John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 3 Dec 1999 8:11 pm |
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From RowFax:
It's like getting a root canal. You tense up for the pain killer injection,
then hope for the drilling to end quickly so the healing can start. Several
weeks ago (RowFax 11/15) we tipped that President Tim DuBois would be
leaving Arista to head Gaylord Entertainment's new Content division. It was
a big change, but we envisioned that Senior VP/GM Mike Dungan would
ultimately and smoothly take the reins. Now with the Clive Davis vs. BMG
bout in the fifth round, odds are the Arista Nashville division will fold
into the RCA Label Group.
Arista, which started in a small house on 16th Ave. S., has been
Nashville's platinum child of the '90s, leading a charge that saw the growth
of country imprints swell to new highs. It opened the schoolhouse which
spawned many of the famed Class of '89‹Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Diamond
Rio, Pam Tillis, BlackHawk and more.
This morning's front page Tennessean article (New York Times byline)
quotes DuBois, who reports to Davis, gallantly defending his mentor's
resolve to keep Arista Nashville intact, but few high level observers
believe the Davis camp's rhetoric will do more than stall events. "My total
energies at this time are devoted to protecting the interests of my
employees and artists," DuBois told RowFax this afternoon. "We have the No.
1 record this week with Brad Paisley and we're here with our heads down
doing our jobs." Contracts for both Davis and DuBois expire in June.
Should Arista become closely affiliated with RLG, its integration will
likely mirror the RCA/ BNA format of having individual promotion teams
serviced by centralized marketing, publicity and administration
resources...translating into massive layoffs of artists and staff. Adding a
third roster will enhance RLG's bargaining position with radio, an area
which is becoming increasingly ruled by promotions clout and leverage.
Regardless of the outcome, DuBois has confirmed he will move to Gaylord when
released from his contract. Although not official, it seems likely Gaylord
plans to create an opportunity for DuBois to repeat the magic and that could
be a plus for Nashville and some of the Arista staff.
It's probably just coincidence, but the two labels recently moved into
the same building, making it easier to envision the economies of scale to be
gained by combining them. Many insiders hoped this year would mark a format
rebirth and end the current downsizing mentality. Unfortunately, losing
Arista as a stand alone label might ignite yet another round of belt
tightening. |
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