A&R PROFILE: WAYNE WILLIAMS, VP OF A&R/JIVE RECORDS

A&R PROFILE: WAYNE WILLIAMS, VP OF A&R/JIVE RECORDS

Based in New York, Wayne Williams is a senior vice- president of A&R at Jive/BMG. The artists he works with
include R. Kelly, Joe, Syleena Johnson and Eamon. Jive,
which was the world's biggest independent label, was
recently bought by BMG.

Here he tells us what kind of buzz makes him sit up and take note, how much it generally costs to make an
album and what aspiring artists should know about the
music business.

How did you get started in the music business and how did you become a vice-president of A&R at Jive?

I started off as a dance music DJ and after a while I started making house records. Then I started working for Trax Records, a dance label based in Chicago. We
released big records like "Move Your Body" by Marshall
Jefferson and "No Way Back" by Adonis, which were
pop hits overseas. Representatives of Jive, which was
based in the UK, came over to see who was making all
this music at this little indie label in Chicago, and that's
how I was discovered. I started working for Jive in
1989.

What experiences have contributed to your skills as an A&R?

Deejaying was a very important experience, because you're constantly picking new music for your audience to listen and dance to. Then of course there
are the projects that I worked on in the early days:
Samantha Fox, for example, or Will Smith, when he was
in Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. I co-produced "Boom!
Shake the Room" and "Ring My Bell" for them, and I
also signed the producers who did the "Summertime"
record. All these things helped shape my A&R skills.

Jive's owner, Clive Calder, helped me tremendously, as did Barry Weiss, then president of Jive. Listening to Barry and learning from him was a big
part of it. R. Kelly, who's a phenomenal songwriter,
producer and artist, also taught me a lot. Teachers
don't come much better than those three men.

How did the merger between Jive and BMG work out?

It's been an experience. Obviously, it has brought us many great artists and, although we already had great artists of our own, it's incredible how much talent
there is at the label now.

What difficulties did the merger entail?

There are growing pains with everything, but for the most part it's been very positive.

Who are you currently working with?

R. Kelly, who has just finished his new album; Syleena Johnson; Joe; Nivea; Eamon; Tony Sunshine; and Raheem Devaughn. I've just signed Charlie Wilson,
former singer of the r&b group the Gap Band, and a
group called Deepside, who are from Miami.

Are you currently looking for songs for any of your artists?

All the time. I'm always looking for songs and I'm very open to hot producers and songwriters.

How did you come across some of the artists you signed, like R. Kelly and Syleena Johnson, for example?

I saw R. Kelly sing with a group at a barbecue in a backyard on the South Side of Chicago, and he was phenomenal. At the time, Eric Payton managed him. I
went up to Eric, whom I knew from my high school
days, asked him about Robert, and the rest is history.

Syleena Johnson sent a tape in through the mail and when I was going through my demos, her voice just shot through and I thought it was fantastic. She
was at Illinois State College at the time, so I called her
and asked her to come up for a meeting.

How do you find new talent?

Firstly, you have to keep an open mind; secondly, you have to be out and about; and thirdly, you have to listen to everything. I listen to a lot of music, which
people send to me, or I might be out on the street and
hear about something. There are many different ways
and none in particular.

Do you accept unsolicited material?

Company policy dictates that I don't, but sometimes it gets to me anyway!

What kind of buzz makes you sit up and take note of something?

When a record is being played heavily in a local market, I pay attention, obviously. However, you still have to use your ears when you review the record,
because many stations play local records and you have
to be able to distinguish between what is really hot and
what is just a local record.

When listening to a rap artist's demo, does the production matter at all or is it just about the rhyming skills?

Nowadays, it helps to have everything. So many of the demos that I receive are well-produced. Don't get me wrong, sometimes the lyrics or a voice can shine
through a bad production, but as an artist, you're up
against people who have everything, and it's an uphill
climb.

Must artists have a fan base before you get involved with them?

No, but I would hope they had one. You'd think that they would, especially if they've released stuff on their own. If they've released stuff on their own and
they don't have a fan base, that's not a good sign.

What do unsigned artists need to learn more if they are to increase their chances of building successful careers in the music business?

They should do their homework as far as labels are concerned. They should know what A&R people work at the labels and know the difference between them.
Often, I find that artists tend to give their projects to
just about anybody.

Artists need to understand the business in terms of who can do something for them and who can't.
That's really important, because if they don't
understand that, they will be wasting their time and
energy as well as that of the A&R people. You'd be
surprised as to how many artists don't understand this
process.

If the artists themselves are not songwriters and producers, they need to find and work with songwriters and producers. These groups should communicate with
each other, because communication helps you grow
and it gets your project off the ground.

How much does it usually cost to record, market and promote an album?

Including the album budget, I'd say a little over $2,000,000.

If artists share the costs of making the album, because these costs are recoupable from their royalties, do you think they should also have joint
ownership of the masters?

Artists should get the best deal they possibly can. If that's what they want, they have to ask for it. I've never owned a label, I've always worked for one, so it's
hard for me to answer that question. From a business
perspective, you might not want to go that route, but
from an artist's perspective, absolutely.

What aspect of the music industry would you change?

From a business perspective, I would give artists more money than they currently get when it comes to the financial pay-off.

What has been the greatest moment of your music career?

Meeting R. Kelly.

What do you see yourself doing in five to ten years' time?

Living in Miami, Florida and owning a publishing company, but working very sporadically!