George Goldner

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George Goldner
Born(1918-02-09)February 9, 1918
Brooklyn, New York, United States
DiedApril 15, 1970(1970-04-15) (aged 52)
Turtle Bay, New York, United States
Occupation(s)Record label owner, record producer
Years active1948–1970

George Goldner (February 9, 1918 – April 15, 1970) was an American

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and Little Anthony and the Imperials
.

He established (or helped establish) a number of record labels, including Tico, Rama, Gee, Roulette, End, Gone, and Red Bird. It was said of him that he "discovered more talent, both in front of the microphone and behind the scenes, than most producers get to record in a lifetime. Moreover, in the decades since, much of the music that Goldner recorded and released has retained an astonishing appeal to generations of listeners".[1]

Early life

Goldner was born to a Jewish family[2] in 1918 to a mother Rose originally from Poland and father Adolph from Austria. He and his two sisters grew up in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of the east side of New York City, and he attended Stuyvesant High School. While still in school he worked weekends as a waiter at the Shelton Hotel, where his father also worked while acquiring furnished brownstones. Goldner later worked in the garment business, before opening a chain of dance halls in New York and New Jersey.[1][3]

Latin music and Tico Records

Goldner's dance clubs thrived in the late 1940s during the craze for

Latin music, a style that Goldner loved. In 1948, he established his first record label, Tico Records, named after the song "Tico-Tico". The company recorded and distributed music by such artists as Tito Puente, Joe Loco and Machito, becoming the most important Latin music label and helping to integrate the music into mainstream pop, especially through mambo music.[1][3]

R&B and rock 'n' roll

Finding that increasing numbers of

Because radio stations would play only a few records from each label, Goldner also set up

radio stations, to give consideration to his companies' records. This practice, which came to be known as payola, was widespread.[5]

According to one source:[6]

"In the studio, Goldner and his right-hand man Richard Barrett... had multi-faceted jobs: find the right key and "groove" for a song; collaborate with the musicians to create a "head" arrangement; encourage and control the young, often inexperienced singers during their maiden visits to the recording studio; oversee the vocal balance by placing the singers at the proper distance from the microphone; keep an eagle eye on the clock (sessions were traditionally three hours in length, after which overtime kicked in); and, most importantly, recognize the magical "best take" that would ultimately click with the record-buying teenagers."

Goldner signed and recorded

novelty records. In 1956 its first release, "The Flying Saucer", pioneered the idea of "break-in" or "mashup" records, featuring segments of popular songs intertwined with spoken "news" commentary, and sold over a million copies.[3]

In January 1957, Goldner, Kolsky and Levy formed

I Only Have Eyes For You" by the Flamingos. The first release on Gone, "Don't Ask Me To Be Lonely" by the Dubs, was also a hit, and the label had further hits with Ral Donner. Goldner also recorded the Isley Brothers, the Four Seasons and Johnny Rivers on Gone.[6]

In 1958, Goldner hired a young Artie Ripp, (who went on establish his own record labels and was the first to sign and produce Billy Joel as a solo act), as his "gofer". Goldner taught Ripp his practices regarding how to create and distribute music, including how to structure a record contract, how to work a studio, and how to get a record on the radio.[7]

By the early 1960s, Goldner had sold his End and Gone labels to Levy,[1][3] and worked for a time as a record producer at Roulette.[6]

Red Bird Records and later life

Goldner's last successful label,

the Ad-Libs.[3] However, the label lasted just two years, as Leiber and Stoller wanted out of the record business, either due to creative differences,[1] or once Goldner's gambling debts again led to Morris Levy's involvement.[5] After an abortive attempt to merge it with Atlantic Records, Leiber and Stoller sold their interest in Red Bird Records to Goldner in 1966 for $1, by which time Goldner's uncontrolled gambling habit had placed the label under the control of the Mafia.[8]

Goldner's final venture was to form the short-lived Firebird label in early 1970.[6]

Death

Goldner died of a heart attack on April 15, 1970, at age 52.[9]

Legacy

A musical based on the life of Goldner and featuring music from his record labels premiered in Hollywood in 2012 titled The Boy from New York City.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Biography by Bruce Eder, Allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 June 2014
  2. .
  3. ^ a b c d e f g David Edwards and Mike Callahan, The George Goldner Story, 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2020
  4. .
  5. ^ , pp.198-206
  6. ^ a b c d George Goldner, at Black Cat Rockabilly: adapted from the entry for Goldner in The Encyclopedia of Record Producers, by Eric Olsen et al., Billboard Books, 1999. Retrieved 24 June 2014
  7. . Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  8. .
  9. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 211. CN 5585.
  10. ^ The Boy From New York City. Retrieved 24 June 2014