Paul Fishkin talks of when he 1st met Stevie

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by Villavic

At the Modern Records Wikipedia page it says Stevie Nicks cofounded the record label. Is that true? Did she cofound it as a business partner? Or does it just mean she was the first (or one of the first) artist that release a record with the Modern Records label? I tried to check in the Wikipedia source, but the article is kind of a print screen and it doesn't clearly mention she cofounded M. R.

And does anybody know why the label ended in 1999?

I read that Stevie was the only artist on the Modern label, until they also signed Rick Vito after he left FM. As for why it folded, my guess is it wasn’t as profitable after Street Angel, as Stevie’s popularity and sales declined, and it was simpler for her to just join a different company who could handle all the corporate details.

[Macfan4life]

The Modern record contract prevented Stevie from recording the soundtrack to American Gigolo. I always wondered what lyrics she would have written to that brilliant track that Blondie eventually got their hands on. It would have officially been the first Stevie solo song.

Paul Fishkin could tell some amazing stories. One thing that irked me was his mention of Stevie near overdosing on the road was removed from Stevie's Behind The Music story. All the promos leading up to the premiere quoted him saying that. Yet it never appeared on the segment.

[David]

Modern was kind of a funny label because it doesn’t seem to have turned into anything huge. I know that Bella Donna was the first album on the label and The Wild Heart was probably the second. But I think Cat Dancer by Sandy Stewart in 1984 was the third. There may have been a Chaka Khan album on that label, too, in the mid 80s, and maybe the Williams Brothers debut album (the one with “Some Become Strangers”)?

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by David

Modern was kind of a funny label because it doesn’t seem to have turned into anything huge. I know that Bella Donna was the first album on the label and The Wild Heart was probably the second. But I think Cat Dancer by Sandy Stewart in 1984 was the third. There may have been a Chaka Khan album on that label, too, in the mid 80s, and maybe the Williams Brothers debut album (the one with “Some Become Strangers”)?

The label was created by Stevie, Paul, and someone else, and she was the only artist on the label until her buddy Rick Vito signed with them after he left FM. So you’re absolutely right, it didn’t turn into anything huge, but when you only sign two artists in 15 years LOL it probably won’t be huge. But look at all the money they made off Stevie’s albums that they didn’t have to split with a record company! That was clearly the reason they created the label and didn’t sign anyone else until 15 years later. Pretty savvy.

[bombaysaffires]

Modern was a vanity label, which isn't bad, it's just a thing. Its mission was to create a vehicle for Stevie to get her own material out, and give her control, and for her to get a bigger cut of the money. It served its purpose well. It became a problem when her drugs etc got out of control, her creativity waned, and there were no other artists to contribute to the bottom line and bring in enough money to pay staff salaries and all that.

[Macfan4life]

Stevie recorded with Modern all through the 1980s. For Street Angel it was Modern/Atlantic. Does that mean Atlantic bought out Modern? Eventually by her next solo album her album company was Reprise.

[blinker12]

Several other artists signed to Modern before Vito. For example, Sandy Stewart’s album “Cat Dancer” was on Modern in 1984.

The Wikipedia entry for the label says other artists on the label included Joey Wilson, Jah Malla, Poe and Natalie Cole. The entry also says the label officially folded in 1999.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Records_(1980)

Modern was distributed by Atlantic from the beginning, which is probably the reason for that Modern/Atlantic credit on Street Angel.