Bumping Into Geniuses

Danny Goldberg is a legendary music industry figure who has served as CEO of the Mercury Records Group, Atlantic Records, Warner  Bros. Records, and Artemis Records, and currently runs Gold Village Entertainment. His most recent books include Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain and Liberals with Attitude: The Rodney King Beating and the Fight for the Soul of Los Angeles.

“A behemoth in the rock 'n' roll industry.” —Vanity Fair   “A laminated backstage pass to the music business, intertwined with a juicy slice of countercultural history.” —Los Angeles Times  “[A] surprisingly excellent book, an engaging, droll and — incandescent artistes to the contrary — largely demystifying look at the evolution of the rock trade from Woodstock to grunge...There is an elegiac quality to Bumping into Geniuses.” —New York Times Book Review   “Chronicles the phases of his career with the sort of candor few record-biz execs would attempt. . . . Admirably blunt, but also spiked with tart humor.” —Entertainment Weekly  “For anyone interested in the rock and roll industry, or simply the mores and temperaments of the musicians themselves, Bumping into Geniuses is an incredible insider’s tale.” —Vintage Guitar   “Bumping into Geniuses is such an important text. . . . Goldberg’s book presents a time when popular music really mattered, when the authentic fed the commercial and the commercial widened the scope of the authentic.” —Milwaukee Express News   “Goldberg summons up some fascinating anecdotes as he writes about these performers with much honesty and compassion, bringing it all back home.” —Publishers Weekly   “A good taste of life in the music biz. . . . It’s not only the tales themselves that make Bumping into Geniuses a great read; it’s how Goldberg tells the stories. You really get the feeling that he loved every moment.” —The Jewish Journal   “Goldberg is an industry icon. . . . He explains how the essence of music changed from being about the artistry to being about the business, but he also shares insider stories. Goldberg’s affection for music, as a fan, is always palpable.” —Richmond Times Dispatch   “This book renews my faith in the music, confirms my suspicion of the business, and answers a lot of questions that I’ve always meant to ask Danny myself.” —Steve Earle, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter   “Danny Goldberg believes in the transcendent beauty and power of rock and roll and at the same time has a unique perspective on the business which has presented and preserved it. Danny writes about rock and roll with his characteristic mix of intelligence, reverence, and humor.” —Patti Smith, Grammy-winner and R&R HOF Inductee   “In chronicling his remarkable rise from rock writer to record-company chief, Danny Goldberg demonstrates that there's more to the music business than just business.” —Kurt Loder, Rolling Stone and MTV Music critic