That Was The

FROM THE MUSIC WEEK ARCHIVE THAT WAS THE

THAT WAS This week 40 years ago... TOP STORY BLAME CANADA? Record manufacturers from the UK and America were facing serious opposition back in the summer of ’79 as cheaper, Canadian records were found to be “ﬂ ooding” the market. One Montreal company invited British one-stop, wholesale and retail operators to a hotel in Manchester, oﬀ ering product at cut-rate prices. “The English market is over-priced,” moaned one retailer. Still, at least they had room service...

VOTE FOR CHANGE After enquiries were made in the wake of a special Music Week report, the BPI clariﬁ ed plans to increase management council membership and amend the voting procedure. The letter stressed that the two extra seats would be ﬁ lled by member companies not classed as majors. Stories don’t get much sexier...

WADDY-A GONNA DO? Five years after Showaddywaddy had their ﬁ rst hit with Arista, the Leicester group re-signed with the label, but it was no ordinary deal. UK MD Charles Levison was targeting global “superstar status” – and waddy-s of cash, no doubt – while plans were laid for international touring and speciﬁ c licences in EU Nick O’Leary territories. Show me the money! WORDS:

Also inside... BBC television announced plans to revive ’60s pop show Juke Box Jury with Noel Edmonds as host… Status Quo fans rejoiced as the band’s first official biography was published… Elton John performed in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, while he took tomato ketchup and English mustard on his rider to Russia… RCA upped their prices by an average of 10% as they fell in line with the other majors… New Bristol label Fried Egg Records sent Music Week a record with said breakfast item attached, thankfully it was fake… Abba’s Voulez-Vous topped the album charts while Blondie’s Sunday Girl was the No.1 single...

musicweek.com 10.06.19 Music Week | 53