Maurice Oberstein
Maurice Louis "Obie" Oberstein (26 September 1928—13 August 2001) was an American music business executive. He spent most of his career in Britain, where he was credited as "one of the chief architects of the modern UK record industry". Biography He was born in a Jewish family in New York City, the only son of music industry executive and record label owner Eli Oberstein and his wife Iris. Maurice studied chemical engineering and law, and had a brief spell in the US Army, before working for his father's Rondo label. He sold the label in 1961 after his father's death. In 1963, he obtained clearance from John F. Kennedy's estate to release an album of the assassinated President's speeches, ''John Fitzgerald Kennedy: A Memorial Album'', which reportedly sold over 4 million copies in a month and was said to be the fastest-selling LP in the world at that time. [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with a respective county. The city is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area. New York is a global center of finance and commerce, culture, technology, entertainment and media, academics, and scientific output, the arts and fashion, and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations, international diplomacy. With an estimated population in 2024 of 8,478,072 distributed over , the city is the most densely populated major city in the United States. New York City has more than double the population of Los Angeles, the nation's second-most populous city. [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Music Group, an American division of multinational conglomerate Sony. Founded in 1889, Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the recorded sound business, and the second major company to produce records. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels, along with Epic Records, RCA Records and Arista Records. History Beginnings (1888–1929) The Columbia Phonograph Company was founded on January 15, 1889, by stenographer, lawyer, and New Jersey native Edward D. Easton (1856–1915) and a group of investors. It derived its name from the District of Columbia, where it was headquartered. At first it had a local monopoly on sales and service of Edison ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independently. It rapidly gained recognition in the music industry, becoming a major-independent label until its acquisition by PolyGram in 1989. After this acquisition, A&M continued to operate as a self-managed frontline label within the PolyGram framework. In 1998, PolyGram was acquired by Seagram and subsequently integrated into its Universal Music Group. In January 1999, A&M's operations were merged with Interscope Records and Geffen Records, leading to the creation of Interscope-Geffen-A&M, which is now part of the Interscope Capitol Labels Group as of 2024. Subsequently, A&M became a brand under the larger label group, no longer operating autonomously. In 2007, the A&M brand and trademark were combined with Octone Records to create A&M Octone ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Walter Yetnikoff
Walter Yetnikoff (August 11, 1933 – August 9, 2021) was an American music industry executive who was the president of CBS Records International from 1971 to 1975 and then president and CEO of CBS Records from 1975 to 1990. During his career at CBS Records, which included Columbia Records and Epic Records, he guided the careers of Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Culture Club, Earth, Wind & Fire, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Sade, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Miami Sound Machine, and many other successful acts. In 1975, William Paley appointed Yetnikoff President and CEO of CBS Records. During his tenure he attracted stars like James Taylor and ex- Beatle Paul McCartney away from, respectively, Warner Bros. Records and EMI, and went on to "preside over the most profitable and prestigious stable of artists of all time." With Yetnikoff at the helm of CBS Records, Jackson's '' Thriller'' sold over 70 million copies, Springsteen's '' Born in the U.S.A.'' sold over 20 mil ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Band Aid (band)
Band Aid is a charity supergroup featuring mainly British and Irish musicians and recording artists. It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for anti-famine efforts in Ethiopia by releasing the song " Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year. On 25 November 1984, the song was recorded at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, and was released in the UK on Monday 3 December. The single surpassed the hopes of the producers to become the Christmas number one on that release. Three re-recordings of the song to raise further money for charity also topped the charts, first the Band Aid II version in 1989, the Band Aid 20 version in 2004 and finally the Band Aid 30 version in 2014. Band Aid II and Band Aid 20 were also Christmas number one. The original was produced by Ure. The 12" version was mixed by Trevor Horn. Background and discography The supergroup was formed by Bob Geldof, who was then lead singer of the Irish ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling recording artists of all time. Michael was known as a creative force in songwriting, vocal performance, and visual presentation. Born in East Finchley, Middlesex, Michael rose to fame after forming the pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. He took part in Band Aid (band), Band Aid's UK number-one single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984 and performed at the following year's Live Aid concert. His debut studio album, ''Faith (George Michael album), Faith'' (1987), won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and became one of the List of best-selling albums, best-selling albums of all time, having sold over 25 million copies worldwide. Michael then went on to release a series of multimillion-selling albums, including ''Listen Without ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wham!
Wham! were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981 consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were one of the most successful pop acts during the 1980s, selling more than 30 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to 1986. Associated with the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US, the singles " Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", " Careless Whisper", and " Everything She Wants" all topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Their 1984 Christmas hit " Last Christmas" has become a staple of the holiday season since its release, with all proceeds from the single going to charity. Influenced by funk and soul music and presenting themselves as disaffected youth, Wham!'s 1983 debut album '' Fantastic'' addressed the United Kingdom's unemployment problem and teen angst over adulthood. Their second studio album '' Make It Big'' in 1984 was a worldwide pop smash hit, charting at number one in both the UK and the United States. In 1985, Wham! made a highly publi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sade (band)
Sade ( or ) are an English band, formed in London in 1982 and named after their lead singer, Sade Adu. The band consists of Adu alongside bassist Paul Denman, saxophonist and guitarist Stuart Matthewman, and keyboardist Andrew Hale. Founding drummer Paul Anthony Cooke left the band in 1984, while Dave Early, Cooke's replacement, left in 1985. Since Early's departure in 1985, the band has employed numerous session and touring drummers in absence of an official drummer. The band's music features elements of soul, quiet storm, smooth jazz and sophisti-pop. All of the band's albums, including compilations and a live album, have charted in the US Top Ten. The band's debut studio album, '' Diamond Life'' (1984), reached number two on the UK Album Chart, selling over 1.2 million copies and won the Brit Award for Best British Album in 1985. The album was also a hit internationally, reaching number one in several countries and the top ten in the United States, where it has sol ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds
''Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds'' is a studio double album by American-born British musician, composer, and record producer Jeff Wayne, released on 9 June 1978 by CBS Records. It is an album musical adapted from the science-fiction novel ''The War of the Worlds'' by H. G. Wells in a rock opera style with a rock band, orchestra, narrator, and leitmotifs to carry the story and lyrics that express the feelings of the various characters. The album features guest artists David Essex, Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott, Chris Thompson, and Julie Covington, with actor Richard Burton as the narrator. The album became a commercial success in the UK, debuting at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. It won two Ivor Novello Awards, including one for Wayne and main lyricist Gary Osborne for Best Instrumental or Popular Orchestral Work. The album has enjoyed enduring popularity since its release and attracted critical acclaim. It has sold over 2.7 million copies in the UK, and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jeff Wayne
Jeffry Wayne (born July 1, 1943) is an American composer, musician and lyricist. In 1978, he released '' Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds'', his musical adaptation of H. G. Wells' science-fiction novel ''The War of the Worlds''. Wayne wrote approximately 3,000 advertising jingles in the 1970s which appeared on television in the United Kingdom, including a Gordon's Gin commercial which was covered by the Human League. Wayne also composed numerous television themes, including '' Good Morning Britain'' (TV-am), ITV's '' The Big Match'' and '' World of Sport'', and the BBC's '' Sixty Minutes''. Wayne wrote feature film and documentary film scores and was musical director for various artists. Wayne published a book called ''The Book of Tennis'' and created, produced and scored eight thirty-minute episodes of ''The Book of Tennis Chronicles'' that was distributed by Fox Sports in approximately twenty countries, and was broadcast in the US on the Tennis Channel b ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |