David Bates

David Bates is an AR Manager known for Tears for Fears, Scott Walker, The Clash and Paul Carrack. As a teenager, Bates left his native London to become a successful BBC Radio Journalist, DJ and promoter in Sheffield. The success of his local shows encouraged him to return to London and the heart of the music industry. His grasp of the singles market saw him recruited by Richard Branson in an effort to steer the fledgling Virgin Empire away from just album sales and hippy shops. Branson also felt that he was the man to organise an in-store radio station for the Virgin shops. The idea never saw the light of day, but it did get Bates working with Chris Hughes, (Then a colleague at Virgin). The two became firm friends, bonded together by a mutual obsession with music. It was the start of a relationship that abides to this day with Chris as David’s partner at db. “From that point on,” they admit,” our careers are inextricably linked.” As Bates moved into to A & R, Hughes was given the opportunity to move into production.

His first signing however was Paul Carrack, the singer of Ace and their amazing hit “How Long”. They recorded an album called “Nightbird” which did not hit the great heights that was hoped for. However Paul later went onto a hugely successful career having massive hits with Squeeze, Mike and the Mechanics and his own Solo recordings.

The 1980’s and Bates’ next big score would come via a tape of songs offered to him by a publisher. Unimpressed by the idea of covering the songs, he inquired after the writers instead. They were two teenagers who had given themselves the name of ‘Tears For Fears’. After two failed singles Bates decided to go out on a limb, and recorded an album.

For the third single he switched the A side with the B side “Mad World’. It made No 3, and the LP sold 4 million copies. It was the start of a union that lasted until the early 90’s and has accounted for some 30,000,000 records to date.