Universal Music Chief’s Winding Comeback Trail

NEW YORK — Doug Morris has come a long way since his first big hit: the Chiffons’ 1966 smash, “Sweet Talkin’ Guy.”

Sitting in an office on Broadway near the tiny storefront where he co-wrote that song, Morris now heads the world’s largest record corporation, Seagram Co.’s Universal Music Group.

Morris’ emergence as arguably the most powerful figure in music follows some very bizarre twists.

The 60-year-old Morris labored quietly in the shadows for years writing, producing and promoting songs before launching his own Big Tree Records label, which he sold in 1980 to Time Warner’s Atlantic division. After slowly working his way to the top, Morris was abruptly fired just hours before he was to be promoted to global music head.

He started over in 1995, when Seagram chief Edgar Bronfman Jr. asked him to launch a new label and later to run the company’s entire music division, which then ranked last among the world’s record conglomerates. With the $10.4-billion acquisition of music giant PolyGram, Morris now sits atop the industry’s global leader, with nearly 25% of the market and such artists as country singer Shania Twain, Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, rap’s Eminem and the Irish rock group the Cranberries.

In his first extensive interview since the PolyGram deal last year, Morris spoke candidly about his new status at Seagram, his firing at Time Warner and addressed industry skepticism about his credentials to run an international conglomerate in a rapidly changing business.

Question: How does it feel to be sitting on top of the world’s biggest record company just four years after many in the industry had written you off?

Answer: It’s like a scene in one of those horror movies where the guy is dead and buried and then suddenly, out of nowhere, you see this arm burst out of the ground--and boom, he’s back! That’s the way I see myself. That’s me.

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Q: Bronfman gave you a huge vote of confidence when he installed you as global chief of Universal. While you’re regarded as one of the best American record executives in the business, even some of your strongest supporters are skeptical about whether you can run a giant international conglomerate.

A: You know, I hear that a lot and I love it. It’s such bull. Can you name one American running any of these companies who has a lot of international experience? Do you think [Sony Music chief] Tommy Mottola flies down to Asia every month to check on sales in Thailand? Do you think [Warner Bros. chief] Bob Daly knows which artists Time Warner should be signing in Europe? Do you think [BMG chief] Strauss Zelnick attends weekly budget meetings in Brazil? I don’t think so. It’s like anything else. What you do is you get someone who really knows the culture and understands the international side of the business. Then you delegate power to him and to the experts in each country who report to him. If you pick the right guy, you do great. And we definitely got the right guy in [international chief] Jorgen Larsen.

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Q: There have been lots of rumors that you and Jorgen don’t get along. Any truth to that?

A: That’s not true. I like and respect the guy enormously.

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Q: There’s also grumbling about how Universal may end up destroying the unique multicultural vision that helped turn PolyGram into the global leader. PolyGram divided the world into five equal territories, but critics say Seagram has elevated the status of the U.S. over its international arm.

A: That’s 100% wrong. Most of the money in this company comes from international. PolyGram had the most exceptional executives in each country overseas and we did everything we could to ensure that they would stay and keep running things. Edgar bought PolyGram because it was the global leader. So why mess with it? Over here [in the U.S.], on the other hand, things were quite dysfunctional and it required a lot of work to fix. We made some big changes in the U.S. division.

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Q: Those changes sparked a lot of criticism regarding the consolidation and how it will impact jobs and artist development in the future.

A: I don’t really think there is any criticism out there that holds water. It’s tough when anybody loses their job. But I’m very proud of the way this thing has come together so seamlessly in such a short time. Of course, there are always going to be the chirpy birds who gossip about how this person hates that person or how this thing sucks and that thing has to fall apart. People tend to dwell on the negative, but that’s just the nature of our business.

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Q: Another criticism is that Universal, with so many superstars under the its roof now, is going to be so preoccupied with keeping the pipeline stuffed with star product that you’ll have no time or money left to develop new artists.

A: That’s bull. Most of our best- selling records right now are by new artists. We’ve got nearly a dozen new acts on the chart, including 98 Degrees, Juvenile, Eminem and New Radicals. New artists are the lifeblood of this business. It’s true that we’ve got a giant roster of star acts too. But if having lots of superstars is something to be criticized for, I bet our competitors wouldn’t mind being criticized for the same thing.

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Q: You started out writing and producing music for artists and promoting singles to radio stations. How does dealing with record people differ from dealing with corporate guys?

A: I’m a person who knows how to work with creative content. I’m very involved with the people who find the content for our company. That’s a big part of my job. Corporations and record people, however, speak two different languages. And while I understand what’s going on creatively from the record label point of view, I also know how to translate that information to the civilians. I like to think of myself as being bilingual. I serve as a link between the two sides.

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Q: That skill apparently did not save you from being fired at Time Warner. You were one of a dozen senior executives axed in a corporate power struggle and, in your case, you got the boot just hours before you were scheduled to be promoted. What did you learn from that experience?

A: It taught me that you can be driving down a highway and if the bumper on the car in front of you falls off and goes through your windshield, you’re dead. What happened to me had nothing to do with how good a job I was doing. On the day I was fired, Warner owned the charts. We were on top in a big way. I really don’t like to talk about it. It’s over now. It’s in the past.

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Q: You started your career as a singer-songwriter, right?

A: Yeah. I was like a cross between Neil Sedaka and Bobby Darin. It sounds pretty wimpish now, but that’s what was happening in 1962. After singing, I started out making 50 bucks a week as a staff songwriter for Lou Levy. In those days, I used to be in awe of Bert Berns, that amazing songwriter who composed “Twist and Shout” and “Hang On Sloopy.” I used to cash his check and bring it over to him at Atlantic, where he was a staff producer. He gave me encouragement. He always told me that I would become a big deal in the business someday.

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Q: In an industry where many chief executives are criticized for not grooming successors, you have a reputation for discovering and developing talented, young managers. Many of the most successful record chiefs working today came up under your wing, including Jimmy Iovine, Sylvia Rhone and the entire Atlantic team.

A: It’s the achievement I am most proud of. I get the biggest kick out of backing intelligent, hard-working people and watching them succeed. But the fact is, you can’t do it all yourself. As you get older, it’s a joke if you think you’re going to go into some club and sit there with a bunch of young kids and be able to understand what music is great and what isn’t. That’s just ego talking. You need people who live and breathe it to help you. And your job is to pass on to them what you’ve learned over the years. I think of the record business like a sports team. Last year, the Bulls were in first place. This year, they’re in last. And it’s real obvious why. They lost their three best guys. If you don’t keep the best people running your labels, you can’t sign the best artists. And if you can’t get those artists to put out the best music, nobody will buy your records. It’s as simple as that.

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Q: You sold your Big Tree label to legendary Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, whose shadow you then labored under until the early 1990s.

A: Ahmet was a giant plus in my life.

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Q: Did working in the shadow of such a towering figure all those years influence the way you publicly champion the young executives you discover?

A: Definitely. I’ve seen this business from both sides. I’ve seen it as the bagel boy, and now as the boss.

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Q: As the bagel boy, did you--in your wildest dreams--ever imagine that you’d end up being this successful?

A: To tell you the truth, I’ve always been confused about what success really is. For instance, my father was a lawyer with health problems who didn’t really do that well, as far as being a successful provider for our family. My mother, who was a ballet teacher, was really the one who provided for us. My father, nevertheless, was a very nice man who treated everyone in his life very kindly. And when I was growing up, I thought that’s the way I want to be and have tried to be. When I got into this business, I encountered many accomplished people who were very wealthy, but whose character I really despised. But you know what? They never touched my dad, who in my eyes, was a truly successful man. As far as my life goes, I never had any idea I would end up doing this well. Still, what I really want is to be remembered as a hard-working guy who treated people nice and with respect. What’s wrong with that?