Motown Suing MCA Over “Misconduct” LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Motown Distribution Agreement with MCA Be “Second Chapter” to Its Legendary 30- Motown’S Tecord Company, L.P
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ENTERTAINMENT Motown Suing MCA Over “Misconduct” LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Motown distribution agreement with MCA be “second chapter” to its legendary 30- Motown’s tecord Company, L.P. announced terminated. Jheryl Busby, president year history. and chief executive ist month it has filed a The officer, said lawsuit suit, filed in Los Angeles MCA, “far from Motown’s Inc. aiding Motown filed the suit as a “last gainst MCA, over MCA’s failure Superior Court, maintains that has revival, consistently undermined resort” after more than a of ) live up to its agreement to MCA’s “ineptitude and deliberate year the effort to rebuild Motown,” the suit unsuccessful efforts to MCA to istribute and promote Motown misconduct” has undermined get oonrrfa said. fulfill its commitments. Motown asked that its Motown’s efforts to write a successful Motown said it has “fulfilled its end “Motown has repeatedly asked of the bargain” with MCA by MCA to acknowledge and perform its rekindling the “creative fires at obligations,” Busby said. “To protect Motown” with the development of its legacy and its artists, Motown newer acts who have joined Motown’s cannot and will not wait any longer veteran stars. Motown was fourth on for MCA to deliver.” Billboard’s black album charts in The suit said that because of 1990 (up from 10th in 1988) and had “MCA’s failure to provide services to more No. 1 R&B hits than any other Motown,” Motown, in many label. Last month, Black Radio instances, “has been forced to Exclusive magaizne named Motown assemble its own staff and systems at “Record Label of the Year.” considerable expense.” Thus, Motown said MCA has “Motown pays for overhead services “systematically breached” the twice,” making the situation while agreement continuing to collect “intolerable” for the company, the distribution fees from Motown that suit said. are extraordinary by industry According to Motown’s complaint, ■ standards. “MCA has breached fiduciary One of MCA’s “egregious” obligations as well as contractual distribution failures, the suit said, ones.” For example, in 1989 MCA occurred in 1989 when, for about a referred to Motown the valuable month, MCA virtually lost the ability opportunity to acquire GRP Records. to fill any orders for Motown records. MCA, after a change in its senior As a result, Motown said it lost at level management, and without least 500,000 unit sales of one album informing Motown, purchased GRP alone—the soundtrack from Spike for itself, despite the fact that MCA is Lee’s critically acclaimed motion a general partner in Motown. picture, “Do the Right Thing.”, At the time, “a senior MCA HEART M Brant has said ovsr 10 mlNon records and with each “Although the ‘Do the Right Thing’ executive (who also sits on Motown’s MOTION-Amy the that moves her has moved her closer to With album generated a No. 1 R&B hit and Operating Committee as a album, spirit pep superstardom. a No. 1 rap hit, MCA was utterly representative of MCA Record the release el “Heart In Motionher newest album tor A&M, Amy takes the giant;, unable to manufacture and ship the Ventures) blithely advised Motown step that moves her within arm’s reach of her destination. record when demand was at its peak that he had to consider MCA’s and sales would have been greatest,” interests first and Motown’s second,” Motown said. the suit said. In its filed complaint, by Steven A. Busby stressed that Motown’s Dancer Chalks 70 Yrs. • Marenberg of the Los Angeles law dispute is with MCA and not with Up firm of Irell and Motown, GRP and 14 at Mandella, its president, Larry Rosen. said its “efforts to build a valuable “I believe a In firmly Larry Rosen is The Tap Dance Arena roster of new artists, to profitably sell good businessman who cares deeply new records, and to maximize sales about music and our industry,” WHITEVILLE (AP)-Bill Sapp has announcer—back when they sang the of its extensive catalog of classic Busby said. been tap-dancing for 70 years without advertising jingles live. .C. Performs recordings (one of the most valuable Besides asking the court to Symphony a lesson. “Soothing, cool, delicious and collections in the music industry)... terminate the distribution “I don’t know. I just picked it up refreshing,” he sang from all have been frustrated by MCA’s agreement, Motown is also memorj’?1; Association seeking watching Fred Astaire,” said Sapp, “Far best by taste test.” t-Making misconduct.” tens of millions of dollars in damages 75, wearing black tails and white That experience kept him out 6f One of the most popular and beverages, lawn chairs, blankets According to the suit, MCA is because of the alleged misconduct of spats during a recent interview at his combat in World War II, during' ccessfui bands to come out of the etc. Food also be a to MCA and its Uni Distribution may purchased contractually obliged charge Corp. home. which he was stationed in >s will be the Columbus, guest group at the Park. dogs ar Motown the “best price available to Regency Seeing-eye subsidiary. Sapp and his twin brother, George, Ga., as a master of ceremonies with' >rth Carolina the allowed at Summerfes MCA for the manufacture of Motown’s current owners include Symphony only pets compact are celebrities back in their Special Services. mmerfest ’91 concert series. The concerts. is free. discs.” Instead, MCA has Diana affiliates of Parking Busby, Ross, hometown of Savannah, Ga. They’ve Though he graduated from the'' isociation will perform with the Single tickets are available at th consistently overcharged Motown Boston Ventures Management, Inc., by entertained for decades at fairs, University of Georgia with a law mphony on Saturday. June 22, at gate or in Cary at Wellington’s Book charging prices for compact discs and MCA Record Ventures, which charity events and nursing homes. degree, he never practiced law:'; 30 p.m. at Regency Park in Cary. in Kroger Plaza, at Lynn’s Plu that often exceed generally available holds about an 18 percent interest. Party The song-and-dance team went Instead, he worked 41 years for the'; The Association has sold more than in Shoppes of Kildare, and at the Car prices by 20 cents or more Der CD. Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. national in 1966 with an appearance Seaboard Railroad. ;v‘- million records, earning six gold Chamber of Commerce. tick* to millions of dollars in sold the record company in 1988. Cary amounting on Dick Clark’s “Putting on the “I’d rather be an engineer on the scs and one platinum. Their checks excess charges, the suit Mid., »utlet^acce|y. C3§h.aftd only ^ Hits.” In April, they opened foi railroad,” he said. “1 like to blow tMfe' imber one hits include “Never My Charlie Daniels and Ronnie al whistle." Milsap " >ve” and “Windy.” The members, “A Night in Old Savannah," ar He made one shot at professional a member of the irry Ramos, annual festival. show business, he said. band, sings tenor and iginal plays “They called us sapheads, and “I took a screen test but I flunked id Russ Giguere, also a ’* guitar; sapheads wasn’t bad,” Sapp said. out on the voice part of it,” Sapp said. imber of the band, original sings “When they called us sapsuckers, “They didn’t want no rednecks ritone and tenor; Bruce Pictor we’d both jump on ’em.” Southerners back then. That wafc baritone and tenor, and is one of igs A retired railroad engineer and a back in the days of Clark Gable.” I cleanest, fastest rummers in the Shriner, Sapp moved to Whiteville 3_ On “Putting on the Hits,” the Id Paul Holland tenor today; sings years ago with his wife, Doris, a brothers, did a lip-sync to the Mills 1 is the for the keyboard synthesist Columbus County native. He won a Brothers’ “Glow Worm.” Another1 id; Donni Gougeon sings tenor and trophy in the 1990 Columbus County contestant, dressed as half man aqd i Del Ramos, keyboard specialist; Fair talent show. He also performed half woman, impersonated both }e manager and sound technician, in the county’s strawberry, yam and Diana Ross and Lionel Richie and baritone and bass from behind [s watermelon festivals and at Lake went on to win $50,000. sound board. Waccamaw Convalescent Home and “We were the oldest geezerS' nder the music direction of James Century Care nursing home in there,” Sapp recalled. the North Carolina e, Symphony’s Whiteville. ociate conductor, the orchestra He wore his first tap shoes at age 5. 1 perform Julius Fucik’s "Entry pf*. THE DEVME ONE—Sarah Vaughan, shown aarly in har Tha Divine a ana-hour The Sapp Brothers have worked as a 1 Vaughan: Ona,” documontary Gladiators,” Johann Strauss, Afro-American career in the studio and in her later on “American team since 1928 when, at age seven, ’s Waltzes,” recording (left), yors portrait premlaring Masters,” July 29 at 9 “Emperor arranger they won a talent contest doing the 1 during a TV taping (right), is the subject of “Sarah onPBS. Holcomb’s “Evergreen” from “A p.m. Charleston. Later, they began doing Artists Featured ir is Born,” and Henry Mancini’s nursing home gigs because they had loon River” from "Breakfast at an aunt who lived in one, Sapp said. At NCSU Exhibit Selections the PBS Skills ffany’s.” by Helps Develop Reading “We had a great audience," he isociation will be announced from said. “They were captured. They The work of Triangle area artists -r e stage.