Quote from
Times 18.11.12
The gunshot
snare drum at the start of Bob Dylan's Like
A Rolling Stone; the distinctive two-note dance that underscores Miles Davis's
So What; the unearthly howl and hum
of Blind Willie Johnson on Dark Was the
Night, Cold Was the Ground; the electrifying saxophone solo that lights up
the middle section of Bruce Spingsteen's Born
To Run....The thing that binds these varies sounds together is that they
were all- for better or worse captured for posterity by Colombia Records.
It was
Dylan's success that made John Hammond a rock star of A & R. Without Hammond's discoveries, it's hard to envisage Colombia being
anything like the beacon of American artistry it has become.
Today the
label is mighty mix of heritage artists and unit shifting pop behemoths such as
Adele and Beyonce. It has also expanded cannily into television, bringing music
from programmes such as Britain's
Got Talent and Glee to the listening public.
'There's so much music out there, labels
sort it out for you - they're the gatekeepers - and Colombia is still on of the biggest.
They're not the only ones who do that any more, but they bring you into contact
with people you should be listening to. You need that - we all need that.'
360 Sound: The Colombia Record Story By Sean
Wilentz
