Address J Records
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J Records Information
Arista Records/J Records
J Records and Arista Records are two US record labels that operate under the banner of the RCA Records Group as part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
In 1974, after being fired as the president of CBS Records, Columbia Pictures offered Clive Jay Davis the presidency of their record division, Bell Records. As an enticement, Columbia offered Davis a 50% stake in the record company. 1975 saw the birth of Arista Records when Davis renamed the label after his New York City secondary school honour society.
The label made an immediate impact with a number-one hit from Barry Manilow and would continue its ascent through into the 80s, peaking with the record-breaking debut of Whitney Houston in 1985.
In 1979, a financially troubled Columbia Pictures was forced to sell Arista to German-based Ariola Records.
In 1986, Arista's parent company Ariola purchased General Electric's RCA Records and subsequently renamed itself the Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG).
In 1989, Arista entered into a joint venture with Antonio "L.A." Reid and Babyface to create LaFace Records, a label it would later take over completely. Four years later Arista joined forces with Sean "P Diddy" Combs to create Bad Boy Records.
Arista's track record was tarnished in the early 1990s by the Milli Vanilli scandal, when the massive multiple platinum selling, Grammy-award winning act were discovered to have not sung on their records.
As Arista celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2000, president and CEO Clive Davis was ousted from his perch by BMG - allegedly because of disagreements over their retirement plan - and replaced by L.A. Reid.
As recompense, Davis accepted a deal from BMG that gave him a 50% stake in a new independent label. J Records (J after Davis' middle name) was founded in October, and with several key Arista artists onboard, a backroom staff of top Arista executives and BMG providing distribution and a reported $150 million investment, it was no average record company start-up.
In 2002 BMG bought a majority stake in J Records, and then shifted its operations into the RCA Records Group, before appointing Davis as the president and CEO of the group.
Meanwhile, under the supervision of Reid, Arista continued to prosper. Nevertheless, BMG thought Reid's excessive spending to be enough of an issue to dismiss him during their corporate reconstruction of 2004. The move led to the label being demoted to operate under the banner of the new RCA Records Group, and therefore back under the control of the excised Clive Davis.
In August 2005 the operations of J Records were merged with those of Arista, although their individual imprints have been retained.
Haydn Mullineux, 2006
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Interviews with A&Rs at J Records
Interview - Peter Edge, executive vice-president of A&R at J Records - Oct 13, 2004
“The best way to find the next artist is to be in contact with somebody who is affiliated with talent, be it a producer or manager.”
Based in New York, Peter Edge is executive vice-president of A&R at J Records. The artists he works with include Alicia Keys, Dido, Angie Stone and Mario.
Here he tells us what his work with Alicia Keys involves, the kind of artist he’d like to see more of, and more.
How did you get started in the music biz and how did you become the executive vice-president of A&R at J Records?
I started out as a DJ and then I broke into television as the music producer of a TV show for Channel 4. After that, I started a label called Cool Tempo, which was one of the UK’s biggest dance and hip-hop labels at the end of the 80s. We signed Eric B. & Rakim, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Monie Love, and many other artists. We also released a lot of dance records and early house music like Adeva.
Then I went to America to start working for Warner Brothers and I took Monie Love and the Jungle Brothers with me. After Warner Brothers, I started at Arista and I later made the move to J Records, when Clive Davis, who had also previously started Arista, set it up.
What experiences have helped develop your skills as an A&R?
Working with some of the early hip-hop artists like Monie Love and the Jungle Brothers, who made groundbreaking music, definitely changed a lot of things. They paved the way for acts like the Fugees, Arrested Development and OutKast and, had it not been for acts like them, I don’t know whether the artists who came later would have received the recognition they did. It was fun and exciting to work with cutting-edge artists, artists who paved the way.
Looking back, what were the pros and cons of the J Records-RCA/BMG merger?
It was a win-win situation for J Records and for RCA. RCA has one of the strongest rock rosters in America, including the Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews and the Strokes, among others, and J Records has a powerhouse pop and r&b roster that includes Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, Angie Stone, Monica and great pop artists like Rod Stewart and Maroon 5. The coming together of those two labels made for a very powerful multi-genre major record label.
How did it influence your work?
It gave me access to and the ability to sign acts in every genre, because we now have very effective rock promotion and marketing teams as well.
What type of label do you consider J Records to be?
It defies most categories. It’s something of a boutique label, but it’s way bigger than a boutique label. It’s something of a major label but it doesn’t have the monster roster that Interscope and Columbia Records have, for example. We’re a bit of both and that’s the secret behind J Records’ success: it’s a small roster with a major-label focus.
Clive Davis is now the CEO of the RCA Group. How does that affect J Records and your work?
Many labels came together under Clive in the restructuring, but we all work very closely together; we all get along and we do what we do. I act as A&R to the artists I work with and Clive is very much hands-on with Rod Stewart and the American Idol artists, among others. Things are similar to the way they’ve been since the inception of J Records, but Clive now has a broader range of responsibilities.
What artists are you currently involved with?
Alicia Keys and Dido, both of whom I signed, developed and still work with extensively; Angie Stone, who’s now on what will hopefully be her third platinum record; Mario, with whom we came close to having a platinum record the first time round and whose second album will, I think, be a major hit; and a number of new artists who are going to be popping up in the next year. Shawn Kane, who was brought to us by Alicia Keys, is one of them. He’s a very talented, strong vocalist who sounds a bit like a Sam Cooke for today’s generation.
How did you come across Alicia Keys?
... to read the continuation of this article, click here.
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Interview – Stephen Ferrera, VP A&R J Records USA - Apr 10, 2006
“It takes total dedication and time to break an act that lives outside of the US. They need to be here to tour, to do press, to do radio.
It just doesn’t work to come here for two, three weeks and do a couple of things and then go back home,”
… says Stephen Ferrera, VP A&R at J Records USA, voted No.1 most wanted Pop label on the Label Vote 2005.
He is A&R for American Idol Kelly Clarkson (5 x US Platinum), Clay Aiken (US No.1), Carrie Underwood (US No.2), Heather Headley (US No.5), Rod Stewart and Brazilian jazz piano player Eliane Elias. Stephen has been awarded No.3 on the World Top 20 A&R Chart.
Read about the reasons why J Records and Stephen Ferrera is one of the most sought after A&Rs in the world, how he works with new artists and what is usually discussed in the first meetings between an A&R and an unsigned artist.
What was the path you took to becoming an A&R?
I’ve been a musician since childhood. I’ve played in lots of bands, and I’ve been on many records as a session musician and record producer/songwriter. I was an original member of Shakespeare’s Sister and I had my own band called Lulabox, which was signed to MCA.
I’ve always been a musician, songwriter and record producer. I was offered a job as a staff producer for Capitol Records, and that’s how I started doing A&R because I was producing and signing artists. It was a logical evolution.
Now, I work for RCA Music Group, which includes J Records, RCA Records and Arista Records. I love it here. Clive Davis is an amazing mentor to me. Working with Clive has taught me so much. The bar is incredibly high. It’s very intense. The level of excellence is second to none.
How do artists know when J Records is the right place for them?
If you look at the charts you can see that we’re having great success right now on all fronts with all of our artists.
Our roster is small, but when we get behind an artist, we’re totally committed and stick with the artist and the song until the success comes. That kind of dedication, hard work and longevity is what any artist would want to have. You don’t want to be in a situation where your record comes out and then if it doesn’t connect immediately you get dropped. We are very tenacious.
How did you first come to work for American Idol?
I was designated as the American A&R guy to be involved in this new project. Originally with Pop Idol the deal had been made with BMG UK and Simon Cowell, who has been a BMG employee for quite a while. I went to London to talk about the premise of doing an American version of the show.
In America there are no real musical variety shows, no hitparade show, no chart show. Apart from MTV and the cable outlets there is no nationally syndicated music program. The way that they were describing it was that this was going to be a national televised show on a major network that’s going to be on prime time during the week.
The competition would identify artists, we would make the records, and the show would in turn help market the music. The general concept of that sounded like a very interesting process, because television, as a driver, reaches out to a huge amount of people, much more than radio and other avenues.
In what way is it challenging to work for American Idol?
It’s challenging on many levels. The winner is chosen by the public and you don’t know who you’re going to end up with. The first record that gets made by the winner has to be done incredibly quickly, because of the nature and timing of the show. There’s no period to get to know the artist.
They have themed shows, like a Motown night, a movie night or a standards night, which is all about them singing and trying to win this competition. It doesn’t have anything to do with what these kids would really want to sing if they were making their own record. Unless by chance, you have know way of knowing what style of music will allow them to really shine.
We try to make the right record and get it out there so that the public can get a taste of the artist. Under any circumstances, that’s a difficult thing to do. But they’re also doing press and are touring with the show - we’re grabbing these guys on the road, pulling them back into a studio for an hour here and there.
When I sign an artist in a normal way and make a record, I discuss the repertoire, figure out what they’re going to do, block out a period of time, go in the studio and focus on the record 100%. With this first record of American Idol you’ve got all these other distractions going on. It’s tough.
How do you find and end up working with songwriters and producers?
... to read the continuation of this article, click here.
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How to benefit from HitQuarters
HitQuarters is the world's most extensive directory of A&Rs, managers, publishers and producers, based on their track records. We also publish the weekly World Top 20 A&R Chart and in-depth interviews with people in the music industry. As a HitQuarters member, you can send your music to our A&R Panel, which includes several of the world's most successful A&Rs, and present it on your own web page at www.HitQuarters.com/TheNameYouChoose.
Artist
Find the contact information to the world's most successful A&Rs, managers and producers in the HitTracker (top left of the site). You can also send your music to our A&R Panel, which includes several of the world's most successful A&Rs, and present your music and photos on your own web page.
Reading the in-depth interviews we regularly publish will provide you with a great deal of knowledge on the music industry. You can also discuss the issues that concern you with other members in the HitQuarters Forum.
To become a HitQuarters member for only USD15 per half year, please click here. To gain a better understanding of how HitQuarters works, please read the Advisory Text.
Producer
Find the contact information to the world's most successful A&Rs, managers and producers in the HitTracker (top left of the site). You can also present your music and photos on your own web page.
Reading the in-depth interviews we regularly publish will provide you with a great deal of knowledge on the music industry. You can also discuss the issues that concern you with other members in the HitQuarters Forum.
To become a HitQuarters member for only USD15 per half year, please click here. To gain a better understanding of how HitQuarters works, please read the Advisory Text.
Songwriter
If you are a songwriter, we suggest you use SongQuarters, our music publishing and songwriting service. In it we present the recording status of the world's 500 most successful artists, including who is currently looking for songs, in what style, whom to contact and their contact details. SongQuarters also features information on newly signed and developing artists who are currently looking for songs, and samples of these artists' songs.
The SongQuarters membership includes HitQuarters membership, which gives you access to in-depth interviews that will provide you with a great deal of knowledge on the music industry. You can also present your music and photos on your own web page and discuss the issues that concern you with other members in the HitQuarters Forum.
Manager
Find the contact information to the world's most successful A&Rs, managers and producers in the HitTracker (top left of the site). You can also send your music to our A&R Panel, which includes several of the world's most successful A&Rs, and present your music and photos on your own web page.
By reading the in-depth interviews we regularly publish, you can gain further knowledge of the music industry. You can also discuss the issues that concern you with other members in the HitQuarters Forum.
To become a HitQuarters member for only USD15 per half year, please click here. To gain a better understanding of how HitQuarters works, please read the Advisory Text.
A&R
If you are an A&R, find a wide range of artists presenting their music at HitQuarters: you can either search for an artist or view the artists that have previously been chosen by our A&R team as Artists Of The Week.
If you are a HitQuarters member, you will find the contact information to the world's most successful A&Rs, managers and producers in the HitTracker (top left of the site). By reading the in-depth interviews we regularly publish, you can gain further knowledge of the music industry. You can also discuss the issues that concern you with other members in the HitQuarters Forum.
To become a HitQuarters member for only USD15 per half year, please click here.
Music Publisher
If you are a music publisher, we suggest you use SongQuarters, our music publishing and songwriting service. In it we present the recording status of the world's 500 most successful artists, including who is currently looking for songs, in what style, whom to contact and their contact details. SongQuarters also features information on newly signed and developing artists who are currently looking for songs, and samples of these artists' songs.
The SongQuarters membership includes HitQuarters membership, which gives you access to in-depth interviews that will provide you with further knowledge on the music industry.
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