Michael Gudinski
Encyclopedia
Michael Solomon Gudinski, AM
(born 22 August 1952) is an Australia
n entrepreneur and businessman currently based in Melbourne
who is a leading figure in the Australian music industry. Mostly known for forming the highly successful Australian record company Mushroom Records
in 1972 through whom Gudinski signed several generations of Australian musicians and performers ranging from MacKenzie Theory, the Skyhooks, New Zealand's Split Enz
, The Choirboys
, Kylie Minogue
to newer artists such as Eskimo Joe
, Evermore and others forging a string of successful releases by local talent. He is the father of singer Kate Alexa
, who has been signed to his record label Liberation Music
since mid-2004.
He was educated at Melbourne High School and Mount Scopus
, and was a school friend of several young musicians who later became prominent on the Australian music scene.
Gudinski began promoting rock dances around Melbourne while still in his teens and moved into music agency work in the late 1960s. This led to the establishment of the Consolidated Rock artist agency in around 1970.
In the early 1970s Gudinski founded a short-lived music magazine, Daily Planet, but the publication failed to reach a wide audience and consistently lost money.
Gudinski and fellow music agent Ray Evans formed Mushroom Records
in late 1972. The company's first album was an ambitious triple-LP live recording of the 1973 Sunbury Festival. In its first few years Mushroom released albums and singles by some of the most significant Australian rock acts of the period, including Madder Lake
, MacKenzie Theory, Matt Taylor
and The Dingoes
.
Mushroom struggled to survive for its first two years, hampered by lack of airplay on commercial radio, and the company reportedly came close to folding on several occasions. But the label was dramatically pushed to the forefront of the Australian music scene in early 1975 with the massive success of Skyhooks, whose debut album Living in the 70's became the biggest-selling Australian LP ever released up to that time.
Around the same time, Gudinski was convinced to sign expatriate New Zealand band Split Enz
, who had recently relocated to Australia. Although they had only moderate success for the first few years, Split Enz scored huge success in 1980 with the release of their album True Colours and the hit single I Got You
, which marked the emergence of Neil Finn
.
Through his ownership of Consolidated Rock, which later evolved into the Premier Artists /Harbour Agency group, Gudinksi became the major player on the Australian east coast booking circuit, and enjoyed a virtual monopoly on rock music bookings in Melbourne for much of the 1970s.
In partnership with others (including Frank Stivala, Philip Jacobsen and Ian James) he has diversified his business interests to include most sections of the music industry including venues, concert promoting, merchandise, publishing and recording.
Gudinski is often referred to as the "father of the Australian music industry" -- a title he clearly enjoys—but it is inaccurate and would be more fairly applied to long-serving Festival Records head Alan Hely. Gudinski has been a highly visible public figure throughout his career, and he is probably the only Australian record company executive whose name is known by the general public. Although he is typically portrayed as an energetic and outgoing character, those who have worked with him can also attest to his volcanic temper and his combative management style.
In the early 1990s Gudinski sold 49% of Mushroom to News Ltd, who had owned Australia's largest record label, Festival Records since 1961. He controversially sold his remaining 51% share to News in 1999 for a reported A$60 million, claiming that the sale was a protest against the changes to Australia's parallel record importation regulations, a stance many saw as disingenuous and hypocritical.
In November 2005, shortly after the sale of Festival Mushroom's recording division to Warner Music Australia, Gudinski purchased Festival's publishing division for an undisclosed sum.
, Gudinski's current business interests include:
On 12 June 2006, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia
.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 22 August 1952) is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n entrepreneur and businessman currently based in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
who is a leading figure in the Australian music industry. Mostly known for forming the highly successful Australian record company Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
in 1972 through whom Gudinski signed several generations of Australian musicians and performers ranging from MacKenzie Theory, the Skyhooks, New Zealand's Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
, The Choirboys
The Choirboys
The Choirboys may refer to:*Choirboy, a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble*The Choirboys , a 1975 novel by Joseph Wambaugh*The Choirboys , a 1977 film adaptation of the novel starring Perry King...
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
to newer artists such as Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe is an Australian alternative rock band formed by Stuart MacLeod on guitars, Joel Quartermain on drums and guitar and Kavyen Temperley on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1997....
, Evermore and others forging a string of successful releases by local talent. He is the father of singer Kate Alexa
Kate Alexa
Kate Alexa Gudinski is an Australian pop singer and the daughter of Australian music promoter Michael Gudinski, AM. Alexa first hit the spotlight in 2004 when her song "Always There" was featured in the Channel 7 series Home & Away...
, who has been signed to his record label Liberation Music
Liberation Music
Liberation Music is a boutique, independent Australasian record company, started in 1999 by Michael Gudinski and Warren Costello. Its stated aim is to find, nurture and then to develop new talent for a world market while remaining independent in the process...
since mid-2004.
Biography
Gudinski was born to Jewish Russian immigrants who had arrived in Australia in 1948.He was educated at Melbourne High School and Mount Scopus
Mount Scopus Memorial College
Mount Scopus Memorial College is a Jewish private school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.- History :Mount Scopus Memorial College opened on St Kilda Road in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1949, taking its name from Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, which remained under Israeli control after the 1948...
, and was a school friend of several young musicians who later became prominent on the Australian music scene.
Gudinski began promoting rock dances around Melbourne while still in his teens and moved into music agency work in the late 1960s. This led to the establishment of the Consolidated Rock artist agency in around 1970.
In the early 1970s Gudinski founded a short-lived music magazine, Daily Planet, but the publication failed to reach a wide audience and consistently lost money.
Gudinski and fellow music agent Ray Evans formed Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
in late 1972. The company's first album was an ambitious triple-LP live recording of the 1973 Sunbury Festival. In its first few years Mushroom released albums and singles by some of the most significant Australian rock acts of the period, including Madder Lake
Madder Lake (band)
Madder Lake is an Australian progressive rock band formed in Melbourne in 1971. They were one of the first band's signed to the Michael Gudinski co-owned Mushroom Records which released their debut single, "Goodbye Lollipop" in February 1973, followed by the album Stillpoint in August. This...
, MacKenzie Theory, Matt Taylor
Matt Taylor (musician)
Matt Taylor is an Australian blues musician. He is best known for his work with long-lasting blues band Chain and for the hit song "I Remember When I Was Young".-Biography:...
and The Dingoes
The Dingoes
The Dingoes are an Australian country rock band initially active from 1973 to 1979, formed in Melbourne they relocated to the United States from 1976. Most stable line-up was John Bois on bass guitar, John Lee on drums, Broderick Smith on vocals and harmonica, Chris Stockley on guitar and Kerryn...
.
Mushroom struggled to survive for its first two years, hampered by lack of airplay on commercial radio, and the company reportedly came close to folding on several occasions. But the label was dramatically pushed to the forefront of the Australian music scene in early 1975 with the massive success of Skyhooks, whose debut album Living in the 70's became the biggest-selling Australian LP ever released up to that time.
Around the same time, Gudinski was convinced to sign expatriate New Zealand band Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
, who had recently relocated to Australia. Although they had only moderate success for the first few years, Split Enz scored huge success in 1980 with the release of their album True Colours and the hit single I Got You
I Got You (Split Enz song)
"I Got You" is a 1980 song by New Zealand rock group Split Enz from their studio album True Colours. Split Enz's most commercially successful single, "I Got You" was written by Neil Finn and released in January 1980.-Music video:...
, which marked the emergence of Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
.
Through his ownership of Consolidated Rock, which later evolved into the Premier Artists /Harbour Agency group, Gudinksi became the major player on the Australian east coast booking circuit, and enjoyed a virtual monopoly on rock music bookings in Melbourne for much of the 1970s.
In partnership with others (including Frank Stivala, Philip Jacobsen and Ian James) he has diversified his business interests to include most sections of the music industry including venues, concert promoting, merchandise, publishing and recording.
Gudinski is often referred to as the "father of the Australian music industry" -- a title he clearly enjoys—but it is inaccurate and would be more fairly applied to long-serving Festival Records head Alan Hely. Gudinski has been a highly visible public figure throughout his career, and he is probably the only Australian record company executive whose name is known by the general public. Although he is typically portrayed as an energetic and outgoing character, those who have worked with him can also attest to his volcanic temper and his combative management style.
In the early 1990s Gudinski sold 49% of Mushroom to News Ltd, who had owned Australia's largest record label, Festival Records since 1961. He controversially sold his remaining 51% share to News in 1999 for a reported A$60 million, claiming that the sale was a protest against the changes to Australia's parallel record importation regulations, a stance many saw as disingenuous and hypocritical.
In November 2005, shortly after the sale of Festival Mushroom's recording division to Warner Music Australia, Gudinski purchased Festival's publishing division for an undisclosed sum.
, Gudinski's current business interests include:
- Liberation MusicLiberation MusicLiberation Music is a boutique, independent Australasian record company, started in 1999 by Michael Gudinski and Warren Costello. Its stated aim is to find, nurture and then to develop new talent for a world market while remaining independent in the process...
- Mushroom Music Publishing
- Mushroom Pictures
- The Harbour Agency/Premier Artists - booking agents
- Frontier Touring Company
- Agent Mad - event promoters
- ATM Australian Tour Merchandise
- Music venues: Ding Dong Lounge, Locker Room
- MCM Entertainment
On 12 June 2006, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, he was made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
.