Word: arista
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...grunge-struck '90s, when record-industry sages were trumpeting Nirvana and the flannel-clad hordes from Seattle as the next big thing, Arista Records president Clive Davis made a huge gamble: he invested millions in hip-hop, a genre many viewed as too troubled to be worth the risk. But the grunge bubble went bust, of course, as did a few of the labels betting on it. Today, hip-hop rolls along as comfortably as Puff Daddy does in his Bentley...
Youth culture may rule music, but Davis, 65, always seems to have the right spin on the future. The year that ended in June was Arista's best ever--$425 million in sales and 69 gold or platinum disks by artists from diva Whitney Houston to country star Alan Jackson. Davis has shown a few sharp moves on the business side too, making use of low-cost joint ventures to manage the financial risks, which allows him to take the musical risks needed to develop and sustain new talent...
...talent. Take guitar god Carlos Santana, 52, whose relevance has dwindled since his 1970 hit Abraxas. Last year the Woodstock veteran signed with Arista. Davis refocused Santana's songs toward radio and teamed him with new stars like Lauryn Hill, enticing a new generation of fans to discover his flamboyant guitar playing. Santana is now enjoying a view he hasn't seen in two decades: his new album Supernatural sits in the Top 5 and has sold more than 2 million copies. "I only look for headliners," Davis says. "An artist has to be able to fulfill in person...
Coming on the eve of the final Lilith Fair, the all-female concert tour that Sarah McLachlan brought to life two summers ago, her Mirrorball (Arista) marks one of the most exciting and fruitful periods for female singer-songwriters since Laura Nyro and Carole King lit up concert halls in the late '60s and early '70s. Much of the excitement has hovered around Lilith itself, which boosted once underrated talents like Lucinda Williams and Shawn Colvin. But the soul of the new female pop machine is surely McLachlan, whose tunes have gained the kind of prom-night, dorm-room...
Dreamy pop, electronica shadings, folk guitars and soulful vocals bend and blend together on No Angel (Arista), the debut album by British singer-songwriter Dido. Despite the denial in the title, this is for the most part heavenly music. The songs are sweet and soothing, but because they are anchored by strong, captivating beats, they never float away...