Wendy's career on Warner Bros. is the perfect example of the industry, overall, "back in the day"---the desire to build and nurture long-term careers...the artists, of course, were all over that notion, but the labels (and Warners was the front-runner) had that mind-set, as well!
I think that's why you see the gradual growth (that you so…
Wendy's career on Warner Bros. is the perfect example of the industry, overall, "back in the day"---the desire to build and nurture long-term careers...the artists, of course, were all over that notion, but the labels (and Warners was the front-runner) had that mind-set, as well!
I think that's why you see the gradual growth (that you so well examined) in Wendy's artistic output...from the folky, message-heavy early stuff to the more electric elements combined with more hooky tunes with the likes of Andrew Gold (her fellow 1970 Bryndle member) pitching in.
Moving to Columbia, it was their mid-'70s, not-so-subtle "memos" to the likes of the folky, 2-album Springsteen, and the Weather Report-like jazz fusion Journey to "give us hit singles" that led to their respective A) massive success and B) long careers of (in this case) two generationally influential artists..."Born to Run" and following for Bruce, and shorter songs and a lead singer for Journey!
Whether Warner's Mo/Joe ever sidled up to Wendy and insisted on hits, I don't know. But, support and encouragement were all but written into The Bunny's artists' contracts...and, they weren't alone. Nowadays, the formula seems to be: 1) Max Martin writes a song, 2) a new pretty face is found to sing it, 3) millions are made all around, and 4) do it all over again. Sad, today, but yesterday's model was certainly admirable...artistic AND commercial results speak for themselves!
Wendy's career on Warner Bros. is the perfect example of the industry, overall, "back in the day"---the desire to build and nurture long-term careers...the artists, of course, were all over that notion, but the labels (and Warners was the front-runner) had that mind-set, as well!
I think that's why you see the gradual growth (that you so well examined) in Wendy's artistic output...from the folky, message-heavy early stuff to the more electric elements combined with more hooky tunes with the likes of Andrew Gold (her fellow 1970 Bryndle member) pitching in.
Moving to Columbia, it was their mid-'70s, not-so-subtle "memos" to the likes of the folky, 2-album Springsteen, and the Weather Report-like jazz fusion Journey to "give us hit singles" that led to their respective A) massive success and B) long careers of (in this case) two generationally influential artists..."Born to Run" and following for Bruce, and shorter songs and a lead singer for Journey!
Whether Warner's Mo/Joe ever sidled up to Wendy and insisted on hits, I don't know. But, support and encouragement were all but written into The Bunny's artists' contracts...and, they weren't alone. Nowadays, the formula seems to be: 1) Max Martin writes a song, 2) a new pretty face is found to sing it, 3) millions are made all around, and 4) do it all over again. Sad, today, but yesterday's model was certainly admirable...artistic AND commercial results speak for themselves!