I had the immense pleasure of attending another great @SoundCTRL event, starring none other than the music business legend Clive Davis.
Like the nerdy blogger I am, I sat in the front row (after standing in the massive line – I almost didn’t get in!), took notes on my iPhone and managed to snap a few photos on my digital camera. The format was simple. Clive and Bill Werde (Editorial Director at Billboard) sat in the front of the room on a small stage and talked for close to an hour about all things Clive.
Before getting into the meat of the evening, I’ll summarize and say that a few themes stuck out throughout the night:
Talent
Passion
Openmindedness
Ironically enough, I think that far too many “big business” entertainment and media companies forget to remember those things, and it’s the public that ultimately suffers. Keep this in mind as you read through my notes on the evening, and I welcome your discussion in the comments.
On With The Night…
Clive was introduced by Bill, and a short video played which highlighted his truly illustrious career. As a lifelong musician it was truly eye-opening to realize the huge impact that this man has had on pop culture and my life, even before my life began.
I’ll give credit where credit is absolutely due. Bill asked the questions that the audience really wanted to hear, and dug deeper on quite a few that piqued my marketer interests as well. Kudos to Bill!
Some of the questions that stuck out are included below.
Bill: How do you pull out a hit? What do you listen for?
Clive: So much is how in you begin. Learn and try and let it permeate. Plus, I didn’t know I had an ear for music at all. You learn not to specialize.
Bill: Clive, what do you say when people see you with early Janis Joplin and you don’t look like her?
Clive: “It’s always best to be yourself” and once you lose your integrity, you lose the respect of the very people you’re trying to impress.
Bill: There’s talk about how artist development is dead. What is it and where do you think it is?
Clive: The business is changing, and changing with concern. Top 40 is concentrated with tempo and hip hop, and it’s breaking records. That’s why you see digital sales so high but no album sales. It looks as if it’s track oriented. Artists should still be developed. There’s certainly a role for artist development now.
Bill: Clive, where do you think your talents lie? What is your “sweet spot”?
Clive: Finding headliners and hit songs.
Clive is a great “soundbite” guy, as one would expect. Some of the quotes that stuck in my mind are also below. 
“There can never be too many singles on an album.”
“A lot of this (my success) was purely fate.”
“There was no grand vision for Arista - you have to trust your instincts.”
“Where you don’t have your own ear or expertise, learn where to go and who to trust that does. Be aware.”
“You have to be on top of your game”
Now, on to the themes…
Throughout the night last night, the themes mentioned above kept coming back to the surface. Whether it was questions from the audience in the end (Clive answered about 5 of them), or his answers to questions throughout the discussion, it’s clear that Clive Davis looks for true talent (“headline potential”), passion and perfection in every act he signs, and with every business move he makes.
I clearly respect the work Clive has done over the years, and the ability he’s had to propel the music industry forward across genres and throughout the decades. However, from a marketing standpoint, I do wish that more was covered about technology and the impact of technologies on the music industry as a whole.
An audience member asked a question about how independent labels and the “DIY Culture” has affected the music industry, and Clive responded with a very firm belief that a strong label still holds the keys to success for an emerging artist.
I’ve included a direct copy of my notes below.
Q: With the movement towards independence and the fragmented music industry, how is the record industry reacting? DIY culture and the development of artists.
A: Few and far between, established artists who aren’t dependent on airplay going independent.
There’s a serious underestimation of the role of a good record company, 99% are new artists are dependnt on record labels and the minds that work there.
Clive Davis doesn’t think you can do it yourself. He does think that new labels can come into existence and grow though. Radio is still king, very few can make it without. That stigma comes from journalists who don’t appreciate what a good label can do.
My thoughts on his answer are the subject of another upcoming post, so stay tuned.
As a slight side note, I found it interesting that while Clive doesn’t pay much attention to technology, but he has always assumed that technology will pay a major role in the music industry. He’s been proven right over and over throughout the years.
Cool Things
We’ve all heard the Santana song The Game of Love, feat. Michelle Branch. What Clive did last night which made everyone sitting around me feel a bit more “in the know”, was play the original demo of the song, the unreleased version with the 1st vocalist, as well as another unreleased version with a different vocalist. All told the clips from The Game of Love were played 4 different times. Who were the other two vocalists? Macy Gray and Tina Turner. Insanity…
One question everyone must want to ask any rightful legend… “What are you most proud of?” Clive’s answer? “The long lasting nature of his artists.”
I’ll leave you with one final quote, which sums up the night perfectly for me.
Music is as important, if not more important, than it has ever been today.