Neighborhood Logo

Brian Hopkins

EMI were considering using the English(UK) spelling of 'Neighbourhood',
I thought because it was a 'name' it should keep the American style,
also I thought Melanie being American was a good attribute.

Brian didn't like the 'Stoneground Words' album, he said
"I'm sure they've made this on purpose not to be commercial"
or words to that effect.

At the time, all the EMI offices were open-plan, cubicles for the label
managers around the perimeter of a large office, down the centre were all the secretaries, all young hip girls, who the men thought were smarter than they acted, thus after their jobs!
(I wonder if it has changed much?)

Among other tasks, a label manager decides what tracks if any to release as a single (sampler). Their Hi-fi's can be quite loud and has settings to make sound like as if from a 'transistor radio'. Let's see if this track has potential! Volume up, open the door, *PLAY* If the secretaries start dancing, it gets released!

Brian asked his secretary to 'phone someone, she replied "Oh, I don't commute with him very well". He married her the next year!

He wasn't a Melanie fan, he hadn't ALL her albums, and he certainly wouldn't buy them!

It was Brian's job to promote the 'product' he was selling, and he did!