Record-Business-1983
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MATURE Britain'son top the world than to thenew music It's been a very ton -John has become a big star in South successful year America, selling 25,000 albums in Mex- for Virgin. Their ico alone, and the days of the jibe 'Big in new, trend -setting Japan' are long gone. acts notched up Paul McCartney's Tug Of War album bighitsabroad sold 150,000 in Norway - an enormous while old favourite percentage of the population - while Mike Oldfield EMI outsells Elektra with Queen pro- (left) achieved one duct three to one without having North of the highest -ever America, Japan or Australasia. grossing tours of "EMI's great strength is its interna- tional delivery power. At EMI we are America. involved right from the start and get LET THE message ring out The The US industry is in a real mess andbehind the band. UK acts today realise "Dance clubs started the popularity British are coming' - or perhaps itexecutives and radio stations must bethe enormous potentialof overseasof New Music and MTV is beginning to should be 'We've arrived' because inthinking that anything is worth a try. business and are keen to get involved,"help break acts. One advantage is that 1982 home-grown acts flew the flag Another reason much suggested is thesaid Lyttelton. British videos are so much better than overseas in a way unseen since 1965. influence of the cable TV channel Music Europe is still the major launchingUS ones but the big reason for the A British invasion of the US may seemTV which uses a lot of UK videos. Sopad for international success and it ischange is that there are so many good somewhat exaggerated but with Theimportant has it become that Duranhere that acts like Shakin' Stevens reignsongs about," said Lisa Anderson, head Human League, Soft Cell and A FlockDuran flew to New York at Christmas tosupreme. of Virgin's expanding international de- Of Seagulls to the fore this little island's partment. talent has consistently filled more than Another UK based company with 20 percent of US chart positions. Last year saw the biggest British invasion of every reason to feel satisfied with the Domestically the UK accounts for America since the swinging '60s with UK acts filling year's efforts is Jive with A Flock Of just 6-7 percent of the records sold in the 20 per cent of US chart positions. PAUL CAMPBELL Seagullsheadingtowards700,000 world but internationally we supply 30 finds that it doesn't just stop at America, and that UK album sales in America. percent of the music - outselling US acts "They are more in the traditional rock by three to one. video makers have much credit due to them too. mould than a lot of new bands and are With the recession biting into record very good live. They went out for two company profits 1982 has been the year months and stayed for seven picking up of the international department. The radio play everywhere they appeared," home market is not big enough formake aspecial programme for the TV and radio have no barriers to newsaid general manager Bob Nolan. survival so the companies are lookingchannel. UK music and once there is a buzz in That tour was organised by Ian overseas. "I personally attributed a lot of theany particular territory PA's can achieveCopeland and brother Miles, manager of What they are finding is an accept-radio and media interest in Duranhealthy sales which can be consolidatedthe Police, told RB that the resistance to ance of old and new stars on a scale notDuran to MTV. It has become aninto full tours and chart action. new music was breaking down thanks to seen since the Merseybeat invasion.important tool," said EMI director of While The Human League werethe pioneering moves of radio stations When punk hit in 1976 the UK was theinternational operations Richard Lyt-conquering America Mike Oldfield wasKROQ in Los Angeles and WLIR in leper of world record market but thetelton. proving anything other than a spentNew York which went over to New new music is frightening nobody. His division has had a very successfulforce with one of the highest grossingMusic and increased ratings. Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love' spent mostyear with Iron Maiden selling a milliontours of the country ever. He was seen "This has led to the creation of an of the year in the American Hot 100 andalbums outside of the UK. Before theyby 250,000 people in 30 dates. infra -structure of stations playing 'New reached the Top 10 while The Humanvisited Australia, for instance, Maiden Virgin did, of course, register theirMusic' and with more people receiving League went one better with 'Don't Youhad sold just 5,000 albums there. Amost successful year ever with numberMTV we have a significant change. We Want Me' reaching the pinnacle. Whenthree-week tour increased that tenfold.ones forOrchestral Manouevres alltried to create our own infrastructure with clubs and smaller venues but the A Flock Of Seagulls came along with a Lytteltonisa confirmed interna-over Europe, Toni Basil in the US and Top 10 single and album people startedtionalist and is keen to see EMI actsCulture Club in Germany. whole process has been speeded up with talkinginglowing termsof 'Newsucceed all over the world. Olivia New - Not only are Virgin succeeding inthe Stray Cats, English Beat and others Music'. getting UK acts away overseas, they aretaking off," said Copeland. also building their own international Tip Sheets - which are used by radio network with acts such as Telephone inprogarruners - have recently added France proving that it can succeed in the`Modern Rock' to the categories of individual countries with home acts. product available. "MTV seems to be influencing kids because it means that radio no longer has A Flock Of Sea- the monopoly. Kids are now learning gulls: 700,000 about New Music from MTV and albumsalesin ringing up their local stations deman- America. ding to hear the new records. They are educating the programmers," said Peter Robinson, international director of CBS UK. He has every reason to be thankful for MTV because Adam Ant's current hit `Goody Two Shoes' burst out of the channel, onto radio and thus into the charts, after a worrying period of in- activity for the artist. CBS UK celebrated a first in Decem- 8 RECORD BUSINESS January 31 1983.