Inside track.(Forum)

A&R veteran Eddie O'Loughlin is president of Next Plateau Entertainment, the US indie label that he recently relaunched and which is enjoying international success through Universal with Nina Sky's Move Your Body (released next week). With stints at labels including Midland International Records, Next Plateau and Tommy Boy, he has had international hits since the Seventies with signings as diverse as John Travolta, Silver Convention, Salt 'N' Pepa, Ultra Magnetic MC's, Sybil and DJ Otzi.

Name: Eddie O'Loughlin.

Born: Brooklyn, New York, in January 1953.

First job in the music business: As a teaboy at RCA when I was 18--the label had artists like Jefferson Airplane. I then moved into publishing and started working for Neil Bogart at Buddah [Bogart went on to form the legendary Casablanca Records] before co-founding Midland.

Where would you like to end up before you retire: I just want to keep on making records, finding new talent. It's like a puzzle, trying to find the right song, getting the mix right.

First record you bought: Bye Bye Love by the Everly Brothers.

First gig: Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers with Connie Francis at the Brooklyn Fox Theatre in 1959--Alan Freed was the MC.