Highlight Reel
Certificate Award – A&R Executive 8th Annual LA Music Awards
John David Kalodner is a retired American A&R executive. His achievements included signing Foreigner, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins to Atlantic Records in the 1970s. Born in Philadelphia and was a writer and photographer at CONCRRT MAGAZINE. He went on to be a photographer for a few record labels by 1972. He wanted and worked to be in record industry and was first noticed at Atlantic Records’ executive Bob Roland. He was headhunted as the first A&R executive for David Geffen’s new label Geffen Records in 1980, where he worked with Asia, White Zombie, Madness, XTC, Whitesnake, Wang Chung, Nelson and Aerosmith. He brought Jimmy Page and Sammy Hagar success as solo artists and was responsible for the musical collaboration Coverdale Page.
Kalodner also placed songs on soundtracks of such films as Top Gun and Footloose. Kalodner followed Aerosmith to Columbia in the nineties, where he also worked with Cher, Santana, Journey, Manowar, Chicago, Heart, Iron Maiden, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, Mars Electric, and the Black Crowes, among others.
Kalodner’s special status was underlined by the fact that he is usually credited on albums for simply being himself. According to Kalodner’s web site, the phrase “John Kalodner: John Kalodner” originated with Foreigner’s 1978 Double Vision album, when the album’s producer, Keith Olsen, was wondering just how to credit Kalodner’s involvement with the band and the album. In keeping with the double vision theme, Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones came up with idea of doubling Kalodner’s name. Kalodner’s work with other record labels, such as Epic with Boston, can be heard on their Greatest Hits on the original 1997 track listing featuring an edit by him of their song, “Higher Power”, as the final track of the album (The 2009 re-issue of the album does not feature this track).
Kalodner worked with Billy Idol, Jack Blades, Roadstar, Steve Perry, Cher, and Suzie McNeil (of Rock Star: INXS) before retiring in 2006.
Kalodner was inducted into the Rock Radio Hall of Fame in the “Visionary” category in 2014.