From Library Journal
Founded in 1947 by Ertegun, the son of a Turkish diplomat, Atlantic Records is one of the most successful and respected major record companies. Early hits by black artists such as Ray Charles and Clyde McPhatter established the label as an incubator of R&B. (In fact, it was Ertegun's partner, Jerry Wexler, who coined the phrase rhythm & blues). As the 1970s dawned, the label famous for its black artists filled its roster with quintessential white bands like Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Led Zeppelin. In this oral history, Ertegun's anecdotes are liberally supplemented by comments from scores of associates and Atlantic artists. Some of the most respected names in music journalism, including Robert Christgau and Greil Marcus, have also contributed eight essays covering different time periods and aspects of Atlantic. More than 1200 color and black-and-white photographs make this a fun book to leaf through. Big, glossy, and entertaining, "What'd I Say" is a coffee-table tribute to a rare species: a record company that respects its artists and treats them fairly. For a more comprehensive biography of Ertegun, see Dorothy Wade and Justine Picardie's Music Man (LJ 3/15/90). Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
With a roster including Ray Charles, the Drifters, and Aretha Franklin, Atlantic Records pretty much was rhythm and blues in the '50s and '60s. And label founder Ertegun was Atlantic Records. This lavish tome tells the hugely influential record company's story in 1,000 evocative photographs, augmented by the oral-history-style reminiscence of Ertegun and musicians he discovered or helped make stars. Atlantic did well in other genres besides R & B, recording some of jazz legends John Coltrane's and Charles Mingus' best work and the influential rock supergroups Cream and Led Zeppelin. By the '70s, though, its glory years were over, and the likes of Foreigner, ABBA, and, more recently, Hootie and the Blowfish became the label's mainstays. So the book resembles those CD boxed sets tracing the trajectory of a career: just as the first two or three discs get repeated play, whereas the last gets filed after a cursory scan, the second half of this volume pales before the glories that precede it. It records a remarkable half century of music, nevertheless. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


David Geffen
"(Ertegun) is the greatest record executive alive today-the template by which everything else is measured."


Vanity Fair
"Through it all, Ertegun has remained the ultimate industry icon."


Publishers Weekly
". . . If the company one keeps is a reflection of intelligence, then Ertegun is a genius times 100."


Library Journal
"Big, glossy, and entertaining..."


Book Description
The official behind-the-scenes story of the meteroic rise of Rock and Roll by the people who made it history.


From the Publisher
Contributors include: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Robert Plant, Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton, Phil Spector, Jack Bruce, Jewel, Tori Amos, Cher, Booker T, Rufus Thomas, Steven Stills, Graham Nash, Neil Young, Maurice Gibb, Yes, Greg Allman, Genesis, Phil Collins, Blues Brothers, Stevie Nicks . . . and many, many more.


From the Inside Flap
Ertegun created Atlantic Records in 1948, building it into the single most important record label of the post-war era. By the early 1950s he had signed John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus, and Ray Charles. By 1960 Atlantic dominated the world music scene, having signed just about everyone who was anyone in the newly enfranchised pop scene; the company would reign over the rock scene for another three decades. Never before has Ahmet Ertegun talked comprehensively about his life in music or about the bands he signed and nurtured. Featuring 1200 color and black and white photographs-many never before seen-WHAT'D I SAY is the official behind-the-scenes story of the meteoric rise of Rock 'n' Roll by the people who made the history.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Discover the rich history of Atlantic Records in this big, illustrated book written by the label's founder, Ahmet Ertegun. Along with Ertegun's reminiscences, Atlantic's biggest stars -- including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Eric Clapton -- speak out about their music and their experiences with Atlantic. Reproductions of concert posters, album sleeves, and nearly one thousand photographs round out this chronicle of American music history. Page after page of anecdotes, from the funny to the bittersweet, tell the story of the label that propelled R&B to the top of the charts. Essays by Greil Marcus and other top music journalists are also included in this unique book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Ertegun founded Atlantic Records in 1947 with $10,000 borrowed from his dentist, the 24-year-old native of Turkey was living in segregated America, which did not realize the beauty of its own cacophony. Spanning six decades, this coffee-table history goes a little deeper than most. Ertegun's anecdotes are intermingled with those of his business associates and recording artists. Atlantic's roster includes Ray Charles, Clyde McPhatter, the Drifters, Big Joe Turner, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, Mabel Mercer, Bobby Darin, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Sam and Dave, Dusty Springfield, Led Zeppelin, Tori Amos and so on. There are nine essays by some of the most respected music journalists. Each nicely crystallizes the label's enormous contributions to R&B, jazz, rock 'n' roll, pop and soul.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

Founded in 1947 by Ertegun, the son of a Turkish diplomat, Atlantic Records is one of the most successful and respected major record companies. Early hits by black artists such as Ray Charles and Clyde McPhatter established the label as an incubator of R&B. (In fact, it was Ertegun's partner, Jerry Wexler, who coined the phrase rhythm & blues). As the 1970s dawned, the label famous for its black artists filled its roster with quintessential white bands like Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Led Zeppelin. In this oral history, Ertegun's anecdotes are liberally supplemented by comments from scores of associates and Atlantic artists. Some of the most respected names in music journalism, including Robert Christgau and Greil Marcus, have also contributed eight essays covering different time periods and aspects of Atlantic. More than 1200 color and black-and-white photographs make this a fun book to leaf through. Big, glossy, and entertaining, "What'd I Say" is a coffee-table tribute to a rare species: a record company that respects its artists and treats them fairly. For a more comprehensive biography of Ertegun, see Dorothy Wade and Justine Picardie's Music Man. Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING