Pete Ivers

Peter Ivers was a songwriter, music producer and television host. Despite not achieving mainstream success, he was a pivotal background figure in pop music in the 1970s and 80s. He went on to write songs for Diana Ross, Phyllis Hyman, The Pointer Sisters, Marty Balin and Kimiko Kasai. He also scored music for several films, including one for David Lynch, ‘Eraserhead’. His own music never saw much commercial success despite releasing on major labels like Warner Bros. Nevertheless he was a sought after and respected producer.

In 1980, Peter Ivers was asked to present a TV show New Wave Theatre specialising in broadcasting New Wave music but also included comedic talents like Ivers’ close friend John Belushi. New Wave was a genre that emerged out of 70s punk and rock but included influences from pop and disco.

Peter was very focused on combining video and music, “The Ivers Plan” was his artistic manifesto and described his intention to ‘produce high quality, mass-marketable video and audio works from low-budget underground sources’, inspired by the promotional tapes and video clips that record labels used to demonstrate artists. Some years later MTV: Music Television emerged very much along the lines of Ivers’ Plan.