'I turned down Bowie': Record company boss comes clean about his greatest hits and some eye-watering misses in new book
- Chris Wright has written a book documenting his triumphs and regrets
- Chrysalis founder turned down Bowie album Hunky Dory, and The Kinks
- But the music mogul, now 69, also discovered Dire Straits and Blondie
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One of the world's most successful music moguls has confessed to turning down a long list of acts who went on to become world-famous superstars.
Chris Wright, 69, who founded the Chrysalis media group and signed stars including Blondie and Spandau Ballet, rejected both David Bowie and the Spice Girls at the start of their ultimately highly lucrative careers.
He also said no to Dire Straits, The Kinks, the musical Cats, Popstars talent show and 80s synthesiser hero Jean Michel Jarre.
Chris Wright, founder of Chrysalis, has spilled the beans on some of his greatest business regrets in his new book
Mr Wright, a former owner of Queen's Park Rangers football club, who sold Chrysalis for £107million in 2010, admitted to his litany of misses in his new autobiography, One Way Or Another, which is published today.
Describing one of his 'head in hands moments', Wright told how he pretended to be out when David Bowie pestered him about his Hunky Dory album, which includes seminal hits Changes and Oh You Pretty Things.
Wright told the Independent: 'He was in our office in Oxford Street all the time, often pleading with us for money to go and make demos. Our receptionist would ring around and we would all pretend to be out.'
He did decide, however, to take a 25 per cent share of the singer's publishing rights.
Mr Wright said the Spice Girls rushed into his office miming their future hit Wannabe, and ended up sitting on the chief executive's knee, after which he decided not to raise a £250,000 bid for them on the basis that he believed only one of them could sing and none had any song-writing ability.
Rejected: Mr Wright turned down both David Bowie, left, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical Cats, right
Mr Wright said he turned down Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats because he wasn't sure he could write a hit without Tim Rice. Cats is now the second longest-running musical in Broadway history and the fourth longest-running show in the West End, and the music producer acknowledges that his decision ranked as one of his 'very worst'.
Another one he particularly regrets was letting the New Zealand TV show Popstars pass him by after deciding that the show, which inspired Pop Idol, was 'garbage'.
The mogul said he passed up a chance to sign the Kinks after he dozed off during their show in New Orleans, while he dismissed Dire Straits as 'very good but very, very boring'.
But despite all the rejections, he made more good business decisions than bad, and is currently said to be worth more than £70million.
Rejected: Chris Wright turned down the Spice Girls after the girl band sat on his chief executive's knee
Hit: Chris Wright's Chrysalis launched Blondie, among a lucrative string of successful music acts
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Well I can understand why he turned down the Spice Girls.....just wish all companies had.....bad move to turn down Bowie though
Chrysalis were a nothing company until Blondie. Jethro Tull & Steeleye Span were their only few hits
I understand his thoughts on Dire Straits. 1978, I think, they were supporting Talking Heads and Slaughter and the Dogs at the Roundhouse in Camden London. I went to the bar after a few songs. I did return, after a pint.
Im having a blond(ie) moment, how did he acquire 25% of Bowie's publishing rights if he turned him down?
I worked for Bowie's producer doing a temp job on reception. Tony Visconti. But I never had the nerve to ask if I could go to the studio and see Bowie recording. It was about 1977 when I worked for them in South Audley Street.
Well if I was judging today no way would I sign some of the so called acts that are around today (yikes ...ive turned into my father).
He deserves a knighthood, at the very least, for turning down the Spice Girls.
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Horse-w No Name, san rafael, United States, 5 hours ago
He was right about Dire Straits, Mega Boring. Now Bowie was a genius. Even with Bowie, I did not like some of his work. Bowies' latest music video from this year (February or March 2013) features a girl bleeding from her palms. I felt horrible watching that. I decided then, I would never rewatch that video and I haven't.