By Mark Grove
Jan. 4 2003 (Back Issue article/interview I did with Blues label owner Bruce Iglauer
In 71' Blues in Chicago was given a step up by a young man who felt the blues artists should get their fair share of the music industry spoils. Bruce Iglauer started Alligator Records with his first artist well known by most blues musicians as Hound Dog Taylor. There have been many through the years who wanted to be an Alligator artist but just didn't quite fit what Bruce was looking for. I realized in doing this interview that I still have a lot to learn about blues and the music industry.
Bruce understands not just the artist but the market for blues as well. Alligator has had numerous great Bluesmen and women such as Johnny Winter, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor and a new sensation Shemeika Copeland.
CGP: When you started Alligator Records in 71', you released an album with Hound Dog Taylor. How were the majority of the albums sold? Off stage or in other ways since Retail stores didn't sell much blues material back then.
Bruce: Although we did sell off the bandstand, the vast majority were sold through regular retailers. I set up national distribution very quickly. I mostly used Delmark distributors, but not entirely.
CGP: You worked at Delmark when you started Alligator. At what point did you decide that Alligator was more important?
Bruce: Bob Koester, my boss, decided for me. He let me work there until spring of 72' and then sat me down and told me I had to make a decision as half the calls coming to Delmark were for me. I was lucky he carried me that long. I've made my own living with alligator since, though sometimes just barely.
http://www.alligator.com
CGP: With Alligator Records on the Chicago blues scene in 71' did many independent blues artists and even major label ones see that Alligator was able to provide the type of help that major labels weren't willing to provide, and be there if an album flops and not just drop them off the label?
Bruce: At that time there were many, many unsigned blues artists. The majors weren't interested, historically the blues was championed by indie labels. When I started, Chess was a shadow, Vee-jay had folded and blues was losing favor on black radio.
Anyone recording blues was solicited by many artists. As soon as they heard that I paid royalties, many artists approached me. Finding artists wasn't my problem. Most of them probably would have recorded for nothing.
CGP: Back when you started Alligator was the Chicago blues scene thriving at that point?
Bruce: The scene was almost entirely in the ghetto, being played mostly in small neighborhood bars. On any Saturday, probably 2000 black people and 50 white people in Chicago were listening to live blues. Is that thriving?
CGP: When you sign an artist to Alligator do you worry much about how many albums they sell?
Bruce: Assuming they've recorded before, these days I worry a great deal about how they've sold. With very few retailers left in the USA and Soundscan recording sales, if an artist has a poor sales record I can't get their next release into the stores. That worries me a lot.
CGP: If one of your artist's doesn't sell well here in the US do you look to other markets such as Europe or Japan?
Bruce: 80% of our market is in the USA. It's very hard to 'break' a Blues artist anywhere, but harder overseas where we have less knowledge of radio and press and certainly there are less media opportunities available. There is virtually no airplay for Blues on any kind of commercial radio in Europe or Japan, the markets there are very small and specialized.
For example, the biggest US blues magazine, Blues Revue, has a readership of around 25,000. The biggest UK blues magazines, Blues & Rhythm, has a readership of 2500. So I really count on breaking artists in the USA, where there is the most media and of course also the best touring opportunities, with perhaps 100 clubs that will book a touring Blues artist and about 100 festivals that might book a national artist, plus about 80 AAA radio stations that will play some (not much) blues, and then the specialized radio shows.
This quote from Bruce below here is important to heed for blues artists.
The US is easily the biggest market for Blues in the world. Blues artist may get more respect as 'artists' elsewhere, but not more actual sales.
http://www.alligator.com
CGP: Does Alligator sell it's albums mainly off stage or through your catalog and distribution channels?
Bruce: 90% or more through regular distribution or online (speaking of USA sales). Only a few of our artists sell huge numbers at the gigs.
CGP: Currently you have an artist, Shemeika Copeland, who is wowing them everywhere she goes. Do you feel she is becoming Alligators premiere Female vocalist since Koko Taylor and Big Mama Thornton?
Bruce: I feel that Shemekia is not simply a Blues singer. She's much more the heir to the blues/ballad/r&b tradition of Etta James, or maybe young Aretha than to Koko. Big Mama never recorded for us. But Shemekia can't be easily categorized.
CGP: Since blues as a rule doesn't sell incredibly well. Do you concentrate on developing artists who develop their own style when interpreting blues covers and mainly play their own material?
Bruce: I always seek artists who have their own sound and style. Many of my artists write, but some, like Shemekia and Michael Burks, are great interpreters. What I don't want is artists who sound like artists who have previously recorded.
CGP: Do you find that Alligator has covered enough of the blues market to be able to compete with the major labels in this regard?
Bruce: The majors have virtually abandoned Blues along with other niche music. What blues artist other than BB is signed to a major? Our competition musically is almost entirely our fellow indies. But they're not our obstacle. Our obstacle is to get to the market--in the stores, on the radio, in the press--so that the general public finds out that our music exists. The majors almost own the media and have the inside track with the stores. That's our battle.
CGP: Do you feel you're better able to manage blues artists than a manager affiliated with a major label?
Bruce: No managers that I know are affiliated with major labels. As far as our management, we've become managers by default. There are very few good managers in blues as there isn't enough money to be made. We manage Koko Taylor and Lonnie Brooks because they want us to. When our artists have professional management, we can accomplish a lot more with the artists. But some of our best managed artists are self managed.
CGP: Has Alligator ever considered releasing music of other genres?
Bruce: We had a 13 CD series of reggae records in the early 80s, but I couldn't stay up late enough to go the reggae shows, and I found many of the artists to be terrific artistically but unrealistic business-wise, (they thought they should be selling hundreds of thousands of albums). Otherwise, no. I am the ears of Alligator and I have ears for Blues but not for other genres.
CGP: Any plans to sign any blues artists from Canada?
Bruce: No plans but my ears are open. I'm very, very critical and reject 99% of what's offered to me, from artists all over the world.
Very critical lad isn't he fellow bluesmen. He know his blues shit don't he? But you can still do it indie style. Yeah, he made me look rather like I don't know my blues shit. Which is fine and I'm still learning to this day and will be until I listen to my last blues song when I leave this earth. I love it!!
Many thanks to Bruce Iglauer from Alligator Records for doing this interview more than 10 years ago. I hope you blues and rock artists learned something and use it to market and play your brand of music out there in the clubs, opening for other bands or headlining. Much success guys.
http://www.alligator.com
Mark Grove - Canadian Guitar Player
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