Fender, Rhino, and Morling Manor Team Up to Launch Fender RecordsRiff Rocks Series to Spotlight Many Styles of Guitar Music July 31, 2001
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has entered into a
strategic alliance with Rhino Records and Morling Manor Music to form
Fender Records. The announcement was made jointly by Fender Sr.
VP of Marketing Ritchie Fliegler, Rhino President Richard Foos, and
Morling Manor President Spencer Proffer. Fender Records will focus on
guitar-driven music of all genres and will extend the company's famous
name and commitment to quality to audio collections.
Massive marketing and promotion plans are being put into place to launch
the first in a series of albums to be called Riff Rocks. It is
anticipated that releases will hit the streets in the fourth quarter of
this year. Fender products--including such legendary axes as the
Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars, and Precision Bass and Jazz
Bass--have worldwide distribution, including more than 1,500 retail
outlets in the United States and Canada alone, but until now most of
these retailers have never been viable sources for audio CDs. These,
along with the www.fender.com Web site and Fender's music magazines
Frontline and Bass Street, will also be used to promote the new label.
The idea of a branded label began when Fender met with Morling Manor to
discuss a possible benefit blues album for children. The companies had
first teamed on the CBS television miniseries Shake, Rattle & Roll in
1999; Morling Manor was a producer, and Fender supplied vintage guitars
and amplifiers. Rhino was a natural choice for the venture given
Morling's history with the company, which had previously released
soundtracks from a pair of Showtime Original Pictures under Proffer's
guidance. Morling's Head of Music Services Steve Plunkett will be the
day-to-day point person for Rhino and Fender.
All parties have a well-established history of community outreach, which
in the past have included donations to such institutions as The Berklee
College Of Music and The Boys & Girls Clubs Of America, as well as
participation in programs like VH1's Save The Music. Fender Records
will amplify these efforts, with a portion of the profits earmarked for
music education. "We take this very seriously," notes Fliegler. "After
all, none of us would be enjoying our current careers if we did not
study music at some time, to some degree."
"Fender, as a company, has always been closely associated with the
'hardware' of music, but the people of Fender have always been
musicians," remarks Fliegler. "Joining forces with Rhino and Morling
Manor to create Fender Records gets right to the heart of why we're all
here in the first place--the music we all play and love."
Rhino Records has been setting the industry standard for compiling and
packaging music and video for more than two decades. "Much as Rhino has
earned a reputation as the record label for music fanatics, Fender has a
similar rep among guitar enthusiasts," says Foos. "Fender Records will
allow us to bring the best in guitar-based music to serious players,
budding guitarists, and rock fans everywhere."
A Los Angeles-based music media firm which has alliances with major
film, television, and record companies, Morling Manor Music has helped
create such productions as the four-time Tony-nominated play It Ain't
Nothing But The Blues, VH1's At Any Cost, and the music for MTV's
dramatic series Live Through This and Spring Break Lawyer, amongst many
others.
"This is a groundbreaking opportunity to create targeted hip product for
not only Fender's huge core customer base but guitar fans worldwide
utilizing two of the best marketing organizations in the business,"
comments Proffer. "Both Fender and Rhino's commitment to quality,
entertainment, and education make this a great team to be a part of." For more information, visit their web site at www.fender.com. | 
