In 1987, A&M Records celebrated their 25th anniversary. Not a small feat for a label few people predicted would be successful, let alone become a powerhouse in the industry. To commemorate the occasion, the company produced a wonderful retrospective and distributed it to all its employees. Although not an employee myself, I was blessed to receive a copy. To this day, it remains one of my prized music related possessions.This 70 page volume details the A&M story from various perspectives both inside and outside the company. The beautiful cover, shown above, depicts the founders, although as the scan shows, the book is quite dogearred from years of use. The inscription by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss reads, "To the A&M dream- with love and gratitude to all who helped it along the way." Besides the expected label discographies and award certifications, there is a timeline of releases featuring the hit albums and artists that brought them to use. Also included is a history of the A&M studios lot, beginning when it was owned by Charlie Chaplin, interviews with key staff from the company, quotes from its artists, and articles of appreciation from others in the music industry. Plus plenty of photos. It's a gem of a book.
Sadly, the company was sold a few years after this book was published. Even though A&M is a mere shadow of its former self, its impact lives on through the artists it developed and the timeless records it produced. The dream did indeed become reality.
I received a copy of this book from my then Polygram rep,who got an extra copy when a fellow sales rep left the company and had no desire to keep it. My sales rep inscribed it and it is a keepsake. A&M was the coolest indi label that got big and it all started with that horn.
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