"Right now the live music world is inundated with nostalgia.”
This week Chris Wright, co-founder of Chrysalis Records in 1968, is joined by Carl Leighton-Pope who began his career in the music industry at almost the same time as Chris himself. Carl has been a manager, promoter, and agent for some of the biggest names in music over the years, including Van Morrison, Bryan Adams, Billy Ocean, and Michael Bublé.
Chris and Carl reminisce on their upbringing in the music industry in 1960s London, with venues such as the Marquee Club playing a significant part. They discuss the music industry’s roles of managers, agents, running record labels, and which is more enjoyable. The pair discuss contemporary artists and why we need stars like Harry Styles.
The episode is full of wonderful anecdotes and stories of the personal bonds Carl has built with stars like Billy Ocean and Michael Bublé. Carl’s story is inspiring – he came from a Welsh mining family and this episode absolutely shows his true grit, as well as the talent he possessed, to get to where he is today.
In this episode we discuss:
- Glastonbury 2023 and Elton John’s last show
- The roles of agents, managers, and running a record label
- Starting out as a music entrepreneur in the 1960s
- Working with George Martin (the Beatles producer)
- The early days of Chrysalis Records
- Becoming a successful artists’ agent after bankruptcy
- Working with Van Morrison, Bryan Adams, Billy Ocean, and Michael Bublé, and how Carl got those gigs.
- Which modern artists will stand the test of time?
