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You know you have a multimillion-seller hit – and what you’re working on suddenly has magic.

Ahmet Ertegun

Whenever a songwriter writes a big hit, then the next 20 songs they write – no matter how bad they are – get recorded.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Big Matter Next Recorded Song Write Writing
I first heard Laura Branigan sing live in my brother Nesuhi’s apartment, where we had gone because he had a very good piano. I immediately realized that she had a great pop voice, in the classical sense.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Apartment Brother Career Gone Good Heard Very Voice
I came close to signing Elvis Presley. I offered $25,000 for his contract and they asked for $45,000 and I just didn’t have the other $20,000.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Celebrity Close Contract Kind Lawyer Offered Singing
The songwriters whom we think of being the greatest songwriters usually write one hit and six or seven flops.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Flop Greatest Hit Seven Six Think Thinking Write Writing
I used to drink a bottle of vodka a day, every day, for about 40 years and it never occurred to me it’d kill me.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Bottle Doctor Drink Occur Used Wine Year
People like Clyde McPhatter who came out of the black churches – like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin – were all church singers who became great pop singers because gospel singing is very close to the blues.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Black Blue Church Like Out People Singing
My first wife was a theater person.
AHMET ERTEGUN

First Person Theater Wife
There’s been so much bad blood between the Kurds and the Turks.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Blood Live
Everyone felt like they knew Ray Charles and in a way they did, because he was embodied by his music.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Everyone Felt Ray Way
Everybody at Atlantic knew that we had a winner in this young lady, and she came through with great hits that will be remembered for many years to come.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Atlantic Come Everybody Great Hit Lady Remembered Winner Year Young
Theres two kinds of music: black soul music, and the white imitation thereof.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Black Imitation Music Soul Two White
I should have gotten the Beatles. But one of my lawyers kind of messed up.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Celebrity Gotten Kind Lawyer Mess Other
There are still many great surviving talents: Stevie Winwood. Another great talent is Stevie Wonder.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Another Eric Great People Survive Surviving Talent West
I consider Laura to be one of my best signings, and I am proud to have had such a great singer in my career in the record business. We miss her dearly.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Business Career Consider Dearly Great Miss People Proud Record Singer
Laura had an instinctive feel for music and melody, and her delivery was sensational.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Delivery Feel Melody Music People Sensational
The main thing is that Ataturk saw the desperate condition of the countries that had not had an industrial revolution.
AHMET ERTEGUN

Condition Country Industrial Islamic Man Revolution Thing

You know you have a multimillion-seller hit – and what you’re working on suddenly has magic.

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You know you have a multimillion-seller hit – and what you’re working on suddenly has magic.

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Popular Authors

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