Yahoo News Nicki Chapman shares what the music industry was really like in the 90s
TV's Nicki Chapman says at times the 90s music scene left her 'vulnerable' to the point where, when agreeing job terms, she would specify someone she never wanted to have dinner with.
The Escape to the Country host, who worked to the top in the 90s working with acts like the Spice Girls and Annie Lennox, spoke to Kate Thornton on White Wine Question Time, talking about some of the people who had been with her along the way.
She described her former boss at label RCA, Nick Godwin, as the 'nicest, kindest guy' and revealed the surprising terms she laid down in her job interview with him, describing it as 'horrendous' having to do so.
She said: "I can remember the first meeting I had with him. And we'd agreed the terms [like] salary, car, whatever.
WATCH: Nicki Chapman on managing the Spice Girls in the 90s
"And then he said: 'Is there anything else you'd like?' And I said: 'Yeah, can I never have lunch or dinner with this TV producer?' And Nick went: 'Yep. Okay, I get that, I'll always shadow you, I will always be by your side.'
"I mean, how horrendous at a job interview you have to say that, but he got it."
Thornton clarified with her that this unnamed person was 'overly familiar, abusive of their position and sexually inappropriate', with Chapman adding: "They were the days of the late 80s and early 90s, sadly.
"Not everybody, I might add, but there was a few and they were in really high positions of power.
"And you've got to remember that if I'm going in every day trying to plug my acts on their shows, I'm vulnerable."
Thornton had asked who the people were that had helped her fly through her career, and while Chapman said she'd love to be able to say any women, because she'd always loved working with women, the music industry was 'all about male domination'.
She added: "But I worked with incredible men that were extremely kind and motivating. And were 'there'. So the first one would be Nick Godwin."
Simon Fuller, who had managed the Spice Girls and helped create the Pop Idol series, was also named by Chapman as 'an incredibly unassuming, kind soul'.
She spoke more about working in the music industry in that time, and while she said working in the business now was 'brilliant' and 'every year is great in music industry', she said of her early career there was money on the table and room to be creative, especially in the role she was doing as a publicist.
Read more: Nicki Chapman says Simon Cowell likes to 'crush' people with his comments
Chapman said: "We were able to film behind the scenes, travel around the world, as well as having fantastic parties and all the rest that you hear about.
"And it was great times and we didn't feel the pressure that there is in today's world, not just in the music industry, but in all areas of media.
"It was a laugh. We all worked so bloody hard, but we had a great time doing it."
WATCH: Nicki Chapman on Pop Idol, what she loves most about Simon Cowell, and how the music industry's changed since the 90s
