Review of Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built (2007) by Gavin S — 11 Dec 2013

I loved it. The last film made with Ahmet Ertegun while he was still alive (he died in 2006 backstage at a Stones concert, which is karmically AWESOME for this guy). Ertegun founded Atlantic records in 1947 due to his love of Jazz, and turned it into THE label for many years, playing what he called 'Black Music' as opposed to 'White People trying to play Black Music' or visa versa.

R&B superstars, starting with Ray Charles, started careers there, or hit their peaks (Aretha Franklin; Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King). Then the label branched out into Rock, with such acts as Eric Clapton (and Cream); The Stones (from 1971 on); Led Zeppelin (from their first album); and into other diverse talents (Bette Midler, Phil Collins, and later: Kid Rock!).

It's just jaw-dropping to hear the lineup they had on that label, even after selling to Time-Warner. The man had a major hand in songwriting early on, as well as producing, not just sitting in an office and making $$.

An ear for talent, with the music first and foremost. Into his 80s at the time of his death, he still worked in the business, and was nearly universally loved and celebrated by those he worked with (Robert Plant, Mick Jagger, Ray Charles, Phil Collins, Clapton, Midler, Franklin, etc.

). If you like music at all, then take a look and find out what music labels used to be like, and why Atlantic was THE place to be for a long time. Also a very progressive label for black artists to be on, as well as one where the management didn't interfere with the creative process, and let the music be the music.

BRAVO.