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seymour stein
Chairman of Sire Records
Seymour Stein has been such a pervasive force in the pop-music
industry it was probably only a matter of time before he himself became
the inspiration for a pop song: Belle and Sebastian's "Seymour
Stein."
The song is rather enigmatic, which is fitting for a
record-label head credited with launching the careers of the Ramones and Madonna. The ability to spot a
hit waiting to happen, rather than loyalty to a particular sound, seems to
be the key to the impressive longevity of both Stein and Sire Records.
Such longevity is unusual in an industry notorious for quickly disposing
of both bands and record executives. Stein was always passionate about music and the music
industry. He began visiting the New York offices of the music trade
journal Billboard in 1956, when he was just 13 years old, studying the
charts dating back to the 1930s in an effort to deepen his knowledge. His
commitment caught the attention of the journal's editors, and while he was
still in high school he landed a job reviewing records and shows for
Billboard and helping develop its Hot 100 chart.
By 1964, Stein was working for Red Bird Records, a label
that had major hits with the girl groups the Shangri-Las and
the Dixie Cups but flamed out as quickly as the groups did. When the label
collapsed, Stein and producer Richard Gottehrer decided to found their own
label in 1966, Sire Records. Read
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SEYMOUR STEIN Con't
Sire had a rough first decade. It signed acts that produced a few
hits, most notably the Climax Blues Band. In 1974, Gottehrer left the
label. The next year, Stein and Sire finally hit their stride. Sensing
early on the creative and commercial potential of punk and new wave, Stein
signed the Ramones and, shortly thereafter, the Talking Heads, Richard Hell and the
Voidoids and the Dead Boys. In 1976, Sire signed a distribution deal with Warner
Bros., and the little label entered the big time. Popular and influential
acts that got their start or eventually found a home at Sire include
Madonna, the Pretenders, the Smiths, Depeche Mode, Ice-T, the Cure, Soft Cell, the Replacements, Everything but the
Girl, Uncle Tupelo and My Bloody Valentine.
Stein continues to be a force in the music industry. He is
still chairman of Sire Records and still scouts new talent for the label.
After a reshuffling of corporate alliances that included a brief stint as
president of Elektra Records in the 1990s, he renewed his ties with Warner
Bros. in 2002. He is also president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Foundation.
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