Pencil Storm is re-running this story to salute music mogul Seymour Stein, who passed away this week at the age of 80.
I once watched Seymour Stein watch a band. It was at SXSW and he was checking out our pals The Fags who eventually did sign to Sire Records. (Sadly, it didn’t end well. ) I was in the mosh pit doing my part, singing along to all their great tunes and pumping my fist but I kept sneaking peeks at Seymour, who was sitting in the balcony looking down on the spectacle. He would alternate between watching the band and then watching the crowd react to the band. Is that his secret? I’m no expert on music executives, but I’d be hard-pressed to identify any single person who signed as many meaningful acts over the years as Seymour Stein. It’s just unreal how many cool bands this guy took a chance on when others would take a pass.
I recently finished his autobiography, Siren Song - My Life in Music and thought it would be fun to post some highlights from his legendary roster at Sire Records.
But before that, it’s important to note that Seymour’s biggest break of his life was working as an intern for King Records founder Syd Nathan in Cincinnati during its heyday. One of the first things Syd had the 20- year old NYC kid do was go on the road with King’s big act, James Brown. He wanted Seymour to see first- hand how hard musicians worked if they wanted to have sustained success. While all labels love a huge hit, it was Syd’s philosophy that to survive in the record business, King needed bands that would have sustained careers generating consistent - if not chart-topping - catalog sales year after year. Don’t always go chasing after the quick dollar. Invest and support bands you truly believe in and they will pay off over time. Also, don’t be afraid to bribe the guy at Billboard if an act needs a boost on the charts to spur sales.
Early on, Seymour had a winning strategy that he would return to again and again. Find bands from across the pond and introduce them to American audiences. He usually got the rights to these acts on the cheap and avoided bidding wars with the David Geffen-types in the States. But like all new independent labels, finding the first hit is the hardest and most important. Seymour found this with the Dutch progressive rock band Focus and their international smash “Hocus Pocus.” This crazy tune, which sounds like what Cocaine listens to in the morning, kept the lights on at Sire Records when it was on the verge of going bust. Or put another way, without Focus’ “Hocus Pocus,” there’s a good chance we never would have heard of the Ramones or Talking Heads. I should also note, until writing this blog, I always thought this was a Yes song. Huh.
With some cash in his pocket Seymour starts poking around NYC and signs…..
One of Stein’s best stories is seeing the Talking Heads at a soundcheck at CBGB and instantly recognizing the genius of this band and its front man David Byrne. No matter how eccentric, Seymour cut checks and stayed out of the way. After many twists & turns and lost money, the band finally edged into the black by album #5 and Stop Making Sense. Most record executive would have cut bait years earlier. Seymour himself introduces this next clip.
Remember what Seymour learned from Syd? Don’t just chase hits, find bands that can have a solid career and a steady stream of catalog sales. Give these bands steady support and you will be rewarded over time. Like the Ramones and the Talking Heads, the following bands are a few examples of this philosophy.
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Of course, no music-business story is free of complications from the soul-less corporate bean counters. Seymour unwittingly signed a bad deal with Warner Brothers and it’s stingy CEO Mo Ostin. He thought the better distribution combined with the million- dollar investment would be a win/win. But ah, yes…the devil was in the details. Turned out that after a certain grace period, Mo and the Warner suits could hold the purse strings and veto any act Seymour wanted to sign. So… when he asked for a measly 15 grand to sign ????? for 3 singles and an option for an album, the WB suits said no. They said his acts weren’t making enough money. He was taking too many chances. Seymour went behind Mo Ostin’s back, found the “measly” sum and signed the artist anyway. Mo Ostin and Warner Brothers were irate. They wanted blood. Until the artist turned out to sell 300 MILLION RECORDS for their share holders. Her name was Madonna.
Next Week: Part Two: Seymour Misses on The Fags and RC Mob, plus One Hit Wonders. Stay safe everybody. - Colin
Bonus track. This clip popped up after the previous. MTV VMA 1984 vs 1990.