Bhaskar Menon
Encyclopedia
Bhaskar Menon is a music industry executive of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n origin. He hails from Palaghat, Kerala, India. He initially worked with The Gramophone Company of India Ltd. (HMV) Dum Dum, Calcutta, India as the Chairman and MD. From there he was taken to UK by EMI.

As the first Chairman & CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...

 of EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

 Music Worldwide, Bhaskar Menon is best known as a music industry executive, overseeing the EMI Group’s worldwide operations and subsidiaries.

A citizen of the United States, Mr. Menon was born in India where he was educated at The Doon School
The Doon School
The Doon School is an independent school located in Dehradun in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Established in 1935, it was founded by Satish Ranjan Das. Its first Headmaster was Arthur E...

 and received a B.A. Honours degree from the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...

. He earned a Masters degree from Christ Church, Oxford University, and joined EMI Limited in London. Transferred to India and the Far East, he was appointed Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive of EMI's Indian subsidiary.

Mr. Menon returned to London as Divisional Director and General Manager (Overseas) of EMI Limited responsible for the Group's interests and investments outside the U.K. He was concurrently appointed Managing Director of EMI International Services Limited with direct operating responsibility for companies in 25 countries. He represented EMI on the Boards of several subsidiary and associated companies including Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 Industries in the U.S.A. and Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...

 EMI Limited in Japan.

Mr. Menon transferred to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 and was elected President and Chief Executive Officer of Capitol Industries Inc,a public corporation in which EMI held majority interest. He was appointed a Director of the parent Board of EMI Limited, and elected Chairman of the Board of Capitol Industries Inc. in addition to remaining President and Chief Executive Officer of all its operating companies in North America including Capitol Records, the Merco & MusicDen Retail Group, Capitol Magnetic Products division, and of the Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....

 and Colgems music publishing companies and United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....

 Records which he acquired for Capitol/EMI. He was also Chairman of EMI Films Inc. and EMI Television Programs Inc.

Mr. Menon turned around the financially troubled Capitol EMI into a successful major player in the music industry. In a 1978 article, the publication New Musical Express noted, "Within a year he had turned Capitol's $15 million loss into a profit. His motto for his employees was simple: 'Uncompromising excellence in what you do goes without saying. We expect more than that.

A recent posting on the FYI music site had this to say about Mr. Menon's achievements at EMI.

"Menon pulled the British companies sprawling assets, spread over 46 countries, under one roof and created EMI Music Worldwide in 1978.

Menon was a great team builder, he had a passion for music and he loved entertaining and hanging out with musicians. Just like the incredible team that built Warner, Elektra
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....

 and Atlantic. From what I remember of Bhaskar Menon, his kindness, generosity and sharp intellect were appreciated by the stable of talent the company acquired and held on to in those years."

Career highlights

As its first chairman and CEO, Menon formed EMI Music Worldwide in 1978, which brought together under his unified global management all of EMI Group's records and music publishing interests throughout the world. Among the world's foremost companies in the entertainment business, the multi-billion dollar EMI Music Group headquartered in London has operations in over 46 countries.

When Thorn Electrical Industries and EMI joined together to form Thorn EMI, one of the world's largest companies in their respective businesses, Mr. Menon was appointed as Director of the parent Board of the merged company at its inception in December 1979. He remained Chairman of EMI Music Worldwide and a Director of the Thorn EMI plc Board until he retired from the Group in 1990.

During his many years in the international music business, Mr. Menon was closely associated with the careers of a number of outstanding popular artists such as the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

, the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...

, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...

, Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...

, Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...

, Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....

, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...

, Paul McCartney & Wings, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...

, Nancy Wilson, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

, Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...

, Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...

, Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...

, and Steve Miller
Steve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...

. He also worked with classical performers like Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...

, Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...

, Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...

, Ricardo Muti, Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-born violinist, conductor, and instructor of master classes. He is regarded as one of the pre-eminent violinists of the 20th and early-21st centuries.-Early life:...

, and Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....

. In his recent memoirs, Duran Duran's Andy Taylor noted, "We decided to go with EMI, because we knew they had a global network and could launch bands across America. The company was headed by the legendary music industry figure, Bhaskar Menon, who'd presided over EMI during the rise of the Beatles." (Andy Taylor, quoted in "Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran")

As Chairman of EMI India, Mr. Menon was involved in the careers of that country's leading film, popular and classical singers and musicians. During his Chairmanship of EMI Films Inc, the company produced such masterpieces as the multi-Oscar winning "Deer Hunter
Deer Hunter
Deer Hunter or variants can refer to:*The Deer Hunter, a 1978 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture* The Deer Hunter , a 1979 novelization of the screenplay of the film*Deer Hunter , a series of hunting video games...

", "Murder on the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on January 1, 1934 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year under the title of...

", and "Passage to India".

Dark Side of the Moon

In 1973, Menon played the central role in leading the promotion and marketing of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

's album The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure...

. He literally put the power of Capital/EMI behind the band with a tremendous marketing, PR and advertising effort. The album which has been called "the most technically advanced recording of its time" was a unique blend of studio wizardry and outstanding musical innovation. Music critics hailed it as a blend of studio wizardry and fearless innovation. However, it was different than other albums of the time, and might have never achieved the success it enjoyed without Menon's support. He pushed for the songs, "Us and Them" and "Time" to be released as condensed singles for radio play. He had an uncanny ear for spotting musical talent and the skill to nurture it. Matching the work’s critical acclaim was its phenomenal commercial success. To date, The Dark Side of the Moon recording has spent 741 weeks on the USA-based Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 album chart, the longest duration of any album in history. It is also the fourth highest selling album globally of all time, selling more than forty million units. Mr. Menon was featured in the documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edSmjl6pVL0&NR=1&feature=fvwp, "The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon."

Mr. Menon’s contributions to the Dark Side of the Moon album’s success were recognized and when asked in an interview whether he was surprised at the results of his efforts he was quoted as saying, “I always believed that the record would be very, very successful. It was gratifying, but not surprising.”

Concert for Bangladesh

In 1971, Menon and Capitol joined with ex-Beatle George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...

 and Apple in releasing the live recording of the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...

 "Concert for Bangladesh" which was inspired by Harrison and his friend Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...

. Besides George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...

 and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

, the concert and the recording featured a bevy of some of the most important musical artists in the Western world. Most of these artists had exclusive recording commitments to different competitive labels. Despite the frustration and impatience of Harrison and everyone else involved, the contractual obligations of the performers required protracted negotiations to resolve, and the “live” album was released in December 1971, five months after the Concert. According to George Harrison, interviewed in November 1971 on the Dick Cavett Show, Bhaskar Menon was responsible for the delay, as he wanted Capitol to make profit out of this album, while all the other record companies let the performances of their artists being used for free. This event was the first significant benefits concert for humanitarian causes organized and supported by musicians.

Awards & honors

Mr. Menon served as President of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the trade association of the world recording industry, with 1,100 members and national groups in 71 countries. He was elected to the newly created position of Chairman of the Board of the Federation.He was awarded the IFPI "Medal of Honor" in recognition of his services to the worldwide music industry . He remained a Director of the American Recording Industry Association, (RIAA) from 1971 to 1990.

In 1990, Mr. Menon was appointed to the rank of "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...

" (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture. This order is one of the principal decorations conferred by the French Republic to honor individuals who had distinguished themselves by their contributions to the influence of the arts and literature. Other recipients of the Award include Herbert von Karajan, Wilhelm Kempff
Wilhelm Kempff
Wilhelm Walter Friedrich Kempff was a German pianist and composer. Although his repertory included Bach, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms, Kempff was particularly well-known for his interpretations of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, both of whose complete sonatas he also...

, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...

, Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...

 and Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...

.

After EMI

Mr. Menon has been Chairman of I.M.I. (International Media Investments Incorporated) since 1995. This Beverly Hills based company provides investment support & consultancy services for new and developing creative ventures in media, entertainment and leisure businesses. He also serves as a Director on the Boards of corporations in the US, Europe & Asia. He is presently a Non-Executive Independent Director of NDTV.com.

Philanthropy

Mr. Menon quietly supports a number of charities and musical institutions, and has worked tirelessly to help poor children in India.

Sources

1) " The Man Who Runs Rock & Roll", New Musical Express, 1978

2) History of the EMI Group, http://www.emigroup.com/About/History/1970.htm

3) Biography of Mr Vijaya Bhaskar Menon from NDTV.com, http://ndtv.com/investors/bhaskarmenon.htm

4) The EMI Group History page, UK, http://emimusic.co.uk/history/page3.html

5) NOW ON CD'S, FIRST 4 BEATLES ALBUMS , The New York Times, By JON PARELES Published: February 25, 1987,http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFDB123FF936A15751C0A961948260

6) Interviews with Mr. Menon

7) Dark Side of the Moon: The Making of the Pink Floyd Masterpiece - Google Book by John Harris - 2006 - Music - 191 pages,
http://books.google.com/books?id=8ioY6m4EHKkC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=menon+dark+side+of+the+moon&source=web&ots=cOo2O-RsXO&sig=GjwOLiDI5b8MCnxnmPdzDI_EZec

8) The Menon mantra -- "Don't stretch a brand beyond its capacity" , 1999 Indian Financial Express Newspapers , http://www.financialexpress.com/old/fe/daily/19991113/fst13072.html

9) Memories of Mr. Menon, excerpted from the FYI Music news blog, 7/11/2008 at :http://fyimusic.ca/industry-news/when-the-going-gets-tough-the-critics-love-to-chatter#more-1014

10) Paul Taylor, quoted in "Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran", page 54 on his experience with EMI and Mr. Menon.
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