Draft:Stephen-Craig Aristei
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Stephen-Craig Aristei, also known as Craig Aristei and Stephen Aristei, is an American music publisher, manager, music supervisor, and film and television producer.
Warner Bros. Music
[edit]Aristei was hired in 1971 by Ed Silvers to the professional staff at Warner Bros. Music. He worked alongside Artie Wayne as a member of the Warner Raiders, songpluggers notorious[1] in the music business for their efforts to obtain cover recordings of songs in the Warners catalog. During this time, Warner Music signed[2] Yes, the Eagles, Gary Wright, Sweet, Genesis, Carmine Appice, Jackson Browne, Shawn Phillips, and Steve Canady to publishing deals.
Aristei rose to the position of General Manager at Warner Music in 1974;[3] he was the youngest general manager in the history of the company. In his decade at the company, Warner Music represented the music of and helped develop the careers of artists and songwriters such as America, the Band, the Bee Gees, Harry Chapin, George Clinton, Steve Cropper, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Sonny Curtis, Paul Davis, Ned Doheny, the Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, England Dan & John Ford Coley, the Faces, Firefall, Foreigner, the Four Seasons, Michael Franks, the Funky Kings, George & Ira Gershwin, Sammy Hagar, Donny Hathaway, Jake Holmes, Rupert Holmes, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Mason, Curtis Mayfield, Van McCoy, Randy McNeill, Joni Mitchell, Daniel Moore, Mathew Moore, Van Morrison, Randy Newman, Alan O'Day, Danny O'Keefe, Osibisa, David Pomeranz, Paul Parrish, Peter, Paul and Mary, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Cole Porter, Todd Rundgren, Rush, Leon Russell, Judee Sill, Carly Simon, Peter Skellern, Sylvester Stewart (Sly and the Family Stone), J. D. Souther, Rod Stewart, Gregg Sutton, Jack Tempchin, Allen Toussaint, Ian Tyson, Uriah Heep, Kin Vassy, Jimmy Webb, Norman Whitfield, Jesse Winchester, Ron Wood, and Warren Zevon.
In 1973, Aristei scored a cover of South African songwriter Terry Dempsey's song "Daydreamer" with David Cassidy[4]. The Cassidy cover went to number one on the UK singles chart for three weeks in the fall of '73[5]; it was included on the album Dreams are Nuthin' More Than Wishes, eventually selling five million units across all global territories. "Daydreamer" was the tenth best-selling UK single for 1973.
In 1974, Aristei signed songwriter Jim Peterik to Warner/Chappell. The two would later collaborate in 1978[6] to cast the band Survivor, with Peterik acting as frontman for the group. Aristei would serve as the group's manager, securing them their first contract with Atlantic Records, and participating in the protracted recording process of the group's self-titled debut album, Survivor, released in 1979.
Later career
[edit]In 1980, Aristei left Warners to work full-time as a talent manager, guiding the careers of the Addrisi Brothers, Terry Gregory, Charlie Calello, Steve March, Emitt Rhodes, and Survivor.
After two years, Aristei and his management partner split. He subsequently went to work helping manage Al Gallico Music and L&G Productions until it was sold to Columbia Pictures Music. During that period the company earned over 40 BMI Awards.
In the wake of a settlement from litigation with Survivor,[clarification needed] he retired in 1993 to Palos Verdes Estates to become a full-time single father.
Aristei returned to the entertainment industry as an independent producer in 2016 helping cast and find additional financing for the ill-fated[7] Marvin Gaye biopic Sexual Healing.
He subsequently helped develop and finance the initial pilots for the Amazon Prime series Over My Dead Body[8] and continues to develop and finance other scripted projects.
References
[edit]- ^ "Stephen-Craig Aristei and the Warner Raiders". Artie Wayne On The Web. 2006-09-03. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ Tiegel, Eliot (August 14, 1976). ""Contemporary Acts Bolster WB Music" (PDF). Billboard. pp. 4, 16.
- ^ "Smiles All Around" (PDF). Cash Box. February 2, 1974. p. 14. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ Coetzer, Diane (28 February 2019). "The Heart and Soul of an Artist". mot juste.
- ^ "David Cassidy". Official Charts. 27 September 2024.
- ^ Peterik, Jim; Torem, Lisa (2014). Through the Eye of the Tiger. BenBella Books. p. 167. ISBN 9781940363165.
- ^ Macnab, Geoffrey. "Temple's Marvin Gaye film stalls". Screen. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ Marty Krzywonos; Frank Gerard; Sachne Kunis (14 September 2016). "Over My Dead Body" (Comedy). Over My Dead Body Productions. Retrieved 2024-08-30.