Albert Grossman Bearsville Records Studios

ALBERT GROSSMAN - PRESIDENT OF BEARSVILLE RECORDS
Albert Grossman Biography - Bearsville Studios Records
Albert Grossman
The man who signed Halfnelson/Sparks
Albert Grossman - Halfnelson self-titled Bearsville album Lp
Albert Grossman - Sparks on Bearsville Records

Albert Grossman (President). Albert Grossman helped George Wein organize the first Newport Folk Festival, in 1959, and he managed the careers of a host of folk and rock luminaries in the 60s, including Peter, Paul and Mary, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and The Band.
Albert Grossman was the owner and president of Bearsville Records and he founded the Bearsville Studios in 1969 nestled in the hamlet of Bearsville, a mere two miles from the music and club scene of Woodstock, NY. By late 1970, Bearsville was established as a label on its own, with Todd Rundgren the main producer and ultimately, its most well known artist.

At the urging of Todd Rundgren - their eventual producer - Albert Grossman signed Halfnelson to Bearsville Records. Albert Grossman was responsible for the change in name from Halfnelson to Sparks in 1972 : Halfnelson consisted of two pairs of brothers = Ron Mael & Russell Mael - Earle Mankey & Jim Mankey (and Harley Feinstein), and Albert Grossman said that they reminded them of the Marx Brothers. He actually wanted to rename Halfnelson into "Sparks Brothers" but in the end it was decided only to use the first part of that name. Albert Grossman thought the album should be repackaged under the name "Sparks" with a revamped packaging too. - read more...

On retourning to America, after their 1972 European Tour, Sparks jetted to Grossman's Bearsville studios to record the stage favourite "I Like Girls" which was produced by Nick James but the song never saw the light of day.
Albert Grossman was regarded by some as cryptic and opaque, but he was implacable in protecting his artists' integrity and he possessed of a singular sense of humor. Albert Grossman died in 1986.

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