A&R suits were less than worthless
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 11:13 amI played in an original band in the 80's/early 90's in NY NJ. Lotsa fun. My sister worked for WEA (Warner Electra Atlantic) at that time, so even though my band was not bigtime, I got to meet lots of major recording artists as my sister got me and my friends invited backstage and to all the major record company parties. A&R label people always struck me as the ultimate waste of life. Not because I didn't get signed (That really wasn't my priority in life then), but because most A&R people who were in power to sign new acts couldn't distinguish talent from elephant shit. One night in particular, my sister's Warner Bros. boss was at a party, in the mid 80's, and he was boasting that he was the first guy in NY who heard Elvis Costello and had turned him down for a recording contract. By that time, Elvis and the Attractions were bigtime, and had appeared on SNL, sold tons of records, etc. As a snotnose 18 year old, I asked "Mitchell" why he would boast about missing such a business opportunity of passing on the proven artist and his band. He just stared blankly at me. I then added "I wouldn't be spouting off about that anymore, makes you sound pretty stupid." The guy wanted to hit me, and was angry with my sister, who worked for him. Overall impression I was left with is that "suits" should trade securities or something, and keep their yuppie asses out of the way of artistic performers. I guess someone has to sign new acts, but throwing darts would be more effective than trusting talent scouting to frustrated wanna be artists like A&R people. Truly sperm & egg that never should have been united. Mitchell now works for a major ad agency, where he bullshits a new set of corporate budgeteers. What a joke.