Mort de Patrick Mathé, fondateur du label New Rose — Libération 19 novembre 2018 — originally linked by Alex Greene, editor Memphis Flyer in his Memphis-centric tribute
In Memoriam: Patrick Mathé of New Rose & Last Call Records
Posted by mrjyn 08/07/2019 at 5:14 AM
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Figure importante du rock en France, Patrick Mathé est mort dimanche.
Né en 1949, il avait ouvert en 1980 le magasin New Rose à Paris, après avoir participé à l’importation du punk dans la capitale dès 1976.
New Rose deviendra rapidement l’un des centres névralgiques du rock dans la capitale.
Mathé lancera un label du même nom quelques mois plus tard, avec son associé Louis Thévenon.
Mort de Patrick Mathé, fondateur du label New Rose
Posted by mrjyn 08/07/2019 at 5:14 AM
Figure importante du rock en France, Patrick Mathé est mort dimanche.
Né en 1949, il avait ouvert en 1980 le magasin New Rose à Paris, après avoir participé à l’importation du punk dans la capitale dès 1976.
New Rose deviendra rapidement l’un des centres névralgiques du rock dans la capitale.
Mathé lancera un label du même nom quelques mois plus tard, avec son associé Louis Thévenon.
Mort de Patrick Mathé, fondateur du label New Rose
Death of Patrick Mathé, founder of the New Rose label - November 19, 2018
Important figure of rock in France, Patrick Mathé died Sunday.
Born in 1949, he opened the New Rose store in Paris in 1980, after having participated in the importation of punk into Paris in 1976.
New Rose will quickly become one of the nerve centers of rock in the capital.
Mathé will launch a label of the same name a few months later with his partner Louis Thévenon.
—my little bagatelle
—
Patrick Mathé died suddenly, entirely too young
On Facebook, the night before,
Patrick Mathé,
was happily doing what he loved doing, playing videos for himself, happy if others liked them (tasteful chestnuts, American outliers, Punk, obscure classics, soulful blues, New Orleans jazz, French pop and croon).
He and his label will be familiar to half of Memphis or wherever erudite music-lovers gravitate.
my connection:
New Rose picks up distribution, releases my band's debut, only LP, Our Favorite Band, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings.
Coincidentally, renowned Memphis rebound artist, Alex Chilton and OFB shared the same path from Big Time Records in America, having been signed by Jim BARBER in 1985, as well as the added distinction of both having been contemporaneously signed for exclusive distribution in all European markets from Patrick Mathé, New Rose Records.
I later went on to record and produce projects on New Rose, including this particular LP, for which I remain eternally grateful to Patrick, who provided belief and support, enabling me, and providing the much-needed boost for already legendary sister of Jerry Lee Lewis, Linda Gail Lewis, whose decade-long-dormancy was about to recover with the release of this album, glowingly praised by Robert Christagau in the Village Voice, Pazz and Jop yearly Best-of; from there, Linda Gail Lewis spent the equivalent probatory period her brother had followed after his infamous London debacle, arduous years of networking the Rockabilly Trail from Memphis to Malmo, where she reemerged as the natural force of nature she is, recovered and bloomed fully as we speak.
Linda Gail Lewis
'International Affair'
1991
comeback album extraordinaire
from Patrick Mathé
New Rose Disque
Paris FR
Recorded at original Easley Studio 1990, and produced by *me (*Doug K-dough Easley pretty much did everything else).
Approached by me after our first song on 'Every Day's a Holly Day,' I called Linda Gail Lewis from the Memphis telephone book at Doug Easley's famous Stax studio console, asked her to duet with me on 'Oh, Boy!'
She jumped at her first chance in 10 years!
Patrick Mathe and New Rose front-loaded a small but graciously accepted all-in budget of $6,000 1990 dollars. Recorded at Doug Easley's original backyard studio, i themed out a strange Memphis Honky Tonk gumbo absorbed by mine and Doug Easley's frequent outings to Hernando's Hideaway, enshrining its atmosphere, and hiring some of its house band to capture the anomaly which was HH; proudly constructed sans provenance as an organic, hand-picked, all-Memphis group of disparate but weirdly compatible coequal friends and HH musicians.
My project, Linda Gail Lewis "International Affair," propelled her from Hernando's Hideaway to Van Morrison and beyond, reinstating her filial supremacy as lifetime opener for her brother Jerry Lee Lewis and current, outrageously successful tour of Rockabilly Heaven, Sweden.This project was a joy to put together, generously mentored by the ever-inspired, ever-inspiring Doug Easley (tell him hello when you see him, and show him this). Patrick Mathé collected a truly eclectic stable of artists, most of whom will remember his quick-dealing, non-interference and polite but firm confidence; signing bands from the gut and heart (Memphis will recognize Patrick in its own original fulminator, Sam Phillips). Memphis-talent Patrick Mathé intuitively signed:
Tav Falco and Panther Burns, Alex Chilton, Jim Dickinson Mudboy and the Neutrons, Country Rockers, Our Favorite Band, Hellcats, Linda Gail Lewis and Charlie Feather's masterwork (and that's just a greatest-hits of Memphis).His perfect ear corralled disparate bands (not to him) into an exclusive club, and formed a massive catalogue, both varietal and cohesive, with a continuity borne from his process:
sell immediately, recycle small profits, reinvest in ever-increasing label and catalogue, exponentially fund newer, less marketable acts, REPEAT.Patrick Mathé either started your career in European markets, parlayed in America with a more mature, confidence, or gave them the shot needed to more easily ween-off an old back catalogue, creating a new following; all because of one man.
Patrick Mathé and his label held belief in artists such as these, in many cases representing a first interest or investment for a decade.
The super-luxe, shiny New Rose upgrade was due to the gifted design team of Huart & Cholley, two unheralded geniuses whose loyalty and mutual respect for Patrick Mathé shown in every detail — finely produced for approval from their friend, whose enthusiasm never wavered, album to album. H&C consistently created album art never to be seen this way again; lush, decadently rich design, unrivaled by, yet out-spent, by the majors. Whether you noticed or not, their covers are unequal to their investment, inspiring bands to deliver quality. I refer to their secret weapon as a fine Champagne.