Looking for the Magic
New York City, the ’70s and the Rise of Arista Records
By Mitchell Cohen
This cultural-historical remix presents a fresh perspective on Arista Records, how the label reflected its place and time: New York City in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Through interviews with dozens of artists and executives, music journalist Mitchell Cohen, who did A&R at the label, goes inside the business of making and marketing music during this vibrant and diverse period. Under Clive Davis, rock, pop, punk, jazz, R&B, disco, cabaret and Broadway were all represented on Arista. The label sounded like the city it was at the center of.
From its inception as a new entity built on the pop and soul foundation of Bell Records to signing groundbreaking artists like Gil Scott-Heron and Patti Smith to revitalizing legends like the Kinks and Aretha Franklin and up to the launch of its biggest star, Whitney Houston, Arista Records’ story has never been told like this.
$20.00 (paperback)
ISBN (paperback) 979-8-9856589-0-3 / (E-book) 979-8-9856589-1-0
Bob Lefsetz: "So should you read this book?…It’s really well-written and really good….I got hooked, I went down the rabbit hole, this was my life, there’s a good chance it was your life too. Addicted to the radio and the record store, looking for more information. And this book provides it, closes some loops you always wondered about and puts it all in order."
Four stars in MOJO!
“Former Arista insider Cohen unravels it all in this lively, detailed, behind-closed-doors account.”