Martin Kierszenbaum

Last updated
Martin Kierszenbaum
Born1967
Occupations
  • Record executive
  • songwriter
  • record producer
TitleChairman of the Cherrytree Music Company

Martin Kierszenbaum, also known by his pseudonym Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, is an American record executive and record producer. [1] He founded Cherrytree Records (or The Cherrytree Music Company) in 2005, a record label and management company through which he has signed artists including Lady Gaga, Sting, Keane, LMFAO, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Far East Movement, Feist, La Roux, the Knux, Robyn, t.A.T.u., and Natalia Kills. He has been credited on releases by Madonna, Mylène Farmer, Tokio Hotel, Feist, Ai, Samantha Fish, and Alexandra Burke.

Contents

Kierszenbaum releases music under his own name and his stage name Cherry Cherry Boom Boom.

Biography

Kierszenbaum grew up studying piano. He lived in South America, UK and Continental Europe before eventually moving to New Haven, Connecticut. He then moved to Michigan. [2]

He graduated from University of Michigan with a B.A. in music theory, Spanish Literature, and Communication. He then went on to the Annenberg School of University of Southern California to complete his master's degree in communications management. [3]

Career

Kierszenbaum co-founded independent record label Arb Recordings, which released the hip-hop duo Maroon, which he also co-founded under the moniker Mk Chilly Dog. The band existed 1985–1994. [4]

Kierszenbaum then got a job at the PolyGram Music Group mailroom. During 1989-1991 he worked as an international publicity manager at Warner Bros. Records. [2] Later, he worked as publicist in the international division of A&M Records and by 1998 he was working for its new owner Interscope Records (Universal's unit) as the head of international marketing. Kierszenbaum was promoted to head of international operations and was responsible for discovering and signing non-American artists. His idea to promote t.A.T.u's single "All the Things She Said", whose lyrics he wrote, in Japan through karaoke bars led to 1.7 mil copies sold in the country. [5] [6] [7] He promoted Eminem and Limp Bizkit on the European market.

In 2005, he founded the music management, record label and publishing firm Cherrytree Music Company. [7]

He was also working as President of A&R Pop/Rock at Interscope Records and head of international operations at Interscope Geffen A&M Records. [8] [9] There he signed Lady Gaga, LMFAO, Disclosure and t.A.T.u. [10]

[6]

Music

Kierszenbaum wrote and produced songs for 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane by t.A.T.u. He also wrote and produced on Lady Gaga's debut album The Fame .

His pseudonym, Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, is referred to in the Lady Gaga songs "Christmas Tree", "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", "The Fame", "I Like It Rough" and "Starstruck". Also in the song "I Wanna Touch You" by Colby O'Donis and "White Flag" by Far East Movement featuring Kayla Kai, from their album Free Wired .[ citation needed ] It is also referenced in some of Space Cowboy's music such as his singles "Falling Down", "I Came 2 Party" (that featured Cinema Bizarre), and the first part of his pseudonym "cherry cherry" is referred to in "Not in Love" by Natalia Kills.[ citation needed ]

He featured on a remix of Far East Movement's "Like a G6" with Colette Carr called "G6 (V6 Reflip)". He also features on backing vocals on “Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)” by Lady Gaga and "Not In Love", a track from Natalia Kills's debut album, Perfectionist .[ citation needed ] Kierszenbaum is also a co-writer on Halsey's "Nightmare" (2019).

Kierszenbaum produced Sting's "57th & 9th" album, several songs on the GRAMMY-award-winning "44/876" album by Sting & Shaggy, Mylène Farmer's platinum "Interstellaires" album and the Samantha Fish album “Faster.” He also co-produced Sting's “The Bridge” album with Sting.

Kierszenbaum produced and co-wrote many of the songs on the 2021 Samantha Fish album Faster. [11]

Kierszenbaum is also a member in the rock group DETROIT DREAMERS.

Related Research Articles

Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Music Group and Interscope Communications, it differed from most record labels by letting A&R staff control decisions and allowing artists and producers full creative control. Interscope's first hit records arrived in under a year, and it achieved profitability in 1993. Chair and CEO until May 2014, Iovine was succeeded by John Janick.

Cherry Tree may refer to:

<i>200 km/h in the Wrong Lane</i> 2002 studio album by t.A.T.u.

200 km/h in the Wrong Lane is the second and first English-language studio album by Russian music duo t.A.T.u., released on 10 December 2002, by Interscope Records. It is the duo's first studio album to be associated with Interscope after signing to Universal, the label they signed to in 2001. Due to the duo's lack of English vocabulary, the album was produced and written by producers such as Trevor Horn, Martin Kierszenbaum, Sergio Galoyan, Robert Orton and Ivan Shapovalov, who was placed as the duo's manager and executive producer. 200 km/h lyrically explores themes such as teenage rebellion, love, sexuality, sadness, independence and social rebellion.

will.i.am Music Group is a vanity label founded by rapper and record producer will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas in 1998. The label serves as the distributor of releases for him and the group, as well as Fergie as a solo act, Macy Gray, Cheryl, and Sérgio Mendes. Initially an imprint of Interscope Records, it was moved to A&M Records in 2003 before being moved back to Interscope in 2007. Since 2020, the label is an imprint of Epic Records.

Chantelle Paige Mulligan, known professionally as Chantelle Paige, is an American singer. She is a former member of the R&B/rap group Flipsyde, signed to Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)</span> 2009 single by Lady Gaga

"Eh, Eh " is a song by American singer Lady Gaga, from her debut album, The Fame (2008). It was released as the third single from the album in Australia, New Zealand and selected European countries, and the fourth single in France. The song is a calypso-styled, mid-tempo ballad, and is about breaking up with one's old partner and finding someone new. The song peaked at number fifteen on the Australian ARIA Charts and at number nine on the RIANZ charts of New Zealand. It proved to be even more successful in Sweden, where it managed to peak at number two on the Sverigetopplistan chart, as well as in the Czech Republic, France, and Hungary, where it reached the top-ten of their respective charts. "Eh, Eh " received Gold certifications for its sales in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Far East Movement</span> American hip hop and electronic music group

Far East Movement is an American hip hop and electronic music group based in Los Angeles, composed of Kev Nish, Prohgress, J-Splif, Jon Street, Ray Ro, DJ Virman, and Jerm Beats. They signed with Martin Kierszenbaum's Cherrytree Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release their 2010 single, "Like a G6" which peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making them the first Asian American group to reach number one on the chart. Their follow up single, "Rocketeer", peaked at number seven and led their third album and major label debut, Free Wired (2010). It performed moderately on the Billboard 200, while their fourth album, Dirty Bass (2012) saw a steep commercial decline, although its lead single, "Live My Life" reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas Tree (Lady Gaga song)</span> 2008 promotional single by Lady Gaga featuring Space Cowboy

"Christmas Tree" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on December 16, 2008, for digital download. It was written and produced by Gaga, Martin Kierszenbaum, and Space Cowboy, who also provides guest vocals. Musically, "Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song with dance-pop and synthpop influences. It samples the classic Christmas song "Deck the Halls", as well as briefly using the lyrics "Rum pum pum pum" from the Christmas song "The Little Drummer Boy" in its intro. Lyrically, the song uses sexual innuendos.

<i>The Cherrytree Sessions</i> 2009 EP by Lady Gaga

The Cherrytree Sessions is the first extended play by American singer Lady Gaga. It consists of three acoustic versions of "Poker Face", "Just Dance", and "Eh, Eh ". The EP was released on February 3, 2009, initially released only through Borders stores and via digital download, and was later reissued on CD in August 2010.

<i>Perfectionist</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Natalia Kills

Perfectionist is the debut studio album by English singer Teddy Sinclair, under the name Natalia Kills. It was released on 1 April 2011 by will.i.am Music Group, Cherrytree Records, KonLive and Interscope Records. Despite having started out as an actress, Sinclair later became a rap artist and released a single in 2005; however, her label went bankrupt. Songwriting remained her principal activity until 2008, when she was signed by will.i.am and started recording the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirrors (Natalia Kills song)</span> 2010 single by Natalia Kills

"Mirrors" is a song by the English recording artist Natalia Kills from her debut studio album, Perfectionist (2011). It was released by Cherrytree Records on 10 August 2010 as the lead single from the album. The track was written and produced by Akon, Giorgio Tuinfort and Martin "Cherry Cherry Boom Boom" Kierszenbaum, with additional writing from Kills. Described as a disco-pop song, "Mirrors" contains references to various themes including sexual sadomasochism and arrogance.

<i>Do It in the AM</i> 2011 studio album by Frankmusik

Do It in the AM is the second studio album by English recording artist Frankmusik. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2011 by Island Records. Preceding its release, the album's eponymous official lead single "Do it in the AM", which features labelmates Far East Movement, was released in the US on 3 May 2011 and in the UK on 1 August 2011. The album's title was revealed in a press release issued on Frankmusik's Myspace page.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teddy Sinclair discography</span>

English singer Teddy Sinclair has released two studio albums, one extended play (EP), and ten singles as an artist, as well as eight as a featured artist. She began her musical career by releasing a standalone single, entitled "Don't Play Nice", under the alias of Verbalicious, with label All Around the World. Although the song reached number eleven in the United Kingdom, the label went bankrupt shortly after the song's release. In 2008, Sinclair collaborated with French recording artist M. Pokora in the song "They Talk Shit About Me", as Verse. Sinclair later changed her stage name to Natalia Cappuccini and released the extended play Wommanequin independently.

<i>Dirty Bass</i> 2012 studio album by Far East Movement

Dirty Bass is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Far East Movement, released through Cherrytree Records and Interscope Records on June 12, 2012. Despite having two top 40 hit singles, the album received mixed success worldwide.

"A Simple Motion" is a song by Russian recording group t.A.T.u., taken from their re-release of their debut English studio album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane (2002). The song was written by Mars Lasar, Ivan Shapovalov, Martin Kierszenbaum, Valery Polienko, while the production was handled by Trevor Horn.

<i>Trouble</i> (Natalia Kills album) 2013 studio album by Natalia Kills

Trouble is the second and final solo studio album by English singer Teddy Sinclair under the name Natalia Kills. It was released on 3 September 2013 by Cherrytree Records through will.i.am Music Group and Interscope. Recording for the album started in early 2012 and took place in Los Angeles and New York. During that time, Sinclair was accompanied by producers including Jeff Bhasker, who served as Trouble's executive producer and handled the production, instrumentation and songwriting.

"Trouble" is a song recorded by English singer and songwriter Natalia Kills for her second studio album of the same name (2013), appearing on it as its closing track. The song's lyrics were written about bad behavior and trouble, while musically, "Trouble" is a midtempo '90s-esque pop rock number that emulates arena rock. The overall sound of the song was praised by contemporary music critics, who also highlighted its placement on the album track listing.

References

  1. ↑ "Corner Office: Martin Kierszenbaum, Chairman of Cherrytree, on Working with Lady Gaga, A&R'ing Sting and the Streaming Debate". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-09-18.
  2. 1 2 Regen, Jon. "Martin Kierszenbaum". KeyboardMag. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  3. ↑ "Maroon" (PDF). Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  4. ↑ "Maroon, Lost Classics of Hip Hop". arbrecordings.com. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  5. ↑ Leeds, Jeff (5 December 2007). "Cherrytree Records - Martin Kierszenbaum - Pop Marketing". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Cherrytree boss Martin Kierszenbaum on streaming, Sting & Shaggy and the future of the record biz". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  7. 1 2 Holslin, Peter (2 February 2016). "What's Next for the Former Interscope Affiliate That Helped Launch Lady Gaga and Feist?". LA Weekly . Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  8. ↑ Kawashima, Dale. "Interview With Martin Kierszenbaum, Chairman Of Cherrytree Records, President Of A&R Pop/Rock At Interscope Records And Head Of International Operations For Interscope-Geffen-A&M". Songwriter's Universe. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  9. ↑ Leeds, Jeff (5 December 2007). "As U.S. Pop Wanes Abroad, Talent Scout Looks Wide". The New York Times . Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  10. ↑ "Martin Kierszenbaum on Signing t.A.T.u. to Interscope, Launching Cherrytree". Billboard . Billboard . Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  11. ↑ Samantha Fish – Faster (2021, Red Translucent, Vinyl) , retrieved 2021-12-13

Forbes Q&A: Martin Kierszenbaum On Being An Artist, Executive, Manager And More https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2023/11/12/qa-martin-kieszernbaum-on-being-an-artist-exec-manager-and-more/?sh=4d58f0562acf

Oakland Press Michigan-raised impresario’s music path leads to new album https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2024/01/06/michigan-raised-impresarios-music-path-leads-to-new-album/

Music Business Worldwide MARTIN KIERSZENBAUM ON WORKING WITH STING, STREAMING’S IMPACT ON A&R, AND WHY HE’S A MUSIC BIZ OPTIMIST https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/martin-kierszenbaum-on-working-with-sting-streamings-impact-on-ar-and-why-hes-a-music-biz-optimist/

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