Ebn Ozn

Ēbn-Ōzn was a 1980s duo, comprised of Ned "EBN" Liben (synthesizer) and Robert "OZN" Rosen (organ, vocals). They are best known for the 1983 hit single "AEIOU Sometimes Y". EBN-OZN represent the intersection between Manhattan's European influenced art rock scene and the burgeoning hip-hop/dance music of the early 80s, which for a brief moment of time served as a multi-racial melting pot of musicians and sounds, only to separate by racial boundaries once again by the late 80s.Fact|date=October 2007

Career

The duo formed in 1981 in New York when Rosen met Liben through record producer Jay Aaron Podolnick (who later founded Villamuse Film Studios in Austin, Texas) a friend of his Ozn's then Australian fashion-model girlfriend. Soon after meeting they started spending time together in clubs listening to different types of dance music. In 1983 they were signed by the London arm of Arista-Ariola and Elektra Records in New York, who released their only LP, "Feeling Cavalier". "AEIOU Sometimes Y," and "Bag Lady (I Wonder)" were singles released off the album soon after, with the former becoming an international MTV and dance club hit as well as receiving significant black radio play. "AEIOU" remains a modern rock radio and 80s music staple. "Bag Lady" became a dance club hit and a minor radio hit in the US, while gaining hit status in Canada and Europe.

OZN was a Broadway actor/singer in the original casts of "Shenandoah" and "Marlowe". EBN was owner and founder of New York's Sundragon Recording Studios, which he built at the age of 14.Fact|date=November 2007 Theirs was the first American album ever recorded in its entirety on a computer - a Fairlight CMI, and the only band to have written and produced their own videos in their time.Fact|date=November 2007 The video for "Bag Lady" starred Emmy and Tony Award winning actress Imogene Coca.

Both young men became almost as well known for the women they had affairs with as they did their music. Having met Toby K. from Lowell Massachusetts and his wide aray of sexy stewardesses and models, EBN and OZN soon followed his path.EBN had a long standing relationship with Egyptian fashion model Nief, while Ozn had relationships with Swedish Ford model "Christine", Broadway super diva Betty Buckley, Oscar nominees Penelope Milford and Kathleen Quinlan and black R&B singer Angela Jackson. When Oprah Winfrey did a segment on well-known New York ladies' men she invited EBN and OZN to appear. EBN consented. OZN, obsessed with guarding his privacy, declined, much to the dismay of his label, hoping to gain publicity from a rumored love triangle between Ozn, Richard Gere and Penleope Milford.Fact|date=November 2007 OZN married medical journalist Merkaiya Lorel in 1985.

Breakup and Subsequent Activities

The duo went their separate ways in 1985. EBN went on to work with Scritti Politti, Phil Ramone, Arif Mardin and other producers. OZN formed dance music act Dada Nada, and his own label, One Voice Records. Dada Nada was signed to Polydor/London and distributed independently in North America by Ozn, who proved himself an astute businessman, going head-to-head with the major labels and gaining two Top 5 Billboard Club hits: "Haunted House" (co-written and produced with Bob Greenberg, and mixed by Mike "Hitman" Wilson and Badboy Bill) and "Deep Love," (co-written with Steve Wight, and mixed by Frankie Knuckles & David Morales and Bad Boy Bill).

Ned "EBN" Liben died young in 1998 of a heart attack in SOHO, Manhattan, New York, and is survived by his widow Sally Moore Liben and son Max.

Up until now, neither EBN-OZN nor Dada Nada, while considered ground breaking music acts in the 80s and 90s respectively have never been used in features or television soundtracks.

"AEIOU Sometimes Y" has been released on numerous Best of the 80s compilations (including Warner Brothers' Richard Blade's 80s Hits).

"Feeling Cavalier" was re-released on CD on Oct. 17, 2006 by Wounded Bird Records.

OZN, changed his name to Robert Ozn and went on to become a script analyst, screenwriter and producer, working first for free for Oliver Stone and Janet Yang's Ixtlan Films, where he traded his time in exchange for learning the development and production end of the movie business. He went on to become a paid first-call reader for A-list material for Stone. He was then hired at Miramax Films, where he served as the "reader" for Pulp Fiction under Oscar winning [producer Richard Gladstein] as well as a contract development exec for much of their European faire and for some of their horror division Dimension Film's material. He also served as a script analyst at Creative Arts Agency (CAA); Sydney Pollack; Louis Malle and James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment.

OZN then partnered up with Ted Danson (friends from both their Broadway days) as executive producers to option for Anasazi/Paramount Television "Elegies for Angels Punks and Raging Queens" playwright Bill Russell's West End/London's AIDS related drama. [http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsR/russell-bill.htm] Danson and Ozn attached their friends who agreed to work for scale if Paramount could secure a commercial-free broadcast. As a result, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Patrick Stewart, Whoopie Goldberg, Jason Priestley and Elizabeth Taylor as well as Danson agreed to be in the piece. But as of 2007 it remains un-produced for television, while Ozn retains the option.

Partnered with writer/producer Colin Greene, the two sold "Storm Warning" a $100 million-plus event film to Paramount for producer Mario Kassar, making the front page of the "Hollywood Reporter".Fact|date=November 2007

The Hollywood Reporter article served as a blessing and a curse. OZN had just been hired as an executive at Warner Brother's now defunct animation division, due to his unusual combination of experience in musical theatre, the record business, and the film industry. OZN was supposed to supervise the development of the script and soundtrack along with Pete Townshend of Ironman. The Hollywood Reporter article caused a problem with Warner's personnel department: Ozn was informed he could not take his executive position because he'd sold material to the competition. [interview "Robert Ozn" American House Music - The New York Years" BBC]

In 2003 Ozn's and Greene's "God's Witness," long on many of the industry's "favorite un-sold spec scripts," lists was finally made as "I Witness" starring Jeff Daniels, James Spader and Portia de Rossi. Universal released the film in the US and Canada in 2007. HBO released it internationally.

OZN left the industry in 2003 and lives in New York City and Rio de Janeiro.

References

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