[The Promoter’s Responsibilities with Bob Jamieson]
Promotion people…that’s a very good position for someone to get into because you’re dealing with artists, you’re dealing with managers, you’re dealing with the promotion staff. When you’re in a branch you’re dealing with everybody in the branch from the branch manager, to the sales people, to the merchandisers, to the finance people, if there are finance people. You’re dealing with the artist, manager, national staff, the press people. That is the best job to get in a record company to give yourself exposure to the powers that be, to give yourself experience in most of the music business, to build a name for yourself within your company and out of your company, because artists’ managers have artists at other labels and people talk. It’s a great way to build your career.
It takes a person who likes people. You have to understand this is not a nine to five job. In fact, I think it can be generally said in the music business for any of the creative areas this is not a nine to five gig. This gets in your blood. This becomes a lifestyle. It is your lifestyle, it is not a job. You take it with you. It’s 24/7. You live it and breathe it. You’re partner and anybody that knows you has to support that and understand that because it is demanding. I used to say it’s my mistress because it’s always there, but I live it and I breathe it. You have to have a wife or a partner that understands and supports that, and then it becomes a wonderful journey and a wonderful experience.
In promotion, you can be out all night with these artists when they come to town. You have to learn to balance your life because, being in that position, you are exposed, more than anybody, to the evils of everything; the evils of alcohol and of drugs. All of the vices might be evident to you at a given point in your position. You have to understand you’re in a business. You make that choice in your life. If it’s a business, I don’t believe that you should be doing any of those things or be involved in any of those things. It’s not hard to say “No I don’t”. It really isn’t hard. You’ll be around it. Some of the things that you’ll see in your career and in the business and it will hurt people. Not only in your career, in your life.
It requires a person with a real strong sense of who they are, a person who’s ready to work really hard. A person who has a great personality and likes to deal with people and enjoys being around people and working with people and understands their various personalities.
