His Weapon: Clout (and Shouting)
Geffen’s weapon was clout, and he had more of it than anyone else in the business. By clout, I mean he could shout louder than the rest. Geffen on the telephone meant screaming the terms of a deal or ranting to some minion. Artist manager Tony Dimitriades met Geffen at a Top of the Pops taping in London and saw Geffen standing outside the studio, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Photo by Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection / Getty Images
He yelled, “I need to speak to Ahmet Ertegun!” Dimitriades was “awestruck.” He saw “this young guy, probably 25 years old, wearing dirty jeans and a T-shirt, and he was talking to the suave head of this legendary record company.”