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How Ahmet Ertegun Changed Music
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Author Robert Greenfield on his latest book, “The Last Sultan”.
- Duration 8:32
- Date Nov 28, 2011
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Author Robert Greenfield on his latest book, “The Last Sultan”.
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Agree -- -- -- -- through the last Salton.
About -- cardigan and rule or omelet -- the -- mechanism should only matter orchestrated pollution and -- I'm actually in about -- event but later monetary about it on the action.
Great question actionable they should because I think -- change there it well not only the record business I think to change popular culture I think without comment.
Aretha Franklin doesn't sing at the inauguration of the first black president.
Alright Charles waterboarding got a record available outside his first record they'll know Ray Charles had a record deal that is rich Rosen sound like Ray Charles to sound like Nat King -- point member -- help -- herself -- Where did -- it was -- it was like.
Richard Pryor when he started out his satellite don't constant threat the thing about these aspect and on and as Jerry Wexler who is as partner great producer -- -- They understood the are they willing to wait that it -- made so many records before he started his name -- -- got a woman and what I say.
There at that kind of patients doesn't exist now so -- as most famous.
Foreign for the benefit of the general public debt as a founder of Atlantic records he is he was the founder and -- ahead of Atlantic for 58 years but I think he's also most famous for having -- one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century.
He was born in the Ottoman Empire.
He was educated in their Turkish right.
Yeah now and while he was born on the sultan now it's father switch sides and allied himself with out of -- and they form the Republic of Turkey.
Father was ambassador to United States economic grew up in Washington DC.
And from the time he should Duke Ellington in London it was -- with black music.
How do you get involved underneath.
And a ball -- blossoms and what he -- -- the record business because his father died of a heart attack while serving in Washington.
His family went back to Turkey he didn't wanna go back to Turkey and he had no money because it -- -- And he looked at these guys because it was a very fly by night business it was very shady and he realized he knew more about the music.
He knew nothing about the record business.
But he just started to recording stuff that didn't sell on and on and on until we made a song called.
Stricken -- it's rodeo and he was by stick -- It was a first sent first big hit yeah I was a cover of a record that have been made by a black record label owner which nobody could find.
And he went looking for stick -- couldn't find him a new Sonny Terry and brownie McGee and he said you know this guy any city as my brother's sitting right next to me.
Was a different world lots more structural Robert -- don't -- called.
The last salt about -- article -- our new -- Back and has an embassy back in the seventies and George grange overlord Greenberg carry Greenberg during Greenberg Lewis.
You're going through -- Brazil.
Slapped it goes straight.
As the president of Atlantic them because.
-- -- decided wonder some also when he saw wasn't chairman of the company.
-- -- -- genius -- -- people who like to work harder than either that or get up earlier in the morning and come to the office but he was out comment.
There every night.
All night long and he would be in bars that other people couldn't walk into just to hear the music he loves a good time and he was a one of a kind triggered not only in a record business but I think.
You know he hats political connections all over the world he was a great friend of Henry Kissinger.
-- transcended all social barriers in.
And did -- really right -- around for a Charles her well it's a really good question what he did was he took pine tops -- pipeline tops miss any put different words duty couldn't read music you couldn't sing.
But there is a tape of him sitting -- -- piano teacher re how to -- -- -- A lot of value our -- -- is OK well Margaret to greater.
The fifth beatle.
One -- They were hired him and NBC for -- accident -- my just doesn't like McCain.
And -- would -- -- replace a record McMurray -- to hang out as a sort of most of my don't sort of two of the great.
-- won't -- -- all the greatest regrets undermined.
All but verdict would tell me.
-- -- splash splash.
Which on the burgers was written by his mother absolutely correct was written by his mother -- -- is mother Jean here's the story now -- -- did a great Bobby Darin who -- cross Atlantic over to the white market sit around with Murray the K embodies got an attitude says Jim and I could write a song about anything.
-- cases yeah clown the red red summit taking a bath.
So I think -- comes up with most of the music and most of the lyrics and -- theoretically.
Call -- mother -- Kaufman who comes -- with the rest.
The -- about Daryn as he sat in that office of the Atlantic for months playing piano on the lobby and Thomas partner at the time wouldn't see him.
-- know what to do with them -- -- splash.
On the when he recorded it in that song kept -- -- your business.
Because it knows today is just doctors were famous like Alan -- and -- -- For putting their names on the well hello on Italian rightist controllers for songs but have to lower -- -- I think he did but they're also famous for taken money and once a month Jerry Wexler would go over to the Brill Building and get around freed.
Or his person 600 in cash in -- brown Paper bag I mean you have to pay to get your records by -- straight up.
Vol on course remembered I remember to -- main -- from an image.
-- Walker Cup.
Are now all the drugs and I don't well fifty Angelina are -- an -- weren't part of sold the public bull -- -- -- line.
I have no idea our media what the public is interested in north central publisher summit on perhaps a right to -- yen or genre another -- -- -- -- Move you know it is the history of the record business in America it's the -- for this business on it is -- hysterically funny human being.
He is a brilliant character who comes in contact in no particular order with.
Ruth Brown -- removed and highest levels of our society as well so well as somebody said of -- he -- have lunch with the ambassador and MB doing blow with the bass player now down and that kind of gives the scope of his life but everybody's in this book Ruth Brown.
Ray Charles Laverne baker Bobby -- the coasters the drifters Led Zeppelin Rolling -- -- -- actually whenever when he was trying to signed a stone's.
Also a story now they well you -- he was assessed with Jagger -- price them around the world for two years -- he wasn't in the office and Mick was trying to get as much money as you could.
And -- in the common eventually signed a mean.
Drank so much that he fell backwards who shared collapsed on the -- area but he told the -- -- -- -- couldn't get -- -- -- -- -- -- made up some story about all reverberated far that's -- very.
About he had no you've got to -- -- he reached he had reached the end of his patients with Mick and -- stones and he said to him on the phone.
I only have money for one big band this year it's either you or Paul Revere the raiders as is absurd.
And then hung up and Jagger call this hotel room for the next three hours -- didn't answer the phone the fact that.
-- environmental and assigned America's I was supposed to.
And -- -- those terrorism Miranda don't but -- Jerry and around at a flatbed truck and have The Rolling Stones on the flatbed truck driver on New York senator's well.
Well there was nobody bigger than and what comic dips for the stones was cross them over into show business he took -- called counterculture outlaw band that had been at Altamont in 1969.
And he made them high society and huge bigger than they ever been so.
Com -- what happened to be considered term -- Well in 2006 it was a benefit for Bill Clinton at the stones are doing it's it's the movie should finalize front and on it was 83 he was backstage she was in the bathroom meat came out backwards fell.
Went into a coma and died six weeks later he -- he Neil Young says in the book you know.
He died backstage in the -- was haven't.
Well I mean that's the way I'm -- wanted to go as a freak accident and -- -- was pretty frail at that point but to -- backstage at the -- show.
If you got a picket.
You're gonna inaugural and if it.
While I'm -- OK bottom gunnery thank you because but I'm most sucker for these kinds -- -- Assault of Wales and swells I appreciate it thank you -- thank you so much you're -- point welcome Robert Gray and Philip bush call.
The last salt -- a great history -- of particularly rhythm and blues and particular the great Atlantic --