Engine Room Insights

Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller have single handedly changed the way Americans
watch television. The show that every network turned down is now the only show that makes a difference. If you’re a pop act and you have a record out and you get asked to appear, then you do it. That is of course if [...]

Going on the road with artists to do regional promotion tours used to be so much fun.Occasionally you might get the less than inspiring rock n roller, but at least it made you aware that that was the last time you were taking them anywhere ! In their desperation for ‘promotion, any promotion’ some product [...]

I don’t think you ever find a good band without good management, certainly never in my experience. I never worked with Peter Grant, who was Led Zeppelin’s manager but he was the one who set the perimeters. He was totally devoted to his band and a brilliant manager. Since then Paul McGuinness with U2, Tony [...]

The decision made, Mark called the Polytechnic in Manchester and we were added to the guest list. Having your lodger on the radio back then was a major plus and saved us a fortune in gigs! I think the social secretary at the Poly was a guy called Elliot Rashman who later went on to manage Simply Red, [...]

What I remember from when I first started in the music business back in the 70’s was that record companies had ‘record people’ who worked there. I was fortunate enough to work for two labels who were run by three such people, Jerry Moss and Herb Alpert, the two guys who’s initials together made up [...]

Who did what to rock and roll indeed? Everyone is to blame, some more than others. Maybe the one area where they understood it a little better is touring, it seems to be thriving.  It shows that while the record business suffers the music business doesn’t.  Let’s begin by taking a look at record companies and [...]