Peter Jesperson

A music fanatic since he was a kid, Peter started in the music business in 1972 as a paperboy in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area distributing the British rock weekly New Musical Express  (the NME). He was hired at the record store Oar Folkjokeopus the next year, becoming manager in 1974 and remaining there until the summer of 1983.

In 1977, along with recording engineer Paul Stark and St. Paul Pioneer Press sports writer Charley Hallman, Peter co-founded Twin/Tone Records. He mainly handled A&R and distribution and was the primary talent scout for the label's early years. In 1980 he discovered, signed and managed The Replacements, also co-producing their first four albums. In 1983 he signed Soul Asylum to the label.

That same year, Peter did a stint as interim tour manager for his Athens, GA buddies R.E.M. In the late 1980's he consulted on projects with A Single Love, Bad Thing and Toronto's 13 Engines. In 1991 he started Medium Cool Records (an imprint through Twin/Tone) making 13 albums with artists such as Jack Logan, Perfect (featuring Tommy Stinson), Slim Dunlap, The Leatherwoods, The Dashboard  Saviors and Duane Jarvis.

Peter indulged his life-long disc jockey fetish with stints at commercial radio station KRSI-KFMX in the Twin Cities ('74-'75), underground rock club The Longhorn ('77- '81) and again in commercial radio at Rev 105 with his weekly program Shakin' Street ('94-'97).

In 1995, Peter moved to Los Angeles to work his Medium Cool projects through a west coast company that had licensed several back catalog titles from Twin/Tone. He was hired by L.A. based New West Records in 1999 and is now Senior Vice President of A&R. Peter is deliriously happily married. His wife, Jennifer, runs her own independent clearance company, Clear From Here, coordinating music for movies and television shows. They currently live in North Hollywood, CA with their son Autry and four cats.

You can e-mail him at peter@newwestrecords.com

Peter's "Best of" Lists

2007     2006     2005     2004     2003     2002     2001    

2000     1999     1998     1997     1996     1995     1994

a somewhat complete discography of records Peter was involved in the making of and/or promotion of...

  • 1979 - Big Hits of Mid-America Volume III
  • 1980 - In Combo, The Suburbs
  • 1980 - Courtesy, Curtiss A
  • 1981 - Sorry Ma Forgot To Take Out The Trash, The Replacements
  • 1981 - Credit in Heaven, The Suburbs
  • 1982 - The Replacements Stink (EP)
  • 1982 - Dream Hog, The Suburbs (EP)
  • 1983 - Hootenanny, The Replacements
  • 1984 - Let It Be, The Replacements
  • 1985 - The Shit Hits the Fans, The Replacements
  • 1985 - Tim, The Replacements
  • 1990 - Blur to Me Now, 13 Engines
  • 1992 - Topeka Oratorio, The Leatherwoods
  • 1992 - Kitty, The Dashboard Saviors
  • 1992 - Ladies and Gentlemen the Suburbs Have Left the Building, The Suburbs
  • 1993 - sun shinin on your rain, Ticks
  • 1993 - The Old New Me, Slim Dunlap
  • 1993 - Drive Too Fast, Marlee MacLeod
  • 1993 - Spinnin' On Down, The Dashboard Saviors
  • 1994 - DJ's Front Porch, Duane Jarvis
  • 1994 - Bulk, Jack Logan
  • 1994 - Viva! The Suburbs!, The Suburbs
  • 1995 - Love, Sorrow, Hatred, Madness, The Dashboard Saviors
  • 1995 - Favorite Ball and Chain, Marlee MacLeod
  • 1996 - Mood Elevator, Jack Logan
  • 1996 - When Squirrels Play Chicken (EP), Perfect (featuring Tommy Stinson)
  • 1996 - Times Like This, Slim Dunlap
  • 1998 - 7 Days A Week, Perfect (unreleased)
  • 1999 - Buzz Me In, Jack Logan
  • 2000 - Lunette - Jim Roll
  • 2000 - Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today - Slobberbone
  • 2001 - The Truth About Us - Tim Easton
  • 2001 - Nothing Personal - Delbert McClinton
  • 2001 - The Earth Rolls On - Billy Joe Shaver
  • 2001 - No More Mr. Lucky - Randall Bramblett
  • 2002 - Hooray For The Moon - Jon Dee Graham
  • 2002 - Holiday In Dirt - Stan Ridgway
  • 2002 - Spirit World - Stephen Bruton
  • 2002 - Music For Courage & Confidence - Mark Eitzel
  • 2002 - Now Again - The Flatlanders
  • 2002 - No Other Love - Chuck Prophet
  • 2002 - Slippage - Slobberbone
  • 2002 - Room To Breathe - Delbert McClinton
  • 2003 - Break Your Mother's Heart - Tim Easton
  • 2003 - Silver Lake - Vic Chesnutt
  • 2003 - Beneath This Gruff Exterior - John Hiatt
  • 2003 -Decoration Day - Drive-By Truckers
  • 2003 - Live - Delbert McClinton
  • 2004 - Wheels Of Fortune - The Flatlanders
  • 2004 - Thin Places - Randall Bramblett
  • 2004 - Killers And Stars - Patterson Hood
  • 2004 - Old 97's - Drag It Up
  • 2004 - Village Gorilla Head - Tommy Stinson
  • 2004 - The Dirty South - Drive-By Truckers
  • 2004 - Age Of Miracles - Chuck Prophet
  • 2004 - Once, Twice, Three Times A Maybe - Perfect
  • 2004 - Universal United House Of Prayer - Buddy Miller
  • 2005 - Gangstabilly & Pizza Deliverance (reissues) - Drive-By Truckers
  • 2005 - Old 97's Live (DVD)
  • 2005 - Awake Is The New Sleep - Ben Lee
  • 2005 - Exploration - Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion
  • 2005 - Greatest White Liar - Nic Armstrong & The Thieves
  • 2005 - Ghetto Bells - Vic Chesnutt
  • 2005 - Live At The 40 Watt (DVD) - Drive-By Truckers
  • 2005 - Master Of Disaster - John Hiatt
  • 2005 - From The Five - Stephen Bruton
  • 2005 - Dirty Diamonds - Alice Cooper
  • 2005 - Cost Of Living - Delbert McClinton
  • 2005 - Alive And Wired - Old 97's
  • 2006 - This Old Road - Kris Kristofferson
  • 2006 - A Blessing And A Curse - Drive-By Truckers
  • 2006 - Ammunition - Tim Easton
  • 2006 - Rich Someday - Randall Bramblett
  • 2006 - Jubilee Dive - The Drams
  • 2006 - If We Can't Escape My Pretty - IV Thieves
  • 2007 - Black Snake Moan (Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  • 2007 - Sermon On Expedition Boulevard - Rickie Lee Jones
  • 2007 - Preludes - Warren Zevon
  • 2007 - Sirens Of The Ditch - Jason Isbell
  • 2007 - Ripe - Ben Lee
  • 2007 - Washington Square Serenade - Steve Earle
  • 2007 - Dwight Sings Buck - Dwight Yoakam
  • 2008 - Brighter Than Creation's Dark - Drive-By Truckers
  • 2008 - Working Man's Café - Ray Davies
  • 2008 - Live At Twist & Shout - Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
  • 2008 - Insides Out - Jordan Zevon
  • 2008 - Blame It On Gravity - Old 97's
  • 2008 - Same Old Man - John Hiatt
  • 2008 - A Love Extreme - Benji Hughes
  • 2008 - Sorry Ma Forgot To Take Out The Trash (expanded reissue) - The Replacements
  • 2008 - The Replacements Stink (expanded reissue) - The Replacements
  • 2008 - Hootenanny (expanded reissue) - The Replacements
  • 2008 - Let It Be (expanded reissue) - The Replacements

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