Singer on the come-back trail

Press, 23 November 1988, Page 26

Singer on the come-back trail

By

PAUL GREIN

Whoever coined the expression “The bigger they are the harder they fall” might have been thinking of John Denver. One of the hottest multimedia stars of the 70s, Denver was virtually out of the public eye by the mid-80s. He has probably received more attention in the last few months because of his stated desire to go up in space for the Soviets than he has in the last five years for his career activities. But Denver has been working overtime to rebuild his career.

“Nobody stays on top for ever,” Denver said from his home in Aspen, Colorado. “You can only stay at the pinnacle of the business for two or three years and then it’s going to taper off. The question is how you handle it when that happens.”

Make no mistake: Denver was definitely at the pinnacle of the business. In one 18-month period in 1974-75, the singer had three No. 1 albums and four No. 1 singles. His

“Greatest Hits” album sold an estimated 10 million copies and was the biggest seller in the history of R.C.A. Records — until this year, when it was finally topped by the “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack. Denver was also a sensation on TV, starring in a string of top-rated specials for A.B.C. He did sell-out concert business and was hot enough at one point to co-headline with Frank Sinatra. He even had a hit movie in 1977, “Oh, God!” in which he co-starred with George Burns.

But the bloom was off Denver’s career by 1978. His TV ratings started to drop. He failed to parlay his “Oh, God!” success into other film appearances. Last year R.C.A. opted not to renew his record contract.

At that point, Denver could have packed it in and holed up in the Rockies. But he has been making a concerted effort to reclaim some of the popularity he enjoyed a decade ago. He has formed his own

record company, Windstar, which recently released his first postR.C.A. album, “Higher Ground.” And he has started a relationship with C.8.5.-TV, which last month broadcast his dramatic special, also titled “Higher Ground.” Coming up later this year: a new Christmas special. Denver,' 44, said he realised his career was in serious trouble five years ago when he split from long-time manager Jerry Weintraub and began managing his own affairs. “I didn’t think I was as bad off as I was,” he said. “My relationships with my record company and with radio people around the country had deteriorated much worse than I thought, and my marketability had lessened much more than I thought. “I feel good about what I’m doing. If I want to do a TV show, I think there’s support out there and interest in John Denver on TV. If I want to make a record, I have my own record company, and it doesn’t have to be a

million-seller for the economics to work. If I want to do a tour, I can go anywhere in the world, and people are there for me to do concerts. I won’t be playing the ?0,000-seat arenas, but that doesn’t matter.” John Denver. Mac Davis. Barry Manilow. Glen Campbell. Helen Ready. All were once the toast of the business, selling millions of records and enjoying enormous TV visibility. But all have experienced the same steep decline that Denver has faced.

It’s not just coincidental that all of these stars were big favourites with the middle-of-the-road audiences. That audience, say music industry executives, just doesn’t seem to actively support its favourite performers over the long haul the way that rock audiences do. “John’s audience was wide but not terribly deep,” said Joe Smith, president and chief executive officer of CapitolE.M.I. Music.

“In the 70s, there was always that sharp division between the act that could get on FM radio and be the darling of the hip set, and the acts that had hit single records. During John’s term of popularity, he could be No. 1 on the charts, but his records never touched that other audience, and it seems that that other audience has a greater degree of loyalty and fascination with their favourites than his audience did.”

In the meantime, Denver is continuing to rekindle his career. “I have an album that I am very proud of,” he said. “I think it’s as good as anything I’ve ever done.”

“It’s a real exciting place for me,” Denver added. “I feel like life is almost starting over, except that I’m much more able to live up to what’s going on than ever before. I’ve grown a lot in a lot of different ways. I’m definitely not that kid in the granny glasses any more.” Copyright Los Angeles Times Syndicate