next 50 years trying to rewrite history, even spinning Larry\u2019s Billboard obituary to suggest Arista was created out of whole cloth and wasn\u2019t a continuation of Bell. \u00a0When I called the Billboard writer who I’d spoken to as he was writing the obit, he said, almost apologetically, \u201cI know, but Clive is very sensitive about this and he\u2019s a big advertiser.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the \u2018definitive\u2019 book on Arista came out\u00a0a\u00a0few years ago, the first 40 pages were entirely about Larry, his career, and Bell. \u00a0Clive must have been apoplectic.<\/p>\n
As you point out, on the other end of the spectrum were execs like Mo Ostin, who I had the great fortune to work for.<\/p>\n
Mo never\u00a0did interviews. Ever. \u00a0It was Mo’s philosophy that the artist should be getting all of the press, not him. To my knowledge, in all of his years in the business Mo did only two interviews. One was for a PBS documentary about David Geffen, talking about Geffen, not himself\u2014and I’d imagine that was at Geffen’s behest. The other was for a book about Warner Bros. Records, long after he’d retired. \u00a0And he was pressured into that.<\/p>\n
I thought what you wrote was right on. Clive may have been behind many hit records, but people like Mo and Ahmet signed enduring artists.<\/p>\n
All the best,<\/p>\n
Jeff\u00a0Gold<\/p>\n
Recordmecca.com<\/p>\n
SittinIn.com<\/p>\n
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Credit where it\u2019s genuinely due, your Clive Davis piece is not only accurate, it\u2019s unusually candid. You laid out the reality with clarity, receipts, and a willingness to say plainly what many prefer to leave implied. That\u2019s rarer than it should be.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve chosen to document it in a way that doesn\u2019t look away or soften the edges. That takes a measure of conviction, especially when the easier path is to preserve the mythology.<\/p>\n
Allen Kovac
\nSomeone Who Was in the Room<\/p>\n
____________________________________<\/p>\n
My band Native was the first Jamaican or reggae band to sign to Arista Records back in 1979.<\/p>\n
I remember delivering my album and them telling me that they were not crazy about the album.<\/p>\n
So I explained that maybe they don’t understand reggae. They said DONT TELL ME ABOUT REGGAE, I KNOW JOHN MARLEY PERSONALLY !! So I disappeared rather than tell them that the name is Bob!!<\/p>\n
But as far as record men, although Clive knew a hit, he did not have the magic ears and credibility of my favorite record man of all time Chris Blackwell. Chris created some of the greatest artists of all time who had hits, credibility and careers. U2, Steve Winwood, Cat Stevens, Roxy Music, Amy Winehouse.<\/p>\n
Clive had Milli, Blackwell had Marley!!<\/p>\n
Native Wayne Jobson<\/p>\n
Los Angeles<\/p>\n
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Clive came to speak at a work event I attended last fall and everything you shared below aligns with my impression of him. We were told to watch his doc before the event and come prepared with questions, but only 2-3 questions were able to be asked because he ended up just speaking endlessly and repeating all of the details and stories we already heard in the documentary, and the information wasn\u2019t even relevant to the questions that were asked.<\/p>\n
I hate to say it, but I came away unimpressed and pretty disappointed with the experience. I was looking forward to some genuine insight from someone with decades of experience, but it ended up just being 45 minutes of self promotion. On the plus side it made me feel more confident about my ability to carve out a meaningful career in the music business if he was considered the pinnacle of success.<\/p>\n
I have no desire for public facing accolades or success. As long as the artists I work with and my bosses are happy with my work then I\u2019m thrilled. I think that\u2019s why so many of my colleagues get into the business side in the first place. We love music and the mechanics involved in getting it to people, but we don\u2019t have any desire to actually be on stage ourselves and prefer to work in the background. I\u2019ve always been wary of the business person who seems to seek the stage and spotlight for themselves.<\/p>\n
Appreciate your honest assessment here.<\/p>\n
-Ben Mathewson<\/p>\n
____________________________________<\/p>\n
I don’t know enough to either agree or disagree on your opinion of Clive Davis however sending this soon after his death is announced. \u00a0It just feels plain mean to me and you are better than that!<\/p>\n
Mark O’Neill<\/p>\n
____________________________________<\/p>\n
I AGREE<\/p>\n
CLIVE was an attention seeker— no– he snatched it all up if was due him or not. The amount of attention his passing got on CNN alone was ….. gross..<\/p>\n
Highly ironic that Stevie Wonder told hapless Anderson Cooper that ” his favorite CLive melody” was\u00a0I Will Always Love You… written by Dolly Parton in 1973 and released in 1974<\/p>\n
I highly doubt without a talented team around him in A&R- retail marketing publicity and promotions- if he would<\/p>\n
have been able to take credit for half the things he took credit for.<\/p>\n
give him kudos for surrounding himself with executive talent- and list the artists his team discovered<\/p>\n
and broke – not give him all the credit for everything.<\/p>\n
Well written Bob…<\/p>\n
Chris Long<\/p>\n
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I am unsubscribing from your newsletter.\u00a0 Considering the timing, this is beyond tasteless and disrespectful. RIP Clive Davis.<\/p>\n
Thea Hopkins<\/p>\n
____________________________________<\/p>\n
It took fifteen people at the label to approve a song for Whitney Houston and she wasn’t one of them.<\/p>\n
Joel Selvin<\/p>\n
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My production company makes short (2-3 minutes) films that play every year at an annual \u201c8 Over 80\u201d gala here in NYC, honoring eight people over the age of 80 who have led impressive lives are still going strong. \u00a0The organization that runs the event, the New Jewish Home, decided on the format because they knew – and know – that no one likes to sit through long speeches at these kinds of events. \u00a0The films are an effective way to keep the focus on the honorees, and keep the evening short.<\/p>\n
When Clive Davis was selected back in 2018, in advance of the filming, we told him what we tell all the honorees:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A short film of three minutes or so is not nearly long enough to cover an entire person’s life story, so we are liberated from having to hit all the highlights of a person’s career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Instead, I said, we can focus on just one aspect of your life or career, something people don’t know much about. Maybe just a single artist, maybe a hobby people don\u2019t know about, maybe a favorite cause, or a single story.<\/p>\n Especially with someone whose career is so well-known (and about whom there’d already been a complete feature-length biographical documentary), trying to tell the whole story is a fool’s errand.<\/p>\n “So,” I asked Mr. Davis. “Any thoughts?”<\/p>\n “Yeah,” he said. “Do the whole thing.”<\/p>\n Nick Davis<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Go stand on your lawn and yell at people to “GET OFF MY LAWN”!<\/p>\n You have become one angry and bitter old man.<\/p>\n I feel sorry for you.<\/p>\n Dennis Paulik<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Joe Smith. Yes.<\/p>\n Jac Holzman too.<\/p>\n And Seymour Stein.<\/p>\n Herb & Jerry?<\/p>\n Chris & Terry?<\/p>\n And for all the talk about taking over a “failing” Bell, Larry Uttal built an indie machine that continually delivered hit singles, including in 1974, at the end when it WASN’T failing.\u00a0 OK, maybe he didn’t transition to albums as well as the others, but he did sign the Bay City Rollers, Barry Manilow, Melissa Manchester and Lou Rawls, who all delivered gold and platinum for Clive.<\/p>\n Toby Mamis<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Thanks for your honest opinion on this. \u00a0I think you really nailed it<\/p>\n The idea of “selling out” is what we as young aspiring musicians always talked about in the 90’s. \u00a0I think Clive Davis epitomized that paradigm as you pointed out:<\/p>\n “What they want is Clive Davis to put them up front and center, to promote them to the world.”<\/p>\n Also about his ego trip:<\/p>\n I saw an interview with him about Whitney Houston, where he was very self satisfied and totally appeared to be taking credit for her success, as a singer.<\/p>\n Cheers ____________________________________<\/p>\n This much earned vitriol and nothing on the Bar Mitzvah?!?!!!<\/p>\n Probably a wise move.<\/p>\n Gregg DeMammos<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I knew this email was coming from you long before Clive\u2019s passing. \u00a0This makes you look like a small man. \u00a0Today everyone is their own brand., their own IP. Clive knew that 50 years ago. \u00a0Instead of giving Clive credit for what he was great at – you dismiss him on his death. \u00a0Yet every major media out and artists he has worked with have spoken of his greatness. Go figure. \u00a0He just didn\u2019t fit into the mold you like. Guess you weren\u2019t invited to his Pre-Grammy parties.<\/p>\n Hosh Gureli<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Bingo.<\/p>\n Rik Shafer<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I produced a couple of albums for Arista. Sat with Clive in the control room one memorable afternoon when he made the trip from his Beverly Hills Hotel bungalow. And that afternoon convinced me to never trust a man who doesn\u2019t wear socks.<\/p>\n Cheers,<\/p>\n Chris Desmond<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I’ve had the unique privilege to work with every major music executive since 1982 – Mo, Ahmet, Geffen, Seymour , Herb & Jerry, Blackwell , Doug Morris Roger Ames and Clive.<\/p>\n They were all great and unique and with different strengths \u00a0however , Clive’s diversity and impact was greater than any other<\/p>\n Andy Kipnes<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Back in the early 90\u2019s the BMG Canada crew flew to Seattle for the BMG North America conference. I was relatively new to the company. Prior to the Arista presentation I was told by one of my more seasoned colleagues to make sure I went to the bathroom before Clive\u2019s presentation and to bring a coat and a snack. It was blistering hot in Seattle and we had just had lunch. Why? I asked. My colleague said, \u201cYou\u2019ll see\u201d. Clive\u2019s presentation was endless. You were forbidden to leave your table to go to the bathroom or Clive would call you out from the stage, and Clive had the hotel turn the air conditioning to a meat locker temperature to make sure no one nodded off. The last act he presented was Barry Manilow. Other label heads had showcased some of their artists by having them play live or they played us new, unreleased recordings. Clive had no new music by Manilow and the artist was not present. We had to endure what must have been an hour of old Manilow music, Clive testifying to Manilow\u2019s brilliance and boring the crap out of all of us. I was now initiated into the Clive experience.<\/p>\n Regards,<\/p>\n Steven Ehrlick<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Thanks for this brave piece on this a$$hole. This is anecdotal I know, but after years of record collecting I always noticed that the few Arista titles I\u2019d buy were always pressed horribly.<\/p>\n Rob Pachol<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n This piece written about Clive Davis, and on the day that he passed away is so disrespectful and mean and not even accurate.<\/p>\n I feel badly for you that you chose to write and distribute this.<\/p>\n When you pass away, I trust people will be more sensitive to you than you consciously chose to be to Clive Davis and his family.<\/p>\n Eddie OLoughlin<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n It had to be said All the best ____________________________________<\/p>\n Good obit. The comparison with the Tin Pan Alley period is apt: Clive really did signal a return to that formula (along with the boy bands in the 90s). \u201cPro songwriters & fungible pretty faces\u201d sums it up these days. Tho one wonders how many of this period\u2019s hits will end up in the Great American Songbook<\/p>\n Big Al<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Not real sure why you wrote this. A lot of what you said about Clive is probably true, but why now and this harsh. In my 30 years in the music business I believe like you it is always about the artist. People would say to us when Amy Grant broke wide open you guys are so smart and I would always say we were lucky. It was the artist not us. I will always be thankful those who helped us Jim Gercio, Jerry Moss, Ed Rosenblatt and John Huie at CAA. And especially John Eastman.<\/p>\n Dan Harrell<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Your perspective on Davis\u2019 career is most welcome, particularly in the current hurricane of slavish adulation.<\/p>\n Thank you for shining a light.<\/p>\n Nigel Russell<\/p>\n Toronto, Canada<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Loved this piece, Bob! It amused me that the next message in my inbox was a typically fawning obit in MBW. I much preferred your take.<\/p>\n Nigel Harding<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Hi Bob, I can not agree more with you “he wrote a book about his career there. 1974’s “Clive: Inside the Record Business” was very different from the man’s 2013 tome, “The Soundtrack of My Life.” The latter was a victory lap, it was unreadable hagiography. “I did this and then I did that and aren’t I great!” Well, the true greats don’t have to tell us they are.”. When I started at CBS 1978 I got his book and read it many times, best book ever. Then when the new one came I threw it away…but his 6 hours product presentations were outstanding with him sitting like a king on a podium and firing questions to local radio promoters\u00a0why certain singles weren\u00b4t doing well…what a man.<\/p>\n Anders Hjelmtorp<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Clive Davis deserves all of the accolades he received in the many obituaries. He did a terrific job with every artist in his purview and was a true gentleman.<\/p>\n I regularly saw Clive at industry events and concerts. He was always warm, gracious, and kind.<\/p>\n Your bitter, vicious post about Clive Davis is an insult to this wonderful man and his lasting legacy. Clive was deeply loved by his artists and many people in the industry.<\/p>\n Clive deserved much better from you.<\/p>\n Judith Arden<\/p>\n New York City<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n You are a small pathetic man. \u00a0Clive was a giant.<\/p>\n Glenn Whitehead<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I was Executive Vice President for a LONG year. \u00a0Always said, Clive is the greatest music man that ever was and the worst music businessman.<\/p>\n Bill Berger<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n You nailed it! Perfectly.<\/p>\n If we ever connect real time, I will share a few antidotes.<\/p>\n Stay well and hug your loved ones.<\/p>\n All the best,<\/p>\n Jim Caparro<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n What you said about Clive may indeed be all true, but I do think it did not have to be printed right after his death. It would probably have been more effective a few weeks later. Not sure what the rush was.<\/p>\n Regards,<\/p>\n Bill Migicovsky<\/p>\n Montreal<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Sad to see the passing of Clive Davis. \u00a0He was always very nice to me and offered me marketing jobs at Arista twice. \u00a0I thought I was too rock-album-oriented and too methodical for Clive. \u00a0I just didn\u2019t think he would have the patience for a guy like me. \u00a0I didn\u2019t think I would do well in his system. \u00a0It did get me a couple of nice raises at Sony Music, though, and I was always appreciative of his interest. \u00a0In my early days at Leber-Krebs Management, I worked on marketing Beatlemania while we were still in development at the Colonial Theater in Boston. Steve Leber and I pitched CBS-TV on a prime-time musical special, and they bought it. \u00a0I ran into Clive at Michael\u2019s restaurant in NYC as I was leaving just before we opened the show at the Winter Garden Theater, and he asked how it was going. \u00a0I told him that ticket sales were doing great and about the TV commitment. \u00a0By the time I walked back to the office, Clive was on the phone to Steve Leber and had bought the soundtrack album. \u00a0I always thought it was funny, trying to think of who would buy that soundtrack when they could buy a Beatles greatest hits album.<\/p>\n All the best,<\/p>\n Dan Beck<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Wow talk about scathing..but the reality is you speak the truth. I can go back to a couple of things I saw in front of me. There was the story how Clive discovered Whitney Houston but if you were in New York City during that time \u00a0you knew that wasn\u2019t true.. many knew about Cissy \u00a0Huston\u2018s daughter and although Clive took all the credit it was Gerry Griffith that first heard her singing at Sweetwater and brought her up to Clive\u2026 many knew what the real story was, but that was the deal. But the thing that really got my head spinning was at Arif Mardin\u2019s memorial in NYC. It was a beautiful night when so many greats in the music world came out for this memorial.. Norah Jones sang, Bette Midler, Eddie Brigatti \u00a0from the Rascals.. and other luminaries that spoke and were humble and recognized the greatness of Arif and the true genius that he was and the effect that he had on so many great artists. And then who was the last to speak? Clive\u2026.. and he definitely made it so it was all about him in some very bizarre way\u2026 I was sitting there in the audience, just dumbfounded how the whole script could just be flipped in a second from this guy. But that was the way he was and that was how he was sold and that\u2019s how he sold himself and in that case, it was very successful. Peace,Jason Miles<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I will never, ever forget the night Clive launched Whitney to all the executives he\u2019d flown in from his distributors around the world \u2026he\u2019d hired a theatre in New York and there were about a 150 of us present, rather lost in such a large venue\u2026Clive proceeded to harangue us from an empty stage about how this was going to be the biggest thing ever blah, blah\u2026then plays the album through, with track by track commentary..from beginning to end\u2026then gave us another half hour lecture on how she should be marketed and launched etc, then proceeded to play the album, in its entirety all over again\u2026 by this stage, 2 and a half hours in, most of us jet lagged exces would have paid money just to leave\u2026but it was Clive, so we fought back the tiredness and tuffed it out\u2026<\/p>\n Egotistical, self important twat was my take out of Clive and I never saw or heard anything since that would change that view.<\/p>\n Regards ____________________________________<\/p>\n Totally fair to prefer classic rock to pop Bob but I Wanna Dance With Somebody will still loved and remembered for as long as anything from the classic rock era. And I was just reading The New Cue’s interview yesterday with Danny McNamara of Embrace (UK indie rock band from the 90s):<\/p>\n “What was the first record you loved? Yours,<\/p>\n Joe Taylor<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I have no skin in the game here, but I\u2019m guessing that many of your subscribers will be reflecting on the passing of someone they knew, worked with, were friends with\u2026 Perhaps you could have given these people a minute to settle before sharing your thoughts? Perhaps you could have toned down the language just a bit? Be kind – someone just died.<\/p>\n Cheers<\/p>\n Andy Fordyce<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n That was a very mean spirited article even by your snarky standards.<\/p>\n When it comes to \u2018tooting your horn\u2019 nobody does it better than you Bob.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t know Clive Davis but he was IN the music business..Bob you\u2019re on the sidelines lobbing meaningless drivel.<\/p>\n Best Wishes<\/p>\n Thomas Black<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Oof! Interesting and insightful as ever Bob. Bet you get some blow-back on this one! ____________________________________<\/p>\n ..brilliant..you are a prolific writer.<\/p>\n Barbara Zats<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Songs written by committee are a rupture in the creative process. By design, a committee encourages groupthink and discourages self-expression. Imagine Dylan by committee. I\u2019m no expert, but it smells like stabilization of profit is the culprit. Someone wanted a more dependable revenue stream, and the committee got the call. The committee produces vanilla music that sells enough and the investors won\u2019t have to take chances on unknown acts that don\u2019t fit the current standard. I hope some small label can sign a great act and break the mold. Something like Sun and Elvis.<\/p>\n Regards,<\/p>\n James Riley<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n He gave us Laura Nyro. \u00a0Took all her songs, had hits with other Columbia artists at the time. \u00a0But it worked to where he could justify her making her own classic albums despite them not being a hit.<\/p>\n Annie Roboff<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t know Clive but he was approachable. I remember seeing him frequently in Toronto checking out bands. When asked, by a group of us, how he found time to come to Toronto he said \u2014 actually, New York is closer to Toronto than Chicago. I\u2019ve always remembered that quick answer.<\/p>\n Michael Burke<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n ‘ I never knew the man, or cared either way, but right or wrong, your remarks are pretty cold-blooded Bob.<\/p>\n Like Trump saying \u201cI\u2019m glad he\u2019s dead\u201d.<\/p>\n Whoo boy<\/p>\n Dave Dalzell<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Bullseye.<\/p>\n Warm regards<\/p>\n Mark Burger<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Wow, Bob, tell us how you really feel!<\/p>\n A little jealous, maybe?<\/p>\n Thanks,<\/p>\n Ernie Canadeo<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n This missive should be printed everywhere, for all to see. I’m glad that you wrote this…<\/p>\n As a record man, he couldn’t shine Ahmet’s shoes.<\/p>\n He also helped to ruin Rod Stewart’s musical path by putting out all of those schlock records.<\/p>\n Kevin Kiley<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Wow, Bob. You sh*tting on Clive was not on my bingo card. Oooof. ____________________________________<\/p>\n In 1980\/81 when I was not involved with Gregg or The Allman Brothers Band they signed with Arista under Clive’s aegis and had two albums and a mid-chart single which they absolutely hated and broke up for the second time. Earlier on Capricorn with first Atlantic distribution and then WEA, I got to be around Phil Walden, Ahmet and Jerry, Mo and Joe. Now those were some fun times and I learned a lot about the music business.<\/p>\n Willie Perkins<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Amen, Bob. I\u2019ve been seeing the tributes all afternoon, thinking to myself exactly what you\u2019ve written here! Not only that, but I experienced it firsthand.<\/p>\n Back in the mid-90s, I made an album that Pete Townshend funded. (It never came out, but by\u00a0coincidence, it\u2019s finally\u00a0coming out later this year.) Once we had some tracks done, Pete helped shop them. One of the lunches\u00a0was with Clive.<\/p>\n My memory is that I was drunk and\u00a0arrogant. But in retrospect, I just didn\u2019t buy what Clive was selling. I was talking about my vision for the album and my career, and about what kind of artist I wanted to be, while Clive was focused on the sort of lowest common denominator chum I despised. Boy, did I piss him off when I pushed back. It was all very \u201cdon\u2019t you know who I am, kid?\u201d That\u2019s why your comment about him being of a pre-Beatles mindset really struck a chord. It really did feel like\u00a0Clive was all about the\u00a0\u201cHow Much is That Doggy in the Window?\u201d way of doing things.<\/p>\n But my abiding memory, and the first thing that popped into my head when I heard the news of his death, was how creepy Clive was. Like, Puffy level creepy. I was in my mid-20s at the time, so it was part of the terrain, but man was it gross.<\/p>\n And now he\u2019s gone.\u00a0Sure, he was an ancient white man, but it\u2019s 2026. I\u2019m shocked I\u2019m not seeing more of what you wrote and what I remember. Or maybe it\u2019s coming. I sure hope so.<\/p>\n Anyway, thanks for writing what I\u2019ve been waiting all day for someone to write. No matter what blowback you get, there are plenty of us out here in the business that every bit of\u00a0it rings true for.<\/p>\n Jeff Slate<\/p>\n NYC<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Jesus, dude. \u00a0It\u2019s like you have a personal vendetta against this guy. \u00a0 Even if everything you are saying is true, why is it an issue that he wasn\u2019t the biggest or the greatest? \u00a0Clive is worth some recognition, and you have some pretty obvious animosity towards him. \u00a0Sure, you\u2019re a journalist, but, then again, who are you?<\/p>\n No one will remember, just like you say no one will remember Clive.<\/p>\n Chris Friday<\/p>\n Warehouse Manager – Phish<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Please Mr.Lefsetz mute session would have\u00a0been preferred at this time .<\/p>\n Danielle Lise Desrochers<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n What an amazingly\u00a0eloquent history lesson. Pay heed boys and girls.<\/p>\n Harold Love<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Pretty brutal even for you, Bob.<\/p>\n Lou Maresca<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Spot on ! Clive was wayyyy overrated !<\/p>\n Can you say \u201cshooting fish in a barrel\u201d!<\/p>\n Doug Pomerantz<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I generally enjoy your writing, but this one is really out of bounds. There’s really no need for this right after the guy died. The adage “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all” really applies here.<\/p>\n Be better.<\/p>\n Ed Hannan<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n this prodigious musical guru. Perhaps he was during his era.<\/p>\n One omission in your narrative was the public feud between Clive Davis and Kelly Clarkson that he detailed in his memoir. She fought to keep the rock edge of ‘Since U Been Gone,’ while Davis wanted it watered down. Fortunately, she prevailed, and the result was one of the most iconic and influential pop (rock) songs of the 2000s.<\/p>\n Arash Shirazi<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Wow. Galen Hudson<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n There was not enough love in the world for Clive Davis. The boy from Brooklyn was always trying to convince us he was worthy. Only someone extremely insecure would need to promote himself to this degree.<\/p>\n Pretty harsh for a dude who had to make it in the world despite the trauma of losing parents at young age. Of course he\u2019s messed up and had to fight for himself. \u00a0He had no one else!<\/p>\n Best, ____________________________________<\/p>\n Getting older, thinking about legacy\u2026 then I remember that for 5 years (1978-1982), guess who the biggest movie star in the world was? Betcha never guessed Burt Reynolds.<\/p>\n Fame is fleeting and though they might last a little longer, even the rich and famous will fade into obscurity\u2026<\/p>\n Already obscure, ____________________________________<\/p>\n appreciate your telling it like you know and mean it… Hong Son<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n The guy just died for crying out loud. \u00a0I\u2019m sure his family and friends don\u2019t appreciate your timing let alone unkind words. You could\u2019ve waited a respectful time and then said what you wanted to. Bad form, Bob. Bad form. Unnecessarily nasty.<\/p>\n Ken Green<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n And in contrast with Clive Davis is Chris Blackwell..<\/p>\n Let’s wish the boss a happy birthday \u2013 89 years young \u2013 a man who transformed the landscape of contemporary music in ways that people can only dream of or dare to imagine in 2026.<\/p>\n Lee Ginty<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n A well deserved take on Clive’s hustle.\u00a0 The tell will be the funeral\/memorial.\u00a0 It won’t be well attended or if it is, it will be people of his ilk, those who share the same preoccupation with mindless self promotion.<\/p>\n John Brodey<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Coulda just said \u2018rest in peace Clive\u2019<\/p>\n Denise Lutz<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n For cultural impact I say Seymour Stein was the goat of A&R executives.<\/p>\n Steve Tipp<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n As a true music executive, Clive was absolutely not in the league of Ahmet, Mo Ostin, Seymour Stein, Bruce Lundvall, Leonard Chess, Sam Phillips, Jac Holzman, Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, Jerry Wexler, Chris Blackwell, Creed Taylor…<\/p>\n He signed Janis, BS&T, Chicago (CTA), Laura Nyro, et al post-Monterey bring Columbia Records to huge young audiences.\u00a0 A business decision.<\/p>\n I always felt he was a master self-promoter who understood hits for the music marketplace rather than really understanding music on any seriously level.<\/p>\n And your last statement is so accurate – the great Arista releases by Patti Smith, Lou Reed, a couple by The Kinks, and a few others proved the exceptions to the rule.<\/p>\n Thanks for the truth, Bob!<\/p>\n Best,<\/p>\n Danny Kapilian<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I completely agree with your take on Clive Davis.<\/p>\n I will say, though there are exceptions that he signed as \u201cfresh\u201d talent especially within niche rock communities that are still revered, even though he did derail their career with his hit seeking mentality. \u00a0Jeff Healey, for example.<\/p>\n The first Jeff Healey Band album See the Light, had the big crossover ballad hit, no doubt heavily pushed by Davis, Angel Eyes, but the rest of the album was pure, blues rock authenticity with wicked vicious electric guitar playing, like Stevie Ray Vaughan with more distortion and aggression. In the era of Stevie Ray Vaughan, I think Jeff Healey was Clive\u2019s attempt to get in on some of that action. And like you stated instead of leaving well enough alone, once most us in the rock and blues rock guitar community discovered Jeff was more than that ballad, and he was BLIND, playing and wailing on guitar the way he did, Jeff was getting some serious traction. But like you stated, Clive doesn\u2019t want to leave well enough alone and thought he knew better. So of course, instead of realizing he\u2019s got a career artist for the label, he starts meddling on the second album, demanding a slicker more polished sound. His second release Hell to Pay, it\u2019s still a great album with Jeff\u2019s stellar cover of While My Guitar Gently Weeps with George Harrison and Jeff Lynn adding backing vocals, and Jeff doing a Mark Knopfler penned song(I Think I Love You Too Much), with Mark, providing guitar and backing vocals, having modest success, sonically the album lacked the fire of the first album thanks to the slicker production sound. Predictably sales were less than the first album.<\/p>\n There was one more proper studio album, Feel This, and then what for all intents and purposes feels like a contract fulfillment album of covers called Cover to Cover, and I think Jeff was done with Arista. He still maintained a small career until his death, play more traditional, blues, and jazz, as jazz trumpet was actually his first love and opened up his own jazz club in Toronto, but in my opinion, Clive completely wasted the potential of what Jeff could do for the label in terms of credibility. \u00a0Like you stated, he thought in short-term hits versus long-term legacies. Ironic that he was doing it in the hopes of establishing his own long-term legacy.<\/p>\n Michael Moniz<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n And Clive, to paraphrase Tom Petty (RIP) \u201cdidn\u2019t \u00a0hear a single on our friend Eric Carmen\u2019s, \u201cBoats \u00a0Against the Current\u201d Album that you\u2019ve touted as a favorite. At the EC50 tribute show we did last November, \u00a0Eric sang his song vocal (courtesy of Sony.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A 13 year old concert pianist prodigy,! Mikey Klein, recorded Eric\u2019s exquisite piano part in advance in 2 takes!\u00a0Live it was fretless bass (me!) along with first album drummer, Don Krueger, and the Lakewood Project \u00a0Orchestra – high school kids who learn classical music by ear first, then notation under the tutelage of Dr. Elizabeth Hankins.<\/p>\n Goes to show how Clive completely \u201cmissed the Boat\u201d on this wonderful piece of music. I\u2019m already seeing \u201cBoats\u201d garnering a lower level but similar degree of\u00a0late term respect that Pet Sounds has.<\/p>\n In the other hand, Clive was a one of a kind. Got to meet him 2x. He knew a pop hit when he heard it as you said.<\/p>\n We\u2019re losing the historic music business and artists. Sadly, I don\u2019t see many new pioneers-just labels sliding AI clauses into their new artist agreements. Glad to see Irving leading \u201c The Rising\u201d against it.<\/p>\n Stephen Knill<\/p>\n (Note: Note: “Boats Against the Current” was a song suite submitted with a specific running order beginning with “Run Away” and ending with “Boats Against the Current.” Eric Carmen told me that Clive insisted on reversing the running order on the ultimately released album.)<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I have a Clive story.<\/p>\n It’s around 1991 or 92 I think, give or take.<\/p>\n When I was coming up in NYC as young drummer, I was given the opportunity to play in a band that was being courted by Arista.<\/p>\n I jumped at the chance.\u00a0 The music was good, the players were good, and I understood the implications\u00a0of Clive’s power.<\/p>\n So, I started rehearsing and playing shows with them and then the keyboard player told the band that Clive wanted to see us live.<\/p>\n But, Clive didn’t want to come to a club, he wanted us to put together a private showcase for him.<\/p>\n So, we played for Clive in the keyboard player’s brownstone, in the living room.<\/p>\n It was an audience of three, Clive, Tom Corson (his head of Marketing –I think) …. and Mitchell Cohen (who i think\u00a0was Clive’s Head of A&R at the time).<\/p>\n I guess we did OK because the band got signed (I’ll happily tell you privately who the band was but I’d rather not put it this public forum).<\/p>\n Now, it’s well-known, as you pointed out, that Clive liked to tinker with his acts creatively. I would go so far as to say he would micro-manage.<\/p>\n But, that was the price you’d pay for stardom.\u00a0 And as distasteful creatively as his ideas often were, if you wanted “the push,” you’d take Clive’s advice.<\/p>\n In fact, more than that, if you wanted the push, you’d be smart to tell Clive that his ideas were genius and implement\u00a0them, even if you hated them.<\/p>\n Because\u00a0the truth is that often, artists don’t get more than one legitimate shot in this game.<\/p>\n And in 1992, as a musician, having Clive put the power of Arista behind you could change your life.<\/p>\n I always figured that if you were going to sign with a label like Arista, the whole point would be to let Clive mold you.<\/p>\n Right? Because if you sign with Clive, and you do everything he says, there’s a decent shot he’s going to get you a pretty good shot at pop stardom.<\/p>\n This is one of the big reasons I joined that band.<\/p>\n A few months later the keyboard player and singer went to meet with Clive to talk about the first record.<\/p>\n And they came back from the meeting and told us (the rest of the band) that Clive had a lot of ideas but that they didn’t really like many of them.<\/p>\n In fact they told us—like it was a good thing—that they told Clive they weren’t going to do most of things\u00a0he asked.<\/p>\n My heart sank when I heard this.\u00a0 Because I knew that was the end of the band’s chance of anything happening at Arista.<\/p>\n So, not long after that, I quit the band. Literally, a few weeks later, \u00a0I told them I didn’t want to make the record.<\/p>\n I believed the record would never come out, and I didn’t want to go through all of that work and not have the album released.<\/p>\n I was probably a bit too impulsive back in my twenties, because\u00a0making another record at that level would have probably been a good thing for me…. that was probably short-sighted.<\/p>\n But, as it turns out, the record was not ever released.<\/p>\n So, the moral of the story was; with Clive, if you wanted to be successful (at \u00a0a possible creative cost….yes, admittedly)…..you’d have to do what he said or you’re out.<\/p>\n Thanks for being honest, Bob<\/p>\n Regards,<\/p>\n Mark Feldman<\/p>\n Boston (formerly of NYC)<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” That quote was spoken by newspaper editor Maxwell Scott in the 1962 western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. It referred to the power of myth-making and that a culturally significant\u00a0story is sometimes preferable to the factual truth.<\/p>\n It’s hard to argue with what you’ve written except to say it could have been told in a kinder way. But that’s OK, I remain a fan of the no holds barred Lefsetz\u00a0method.<\/p>\n As we watch the media espouse the legend, and although all acts signed to a label must be done with a president’s pen, it is important to note that Bruce Springsteen was brought\u00a0to the label by John Hammond and little known fact, Aerosmith was discovered by a Columbia A&R man (who I remember being there for less than a year) named Ray Colcord who talked the label into signing them. Yes, Clive signed The Dead but I don’t think that would have happened without Michael Klenfner’s introduction and counterculture\u00a0credibility. And for all the hits, only us who were there can name the many misses.<\/p>\n But having said all that, I must tell you, I worked for seven presidents during my time at Columbia. And the two smartest ones were Clive Davis and Don Ienner (who is a Clive Davis protege). Both had a 24\/7 work ethic and both had a sixth sense and vision about the possibilities for their artists.<\/p>\n Clive had the most amazing memory and he took an all-hands approach like I’ve never seen before. Here is a story which indebted me to him for life.<\/p>\n In 1972 I was in my second year as local album promotion man for Los Angeles and surrounding areas. I worked all formats but of course my favorite was FM rock radio. A new band was formed called West, Bruce, and Laing and being a guitar guy I totally fell in love with Leslie West weaving his guitar licks alongside Jack Bruce’s bass lines with Corky Laing providing the big drum engine which drove the whole thing. I turned LA upside down for these guys in anticipation of their November debut at the Hollywood Palladium. Heavy airplay on all four FM rock radio stations and unique promotions on each was only topped by the over-the-top party I threw after the show. I blew the budget on a food sculpturist who created a whole New York scene replete with the Brooklyn Bridge’s iconic suspension cables created with string cheese! Keith Moon was there as he was a friend of Leslie’s. The entire event was the talk of the town for weeks.<\/p>\n Bud Prager was the manager, and I don’t know what was up with him the week of the show but all he did was complain about the supposed lack of effort I’d showed for his band. He kept hammering me every day with stupid sh*t like “Why don’t I hear their record on the radio?” He even complained about the party and made me have breakfast with him the on the Saturday after to dress me down and pontificate on how to throw a party.<\/p>\n I wasn’t one who expected thank-yous but I’d literally worked myself sick for West, Bruce, and Laing and just couldn’t take the abuse. On Monday morning I poured my heart out to regional promotion man Chuck Thagard. Somehow word got back to Clive.<\/p>\n Clive Davis was a very busy man working with top level artists, managers, promoters, etc. I didn’t even think he knew who I was, but apparently he knew WHO EVERYBODY WORKING FOR HIM was. He called Bud and MADE BUD PRAGER APOLOGIZE TO ME. Bud called and reported what Clive had told him. “Bud, I don’t know what you think, but Paul Rappaport is one of our new up-and-coming superstars of promotion. Near as I can tell LA has exploded with West, Bruce, and Laing excitement. I want you to call Paul and apologize for your behavior.”<\/p>\n And, he did. I remember thinking when Bud called, with Clive’s backing I can really blow this guy a new a**hole or I can take the high road and be a class act. How do I want to be known in this business? I chose the latter, thanked Bud for the call, was sorry for any misunderstanding he’d had, and reassured him how much I loved his act and how I would continue working 110% on their behalf. Thank you Clive Davis.<\/p>\n For all his downsides (and way too long speeches, haha), the man did reinvent himself three times over. I don’t know many who could even rise from the ashes like he did after being completely humiliated by CBS, much less do it again two more times. That is an unprecedented feat and takes some powerful courage.<\/p>\n Even at the height of his fame, he was always approachable with thoughtful words of wisdom after listening to a new artist’s tape I’d send now and then.<\/p>\n So, yeah, print the legend. He deserves it.<\/p>\n Paul Rappaport<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Just when I thought your missive on Grillo\u2019s was going to be the best thing I read this week, Clive Davis dies. And you deliver a positively dill-lightful read.<\/p>\n Terence Reilly<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I knew you would be rough on Clive but this was brutal. \u00a0Please print the letters. \u00a0 My bet, 90% of the writers will be fighting back for Clive. \u00a0Me too.<\/p>\n Lizzz Kritzer<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Wowee!<\/p>\n You might have to hire someone to start your car!!!<\/p>\n Mike Bone<\/p>\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hi Bob, as you know\u2026 My late father in law Larry Uttal owned Bell Records, which he sold to Columbia Pictures in the 70s. \u00a0Fed up with working for Columbia, he left after his deal was up to start another label, and was replaced by Clive, who renamed Bell Records as\u00a0Arista. 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\nAlex Specht<\/p>\n
\nThis is why I subscribe<\/p>\n
\nGeorge Silva<\/p>\n
\nThere is no doubt about it, though that Clive was one of a kind\u2026 no matter what you thought of them that was the impression that he is leaving. The guys that made the big differences like Mo Oustin and Ahmet will never come around again.. and for sure you won\u2019t see another Clive Davis again..<\/p>\n
\nVictor Stent
\nNew Zealand.<\/p>\n
\nBarry Manilow. I was about 8 and I wanted a ghettoblaster and my mum got me a tape deck with a radio on it. She bought Barry Manilow for herself but that was the one I used to play all the time. The first time I ever fell in love, I was eight years old, it was this girl at school called Sharon Pownall. I\u2019d take my ghettoblaster to the end of her street and sit watching her house to see if she came out and play Barry Manilow. I Made It Through The Rain was a really big song for me as an eight-year-old, which is kind of ironic cos you haven\u2019t really been through the wringer as an eight-year-old but it really feels like that when you first fall in love.”<\/p>\n
\nStay well… Pete Flatt<\/p>\n
\n\u2014Todd Campbell<\/p>\n
\nClap clap!<\/p>\n
\nBrian Winston
\nMassachusetts<\/p>\n
\nDrew Arnott<\/p>\n
\nand not bowing to the obligatory praise the dead.<\/p>\n