Fascinating peek, Marshall! I was surprised, at the time, that Arista signed the Dead. Your research uncovering Clive Davis' attempted "meddling" into their long-term "way of doing business" was news to me! Deadheads taping live shows couldn't possibly have made the income dent Clive was obsessing over! Had Arista had a host of "official" live albums lined up and ready to go, he MIGHT have had a point!
All he had to do was check with Mo Ostin @ Warner Bros, and chances are their books would've revealed fan-taping had little to no measurable impact in ultimate studio album sales! As stunning it was for him to request that the band order their fans to "cease and desist" their taping showed such disregard for the band and their singularly famous relationship with their fan base they'd spent over a decade nurturing! God bless the Dead for telling Clive to, effectively, "shove it"!
And, then, wanting the Dead to produce hits?! I guess Clive enjoyed a challenge! Interesting how the Dead didn't really balk at THAT notion, 'cause they did have hits (at least one, anyway) with Arista. Again, great behind-the-scenes peek, Marshall, at this era of the Dead!
Fascinating peek, Marshall! I was surprised, at the time, that Arista signed the Dead. Your research uncovering Clive Davis' attempted "meddling" into their long-term "way of doing business" was news to me! Deadheads taping live shows couldn't possibly have made the income dent Clive was obsessing over! Had Arista had a host of "official" live albums lined up and ready to go, he MIGHT have had a point!
All he had to do was check with Mo Ostin @ Warner Bros, and chances are their books would've revealed fan-taping had little to no measurable impact in ultimate studio album sales! As stunning it was for him to request that the band order their fans to "cease and desist" their taping showed such disregard for the band and their singularly famous relationship with their fan base they'd spent over a decade nurturing! God bless the Dead for telling Clive to, effectively, "shove it"!
And, then, wanting the Dead to produce hits?! I guess Clive enjoyed a challenge! Interesting how the Dead didn't really balk at THAT notion, 'cause they did have hits (at least one, anyway) with Arista. Again, great behind-the-scenes peek, Marshall, at this era of the Dead!