MBW’s Key Songs In The Life Of… is a sequence through which we ask influential music business figures in regards to the tracks which have – to this point – outlined their journey and their existence. To begin 2024, Joe Kentish, President of Warner Information UK, and the person who signed Dua Lipa, takes his place within the hotseat. The Key Songs In The Life Of… sequence is supported by Sony Music Publishing.
Subsequent 12 months, Joe Kentish will rejoice 10 years at Warner Information UK. He first joined the label in 2014 as a Senior A&R and has subsequently been promoted, through a stint as Head of A&R, all the way in which to President, as of 2021.
2024 additionally sees him rejoice 25 years within the enterprise. He acquired his begin as co-founder of London-based indie, Middlerow Information, a tastemaker on the coronary heart of the UK storage scene.
He then broke into the most important ecosystem after being employed by Jamie Nelson to move up Parlophone’s Harmless imprint.
Following a spell at Mercury/Virgin EMI, certainly one of his first signings at Warner Information was Dua Lipa – now a multi-Grammy-winning world famous person, with album quantity three due later this 12 months. Not a nasty calling card.
His Key Songs return past his 25 years within the enterprise, but in addition trace at the place he’d like the following 25 to take him.
Reflecting on the method he says: “Like most individuals, I’m guessing, it was a blended bag. Boiling your life down into seven tracks is… a problem. Nevertheless it’s additionally fairly enjoyable, remembering why you linked with sure songs.
“I feel it’s fascinating that so many of those songs – and masses extra that didn’t fairly make the lower – occurred inside fairly a small window of time. It was really tougher to choose songs from the final 20 years. I feel there’s a interval the place you expertise all the pieces extra intensely.
“Plus, I used to be fortunate sufficient to begin listening to music at a time when circumstances and economics meant that you simply actually absorbed the alternatives you made; you lived with them as a result of they had been all you had.”
Right here, then, are Kentish’s picks, starting from singer-songwriters and soul queens to pop superstars and traditional jungle – all beginning with some hip-hop that’s about as old-school because it will get…
1) Doug E. Recent & The Get Recent Crew, The Present (1985)
That is the primary report that I’ll admit to having purchased. I feel I used to be eight or 9 when it got here out. On the B-side was La Di Da Di, which was Slick Rick, with Doug E. Recent simply beatboxing.
It’s onerous to imagine, as a result of hip-hop is so ubiquitous now, however I keep in mind all of it felt so unique again then – particularly for a child rising up in Harlesden.
We rarely acquired to see these folks, there was no mainstream media protection, so there was that sense of thriller. It sounded prefer it was coming from one other planet – however on the similar time, as a result of it was rapping and beatboxing, it was additionally one thing you might strive for your self. Fortunately, for everybody, I quickly realised it wasn’t for me.
“it was the beginning of a brand new tradition and, for me, the beginning of a life-long love of hip-hop.”
It in all probability felt like a craze on the time. And, the truth is, that’s what we had been being advised it was. However really it was the beginning of a brand new tradition and, for me, the beginning of a life-long love of hip-hop and rap music.
2) Paul Simon, The Boy within the Bubble (1987)
That is the primary music on the Graceland album, and it may actually have been the entire report for me. It was an album that my mum completely liked.
My mum and pa had been very conscious of the politics of Africa, of the black expertise, apartheid was an enormous situation in our home.
As a child, Africa was a spot that was talked about, but it surely didn’t essentially imply a lot. This music introduced it viscerally into our home.
In hindsight, it was really a really controversial report, with points to do with the cultural boycott, but it surely’s a type of albums I’ve all the time gone again to. And the older I get, the extra conscious of manufacturing I get, the extra superb I feel it’s.
It’s refined however enjoyable, to the extent {that a} 10-year-old may get into it, however I can nonetheless take heed to it now and listen to new issues, within the music and within the lyrics. It simply will get higher and higher, and me and my daughter take heed to You Can Name Me Al each Sunday morning collectively.
3) Michael Jackson, Dangerous (1987)
This isn’t his greatest report, however I keep in mind the occasion of the video being performed for the primary time. All of us went to my mum’s buddy’s home, as a result of she had a great deal of daughters who had been actually into Michael Jackson, and all of us watched it collectively.
I may have picked one thing else from Michael Jackson, I may have picked one thing from Madonna from this similar time, as a result of they had been pop information however they’d a lot groove in them. They felt huge and theatrical, which was so thrilling as a child.
“these artists and these landmark releases appeared to fill your life.”
These folks had been 20-feet tall. Every new report was an expertise on all fronts. There have been so few touchpoints in these days, however nonetheless these artists and these landmark releases appeared to fill your life.
And once I acquired my alternative to work at a serious label, I feel I carried a little bit of that degree of ambition with me, to work with information which are at that scale. These are the references I’ve once I take into consideration what I wish to obtain in my profession.
To me, there’s nothing higher the most important label system can do, or that I will be concerned in, than information which have a groove and a soul to them – however which are completely big all over the world. Information like Dangerous and True Blue [Madonna, 1986] are perhaps downplayed by folks in favour of ‘cooler’ albums or artists, however these are the very best of the very best of the very best.
There are so few artists who can pull that type of success off. The older I get the extra particular and uncommon I realise these individuals are, the extra I realise that success on that scale is just not an accident and the extra I realise how privileged you’re to be of their orbit.
4) Conquering Lion, feat. Tremendous Cat & Reggie Stepper, Code Pink (1994)
This was one of many largest jungle tunes round when jungle was getting large. It represents once I began going out with my associates in London, clubbing.
Each [artist] I’ve mentioned to this point has been American – other than Slick Rick, who was born in London, I’m positive somebody would have pointed that out! However jungle was UK. There have been a great deal of influences, however the mix was very undoubtedly British. It may solely have occurred within the UK at the moment, presumably may solely have occurred in London at the moment.
And it was trend, it was way of life, it was driving spherical all completely different elements of the nation. For 10 years after this, I assume I used to be a raver – which sounds comedic to say now, however that’s what the scene was. It additionally felt actually private, it felt prefer it belonged to us.
Even now, once I have a look at completely different audiences and followers, making an attempt to correctly perceive them, I try to keep in mind what jungle music meant to me and the way a lot I recognized with it. I didn’t need something getting in between me and my relationship with the music, I wished that connection to be as pure and direct as attainable.
If anybody ended up on Prime of the Pops, as an illustration, it was like somebody within the household had died. Like, what are they doing sharing our music with all these folks?! That was the possession I felt. It was an unimaginable time in my life and I linked with music in a manner I’m undecided I ever did earlier than or since.
5) Amy Winehouse, Tears Dry on Their Personal (2006)
This [pick] may simply have been a Lauryn Hill monitor. Each time anybody asks me what would have been my dream signing from the previous, or what’s my North Star, I say both Amy Winehouse or Lauryn Hill.
They made information that dug right into a soul legacy but in addition grew to become a part of it and did it in a manner that would solely have been accomplished within the instances that they had been working in. They had been traditional sounds and on the similar time fully modern.
I’m typically engaged on albums the place we’re referencing older sounds, however once we do I additionally fairly often reference these two artists, to make the purpose that when the greats did it, they made it their very own.
“I keep in mind pondering on the time, that is what I’m making an attempt to do; that is it.”
I used to be at Common when Again to Black got here out, Darcus was upstairs making the report, and we had been conscious of a number of the difficulties that had been swirling round.
I heard Rehab, and I assumed that was alright, but it surely seemed like a little bit of a novelty to me. After which they got here with the remainder of the album and I used to be knocked out. I keep in mind pondering on the time, that is what I’m making an attempt to do; that is it.
6) Jay-Z, Kanye West, N***as in Paris (2011)
I may decide something off this album (Watch The Throne).
I’m an enormous Jay-Z fan, as a human being and as an artist. And this was the good Kanye, earlier than all of the nonsense.
The present I noticed once they toured this report remains to be the very best rap live performance I’ve ever been to in my life. This monitor acquired rewound seven instances [that night], as a result of it’s a spotlight on a report that’s filled with highlights. It’s two greats on the high of their sport.
I nonetheless smile once I even consider the expertise of being within the room watching them carry out this – an actual privilege.
7) Aretha Franklin, The Darkish Finish of the Avenue (1970)
I simply suppose that is arms down the best voice that’s ever existed within the historical past of well-liked music.
You’ll be able to decide any music from her – and it is best to, simply to listen to the complete vary of what she will do.
I get goosebumps once I take heed to her, or once I watch her reside performances.
It’s onerous to explain simply utilizing phrases, but it surely’s a voice that has the ability of loud even when it’s quiet.
You realize when there’s a Porsche simply idling, however you’ll be able to nonetheless hear the ability, that if the motive force places their foot down, it could actually fly? I simply wish to be round folks like that.
My dad had numerous soul information, however really there was this Irish child I went to high school with, his Dad was a landlord – but in addition a singer. I assume there was a little bit of a The Commitments vibe.
Anyway, they’d all these cassettes of soul music he would lend me. So I really acquired launched to Aretha and a great deal of different soul music by way of my buddy’s dad, an Irish publican who sang in a covers band!
