May 2003
By Sam Harrison, Editor, WestEnd Review magazine
JONATHAN SHALIT pictured with TV Presenter JULIA BRADBURY (Photograph by EDWARD LLOYD)
Even before the videotape was pushed in I was dubious. With the charts as they are today, I thought, ‘here we go... more manufactured tripe‘ I was in Soho, waiting for Entertainment Manager, JONATHAN SHALIT, to arrive. Meanwhile I was about to take a look at his latest recruits, the newly signed BIG BROVAZ. What started to play was not entirely what I expected; firstly, they could sing and secondly, it had real freshness. This must have been what JONATHAN saw in them on his first excursion to Brixton. As underground act BIG BROVAZ first performed for him, in a derelict multi-storey apartment block, the watchful eyes of 20 or so young people awaited his reaction. Since that meeting over 250,000 copies of BIG BROVAZ‘ first single ‘Nu Flow‘ were sold, and the single held strong in the charts for over 10 weeks. Their follow-up number ‘OK‘ also went to the Top Ten.
This meteoric success is nothing new to SHALIT. He‘s seen it all before. The year 1997 found him in Wales, listening to an eleven-year-old girl in her parents‘ living room. This diminutive little creature turned out to have a powerful voice. Under JONATHAN‘S wing, CHARLOTTE CHURCH went on to sell in excess of 5 million copies of her first two albums, the best-selling and youngest solo act in the world at the time. This was unprecedented.
So what is it about JONATHAN SHALIT that he is able to bring this raw talent and energy into focus? Well, contacts for one. ‘Anyone I don‘t know isn‘t worth knowing‘, he states matter-of-factly, without trace of arrogance. In his own words, he‘s a catalyst. ‘What I do is create opportunities. I love getting people in a room, introducing them and then leaving. When you get people together they talk and if you‘re talking, things are happening. A lot of my day is spent getting the ball rolling.‘ And he does literally, have a lot of day. Up at 5.30am, he‘s likely to have completed his international calls, worked out at the gym and be on his way to the Savoy for a business breakfast before most of us have even gained consciousness.
Sheer effort has built him an enterprise, the success of which can be measured worldwide. He‘s one of very few who understands the international arena. While his signings enjoy success throughout many countries, almost all other media management companies find it impossible to attain footing outwith the UK. This inability to grasp the global arena is certainly one of the factors why so few British acts ever become truly international stars.
JONATHAN briskly draws comparisons between American and British boy bands; ‘BLUE, certainly not a global phenomenon. Neither has the success that WESTLIFE has had, been replicated around the world. Let‘s compare these two to their American counterparts, N SYNC and BACKSTREET BOYS. It‘s like comparing second division to premier league. However it‘s not only down to poor management. There‘s a serious lack of talent in the charts. He glances down this week‘s Top 40. ‘There‘s no one world class; GIRLS ALOUD - rubbish; BLUE - an average kareoke band; OASIS - arrogant. KELLY OSBOURNE - a gimmick with a nauseating personality...‘
How bearable is it, dealing with celebrity temperaments on a daily basis? Does he have to spend more time placating their egos than furthering their careers? ‘I work with people who are talented, and who are well known as a consequence of this talent. The people I choose to work with are professional individuals.‘ He certainly doesn‘t give the impression that he would put up with nonsense. The likes of JLO would do well to keep clear.
JONATHAN obviously chooses his subjects more carefully. ‘I‘m fortunate enough to work with people who are up there with the best in the world. Take RUTHIE HENSHALL for example. There are very few British performers who can go to the US and hold their own on Broadway.‘ His magic touch was also applied to the career of harmonica legend, LARRY ADLER. Together they compiled ‘The Glory of Gershwin‘, along with artists such as MEATLOAF, ELTON JOHN and ELVIS COSTELLO. It became the best-selling album of this musician‘s long career. Add to this actress, presenter and singer CLAIRE SWEENEY, and on the surface it seems to be the most eclectic group of people. But there is method in his madness as JONATHAN explains, ‘I work in show business, the entertainment business! If your expertise is solely in one area, you‘re limited to how much you can achieve. Actually they all cross-relate‘. His nose for uniqueness also serves his clients well as no conflict of interest arises.
We, the audience, can sit back and expect more great things to come from a man who is only 40, yet has already achieved so much.
This article was reproduced with kind permission from WestEnd Review magazine from their Spring 2003 edition.
David Jensen Photography:
https://www.davidjensen.co.uk/
