Don Kirshner (born April 17, 1934), known as The Man With the Golden Ear, is an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups such as The Monkees and The Archies. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the group's self-titled album see The Monkees (album. For the TV series see The Monkees (TV series. For the self-titled syndicated version of the 1968-1978 animated television franchise of which The Archies were a part please see The Archie Show.
Kirshner achieved his first major success in the late 1950s and early 1960s as co-owner of the influential New York-based publishing company Aldon Music, which had under contract at various times several of the most important songwriters of the so-called "Brill Building" school, including Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Aldon Music was a New York-based music publishing company founded by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins in 1958 The Brill Building (built 1931 is an office building located at 1619 Broadway in New York City, just north of Times Square. Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American Singer, Songwriter, and Pianist. Gerry Goffin (born Gerald Goffin February 11 1939, Brooklyn, New York) is an American Lyricist. Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn New York) is an American pop Singer, Pianist, and Songwriter Howard Greenfield ( March 15 1936 – March 4 1986) was an American Lyricist and Songwriter.
As a producer-promoter, Kirshner was influential in starting off the career of singers and songwriters including Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond, Carole King, and Sarah Dash of Labelle, as well as discovering the occasional rock act such as Kansas. Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert "Bobby" Cassotto, May 14 1936 &ndash December 20, 1973) was one of the most popular Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American Singer-songwriter and occasional Actor. Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American Singer, Songwriter, and Pianist. Sarah Dash (born August 18[[ 945]] is a singer and actress Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles Labelle is an American R&B / Soul group who melded Disco with Funk and Glam rock. Kansas is an American Progressive rock band which became a popular Arena rock group in the 1970s with hit singles such as " Carry On Wayward
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Don Kirshner's record labels
Kirshner also had three record labels. The first was Chairman Records (a subsidiary of London). Although he was responsible for scores of hits in the 60s, he was only able to have one on the Chairman label, 1963's "Martian Hop" by The Ran-Dells, which reached #16 nationally. Kirschner later had two other record labels, Calendar which had early hits by The Archies and the Kirschner label which had later hits by The Archies and Kansas. For the self-titled syndicated version of the 1968-1978 animated television franchise of which The Archies were a part please see The Archie Show. For the self-titled syndicated version of the 1968-1978 animated television franchise of which The Archies were a part please see The Archie Show. Kansas is an American Progressive rock band which became a popular Arena rock group in the 1970s with hit singles such as " Carry On Wayward Calendar/Kirschner recordings were first distributed by RCA Records then CBS Records. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company
The Monkees
In the early 1960s, Kirshner was a successful music publisher (head of his own company 'Aldon Music', with partner Al Nevins), bringing performers together (like Bobby Darin) with songwriters and musicians.
Kirshner was hired by the producers of The Monkees to provide hitworthy songs to accompany the TV program, within a demanding timeframe. For the group's self-titled album see The Monkees (album. For the TV series see The Monkees (TV series. Kirshner quickly corralled songwriting talent from his Brill Building stable of writers and musicians to create catchy, engaging tracks which the band could pretend to perform on the show. The Brill Building (built 1931 is an office building located at 1619 Broadway in New York City, just north of Times Square.
This move wasn't because of any lack of Monkee talent, though as a band they had little experience or polish and Micky Dolenz was completely new to drums, but to emphasize comedy over music, and to churn out ready-to-go recordings to give each new episode its own song. George Michael Dolenz Jr (born March 8, 1945) is an American Actor, Musician, Television director and theatre Each Monkee was retained for vocal duties, but they weren't allowed to play on the records.
The formula worked phenomenally well: singles Last Train to Clarksville and I'm a Believer and the first two Monkees albums were produced and released in time to catch the initial wave of the TV program's popularity. For the group's self-titled album see The Monkees (album. For the TV series see The Monkees (TV series. More of The Monkees is the second full-length Album by The Monkees. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Future Taj Mahal and John Lennon guitarist, Jesse Ed Davis sat in on guitar. But after a year, the Monkees wanted another chance to all play their own instruments on the records. They also wanted additional oversight into which songs would be released as singles. Further, when word belatedly came out that the band hadn't played on the first season's songs a controversy arose, and the public expressed a desire to hear the TV stars perform their own music.
The matter reached a breaking point over a disagreement regarding the Neil Diamond-penned A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You in early 1967. Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American Singer-songwriter and occasional Actor. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The song, released by Kirshner as a single without the band's consent, led to his dismissal. The initial B-side was replaced with a Nesmith song, performed by the Monkees themselves, and they performed on the next year's recordings, featured in the show's second season. Monkees record sales dropped to nearly half after Kirshner's departure.
Kirshner's later venture was The Archies, an animated series where there were only the studio musicians to be managed. For the self-titled syndicated version of the 1968-1978 animated television franchise of which The Archies were a part please see The Archie Show.
'Rock Concert' TV show
In the fall of 1972, Kirshner was asked by ABC Television to serve as executive producer and "creative consultant" for their new "In Concert" series which aired every other week in the 11:30 pm slot normally showing the Dick Cavett Show. The following September, Kirshner left "In Concert" to produce and host his own syndicated weekly rock-concert program called Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. Don Kirshner's Rock Concert was a television music variety show that ran during the 1970s and early 1980s created and produced by Don Kirshner and syndicated With its long-form live performances, as compared to canned, often lip-synched performances that were the staple of earlier TV shows like Shindig!, it was a real breakthrough. Shindig! is an American music variety show which aired on the ABC network from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966 Many consider it the predecessor to MTV. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City.
The program presented many of the most successful rock bands of the era, but what was consistent week-to-week was Kirshner's deliberately flat delivery as the program host. In its final season Rock Concert was mostly hosted by Kirshner's son and daughter whose delivery was the same as their father's.
Kirshner's wooden presentation style was later lampooned on Saturday Night Live by Paul Shaffer, most notably in Shaffer's introduction of the Blues Brothers during the duo's TV debut. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Paul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM (born November 28, 1949 in Fort William, now Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian The Blues Brothers are a Grammy Award -nominated American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd
In the Blue Öyster Cult song, The Marshal Plan, from the album Cultösaurus Erectus, Don Kirshner voice is sampled introducing the fictitious Johnny: "A new phenomenon in the music world With six million albums to his credit in just two short years"
External links
- "Return of The Hit Man: On Music Legend Don Kirshner's To-Do List: Become Global Mogul" - David Segal, Washington Post, December 20, 2004
- Entry
- History of Rock entry
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