Gerald Lincoln "Gerry" Bron (1 March 1933 – 18 June 2012) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

and

band manager A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-da ...

Early life and education

Bron was born in Hendon,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

, into a Jewish family, the elder brother of actress

Eleanor Bron Eleanor Bron (born 14 March 1938) is an English stage, film and television actress, and an author. Her film roles include Ahme in the Beatles musical ''Help!'' (1965), the Doctor in '' Alfie'' (1966), Margaret Spencer in '' Bedazzled'' (1967), a ...

. Their father, Sydney, shortened the family's surname to "Bron" from "Bronstein" when founding Bron's Orchestral Service, which was purported to be the largest sheet music supplier in the UK. After spending two years at Trinity College of Music, Bron joined Bron's Orchestral Service in 1950.

Career

Bron's Orchestral Service

Bron's Orchestral Service expanded into

music publishing A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers started to play a role in the management of the intellect ...

, and began working with American publishers like Aaron Schroeder who were seeking representation in the UK. One of the first acts that Bron was responsible for was Gene Pitney. This business relationship led to Bron and Pitney discussing making records together and Bron began producing all the demos for the publishing company. Bron also began

managing Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

acts, including Gene Pitney,

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as The Bonzo Dog Band or The Bonzos) was created by a group of British art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelia with surreal humour and avant-garde ar ...

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

Manfred Mann Manfred Mann were an English rock band, formed in London and active between 1962 and 1969. The group were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The band had two diffe ...

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world t ...

, Osibisa, and Uriah Heep.

Bronze Records

In 1971, after having produced Uriah Heep's album '' ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble'' at Lansdowne Studios in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, Bron founded

Bronze Records Bronze Records was an independent English record label founded in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron on Oxford Street in London, eventually relocating to Chalk Farm. History Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up ...

, an independent

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

which could serve as the band's label for future releases. The label would become home to many of the bands Bron was managing and more, including

Manfred Mann's Earth Band Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's " For You", "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night". After forming in 1971 and with a ...

, Osibisa,

Paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...

, The Real Kids, Sally Oldfield,

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

, The Damned,

Girlschool Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 ye ...

, Bronz and

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

. In the mid-70s, Bron's record label issued an album by Gene Pitney, along with a single, "Blue Angel", which became a hit in the UK and Australia. Later, Bron produced Manfred Mann's hit singles " Ha! Ha! Said the Clown", " My Name Is Jack" and " Fox on the Run". These were followed by albums produced for Colosseum and Uriah Heep.

Roundhouse Recording Studios

In 1975, Bron founded a recording studio next door to the famed Roundhouse performance venue in London, appropriately naming it Roundhouse Recording Studios.

Selected album production credits

* Uriah Heep **'' ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble'' **''

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...

'' **'' Demons & Wizards'' **'' Look at Yourself'' **'' The Magician's Birthday'' **'' Sweet Freedom'' **'' Wonderworld'' **''

Return to Fantasy ''Return to Fantasy'' is the eighth studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released on 13 June 1975 in the United Kingdom by Bronze Records. It was the first of the two albums to feature John Wetton as the new bass player, who replaced G ...

'' **''

Innocent Victim ''Innocent Victim'' is the 11th studio album by British hard rock band Uriah Heep, released in November 1977 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US. Although it did not chart in the US or UK, ''Innocent Victim'' went on ...

'' **'' Firefly'' **''

Fallen Angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said ...

'' **'' Conquest'' *

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as The Bonzo Dog Band or The Bonzos) was created by a group of British art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelia with surreal humour and avant-garde a ...

**''

Gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...

'' **'' The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse'' *

Kim Mitchell Joseph Kim Mitchell (born July 10, 1952) is a Canadian rock musician. He was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Max Webster before going on to a solo career. His 1984 single, " Go for Soda", was his only charted song on the US ''Billbo ...

**'' Akimbo Alogo''

Selected single production credits

Chartwatch.co.uk - Gerry Bron
/ref> **'' Ha! Ha! Said the Clown'' **'' My Name is Jack'' **'' Fox On The Run'' **''Ragamuffin Man'' * Gene Pitney **''

Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" is a song written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook. Originally recorded by David and Jonathan, and then Gene Pitney in 1967, the latter's version of the song reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in Dece ...

'' * Juicy Lucy **'' Who Do You Love?'' * Richard Barnes **''Take To The Mountains'' **''Go North''

12 inch remix and radio single for "Go For Soda" from the album Akimbo Alogo

References

External links

Bronze Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bron, Gerry 1933 births 2012 deaths English music managers English record producers English Jews People from Hendon Place of death missing 20th-century English businesspeople