Uptown Entertainment

Andre Harrell, the record company head responsible for launching the careers of such smash R&B acts as Guy, Jodeci and Heavy D. & the Boyz, is the latest music industry figure to join the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson in the $50-million-plus-deal pop club. In a seven-year agreement expected to be announced today, MCA Inc.

Andre Harrell, the record company head responsible for launching the careers of such smash R&B acts as Guy, Jodeci and Heavy D. & the Boyz, is the latest music industry figure to join the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson in the $50-million-plus-deal pop club. In a seven-year agreement expected to be announced today, MCA Inc.

In a move foreshadowing a major shake-up in the black music market, New York record chief Andre Harrell may be leaving Uptown Entertainment before October to run Los Angeles-based Motown Records, sources said. Representatives for Uptown, the MCA-owned record company responsible for launching the careers of R&B acts Mary J. Blige and Jodeci, declined to comment, as did representatives for PolyGram-owned Motown. * Eric Polin has been named a Wixen Music Publishing partner. * In a listing Aug.

MCA Music Entertainment Group Chairman Doug Morris is expected to announce a reorganization today that will include the appointment of Melvyn R. Lewinter as vice chairman of the record company and Zack Horowitz as president. The move comes just 12 days after Morris took over the reins of MCA Inc.'s music operations after the sudden ouster of former chairman Al Teller. MCA is 80% owned by Seagram Co.

Amy Pell, one of the co-producers of the hit Walt Disney animated film "Aladdin," was named senior vice president, production for Warner Bros.' new features animation division. Pell most recently was a creative consultant to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. She reports to Bruce Berman, the studio's president of worldwide production. * Lawrence J. Kirk Jr. was named senior vice president of operations for The Samuel Goldwyn Co.

In a move foreshadowing major changes at the world's most famous African American record label, East Coast R&B Wunderkind Andre Harrell takes over the reins today at Motown Records. "Chapter 3 in the Motown Story is about to be written," said outgoing Motown Chief Executive Jheryl Busby, who will step down after eight years. "Motown Records has a rich African American heritage. Berry Gordy founded this great company and passed the torch to me. Now it's my turn to pass the torch to Andre."

It didn't take long for former Warner Music U.S. chief Doug Morris to land a new job. A few hours after Time Warner fired Morris on June 21, the 56-year-old industry veteran got a call from Seagram Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman Jr., who offered a deal to run a multimillion-dollar joint-venture label at MCA Music Entertainment. MCA Music Chairman Al Teller announced the pact with Morris on Monday, shortly after news broke that Bronfman had hired former CAA President Ron Meyer to run MCA Inc.

Described as "the Berry Gordy of rap," New York-based Russell Simmons is an entrepreneur who's expanded his original record company, Def Jam, into a management company, a clothing line and a TV/movies development branch. Significantly, he's even become a brand name. Comic actor Martin Lawrence may be the host of HBO's smash Friday night comedy series, but the show is called "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam."

Less than two years ago, music veteran Doug Morris launched a tiny New York label with a unique management philosophy. Morris, 57, who had just been fired as domestic chief of Time Warner's music division, decided to build a record company with a diverse, multicultural staff and executive team. The label was financed by Seagram, which later hired Morris to run its global music division.

This list of pop music's Top 40--the people who will shape the $25-billion recording industry in the '90s and beyond--was compiled after scores of interviews with industry insiders. The alphabetical listing begins with the men, dubbed by one industry wag "the Six Suits," who head the record divisions of the multinational corporate giants that dominate the business. The list continues over the next two pages. MICHAEL DORNEMANN,chairman and CEO, Bertelsmann Music Group.