A&M Rides Again???

[Steve Sidoruk]

New A&M/Octone Label Formed By Interscope Geffen A&M and Octone President James Diener

First Release to Be Maroon 5's Long-Awaited Follow-up to 'Songs About Jane'

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- A&M/Octone, a new record
label announced today, will be home to multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning
modern rock/pop superstars Maroon 5 and breaking gold-selling, alternative
rockers Flyleaf. The label's first release will be the highly-anticipated
studio follow-up to Maroon 5's debut album, "Songs About Jane," which sold
10 million units worldwide.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070220/LATU027-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070220/LATU027-b )
A&M/Octone will be headed by CEO/President James Diener, formerly
President of Octone Records and Sr. VP, A&R/Marketing, for J Records & The
RCA Music Group. In the formation of the label, A&M/Octone is acquiring
SonyBMG's interest in OctJay, a joint venture between SonyBMG and Octone
Records. Artist roster will also include Octone developing acts Michael
Tolcher & Dropping Daylight, new signings and select Interscope contributed
artists. A&M/Octone will be based in New York City and distributed
worldwide by the Universal Music Group. Current A&M roster artists will
remain within the Interscope Geffen A&M family marketed under the
established A&M name.
"A&M is one of the jewels in our family of labels, which has thrived
under the leadership of Ron Fair," said Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of
Interscope Geffen A&M Records. "Ever since he became Chairman of Geffen
Records, I have been thinking about the next chapter for A&M. Once I got to
know James Diener, and recognized his accomplishments with Octone, I saw
the opportunity to marry these two imprints in order to create a new
exciting company, in the tradition established by Herb Alpert and Jerry
Moss, ideal for these dynamic times."
"The launch of A&M/Octone represents an important new
artist-development opportunity for the industry," said James Diener. "I
couldn't be more excited, enthusiastic and determined to honor the heritage
and tradition of the A&M legacy. On behalf of myself, my Octone executive
team and our artists, we are uniquely grateful to Jimmy Iovine and the
entire Interscope family -- as well as Doug Morris and the Universal Music
Group -- for this endorsement of support and partnership."
In the launch of A&M/Octone, Diener will be joined by his senior
executive team David Boxenbaum (General Manager) and Ben Berkman (EVP/Head
Of Promotion). Other key A&M/Octone executives to be announced shortly.
Diener began his career in the music business in 1992. He rose to the
post of VP, A&R/Marketing at Columbia Records/Sony Music, guiding marketing
and creative campaigns for Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pink
Floyd, Black Crowes, The Jayhawks, Tony Bennett, Chris Whitley, Roger
Waters, Johnny Cash, Iron Maiden, and New Kids On The Block, among others.
In 2000, Diener simultaneously formed Octone Records, an independent record
label distributed by BMG Music, and was appointed Vice President,
A&R/Marketing at J Records, where he signed and developed platinum
singer/songwriter, Gavin DeGraw.
As Octone's debut signing, Maroon 5's 2002 "Songs About Jane" has been
certified quadruple platinum in the USA and gold/platinum in over 35
countries. The album spawned four platinum singles -- "Harder To Breathe,"
"This Love," "She Will Be Loved" and "Sunday Morning." Maroon 5 won the
Grammy for Best New Artist and the MTV Video Music Award for Best New
Artist in 2004. "This Love" won the Grammy in 2005 for Best Pop Performance
By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.
Flyleaf's self-titled debut is already certified Gold, charting on
Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart for over 50 weeks with two hit singles,
"I'm So Sick" and "Fully Alive."

SOURCE A&M/Octone

 

[Actorman]

I'm not quite sure I understand this. It states that "current A&M roster artists will remain within the Interscope Geffen A&M family marketed under the established A&M name" but then says "I saw the opportunity to marry these two imprints in order to create a new exciting company."

So, does that mean that there will be two separate "labels" - A&M and A&M/Octone? And if so, what's the point? Basically, Octone is just pimping off the A&M name? Or does that mean the "established A&M" will be limited to its current roster and back catalog with any new/future signings going on this red-headed step-child?

On a related note, Michael Tolcher's album (one of the Octone artists mentioned) is really good!

 

[Mike Blakesley]

It looks like just another label under the A&M umbrella...same as A&M is a label under the gigantic Universal umbrella.

Record labels mean much less now than they used to. Now they're just a name...and with the length of time between new projects these days, by the time an artist gets to album #2, the record company has probably been folded into another company, or had its executives replaced, or gone out of business.

 

[Dave]

Well, whatever happened to the "Not Interested" response?

Or is it the usual: Why doesn't A&M, or whatever its current holdings release "________" by Herb Alpert +/- TjB???

Likewise, I can understand that person's viewpoint, as I, myself would surely like to see EVERYTHING this label has offered--LP and '45' alike--Reissued...!!!

If this is a sign that "A&M is going to reissue itself", then let's "bring it on"...!!!

Surely those Non-LP '45's can go on Volumes of CD's if there is no other format to release them, just for openers...

There are a lot of Obscurities that this and other labels have released and it's hard to be at the mercy of those who hoard the Last, Only Available Copies; seems to me what I pay for ONE thing bought me a TON of stuff, long ago, so it's awfully hard 'rebuilding' or in this case, BUILDING...!!!



Dave

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Well, whatever this new thing is, I can guarantee you that it's NOT an "A&M reissue" label.

 

[Dave]

Well, I'll conclude with the unanimous statement that these companies change owners and management changes hands sooner than any "product" gets put out entirely, anyway, then...



Dave

 

[audiofile]

Well, whatever happened to the "Not Interested" response?



Dave

That was me who said that. Looking at the artists associated with this new "A&M" I'll spend my listening enjoyment elsewhere. At this point A&M records has little if anything to do with Herb Alpert, or the music we love from its golden age.

 

[Dave]

Looking at the artists associated with this "New A&M", I'll spend my listening enjoyment elsewhere. At this point 'A&M Records' has little if anything to do with Herb Alpert, or the music we love from its golden age.

Here, here! How many of us have experienced "A&M's own Bob Dylan" in the form of the late-Folkie/Social Commentary Activist, Phil Ochs? Or "the next Janice Joplin", known as Joanne Vent? Or have heard a "working copy" of the first Churls album, which I have had the priveledge of doing on my ONE visit to the residence of a certain Cornerite and highly d'termined A&M Completist, who owns Pristine copies of it and the Second album...?! Or heard the Paul Simon-esque Jeffrey Comanor's sole A&M LP entry, Sure Hope You Like It, which contrained a lyric sheet... (And somehow my Still-Sealed copy I bought Online nearly ten-years ago, had TWO!) Or are aware that the Chuck Trois & The First National Bank album came after a Baja Marimba Band album was released (forgot which one, but it was the First-4200, series) and that there are a few '45's, which unlike the Roger Nichols album, released with ITS Singles, still, on CD--in "completeness", hasn't seen the light-of-day... And we probably might have never bothered checking out Mr. Nichols' works, either for that matter...

Wouldn't it be nice to see what the back covers and Inner-Sleeves of some of these records we have had as our Albums of the Week are like?--As I forgot to look at that Inner-Sleeve of the Seemon & Marijke album we featured, showing a fiberglass statue of Hollywood Stuntman, John Tyrie, inside, which my copy, sadly lacked, when I could...

And I haven't even mentioned the A&M/CTi Jazz that I got turned onto here and went from seeing in the stores to buying and enjoying... --Or the Bones Howe-produced, two-man, two-woman quartet, who recorded one LP, and a couple of non-LP singles for A&M, Punch...!!!



Dave