ANTONY BLAND Director of A&R American Recordings
Antony is Director of A&R at American Recordings, the joint venture between Columbia Records and producer Rick Rubin ( Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Slayer, Beastie Boys, Run DMC, many more). What brought you to Los Angeles? I worked for Chrysalis Music Publishing in England. I got transferred over here in 1991, and I was at Chrysalis in Los Angeles for about nine years. We were working on this project that American had signed called Vitro. We had a meeting with the general manager about what we could do to collaborate and make it work. It didn't...
TIM DEVINE Senior Vice President of A&R Columbia Records
Where did you grow up? I'm from the Midwest originally (Chicago and Kansas City), and have lived in New York and New Jersey as well, but I moved to L.A. when I was 12. I've been here ever since. How did you decide that you wanted to go into the music business? Like you, Michael, I saw the Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show" too. I was eight years old. In addition to being the shot heard round the world for music, that was the moment when I determined that I wanted to have something to do with whatever it...
MAX GOUSSE Vice President, A&R Epic Records
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. How did you get started in the music business? I got started in the music business working as a customer service representative at the Video Jukebox Network in Miami, which later became known as The Box. How did that come about? When my parents moved to Florida, I had the option of either staying in New York and struggling while going to St. John's, or moving to Florida with them. I chose to go to Florida. When I got there, I saw this video channel that I had...
JOEL MARK Vice President, A&R MCA Records
Where did you grow up? I grew up in downtown Chicago, going to the Metro, Wax Trax Records and all that. How did you get started in the music business? The first job I had in the music business was as an intern at Alligator Records one day a week. Because I was an intern there, I got a job at a record store. Then I went to college in Wisconsin, so I just continued to work at record stores all through college. I also played guitar in bands from when I was 16 or 17 until about four years...
TOM SARIG Vice President, A&R MCA Records
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. What made you decide to choose the music industry? Actually, when I got out of school, I was an accountant for a year. I was an accounting major in college. Did you know at that time that you eventually wanted to end up in A&R? Yes. I got the mailroom gig, ten years ago now, before A&M was bought by Polygram. It was still kind of a big office in New York. I kept bugging the A&R people there, because the mailroom was not really a full time job....
MICHAEL GOLDBERG A&R Maverick Records
Where did you grow up? Skokie, Illinois. My parents live in Evanston now. What was it that helped you make up your mind to go into the music business? I'm not sure, I just always loved music. In high school, I was the guy who sold tickets to all of the concerts. I worked at this hot dog stand in Evanston, and the guy who owned it was also a ticket scalper and I went through him. I started going to every show that came to town. Like the guy in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High!"? Yeah, I was! I...
BRUCE FLOHR Senior VP, A&R/Artist Development RCA Records
Where did you grow up? I was born in New Jersey, but I basically grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I went to school in San Luis Obispo, California which is where I got connected to the business. I went up there because of their college radio station KCPR. I majored in broadcast journalism and immediately, the first day I was on campus, got involved in the radio station. About a year later I became music director of that station. Working at the station helped me get the attention of the record labels. I thought I...