Neil
Ferris’s career in the music and media industry spans nearly 30 years. Early experience gained working in music publishing
at Francis Day & Hunter (which later became EMI Music) and before that as a sound engineer at the BBC, fueled his interest
in the music industry . After working for the legendary Tony Calder and Andrew Loog Oldham, at Nems and a brief spell at Wayne
Bickerton’s, State Records, he joined CBS (Sony) in the late 70’s. Working for various record companies; DJ’ing
London & Brighton clubs by night and developing his skills as a multi-camera Tv Director, Neil's career could have
gone in a number of music or broadcast directions.
“The Ferret Plugging
Company” was established on 1st January 1980. The company’s policy of finding & representing musically credible
artists, on a long term basis, soon established UB40 on their own label, Neil later signed them to Virgin Records. His collaborations
with Daniel Miller and Mute Records resulted in a relationship lasting more than 17 years and sales of many millions of records.
Brilliant! as the renamed company became known, grew to represent over 50+ artists ranging from The Rolling Stones to Spice
Girls and including Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Erasure, Simply Red, East 17, UB40, Take That, Yazoo, Bomb The Bass, S-Express,
Japan, Blancmange, U2, David Bowie, 911, Madness, The Belle Stars, The Human League, Heaven 17, Van Morrison, Fad Gadget,
Betty Boo, Neneh Cherry, The Assembly, Laurie Anderson, The Smiths, Sugarcubes, White Town, Bitty McLean and Spandau Ballet.
The music team comprised of 15 people working on Radio & TV, P.R., Records and Management, including Nicky Chapman, Billy
Macleod, Mariella Frostrup, Matthew Austin, Sarah Adams & Nick Godwin.
Brilliant
Records was formed in 1993 initially as a vehicle to release music by the artist Bitty McLean, who sold more than 1 million
records. Following on, signed the world-wide No. 1 record by White Town “Your Woman”, to EMI / Chrysalis and
boy-band 911 to Virgin Records, through Brilliant Recordings. Brilliant Tv soon existed as an opportunity for Neil to expand
his multi-camera Tv directing and programme making ambitions.
In 1995, became consultant to EMI Records and two years later, having decided he had gone as far as possible over
the 17 years with his own various PR, Recording, Management and TV Companies, accepted the role of Managing Director of EMI
Records UK, which he held until 1998, before becoming a consultant to BMG in 1999. In 2000 Neil worked as strategy consultant
for internet service provider Tornado Group Plc, soon becoming their Chairman and overseeing its takeover of Virtue Broadcasting
and the eventual sale of the enlarged entertainment division to Interoute Plc., after which stepping down in 2003.
Together with his wife Jill, managing the careers
of the stunning, recording and performing Artist's: Polly Scattergood and
Alfie Boe.
February 2011
