LEAD ARTICLE JAN 99

JANUARY, 1999

MUSIC MARKETING & PROMOTIONS

BY ROBERT DENNIS

It was a typical Capitol Records sales and marketing meeting. All company promotion and sales personnel were gathered to review the new product released by the company and plan strategy for making the product a hit.

One of the promo reps was hot. The company had released a English act from the EMI division and was insisting on maximum effort on this one product. The rep took the single record and threw it across the floor towards the chief saying, "I don't know how they expect us to push this xxx'ing crap from England...We have a hard enough time getting air play and exposure for our American product"

And with this outburst, Tom Gelardi, Capitol Records Promotions Representative, learned a very valuable lesson that every promo rep must eventually learn: DO NOT JUDGE. The record he threw was "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by the then obscure Beatles. After it went platinum, his co-workers mounted the scuffed record on a plaque that said: "To Tom Gelardi - You Sure Can Pick Them."

After his Capitol job ended in 1970, Tom became one of the top independent promotion men world-wide. He has helped many a hit artist get their gold by making sure their records were successful in the Midwest. Artists he's promoted include Wayne Newton, Bobby Vinton, The Lettermen, Steve & Edie Gormet, Jack Jones, The MC 5, Bob Segar, The Beach Boys, Lew Rauls, Nancy Wilson, Freda Payne, Chairmen of the Board, and Bill Whithers. He also headed up Midwest promotions for one of the largest rap/hip hop labels - Tommy Boy in New York. Tom, for instance, arranged the record company meeting that got Bob Segar a new national record deal and his first national hit in a decade; up until that point Bob had only succeeded in becoming a huge regional act.

Tom has twice won the highest national award a promotions representative can earn: " Billboard's Promo Man Of The Year." In 1970 he earned the award for nationally breaking The Grand Funk Railroad; and in 1974 he earned it again for nationally breaking the rock group Heart.

Tom now acts as the Midwest representative for Action Music Distributors in Cleveland, Ohio. Action is one of the "top 6" independent distributors in the USA. Tom intends to remain active in the field for another 5 years.

Its Now Teaching & Advising

Tom is as upset with how the industry has become closed to the discovery and development of local acts, as the acts are. "I would really like it if my advice to the new artist could open the door just a crack towards getting the national deal and national exposure that was possible a couple of decades ago," says Tom.

Tom remembers when he could take a new local release to a radio station and hear it played in the 'battle of the bands' while driving out of the parking lot. "It's quite a different animal now" [Says Tom about the industry] "There are many tricks you'll need to learn to break though in today's market."

The Recording Institute of Detroit has announced that Tom Gelardi is making his educational services available exclusively through the school and its magazine, the Recording Engineer's Quarterly. Tom Gelardi has a weekly "tip sheet" in Recording Engineer's Quarterly, which has already begun.

Beginning in March, Tom will also devoting a weekly recording session so RID's student questions about music marketing and promotions can be answered. Students submit a form to give the question to Tom. Tom records the answer live in the studio. Recording Engineer's Quarterly posts mp3 audio files on the RID Online Training Web. Students can then download and listen to Tom's answer to their questions. According to Tom, "We will answer as many questions as we have time for, in the order received. When an answer has already been recorded, the RID Online administrator can direct the student to an immediate answer to the student's question."

Submit Your Question

Recording engineer's Quarterly has been authorized to accept subscriber's questions about music promotion and distribution to post a 2 part demonstration of the service. Tom will get to answer many questions from subscribers, but may not have the time to answer them all. To "ASK TOM" go here. Remember, to hear Tom's answers you must become a subscriber. If you haven't subscribed, it's free, just go here to register.

BACK TO: Current Article PageREQ Home