Ronnie Schneider
Encyclopedia
Ronald Schneider is best known for being the business presence at the epicenter of pivotal 1960s events including the Altamont Free Concert, the dissolution of the Beatles and the reorganization of their business arm, Apple Corps
. Schneider managed the early US tours of the Rolling Stones while simultaneously dealing with the financial affairs of some of the biggest names in Rock and Roll history including the Stones, the Beatles, Neil Sedaka
, Sam Cooke
, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Vinton
, Herman’s Hermits and the Shirelles.
.
Schneider is the nephew of Allen Klein
, the entertainment accountant whose clients included some of the biggest names in popular music at the time. On the advice of his mother, Schneider drove to New York City
on his summer breaks from college and interned at his "Uncle Allen's" business, ABKCO Records
. His first contact with his Uncle's client-base came when he was assigned to work with Sam Cooke and Bobby Vinton.
Upon graduation in the summer of 1965, Schneider returned to NY and met the Rolling Stones on a press cruise around Manhattan
organized by Klein's company. After a lunch meeting, Klein told Schneider that he wanted someone to accompany the Rolling Stones on tour to represent the Klein Company at the box office. Schneider, who had just a few months earlier been dancing to this new song, "Satisfaction"
in Miami clubs, was now to be “on the road” with the Rolling Stones and collecting the receipts at the box office on behalf of Klein.
and Road Manager Sam Cutler
in 1969 on Mick Jagger
's orders, Jagger being occupied with the filming of the Ned Kelly
film in Australia
at the time.
Schneider’s role involved securing box office receipts on behalf of the band. In this way, the band itself (and Schneider, whose interests were aligned with those of the band) was in control of all the money related to a tour. On behalf of the Rolling Stones, Schneider centralized the control, ownership and management of ancillary rights, licensing and the marketing of posters, T- shirts, programs and other concert related materials—-vastly improving the group’s revenue base while touring.
The Rolling Stones were perhaps the most financially successful band at that time largely due to Schneider’s efforts to “professionalize” and gain control (on behalf himself and the band, as an equity partner of the band) of the financial affairs of their tour. This model was later copied by many acts, and set the stage for the big money stadium shows of the 1970s
and 1980s
.
Prior to the Stones 1969 US tour, Schneider was occupied executing the orders of his Uncle Allen in the reorganization of the Beatles’ Apple Corps
. While Klein made all of the headlines, Schneider was the Klein Company representative on the ground working with the Beatles to get costs and income under control—but was often mistaken by the media for his uncle.
Concert for promotional purposes. This led to filming the free outdoor concert the Rolling Stones gave at the Altamont Raceway Park in Northern California in early December 1969 which became the film “Gimme Shelter”
for which Schneider was credited as Executive Producer
. This acclaimed concert documentary horrified participants and viewers alike. Capturing the scene of a man (Meredith Hunter
) brutally stabbed to death by the Hell's Angels, it remains one of the most successful concert films ever made. Schneider also appears in several key scenes in the movie, negotiating the choice of location for the concert, attempting to get adequate security for the show, and notably, escaping by helicopter with the Rolling Stones as the scene spun out of control.
based on the group's hit song. For MGM, Schneider produced Spaghetti Westerns including The Silent Stranger and independently, Get Mean.
, Steppenwolf
and Sly and the Family Stone.
In 1987, Schneider acted as associate producer for the Cinemax Sessions specials featuring jazz greats Sarah Vaughan
, Dizzy Gillespie
, Herbie Hancock
, Chuck Mangione
, Don Cherry
and Maynard Ferguson
.
From 1988 to 1995, he was involved in various film productions and mentored promising artists through his company Eurolink, maintaining offices in London
, Berlin
, Vienna
and Prague
.
In 1995 he built a website for the only store in the United States that represented the Louvre
and other prominent French Museums—“La Boutique Musee”. From here he established relationships with computer programming talent from Netscape
, Silicon Graphics
, Sony
, Silicon Reef and independent computer animation specialist and database/search engine creators.
In 1997, he was the executive producer of a TV pilot for children "Kidazzle" which made use of children’s energy. ”Transforming fighting into thinking”.
In 1998 Schneider completed negotiations for one of his musicians to perform on the soundtrack of “The Thin Red Line”
, a film starring John Travolta
and Sean Penn
.
Through 1999 Schneider built the website for Yearsyounger Homeopathic Products. He also performed consulting services concerning Y2K for The Arlington Institute
, a think tank
representing the US government in Arlington, VA as well as consulting services for Oasis TV, and Treat Entertainment/Anderson Publishing (Wal-Mart affiliate).
2000 - Controller for Pentagon, Inc., the Internet presence for Virgin Mega Stores.
2001 - On going financial consulting for entertainment business endeavors. Co-Founder of The Exchange. an entertainment networking group of over 300 members
Presently — formed iRONIC PUBLISHING in partnership with Expanded Apps for the creation and distribution of multimedia content for the iPhone
and iPod Touch
. Schneider is also working with his spaghetti western producing partner, Tony Anthony and his HD conversion and re-release of the legendary early 80's 3-D
film "Comin' at Ya!".
Apple Corps
Apple Corps Ltd. is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. Its name is a pun. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year...
. Schneider managed the early US tours of the Rolling Stones while simultaneously dealing with the financial affairs of some of the biggest names in Rock and Roll history including the Stones, the Beatles, Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard...
, Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton is an American pop music singer of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".-Early life:...
, Herman’s Hermits and the Shirelles.
Early life and career
Schneider’s family moved to Miami when he was 7 and spent his formative years there. Excelling at his studies, his high school counselor said that had an aptitude for any career choice he wanted. His family being financially humble, he decided to study Business Administration at the nearby University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
Schneider is the nephew of Allen Klein
Allen Klein
Allen Klein was an American businessman, talent agent and record label executive. His clients included The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.- The accountant :...
, the entertainment accountant whose clients included some of the biggest names in popular music at the time. On the advice of his mother, Schneider drove to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on his summer breaks from college and interned at his "Uncle Allen's" business, ABKCO Records
ABKCO Records
ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. is a major independent record label, music publisher, and film and video production company. It owns and or administers the rights to music by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway label,...
. His first contact with his Uncle's client-base came when he was assigned to work with Sam Cooke and Bobby Vinton.
Upon graduation in the summer of 1965, Schneider returned to NY and met the Rolling Stones on a press cruise around Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
organized by Klein's company. After a lunch meeting, Klein told Schneider that he wanted someone to accompany the Rolling Stones on tour to represent the Klein Company at the box office. Schneider, who had just a few months earlier been dancing to this new song, "Satisfaction"
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
in Miami clubs, was now to be “on the road” with the Rolling Stones and collecting the receipts at the box office on behalf of Klein.
Rock and roll management
Schneider assumed the responsibility for managing the tour finances for the Rolling Stones USA tour, establishing a working relationship that resulted in his handling the next tour in 1966, and eventually, in 1969, taking over sole responsibility for the Rolling Stones' 1969. USA Tour after Klein was fired by the Stones organization. Schneider also managed the Stones World Tour in 1970. Klein was, according to Sam Cutler’s 2008 memoir unceremoniously fired by Keith RichardsKeith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
and Road Manager Sam Cutler
Sam Cutler
Sam Cutler is best known as former tour manager for the Rolling Stones. In numerous magazine articles and books, Cutler has been casually demonized as an unwitting, yet primary, catalyst of the violence that took place at the 1969 Altamont Free Concert.-Early life and career:Sam Cutler was born...
in 1969 on Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
's orders, Jagger being occupied with the filming of the Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly (1970 film)
Ned Kelly is a 1970 British adventure film. It was the second Australian feature film version of the story of 19th century Australian bushranger Ned Kelly....
film in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at the time.
New business model for touring bands
Prior to the 1969 tour, the local promoters paid the touring bands a flat fee and then brought in their local talent plus talent they managed to complete the show. The Rolling Stones told Schneider that for this tour they wanted to put on the entire production and bring a complete music package to their fans. Neither Schneider nor the Stones had any money at the time to fund this endeavor so Schneider had to come up with a new business model and that meant the band getting a piece of the gross box office and demanding a 50% advance, which funded the shows.Schneider’s role involved securing box office receipts on behalf of the band. In this way, the band itself (and Schneider, whose interests were aligned with those of the band) was in control of all the money related to a tour. On behalf of the Rolling Stones, Schneider centralized the control, ownership and management of ancillary rights, licensing and the marketing of posters, T- shirts, programs and other concert related materials—-vastly improving the group’s revenue base while touring.
The Rolling Stones were perhaps the most financially successful band at that time largely due to Schneider’s efforts to “professionalize” and gain control (on behalf himself and the band, as an equity partner of the band) of the financial affairs of their tour. This model was later copied by many acts, and set the stage for the big money stadium shows of the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
and 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
.
Prior to the Stones 1969 US tour, Schneider was occupied executing the orders of his Uncle Allen in the reorganization of the Beatles’ Apple Corps
Apple Corps
Apple Corps Ltd. is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. Its name is a pun. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year...
. While Klein made all of the headlines, Schneider was the Klein Company representative on the ground working with the Beatles to get costs and income under control—but was often mistaken by the media for his uncle.
Altamont, producing Gimme Shelter
Acting on behalf of the Rolling Stones, Schneider hired the Maysles Brothers to film the Rolling Stones' Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
Concert for promotional purposes. This led to filming the free outdoor concert the Rolling Stones gave at the Altamont Raceway Park in Northern California in early December 1969 which became the film “Gimme Shelter”
Gimme Shelter (documentary)
Gimme Shelter is a 1970 documentary film directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, chronicling the last weeks of The Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour, which culminated in the disastrous Altamont Free Concert. The film is named after "Gimme Shelter", the lead track from The Rolling...
for which Schneider was credited as Executive Producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
. This acclaimed concert documentary horrified participants and viewers alike. Capturing the scene of a man (Meredith Hunter
Meredith Hunter
Meredith Curly Hunter was a male spectator at the Altamont Free Concert. During the performance by The Rolling Stones, Hunter pulled out a gun after being punched by a Hells Angel and was then stabbed to death by a Hells Angel serving as a security guard...
) brutally stabbed to death by the Hell's Angels, it remains one of the most successful concert films ever made. Schneider also appears in several key scenes in the movie, negotiating the choice of location for the concert, attempting to get adequate security for the show, and notably, escaping by helicopter with the Rolling Stones as the scene spun out of control.
Other movies
Prior to producing GIMME SHELTER, Schneider worked on behalf of ABKCO and Klein to produce the Herman's Hermits movie Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely DaughterMrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter
"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" is a popular song written by Trevor Peacock. It was originally sung by actor Sir Tom Courtenay in The Lads, a British TV play of 1963....
based on the group's hit song. For MGM, Schneider produced Spaghetti Westerns including The Silent Stranger and independently, Get Mean.
Later life and career
In 1974, Schneider founded the American Concert Association, a corporation that brought to colleges top rock acts like Richie HavensRichie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
, Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
and Sly and the Family Stone.
In 1987, Schneider acted as associate producer for the Cinemax Sessions specials featuring jazz greats Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
, Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
, Chuck Mangione
Chuck Mangione
Charles Frank "Chuck" Mangione is an American flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good." Mangione has released more than thirty albums since 1960.-Early life and career:...
, Don Cherry
Don Cherry (jazz)
Donald Eugene Cherry was an innovative African-American jazz cornetist whose career began with a long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He went on to live in many parts of the world and work with a wide variety of musicians.-Biography:Cherry was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and...
and Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
.
From 1988 to 1995, he was involved in various film productions and mentored promising artists through his company Eurolink, maintaining offices in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
In 1995 he built a website for the only store in the United States that represented the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
and other prominent French Museums—“La Boutique Musee”. From here he established relationships with computer programming talent from Netscape
Netscape
Netscape Communications is a US computer services company, best known for Netscape Navigator, its web browser. When it was an independent company, its headquarters were in Mountain View, California...
, Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Silicon Reef and independent computer animation specialist and database/search engine creators.
In 1997, he was the executive producer of a TV pilot for children "Kidazzle" which made use of children’s energy. ”Transforming fighting into thinking”.
In 1998 Schneider completed negotiations for one of his musicians to perform on the soundtrack of “The Thin Red Line”
The Thin Red Line (1998 film)
The Thin Red Line is a 1998 American war film which tells a fictional story of United States forces during the Battle of Mount Austen in World War II. It portrays men in: C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division; in particular those soldiers played by Sean Penn, Jim...
, a film starring John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
and Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
.
Through 1999 Schneider built the website for Yearsyounger Homeopathic Products. He also performed consulting services concerning Y2K for The Arlington Institute
The Arlington Institute
The Arlington Institute is a 501 non-profit think tank specializing in predictive modeling of future events, that is, futures studies. Founded in 1989 by former naval officer and military expert John L...
, a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
representing the US government in Arlington, VA as well as consulting services for Oasis TV, and Treat Entertainment/Anderson Publishing (Wal-Mart affiliate).
2000 - Controller for Pentagon, Inc., the Internet presence for Virgin Mega Stores.
2001 - On going financial consulting for entertainment business endeavors. Co-Founder of The Exchange. an entertainment networking group of over 300 members
Presently — formed iRONIC PUBLISHING in partnership with Expanded Apps for the creation and distribution of multimedia content for the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
. Schneider is also working with his spaghetti western producing partner, Tony Anthony and his HD conversion and re-release of the legendary early 80's 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
film "Comin' at Ya!".
External links
- http://www.meandtherollingstones.com