Talk:David Geffen

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Contents 1 Old comments 2 Neil Young anecdote 3 Minor Changes 4 Question 5 Geffen Records 6 JEW 7 Forgery Controversy

[edit] Old comments

From the article:

As a gay man, he is sterotyped as part of the "Gay Hollywood Mafia" and was subjected to unfounded rumors that he had married Keanu Reeves.

Are there any sources to back this "rumor" up? Drolsi Susej 02:40, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC)

The fact that there was an unfounded rumor: yes. -- Outerlimits 02:43, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Can you please provide some sources (besides yourself). Drolsi Susej 02:47, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Yes Jesus. Try "David Geffen" plus "Keanu Reeves" in Google. Thank you, Jesus. -- Outerlimits 02:50, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC)

(Note: The above exchange makes sense if readers are aware that the former Username of User:Drolsi Susej was User:Jesus is Lord!.)

They could just try reading backwards. Bombot 14:37, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Neil Young anecdote

In the 1980s, he signed Neil Young to his record label with an offer of greater artistic control. Young subsequently produced his most experimental, least critically successful and least popular work during the 80s to the horror of Geffen. Geffen eventually tried to sue Young for making albums uncharacteristic of Neil Young. Young eventually returned to Reprise Records.

Maybe the above anecdote, contributed a while back, is true — no doubt Young and Geffen clashed over issues related to sales and marketability. But the "eventually tried to sue" phrase here seems very vague to me, sort of like a slur. I would feel more comfortable allowing it to stay if it were better sourced to a published account. Can anyone help with this? 24.130.115.172 06:07, 5 August 2005 (UTC)

How's this:

"R.E.M. were going to go with Geffen, then they heard I was being sued and everything, they just dropped all contact with Geffen and signed with Warner Bros instead. Geffen actually lost R.E.M. simply for suing me over Everybody's Rockin'!" - Neil Young in Mojo http://www.thrasherswheat.org/tfa/mojointerview1295pt2.htm

"In 1984, Geffen Records sued Neil Young on the grounds that he had submitted uncharacteristic, uncommercial records to the label." - http://musicstore.connect.com/album/500/000/000/000/002/159/989/500000000000002159989.html

"Young was actually sued by the label for allegedly releasing non-commercial records" - http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=217

-- Beardo 07:05, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Minor Changes

There was no information regarding Asylum records or the release of Double Fantasy, so I was forced to make a few minor changes to this article.

[edit] Question

Why is DG referred to as a "Jewish record executive"? Is there a Wikipedia standard that requires that record executives identified by religion? Are there similar descriptions for "Baptist record executive" and "Islamic record executive"? --Wikismile 15:57, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Geffen Records

I opt to keep this capsule summary of his work with this company, and insert a recommendation to visit Geffen Records for more information on that era. Sandover 23:20, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] JEW

Geffen is Jewish, right? --84.229.249.58 18:55, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Forgery Controversy

Shouldn't something be said about the fact he worked his way into the William Morris Agency on the fact that he replaced a letter from UCLA with a forged document stating he graduated college there. It is likely that David Geffen would not be who he is today had he not gotten that job. The only source I have is from a database paid for by my college and most likely the rest of you are unable to access it. However, i can tell you the article ran May 2, 1993 in the Late East Coast edition of the New York Times, section A page 28, written by Bernard Weinraub. Here is a driect quote

...landed a job in the mail room of the William Morris Agency, a training ground for agents. Because the agency demanded college graduates, Geffen lied and said he had just completed U.C.L.A. Convinced that his employers would check, he arrived at dawn every morning to open the mail. When the letter from U.C.L.A. finally arrived, he steamed it open and inserted a forged note on university stationery that he had graduated.

Nickvsshark 07:58, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

How is this a 'fact' then? Sounds like a rumor to me

Paul210 09:36, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

i can look more into it but the article was a biography of geffen and was based off an interview. im sorry i cant like to the the article, but the only place i can view it is on one of my colleges databases. if anyone else is in college and has proquest through their school try to look for it. plus i doubt the new york times is in the business of printing potentially libelous claims against people with that kind of money/power.

i do however understand, that it may not be able to be included in his wiki page at this point. ill continue looking. i have the article saved because it was a source on my research paper regarding ethics in the music industry. sorry if i sounded snappy. im going on 43 hours with no sleep due to a 16 and an 8 page paper due within the last two days. Nickvsshark 06:20, 15 March 2007 (UTC)