Hit Men is the shocking, highly controversial expose of the venality, greed, and corruption of many of the assorted kingpins and hustlers who rule over the music industry. "A sobering, blunt, and unusually well-observed depiction of the sometimes sordid inner workings of the music business."--Billboard. 4 pages of photographs.
Hit Men
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A nauseatingly honest and therefore controversial expose of the base beings that inhabit the higher levels of the music industry. Filled with horror stories that will confirm your worst suspicions about the toxicity of what my friends and I call "Planet CD Wood."
From Publishers Weekly
English rock group Pink Floyd was one of the hottest bands in 1980, with an LP shooting up the charts and a concert tour that sold out within hours. But the group was unable to get airplay for its latest single, at least not without engaging the services of a nascent breed of freelance promoters whose practices ushered in a new era of payola. These promotors, dubbed "indies," used illegal methods and had suspected mob connections. That the recording industry not only tolerated but embraced the indies is indicative of the questionable tactics now employed in this high-stakes arena, charges Dannen in a sharply critical study. At its center is industry leader CBS records, whose president Walter Yetnikoff is depicted as a bully of Machiavellian proportions whose style set the tone throughout the business in the '80s. Dannen, a reporter for Institutional Investor , mixes the skills of an investigative journalist with the gifts of an expert storyteller in an expose that will intrigue and appall readers with its disclosures. Photos not seen by PW. First serial to Vanity Fair; author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
PINK Floyd booked five concert dates at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in February 1980 and sold them out. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
PINK Floyd booked five concert dates at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in February 1980 and sold them out. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Gian Fiero
Format:Paperback
As an experienced music industry professional with over 15 years of experience, I can tell you that this is the unofficial history book of the music industry that can be used to expose and introduce the truth about the origins and operations of the music business.
It's insightful, relevant, and shocking.
Buy it today.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Well written and researched, but frankly, why write about men who weren't executives for the best and phenomenons?! It's my own personal bias, but I was let down there's nothing about the Beatles in here, a few pages about the Stones, nothing about the Doors. Even Michael Jackson and Elvis. I happened to eat at Le Bernardin near Clive Davis last year, and that was enough for me to want to read the Davis bits (my fellow dinner guest is kind of a rotten egomaniac, it turns out. Ahh, the double-edged sword of fame!) But even so, I'm disappointed at who and what companies the author chose to profile. But you may not be.
By frumiousb
Format:Paperback
A frightening and enthralling look at the history of the modern music business. Dannen creates a mosaic of life in the industry by tracing the histories and careers of some of its most colorful characters. He looks at the rise and fall of Walter Yetnikoff, the education of Dick Asher, David Geffen's success with Asylum Records-- to name just a few of the people and issues _Hit Men_ tackles.
This is really a warts and all treatment with wickedly funny asides and adult language quotations from the people involved. It made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion and I still came away feeling as though I understood a whole lot more about how this industry really functions.
High Recommend.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good, but can a little dull in spots
This book offers an interesting look at the music industry from the mid-60s to the early 90's. Many of the characters are fairly unsavory. Read more
Published on July 25 2002 by Ronald Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
TOUR DE FORCE!!!!!!
Powerful Book&even more on Point considering what Michael Jackson is going through with Sony&TOmmy Mottola.this Book takes on many things from the past,present&future. Read more
Published on July 23 2002 by A customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down until it was finished
If you can't stop reading it, it must be good non-fiction. Well done. If you like this one, I'd recommend "Mansion on the Hill" as a companion. Read more
Published on Jun 13 2002 by samchar
5.0 out of 5 stars
You Will Want to Read the Sequel
If you possess even a passing interest in the music industry or a general fondness for a good character story, you should run out and buy this book! Read more
Published on Mar 23 2002 by Damian Benders
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!
Fantastic account of the not so legal practices of those employed in the music biz. It's all here: bribes, schemes, backstabbing execs and fast talkin' thugs all in hot pursuit of... Read more
Published on Nov 14 2001 by paperbackriter
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read for anyone in the music industry
What Fredric Dannen has accomplished here is a concise history of the rock music genre that focuses on what the music industry has done. Read more
Published on April 16 2001 by Captain Obvious
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun Journalisitic Romp Through The Music Industry
Frederic Dannen's book, Hit Men, will be fun for anyone interested in business or crime, or those who do not believe that much difference exists between the two at the best of... Read more
Published on Feb 15 2001 by Ricky Hunter
5.0 out of 5 stars
an excellent, depressing, and bitterly funny book
I enjoyed this book for its witty stories and quips. I'm a musician and I'm almost convinced that the music business is thoroughly hopeless in a madcap way after reading the book. Read more
Published on Jan 8 2001 by southpaw68
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great fun
Not only is this a really fun read, but its a great history of the music business. Anyone looking to get into the industry should read this and Passmans book before they do... Read more
Published on Dec 6 2000 by Joshua Hillis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great historical log of the early years of the music busines
This is a very good book if you want to know how the music business got to where it is today. As a young kid aspiring to be a record executive it helped me know what type of... Read more
Published on Jan 18 2000 by Nelson Silverio II
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