Английская Википедия:Eric Easton

Eric Easton (1927–1995) was an English record producer and the first manager of British rock group the Rolling Stones. Originally from Lancashire, he joined the music industry playing the organ in music halls and cinemas. By the 1960s he had moved into management and talent spotting, operating from an office suite in London's Regent Street. Easton met Andrew Loog Oldham in 1963; Oldham wanted to sign an unknown band, called the Rolling Stones, about whom he was enthusiastic. At the time, the band were still playing small clubs and blues bars. Easton saw them once—at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond—and agreed with Oldham. Their partnership was one of contrasts: Oldham has been described as bringing youth and energy, while Easton brought industry experience, contacts and financing. Together, they signed the group to both a management and publishing deal, which, while giving better terms for the group than the Beatles received, was to the advantage of Easton and Oldham who received a larger cut. Easton was primarily responsible for booking gigs—he was keen for the group to get out of London and play nationally—but also acted as record producer on a number of occasions, including on their first single, a cover version of Chuck Berry's "Come On" in June 1963. Easton was responsible for many aspects of the band's development, ranging from managing their fan club to organising their tour of America in 1964.

As the Stones' fame and popularity increased, so did their expectations of Easton. However, after a number of problems on an American tour, in 1965 Oldham decided to oust Easton from the partnership and bring in New York promotor Allen Klein. Oldham persuaded members of the group to support him and Easton was sacked. The band, with the exception of Bill Wyman, acquiesced. Easton launched a number of lawsuits for breach of contract, and eventually settled out of court for a large sum. In 1980 he and his family emigrated to Naples, Florida, where he went into business; his son, Paul, also became a music manager and booking agent.

Musical context

During the post-war era, British audiences became accustomed to American popular music. Not only did the two countries share a common language but Britain had, through the stationing of US troops there, been exposed to American culture during the Second World War. Although not enjoying the same economic prosperity as America, Britain experienced similar social developments, including the emergence of distinct youth leisure activities and sub-cultures. This was most evident in the popularity of the Teddy Boys among working-class youths in London from around 1953.Шаблон:Sfn British musicians had already been influenced by American styles, particularly in trad jazz, boogie-woogie and the blues.Шаблон:Sfn From these influences emerged rock and roll in America, which made its way to Britain through Hollywood films such as Blackboard Jungle and Rock Around the Clock (both 1955).Шаблон:Sfn A moral panic was declared in the popular press as young cinema-goers ripped up seats to dance; this helped identify rock and roll with delinquency, and led to it being almost banned by radio stations.Шаблон:Sfn

During this period, UK radio was almost exclusively controlled by the BBC, and popular music was only played on the Light Programme. Nevertheless, American rock and roll acts became a major force in the UK chart. Elvis Presley reached number 2 in the UK chart with "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956 and had nine more singles in the Top 30 that year. His first number 1 was "All Shook Up" in 1957, and there would be more chart-toppers for him and for Buddy Holly and the Crickets and Jerry Lee Lewis in the next two years.Шаблон:Sfn The music journalist Stephen Davis notes that, by the end of the decade, "the Teds and their girls filled the old dance band ballrooms" of the kind Easton had played, and Keith Richards called it "a totally new eraШаблон:Nbsp... It was like A.D. and B.C., and 1956 was year one".Шаблон:Sfn Record production was dominated by five main companiesШаблон:Refn and London-orientated until the early 1960s.Шаблон:Sfn Similarly, promoters—who often combined the roles of manager and agents for their clients—almost always worked out of London too, and used their contacts in the regional music centres to make bookings.Шаблон:Sfn

Early life, career and meeting Oldham

Easton'sШаблон:Refn early life has left very little mark on the record. It is known that he was born in 1927 in Rishton, Lancashire.Шаблон:Sfn At some point he entered the music business and is known to have played the organ in cinemas,Шаблон:Sfn on piers,Шаблон:Sfn and other tourist venues such as the Blackpool Tower.Шаблон:Sfn Easton's early work consisted of performing popular pieces such as Ray Martin's "Marching Strings", Richard Rodgers' "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" and John Walter Bratton's "Teddy Bears' Picnic (which the BBC recorded in Southend for their Light Programme in 1953).Шаблон:Sfn He also played with his own ensemble, called Eric Easton and his Organites,Шаблон:Sfn and alongside contemporaries on the variety circuit such as Morecambe and Wise, Patrick O'Hagan and Al Read.Шаблон:Sfn Easton's career playing around Britain brought him experience of the music business both in and beyond London.Шаблон:Sfn

By the time he met Oldham and the Stones he had many years in showbusiness,Шаблон:Sfn and, says the music journalist Steven Davis, "an old-line talent agentШаблон:Nbsp... and veteran of variety shows".Шаблон:Sfn Musically, the mild-mannered Easton was "a self-confessed 'square'", who kept family photographs on his desk; comments, says the musician and author Alan Clayson, for whom "the depths of depravity" were a 20-a-day smoking habit.Шаблон:Sfn Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, who often used a private argot between themselves, would refer to Easton as an "Ernie".Шаблон:Sfn Balding and middle-aged by the early 1960s, his company, Eric Easton Ltd, had offices in Radnor House, Regent Street.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn In a later interview, Easton explained how he and Andrew Loog Oldham had met:

2018 photo of Radnor House, Regent Street

Seen in 2018, Radnor House, at 93–97 Regent Street, is the facade to the left of the centre arch; the junction of Virgo Street can be seen in the right-hand distance. The offices of Eric Easton Ltd were on the fifth floor.Шаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:Blockquote

Easton later described his business partner Oldham as having "something of the Hayley Mills" about him,Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn complained about his telephone usage and demanded he itemise his calls.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Oldham—always dapper compared to the strictly suit-and-tie wearing EastonШаблон:Sfn—described their partnership as MachiavellianШаблон:Sfn and as a combination of energy and experience.Шаблон:Sfn Wyman agrees that Easton treated them in a business-like fashion when they first met,Шаблон:Sfn and Keith Richards later recalled how "if you opened any Melody Maker or NME at the time, you'd see an ad for Eric Easton Management Agency etc.".Шаблон:Sfn He described how, as he saw it, EastonШаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:Blockquote

Career with The Rolling Stones

Шаблон:Quotebox

The Crawdaddy Club

In 1963, The Rolling Stones comprised bandleader Jones (guitar, harmonica, keyboards), Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Richards (guitar, vocals), Wyman (bass guitar), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Oldham had seen them play the Crawdaddy Club, Richmond Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn that AprilШаблон:Sfn and was impressed, thinking they would fill a gap in the British music scene.Шаблон:Sfn The Stones were the Crawdaddy's house band, under the aegis of the club's owner Giorgio Gomelsky,Шаблон:Sfn who had already "got them eulogized by Record MirrorШаблон:Nbsp... [and] was their manager in every way other than writing".Шаблон:Sfn At 19 years old, Oldham was too young to hold a band manager's licence,Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn and as such he "trawl[ed] the lower reaches of West End theatrical agents" looking for a partner.Шаблон:Sfn Eventually, Oldham turned to Easton because he saw the older man as possessing both the financial experience and the contacts in the industry necessary to forward the band's career;Шаблон:Sfn Easton also possessed the professional gravitas to give Oldham's involvement credibility.Шаблон:Sfn The two discussed the matter.Шаблон:Sfn Oldham argued that managing the Stones was "the chance of a lifetime",Шаблон:Sfn and begged him to come to the Crawdaddy with him the next week to see for himself.Шаблон:Sfn Easton disliked missingШаблон:Sfn Saturday Night at the London Palladium on television, which Oldham called being like going to mass for Easton.Шаблон:Sfn Talking to Q Magazine later, he described himself as "an average character of my age, wearing a sports jacket"Шаблон:Sfn who hoped his night would not be wasted.Шаблон:Sfn

Easton travelled to Richmond with Oldham and, in Crawdaddy's, says Clayson, "stood out like a sore thumb" in the young crowd.Шаблон:Sfn Gomelsky was absent, having recently left for Switzerland in order to attend his father's funeral.Шаблон:Sfn The future photographer James Phelge, who was also in the audience, later observed that Easton looked like a schoolteacher.Шаблон:Sfn For his part, Easton later complained to Peter Jones of his "total humiliation and embarrassment": surrounded by screaming teenagers, in "his heavy tweed suit and his heavy brogue shoes", Easton reckoned he looked a country squire.Шаблон:Sfn Of the crowd and the heat, too, he called Crawdaddy's "the first free Turkish bath I'd ever had".Шаблон:Sfn Although he "had winced more than once during the performance [he] was experienced in spotting talent", says his biographer Laura Jackson,Шаблон:Sfn and recognised it in the Stones. The Stones were willing listeners, and, over a drink after the showШаблон:Sfn it was agreed that Jones would visit the Regent Street office the following week.Шаблон:Sfn

Gomelsky knew nothing of events until his return towards the end of the month.Шаблон:Sfn A later assistant of Richards, Tony Sanchez, described how, "to Brian and Mick, who wanted–needed–so very badly to make it, walking over a couple of old friends was a small price to pay for the break that Oldham and Easton were offering them".Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Gomelsky says that he met with Easton a few days after the Stones had signed to he and Oldham. They wanted, Gomelsky says, to offer him compensation for his previous input to the band's development. What actually concerned them, he argues, was that Gomelsky would allow the group to continue their residency at the Crawdaddy Club.Шаблон:Sfn Gomeslky agreed; Easton also began booking them into the Marquee Club and Studio 51, in London's West End, at around the same time.Шаблон:Sfn

colour photograph of the crawdaddy club seen in 2014

The back room of the Station Hotel, Richmond, as seen in 2014; the original home of the Crawdaddy Club where Easton first saw the Rolling Stones

Signing and Decca contract

Easton and Oldham were keen to sign the Stones up to a label as soon as possible.Шаблон:Sfn Dick Rowe, of Decca Records, had heard of the Stones through George Harrison, but when Rowe tried to contact their agent, no-one appeared to know of one. Eventually, Easton's name was mentioned: "I knew Eric, of course. Once I'd spoken to him, the whole deal went through in a matter of days."Шаблон:Sfn Easton and Oldham formed an independent record label, Impact Sounds—through which they would manage the groupШаблон:Sfn—and signed them on 6 May 1963 for a three-year deal.Шаблон:Sfn Philip Norman describes the meeting:Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Blockquote Dick Rowe was a friend of Easton's.Шаблон:Sfn Rowe—having missed the chance of signing the Beatles the previous year and was still annoyed over it—agreed to sign the band.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn For their part, Easton and Oldham retained the rights to the group's recorded material, while the group themselves were effectively leased to Decca.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Easton intended that he and Oldham would cut out the traditional role of the A&R man,Шаблон:Sfn to which end they formed Impact Sounds. This would own and hold all master tapes and recordings, which they would also lease—"Spector-like"—when required for distribution.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn However, the deal almost did not happen: unbeknownst to Easton and Oldham, Jones had already signed a personal recording contract with IBC. Easton gave Jones £100 with which to buy his way out of his obligations,Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn and in doing so bought the group's master tapes for themselves.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn The eventual deal with Decca was better news for Easton and Oldham than it was for the band. For example, Easton and Oldman were to be paid 14% of any profits from a single release, but their commitment to the band was for 6%, meaning that Easton and his partner received over half of what was earned.Шаблон:Sfn

Easton later told Q that "because there was a lot of interest from other companies, I could go after a really good royalty rate on record sales. And we got it."Шаблон:Sfn Sandford comments—reflecting on the group's youth—that "everyone except Easton and Wyman had to have their parents co-sign" their contracts.Шаблон:Sfn Easton and Oldham received 25% of the group's earnings in fees.Шаблон:Sfn Easton, responsible for the group's wages, personally paid each member £40 a week.Шаблон:Refn Wyman says that the band, too, recognised the different qualities Easton and Oldham brought to managing them, calling the two polar opposites.Шаблон:Sfn The group collectively saw them as a good combination, believing that Easton, while he understood little of their music was the kind of established agent they needed.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Jagger, in a 1975 The Rolling Stone Interview called Easton "a 50-year-old northern mill owner. It was completely crackers."Шаблон:Sfn

Gigs and production work

Шаблон:Quotebox

Easton gained the Stones their early work, among the first of which was a Kellogg's Rice Krispies advert jingle.Шаблон:Sfn Easton saw the Stones as a continuation of the homely musicianship shown by the Beatles, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.Шаблон:Sfn Comparing them to the Beatles, he identified a similarity in their beat and upfront guitar playing, "except that the Stones were much more down to earth. More basic."Шаблон:Sfn To further emphasise the Stone's resemblance to their Liverpudlian rivals, Easton wanted the group to wear uniform suits on stage, as the Beatles did. They were also to present themselves as all things to all men and women, "direct[ing] Beatle-esque grins" at the audience and avoiding controversy. To this end he attempted to stop band members swearing on stage, to which Jagger muttered "bloody hell". Easton retorted, "bloody hell, you don't say".Шаблон:Sfn He considered that compromises had to be made before the British public would accept them: their long hair was an obvious target.Шаблон:Sfn For their first photoshoot, Easton bought the band shiny waistcoats, white shirts, slim-jim ties, black trousers and Cuban-heeled boots.Шаблон:Sfn Among the band, says rock journalist Paul Trynka, Jones was "the most enthusiastic about the new managers; that spring of 1963 he remained the Stone with whom Oldham and Easton would huddle and share plans".Шаблон:Sfn Easton ensured that the group's money was kept in discrete bank accounts, in order to lower their collective tax bill (although in the event, he overlooked that they would also be liable for tax on touring income). Easton also arranged generous credit with fashionable stores in London; this, says Sandford, allowed Jagger and Richards "to run up impressive bills that they waved away airily on presentation".Шаблон:Sfn

The first gig Easton booked for the Stones was a benefit concert in Battersea Park organised by the News of the World.Шаблон:Sfn Easton had some doubts as to the quality of Jagger's singing voice,Шаблон:Sfn comparing it in the negative to Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Sandford describes Easton—"his voice falling to a reverential murmur"—as being worried that the BBC would not approve of it.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn As a result, Easton pushed for the band to replace Jagger; Jones seemed agreeable to the suggestion, but Oldham vetoed it,Шаблон:Sfn calling them both "completely insane".Шаблон:Sfn However, in 1965 Easton told KRLA Beat his reaction to seeing the group play for the first time:Шаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:Blockquote

The jazz musician George Melly said Oldham "looked at Mick like Sylvester looks at Tweetie Pie", while Easton was "impressed, but with certain reservations".Шаблон:Sfn Easton's son Paul later told how his father was amazed at what he saw in the Crawdaddy, as well as the numbers queuing for entry outside.Шаблон:Sfn

Increasing fame, increased pressure

Шаблон:QuoteboxIn May 1963, Easton supervised the group's first recording session at Decca's West Hampstead studios, where they recorded a cover version of Chuck Berry's "Come On".Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Oldham had booked three hours' studio time with Easton's cash, on the proviso, said Easton, that they did not run overtime.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn In the meantime, Easton was booking all the gigs he could for the band, and they were playing at least every night, and sometimes twice.Шаблон:Sfn The following month the band applied for an audition at the BBC, but were turned down as not suitable.Шаблон:Sfn Easton feared that this rejection would prevent the band getting radio exposure.Шаблон:Sfn The BBC thought Jagger "sounded too black", says Davis. Once again, Easton argued to sack Jagger, but in the meantime, under pressure from the group's fans, in July the BBC offered Easton a date for the group's audition.Шаблон:Sfn The following month Easton began booking the group into a series of ballroom appearances, so marking the end of their days as a club-based blues band, suggests Davis.

Easton deliberately took the group out of London. Their first tour was around East Anglia, playing distant towns such as Wisbech Шаблон:Sfn—their opening gig—Soham, Whittlesey and King's Lynn.Шаблон:Sfn This was hard work, commented Oldham later, as "most places north of Luton were Beatles territory".Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Easton's strategy was to get the band into a habit of non-stop gig; this would make them well known around the country. He was lucky that a nationwide tour by Bo Diddley and the Everly Brothers was about to commence, and Easton was able to have the Stones hired as a backing group. This was relatively successful, suggests Davis, considering the relatively poor showing of "Come On".Шаблон:Sfn Although the group saw little immediate change in their circumstances, Easton was organising their future "on the path ordained for an aspiring 'beat' group—the dreary round-Britain path of the pop package show".Шаблон:Sfn He was, says Jackson, "busting a gut" to get the group gigsШаблон:Sfn and interviews,Шаблон:Sfn and as well as running their fan club from his office.Шаблон:Sfn For the remainder of 1963, the group were playing almost every night.Шаблон:Sfn

Reviews of the group's first single were, says Norman, lukewarm,Шаблон:Sfn but according to Easton, "Come On" sold 40,000 records, and he paid them £18 each in royaltiesШаблон:Sfn and was incensed when they took the song off their live repertoire soon after.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn In mid-1963 they were given the as-yet-unreleased song "I Wanna Be Your Man" by the Beatles. It was to be the Stones' second single and was recorded at Regent Sound Studios on Denmark Street—described by a roadie as "tiny, ropey, and look[ing] like someone's front room"Шаблон:Refn—overseen by Easton.Шаблон:Sfn The song met with mixed reviews, but Easton's production was praised by Johnny Dean of Beat Monthly.Шаблон:Sfn The B-side was "Stoned". Easton, says Davis, "scammed" both the group and his business partner by assigning the rights for the song to a company he had co-ownership in, without their knowledge.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn On the other hand, he bought the group a brand new Volkswagen van for their touring needsШаблон:Sfn—"which I thought was very good of him", commented Richards later, "considering he was making a heavy fortune off us"Шаблон:Sfn—and regularly acted as producerШаблон:Sfn during their studio sessions, as Oldham often failed to turn up.Шаблон:Sfn Easton, says Stewart, did not trust Oldham in a recording studio.Шаблон:Sfn He also negotiated free stage equipment from Jennings Music in return for endorsements.Шаблон:Sfn On one occasion, the equipment was worth £700.Шаблон:Sfn

Файл:Stones ad 1965.JPG

Poster for the group's 1965 American tour, organised by Easton

Easton favoured Brian Jones over the other band members; Davis suggests that a private deal existed between them whereby, for example, when on tour, Jones and his then-girlfriend would stay in nicer hotels, and Jones would receive £5 more in payment than his colleagues for being the frontman.Шаблон:Sfn Jones' girlfriend, Lynda Lawrence, later said that "there was this camaraderie, and understanding between them".Шаблон:Sfn Easton may have prevented Wyman from being sacked alongside Ian Stewart, whom Oldham wanted to remove as not looking sufficiently part of the band.Шаблон:Sfn Easton did, however, acquiesce to Stewart's dismissal;Шаблон:Sfn Oldham later came to believe that both Jones and Wyman were a pro-Easton faction within the group.Шаблон:Sfn

Problems in America and at home

In June 1964 Easton organised the group's appearance on the BBC's Juke Box Jury. This became extremely controversial, as the group refused to abide by the script, and voted against every record they were played.Шаблон:Refn Around the same time, Easton travelled to New YorkШаблон:Sfn to organise the Stones' first US tour with Decca's subdivision London Records.Шаблон:Refn In New York they stayed at the Hotel Astor in Times Square. This was to cause problems: Easton rarely knew either the promotor or the venue he was booking.Шаблон:Sfn To save money, everyone shared rooms, and Easton was in the same room as Ian Stewart;Шаблон:Refn Norman argues "it was not so much a tour as a series of one-nighters".Шаблон:Sfn In an attempt to get the group onto the Ed Sullivan Show, Easton personally visited Sullivan, but Sullivan, Easton later said "threw me out of the place, essentially".Шаблон:Sfn

The group also appeared on Dean Martin's Hollywood Palace show; it was not a success. Says Davis, Martin "went out of his way to insult them in his introduction". As a result, Jagger phoned Easton—by now returned to the UKШаблон:Sfn—"and yelled at him".Шаблон:Sfn For Easton, says Stewart, the Hollywood show "was the thin end of the wedge".Шаблон:Sfn Easton was blamed for a poorly-organised circuit: while some shows in New York were well attended, on other occasions they played to small crowds, either in massive stadia such as the 15,000-seater Detroit Olympia Шаблон:Sfn—where they played to an audience of about 600 peopleШаблон:Sfn—or fairgrounds and fields in Nebraska Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn (where, Wyman later recalled, "you could just tell they wanted to beat the shit out of you").Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn

There was growing tension between Easton and Oldham as well, as the latter had "discovered that Easton had demanded kickbacks from local promoters" while they were touring.Шаблон:Sfn Easton, meanwhile, found Oldham's erratic behaviour bizarre. In his attempts at creating an image for himself, Ian Stewart describes Oldham as being "more interested in the image of Phil Spector, running around in big cars, with bodyguards, collecting money, and buying clothes" than producing records.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Easton, says the author Fred Goodman, "as unflinchingly middle class as any man who ever worked in the music business, could only scratch his head". The group's road manager, Mike Dorsey, visited Easton in Ealing and asked him to control Oldham.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn

black and white photograph of the band on stage in 1965

The Rolling Stones seen in concert in 1965

Easton—who by this time saw the group as being as big as The Kinks Шаблон:Sfn—had booked the group to top the bill at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Reading, with 50% of the door receipts for the band, who were to be billed as "the triumphant return for the conquering heroes" of America.Шаблон:Sfn Soon after they appeared on the BBC's flagship music programme, Ready Steady Go!. When they left, Jones was left behind because of the fan crush; Easton gave him a lift, with Jones hiding in the floor of the car.Шаблон:Sfn The autumn of 1964 British tour saw Eric Easton Ltd receive 20% of the tour profits, and when the Stones beat the Beatles in the Melody Maker's popularity poll, Easton brought each member a new watch.Шаблон:Sfn Following the tour, however, Easton and the group sued the tour promoter, Robert Stigwood for supposedly withholding profits. Easton wrote to Stigwood, "we have made every effort to settle the matter amicably, unfortunately without success. The Stones were paid their basic salaries as agreed. This action is over profits".Шаблон:Sfn

On the group's second US tour, in late 1964, Easton caught pneumonia in New York and returned to London to recover. Following his illness, he contemplated a world tour, with the taking in Australia, New Zealand and the Far East.Шаблон:Sfn At about this time, Easton found out that Watts had secretly got married the previous month, and commented: "I suppose now I will have to buy him a wedding present". Meanwhile, relations continued to sour with Oldham. While the group was in America, Easton booked them onto several radio shows in the UK, including Saturday Club and Top Gear. Oldham found out and cancelled; when the group failed to appear for the BBC shows, the fans were angry and the BBC engaged its lawyers.Шаблон:Sfn Easton was under pressure to make deals for the band that were as good as the Beatles had had; he wrote to his US concert agent, Norman Weiss, saying:Шаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:Blockquote

Discontent within the group

Шаблон:Quotebox As the group became more famous, says Forget, the pressure on Easton was beginning to show. Oldham had been predominant in dealing with the Stones' image and creative development. Easton attended to the financial side, but the group was concerned, says Forget, that Easton would be unable to manage the band's approaching fame.Шаблон:Sfn Richards believes that Easton—who he said was tired by then—may have been ill, and this may have affected his work.Шаблон:Sfn Either way, he said, he felt that Easton "wasn't big enough to handle anything outside of England".Шаблон:Sfn He expanded on this in a 1975 Rolling Stone Interview, saying that once the band broke America, "this cat Easton dissolved. He went into a puddle. He couldn't handle that scene."Шаблон:Sfn Wyman, on the other hand, contests Richards' view of Easton's departure, saying that it was "untrue and a camouflage. Easton functioned efficiently."Шаблон:Sfn Easton had also helped sour relations with Oldham: claiming that their work for the Stones was now so big that it necessitated more office space, Easton evicted Oldham from his backroom in Regent Street. Oldham suggests that "in fact, Eric was just totally pissed off. He'd had it with me, my style of personal management."Шаблон:Sfn

Although Easton had organised another Stateside tour for autumn 1965,Шаблон:Sfn the band was increasingly unhappy under his management. Although they had earned millions touring, they only received £50 a week from Impact Sounds and, says Davis, were permanently short of money.Шаблон:Sfn Oldham—by now having moved out of the Regent Street office and no longer on speaking terms with EastonШаблон:Sfn—"wasted no opportunity to bad-mouth his partner to Jagger and Richards",Шаблон:Sfn emphasising Easton's lack of "hip" or "cool".Шаблон:Sfn Communication between the two had been difficult for some time, says Wyman,Шаблон:Sfn who also notes that, although a number of contractual discussions were taking place between Oldham and the group, Easton "was conspicuously absent" from them.Шаблон:Sfn Oldham also sent Easton telegrams in Jagger's name, which Easton only discovered were not from the singer when the two spoke on the phone and Jagger denied all knowledge of them.Шаблон:Sfn Easton for his part reminded Oldham that, as far as he was concerned:Шаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:Blockquote By July 1965Шаблон:Sfn—partly motivated by Oldham's exposure of Easton's underhand dealings with JonesШаблон:Sfn—Oldham and the Stones had agreed that Easton would be forced out.Шаблон:Sfn Trynka argues that it was Jones' extra £5 that acted as a catalyst for the others' discontent: "The extra fiver marginalized Easton and Brian—and Oldham used it to his advantage".Шаблон:Sfn Wyman seems to have attempted to mount a defence of Easton, but, according to Goodman, he was shouted down by Richards, who accused the bassist of being "fucking mercenary".Шаблон:Sfn

On 27 August 1965 at a "bitterly acrimonious" band meeting, a number of allegations were made against Easton, who Wyman says kept his cool throughout the proceedings.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn Easton reminded the group—and Oldham and Klein—that as far as he was concerned, his contract still had nine months to run;Шаблон:Sfn he also argued that Oldham had withheld payments from him.Шаблон:Sfn Easton was replaced by New Jersey-born record company auditor Allen Klein,Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn who Norman says "dazzled" Oldham.Шаблон:Sfn For his part, Oldham may have been worried about the immediate future: the Stones' contract with Decca was about to expire, and he may have feared that if Easton had the opportunity to renegotiate it, he might exclude Oldham.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn

Dismissal

colour photograph of Andrew Oldham in 2009

Andrew Oldham, seen in 2009

Easton was also sacked as the group's booking agent and replaced by Tito Burns.Шаблон:Sfn Clayson suggests that Easton's dismissal was as a result of divide and conquer tactics by Klein, who had originally been employed to undertake some of Oldham's administrative work but was able to persuade Oldham that Easton was no longer required.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Trynka says Easton was sacked in favour of the "far more predatory Allen Klein" by an Oldham-Jagger-Richards triumvirate.Шаблон:Sfn In 1968, Easton's barrister described him as having been ousted,Шаблон:Sfn and music writer Nicholas Schaffner later called it a purge on Oldham's part.Шаблон:Sfn It is likely that Richards was the prime motivator behind the move;Шаблон:Sfn one of the things he liked about Klein was that "at least he was under fifty".Шаблон:Sfn Easton was summarily sacked,Шаблон:Sfn and an attempt to buy him off failed.Шаблон:Sfn In October 1971,Шаблон:Sfn Easton launched a series of lawsuits for breach of contract Шаблон:Sfn against the band, Oldham, Decca, London Records, Allen Klein and Nanker Phelge.Шаблон:Sfn As a result, the High Court froze a million pounds-worth of the Stones' UK assets until the case was concluded. Decca was also instructed to suspend all royalty payments to the group.Шаблон:Sfn This process was to last many years. Wyman was, in his own words, "the lone voice to express reservations".Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn

Easton's barrister, Peter Pain, told the court that "in many ways, the whole story is rather sadШаблон:Nbsp... it is probably no exaggeration to say that everybody is suing everybody".Шаблон:Sfn Easton attempted to enforce a prison committal against Oldham for failing to pay monies owed or to supply documentation.Шаблон:Sfn Oldham, says Goodman, was keen to avoid Easton's lawsuit if possible and wasШаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:Blockquote While Oldham's paranoia and fear of a trial for perjury increased, Easton appears to have found the affair little more than "disheartening or silly";Шаблон:Sfn the first time Oldham ran away from him, Easton called after him "you'll have to accept them [the documents] sooner or later, you naughty boyШаблон:Nbsp...".Шаблон:Sfn It was two years before Oldham was eventually brought to earth,Шаблон:Sfn and Easton's lawyers confronted Klein robustly in November 1967.Шаблон:Refn Easton eventually settled for a golden handshake Шаблон:Sfn of $200,000 in withheld royalties, in exchange for which he would drop his future claims.Шаблон:Sfn On the other hand, according to Easton himself, he voluntarily left the band, on account of the lifestyle not suiting him and the "unsavoury people" he was forced to deal with.Шаблон:Sfn

Later life

Easton attempted to put his own side of the story across, but according to Trynka, he was frozen out of the popular music press who "only talked to winners, not losers". According to the Melody Maker writer Chris Welch, who interviewed Easton, he was "sad and despondent"; Welch's interview was, however, spiked by his editor Ray Coleman, whom Welch believed to have been influenced by Oldham.Шаблон:Sfn Easton sued Oldham for breaking their contractual partnership, although, suggests Jackson, "he had difficulty serving the papers on Andrew as he would literally leg it".Шаблон:Sfn The group's subsequent contracts with Decca and London Records—arranged by Klein—explicitly excluded Easton from claiming anything from them in future.Шаблон:Sfn Richards summed up the perspective of the group on Easton's departure:Шаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:BlockquoteThe group's 1966 single, "Paint it Black"—later the opening track on the album Aftermath, had its origins in what author Tim Dowley calls a "mickey-taking session"—a send-up, says RichardsШаблон:Sfn—out of Easton, in which Wyman played a Hammond organ.Шаблон:Sfn Richards later recalled how, "Bill was playing the organ, doing a piss-take on our old manager [Easton], who started as an organist in a cinema pit. We'd been doing it with funky rhythms and it hadn't worked out and he started playing it like this [a sort of unintentional klezmer parody]".Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn It was also, suggests Trynka, "in tribute to [Easton's] earlier career as an organist on the chicken-in-a-basket circuit".Шаблон:Sfn

Jones had been "profoundly disturbed" at the expulsion of Easton, "his one ally" in the group by then, and Easton's departure contributed to Jones' descent into depression and drug use.Шаблон:Sfn Easton was still in business in 1967 when he had moved his offices to Little Argyll Street, around half a mile (0.80 km) north along Regent Street.Шаблон:Sfn Following the death of Jones in July 1969, Easton attended his funeral in Cheltenham along with Wyman and Watts .Шаблон:Refn

Easton attended a birthday party that was held jointly for Richards and Bobby Keys at Olympic Studios on 18 December 1970. In 1971, the Stones—facing a serious financial crisisШаблон:Sfn—sued Easton and Oldham, among others, for failing to ask Decca Records to increase their royalty payments, which, alleged Jagger, it had turned out Decca had been willing to do but had not been asked to.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn

Other work

Easton managed a number of other bands and artists, particularly of the middle of the road genre.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn Among his clients he counted David Bowie's first group, The Konrads,Шаблон:Sfn although the Konrads, unlike the Stones, "never progressed beyond the suburban pub circuit", says Sandford, and may not have been particularly interested in them. Шаблон:Sfn Easton also ran Julie Grant Шаблон:Sfn—whom Easton saw as a successor to Helen Shapiro Шаблон:Sfn—and booked her to back the Stones on their first UK tour.Шаблон:Sfn Easton claimed to have managed the Dave Clark Five before the Stones,Шаблон:Sfn and organised their first American tour. His partnership with them, though, says Easton, ended because the group thought him to be concentrating too much on the Stones and not enough on them.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn Easton also managed Bert Weedon,Шаблон:Sfn Mrs Mills Шаблон:Sfn and the host of ITV's popular music show Thank Your Lucky Stars, Brian Matthew. Through Matthew, Easton had arranged the Stones' first TV appearance.Шаблон:Sfn Clayson says that Easton was "respected and liked by his many prestigious artistes" due to his background in the industry and the fact that he was committed to their long-term success. For example, for Weedon he had obtained a residency on the BBC's Billy Cotton Band Show, and Mills he obtained a place for on ITV's children's series, the Five O'Clock Club.Шаблон:Sfn According to Peter Townsend, Easton believed that the Stones' impact would be ephemeral and that it would be his other clients—Grant, Weedon and Mills—who would be his long-term investments. Easton, says Townsend, also had other sidelines to buffer him financially, telling Townsend, "if this popular music business collapses, I'm not terribly worried. I've got a nice little income guaranteed; I hire out 20 organs to Butlins."Шаблон:Sfn

scan of a magazine advert from Eric Easton Ltd

Christmas greetings from Eric Easton Ltd on behalf of a number of clients, published in Pop Weekly, 21 December 1963

Personal life

For much of his career, Easton lived in Ealing.Шаблон:Sfn He was married—his wife had been a dancerШаблон:Sfn—with two children, and "his one luxury was a caravan on the south coast", wrote Oldham later.Шаблон:Sfn In 1980, Easton and his wife were holidaying regularly in Florida. First, they stayed in Miami and then made their way down the Tamiami Trail to Naples, to where they decide to retire the same year.Шаблон:Sfn There he opened Easton's Music CentreШаблон:Sfn—trading in pianos and organs—and a real estate business.Шаблон:Sfn In an interview, Easton later claimed to have kept in touch with the Stones into the 1990s.Шаблон:Sfn

Easton was married to Mary,Шаблон:Sfn with whom he had a son, Paul. Paul also went into the entertainment industry,Шаблон:Sfn forming ABA Entertainments Consultants.Шаблон:Sfn Easton and Paul took in concerts together when artists were in the area,Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn and Paul himself, said Easton, undertook a "whirlwind tour" of the UK in 1990 at the Stones' invitation. The invitation, said Easton, was the result of the group vacationing in Naples, and the Eastons dining with them.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Paul later said that his father's business ensured he grew up what he termed a "showbiz brat".Шаблон:Sfn

Easton died in 1995, 67 years old.Шаблон:Sfn In his 1998 autobiography, Oldham writes that sometime in the "early 90s", after hearing that Easton had not long to live, he telephoned him in Florida "to attempt a closure to all our acts on this earth. Eric came to the phone, but didn't really want to speak with me—his call."Шаблон:Sfn Following his death, the Eric Easton Awards were launched in Naples; named after him, they were intended to highlight the three best local student pianists of the year with a public recital.Шаблон:Sfn

Reputation

Trynka calls Easton "the forgotten man of the Stones story".Шаблон:Sfn Clayson argues that, notwithstanding Easton's own prim dislike of the beatnik culture, it did not "prevent him from turning a hard-nosed penny or two when the opportunity knocked".Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn Wyman, speaking to the Evening Herald's Eamon Carr in 1990, also believed that, while the Stones in their early days were consistently poor—"all the expenses went onto the band", he said—Oldham and Easton, "probably were quite wealthy". This, suggests Wyman, was both on account of the management team earning twice what the group did, and also that, following their departures, both men received large pay-offs.Шаблон:Sfn Giorgio Gomelsky—whose interest in the Stones was "cultural rather than business-orientated"—was unimpressed by either Easton or Oldham, saying "frankly, I thought those two were pretty low-flying characters with no interest in blues, underdog culture or social justice! Dollar signs were pointing their way."Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn The publicist and talent scout Lesley Conn also thought that Easton was a bad choice of manager for the Stones, arguing that Easton "really screwed 'em to the wall".Шаблон:Sfn Richards, likewise, considers that Easton and Oldham "fucked Giorgio",Шаблон:Sfn although Oldham says that neither he nor Easton knew of Gomelski's existence when they signed the band.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Quotebox To the contemporary music journalist Sean O'Mahoney, Easton was "vital. Andrew knew nothing about the business side of itШаблон:Nbsp... he needed someone who did."Шаблон:Sfn Easton was conservative, businesslike and practicalШаблон:Sfn as well as "calm, dependable and knew the ropes". he was generally "much-maligned", argues Trynka.Шаблон:Sfn Decca executive Dick Rowe called Easton "respected, a steady pair of hands he could rely on".Шаблон:Sfn Easton was also highly trusted by journalists.Шаблон:Sfn Oldham later criticised Easton as lacking artistic vision, while the music executive Harold Pendleton says of the two men's relationship that "Eric Easton was a run-of-the-mill manager, calm, cold and efficient. Loog Oldham was a temperamental chancer and a fellow who understood artistic people. The combination of the two was better than either of them apart."Шаблон:Sfn Within the band, Easton was most respected by Wyman, who was a few years older than his colleagues and did not see Easton as distant from the group as they did.Шаблон:Sfn Clayson suggests that age was the relevant factor, as the few years Wyman had over the other Stones meant that he had a similar experience of the post-war depression as Easton.Шаблон:Sfn Wyman later described Easton as a "cautious, kindly" figure, diligent in his work and treatment of his clients.Шаблон:Sfn Richards called him a "very nice guy".Шаблон:Sfn The band generally respected Easton, says Norman, for financing them when they were an unknown quantity, "and whom, in spite of his desperate naffness, they all rather liked".Шаблон:Sfn He also emphasised the dangers, in his opinion, of letting hindsight colour the importance of Easton in the group's progression:Шаблон:Sfn

Шаблон:Blockquote

In 1991, Easton told a reporter that he was glad the Rolling Stones had become as successful as they had, as "it sort of shows that I know what I'm doing, too, doesn't it?"Шаблон:Sfn

Discography

Шаблон:Quotebox

Format	A-side	B-side	Producer(s)	Studio	Release date	Reference
(Unreleased)	Love Potion No. 9	N/A	Andrew Oldham/Eric Easton	Olympic Studios	May 1963	Шаблон:Sfn
Single	I Wanna Be Your Man	Stoned	Eric EastonШаблон:Refn	Kingsway Studios	1 November 1963	Шаблон:Sfn
N/A	Fortune Teller	Poison Ivy	Eric Easton/Andrew Oldham	Decca Studios	January 1964	Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn
EP	The Rolling Stones	N/A	Eric Easton	Decca Studios/De Lane Lea Studios	17 January 1964	Шаблон:Sfn
Single	Not Fade Away	I Wanna Be Your Man	Andrew Oldham (A-side); Eric Easton (B-side)	Kingsway Studios/Regent Sound	March 1964	Шаблон:Sfn
Album	The Rolling Stones	N/A	Eric Easton	Regent Sound	26 April 1964	Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Refn
Single	Tell Me	I Just Want to Make Love to You	Andrew Oldham/Eric Easton	Regent Sound	June 1964	Шаблон:Sfn

Notes

Шаблон:Reflist

References

Шаблон:Reflist

Bibliography

Шаблон:Refbegin

Шаблон:Refend

Шаблон:The Rolling Stones

Партнерские ресурсы
Криптовалюты	Обмен криптовалют - www.bestchange.ru Криптовалютная биржа CoinEx Криптовалютная биржа Binance HIVE OS - операционная система для майнинга e4pool - Мультивалютный пул для майнинга.
Магазины	AliExpress — глобальная виртуальная (в Интернете) торговая площадка, предоставляющая возможность покупать товары производителей из КНР; computeruniverse.net - Интернет-магазин компьютеров(Промо код 5 Евро на первую покупку:FWWC3ZKQ);
Хостинг	DigitalOcean - американский провайдер облачных инфраструктур, с главным офисом в Нью-Йорке и с центрами обработки данных по всему миру;
Разное	Викиум - Онлайн-тренажер для мозга Like Центр - Центр поддержки и развития предпринимательства. Gamersbay - лучший магазин по бустингу для World of Warcraft. Ноотропы OmniMind N°1 - Усиливает мозговую активность. Повышает мотивацию. Улучшает память. Санкт-Петербургская школа телевидения - это федеральная сеть образовательных центров, которая имеет филиалы в 37 городах России. Lingualeo.com — интерактивный онлайн-сервис для изучения и практики английского языка в увлекательной игровой форме. Junyschool (Джунискул) – международная школа программирования и дизайна для детей и подростков от 5 до 17 лет, где ученики осваивают компьютерную грамотность, развивают алгоритмическое и креативное мышление, изучают основы программирования и компьютерной графики, создают собственные проекты: игры, сайты, программы, приложения, анимации, 3D-модели, монтируют видео. Умназия - Интерактивные онлайн-курсы и тренажеры для развития мышления детей 6-13 лет SkillBox - это один из лидеров российского рынка онлайн-образования. Среди партнеров Skillbox ведущий разработчик сервисного дизайна AIC, медиа-компания Yoola, первое и самое крупное русскоязычное аналитическое агентство Tagline, онлайн-школа дизайна и иллюстрации Bang! Bang! Education, оператор PR-рынка PACO, студия рисования Draw&Go, агентство performance-маркетинга Ingate, scrum-студия Sibirix, имидж-лаборатория Персона. «Нетология» — это университет по подготовке и дополнительному обучению специалистов в области интернет-маркетинга, управления проектами и продуктами, дизайна, Data Science и разработки. В рамках Нетологии студенты получают ценные теоретические знания от лучших экспертов Рунета, выполняют практические задания на отработку полученных навыков, общаются с экспертами и единомышленниками. Познакомиться со всеми продуктами подробнее можно на сайте https://netology.ru, линейка курсов и профессий постоянно обновляется. StudyBay Brazil – это онлайн биржа для португалоговорящих студентов и авторов! Студент получает уникальную работу любого уровня сложности и больше свободного времени, в то время как у автора появляется дополнительный заработок и бесценный опыт. Автор24 — самая большая в России площадка по написанию учебных работ: контрольные и курсовые работы, дипломы, рефераты, решение задач, отчеты по практике, а так же любой другой вид работы. Сервис сотрудничает с более 70 000 авторов. Более 1 000 000 работ уже выполнено. StudyBay – это онлайн биржа для англоязычных студентов и авторов! Студент получает уникальную работу любого уровня сложности и больше свободного времени, в то время как у автора появляется дополнительный заработок и бесценный опыт.

Английская Википедия:Eric Easton

Содержание

Musical context

Early life, career and meeting Oldham

Career with The Rolling Stones

The Crawdaddy Club

Signing and Decca contract

Gigs and production work

Increasing fame, increased pressure

Problems in America and at home

Discontent within the group

Dismissal

Later life

Other work

Personal life

Reputation

Discography

Notes

References

Bibliography

Навигация

Действия на странице

Действия на странице

Персональные инструменты

Навигация

Поиск

Инструменты