REAL GONE
Chairman Mo
Music biz titan Mo Ostin left us on July 31.
The “best record executive ever” Mo Ostin signs Prince to Warner Records, June 25, 1977.
IN 1994, promo box set Mo’s Songs! saluted music executive Mo Ostin’s long career at the Warner Bros and Reprise labels. The contributors showed the remarkable scope of his musical life, with Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Prince, Joni Mitchell, Captain Beefheart, the Sex Pistols, Madonna and many more appearing. George Harrison sang loving tribute Mo, asserting, “Whatever that it takes, I know/You have it and it shows.”
Ostin had “it” in abundance. Born on March 27, 1927 in New York, but a Los Angeleno from 13, he worked at jazz label Verve before moving, at Sinatra’s invitation, to run Reprise from 1960. After Reprise united with Warner Bros, the modest Ostin espoused an artist-centric, music-first ethos, with significant early signings being The Kinks and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. As president and CEO of Warner/Reprise (the label acquired the Elektra, Asylum and Sire labels during his tenure), Ostin presided over releases by Neil Young, R.E.M., Paul Simon, the Grateful Dead and many more. Famously press-shy, in 1994 he explained his outlook to the Los Angeles Times: “Part of our hallmark has always been to work with controversial artists… artists who were on the edge… artists who people thought were weird.”
In 1994 he left Warners, unwilling to conform to new corporate attitudes, and joined conglomerate DreamWorks SKG. After being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, he largely retired, later founding music and basketball centres at his alma mater UCLA. Among those paying tribute was Q-Tip, who said, “what amazing times we had,” and Ray Davies, who hailed him as, “a true music industry giant.” Speaking in 1994, Chris Blackwell had already named Mo Ostin as “the best record executive there has ever been.”
Ian Harrison
Creed Taylor
Impulse! founder, bossa nova champion BORN 1929
AS A producer and label boss, Creed Taylor helped shaped the sound and aesthetics of jazz in the second half of the 20th century and was instrumental in introducing bossa nova to the wider world. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, he moved to New York following a discharge from the US army, where he worked at Bethlehem Records, becoming head of A&R and working with artists including Charles Mingus, Herbie Mann and Oscar Pettiford.