THE RYKODISC STORY:
Big ENOUGH TO MATTER,
SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE
STAY INFORMED.
Get UPDATES.
be the first to KNOW.
SIGN UP NOW.
Rykobook IS THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF A PIONEERING INDIE LABEL TOLD BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IT.
In 1984, fledgling indie label Rykodisc released its first title, “Comin’ And Goin’” by Native American Jazz artist Jim Pepper.
Rykodisc quickly released classic rock, jazz, dub, zydeco, bluegrass, soundtracks, classical, art-rock, atmosphere, reggae, blues, ambient, country, gangsta rap, cajun, holiday, folk, alternative, rockabilly, electronic, spoken word and a dazzling assortment of world music that spanned the globe.
The Rykodisc brand quickly became a force to be reckoned with, propelled by attention to detail, high-quality packaging, state-of-the-art mastering and the success of the CD (helped along by the major labels’ failure to adapt to, never mind embrace, the format).
Curation of great music was always the primary concern. The label attracted established superstars and pioneering visionaries: Devo, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Jimi Hendrix, Mission Of Burma, Badfinger, Ringo Starr and Frank Zappa, for starters.
In 1989, less than five years after their first release, Rykodisc shocked the industry with arguably their greatest coup, securing the rights to the RCA-era David Bowie catalog.
In the ‘90s Rykodisc grew exponentially, starting its own distribution company, a publishing division, and purchasing Hannibal Records, Frank Zappa’s catalog, Gramavision, Tradition, Slow River and Restless Records.
More legendary artists got the Rykodisc treatment, including Big Star, Andrew Bird, Lloyd Cole, Bootsy Collins, Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure, Elvis Costello, Bruce Cockburn, Robert Cray, Nick Drake, Galaxie 500, Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum, Joe Jackson Band, Nils Lofgren, MGM Studios soundtracks, Ministry, The Misfits, Morphine, Bob Mould and Sugar, The Replacements, They Might Be Giants, Richard Thompson and Yoko Ono.
But by 1998, the label was sold to Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, to be a component of his new venture, Palm Pictures, who effectively dismantled Rykodisc in 1999.
Rykodisc’s ambitions were huge, brilliantly executed and frequently realized. So why did it all fall apart?
For the first time, the untold story of this pioneering label is revealed by the people who lived it.
Written by Jeff Rougvie, longtime VP of A&R and Special Projects(1986-99, 2003-2006), with the blessings and cooperation of Rykodisc’s four founders, Rykobook will be the definitive history of the label from its humble beginnings through its highest peaks and ignominious end.
Featuring interviews with over fifty employees and associates, this hybrid Oral History / Label Biography features an in-depth examination of Rykodisc’s storied past, including unheard tales of Big Star, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Nick Drake, The Grateful Dead, Mickey Hart, Bob Mould and Sugar, Morphine, Frank Zappa and many, many more.
Crowdfunding SOON
Why crowdfund?
There have been offers to publish the book, but:
It has taken 7 years to write, encompassing hundreds of hours of work.
Once it gets into the hands of a publisher, you don’t know what will happen. Publishers will want to edit and design the finished project, but we have a very specific idea of what we want the finished product to look like, very much in the spirit of the label. If we successfully crowdfund, we can manufacture the book we’ve envisioned — a book we are fairly confident no publisher would be willing to produce, if only for cost reasons.
Also, since publishers have been gutted by an evolving (devolving?) landscape, we’ve heard cautionary tales of historical books being assigned to editors fresh out of college. This is fine, but for a book spanning the ‘80s and ‘90s, we’d prefer an editor with first-hand knowledge of the era.
To our good fortune, the esteemed Julie Stoller has agreed to edit the book. In addition to her sterling credentials as a writer/editor, Julie has worked in the music business and published the much-missed Bowie fanzine “Sound & Vision,” sanctioned by Bowie’s management company, Isolar.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!!
We have TONS of carefully preserved, vintage Rykodisc goodies for add-on tiers that’ll enhance your enjoyment of the book! How’s a regular publisher going to offer you the chance to get very rare Rykodisc collectibles spanning the label’s legacy?
About Jeff
Jeff Rougvie has done nearly every job there is in the music business, from performing in bands to working at record stores, to artist management, to running many labels.
From 1987-1999 and from 2003-2006, he was the VP of A&R and Special Projects at Rykodisc, responsible for many of the label’s signings and making him one of the longest-serving staffers at the label.
Today he writes the Image Comics series Gunning For Hits, runs Supermegabot Music Concern LLC (primarily a CD-only label), is working on a graphic novel biography of a legendary band, and serves as an Expert Witness in music industry-related lawsuits.
ABOUT JULIE
Writer and editor Julie Stoller first met Jeff Rougvie in the 1980s, when he was working at Capitol Record Shop in Hartford, Connecticut and she was madly hunting for rare David Bowie bootlegs to add to her growing collection. She fondly recalls seeing businessmen in suits in the small indie shop’s dusty back room, pouring over the first available CD titles.
Fast-forward to 1989. After Bowie chose Rykodisc to rerelease his highly esteemed back catalog and the label made plans for their introductory Sound + Vision boxed set, Jeff contacted Julie for research assistance and to help with their ambitious project. She became a great fan of the label, increasing her musical knowledge and enjoying such diverse releases as the Screaming Tribesman, A Day on Cape Cod, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic, Big Star, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Hamza El Din, Morphine, Bernie Krause & Human Remains, Dzintars Latvian Women's Choir and The Barking Tribe.
She considers it a great honor to assist Jeff as he chronicles the Rykodisc story and relives those heady days of music discovery.