Giant RCA Promotion Behind Viewlex, 1 nc., Acquires Elvis' Special, Soundtrack Kama Sutra-Buddah RCA Records shortly will re- Preparing TV Commercial, Etc. NEW YORK - Ben Peirez, to continue in their positions, lease the television soundtrack RCA has prepared a one - President and Chairman of the as are Buddah VP and General album of Elvis Presley's hour minute television commercial Board of Viewlex, Inc., an- Manager Neil Bogart and Exec long musical special-his first highlighting the television spe- nounces the completed acquisi- VP Art Kass. ever-to be aired on Tuesday, cial and Elvis' album product, tion for stock of the Kama Buddah Records was founded Dec. 3, at 9 p.m. EST over NBC. which will be seen on "The Sutra record label, with its rec- just one year ago. Wonderful World of Color," on ord production, music publish- Viewlex, Inc. ranks among the RCA has a giant prepared Sunday, Dec. 1. Extensive point - ing and Buddah Records affili- top manufacturers of audio- promotion, advertising, public- of -sale has visual aids. ity material been pro- ate. campaign to lauch the new vided for use on the The acquisition has been con- Viewlex first entered the album, titled "Elvis," as well local level including a 40 x 60 Elvis summated for the exchange of leisure time field with its pur- as several of Elvis' best-selling one sheet, which will feature an undisclosed amount of View- chase of three record -pressing catalog items. The program and the new album, as well as his lex common stock based on a plants in various parts of the the RCA product will also be four gold record albums, and stock for stock transaction. U.S., and the Globe album jack- supported by advertising and two sacred albums, "How Great Viewlex, Inc., is a public com- et fabricating plant on Long Is- promotion by Colonel Tom Thou Art" and "His Hand In pany listed on the American land. In addition, its Andrews - Parker and The Singer Com- Mine." This special one -sheet Stock Exchange. Nunnery division manufactures pany, the sponsor of Elvis' will also record sleeves and envelopes. special. have a complete list- Terms of the purchase were ing of Elvis' Gold Standard drawn up to insure autonomy Last week Viewlex announced The 20 -song album which Singles. of operation for Kama Sutra the acquisition of Bell Sound will also include dialogue from RCA held two previews of and Buddah, which will retain Studios with its full recording, the television soundtrack con- the television special on their present management staff mastering, tape duplicating tains Elvis' performance of "If Wednesday, Nov. 20, attended and location. Kama Sutra Pres- equipment and tape manufac- I Can Dream," recently released by over 100 press reps of na - idents Artie Ripp and Phil turing facilities. These, along as a single. (Continued on page 45) Steinberg are under contract with today's acquisition of the Kama Sutra-Buddah Company affords Viewlex a complete en - Mersey Forms Dan Crewe Opens Silvermine (Continued on page 10) Cyclone Label Music with Ranwood Internat'l Texas Distributor HOLLYWOOD-Bob Mersey, Silvermine Music Company, To Handleman former A&R chief at CBS Rec- a firm blueprinted to become a DETROIT-Handleman Com- ords, has launched his own la- major new publishing power on pany has announced that it has bel, Cyclone Records, product the domestic and international reached an agreement in prin- due by the end of the year. Cy- music scene, has opened offices cipal to acquire, for an undis- clone will be a division of Rob- in New York City. The new closed amount of common ert Mersey Productions, formed complex links the talents of stock, the Record Distributing by Mersey after he left Colum- two long-established music ex- Company, Inc. (Private), Hous- bia last April. ecs, Daniel N. Crewe and Ran- ton, Texas, a distributor of dolph C. (Randy) Wood. phonograph records in the Other components in the en- In order to make terprise will be an ASCAP and possible the South and Southwest. Silvermine project, Dan Crewe Record Distributing, for the BMI publishing firm (in the has resigned as president process of organization) and of, year ended April 30, 1968, re- and sold all of his stock inter- ported net earnings of $99,259 Mersey's independent produc- ests in, tion company. the Crewe Group of and net sales of $2,803,154. Companies, which include Sat - for However, Handleman Company the Mersey will fulfill (Continued on page 45) Dan Crewe, Randy Wood year ended April 30, 1968 re- his independent production ported net income of $3,437,000 commitments, which include a and sales of $56,071,597. deal with CBS Records, and Zeppelin Flies to Atlantic According to David Handle - concentrate his future produc- man, President, Handleman tion on his own label. Atlantic Records has signed the hot new English group, Led Company, the acquisition is de- (Continued on page 46) Zeppelin, to a long-term, exclu- pendent on certain conditions sive recording contract, report- and performance of Record edly one of the most substan- Distributing between May 1, TIC Acquires tial deals Atlantic has ever 1968, and Oct. 31, 1968. Handle - m a d e. Agreement for the man also said if the acquisi- is concluded the com- Poseidon group's services was made be- tion tween Jerry Wexler, Executive pany's management will be con- NEW YORK Transconti- VP of Atlantic tinued under Lawrence Ros- - Records, and He nental Investing Corporation Peter Grant, manager of the marin, its current president. has agreed to acquire Poseidon group. added that Handleman stock- Productions, a music produc- Above, from left: Peter Grant, holder approval is not required tion and publishing company Led Zeppelin consists of Jim- manager of the Led Zeppelin; to make the acquisition. headed by James William Guer- my Paige, leader and lead gui- Jimmy Paige, leader of the group; tarist; John Paul Jones, bass- and Ahmet Ertegun, President of cio, composer and arranger, an- Atlantic. Omega Rumored nounces Robert K. Lifton, Pres- ist, pianist, organist, arranger; ident of Transcontinental. John Bonham, drums; and Rob- joined the Yardbirds in 1966 After Tetra Guercio will continue to run ert Plant, lead vocal and har- and the group un- monica. stayed with Omega Industries was ru- the company for Transconti- til it disbanded in the summer mored last week to be confer- nental. The transaction will be Paige is a former member of of 1968. Prior to joining the ring with Tetragrammaton Rec- made through an exchange of the Yardbirds, the group that Yardbirds he was one of the ords about acquiring the stock. spawned the careers of Eric busiest session men in London. Campbell, Silver, Cosby record

(Continued on page 46) Clapton and Jeff Beck. Paige (Continued on page 46) wing. s Í !J

RECORD WORLD-November 30, 1968 3