"So how did Devon’s tastiest export since clotted cream and Scrumpy end up signed to a US label? According to Joss Stone’s management team, the UK simply missed the boat.
To Freshwater Hughes Management, Joss Stone was a clear-cut, 22-carat star from the moment they first saw her. It took a lot of effort to convince anyone else, but 1.5 million album sales later they’re happily vindicated.
A lot has been written about how Joss, at the age of 14, won the BBC’s Star For A Night show with a performance of Donna Summer’s On The Radio in front of a panel that included Barbara Windsor, Natalie Cassidy (Sonia from EastEnders) and a third of Atomic Kitten.
Following the show, one of several calls Joss received was from Brian Freshwater and Jackie Hughes who had formed Freshwater Hughes Management a year before. They were actively looking for a first signing and it wasn’t long before the duo had set up initial meetings in January 2001 progress aided by their long history with British R&B and soul acts.
After stints at Polydor and EMI, Brian had moved into artist management in the ‘80s, representing artists such as Linx (featuring David Grant), Jaki Graham, Peace By Piece and then writers including Leeson & Vale and Derek Bramble.
Jackie’s career began in marketing at Warners and Sony in the late ‘80s, working with acts such as Andrew Roachford and Terence Trent D’Arby before she was involved in setting up Xtravaganza Records.
“The first time we stood in a room with Joss and heard her sing, it was obvious that she had the potential to become a major, international artist,“ Jackie says. Freshwater Hughes initially targeted publishers, developing a team of writers that included Conner Reeves (who has since been signed to the management roster). But while Jackie was convinced by Joss’s ability, there were many early frustrations.
“We also started to have meetings with record companies and introduced Joss to many senior A&R executives,“ Jackie recalls. “Whilst there was a flurry of interest, we were disappointed to be offered only a couple of low-key development deals and were not at all satisfied that the companies concerned had caught the picture regarding Joss’s potential.“
“One key executive told us that he would never sign a white artist who sounded black, whilst another commented, “This is the best voice I’ve heard in 10 years but what do you do with it?“ We consistently heard unimaginative suggestions from A&R people, most of which involved offers to send Joss to Sweden to work with pop/R&B producers.“
The Learning Curve Having exhausted the possibilities in the UK, Jackie and Brian turned to the US, and on the suggestion of London-based producers Ben Wolfe and Andy Dean, aka The Boilerhouse Boys (Texas, Gabrielle, Maxi Priest), they contacted Steve Greenberg at S-Curve Records in New York.
Greenberg is the executive behind both Hanson and the Baha Men’s enduring novelty hit Who Let The Dogs Out? Unusually, considering his history, he is also a huge soul fan who compiled an award-winning box-set of singles, released on Stax.
“Steve immediately caught the picture,” Jackie says. “Ironically, in retrospect, the only other company that we were ultimately talking with seriously was UK-based [and fellow Virgin/EMI imprint] Relentless.” Joss is now licensed through Relentless in the UK. While in the process of signing to S-Curve, Freshwater Hughes suggested that Steve approach Salaam Remi (Beenie Man, Biz Markie) and Commissioner Gordon, whose mixing credits include Aretha Franklin, Mary J.Blige, Destiny’s Child and 50 Cent.
“We were surprised to find that both Salaam and Commissioner Gordon were concurrently working with another UK artist – Amy Winehouse,“ Jackie reveals. ”The scene is changing right now with acts like Joss and Amy, and I think it’s excellent. It’s about time that companies supported unique and talented artists that can perform live.”
Some Kind Of Wonderful It was Steve Greenberg that suggested recording an EP of old soul rarities with Miami veteran Betty Wright, a four-day project that mushroomed into becoming a full-blown album release. Angie Stone and The Roots were also drafted in to record what would become Joss’s first single – a reworking of The White Stripes’ Fell In Love With A Girl.
Jackie believes that in the UK, no one initially “got” Joss’s soul direction. “It’s because no-one else was doing it at the time, and unfortunately that seems to be the way that the industry has been working,” she says. “Contrary to Joss having slipped through the net, we had meetings with senior personnel at every major UK label!”
Joss is co-managed in the US by her mother, Wendy Stoker, while Jackie and Brian work exclusively for the rest of the world. For someone who turns 17 this weekend, Joss has gained wider exposure than some notable soul singers have achieved in a lifetime. With her debut album proper still to be released, she’s an enviable talent. And while she’s finding success on both sides of the Atlantic, it would appease many in the UK if we could claim a little more credit for her discovery.
GREG PARMLEY
Brian Freshwater & Jackie Hughes
This article originally appeared in issue 48 of Hitsheet
Text and images courtesy of Greg Parmley and Hitsheet.
