INSIDE Singleschart,6-7; Album chart, 17; New Singles, 18; NewAlbums, 13; Airplay guide, 14-15; Independent Labels, 12; Retailing, 9. May 31, 1982VOLUME FIVENumber 8 65p Imports guide Trade critical of could damage Conifer -Deacon single -sided 45s CONIFER RECORDS chief John Deacon last week hit out at the way the SINGLE -SIDEDsingles are alreadypotential. "I can't see any great saving and it wastes an opportunity to present a BPI has presented its Guide On Im- under fire, a few days after hitting the ports for retailers, concerned that they market, with dealersclaimingthattrack which is not on an album, or show another facet of an artist." may become the target of legal action either the dealer price should be lower or for stocking unauthorised pressings the selling price higher. WoolworthrecordbuyerPaddy Alan Davison, vice-chairman of theToomey is concerned that the introduc- from overseas. tion of the single -sided single creates a "I think this could be damaging to Record and Video Retailers Organisa- my business," commented Deacon, tion, contactedRBto pour cold waterthird price bracket. "It is a complication we do not need when we are selling the one import company which can on the claims of RCA and Don Ellis that claim BPI membership. "Six of the dealers could make a full margin on a3,000 singles a week in some stores." countries mentioned in the Guide as retail price of 99p. So far no companies have followed the RCA lead - prefering to wait and see - likely to be the source of infringing He is selling the single, Bow Wow records are countries that I deal with, Wow's 'I Want Candy', for £1.15 andand CBS, which is testing the concept in the US, has no plans. with the blessing of the record com- experiencing no customer reluctance. panies concerned." "The kids don't mind even paying £1.25 In the UK copyright is fixed at 61/4 per cent of the retail selling price - regard-MEET THE new Mayor of the Lon- Deacon noted that Conifer is the for a single," he further claims. official importer of EMI repertoire Davison warns that telling the publicless of the number of tracks - and whiledon Borough of Sutton - better known it would mean fewer songs being used,to the disc trade as Record Merchan-from Australia, India, Finland, Spain that singles are too expensive could well and Sweden. He is also the importer be harmful. "They should be telling thethe writer, producer and publisher ofdisers sales administration manager the 'A' side would share the whole of theTed Pascoe, who is thought to be thefrom Sweden of repertoire manufac- public what good value records are," he tured by the government -owned label said. proceeds. This was describedasafirst record industry executive to rise HMV views the form as another interest-"swings and roundabouts situation" byto such an exalted position. He hasCaprice, and from the US of albums ing novelty but marketing director IanMusic Publishers Association secretarybeen with RM for ten years and isreleased on the Nonesuch label. Gray said he could not see any long termPeter Dadswell. pictured above with wife Anne. While the BPI guide is obviously designed to discourage dealers from stocking parallel imports, it does not provide any direction for retailers as to CBS to join WEA & EMI in video games rush what constitutes a legal import. The implication is that any imported RECORDCOMPANY involvement Tony Woollcott, CBS senior director, He anticipated that the most likelyrecord, including those carrying the with the booming area of video gamesconfirmed that the British company wasretail outlets would be the multiples, butMCPS stamp, is possibly infringing looks like being further developed whenlikely to be involved in video games inthat owner -operated specialist recordthe Copyright Act, unless it is being CBS climbs on to the bandwagon later inreadiness for the Christmas market. Hestores might find video games a moresold with the consent of the UK the year. WEA isalready handlingdisclosed that as well as the Bally deal,attractive proposition than video casset-licensee -ownerinthesoundre- distribution of the Atari range, plus nineCBS was investigating the possibility oftes, particularly since sale rather thancording. titles on behalf of Thorn EMI VideoUK representation of six other Amer-rental was more likely to be a basis for It does not seek to differentiate Programmes. ican companies specialising in videotrading. between parallel imports and those games. It also appears that Thorn EMI will berecords which are shipped in through In America, CBS recently signed an "I think that by the third or fourthbeefing up its involvement in games inapproved importers who are prepared agreement with the Bally Manufactur-week in June we should have completedthe Autumn.The company is previewingto deal in quantities of insufficient size ing Corp. to make and market theour feasibility studies and know more20 Atari -compatible titles at the CESto justify a direct UK release. company's range of home games. Theclearly about what we shall be doing,"show in Chicago this month with a view "We deal directly with the record four-year deal will give CBS the rights toWoollcott toldRB."In America videoto an American launch in time for thecompanies in the purchase of material. make and sell cartridges compatiblegames are a happening thing and allChristmas season. It is expected thatWe don't bring in any parallel imports with the Atari and Mattell Intellivisionindications point to the activity beingThorn's UK range will be expanded to formats. mirfored in the UK and Europe." take account of the new titles. TO P.2. 'Wooly Bully' - BEAU WEEVIL NOW 4. AVAILABLE 00 Yliliy : ...,,.., TWOEXCITING . GPI- , 4.,. NEWSINGLES I ,: FROM e FOREVERRECORDS it" 2 'I Can,k.Imagine' - QUAZIMODO I I I I I PHONE THE PINNACLE HOTLINE: 0689 73146 FINi461 CeSTURMON HEWS McNay's manifesto for BPI Council election CHERRY RED Records boss Iainhas fewer stores and these will be moreemphasis onthequalityof disc McNay has taken the unheard-of stepeasily identifiableto the companypressing. of launching a campaign to get himselfsales teams due to the new cash tills His final stand is on broadcast music elected to the BPI Council. Ballotingnecessary for compilation. needletime agreements. will take place at the industry watch- "There should also be a real fine for "We should work towards a 24 -hour dog's annual meeting on June 7. hyping records," continued McNay,Radio -1. I think it is a myth that extra This year's election will see ten"And by extending the singles chartradio play reduces sales of records, candidates chasing seven places on thedown to 150 places, the BPI couldand we certainly need more specialist council. Four members - Gerry Bron,reduce the psychological effect ofshows in the airwaves to expose music Monty Lewis, Tony Morrisandgaining a chart position." like heavy metal, jazz, folk and ambi- Maurice Oberstein - are retiring by He is convinced the BPI's anti -homeence. People won't realise that theseEATON MUSIC head Terry Oates, rotation and offering themselves fortaping campaign is a waste of valuabledifferent forms of music are availableright, looks happy as he concludes a re-election. Three council members,time and suggests record companiesunless they hear them. This is not piedeal for UK sub -publishing of Espy Richard Branson, Monty Presky andshould improve the packaging of pre-in the sky - I have talked to people atMusic and Ranlar Enterprises, both Dave Robinson, have resigned, whilerecorded tape to make it more attrac-the BBC and they are favourable." formed by Kim Espy, centre. On the six people have been proposed astive. He also wants to put more McNay is seeking a place on PPL.left is Geoff Goy, vp UK and Euro- candidates for office. They are Colin pean operations for Espy. Ashby, Simon Draper, Iain McNay, Monty Presky (representing his new Mont Music company) Stuart Watson and Michael Levy. Disc trade snubbed British talent. McNay is aiming to become the first fcrlorimveAprerivre indie label chief on the council and has formulated a manifesto that appealsin video disc launch strongly to the BPI's many new inde-PHILIPS ISto spend £1.6 millionDunkley said: "We have always saidA&M RECORDS is embarking upon a pendent label members. marketing its revolutionary LaserVisionthat to launch an innovative system likeUK talent drive and promising a major Among his proposals are radicalvideo disc in the first year it is on sale inthis, we would have to retail the hard-investment in new artists this year. changes to the industry chart and thethe UK with £400,000 of that goingware and software from the same in- The company's a&r director Mike way it is compiled. towards the initial launch campaign thatstore location. Noble has recently appointed two new "I would like to see the distributionbegan this week. "Our market research indicates thattalentacquisition managers - John of free singles to chart shops out- But despite the hopes of the recordthisisthe right approach, althoughHewlett and independent American lawed," he told RB. "Freebies only there will be no objection to selling theproducer and engineer Wally Brill - and mean the major companies competingtrade that the disc could be its safest and most economical route into the expand-hardware and software separately atthe push for new acts will be based among themselves and they certainly some stage in the future." don't increase overall record sales.ing video market, Philips has no plans to around them. allow retailers to sell the disc separately There are more than 120 titles avail- "We have had a highly successful a&r The big companies say they make able on LaserVision disc ranging inpolicy to date and now we plan to stores more aware of what is availablefrom the LaserVision hardware for the foreseeable future.