Artie Ripp has been a successful, innovative, creative force and charismatic power player in the music, entertainment and broadcast industries since the start of the Rock ‘N Roll era. To date, Ripp’s music business activities as a record producer, record company owner and distributor, and music publisher have amassed worldwide retail record sales and performance income in excess of $900,000,000.
In 1958, Ripp wanted to learn everything about the record business and become Goldner’s apprentice. Goldner was so impressed with Ripp’s creative talents, energetic salesmanship and engaging personality that he hired him at $50 a week, a full $30/week more than Ripp asked for. Within 18 months Ripp was a VP and Goldner’s right-hand as a confidant, top record promoter, and A&R record production person. Ripp contributed to the successes of many of the decade’s biggest R&B groups including The Flamingos, Little Anthony and the Imperials, The Chantels and early Pop/Rock stars Ral Donner and Duane Eddie. In 1960, Ripp worked for Don Kirshner and Al Nevins, who owned the leading independent music publishing company as well as the first major independent record production company, Aldon Music. Ripp worked with all of their exclusive songwriters and producers, including Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, and became involved with such major hits as “Go Away Little Girl” and “Uptown”.
Ripp discovered and nurtured the talents of many major producers and songwriters in addition to Shadow Morton such as Richard Perry, Kenny Laguna, Ritchie Cordell, Bo Gentry, Gary Katz and James Newton Howard to name a few. In 1963, Ripp started his own production company, Kama Sutra Productions. He made a co-publishing/administration deal which funding would keep the doors open for at least 6 months and enough remaining to produce a double-sided single, the Shangri-La’s “Remember Walking in the Sand”, a #1 record licensed to Red Bird Records! Songwriter/producer legends Leiber and Stoller owned Red Bird Records with Ripp’s old friend Goldner. They asked Ripp to produce Jay & the Americans, and Ripp went into the studio while managing and building Kama Sutra. He decided it best to turn the production of the next Shangri-La’s record over to his producer/writer discovery, George “Shadow” Morton. Morton nurtured the Shangri-La’s and wrote “Remember Walking in the Sand”.
In 1964, Ripp founded his first record label, Kama Sutra Records. He signed “The Lovin’ Spoonful, guided the song choices and produced their first album and singles. Within 18 months Kama Sutra Records (distributed by MGM in the USA) was responsible for more than 25% of the gross sales of MGM’s record division from the string of Lovin’ Spoonful and Sopwith Camel smash records. During that time Ripp produced 2 top 10 records with the Critter’s, “A Younger Girl” and “Mr. Dyingly Sad” for Kapp Records to further expand the worldwide growth of the Kama Sutra companies. Ripp’s vision of Rock N’ Rollers getting into the movies was realized when his Kama Sutra label released soundtrack albums by the “Lovin’ Spoonful” for Francis Ford Coppola’s first film, “You’re a Big Boy Now” and for Woody Allen’s first film, “What’s Up Tiger Lilly”. In 1967, Ripp formed a full-fledged self-distributed record company, Buddah Records. He recruited a talented executive team that included future founder of Casablanca Records Neil Bogart and Blue Thumb Records founder Bob Krasnow who went on to become Chairman of Electra Records. Together they built Buddah into one of the leading independent record companies of the late sixties. Within the first year of operations, Buddah released 8 top 10 records by the 1910 Fruitgum Company, Lemon Pipers, Ohio Express, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, Melanie, The Five Stair Steps and Gladys Knight & The Pips. Buddah became the first independent record company to distribute outside third party-owned labels. The company’s roster of labels included; CURTOM (Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions), T-Neck Records (Isley Brothers), Sussex (Bill Withers and Dennis Coffey), Pavilion (The Edwin Hawkins Singers) and Hotwax (Holland, Dozier and Holland). Ripp started a new record label, Family Productions Records, and signed an unknown singer/songwriter named Billy Joel as the label’s first artist. Ripp went into the studio and produced Billy Joel’s first solo album “Cold Spring Harbor.” He knew Joel could be a major superstar and focused most of his energies and resources on Joel. The key to skyrocketing Joel to stardom was to get Joel’s undeniable musical and lyrical genius to the public and to music industry opinion makers. Ripp had a potential superstar in Joel and needed the support of a major record company so he made a deal with Columbia Records which lead to Billy selling millions of records worldwide. Ripp organized club, college and radio promotional tours with Joel’s agent and manager. They toured Joel across the USA, to Europe and then to Puerto Rico’s Mar y Sol festival where John Rockwell of the New York Times fell in love with him. Throughout the balance of the `70’s and into the ‘80’s, Ripp was instrumental in establishing Billy Joel as a major record and performing star beginning with “Piano Man’s” release in 1975 and “The Stranger” in 1978. Meanwhile, Ripp, the consummate entrepreneur, acquired property in California and continued to develop, produce, publish and manage a stable of talent from his Fidelity Studios in Studio City, CA. In 1978, Paramount Pictures casting department approached Ripp on behalf of film director/screenplay writer Floyd Mutrux who asked that Artie audition to play Alan Freed’s manager in Paramount’s “American Hot Wax.” Ripp knew Freed and had produced 2 albums with him. Playing the part with great approval from all concerned, he went on to do parts in “Spinal Tap”, “Hollywood Knights” and “Number One with a Bullet”. In the early 1990s, Ripp partnered with ABC TV Distribution and Video Enterprises President Jack Healy to release ABC’s pioneering live rock and roll music TV series “Shindig” in a “Best of Shindig” series. Ripp brought in Rhino Records and together cleared all of the rights for Ripp to direct and co-produce 8 “Best of” Shows from the historic, superstar live music performances from the “Shindig” library. Healy pointed out that never before were clearances able to be obtained at reasonable terms with all of the unions, music publishers, record companies and artists. Ripp further re-purposed the classic “Shindig” video series on music by marrying footage from Paramount Pictures’ smash movie “Ghost” with the great live performances of “The Righteous Brothers” performing “Unchained Melody”, also featured in the “Ghost” movie. It was not an easy accomplishment to persuade veteran film producer Howard Koch Jr., the talent, and Paramount to agree to incorporate footage with the “Unchained Melody” music video. In 1990, EMI Music Publishing co-chairmen Martin Bandier and Charles Koppelman sought out Ripp for his talents and relationships to help them acquire music publishing rights of major film, TV production and broadcaster companies. He went on to make deals for EMI with the NBC and Fox music units. Following that same avenue, it came to his attention that the children’s animation and merchandising business was an exciting and lucrative area. Some of Ripp’s other creative accomplishments include co-writing the song “In Havana” for the critically acclaimed movie “The Warriors”; co-producing the Emmy award-winning lyric version of CBS TV’s “Beauty and The Beast Theme”; conceiving and co-producing the beautiful, hit sound track album for the “Beauty and The Beast” CBS television series; co-creating hit soundtrack albums with the series creator/producers for “Dallas”, “Murphy Brown” and “China Beach”. Ripp was an early innovator of the DVD+CD format. He has successfully and produced the CD soundtracks for this format for: 16 Candles Adventures of Priscilla Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway Favorites Collection Belly, an urban drama highlighted by an all-star ship hop cast Bird, a film by Clint Eastwood Easy Rider Flashdance LA Confidential Rock Hudson & Doris Day Romance Collection Stand By me The Brat Pack The Graduate The Wiz Most recently and for a little more than ½ decade, Artie Ripp has been involved with Floyd Mutrux and his suite of live stage productions including Broadway’s “Million Dollar Quartet” and “Baby It’s You” to provide not only investment backers but also his personal experience and expertise to the story lines, music, merchandise, marketing and promotional aspects. Ripp has consulted for and represented many entertainment companies covering all business aspects from raising capital, arranging buyouts of stockholders to negotiating various rights deals. Ripp has worked with and/or consulted for Warner TV Productions, Hollywood Entertainment, PAX TV, Rhino Records and Films, NBC Entertainment and Broadway Video in video, including clearances for the SNL’s live music segments, Universal Music, Group, Universal Enterprises, Cookie Jar Entertainment and shout Factory to name the tip of the client iceberg, as well as with cutting-edge technology and internet firms to facilitate property growth, assure greater product sales and brand awareness as well as increase profits and company value. You can find Ripp prominently mentioned for his many successes, historical exploits and associations in the books and television specials: “He’s a Rebel” (Phil Spector) “Music Man” (Dorothy Wade & Justine Picardie) “Off the Record” (Joe Smith) “San Francisco Nights” (Gene Sculatti & Davin Seay) “Sweetie Baby Cookie Honey” (Fred Gershon) “The Age of Rock” (Jonathan Eisen) “The Road to Woodstock from the Man Behind the Legendary Festival” (Michael Lang) “Woodstock Festival Remembered” (Jean Young & Michael Lang)
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Ripp started his professional career in 1956 as a singer/songwriter/manager with his singing group, the Four Temptations. With Paul Anka’s help, Ripp got themselves a record deal with ABC Paramount Records. After hearing his first single on the radio and performing at many live shows, Ripp realized he would never be a major recording artist. He formed a new group and got them a record deal with Goldisc Records, owned by R&B/Latin record pioneer and Gone/End Records founder George Goldner. Ripp co-wrote a song “Barbara” and with Goldner, Ripp produced it with his group and it became a top 10 record on the East Coast.
Artie went to work for Award Music and produced his first gold record with Doris Troy’s “Just One Look” which topped the pop and R&B charts in late 1961. Ripp relayed his visions of the coming revolution in the music business where successful record producers, artists and songwriters would be starting their own production/publishing companies and record labels. He explained that those creative genius’ would want and need a reliable distribution, administrative, and reputable company for their record productions, music copyrights and artists -- a blend of the original United Artists Films concept and an MCA of the music business. Further, Ripp pointed out that Rock ‘N Roll Recording Artists, Songwriters and Record Producers would make major contributions to the Broadway stage, be significant creative forces and box office factors in Hollywood films and TV programs and that Award Music was in an ideal position to take full advantage of these changes. 
Ripp produced a unique record with Jay & the Americans “Come a Little Bit Closer” -- a mix of Latin, pop and rock n roll. Shadow wrote and produced a trendsetting classic record for Ripp’s Kama Sutra Productions, “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-La’s. Both records charted in the Top 10 in Cash Box and Billboard simultaneously. “Leader of the Pack” went to #1 and “Come a Little Bit Closer” went to #3.