I met him a few years ago in Boston. It was around Midnight and he was hanging out in a club with a bunch of much younger people. We didn't talk long, but I got the feeling that he really enjoyed being there.
Ahmet Ertegun did a lot for the music industry and the genre of rock and roll. He worked with acts others were afraid to touch.
I have a friend who was on Atlantic during Ertegun's time. He was in a band called Spiders, which later changed their name to Tarantulas, after finding out somebody else was using Spiders. Apparently, they did the deal through the mail or something, because according to my friend the record company wasn't aware that the band was white...and that's how they became the first white band on Atlantic Records.
> according to my friend the record company wasn't aware that the band was white...and that's how they became the first white band on Atlantic Records.
Wow, that's bizarre to think about. It's hard to imagine Atlantic as a non-rock label. Maybe I'm just too young, but when I think of Atlantic, I think of Zeppelin and P.O.D. (who Atlantic was foolish enough IMO to not have a contract with now).
- John
Posted by: John Thomas | December 16, 2006 at 12:14 PM