User:Colin Paul Barlow

Colin Barlow Biog "I started out my career as a talent scout and A&R man and that is what I remain to this day - supporting my artists in making the best possible record by knowing which songwriters, producers and creatives to involve in each project" says Colin Barlow, Managing Director of RCA Records at Sony Music.

Barlow was just 17 years old when he took his first job as a talent scout for CBS records scoring his first ever hit single with Owen Paul's "You're my favourite waste of time". He was swiftly poached by Warner Music where his A&R skills took Aztec Camera's "Love" album platinum. In 1990 he set up Wildcard Records signing The Lighthouse Family, while also working for Polygram music publishing providing A&R for Dinah Carrol and East 17. He joined Polydor in 1992 where he continued to work with the Lighthouse Family while plotting the meteoric rise of pop sensations Boyzone and Girls Aloud. In 1997, he was promoted to Joint Managing Director of Polydor, leading the company through the most successful period in its history, working with The Kaiser Chiefs, The Scissor Sisters, Snow Patrol, James Morrison, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Klaxons, Elbow, Kate Nash, Daniel Bedingfield, Ms Dynamite, Ronan Keating, Take That, Eminem, Pussy Cat Dolls, Dr Dre and Queens of the Stone Age. In 2009 Barlow moved to Geffen signing The Wanted, Fyfe Dangerfield, The Saturdays and Shirley Bassey.

Colin Barlow joined Sony Music as Managing Director of RCA Records in 2012. Since then RCA has released David Bowie's first no 1 album in 10 years, as well as growing the careers of a swathe of new talent such as Paloma Faith, who went onto become a winner at The Brits, Kodaline and 2013 Mercury prize nominee/Ivan Novello winner, Laura Mvula, Bring Me The Horizon, who are one of the biggest rock bands in the world and bringing Pharell Williams to RCA with his incredible world-wide smash “Happy”.