Unsung Heroes... When The Man Wasn't Just The Man.

Unsung Heroes... When The Man Wasn't Just The Man.

Posted
 


A short while back we picked out the marketing campaign for Tobias Jesso Jr’s great new album “Goon” because it reminded us of the awesome Warner Brothers Records ads from the early 70s. Those ads used the new medium of alternative street press and the idea of “underground” albums in a subversive and brilliant way which redefined the marketing of the time.

The team behind them always had an “alternative” take and weren’t afraid to use it, regardless of what the artist thought and it may well be their creativity that gave a whole range of artists from Randy Newman to Tom Waits a longevity that makes them huge names today.


As Joe Smith said:
“Our advertising has been a major factor in attracting artists… in the end every manager, attorney or artist sits down and talks about our advertising, not how much (it cost), but the quality of it. Out of it (came) the whole philosophy of the company”
And arguably of the record business as we know it (or used to before it got serious and financial).

Those ads were made by the Creative Services team at Warner under the direction of Stan Cornyn. They were irreverent, thought provoking, eye catching and BRILLIANT.

Cornyn did other stuff too including writing an excellent book on how Warners grew from being a soundtrack label specialising in MOR to ruling the record business in America in the mid 70s which is a must for anyone who has an interest in the record business and how it grew and worked as it features all the greats from Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen and Jerry Wexler, to Joe Smith, Mo Ostin and Doug Morris.

There are also great anecdotes on a range of artists we now consider to be Gods, and best of all  some great stories about how 70s “promotion” worked:

“for White Witch’s .. (launch) .. party, … Pete Marino chose Daphne’s Funeral Home in San Francisco. Food and drinks were served from caskets. Over 500 people showed, getting mixed with others who were (there) for real funerals. Marino released 200 white doves from a casket. Unfortunately the doves wings had been clipped and the birds were unable to fly. They plopped to the street below where they were trampled by the crowds and run over by cars. Marino left, the Humane Society in hot pursuit. WEA later got a bill for Hospital Care of the remaining doves”.

Hmm, perhaps its better that this isn’t the way anymore!

There aren’t many people who work on the “industry” side of the business who deserve to stand out alongside the artists but Stan Cornyn is one so we hope he rests in peace.

He’s probably up there bothering God about how he could sell Heaven better to sinners.


-TH
 

PS: We noticed since we wrote this that one of the surviving legends mentioned in Stan’s book – Joe Smith – wanted Stan honoured so he asked industry commentator Bob Lefsetz to do it in a way that’s a tribute of it’s own:

“Bob,

One of your “Old Farts” died this week. Stan Cornyn had an enormous impact on Warner Bros/Reprise Records during the years when we became a powerhouse regarded as Super Hip.

He changed some of the old fashioned marketing, advertising presentations and we became the envy of much of the industry.

Contrary to your oft repeated indictments of the above mentioned Old Farts we had a group of people who loved the music, went with our own tastes and methods.

In fact it was the Erteguns, Clive, Mo and myself and a few others who shook off the Corporations and went our way and built a business. While we all did well financially no billionaires arrived.

You should recognize Stan in some way. He was the ultimate image maker and no one came close to his style, content and approach

Joe Smith”

To see what Bob said CLICK HERE

Related Posts