Will Hodgkinson of The Times is writing a book about the importance of the 1970s in the global music world. He's doing a chapter on me and was here for a long interview.
It is interesting. Although, for me, the 1960s were far more creative, and I was lucky enough to start my career then; as a writer and singer with Everyone's Gone To The Moon - 9 million global hit - and producer with It's Good News Week and discovering and naming Peter Gabriel and Genesis, the 1970s were the decade when we really conquered the world. As publishers we had signed ABBA. I found and produced The Rocky Horror Show on stage. And my UK Records totally dominated the charts (with my own personal hit Una Paloma Blanca as well as songs and productions like Johnny Reggae).

But funnily enough my influence grew in the 1980s with TV, my Sun column etc. And in the 1990s when I moved behind the scenes and won Eurovision having previously saved The Brits, and was a consultant for some of the biggest labels in the world, saving the careers of artists like Bonjovi and Michael Jackson.

Will's jaw dropped at my array of Gold and Platinum discs. I hate the bloody things - they look cheap, common and nasty - but had them in my American office in order to impress radio, TV and press people who came without really knowing my music background. And brought them back to London when I moved out of my New York flat.

I was poised to do something I didn't really want to do when I was younger - run a global music corporation. I was offered and accepted the position of global Chairman of EMI, one of the great British music companies. In my Fifties; aware of who the best executives were (to take on the jobs I didn't want to do - shareholders; the board; contracts and taxes and other boring areas). My blueprint was to start a division to capitalise on the new online area (which I reckoned would become 5% of the business) and start online radio and TV as well as sales (i.e. You Tube, My Space and iTunes).

Sadly it was not to be. Max Clifford got involved. I still have to find out the truth behind the false allegations and involvement of Surrey Police (who had tried and failed with Paul Weller and Mick Hucknall). But the result was - EMI collapsed, fell apart and died and so did most of the global music industry.

Which makes me sad. I loved it; still love it, and am distressed to see it disappear from public interest into a small, unimportant, luxury element of life instead of the vital essential it once was.

Is it just me who actually hates ABBA ?

Very interesting piece JK, you definitely were before your time with online music. Amazon offer downloads but I never buy them, I prefer physical format and files can get lost and CD-R do get corrupted over a period of times.

Songs on Spotify are shit sound quality same with YouTube.

Green Man wrote:
Is it just me who actually hates ABBA ?

Very interesting piece JK, you definitely were before your time with online music. Amazon offer downloads but I never buy them, I prefer physical format and files can get lost and CD-R do get corrupted over a period of times.

Songs on Spotify are shit sound quality same with YouTube.

No, its not just you. I am absolutely not criticising Abba, but a lot of it is far too slick for me, and so it becomes horribly irritating.

For me, a choir is better if one person in it cant sing, and if a band is too together my brain translates it as an unbearable hum. (it's probably a misophonia thing)

Honey wrote:
Green Man wrote:
Is it just me who actually hates ABBA ?

Very interesting piece JK, you definitely were before your time with online music. Amazon offer downloads but I never buy them, I prefer physical format and files can get lost and CD-R do get corrupted over a period of times.

Songs on Spotify are shit sound quality same with YouTube.

No, its not just you. I am absolutely not criticising Abba, but a lot of it is far too slick for me, and so it becomes horribly irritating.

For me, a choir is better if one person in it cant sing, and if a band is too together my brain translates it as an unbearable hum. (it's probably a misophonia thing)

I had a nice chat with some old friend's today. We were discussing 70s music; we don't really remember it as we were just babies back then. We discussed our favourites and some pulled out their phone's to browse some groups they forgotten about.

70s pop was actually pretty decent when we looked back. We all could live without Middle of the Road.

When was talk about the glam era we couldn't find many groups. There's the obvious ones like Sweet, Slade, T Rex, Mud, Glitter Band, Wizard. Then we became stuck until some random, old boiler yelled out "Slick" whom of course was Midge Ure early outing. We said that punk killed the scene and none of us are punk fans.

Maybe because all had bad experiences with Punks in the pubs or we just don't like music.

An ex had nothing but abuse from John Lydon whom at the time was a paramedic. She did a share a joint with Lenny Kravitz at one time.

Supppse when punk vanished it was New Wave Romantics. I was never a New Romantic because due to work ethics but loved the music and still do.

Green Man wrote:
Honey wrote:
Green Man wrote:
Is it just me who actually hates ABBA ?

Very interesting piece JK, you definitely were before your time with online music. Amazon offer downloads but I never buy them, I prefer physical format and files can get lost and CD-R do get corrupted over a period of times.

Songs on Spotify are shit sound quality same with YouTube.

No, its not just you. I am absolutely not criticising Abba, but a lot of it is far too slick for me, and so it becomes horribly irritating.

For me, a choir is better if one person in it cant sing, and if a band is too together my brain translates it as an unbearable hum. (it's probably a misophonia thing)

I had a nice chat with some old friend's today. We were discussing 70s music; we don't really remember it as we were just babies back then. We discussed our favourites and some pulled out their phone's to browse some groups they forgotten about.

70s pop was actually pretty decent when we looked back. We all could live without Middle of the Road.

When was talk about the glam era we couldn't find many groups. There's the obvious ones like Sweet, Slade, T Rex, Mud, Glitter Band, Wizard. Then we became stuck until some random, old boiler yelled out "Slick" whom of course was Midge Ure early outing. We said that punk killed the scene and none of us are punk fans.

Maybe because all had bad experiences with Punks in the pubs or we just don't like music.

An ex had nothing but abuse from John Lydon whom at the time was a paramedic. She did a share a joint with Lenny Kravitz at one time.

Supppse when punk vanished it was New Wave Romantics. I was never a New Romantic because due to work ethics but loved the music and still do.

I don't remember John Lydon being a paramedic.
He doesn't seem to have the reassuring sort of personality that you need.

I don't think punk killed anything.
There were just lots of different styles in the seventies at the same time.
There was a trend for nightclubs with a different style of music on each floor, which I liked.

How does work ethics stop you being a new romantic?

Honey wrote:
Green Man wrote:
Honey wrote:
Green Man wrote:
Is it just me who actually hates ABBA ?

Very interesting piece JK, you definitely were before your time with online music. Amazon offer downloads but I never buy them, I prefer physical format and files can get lost and CD-R do get corrupted over a period of times.

Songs on Spotify are shit sound quality same with YouTube.

No, its not just you. I am absolutely not criticising Abba, but a lot of it is far too slick for me, and so it becomes horribly irritating.

For me, a choir is better if one person in it cant sing, and if a band is too together my brain translates it as an unbearable hum. (it's probably a misophonia thing)

I had a nice chat with some old friend's today. We were discussing 70s music; we don't really remember it as we were just babies back then. We discussed our favourites and some pulled out their phone's to browse some groups they forgotten about.

70s pop was actually pretty decent when we looked back. We all could live without Middle of the Road.

When was talk about the glam era we couldn't find many groups. There's the obvious ones like Sweet, Slade, T Rex, Mud, Glitter Band, Wizard. Then we became stuck until some random, old boiler yelled out "Slick" whom of course was Midge Ure early outing. We said that punk killed the scene and none of us are punk fans.

Maybe because all had bad experiences with Punks in the pubs or we just don't like music.

An ex had nothing but abuse from John Lydon whom at the time was a paramedic. She did a share a joint with Lenny Kravitz at one time.

Supppse when punk vanished it was New Wave Romantics. I was never a New Romantic because due to work ethics but loved the music and still do.

I don't remember John Lydon being a paramedic.
He doesn't seem to have the reassuring sort of personality that you need.

I don't think punk killed anything.
There were just lots of different styles in the seventies at the same time.
There was a trend for nightclubs with a different style of music on each floor, which I liked.

How does work ethics stop you being a new romantic?

My ex was paramedic at the time, she has been to hundreds of events. If any accidents happened she had to be on standby.

I worked in a pub 1986 like Cheers but more a dive in New York. It was very much a blue collar bar which attracted a rough clientele. God knows how I was allowed work in one at 16, serve and drink but I did. My uncle knew the landlord, he met him at a Ted Nugent gig so it might explain things.

Many interesting messages about this. Amazing how many closet JK fans there are out there!