interview- Mitchell Cohen on the rise of Arista Records

Mitchell Cohen was an A&R rep with Arista Records, one of the fastest-rising independent record labels of the 1970s and '80s. Their roster of stars included Barry Manilow, Melissa Manchester, Whitney Houston, Patti Smith, Flock of Seagulls, Thompson Twins, and the Brecker Brothers. They also rejuvenated the careers of the Kinks, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Lou Reed , and gave the Grateful Dead their one and only Top 40 hit. Mitchell Cohen's new book also tells the story of Bell Records, a singles-oriented label with many hit artists in the 1960s, which was transformed when Columbia Records-wunderkid Clive Davis took over Bell and turned it into Arista.