TWO GENTLEMEN, SEVEN QUESTIONS

Five Questions for Bob Jamieson

1. What is your short-term game plan for RCA Records?
Make it through the day.

2. Should we expect the addition of a major player to the RCA team?
I’m looking at David Sarnoff.

3. Part of the mandate for the new job is to set up new labels; what do you have in mind?
I’ll be announcing six not-for-profit joint ventures with six priests from Boston.

4. Now that you are back in a hands-on position creatively, what are your A&R priorities?
Polka, death-rock, Vienna waltz music, shlager.

5. Do you often mistake Thomas Stein for Michael Smellie?
Who?

Two Questions for Rolf Schmidt-Holt

1. Does Bob Jamieson have a new mandate at RCA?
First, let me tell you that we ran an Elvis look-a-like contest and Bob won. Apart from that, his mandate is to continue to raise the profile and performance of our music labels. Bob will help us as we build a more A&R-driven organization on a worldwide basis. We made the change in structure because we wanted our senior executives as close to the creative process as possible. And that process is not over.

2. What does it mean to bring back such a seasoned executive as Jamieson and what do you expect of him?
Many people don’t know it, but Bob is one of the most successful music executives around. For example, he found and helped develop Christina Aguilera, a worldwide star. When I asked Bob last year to oversee restructuring North America, he did a great job. Now I am relying on him again to uses his skill and reputation to help raise the profile and performance of RCA Records. He’ll also be looking to expand our creative territory with new labels. Bob gets to return to his passion and strength: dealing with artists and managers. I know he’s very happy about that.