Currency Exchange Rates Attic Records: Financing, This information is applicable to independent trading on a low-volume basis; ac- Experience, Dedication celerated volume (over one million dollars) will enjoy decreased rates. These figures compare against the U.S. dollar as quoted by Bank of America August 5 at 10 a.m. David Farreil Currency Value by TORONTO — If the Canadian government’s is the direction they are following. “We have “forced airplay” policy has done anything an album by Triumph set for release any

Pound Sterling (Britain) $1.79 for the domestic recording industry, it has day now,” Mair said, “which is probably the Dollar (Australia) $1.2450 been to take Canadian artists from out of heaviest rock act we’ve signed. We both Dollar (Canada) $1.0150 the attic and into the front rooms of record (Mair and Williams) have a preference for Mark (Germany) $ .3945 stores and homes of the consumer. lyrical music which, perhaps, is reflected in Guilder (Holland) $ .3710 It may be less than ironic that one of the our signings.” Franc (France) $ .2022 most successful independent record com- Acts such as Ken T obias, Larry Evoy (for- Lira (Italy) $ .001199 panies to blossom forth since the 1971 reg- merly the principle voice in Edward Bear Yen (Japan) $ .003415 ulations is Attic Records. Formed by Alex- and an RIAA gold achiever with “You, Me Cruzeiro (Brazil) $ .0965 ander Mair and Tom Williams in 1974, Attic And Mexico”), Shirley Eikhard and Frank Peso (Mexico) $ .08 has quickly become an exam pie for similar- Mills all fit into the softer rock fold and have Peso (Argentina) 140 per dollar sized operations to follow. proved, in each case, to be artists with Cash Flow strong crossover potential. The key to Attic’s success is partially due Philosophy Northsea Jazz Festival Bows to solid financing. Mair and Williams (both Continuing, Mair expounded on the phil- THE HAGUE — The Northsea Jazz Festival, interested people. Business for Polydor, former promotion men with multi-interna- osophy behind Attic. “What we are trying to the biggest jazz event ever held in the Phonogram, WEA, Dureco, CNR, Negram, tionals operating here) invested large per- do is build a base in Canada for our own Netherlands, was an enormous success EMI-Bovema, CBS, Inelco (RCA), Ariola sonal loans into the operation. Another in- acts in the world market,” explained Mair. last week at the Congressbuilding of The and Munich Records was beyond expecta- jection came from the Canadian Enter- “We wouldn’t sign an act here unless we Hague, Holland. tions. prise Development Corporation, an es- saw foreign potential. An example of this is Among the artists appearing at the tablished investment company. Without Patsy Gallant. She has done very well in the Critics from Holland and abroad, as well festival were Ray Charles, Count Basie, being hampered by cash flow, Attic forged past in the Quebec market and because of as the public and some 330 participating Lionel Hampton, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy ahead with contracts and releases and by this she could do well in the French market. musicians, were calling the event the most Gillespie, Stan Getz, Larry Coryell, Horace year-end 1975, had a catalog of a dozen She is able to sing and perform in French unique presentation of any jazz festival in Silver, The Crusaders, Lee Konitz, John albums and 33 singles. Beyond this, Attic and English, though we feel she has the the world. Lee Konitz spoke of a “52nd Lee Hooker, Memphis Slim, Randy Weston, became the first Canadian independent to ability to get out of the strictly French- Street revived,” as the Dutch festival ran Mighty Clouds of Joy, Teddy Wilson, Thad attain a platinum LP with Hagood Hardy’s speaking market and work anywhere. three consecutive days in six different halls Jones/Mel Lewis, Cedar Walton, Illinois instrumental album, “The Homecoming.” The Gallant signing is probably the com- and rooms concurrently between 6 p.m. Jacquet, Sir Charles Thompson, Joe Aggressiveness pany’s most conspicuous to date. The first and 4 a.m. In other words, one could hear independent English-language label to Albany, Frank Wright, Vic Dickenson, Bud Next to cash flow, Attic has a reputation and see Count Basie and his orchestra in look at the lucrative and well-endowed- Freeman, Beryl Bryden and many others. amongst retailers for its aggressiveness at one hall while Stan Getz or Dizzy Gillespie will talent province of Quebec, Attic jumped The Northsea Jazz Festival be a the retail level. As one leading racker put it: were playing another hall, Teddy Wilson in into the middle of the bidding spree to sign yearly event in mid-summer. It is almost “We never have any worries about stocking yet another. There were special halls for With her arm certain that the city of The Hague will give its Attic product — the quality has always been the attractive chanteuse. dixieland and avante garde jazz, a hall with support from 1977 on. almost to another contract, Attic’s Tom continuous excellent and they know how to get the con- showings of jazz films and an of her Early September Sammy Davis Jr. will do sumer's attention.” Williams arrested the attention exposition hall. a show at the Amsterdam Concertgeb- Hagood Hardy was not an overnight suc- manager Ben Kaye, leading her to sign with Record companies had their own record bouw, while Harry Belafonte is expected cess. The record was based on a master the white-on-blue Attic logo. market which attracted many thousands of next November. tape that had been turned down by most Advantages major recording labels and quite a number Mair sees advantages in not having of independents before arriving at Attic. towering talents such as Elton John and Both Mair and Williams saw something in John Denver on the label. "Our advantage its quality that others had been fearful of. is that we can rise and fall with each suc- They heard an established jazz musician cessive artist. Our commitment is a one- with a highly commercial album tape that hundred percent thing. Patsy could have had solid MOR potential. As is true in the signed with a major for a larger sum of U.S., Canadian companies have been more money but by taking slightly less both she concerned with the under-25 market than and her manager have that invisible advan- the over-25 segment. Therefore, the tape tage of dealing directly with the top people was simply “nice music,” as one dejected at the record company.”

A&R director put it, to most of the potential The Gallant deal calls for two albums per labels prior to Attic’s involvement. year over five years with singles. Patsy will Attic quickly culled the title cut as a single record separate French language and started working the MOR stations. recordings for Attic although her first single Reaction was slow but by the fall of 1975 in English, “From New York To L.A.,” is to over 100 stations were onto the record. At- be recorded in French for release shortly in RIP/KECA EXTENDS IMAGE — Over the past five years Image Music has obtained over tic then turned its attention to top 40 air- Quebec. forty local recordings throughout Australia and New Zealand where they have represented play. Meanwhile, Heather Murray, While Attic has been more fortunate than the Rip/Keca catalog. The majority of these recordings have been Jim Weatherly songs. marketing head for the company, many in the independent field, Mair Pictured in Melbourne recently (I to r):John McDonald, director of Image Music, Larry Gor- badgered retailers into giving her prime acknowledges that stations do have a ten- don, president, Rip/Keca Music, and writer Jim Weatherly sign a new agreement ex- retail space for posters and mobiles on the dency to reserve airplay additions for Can- tending the representation pact an additional five years. Hardy deck. Following this, she was into the Con discs and that getting chart positions is Silver Convention, together with soloist members Penny McLean, Linda G. Thompson major retail chain stores checking to see if still “a problem." As Mair views it, however, and Ramona Wuif, is also enjoying considerable success with their recordings in Australia. they wanted Hardy personal appearances “stations that hold back on charting Cana- Image Records reports that the first Silver Convention album, “Save Me, "has earned two and autograph sessions. Neglected by dian discs, for whatever reason, are going gold record awards and is on the way to notching a third. The new LP “Get Up And Boogie" record companies and quick to see the to hurt themselves in the long run.” is currently charted across the country and expected to be gold within a week. Image potential in having housewives drawn into The goal of Attic over the next year is to Music, a division of Image Records, controls the publishing rights for Silver Convention their stores, most agreed. The ball was roll- solidify positions for artists Ron Nigrini and material, most of which is composed by Sylvester Levay and Stephan Prager. Negotiations ing and the album and single sales picture Shirley Eikhard. Ken Tobias, an es- are underway for Silver Convention to perform in Australia later this year. began to snowball. tablished name with a rather poor track ‘Consistent Flow’ record prior to his signing with Attic, has of Hardy album, The newly-signed Barclay artist Cathy The success the Hagood since had three consecutive top 40 hits Monte Carlo to president of Attic, Al Mair, Rosier was the guest of honor at the concert according which, in turn, have quadrupled his stage which is company’s eyes even more to Rose’ closed the festival. Miss Rosier a opened the earnings. Until now a club attraction, ‘Golden “consistent flow of product” is pretty French comedienne well-known for the fact that a Tobias will headline his first Massey Hall for operating in her brilliant appearances in top motion pic- necessary any company date this fall in Toronto. Hagood Hardy's To Chalkiris arrangement was tures. the record industry. An second album has just been released with Chalkiris has won this of Attic’s first PARIS — Harris Hot Tuna is coming to perform in France made toward the latter part 30,000 copies immediately on back order, year's “Golden Rose d'Antibes” award for for year with the non-profit Cana- the first time. The event will take place at operational meaning that he will hit the 50,000 copies his original French presentation of “Milady sub- the Orange Festival. Chances are the dian Talent Library, an MOR-oriented necessary for gold certification with ease. Lena” before a jury composed of French group’s latest record will finally see French scription service which provides Canadian Foreign Masters radio and television personalities. release with this performance. Ted Nugent, talent recordings. This arrangement has addition to Canadian releases. > The festival lasts four days and is spon- Quicksilver Messenger Service and Todd led to a number of release deals through In scouting foreign masters to lea sored by Radio Monte Carlo, The French Rungren are also on the bill for the Orange Attic. Spencer Davis hand, Ed Ha station that covers exclusively southern Festival; all are doing very well in the French Both Mair and vice president Tom an album on the .Attic labe France and parts of Italy. market and are looked forward to. Williams shrug off MOR when asked if this

59 Cash Box/August 14, 1976