NEWSPAPER $3.00 BOOSTING SALES WITH GRAMMY AWARDS COUNTRY GOES CABLE CALIFORNIA RETAILERS WEATHER STORMS NEW TRENDS IN STORE FIXTURES SALUTE TO MELTILLIS \ s I I Mel Tlllls A ZSifi ^nniud Convention April 10-14, 1983 Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel Miami Beach, Florida 9. 10. THE CONVENTION CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1. The trade association for marketing music Industry unveiled at NARM "Spotlight" speakers 13. Luncheon honoring NARM officers 14. NARM Markets 1 7. Performers at luncheons and dinners 19. Exhibit area highlights 20. Inform via broadcast and print media 23. Host of spectacular luncheon show 24. Merchandiser of the Year Award 25. More about this promotion alternative 26. Super industry marketing campaign 27. Convention climax 29. Outstanding new opportunity 30. Mid-day Convention showtime 32. What happens at NARM 33. Convention meeting place " 34. In Ireland, "Gift 28. DOWN31. 2. NARM Music 3. Convention eye-openers 4. New participants 5. What NARM members do best 6. Honored at NARM Awards Banquet 7. NARM's newest market expansion program 8. Special interest Convention schedule 11. Tennis, golf and running on Miami Beach 12. Product line getting first-time Convention program 15. Key to retailer's success 16. Relax here after Convention business day 18. Awarded at Foundation Dinner 21. Hot topic of Convention program 22. "Class" topic fora Convention program Profound packaging opportunity Software and games NARM MARKETS MUSIC” CONVENTION THEME "NARM Markets Music" encompasses in a short but dising of specialty product (children's and classical). An very meaningful phrase, the focus of the program for exciting new dimension is added to the Convention the 1983 NARM Convention. programming, as artists' managers will be involved in a The Convention gets off to its traditional start with panel session on their role in increasing pre-recorded a Welcoming Reception on Sunday evening, April 10. music sales. The "Gift of Music" Best Seller Awards Banquet closes Afternoons will be reserved for the meetings between the program on Wednesday evening, April 13. In customers and suppliers, which will take place outdoors between will be days packed full of programming in the Fontainebleau's pool and beach area, where a featuring such "NARM Markets Music" expansion oppor- cabana/exhibit booth set-up will provide the unique tunities as "Gift of Music"; "Discover Grammy Music"; environment for inter-company communication. promotion alternatives such as MTV; the compact disc; Luncheon shows will feature outstanding recording new product lines to increase store traffic (video, video artists, as will the Scholarship Foundation Dinner and games, home computer software); and the merchan- the Awards Banquet. You should be there! Register today! Call or write; NARM, 1008-F Astoria Blvd., P.O. Box 1970, Cherry Hill, N.J., 08034 (609) 424-7404 y L CASH BOX THE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC / COIN MACHINE / HOME ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY VOLUME XLIV — NUMBER 41 — March 12, 1983 OISHBOC EDITORML Golden Opportunity GEORGE ALBERT President and Publisher The spring break down in the Daytona Beach-Ft. reach this prime record-buying demographic. ALAN SUTTON Lauderdaie region of Florida has long is Vice President and Editor In Chief been Music an integral part of the college lifestyle, and recognized as one of the major MARK ALBERT annual gatherings of effective promotion could probably reap great divi- Vice President and General Manager young people on the East Coast. As the subject of dends in subsequent sales of records and tapes. J.B. CARMICLE countless movies, magazine articles and such, the With so many people gathered together, a captive Vice President and General Manager, East Coast k ~~ “ migration of college age youth to the sunnier climes audience is there for the taking. JIM SHARP Vice President, Nashville of Florida during the spring break from school This year’s series of concerts featuring new and RICHARD IMAMURA means, among other things, a lot of partying. developing acts, plus the various label co- Managing Editor promotions with manufacturers of other youth- JOE FLEISCHMAN And nowadays, partying means, at least to some Director Of Marketing oriented products, are surely a step in the right extent, a lot of music being played and listened to. East Coast Editorial direction. Spring break down in Florida has already FRED GOODMAN, Bureau Chief Thus, it is encouraging to see labels this year begin- LARRY RIGGS. Radio Editor become an institution of sorts — the people will con- JIM BESSMAN ning to experiment with a little imaginative promo- gregate in the sun every year whether the record West Coast Editorial tion in the area during the spring break. MICHAEL GLYNN. Audio/Video Editor companies are there or not.lt is now up to the music MICHAEL MARTINEZ, Marketing Editor JEFFREY RESSNER With some 350,000 youths expected to be in the industry to see if it can make something of this Research area for the next month or so, this is an ideal time to golden opportunity. KEN KIRKWOOD, Manager BILL FEASTER MIKE PLACHETKA HARALD TAUBENREUTHER GREGORY 0. LESCHISHIN CONTENTS Nashville Editorial/Research JUANITA BUTLER TOM ROLAND DEPARTMENTS ANITA WILSON Black Contemporary 49 ON THE COVER Classifieds 54 Art Directors Country 20 In more than 25 years as an en- OIS^'^OXI LARRY CRAYCRAFT 19 Gospel tertainer, Mel Tillis has established International 46 Circulation — Jazz 13 himself as a man of many talents THERESA TORTOSA, Manager Merchandising 16 singer, songwriter, actor and en- PUBLICATION OFFICES Pro Audio 15 trepreneur. Even with his im- NEW YORK Radio 47 1775 Broadway, New York NY 10019 pressive diversification, Tillis has Video 14 Phone: (212) 586-2640 still held firm in his abilities to Cable Address: Cash Box NY FEATURES Telex: 666123 Coast To Coast 12 charm an audience with his dis- HOLLYWOOD Editorial 3 tinctive personal attributes and W 6363 Sunset Blvd. (Suite 930) Executives on The Move 10 Hollywood CA 90028 humble attitude, capturing the New Faces To Watch 8 Phone: (213) 464-8241 Country Music Assn.’s prestigious CHARTS NASHVILLE Entertainer of the Year award in the process. 21 Music Circle East, Nashville TN 37203 Top 100 Singles 4 Phone: (615) 244-2898 Top 200 Albums 52, 53 Re-signing recently with MCA after a stint with Elektra, and CHICAGO Black Contemporary Albums 49 working with Harold Shedd for the first time, Tillis has reinfor- CAMILLE COMPASIO, Coin Machine, Mgr. Black Contemporary Singles 50 ced his position as a formidable recording artist; and the Texas 1442 S. 61st Ave., Cicero IL 60650 Country Albums 21 863-7440 Phone: (312) Country Singles 22 shuffle, Tillis’ strongest suit, still maintains the hard western WASHINGTON, D.C. Gospel Albums 19 edge that has become the trademark of Tillis and his traveling EARL B. ABRAMS International Albums, Singles 46 3518 N. Utah St.. Statesiders band. Jazz Albums 13 Arlington VA 22207 Tillis has come a long way since his days as a lanky quarter- Phone: (703) 243-5664 Rock Album Radio Report 48 ”” Top 30 Videocassettes 14 back in Pahokee, Fla., but after all this time, he’s still one of the MIGUIL SMtRNOFF REVIEWS most congenial and easy-going country boys in the country Director of South American Operations Albums 6 music arena. Cash Box is proud to salute Mel Tillis with a ARGENTINA — MIGUEL SMIRNOFF Singles 8 special supplement this week, beginning opposite page 24. Lavalle 1569, Piso 4, Of. 405 1048 Buenos Aires, Argentina Phone: 45-6948 AUSTRALIA — ALLAN WEBSTER 3/57 Dickens St. Elwood Vic 3184, Australia BRAZIL — CHRISTOPHER PICKARD TOP POP DEBUTS Av. Borges de Mederios, 2475 Apt. 503, Lagoa Rio de Janeiro, Brasil 1 WON’T HOLD YOU BACK — Toto — Columbia Phone: 294-8197 SINGLES CANADA — KIRK LaPOINTE 420 Gloucester Street #107 Ottawa. Ontario, Canada. KIE 7T7 WE’VE GOT TONIGHT — Kenny Rogers — Liberty Phone: (613) 235-7743 /1LBUMS GERMANY — GERHARD AUGUSTIN Oettingenstrasse 66 8 munich 22 Phone: 089-221363 POP SINGLE POPABUM Telex: 5-29378 NUMBER ITALY — MARIO DE LUIGI THRILLER "Musica e Dischi" Via Giannone 2 BILLIE JEAN 20154 Milan, Italy Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Phone: (02) 389-059/389-936 Epic Epic JAPAN — Adv. Mgr., SACHIO SAITO Editorial Mgr., KOZO OTSUKA 3rd Floor of Chuo-Tatemono bldg. ONES 2-chome, 11-1, Shinbashi, Minato-ku, B/C SINGLE B/C/1LBUM Tokyo Japan, 105 Phone: 504-1651 NETHERLANDS — CONSTANT MEIJERS BILLIE JEAN THRILLER P.O. Box 1807 Michael Jackson Michael Jackson 1200 BV Hilversum Epic Phone: 035-19841 Epic SPAIN— ANGEL ALVAREZ Lopez de Hoyos 178, 5 CD Madrid — 2 Spain Phone: 415 23 98 COUNTRY SINGLE COUNTRY zILBUM UNITED KINGDOM — NICK UNDERWOOD Flat 6, 196 Sussex Gardens I IF I MOUNTAIN MUSIC London W2 England WOULDN’T CHANGE YOU COULD Phone: 01-402-6779 Ricky Skaggs Alabama SARA RANDELL Epic RCA Phone: 01-402-9338 SUBSCRIPTION RATES $125 per year anywhere in he U.S.A. Published weekly by CASH BOX (ISSN 0008- /289), 1775 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10019. Printed in JAZZ GOSPEL he U.S. A. Second class postage paid at New York. N. Y., Sind additional mailing offices. ®Copyright 1983 by the Cash Box Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. LORD, YOU KEEP ON PROVING THE BEST IS YET TO COME Copyright under Universal Copyright Convention. YOURSELF TO ME :>OSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to CASH BOX, 1775 Grover Washington.Jr. Florida Mass Choir Sroadway, New York, N.Y. 10019. Elektra Savoy Michael Jackson March 12. 1983 Weeks Weeks Weeks On On On 3/5 Chart 3/5 Char 3/5 Charls BILLIE JEAN 33 MICKEY 68 SWINGIN’ TONI MICHAEL JACKSON (Epic 34-03509) 2 8 BASIL (Chrysalis 2638) 31 27 JOHN ANDERSON (Warner Bros. 7-29788) 78 DO YOU REALLY WANT TO 34 POISON ARROW eS^SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I HURT ME ABC (Mercury/PolyGram 810 340-7) 40 7 GO 1 15 CULTURE CLUB (Epic 3403368) 35 DREAMIN’ IS EASY THE CLASH (Epic 34-03547) 75 STRAY CAT STRUT STEEL BREEZE (RCA PB-13427) 39 9 70]LAND OF A THOUSAND STRAY CATS (EMI America B-8122) 3 12 36 BETCHA SHE DON’T LOVE YOU DANCES EVELYN KING (RCA PB-13380) 37 8 DOWN UNDER THE J.