BILL AND RICH, THE SPLENDID BOHEMIANS EXAMINE THE QUESTIONABLE CAREERS OF THE MOGULS THAT KEPT THE VINYL SPINNING: DJ ALAN FREED, MORRIS LEVY (Roulette Records), BEATLES AND STONES MANAGER ALLEN KLEIN (ABKCO), AND BERNIE LOWE & KAL MANN (Cameo/Parkway)

The lifeblood during my youth was infused by the artists who plied their magical trade via the 45 rpm discs of the 60s and 70s. I never stopped to think about the business men who signed and recorded these artists, distributed their records, and got them played. Art is Art, and Business is Business, and apparently you can’t have one without the other. But, oft-times, in the Capitalist system, control of the means of production and distribution don’t equate with who gets to share in the pie. In many cases, the recognized artists are exploited and only the business men get rich. In this episode we take a closer look at the practices of a couple of the biggest players. One of the positive aspects of the internet today is that the artist has more control over their product - which is more democratic, but without the gate-keepers of yore, it’s easier for your creations to get lost in the crush of competition. We look back at this time, not with nostalgia, but, not without a certain degree of awe, either.