Editing Clive Davis (section)

=== Columbia/CBS Records years ===
Davis practiced law in a small firm in New York,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clive Davis {{!}} Interview {{!}} American Masters {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/archive/interview/clive-davis/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=American Masters |language=en-US}}</ref> then moved on to the firm of [[Rosenman & Colin|Rosenman, Colin, Kaye, Petschek, and Freund]] two years later, where partner Ralph Colin had [[CBS]] as a client.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milano |first=Brett |title=The legendary Clive Davis on music, law and luck |url=https://hls.harvard.edu/today/the-legendary-clive-davis-on-music-law-and-luck/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Harvard Law School |language=en-us}}</ref> Davis was subsequently hired by a former colleague at the firm, Harvey Schein, to become assistant counsel of CBS subsidiary [[Columbia Records]] at age 28, and then general counsel the following year.<ref>Dannen, Fredric (1990). ''Hit Men''. [[Times Books]]. pp. 66–67; {{ISBN|0-8129-1658-1}}</ref>

As part of a reorganization of Columbia Records Group, group president [[Goddard Lieberson]] appointed Davis as administrative vice president and general manager in 1965.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sCgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Columbia Reshuffles Brass; Gallagher, Davis Promoted|page=3|date=August 7, 1965 |access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref> In 1966, CBS formed the Columbia-CBS Group which reorganized CBS's recorded music operations into [[Sony Music|CBS Records]] with Davis heading the new unit.<ref name=Billboard1966>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0igEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Lieberson to Helm Group; Other Changes Made in the CBS Guard|page=10|date=June 18, 1966|access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref>

The next year, Davis was appointed president and became interested in the newest generation of [[folk rock]] and [[rock and roll]]. One of his earliest pop signings was the British folk-rock musician [[Donovan]], who enjoyed a string of successful hit singles and albums released in the U.S. on the [[Epic Records]] label.  That same year, Davis hired 23-year-old recording artist [[Tony Orlando]] as general manager of Columbia publishing subsidiary [[April-Blackwood Music]]; Orlando went on to become vice-president of Columbia/CBS Music and signed [[Barry Manilow]] in 1969.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-tony-orlando-knock-three-times-arcada-theatre-20150723-story.html|title=Tony Orlando still hasn't needed that backup career option, despite his mother's advice|first=Steve|last=Knopper|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=March 21, 2018}}</ref>

In June 1967, Davis attended the [[Monterey Pop Festival]] after his friends and business associate, [[Lou Adler]], convinced him.{{sfn|Davis|2013|pp=64–69, 125}} He immediately signed [[Janis Joplin]] with [[Big Brother and the Holding Company]], and Columbia went on to sign [[Laura Nyro]], [[The Electric Flag]], [[Carlos Santana|Santana]], [[The Chambers Brothers]], [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]], [[Billy Joel]]; [[Blood, Sweat & Tears]], [[Loggins and Messina]], [[Aerosmith]], and [[Pink Floyd]] (for rights to release their material outside of Europe).{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}  

One of the most commercially successful recordings released during Davis' tenure at Columbia was [[Lynn Anderson]]'s ''[[Rose Garden (album)|Rose Garden]]'', in late 1970. It was Davis who insisted that "Rose Garden" be the country singer's next single release. The song crossed over and was a No. 1 hit in 16 countries worldwide. "Rose Garden" remained the biggest-selling album by a female country artist for 27 years.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

In 1972, Davis signed [[Earth, Wind & Fire]] to Columbia Records. One of his most recognized accomplishments was signing the [[Boston]] group [[Aerosmith]] to Columbia Records in the early 1970s at New York City's [[Max's Kansas City]]. The accomplishment was mentioned in the 1979 Aerosmith song "No Surprize", in which [[Steven Tyler]] sings, "Old Clive Davis said he's surely gonna make us a star, I'm gonna make you a star, just the way you are."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.maxskansascity.com/aerosmith/ | title = Aerosmith Biography: From Clive Davis to Guitar Hero: Aerosmith | date = September 26, 2008 | access-date = September 26, 2008 | publisher=[[Max's Kansas City]]| archive-date = September 19, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080919130031/http://www.maxskansascity.com/aerosmith/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> Starting on December 30, 1978,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/gd78-12-30.sbd.miller.18092.sbeok.shnf |title=Grateful Dead Live at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA on 1978-12-30; Reviews: reviewers Augy and DeadRed1971|via=[[Internet Archive]]|date=December 30, 1978 |access-date=July 28, 2010}}{{better source needed|date=January 2024}}</ref> Bob Weir of the [[Grateful Dead]] occasionally changed the lyrics of the Dead standard "[[Jack Straw (song)|Jack Straw]]" in concert from "we used to play for silver, now we play for life", to "we used to play for acid, now we play for Clive."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dead.net/song/jack-straw |title=Jack Straw |date=March 20, 2007 |access-date=September 25, 2013}}</ref>

One of the last bands Davis tried to sign to Columbia Records was the Detroit band [[Death (Detroit band)|Death]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/feb/09/detroit-band-death|title=Death: The Detroit band that never sold out|last=Bliss|first=Abi|date=February 9, 2009|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=November 21, 2017}}</ref>

A ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' article dated July 5, 1973 reported that CBS fired Clive Davis "amid allegations of misuse of funds and providing drugs to artists and disk jockeys" as part of an alleged [[payola]] scandal.<ref name="rs1"/>