Joe Galkin ~ Music Business Power Broker

It might be a stretch to say those who claim knowledge about the history of the music business are familiar with the name of Joe Galkin. After all, he's not a household name. As a matter of fact, even those who are aware of legends of the business might even ask, Joe who? For those who don't know of this enterprising figure, don't feel slighted. That's because Joe Galkin himself took a great deal of pride in staying out of the limelight and keeping a low profile. Yet, Galkin's ambiguous background does not diminish the prominence he played upon the landscape of American music. Readers might be surprised to hear details of this colorful character. Hence the occasion to shed light on an unsung record executive who played a major role in building the careers of many. This is the story of my dear friend and mentor Joe Galkin (1902-1978).

Born in Russia and having migrated with his parents to the U.S, Joe Galkin would become a New York musician who later evolved as the booking agent for The Tommy Tucker Orchestra. With a keen eye for talent, he then emerged as a independent record promoter servicing radio stations with product for Atlantic Records and STAX Records among others. Galkin worked as a Southern promotion man and hipped disk jockeys of developing 'Smash Records' with his unique gift-of-gab and pearls of wisdom. As previously mentioned in this blog and defined as a early day entertainment lobbyist, see "Evolution of The Promotion Man", Galkin was a song plugging trailblazer who bore gifts of Cuban Cigars and bottles of expensive Bourbon. With his unsophisticated mannerisms yet lovable Jewish charm, Galkin built a reputation with Southern disk jockeys as a champion of young R&B recording artists. Now that crossover records had become the ultimate target for record companies, Joe Galkin was instrumental in the development of many of those early beginnings. It was Galkin who kept Atlantic Records' Jerry Wexler informed with updates on Southern music trends. When Satellite Records produced the local hit by Carla Thomas titled, "Gee Whiz", it was Galkin on the phone with Wexler talking of a distribution deal. Satellite Records would soon change it's name to STAX Records and the future became the infamous Atlantic distribution deal.

Among his many dealings, Joe Galkin soon began managing a Macon, GA artist named Johnny Jenkins and the Pinestoppers. While in Memphis attending a recording session at STAX, Jenkins was running late for the session when Joe Galkin convinced STAX Records owner Jim Stewart to give Jenkins's bus driver the opportunity to lay down a couple of vocal demo tracks while awaiting Jenkins' arrival. That bus driver's name was Otis Redding. At that time Stewart and Galkin struck a joint publishing deal on the fly to seal the deal. The results of that impromptu session produced Otis Redding's monster song "These Arms Of Mine." Sometimes later when Joe Galkin heard Rick Hall's production of "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge, Galkin was on the phone again to Atlantic's Jerry Wexler informing him of a smash record. Needless to say, Wexler valued Joe Galkins opinions deeply.

Another Macon GA resident who happened to be booking gigs for the R&B artists at the time was Phil Walden. Wouldn't you know that Galkin and Phil Walden would become partners in several dealings with Otis Redding's affairs. Meanwhile, back to Jerry Wexler at Atlantic for a moment. Believe it or not, it was Joe Galkin was who was instrumental in making the initial introductions of Wexler and Phil Walden. A short period later Phil Walden co-founded Capricorn Records which was distributed by...Atlantic Records. If you're beginning to sense that Joe Galkin weaved his magical broker talents between some pretty heavy rollers, it's safe to say that's a fair assessment.

Aside from STAX Records' Jim Stewart, Galkin was one of the few record men who would take newcomers under his wings to mentor their careers. Although Galkin and Stewart had little in common, especially in social skills, somehow I got sandwiched between the careers of both. It was sometimes in the late 60's or early 70's when I was attending corporate meetings in N.Y. when Atlantic promotion executive Dickie Kline (R) instructed me to train under the gainful teachings of Joe Galkin. Kline was a protege of Galkin and Atlantic's chief promo man. Despite my youthful presence, both seemed to like me because of my background in R&B Music and association with STAX Records. At that time, Galkin, a former New Yorker, worked out of Atlanta but would later relocate to Miami. Galkin had been around the block a time or two and despite Dick Kline's instructions, it was a fun challenge but I could see the hand writing on the wall. As it was, we were two very different creatures. I was a Memphis' boy with Irish heritage and spoke with a deep Southern drawl. Whereas Joe was a Russian immigrant who migrated to the U.S. and spoke like a roughneck mobster. Jerry Wexler once playfully referred to Joe Galkin in his autobiography as an "obnoxious Hebe." Ofcourse, I would't go that far but Galkin was a balding, diminutive man and shaped like a beach ball. He spoke with a slight stutter and portrayed a street-smart hustler who had all the answers. Despite some very unsophisticated characteristics, Galkin had a good heart and was well liked by some very important radio programmers. Most importantly, he knew how to get a record played on the radio. "I'm going to teach you how to promote records" he'd say. "You watch me and stay close." He probably had a hundred different stories in his repertoire, some of which were actually true.

Joe Galkin (L) had the notorious reputation of once being thrown out the front door of a radio station only to reenter through the back door to get his records played. While attending a conference in New York, we would sit in a hotel suite and he could talk for hours, and I'd patiently listen. Joe's legendary background was filled with music history plus his co-ownership of Otis Redding's publishing contract served as his watershed. Atlantic's Dick Kline encouraged Joe and I to travel on the road together so he may teach me his marketing principles. That may be a good thing but Joe was old-school and couldn't hang with us pot smoking hippies. Besides, radio's business etiquette was rapidly changing with a flood of young DJ's acquiring influential positions and only related to record promoters from their own generation. It was apparent that the corporate structure within Atlantic was struggling with these elements and sometimes the priorities that came down from management reflected an outdated doctrine.

Two freshman members of the heralded Atlantic promotion team known as "The Heavies" were Phillip Rauls (L) and Larry King (R). Both were two of Joe Galkin's favorite disciples as he was influential in training both. They came along at Atlantic during a cycle the changing of the guard within the staff was transpiring. Larry King remembers a classic Galkin story such as: "Shortly after I started working for Atlantic at Southland Record Distributors, Joe took me on a road trip to Columbus, Montgomery and Birmingham. The first station we visited in Columbus was WDAK where the Program Director greeted us at the door. The three of us were sitting in the PD's office listening to new singles and Joe had a new Otis Redding single that he was working - which Joe expected to be on the air before we left the station. The PD listened to about 30 seconds of the record and told Joe that it wasn't a hit. Well, naturally Joe went ballistic and told the programmer that he needed a box of cue tips so he could hear a hit record. Moments later Joe promptly took every Southland distributed record he could find in the PD's office and then went into the control room and removed all of the Southland records from there also. Joe then told the Program Director that from that day forward he could go out and buy any Southland record that he wanted to play - and back then Southland distributed about half of all the hit records. Joe then used the radio station's phone and he proceeded to call Gwen Kesler at Southland Distributors and told her to take WDAK off the mailing list permanently. He then called Jerry Greenberg at Atlantic and had them take WDAK off their mailing list also. Several months later, the PD finally called me begging to be put back on the mailing list, which Gwen and Joe begrudgingly let me do. On the very same trip, Joe and I went to the afternoon drive, and Ken was on the air so we sat in the control room with him while he did his show. Well, during one of Ken's live spots, Joe took the record that Ken had cued-up to come out of the spot and replaced it with one of his own new records and put the turntable arm back down on the record. Coming out of the spot break, Ken announced the record that he had cued up and hit the button. You should have seen the startled look on Ken's face when a record by an artist that he had never even heard before went out over the air! He was like a deer in headlights! Joe Galkin was determined to get his records played and truly one of a kind." states Atlantic Record's Larry King.

By the early 1970's Joe Galkin had moved to Hibiscus Island in Miami to transition towards his semi-retirement. His good buddy Jerry Wexler moved to Miami also as Wexler had by now adopted Criteria Recording Studio as Atlantic's unofficial Southeast studio facility. Plus, Atlantic producer Tom Dowd had relocated to Miami to join-in the movement. The story behind that mass exodus from the Manhattan office is still
another story-and for still another blog posting. Anywho, Atlantic's Jerry Greenberg and Dick Kline sought to expand the promotion staff and decided to transfer myself to Miami to foster those relations with staff. But when I heard that both Wexler and Joe Galkin had yachts and encouraged the staff to use the boats for entertaining clients, needless to say-my bags were packed. But get this; Galkin and Wexler were old friends yet they always had this cute little thing between themselves that I called 'One-Upmanship.' A good example of this rivalry was when Wexler named his yacht "The Big A" as in the big Atlantic. Galkin then countered by naming his yacht "The Big O" for the big Otis, as in Otis Redding (see boat name in photo above).

After several wonderful seasons within those confines, all of which deserve their own individual stories, it seemed that the party stopped one morning when I received an alarming phone call. It was from the hospital informing me that Joe Galkin had suffered a heart attack. "Oh no, please don't let this happen" I said. Immediately I dropped everything and rushed through traffic to be at his bedside. When I arrived at the hospital and walked into his room, Joe was in his bed sitting up and acknowledged my entry. "Hello Phil," he said in a weak voice. "Aren't you working today?" he asked. "Not really" I said. "I came here to see you." Galkin fired back,"Don't you know there's a new Goddamn Aretha Franklin record released today?" Stunned by his words-I just stood there in silence. Galkin then reached for the phone and dialed WQAM Radio station and asked to speak to Program Director Jim Dunlap. "Jimmy" he said, "Hey, I need a favor from you." From his hospital bed the conversation continued, "Could ya' add that new Aretha on your playlist?" Galkin closed the telephone conversation by saying, "It's gonna be a Goddamn Smash."

My story on Joe Galkin is one of many tales on this very unique person of almost folklore legend. Somebody should to do a movie on this guy. He was truly a piece of work. By that I mean, when he was born, they threw away the mold. He was one of a kind. In his day, Galkin was a man that you could not ignore. Because ignoring him had it's price. Being his friend was tough enough and had it's challenges. But being his enemy, I don't even want to think about that. Seriously.

In closing, something I never figured-out about Galkin was when he'd take a group of people out in his yacht on a hot summer day for a fishing trip, Joe would always go inside the boat cabin where it was air conditioned and he'd turn-on the TV to watch a baseball game. Within moments, he'd promptly fall asleep. I don't know, I guess for a man who had witnessed enough excitement in his lifetime, taking a nap with guest aboard was totally acceptable. I loved that man.

Copyrighted story (c) and photographs by Phillip Rauls. All rights reserved.

Portrait painting of Joe Galkin available in oil on canvas by artist Ulrika Anderson.