E115: Davitt Sigerson on disco + Bootsy Collins + Mick Rock R.I.P.
In this episode, we welcome Davitt Sigerson, all the way from his native New York City, to talk about his stellar career from Black Music magazine in 1975 to being made chairman of Island Records in America in 1998. Along the way we hear about his passionate love of disco, his two albums for ZE Records, and plenty more besides. Davitt also weighs in with thoughts on Chic, Prince, David Bowie's Young Americans, the late Mick Rock and a newly-added audio interview with Bootsy Collins, conducted in June 1978 by Davitt's sometime Black Music colleague Cliff White. Davitt proves to be a witty and erudite guest, as comfortable holding forth on Robert Musil as on Cloud One's 'Atmosphere Strut' — and with fascinating recall, to boot. Among the new library articles added by the RBP team, Mark & Jasper focus on pieces about the Clash, Vivian Stanshall, Cecil Taylor, Randy Newman, Amy Winehouse and — bringing the episode neatly full circle — disco "mix master" Tom Moulton. Many thanks to special guest Davitt Sigerson, whose remastered demos are coming soon to a streaming service near you. Pieces discussed: Davitt on Disco, Tom Moulton, Chic, Prince, Barney meets Davitt, Bootsy Collins audio, Young Americans, David Bowie, Mick Rock, Elton John, Cecil Taylor, The Clash + Johnny Thunders, Rough Trade and Factory, Randy Newman, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Otis Redding, Noel Redding, Viv Stanshall, Terry Southern, Amy Winehouse, Cameron Carpenter and Tom Moulton.