label Japanese Co. Breathes Life Into CTI ' Firm Set To New Joint Venture Planning , Concert Releases BY KEN TERRY Released Oct. 1 in Japan on video- world rights on the product. It will Co- Produce Montreux Fest disc and to be launched Tuesday (20) also distribute artist royalties. NEW YORK-, whose in the rest of the world, "Rhythm - CFI's part of the venture's start-up BY JANINE McADAMS cial lineup will be announced in CTI label released albums by some of stick" was filmed using high- defini- funding came largely from a $3.3 mil- Cannes in January. the most important tion technology. It will be available lion jury award to CTI in 1988. The NEW YORK-Quincy Jones Pro- Nobs and Velazquez confirmed artists of the '70s, has reactivated his on laserdisc, videocassette, CD, LP, damages were assessed against ductions will co-produce the 25th that Jones will perform a jazz pro- company with the help of a Japanese and cassette. Pioneer will issue video- Warner Bros. Records in a long -run- annual , gram and a vocal program on dif- conglomerate that has major retail- discs, and IblyGram will handle the ning civil suit over contract agree- July 5-20, as well as a series of la- ferent nights. His shows will in- ing, hotel, and railroad holdings. digitally recorded audio releases. ments regarding . serdiscs featuring highlights from clude the first live performances of At the same time, New York-based Following "Rhythmstick" will be Besides Benson's early titles, CTI the festival's video archives. The material from his blockbuster CTI Records has signed a long-term, "Song Of The Sun" by , released albums by acts like Wes joint productions were announced "Back On The Block" album with worldwide distribution and licensing featuring contributions from Wayne Montgomery, Stan Getz & Charlie by Claude Nobs, founder /general its original performers, including deal with PolyGram. Shorter, , and Toots Byrd, Ray Charles, , director of the festival, and Louise Ray Charles and Chaka Khan, who Taylor has launched his comeback Thielemans. Also in the can are re- , Freddie Hub- Velazquez, president of Quincy are also expected to do solo sets. effort through a joint venture with cently filmed Tokyo concerts by the bard, , Grover Washington Jones Productions. High- definition television will cri Wave, a Tokyo-based subsidiary CFI Super Band, which includes Ran- Jr., Deodato, , Herbie "It's magic, it's like a dream also play a part in documenting of the Saison Group. Among Saison's dy Brecker, Jim Beard, , Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cob- come true for me," says Nobs. next year's silver- anniversary more than 100 entities are Interconti- and Mark Redford. All of the planned ham, Jack DeJohnnette, John "Quincy's concept of music is not event, in keeping with the Mon- nental Hotels, Seibu department projects have been or will be shot in McLaughlin, and Chet Baker. like: jazz and that's it, soul and treux festival's tradition of using stores, the Seiyu supermarket chain, hi-def and released in all formats. CBS now has worldwide rights to that's it. It's a global concept. So state -of- the -art technology in its Discoport Records, and the Wave Re- The CTI Super Band concerts in the CTI catalog outside Japan, ac- now we have a melting pot of live production and recording. cords retail chain. Tokyo and Osaka were promoted by cording to Taylor. But he is begin- performances and the [quality of] "It's similar to how Claude began The first of the venture's six Toshinari Koinuma, a veteran jazz ning to build a new roster, he says, production that Quincy has been do- taping the concerts in stereo in planned audio /visual projects, called concert producer who now repre- starting with Jim Beard. ing through the years." 1974," says Velazquez. "There was "Rhythmstick," features 18 jazz acts, sents CTI in Japan. Koinuma will Says Velazquez, "Quincy and I no stereo equipment in wide distri- including , Art Farm- serve as Taylor's contact with CTI have been talking about looking for bution then, but later on when it er, Tito Puente, Bob Berg, Charlie Wave, Pioneer, and Polydor in Japan. Assistance in preparing this story a video catalog, something that had was released it was commonplace. Haden, , , CFI Wave is producing the masters was provided by Shig Fujita in To- historical value and had a broad In HDTV, we don't know when it , and . for the CTI projects and will hold kyo. range of music." The Montreux will become standard, but we can fest's video archives came to Jones' ultimately transfer to the American attention at MIDEM last January standard, film, or NTSC video. We want flexibility in the long -term de- SOUND WAREHOUSE DROPS 'NASTY' IN DALLAS COUNTY TO SKIRT OBSCENITY CHARGES (where Jones was named man of the year), when he spoke informally velopment of the catalog." (Continuedjrom page b') with Nobs, a longtime associate. The first two laserdiscs -one a charges were dropped," says Trish not part of his discussions. else in the U.S. seems to think so." Co- production of the festival festival retrospective and the other Heimers, spokeswoman for the In a Nov. 8 statement issued by In July, Pickett also announced seemed like a natural next step. an overview of the 1991 gather- RIAA. "In terms of them pulling it Sound Warehouse, Worrell called that he was filing a misdemeanor Jones' production company - ing-are expected in late 1991. Oth- off the shelves, it's their right not the decision "a victory for the com- obscenity charge against Hastings which is separate from Quincy er discs will be culled from archival to carry it in a particular market." pany, the people of Texas, and for Records and Tapes, but a month Jones Entertainment and Quincy material. "We hope to put together Heimers had no comment on the first amendment." later he said he had decided not to Jones Broadcasting, the newly a series like 'Quincy Jones Pre- what kind of message this decision "Certainly, [Pickett] was trying file charges against the Amarillo, formed co- ventures with Time sents,' by [musical] genre, that sends to the industry. to get us to agree to drop it chain - Texas -based company because cor- Warner Inc. -will be responsible sheds light on the music -say, "I would hope it would send the wide, and we didn't have to," Wor- porate officials had pulled copies for lining up performers, finalizing 'Blues At Montreux,' " says Velaz- message to us, retailers, record rell tells Billboard. "That's why we of the album from all its stores. contracts, and scheduling. The offi- quez. makers, and artists, that we need consider it a victory even if nobody Hastings had no comment. to discipline ourselves a little bit," says Spec's' Carmichael. "I don't think this issue is going to go MORE TOP ARTISTS MOVE TO QSOUND away. It's going to be an issue (t oulintied Jronl paye sl we'll have to deal with ourselves." Terry Worrell, president and cher Communications. Monica, Calif. -based Gamma Elec- VP of quality assurance Ed 40 albums using QSound released CEO of Sound Warehouse, says "It is really a terrific opportunity tronic Systems, which owns B.A.S.E., Outwater. during 1991. "Once you get most of that this case could be used as an for us," Archer president/CEO Law- says that system is quite different Bob Ludwig, VP and chief engi- the major artists using it, it will be- example by other DAs to pressure rence G. Ryckman says of the initial from QSound. neer of New York's Masterdisk, con- come a standard," he adds. retailers to remove product, but he pairing of QSound with Madonna. "We don't claim to bring sound be- curs. "QSound is more realistic than Other acts set to use QSound are views it as a victory. According to Ryckman, Archer hind you. That is kind of what glasses a surround effect ... I've played Interscope artist Gerardo and MCA's He contends that the charges Communications is working on "close do to 3D TV. What we do is more like QSound cassettes in my car, and I Imana. Although Interscope principal were motivated by assistant dis- to a dozen projects over the coming high - definition television." have four speakers, but when I turn Iovine is involved financially with trict attorney David Pickett's cam- months with several different record An item in the November issue of off the rear speakers it doesn't sound QSound, not all of the label's releases paign for district court judge. Mi- companies." Robert E. Baker's quarterly financial like you've turned them off." will necessarily utilize the technolo- chael Sullivan, chief of the obscen- In August, Archer signed a five - newsletter, The Baker Report, calls Ludwig says there are some draw- gy, a QSound representative says. ity division of the Dallas County year nonexclusive licensing agree- B.A.S.E. superior to QSound, but rec- backs to the technology, such as a QSound can be applied to all exist- District Attorney's organized ment with PolyGram N.V. calling for ord industry insiders have given the small loss in signal -to-noise ratio. ing recording formats including the crime division, calls this claim the label to release up to 20 record- nod to QSound. Ryckman claims the move to LP, and it can also be applied to ste- "nonsense." ings using the process in the next 18 "There have been other ways of ex- QSound is an "artist-driven process," reo TV and radio broadcasts. Archer The charges were brought by months (Billboard, Aug. 25). The first panding stereo mixes over the years, and that there are "artists interested is also reportedly negotiating to use Pickett after a 13- year-old boy pur- of these will likely be the next Bon but so far [QSound] is by far and in the process at every major label." QSound technology in a number of chased a copy of the album at a Jovi album. away the best," says Warner Bros. He is optimistic that there will be 35- TV and film projects. Sound Warehouse outlet as part of QSound is touted as a revolution- a sting operation (Billboard, Aug. ary concept because consumers do 11). A local magistrate ruled that not need additional hardware to per- MITCH RYDER CASE LEAVES SOUND -ALIKE ISSUE IN LIMBO "Nasty" is obscene, says Sullivan. ceive its enhancements. Says Ryck- (Continued from page d) At that time, the corporation man, "The consumer doesn't need to pulled the album from 24 Dallas buy a black box or new speakers. For perform a version of the Grammy only difference between his case and decision "is an abomination." area stores and began negotia- the first time there is something sig- winner's "Do You Wanna Dance," af- the Midler and Waits cases. He said that if it was shown that tions. nificantly and noticeably different, ter she refused to do the spot herself. "All that happened was that a the commercial was intended to de- Pickett said he would drop the and the consumer doesn't have to pay Based on the precedent set in the Michigan judge said he was not going ceive people into believing it was Ry- charges only if the company pulled extra for it." Midler case, gravelly voiced singer to be the first judge in the state to ac- der performing and the audience was the record from all of its 142 out- With the Madonna debut coup and Tom Waits sued ad agency Tracy - cept the Midler precedent," he says. indeed deceived, the Midler precedent lets in 14 states and participated in the involvement of audio experts Bob Locke in 1988 over the use of a sound - Beverly Hills -based lawyer Rich- should have been followed. a press conference in which it Ezrin, Bob Clearmountain, and Jim- alike in a Frito Lay commercial, and ard Morse explains, "District courts The advertising agencies in both agreed that the album was ob- my Iovine (Billboard, Nov. 17), won a $2.5 million jury award earlier are not bound by other district court the Midler and Waits cases are ap- scene, says Worrell. At press time, QSound has the highest profile of this year from the same Los Angeles decisions and they can avoid follow- pealing the lower court decisions in Pickett was unavailable for com- several audio -enhancement technolo- federal court (Billboard, May 19). ing law from another region. the 9th Circuit of the U.S. Court of ment. gies on the market. Its chief competi- In the Waits case, his lawyers told "If any of these cases goes before Appeals. According to Sullivan, who took tor is B.A.S.E. (Bedini Audio Spatial the court that the singer used on the the [U.S.] Supreme Court," Morse Coombs said that he plans an ap- over the case after joining the Dal- Environment), which has been used Frito Lay commercial did an imitation says, "then [the top court decision] peal of Gilmore's decision against Ry- las County District Attorney's of- by several acts, including fusion of Waits in his stage act. will be law followed in all federal der. in August, Pickett's demands group Shadowfax and country artists Scott Coombs of Fieger & Fieger, courts." fice The Hollywood had been part of early negotiations George Strait and Reba McEntire. the attorney who handled the Ryder Nonetheless, he said, for the Michi- Reprinted from with Sound Warehouse and were Sylvio Pennucci, VP of the Santa case, said that 2,400 miles was the gan court not to follow the California Reporter. 75 BILLBOARD NOVEMBER 24, 1990