Safta Jaffery
Encyclopedia
Safta Jaffery is the founder/owner of one of the first producer management companies in the UK, SJP/Dodgy Productions. The producers in his company have produced albums for artists such as Radiohead
, The Stone Roses
, Roger Waters
, Rolling Stones, Razorlight
, Supergrass
, Coldplay
and The Cure
, among others. The company's producers have amassed over 150 Certified platinum, gold and silver sales awards all across the globe. Jaffery is also the co-owner and managing director of the music publishing company Taste Music Limited and the artist management company (and former record label) Taste Media Limited. Taste Media has managed and produced a number of high profile artists, most notably discovering, and representing the rock band Muse
.
Present clients include John Leckie, Ron Saint Germain (311, Tool, Bad Brains) Laurie Latham (Stereophonics/Jools Holland), Chris Brown (Beatles Anthologies/Starsailor) and the Animal Farm (Rosalita/One Night Only). These producers have amassed over 150 Certified platinum, gold and silver sales awards.
In 1994 Jaffery was asked by the Yamaha Music Foundation, a Japanese music production company, to assist them in widening the appeal of the Japanese group Chage & Aska outside of the Pacific Rim. The group had sold 45 million albums in their region, but had not been successful yet elsewhere. Jaffery devised the concept of the international collaboration featuring western pop stars recording the songs of Chage & Aska. After meeting with heads of major record companies in Los Angeles, Jaffery secured fifteen major international artists to record the album, and was awarded the title "International Executive Producer" to produce it. The resulting album entitled One Voice featured the artists Lisa Stansfield, Apache Indian, Michael Hutchence (of INXS), Rick Astley, Cathy Dennis, Maxi Priest/Shaggy, Wendy Matthews, Marianne Faithful, Alejandro Sanz, Londonbeat and Boy George. The album, which began under Jaffery’s direction and supervision, was licensed to EMI Premier in the UK for world distribution. To date the album has achieved sales of 500,000 units worldwide.
Jaffery retained the highly successful music publishing company Taste Music Limited. Presently the company represents a wide range of quality songwriters, artists and bands including Muse, Shed Seven, Buffseeds and Sundae Club
. New signings include the Animal Farm co-venture projects Rosalita and Ejectorseat. Internationally, Taste Music has partnered with the likes of Warner Chappell Music UK & Spain, Universal Music Germany, Mushroom Music Australia, Naive SA France, Watanabe Music Japan, Cafe Concerto Italy, Strictly Confidential Benelux and Sony ATV Music Korea, amongst others. In 2010, Taste Music was sold to Warner/Chappell Music.
Taste Media signed a six-album record deal with Muse in 1998, under which Jaffery and Smith would manage the band for free, having already been contractually granted the recording and publishing rights. Together, they executively produced the band’s first 3 studio albums, Showbiz, Origin of Symmetry and Absolution. In 2005, Jaffery and Smith relinquished their roles as Muse’s management, although they still retained their record contract. After the three albums had been delivered, all of the international licensing deals expired and both Maverick and Mushroom Records were bought by Warner Music. Muse’s contract was sold to Warner, with Jaffery retaining the Taste company name and logo. Jaffery bought out Smith’s stake in Taste Music, and remains the publisher for Muse’s first three albums.
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
, Rolling Stones, Razorlight
Razorlight
Razorlight are a UK based indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America" and its parent self-titled album, their second...
, Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
, Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
and The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, among others. The company's producers have amassed over 150 Certified platinum, gold and silver sales awards all across the globe. Jaffery is also the co-owner and managing director of the music publishing company Taste Music Limited and the artist management company (and former record label) Taste Media Limited. Taste Media has managed and produced a number of high profile artists, most notably discovering, and representing the rock band Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
.
Early years
Jaffery started his career in the late 1970s and early 1980s working in the A&R departments for Dick James Music, Decca Records, MAM Records and Magnet Records. In 1985, Jaffery set up the producer management company SJP/Dodgy Productions. The original roster included John Leckie (Stone Roses, Radiohead), Mark Dodson (The Who, Anthrax), Pete Hammond (New Musik/Latin Quarter) and Chris Cameron (Hot Chocalate, George Michael). Other producer clients added in the 90’s included Michael Brauer (Coldplay/The Kooks), Ian Caple (Tricky/Tindersticks), David M. Allen (The Cure/The Charlatans), Chris Kimsey (Rolling Stones/ INXS), Mark Plati (Prince/David Bowie), Chris Allison (Wedding Present/Shack), Tony Mansfield (B52’s/Aha) and Nick Griffiths (Roger Waters/Pink Floyd).Present clients include John Leckie, Ron Saint Germain (311, Tool, Bad Brains) Laurie Latham (Stereophonics/Jools Holland), Chris Brown (Beatles Anthologies/Starsailor) and the Animal Farm (Rosalita/One Night Only). These producers have amassed over 150 Certified platinum, gold and silver sales awards.
In 1994 Jaffery was asked by the Yamaha Music Foundation, a Japanese music production company, to assist them in widening the appeal of the Japanese group Chage & Aska outside of the Pacific Rim. The group had sold 45 million albums in their region, but had not been successful yet elsewhere. Jaffery devised the concept of the international collaboration featuring western pop stars recording the songs of Chage & Aska. After meeting with heads of major record companies in Los Angeles, Jaffery secured fifteen major international artists to record the album, and was awarded the title "International Executive Producer" to produce it. The resulting album entitled One Voice featured the artists Lisa Stansfield, Apache Indian, Michael Hutchence (of INXS), Rick Astley, Cathy Dennis, Maxi Priest/Shaggy, Wendy Matthews, Marianne Faithful, Alejandro Sanz, Londonbeat and Boy George. The album, which began under Jaffery’s direction and supervision, was licensed to EMI Premier in the UK for world distribution. To date the album has achieved sales of 500,000 units worldwide.
Taste Music and Taste Media
In 1996, Jaffery co-founded two new companies, Taste Media Limited and Taste Music Limited. As co-owner and managing director for both companies, Jaffery secured numerous territorial worldwide license record deals with various independent and major labels with a portfolio of artists including Muse, Vega 4, One Minute Silence, Shed Seven, Sundae Club and Serafin. Under his management, the company’s artists sold more than 5 million copies across six album releases combined, achieving numerous platinum awards, one IFPI award and 15 gold award sales discs. Artists represented by Taste Media also achieved Brit Awards, Q Awards, NME Awards, Kerrang Awards, Music Week Awards and MTV Awards. In 2005, Warner Music purchased Taste Media Limited, although Jaffery retained the name logo and brand and re-launched the company in 2008.Jaffery retained the highly successful music publishing company Taste Music Limited. Presently the company represents a wide range of quality songwriters, artists and bands including Muse, Shed Seven, Buffseeds and Sundae Club
Sundae Club
Sundae Club is an English down-tempo band formed in 2001 by members Hamstall Ridware and Dr. C.D.Mille, both audio historians and musical instrument technicians, assisted by producer George Shilling...
. New signings include the Animal Farm co-venture projects Rosalita and Ejectorseat. Internationally, Taste Music has partnered with the likes of Warner Chappell Music UK & Spain, Universal Music Germany, Mushroom Music Australia, Naive SA France, Watanabe Music Japan, Cafe Concerto Italy, Strictly Confidential Benelux and Sony ATV Music Korea, amongst others. In 2010, Taste Music was sold to Warner/Chappell Music.
Muse
Jaffery was introduced to Muse in 1997 through Dennis Smith, co-founder of Taste Media and owner of Sawmills studio where Muse recorded their first EP. Under Taste Media, Jaffery was able to manage Muse. In 1998, he secured a six-album co-label record deal with Maverick Records in the US, Canada and Mexico, and a three-album co-label licensing deal with the small UK division of Mushroom Records – an Australian label, for the UK, Ireland and Australia.Taste Media signed a six-album record deal with Muse in 1998, under which Jaffery and Smith would manage the band for free, having already been contractually granted the recording and publishing rights. Together, they executively produced the band’s first 3 studio albums, Showbiz, Origin of Symmetry and Absolution. In 2005, Jaffery and Smith relinquished their roles as Muse’s management, although they still retained their record contract. After the three albums had been delivered, all of the international licensing deals expired and both Maverick and Mushroom Records were bought by Warner Music. Muse’s contract was sold to Warner, with Jaffery retaining the Taste company name and logo. Jaffery bought out Smith’s stake in Taste Music, and remains the publisher for Muse’s first three albums.