Steve Popovich Jr talks to Jason Barnard about continuing the legacy of his father Steve Popovich Sr by reopening the legendary Cleveland Records. Steve Jr is bringing back to life to former home of Meatloaf, Ronnie Spector and Ellen Foley with a remastered Cleveland Rocks vinyl compilation and a roster of new artists.
Steve Popovich, Jr. with Steve Popovich, Sr.
Hi Steve – Can you tell me why you’re reopening the legendary Cleveland Records?
Well, Cleveland International is a label with a tremendous amount of history. It was one of the first independent labels back in the 70s. It was rare in those days to be an indy label so my father was really ahead of his time. He had always said that Cleveland Int’l was his calling card for life and I believe that it’s up to me to carry on that legacy. I think right now is a good time to be independent and am looking forward to what the future holds for us.
Does it create pressure to follow in the footsteps of your father?
I mean yes and no. He certainly set the bar high and our mindset is no different. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
I’ve read that more records were sold per capita in Cleveland than any place else in the US. What makes the area have such a passion for music?
Cleveland has a rich musical history and is a very, very prideful city. You look at guys like Alan Freed going back to the early 50s. People like Hank Loconte who owned the Agora nightclub and was one of the most famous clubs back in the day, concert promoters the Belkins, famed journalist Jane Scott not to mention artists like, Joe Walsh, Michael Stanley, Eric Carmen and obviously my dad and Cleveland Int’l all from there and WMMS, which was the rock station back in the day. It’s why Cleveland is the undisputed Rock capital of the world. For years it had been a laughing stock on the late night TV shows and in fact that how’s Cleveland Rocks came about with Ian Hunter. He took offense to that and wrote the song in spite of what people were saying about the city because he loved Cleveland. That song has been our anthem ever since!
Can you describe the role your father played at CBS, Columbia and Polygram and the artists he worked with?
He started working in the Columbia Records warehouse in Cleveland all in thanks to America’s Polka King, Frank Yankovic who got him the job where he worked his way up and in 1969 he was offered a job in New York to be the assistant to Ron Alexenburg who was Director of promotion for Columbia. In 1972, he then became the first ever VP of Promotion for Columbia Records where he worked with Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Box Scaggs, Janis Joplin and on and on. He was voted National Promotion Man of the Year in 1972 and 1973 by Billboard and in 1974 he became VP of A&R for Epic where he launched the careers of, Jaco Pastorious, Boston, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, Wild Cherry, Suzy & The Red Stripes and so on. In 1976, he and my mom moved back to Cleveland where he started Cleveland Int’l until 1983. In 1986, we moved Nashville where he ran Mercury/Polygram Records’ country division and signed Johnny Cash (right after CBS dropped him), Lynn Anderson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Paycheck (Old Violin) and working with Tom T. Hall and several others.
What was it like growing up with your father given the artists he mixed with?
I tell people all the time, growing up in Nashville was like being around a big family. My dad always treated the artists he worked with like family there was no difference. Famed Sun Records producer/engineer Jack Clement lived down the street from where I went to school so i’d often go there after school and hang out. Johnny Cash recorded several albums there and I remember being at those sessions. It was a great time growing up for sure.
Steve Jr: “Johnny Cash presented my father this button box when he signed him to Mercury/Polygram Records in the mid 80’s. John worked with him back in the 60s when he was doing local promotion for CBS Records in Cleveland. John knew his love of polka music.”
As head of Cleveland International, your father gave Meat Loaf the break that led to Bat Out Of Hell needed. Can you describe what happened?
Well the album had been turned down by every label in the industry at that time. David Sonnenberg I believe is who sent my father the album and he listened to it and initially he liked it because it was so far left of what was going on at that time. It kept growing on him and then he eventually signed it and the rest is history. That album would’ve been dead at 50,000 units but my dad kept fighting, kept going and it’s now over what, 45m sold worldwide. He used to say, be stubbornly passionate about your beliefs and that’s a great example of believing and not giving up. You can get a hell of a lot further with one believer then you can a whole company with some interest.
For those that don’t know can you outline some of the artists that have graced Cleveland Records and some of the key tracks linked to the label and your father?
Well the first single release was Ronnie Spector with the E Street Band. There’s an interesting story here. I guess it was around 1976ish but Bruce and the E Street band were strongly considering breaking up because they had no money and Steven Van Zandt called my dad and told him what was going on and my dad said, I got this Billy Joel song and it’s a tribute to Phil Spector called, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, since you’re the one who got Ronnie out of retirement to be on the Jukes’ last album why don’t you produce it with the E Street band including Bruce backing her and i’ll pay you guys double or triple scale. That was like a month’s salary back then and basically kept the E Street Band together at a very crucial period in their career.
I always loved the R&B group, Essence. Sweet Fools sounds just as good today as it did back then and is right up there with a lot of those R&B classics of that time. These guys all worked in a car wash in Chicago prior to their signing and even after they were signed. Iron City House Rockers and The Boyzz were staple artists to the label and just great rock n roll bands. Of course, Meat Loaf, Ellen Foley’s We Belong To the Night was a big hit then and produced by Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson.
Why did Cleveland Records close and what did your father do next?
There were several reasons at the time. My dad was going through his lawsuits with Sony in which it just consumed his life, the industry was slapped out of left field with the whole Napster thing and it was just a very very tough time then. I had gotten the bug to move back to Nashville as the music scene was very vibrant and ended up working at Sirius Satellite Radio.
He was still being consumed with the lawsuit stuff and he ended up splitting time between Cleveland and Nashville to be by us and his grandkids (my children).
I understand Steve Van Zandt was a friend and supported your father?
There were very good friends for close to 40 years.
I assume it was hugely important to fight and win your father’s legal battle with Sony given his passing?
Well, it was something that I needed to pursue.
Can you tell me about the new Cleveland Rocks album?
This compilation was originally released in 1995 on Cleveland. So as part of the relaunch of the label I felt it was appropriate to reissue and this be the first release for the label.
What are your plans for the label?
Well we are reissuing about 15 titles this year from our back catalog and in addition we have a new band we just signed to the label. The Cerny Brothers who are an incredible band. We also have a few more artists we are looking to sign this year as well. Expect big things to come.
Further information can be found at www.clevelandinternational.com
All photos used with the kind permission of Steve Popovich Jr.
