Private Music

Private Music is an American independent record label, founded in 1984 by pop/experimental musician Peter Baumann, as a "home for instrumental music." Initially signing such artists as Yanni, Suzanne Ciani, Patrick O'Hearn, Leo Kottke, and Baumann's former bandmates, Tangerine Dream, the record label specialized in original music, including new-age music, but made a sharp turn to mainstream niches, with signings of Taj Mahal, Ringo Starr, Etta James, A.J. Croce, and many more. Its releases were distributed by then-emerging BMG (the label's earliest recordings having been distributed by RCA), which bought Private Music in 1996.

In 1989, Baumann hired veteran Warner Bros. Records‘ music executive Ron Goldstein, as Private Music’s President & CEO. Goldstein moved the offices from New York City to Los Angeles, hiring Karen Johnson, a former publicist for U2, Tony Bennett and Warner Bros. Records' projects (Madonna, Ice-T, Linda Ronstadt, Van Dyke Parks), and others, to expand the label’s image. Baumann recruited the well-respected, mainstream A&R executive Jamie Cohen (also a painter), in demand at the time for his work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Visual image was important to Goldstein who handpicked exquisite art director Melanie Penny, previously of Virgin Records and Warner Bros. Records, as VP, Creative Services, through the life of Private Music. Private Music emphasized its "artist re-development" efforts, supporting such eclectic veteran-artist signings 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, Susan Werner, and more. An international marketing department was added, helmed by longtime Sony Music executive JP Bommel.

Private Music's recordings earned multiple Grammy Awards and nominations -- including Etta James' 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 the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Arsenio Hall Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, MTV, VH1, E! Entertainment Television, and many more. The label's recordings by Grammy winner Taj Mahal (produced by John Porter), spawned the Grammy winning Phantom Blues Band which continues as a mainstay in blues recordings and concerts. With its increasing influence in blues and roots music, and at the peak of its performance in record sales, Private Music also 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; by 2004, after Sony and BMG merged, the label's releases switched to RCA. Currently, no reissues are scheduled. Like its mentor (Warner Bros. Records), Private Music's business model leaves an example for indie artists who exemplify (Goldstein's A&R criteria of) "quality and excellence." 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. Karen Johnson directs KJPR Publicity and Artist Relations in Los Angeles. Sadly, Jamie Cohen and Melanie Penny passed in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

Selected discography

In 1986 Private Music released a collection of 5 music videos on VHS videocassette in the US. The collection features collage images for the five songs: "On the Future of Aviation" by Jerry Goodman, "Beauty In Darkness" by Patrick O'Hearn, "Memories of Vienna" by Eddie Jobson, "Water Garden" by Sanford Ponder, and "Dragon Dance" by Lucia Hwong—all were artists on the PM label at the time. The collection was released on laserdisc only in Japan in 1986 (Private Music LD SM048-3085)

Notes

References

External links

• Private Music discography at Discogs
• Long Live the Private Music Record Label (September 5, 2009)
• Ringo Starr, The Arsenio Hall Show, 27 May 1992
• Etta James Grammy cite
• Yanni (top New Age artist); Private Music record sales
• Taj Mahal, Private Music CDs; Phantom Blues Band
• Private Music (once known as) New Age Label
• Ringo Starr on MTV Music Awards, 1992
• Etta James Private Music & RCA albums