"If we ever find another group that sells half as much, we'll be delirious." After rechristening themselves Creedence Clearwater Revival, the quartet recorded a string of gold and platinum records and million-selling singles, including "Suzie Q," "Proud Mary" and "Bad Moon Rising." In 1970, they outsold the Beatles.Ĭreedence was "a lightning strike," Zaentz told The Chronicle in 1970. It was led by a Fantasy shipping clerk named John Fogerty, who had started it in junior high school. The single rock group then signed with Fantasy was an El Cerrito garage band called the Golliwogs. According to published reports, the price was $325,000. A dozen years later, he assembled a group of investors to buy the label, which was heavily concentrated on jazz recordings. Zaentz joined the company as a salesman in 1955. It went on to record Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Cal Tjader, Odetta, comic Lenny Bruce, and beat poets Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Allen Ginsberg. Its first artist "was an Oakland pianist named Dave Brubeck," according to the company's Web site. According to Billboard, Fantasy's 2003 sales were $22 million, half of that in the United States, while Concord's revenue was $20 million, including $13 million in the United States.īoth Fantasy and Concord have deep roots in the Bay Area.įantasy Records was founded in 1949 in an alley off San Francisco's Market Street by hipster brothers Max and Sol Weiss. I'll enjoy seeing what (they) can do to verify the continuing life and viability of a number of artists I worked with 40 years ago: Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins and McCoy Tyner," said Keepnews, now a Grammy-winning independent record producer.įantasy's revenue comes from reissues in its stable. "Concord, as far as I can see, is a rarity these days, a very vigorous and committed record label. "I'm convinced my grown-up children are getting a good home," said San Francisco's Orrin Keepnews, 81, who oversaw Fantasy's jazz program in the 1970s after having sold it the catalog of Riverside Records, a company he ran in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. The 31-year-old label focuses on jazz, traditional pop and adult contemporary formats. Zaentz has focused on his film work for almost 30 years and has not been involved in Fantasy's day-to-day operations.Ĭoncord, which scored a platinum hit this year with Ray Charles' final recording, "Genius Loves Company" (in conjunction with Starbucks' Hear Music), is owned by Normal Lear's entertainment holding company, Act II Communications Holding LP. The latter three will stay with the new firm for several months as consultants. All four have been with the company for decades. Fantasy has 80 employees Concord has about 40.įantasy's owners are Chairman Saul Zaentz, 83, an Oscar-winning film producer President Ralph Kaffel Al Bendich, vice president and legal counsel and Frank Noonan, vice president of finance. Hinte said there undoubtedly will be some workforce shifts, but not for a few months. Although the landmark Fantasy Building at 10th and Parker Streets in Berkeley was not included in the sale, Concord will rent office space there and will use the Fantasy Recording Studios, according to Terri Hinte, Fantasy spokeswoman. Concord artists include Charlie Byrd, Rosemary Clooney, Herb Ellis, Stan Getz, Gene Harris, Tito Puente and Mel Torme.Ĭoncord Music Group will operate out of both Berkeley and Beverly Hills. In the soul arena, its artists include Isaac Hayes, Johnnie Taylor, the Dramatics, the Staple Singers, and Albert King. The combined company, to be called Concord Music Group Inc., owns the rights to a dream team of musicians.įantasy's extensive catalog includes Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, John Coltrane and the Modern Jazz Quartet, as well as Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.Īll requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000.The sales price was $83 million, according to Billboard magazine. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Title Publication Information The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, Phone: (510) 642-6481, Fax: (510) 642-7589, Email: URL: Ĭollection Berkeley and Oakland Businesses and Scenes, ca.
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