About US
Flatiron Recordings and its sister label, Label 51, were created by Bill Hein, Fred Goldring, and Andy Zicklin for one reason and one reason only. To put out music they love. Bill, Fred, and Andy have a wide variety of music they love and champion and the labels reflect that.
Flatiron Recordings is geared toward classic rock and heritage artists including Pete Brown (Cream lyricist and legendary British underground poet), Leo Lyons (bassist of Woodstock sensations Ten Years After bassist and noted producer of UFO, Richard and Linda Thompson, John Martin, many more), and blues rock newcomers The Zac Schulze Gang. Arnie Goodman, a former record label owner, blues rock authority and photographer extraordinaire handles A&R for Flatiron Recordings, lending instant credibility to our organization.
Label 51 Recordings have signed Paisley Underground mainstays Rain Parade, epic San Francisco band Frightwig, and the husband and wife team behind Snake River Conspiracy with their new project, Mojave Phone Booth.
Other projects we are working on are a series of compilations with roots rocker Ben Vaughn focused on cool and unique songs and bands of the 60’s and 70’s, a surf legends compilation, and we are always open to ideas.
Because of our partnership with Pressing Business, a full-service vinyl, CD and cassette manufacturing company, the bands working with the two labels have a great leg up in their ability to get media pressed and then distributed in a timely fashion and with quality that’s second to none.
For Distribution, the labels work with Vydia for digital solutions, Amped for North America and PIAS for Europe and Australia/New Zealand. We also have D2C capability based in Europe and the USA that covers the world.
To top off the powerhouse distribution, we are pleased to have Jeff Grabow, a longtime industry veteran, heading up our marketing and sales division. He is a powerhouse with over 40 years in music sales and distribution. Our commitment to success in retail flourishes under Jeff’s direction.
Our Production Manager, Bob Schmidt, is an industry vet, playing with Flogging Molly for 20 years and is invaluable in bringing his experience to Flatiron/Label 51.
Founders Bios
Bill Hein
co-founderBill Hein co-founded the Greenworld vinyl album import and distribution company and the Enigma Records and Restless Records labels signing Poison, Motley Crue, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Berlin, Stryper, Flaming Lips, and many more notable artists. Restless was a founding partner in the Alternative Distribution Alliance joint venture with Interscope, Sub Pop, Atlantic Records, and Warner Music Group. Bill also managed the Rykodisc and Caroline/Astralwerks labels.
Fred Goldring
co-founderFred Goldring was a founding partner of the prominent Beverly Hills law firm Goldring, Hertz, & Lichtenstein LLP for 21 years and a member of the NY and CA bars. Fred represented many of the most important and biggest selling recording and performing artists in the world and was critical in the signing of many of his firm’s clients’ original record, television, film, and brand deals, and helping many of his clients to make the significant leap into other areas of the entertainment business. Fred’s clients included Beyonce, Alanis Morissette, Boyz II Men, Seal, The Black Eyed Peas, Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Herbie Hancock, Will Smith, Mark Wahlberg among many others. Fred has been widely recognized as being amongst the first people in the music industry to recognize, evangelize and embrace the seismic technological shift that became the digital music revolution and has been an outside strategic consultant to companies such as MP3.com, Napster, Hasbro, Gibson Guitars, National Geographic and McDonald’s. He is an Emmy, Clio, and NAACP Image Award-winning Executive Producer (with will.i.am) of the iconic Yes, We Can music video and served two terms as an appointee of President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Fred is also an accomplished musician and played guitar and sang back-up vocals as a member of New Radicals during President Biden’s Inauguration ceremonies on January 20, 2021.
Andy Zicklin
co-founderAndy Zicklin has had a lifelong love affair with music, mostly in the alternative world. As a programming assistant at San Francisco radio station KQAK in the 80’s, he broke bands like Suicidal Tendencies and Johnny Thunders on bay area commercial radio. As a DJ at influential college radio station, KUSF, he was a champion of underground and unsigned artists, which he continues to this day on Boulder, CO radio station KGNU. Andy also worked in the stock market and private equity world and combined both entrepreneurship and music to helm Flatiron and Label 51.
