>SdkbBot at 01:50, 29 June 2021

2021-06-29T01:50:10Z

New page

{{short description|Indian-American music executive}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{more footnotes|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Bhaskar Menon
| image = Bhaskar Menon.jpg
| caption = Menon in 1974
| image_size =
| birth_name = Vijaya Bhaskar Menon
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|05|29|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Trivandrum]], [[Kingdom of Travancore]], [[British India]]<br>(present day [[Thiruvananthapuram district|Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kerala]], India)
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|3|4|1934|5|29|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Beverly Hills]], [[California]], United States
| origin =
| instrument =
| genre =
| occupation = [[Record label|Record label executive]], [[Broadcast media|broadcast media executive]]
| years_active = 1956–1990 (music), 1990–2021 (media)
| label = [[Capitol Records|Capitol]], [[EMI Records|EMI]]
| associated_acts =
| website =
}}

'''Bhaskar Menon''' (29 May 1934 – 4 March 2021)<ref name="billboardObit">{{Cite web|title=Bhaskar Menon, Legendary EMI and Capitol Records Head, Dies at 86|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/obituary/9536012/bhaskar-menon-dead-emi-capitol-records-pink-floyd|access-date=2021-03-06|website=Billboard|language=en}}</ref> was a music industry executive of [[Indian people|Indian]] origin. He hailed from [[Palakkad district|Palakkad]], [[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 the [[United Kingdom]] by EMI.

As the first Chairman & [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of [[EMI]] Music Worldwide, Bhaskar Menon was best known as a music industry executive, overseeing the EMI Group’s worldwide operations and subsidiaries.

A citizen of the [[United States]], Menon was born in [[India]] where he was educated at [[The Doon School]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/the-man-who-showed-pink-floyd-the-bright-side/|title=The Man Who Showed Pink Floyd the Bright Side -|date=20 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/ad/article/ii-andover-india.html|title=WSJ.com - The Andover of India?|website=www.wsj.com}}</ref> and received a B.A. Honours degree from the [[University of Delhi]]. He earned a master's 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.

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 Records|Capitol]] Industries in the U.S.A. and [[Toshiba]] EMI Limited in Japan.

Menon transferred to [[Los Angeles]] 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]] and Colgems music publishing companies and [[United Artists]] Records which he acquired for Capitol/EMI. He was also Chairman of EMI Films Inc. and EMI Television Programs Inc.

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.<ref>" New Musical Express, 1978, "The Man Who Really Runs Rock & Roll"</ref>

A recent posting on the ''FYI music site'' had this to say about 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 Records|Elektra]] 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."<ref>Memories of Menon, excerpted from the FYI Music news blog {{cite web|url=http://fyimusic.ca/industry-news/when-the-going-gets-tough-the-critics-love-to-chatter#more-1014 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2008-07-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522212029/http://fyimusic.ca/industry-news/when-the-going-gets-tough-the-critics-love-to-chatter |archivedate=2010-05-22 }}.</ref>

== Early life ==
Menon was born on 29 May 1934 in [[Trivandrum]], in modern day state of Kerala in India, to Saraswathi and KRK Menon.<ref name="billboardObit" /> His father, KRK Menon was a civil servant, who was independent India's first finance secretary.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Bhaskar Menon, Legendary EMI and Capitol Records Head, Dies at 86|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/obituary/9536012/bhaskar-menon-dead-emi-capitol-records-pink-floyd|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Billboard|language=en}}</ref> He was exposed to music with the Indian classical music that he was exposed to from his mother's side.<ref name=":0" /> He studied at [[The Doon School]] and earned his [[Master's degree]] in 1956 from [[Christ Church, Oxford]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-06|title=Bhaskar Menon, Indian-Origin Record Label Exec, Passes Away at 86 -|url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/bhaskar-menon-indian-origin-record-label-exec-passes-away-at-86/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Rolling Stone India|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> He married his wife Sumitra in 1962.<ref name="billboardObit" />

== Career highlights ==
Menon started his career with the British music record and publishing company, [[EMI]], in 1956 after graduating from university. He moved over to EMI's Indian subsidiary [[Gramophone Company of India]] in 1957 and went on to become its chairman in 1969.<ref name=":0" /> He would work with the group for 34 years in various positions.<ref name=":0" />

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 multibillion-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, Menon was appointed 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.
[[File:Paul and Linda McCartney Wings Over America 1976.jpg|thumb|Menon (right) with [[Paul McCartney|Paul]] (center) and [[Linda McCartney]] in 1976]]
During his many years in the international music business, Menon was closely associated with the careers of a number of outstanding popular artists such as [[the Beatles]], [[the Rolling Stones]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[Queen (band)|Queen]], [[Jack Jersey]], [[Glen Campbell]], [[Kenny Rogers]], [[Tina Turner]], [[Anne Murray]], [[Peggy Lee]], [[Paul McCartney & Wings]], [[Duran Duran]], [[Nancy Wilson (rock musician)|Nancy Wilson]], [[Iron Maiden]], [[Diana Ross]], [[Bob Seger]], [[Carole King]], and [[Steve Miller (musician)|Steve Miller]]. He also worked with classical performers like [[Yehudi Menuhin]], [[Herbert von Karajan]], [[Maria Callas]], Ricardo Muti, [[Itzhak Perlman]], and [[Daniel Barenboim]]. In his recent memoirs, Duran Duran's [[Andy Taylor (guitarist)|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, 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-[[Academy Award|Oscar]]-winning ''[[The Deer Hunter|Deer Hunter]]'', ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (1974 film)|Murder on the Orient Express]]'', 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]]'s album ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]''. He put the power of Capitol/EMI behind the band with a tremendous marketing, PR and advertising effort led by Capitol's vice president [[Al Coury]]. The album which has been called "the most technically advanced recording of its time" was hailed as a unique blend of studio wizardry and outstanding musical innovation. As such it might have achieved some success without Menon's support, but Pink Floyd's sales in the US had been modest up to that point, and the promotion efforts of Al Coury certainly encouraged success internationally. In the UK, Pink Floyd had blocked the release of singles. Menon pushed for the songs, "Us and Them" and "Time" to be edited and released as singles for American radio. ''The Dark Side of the Moon'' spent 950 weeks on the USA-based [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] 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. Menon was featured in the documentary "[[The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon]]."

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]] and Apple in releasing the live recording of the [[Madison Square Garden]] "[[Concert for Bangladesh]]" which was inspired by Harrison and his friend [[Ravi Shankar]]. Besides George Harrison, [[Ringo Starr]] and [[Bob Dylan]], 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 be used for free.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLjvKOgZIRk|title=- YouTube|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> This event was the first significant benefits concert for humanitarian causes organized and supported by musicians.

== Awards and honors ==
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, Menon was appointed to the rank of "[[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres|Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]" (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]], [[Ray Charles]], [[Leonard Cohen]] and [[Jack Nicholson]].

== After EMI ==
Menon became the Chairman of I.M.I. (International Media Investments Incorporated), which he founded in 1995.<ref name="billboardObit" /> This [[Beverly Hills]] based company provides investment support & consultancy services for new and developing creative ventures in media, entertainment and leisure businesses. He also served as a Director on the Boards of corporations in the US, Europe & Asia, including as an Independent Director of NDTV.com from 2005 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bhaskar Menon, Music Legend And Ex NDTV Director, Dies In US|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bhaskar-menon-music-legend-and-ex-ndtv-director-dies-in-us-2385192|access-date=2021-03-07|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

Menon died on 4 March 2021 and is survived by his wife and two sons.<ref name="billboardObit" />

== Sources ==
* " The Man Who Runs Rock & Roll", New Musical Express, 1978
* History of the EMI Group, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070128115013/http://www.emigroup.com/About/History/1970.htm 1970 - 1979]
* Biography of Mr Vijaya Bhaskar Menon from NDTV.com, [https://web.archive.org/web/20080217222244/http://www.ndtv.com/investors/bhaskarmenon.htm VIJAYA BHASKAR MENON NDTV.COM]
* The EMI Group History page, UK, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110815155704/http://emimusic.co.uk/history/page3.html EMI History]
* NOW ON CD'S, FIRST 4 BEATLES ALBUMS, The New York Times, By JON PARELES Published: 25 February 1987,https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/25/arts/now-on-cd-s-first-4-beatles-albums.html
* Dark Side of the Moon: The Making of the Pink Floyd Masterpiece - Google Book by John Harris - 2006 - Music - 191 pages, [https://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 ]
* The Menon mantra -- "Don't stretch a brand beyond its capacity", 1999 Indian Financial Express Newspapers, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120302/http://www.financialexpress.com/old/fe/daily/19991113/fst13072.html The Menon mantra -- Don't stretch a brand beyond its capacity]
* Memories of Menon, excerpted from the FYI Music news blog, 7/11/2008 at :[https://web.archive.org/web/20100522212029/http://fyimusic.ca/industry-news/when-the-going-gets-tough-the-critics-love-to-chatter*more-1014 fyimusic.ca » Blog Archive » When the going gets tough the critics love to chatter]

== References ==
{{Commons category|Bhaskar Menon}}
<references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menon, Bhaskar}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Presidents of Capitol Records]]
[[Category:University of Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford]]
[[Category:The Doon School alumni]]
[[Category:American businesspeople of Indian descent]]
[[Category:People from Ottapalam]]
[[Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]

Bhaskar Menon - Revision history

>SdkbBot at 01:50, 29 June 2021