SINGLES CHART: P.ll: ALBUMS CHART: PJ2 fcp -CWT-EJJU. 0' jT^r f-ew^) —I SW AV-t^X) AUGUST 13, 1983 - sfedf Record damages

L-, ■ in BP! - 'purge' c> D 0 THE LARGEST ever damages against a distributor and wholesaler of counterfeit audio cassettes was obtained in the High Court last week when a sum in excess of £170,000 V- was awarded in a BPI case in which CBS were the named plaintiffs. The judgement was obtained V . against Stephen Samuels of Mappeley Park, Nottingham, ■tsAi 11 4L following the seizure by Nottingham THE BEAMING faces of Tony St ration Smith deft) and Richard Branson Trading Standards Department of confirm their delight at the deal which takes Charisma to Virgin (see lead 8,000 cassettes from a local urope ea mg music business paper story). warehouse. The BPl's continued campaign to stamp out piracy particularly among market traders has been gaining Cheaper CD momentum following the class injunction obtained last month. The BPI has served orders on a number players to Charisma moves to of tape dealers in various street markets including Berwick Street and Carnaby Street in London's boost market West End, and several thousand THE COMPACT disc market allegedly counterfeit cassettes have is likely to receive a been seized. considerable boost later this Virgin in 'special' In another move, an Anton Piller year with the introduction of order was served on David Gorman second generation players at of Harlow, Essex, after the BPI prices which could be as discovered a cache of material at a cheap as half current prices. lock-up garage, 248,000 inlay cards, In Japan, Matsushita is 500,000 side labels and 2,800 about to launch its latest finished cassettes were removed in model, the SL-P7, at a retail licensing arrangement addition to "a substantial number of price reported to be as low as documents". £280 — roughly half that of its BPI legal adviser Patrick launch model. FOLLOWING THE announcement last week that place," he told MW. Isherwood comments: "It is most A spokesman for National Charisma is ending its 14-year association with "We have got to radicalise, get back to the roots of gratifying to have achieved these Panasonic/Technics, which Phonogram, Virgin Group chairman Richard what we're about. We shall be pruning the roster, have a results after months of painstaking represents Matsushita in the Branson has confirmed details of a "special" lower product commitment than of late and focus with a effort. The pieces of the jigsaw are UK, said that prices had not harder eye on the future. now beginning to fit together, and yet been finalised, but agreed licensing deal with Tony Stratton Smith's "Quite frankly, over the past two years we have been there is every indication of a that they wou Id be Charisma Records. getting stifled by growing overheads and selling costs, reduction in illegal activity in street The deal begins from September 1 and it means from the marketing budget has been out of control — it's been markets." "significantly lower" than at that date all new Charisma product will be handled by like being on a greasy pole getting higher all the time. present. The SL-P7 is Virgin Records. This includes record manufacture, sales, "I have taken a long look at what has happened to the expected to be available in promotion/press and distribution. company over the past two years and realise that most of this country towards the end Virgin also acquires all Charisma back catalogue for the our investment has been in services and not in product. I of the year. UK immediately and for the world outside North America never intended the company to develop that way. A number of lower price from December 1984. "We will be getting back to what we're best at — OPINION second generation CD players The immediate effect of the new deal is that Virgin career building and I envisage a roster of eight or nine are expected to be unveiled at "What a shame Gallup the Berlin hi-fi show later this Records' sales and promotion force, in conjunction with career artists. My background in artist management will month but the hardware their counterparts at Charisma, will be handling the come into play much more. We have some artists of real was not around last imminent new album and singles from Genesis,,as well as ability that need man-hours spent on them, not just November when Epic re- companies are reluctant to other forthcoming Charisma product which is likely to record companies services." discuss specific prices include a new single from Malcolm McLaren and a new The new slimmed-down Charisma will be run by a staff leased The Stranglers' because of the continuing Peter Gabriel abum early next year. of six including Stratton-Smith and Steve Weltman who European Female . . conflict between the EEC and The deals include about 80 titles from the Charisma remains as general manager. There will be a small number Japan over hardware import back catalogue, and John Webster, Virgin Records head of redundancies and Stratton Smith will be helping three □ □ tariffs. of sales and marketing, is already planning a members of staff to set up their own marketing and "constructive series of back catalogue repromotions to promotion consultancy under the direction of Andrew "Independent shops are include in-demand but currently unavailable Charisma Sheehan. no longer considered im- product". Charisma Films, which now generates its own cash portant enough to be Campbell Connelly Stratton Smith, who once again becomes managing flow and has a number of projects in production or in the called customers by the director of Charisma, will also be closely involved in the can, is unaffected by the deal, as is Charisma Music. majors . . ." (almost) sold label's A8-R activities. "I'm taking over the A&R function ® Genesis' new LP is scheduled for UK release on myself — | should never have let it go in the first Octobers, preceded by the single, Mama, on September 1. □ □ THE PROLONGED negotiations surrounding the sale of Campbell "How can 1 achieve a Connelly are drawing to a credit rating of £200,000 conclusion almost a year after they Chart hype curbs sought this week began. Preliminary agreement has been reached with a prospective, THE URGENT need to limit the the BPI — will sit down to thrash out already ineffectual. The last revised but still anonymous, purchaser. effect of marketing activities which a new course of action. version of the code is only three □ □ CC trustee Leon Morgan told MW seek to influence chart placings will Recent incidents — including the months old. "The music industry has that heads of agreement have been be discussed at the first meeting of removal of The Nolans' single from The charts committee will also be signed "which we hope will lead to a the newly-constituted charts the chart two weeks ago — and discussing what effects combining become archaic and short- final sale in probably two or three committee this week. others which were not publicised 12-inch and seven inch records has sighted . . months' time, but both parties have Representatives of the three but were dealt with by Gallup under had on the singles chart. — See Opinion, p 19. agreed not to make any statement partners who fund the chart — its weighting system, suggest that until formal completion". Music & Video Week, the BBC, and the BPl's own code of conduct is • See Comment, p3. K J

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