Island Records founder Chris Blackwell ‘I’m interested in what’s different’

about 2 years in The guardian

In a wide-ranging new memoir, the impresario who worked with Bob Marley, Roxy Music and U2, talks about his incredible life in the industryChris Blackwell, who built Island Records into one of most tasteful, artist-friendly and successful labels in music history, will quickly admit that, along the way, he made some grave mistakes.After seeing a formative Pink Floyd perform, he commented to a colleague “that’s the worst thing I ever saw in my life.” Upon meeting a young Elton John (then going by his birth name, Reg Dwight), he couldn’t imagine how such a shy and self-conscious kid could possibly become a viable live performer. And when Procol Harum tried to grab his attention with their unreleased song Whiter Shade of Pale, he thought its 5-min length made it unmarketable. More, he hated the use of the word “fandango” in the lyrics. Continue reading...

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