Private Music was an American independent record label founded in 1984 by musician Peter Baumann as a "home for instrumental music". Baumann signed Ravi Shankar, Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Andy Summers, Patrick O'Hearn, Leo Kottke, and his former bandmates, Tangerine Dream. The label specialized in New age music but made a sharp turn to the mainstream by signing Taj Mahal, Ringo Starr, Etta James, and A. J. Croce. Its albums were distributed by BMG (the label's earliest recordings having been distributed by RCA), which bought Private Music in 1996.
History
In 1989, Baumann hired veteran music executive Ron Goldstein of Warner Bros. Records as Private Music's president and CEO. Goldstein moved the offices from New York City to Los Angeles, hiring Karen Johnson to expand the label's image. Baumann recruited the well-respected, mainstream A&R executive Jamie Cohen. Visual image was important to Goldstein, who handpicked art director Melanie Penny, previously of Virgin Records and Warner Bros., as VP, Creative Services, through the life of Private Music.
Private Music emphasized its "artist re-development" efforts, supporting such eclectic veteran artists as Taj Mahal, Ringo Starr, Etta James, Jennifer Warnes, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Toots Thielemans, Jimmy Witherspoon, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Eliza Gilkyson, Joy Askew, The Pahinui Brothers, and Kenny Rankin, while expanding the catalogs of Yanni, Leo Kottke, Andy Summers, and Ravi Shankar, with strong "debut support" for A. J. Croce and Susan Werner. An international marketing department was added, led by longtime Sony Music executive J.P. Bommel.
Private Music's recordings earned multiple Grammy Awards and nominations, including Etta James's first career win, in 1994, for best jazz vocal performance on Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday, her debut of three albums on the label. Private's roster achieved high recognition on national television. Numerous artist appearances included interviews and performances on late-night talk shows and morning shows, MTV, and VH1.
Private's Grammy winner Taj Mahal spawned the Grammy-winning Phantom Blues Band. With its increasing influence in blues and roots music, and at the peak of its performance in record sales, Private Music entered into a joint venture with House of Blues' record label, featuring such artists as Cissy Houston and John Mooney.
In 2001, Private Music became part of the short-lived Arista Associated Labels, which also included Windham Hill Records. By 2004, after Sony and BMG merged, the label's releases switched to RCA. Following his Private Music tenure, Goldstein served as president and CEO of the Verve Music Group label at Universal Music Group, in New York City.
Notable albums Private Music has released a number of notable albums:
Album Performer Year of release Optimystique Yanni 1984 On the Future of Aviation Jerry Goodman 1985 Theme of Secrets Eddie Jobson 1985 A Shout Toward Noon Leo Kottke 1986 Keys to Imagination Yanni 1986 Tana Mana Ravi Shankar 1987 Safety in Numbers David Van Tieghem 1987 Out of Silence Yanni 1987 Famous Blue Raincoat Jennifer Warnes 1987 Optical Race Tangerine Dream 1988 Kristen Vigard Kristen Vigard 1988 Regards from Chuck Pink Leo Kottke 1988 Chameleon Days Yanni 1988 New Green Clear Blue Dan Hartman 1989 Lily on the Beach Tangerine Dream 1989 Miracle Mile Tangerine Dream 1989 Strange Cargo David Van Tieghem 1989 My Father's Face Leo Kottke 1989 Niki Nana Yanni 1989 Passages Philip Glass 1990 Heartbeats Accelerating Kate & Anna McGarrigle 1990 The Odd Get Even Shadowfax 1990 Melrose Tangerine Dream 1990 That's What Leo Kottke 1990 Reflections of Passion Yanni 1990 World Gone Strange Andy Summers 1991 Like Never Before Taj Mahal 1991 Great Big Boy Leo Kottke 1991 In Celebration of Life Yanni 1991 Time Takes Time Ringo Starr 1992 Dare to Dream Yanni 1992 The Hunter Jennifer Warnes 1992 Dancing the Blues Taj Mahal 1993 In My Time Yanni 1993 Peculiaroso Leo Kottke 1994 Yanni Live at the Acropolis Yanni 1994 Getting Even with Dad Miles Goodman 1994 Professional Dreamer Kenny Rankin 1994 That's Me in the Bar A. J. Croce 1995 Roll of the Dice The Fabulous Thunderbirds 1995 Time after Time Etta James 1995 Leo Kottke Live Leo Kottke 1995 Sex The Necks 1995 Last of the Good Straight Girls Susan Werner 1995 Phantom Blues Taj Mahal 1996 Love's Been Rough on Me Etta James 1997 Standing in My Shoes Leo Kottke 1997 Charmed: The Soundtrack Various 2003
See also Music West Records
References
External links