Opera Releases Continue New Generation Music Odyssey, Jet To Highlight A Few Stars Boosts Sales In And CBS Team Up (continued from page 55) Classical Market For ELO Contest direction. Joan Sutherland will be featured (continued from page 50) Notre Dame" is on Angel's list of the past (continued from page 26) in Puccini's "Suor Angelica" with Christa album that sells like the Ram- left year's best sellers. And London is planning and right sides, a sofa -bed, swivel Ludwig, and according to Rollefson, the pal/Bolling,collaboration, for instance, will to release Massenet's "Don Quixote," with chairs, an ice box and stereo tape deck will recently shipped "Lucrezia Borgia," with carry the catalog of the artist. It is apparent Crespin, Ghiaurov, and Bacquier, this fall. be awarded to the store with the best dis- Sutherland and Horne, is already showing that when people buy a Rampal/Bolling, Between now and Christmas, Angel will play at the end of this month. The van is up in store reports. they tend to buy another Rampal, and some release a complete Offenbach "Orpheus In currently being taken to record stores in Also just released, and in less familiar are inclined to buy another Bolling LP. Also, The Underworld" under the direction of southern California by Jet representatives vein. is London's recording of Paer's these items may prove to be an entry point to give away Michele Plasson, as well as a recording of T-shirts, frisbees and ELO "Leonora," which was composed just a few into the classical market for non -classical Debussy's "Pelleas et Melisande" featuring nite-lights. years before Beethoven wrote "Fidelio." buyers. Frederica von Stade and Jose Van Dam "It's the most ambitious promotion for Says Rooefson, "It's the same story, and the Reissues are another good area for us. and conducted by Karajan. the ELO album since it was released," said treatment is similar, but the music, ob- When we think about reissuing something, In the unfamiliar opera category, Angel Pat Siciliano, vice president of creative ser- viously, is a completely different matter." the first thing we try to do is determine in- has been successful with Shostakovich's vices for Jet Records, of the "Discovery" Other unique operatic fare includes tuitively whether there's an interest either in "Lady Macbeth of Mtensk," Schubert's contest. "It has been most effective and Janeck's "Makropoulos Case," with the repertoire or a specific performance or "Alfonso and Estrella," and Strauss' "Die satisfying for us because it tied in retail with Elisabeth Soderstrom, and Strauss' "The in the artist. You call retailers, talk to critics, Schweigsame Frau." The last two. Caronia radio, as Music Odyssey received total Egyptian Helen." Under the baton of Antol and consult your general sense of the says, "did better than anyone expected. committment and involvement from the Dorati, the latter recording features the market. Then you check the sales to see participating local stations." And I think that's because people are really same forces that performed the work to ac- how the album did in its initial release. If all going after the unusual repertoire these The contest was conceived by Don De claim this spring in Washington, Detroit and of that looks right, you re-release it. days." Graff and Jerry Pitti, representives of the New York. Some of the older stereo recordings The operatic mood at RCA is a gloomy CBS Records branch in San Francisco, and Probably the most sound nearly one: Between now and the first of next year exciting news, as good as today's records. put together by Joe Jablonski, vice presi- though. is that of London's first the only releases scheduled are the two digitally But it's like paperbacks. They've run their dent of marketing for the Music Odyssey recorded vocal releases one a full aforementioned "Cavaleria" and Erato - verismo course as hardbounds, and, though the retail chain, in association with Jet Records aria disc from Luciano Pavarotti, and the market won't it productions of Handel's "Samson" and carry them at full price, will and CBS. other a "Fidelio" under the baton Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutti," the latter of Sir carry them at a lower price. That would be Georg Solti. the boasting Von Stade and Troyanos among rationale for us placing them at a lower Novigraphics Finishes price. the cast. In the vocal disc area, Shepard It's been my experience that mid -lines Bee Gees Songbook seems especially excited about a disc of Opportunities In Beethoven Scotch, Irish and Welsh don't work in the U.S. I think that retailers NEW YORK - Novigraphics, the graphics folksongs, with tenor Robert White accom- Classical Sales don't quite know how to handle them. Very and design firm, has recently completed to lost in panied by cellist Yo Yo Ma, pianist Sam often, they tend get the bins, and work on the Bee Gees songbook and on Sanders, and violinist Ida Kavafian. Continue To Grow they're sold as full -price. And that defeats "Sweet Talk," the new album by Mercury Perhaps the reason for the gloomy continued from page 50) our whole purpose. artist Robyn Beck. prognosis at RCA is that the company was ings into the stores another level of clientele Cassettes are immensely important to Novigraphics is located at 200 West 57th forced by rising costs to cancel the who have the opportunity of browsing and us, and it's growing continually. When I was St., Suite 610. Phone number is (212) 541- recording of "La Gioconda" in London. becoming familiar with the stores. a retail buyer, I was buying one to one - LP 4256. Because of the worldwide telecast of the At the same time, we counteract the fact to cassette - on many items. It depends on the nature San Francisco opera's "La Gioconda" this that our product has a slower turnover rate of the item. But the gap between Freeway To Release LP and cassette sales is rapidly narrowing. fall. that project might have had enormous than pop by extending a longer discount Debut 'L.A. Radio' LP media tie-in potential. than is extended on most pop product. Larry Holmes is director of merchandis- LOS ANGELES Freeway London. however, has found a way of Dealers make far more money on a Vox ing for Columbia Masterworks. - Records, a capitalizing on the "La Gioconda" telecast record or many other classical records than diverse company with interests in the music without going to the expense of recording they would on pop product. MCA To Release industry, will soon release its debut album, the work anew. Instead, according to Cassette Sales Up "L.A. Radio." "The album is a two record set that contains 31 to Joe Richard Rooefson, the company will bring One of the brightest spots in our picture Seven New LPs tracks," according Molina, of press information for out a "La Gioconda Gala" LP featuring, in is cassette sales. Our company was one of director Freeway. Rollefson's words, "the royal family of the pioneers in popular -priced classical During September "The album contains assorted musicians, poets, engineers, producers, opera on London: Pavarotti, Tebaldi, cassettes, and we have benefited from the LOS ANGELES - With The Crusaders' Milanov, and Caballe, with Solti con- tape boom along with everyone else. drummer Stix Hooper's debut solo LP comedians, singers, teachers, label heads, session players, journalists and performers ducting." A single disc highlights record. Oddly enough, the new competition in leading the way, MCA Records will release that reside and work in some of the music the "Gala" will be released in September. the cassette field has actually helped us. seven albums during September. scenes of Southern California and the "We expect that it will appeal to people who Competition helps to build a market, and Titled "The World Within," Hooper's LP general L.A. basin." are approaching 'La Gioconda' or even when everyone else came with cassettes, it will be supported by a heavy promotional opera for the first time through the broad- broadened the market and made it possi- campaign in recognition of his stature cast." Rollefson suggests. "but we also ble for us to sell a lot more accounts. among jazz musicians. Atlantic Releases Six think it will appeal to the knowledgeable There is a view that people buy cassettes Welsh singer Tom Jones will also debut NEW YORK - Atlantic Records is releasing opera lover. The range of interpretation on because they're not satisfied with the on MCA with his latest LP, "Rescue Me." six new albums this week. They are: this single disc is intriguing." quality of records. However, our sale of The stylish LP will feature such songs as "Thighs and Whispers" by Bette Midler; At is a mix London, there fairly even bet- records has continued to grow with the in- "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina," from the "Cerrone V -Angelina" by Cerrone; ween the standard and the novel among crease in cassette sales. On one title, for ex- play Evita, "Flashback" and the title cut. "Breakin' the Punk" by Faze -O; "Under this year's offerings. There will be a new ample, we may sell 3,000 LPs and 1,500 The Blend will feature a rock 'n' roll Heaven, Over Hell," by Streetheart; and "Marriage of Figaro" with Van Dam, cassettes. So I think that tape sales are just sound on their newest LP, "Anytime "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" by City Cotrubas, Von Stade and Krause, Karajan plus volume for the classical music Delight," and John Wesley Ryles will offer Boy. All of the records are on Atlantic ex- well as a "Don Giovanni" industry. conducting, as his country/pop/blues sound on his "Let cept Faze -O, which is on the Atlantic - with Weikl, Bacquier, Margaret Price, Ira Moss is president of the Moss Music the Night Begin" LP. distributed She label. Sylvia Sass and Lucia Popp under Soltis' Group. The soundtrack from the John Schlesinger movie Yanks will not only feature famous tunes of the World War II AudioFidelity Labels era, but also new music composed by To Issue Six LPs Richard Rodney Bennett and conducted by Marcus Dodds. NEW YORK - Audiofidelity Enterprises will Finally, as a part of MCA's expanding release six LPs this fall. They are: "Ole" by classical music commitment, Beethoven's Noah Howard; "The Shout" by Alan Silva, Symphony No. 9 will be released on and "Kevin, My Dear Son" by Frank Wright, Westminster Gold Records and "The all on Chiaroscuro Records; "Pop Song Beggar's Opera" on Gay. Festival" and "Star Studded Singers," on MCA Records will support the new Audiofidelity Records; and "Always" by releases with a heavy promotional cam- Hazel Scott on Image Records. paigns that will include extensive print ads - both trade and consumer - television Brooklyn Finally Gets spots and radio ads. A 24 -Track Studio `Rust' Turns Into Gold NEW YORK - Bedford Stuyvesant THE DIVINE MISS 'M' IN THE FLESH - While in L.A. for post -production recording on LOS ANGELES - Warner/Reprise Restoration Corporation has opened a 24 - her new film, "The Rose," which is scheduled for an early November release, Atlantic recording artist Neil Young's latest LP, track -studio, The Platinum Factory. The recording artist Bette Midler dropped by the Cash Box offices to discuss her recent LP, "Rust Never Sleeps," has been certified 3,000 -square -foot facility, Brooklyn's first "Thighs and Whispers," with Cash Box president and publisher, George Albert, pictured gold by the RIAA. It is Young's ninth gold 24 -track studio, was constructed with a above. album in the U.S. $265,000 grant from CBS, Inc.

64 Cash Box/September 15, 1979

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