OCTOBER 18, 1969 $1.00 TWO SECTIONS SECTION 1 SEVENTY -FIFTH YEAR The International Music -Record Tape Newsweekly COIN MACHINE PAGES 45 TO 50 Bi 0 Nashville to Jump GRT's Cassette Rock Sparks Net With Country Hops Price to Meet Radio's Revival By BILL WILLIAMS By MIKE GROSS NASHVILLE - The "Grand tion be done in advance, to less- 8 -Track Level NEW YORK - The future tendance patterns among teen- Ole Opry" celebrates its 44th en freeloading. Registration in- of network radio is getting agers and young adults favor WEBER birthday, the Country Music volves a $10 donation to the By BRUCE brighter because of a growing radio to a remarkable degree. Association observes its I I th in Opry Trust Fund, a bank -held LOS ANGELES - GRT interest in syndicated rock pro- As a result, McManus, John & a week -long carnival of shows trust which gives thousands of will raise the suggested retail grams. During the past six Adams, who represent Phiso- and parties with occasional time dollars to indigent (non-"Grand price of its cassettes to $6.98, months a number of projects hex, an antibiotic skin cleanser, Ole musicians and have been has off for some serious seminars Opry ") their effective Nov. 1. The price is undertaken in both entered the pop radio field New beginning Saturday (11). families. equal to that of its 8 -track car- York and San Francisco on a syndicated basis. The WSM- sponsored event, The highlight will be the CMA tridge product. to provide syndicated radio pro- "We have increased a twice now in its 17th year, promises to Awards show, carried live from The price hike, the first ini- grams to both AM and FM sta- daily rock news and interview the House be bigger than last year's (6,001), "Grand Ole Opry" tiated by a tape company, fol- tions across the country. show called 'Rock Stars' to over on hosted by with preregistration this year Wednesday (15), lows a music industry standard A recent survey conducted 400 radio stations across the running more than double that Tennessee Ernie Ford. Awards established by RCA, Columbia by the Media Information De- country. We are delivering of 1968. WSM officials had in- will be given in all of the major and Capitol Records. partment at McManus, John & 3,800,000 young people with the sisted this year that all registra- (Continued on page 62) GRT introduced its cassette Adams shows that media at- (Continued on page 12) product several years ago with a $5.98 label because it was a Brazil Takés Rio Fest "fair and competitive" price at Small Specialty Disk that time, said Tom Bonetti, GRT marketing manager. Bo- netti attributed rising costs at the Amid Jeers & Cheers manufacturing and distribution Cos. Big Guns in U.K. By HENRY JOHNSTON points for the price increase. By PAUL ACKERMAN Two other reasons also con- RIO DE JANEIRO The decision giving Jim Webb's of specialized independents - tributed to the $1 hike. All costs NEW YORK - The rise of first place second place the cheering public gave "Evie" for U.S. (Continued on page 90) many small labels dedicated to abroad, dedicated to blues, to Britain's entry in Brazil's "Evie" was sung by Bill Medley specialized fields of music has bluebeat, folk and other musical Fourth International Popular who was shaken by the boos. 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111110111111111111111111 become an important phenom- categories, parallels somewhat But Song Festival. the judges More than 25,000 music - Salute to enon in England and, to a the American scene in the placed it third. moved fans jammed the Mar - lesser extent, Western Europe. 1940's and 1950's, when labels Cheers went to Britain's Mal- acananzinho Stadium for the FLYING DUTCHMAN The development has been par- devoted to the Negro and coun- try markets mushroomed, there- colm Roberts, who sang "Love festival. PRODUCTIONS ticularly noticeable the last two Is All" (music by Les Reed, Roberts showed sportsman- years, during which many of by laying the basis for a much words by Barry Mason). Jeers ship in throwing his British flag See center section the companies have grown in broader business in the 1960's. went to the judges' decision that (Continued the growth Examples are Atlantic, Chess, on page 8) 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 stature. Historically, gave first place to Brazil's "Can - Imperial and many more, once tiga Fo Luciana" (music by operating in what were called Edmundo Souto, words by Paul - the specialty fields. inho Tapajos, performed by Ev- Here is a sampling of the inha). More jeers went to the (Continued on page 78) Cap's Outlet Chess Into Deal on Tape Mail Order By ELIOT TIEGEL By EARL PAIGE LOS ANGELES - Capitol CHICAGO - The current is going outside usual outlet distribution hangup may find channels to sell tape and phono- some independent labels estab- graph equipment to photo, drug, lishing record clubs, at least this chain, book, furniture and dis- is implied by a move last week count stores. by Chess Records vice president The company has signed with Marshall Chess, who said a new vintage blues series will be sold World Music Corp., a 20 -year- old company which specializes by mail "to service customers in handling instrument, ampli- who can't find this product in fiers, musical instruments and the stores." Chess is establishing a special mail order division for accessories. Richie Havens is causing big excitement with the Lennon/ Gene Pitney performs in his unique singing style a new smash the series, and if this is suc- World McCartney hit, "Rocky Raccoon" (ST -650). Watch Richie single ... "Early in the Morning." (She lets her hair down) maintains 83 represen- cessful, may start a record club, tatives around the country who for an explosive new album soon to be released, Stonehenge Just released for fast chart action. Musicor #1384. (SFS -6001) ... from Stormy Forest Records, distributed by (Advertisement) he said. Also in the works is a (Continued on page 18) MGM Records. (Advertisement) (Continued on page 90) (Advertisement) THE NOW SOUND Of ATLANTIC - ATCO ATLANTIC JACK BRUCE /SONGS LED ZEPPELIN II ATCO Atco SD33 -306 Atlantic SD -8236 Atco SD33-309 Atlantic SD -8243 We're happy to fee the wórld licatching up to Get Together" before it'i too late. Individuality Stressed in ABC's New Thrust at Market by Stark By ELIOT TIEGEL LOS ANGELES -"California something would come up. To- Bob Todd, who handle Impulse, means a fresh approach for day," continues Stark, "we BluesWay and Apt, respectively. ABC Records. We are no sign a group only after every- Bill Szymczyk who records acts longer concerned with the great one believes in it. And it may for ABC and BluesWay in New mass of records. We are con- be months before we release York, will be moving here at cerned with individual records something by that act." the end of the year. and individual projects." Stark and associates are de- Already working out of the That is the new philosophy be- emphasizing the specialty con- new offices on Beverly Blvd. hind the ABC Records division notation. BluesWay is no longer are Marvin Deane, ABC's na- as explained by Howard Stark, an ethnic black rural blues la- tional pop promotion manager; its general manager. bel. After singing a rock act, Otis Smith, national sales and With the ABC, BluesWay, the James Gang a year ago, promotion manager; Lou Stew- Impulse and Apt labels all be- BluesWay has just released its art, national promotion man- ing operated from new offices debut LP. ager for BluesWay, Impulse and BEHIND THE SCENE of ABC -TV's "The Music Scene" are, left to here (plus Dunhill, an autono- Impulse is no longer a jazz Apt, and Norma Whittaker, right, Stan Harris, director and co- producer; Don Ovens, Billboard mus subsidiary), the Coast of- label and APT is not a bubble - publicity chief. coordinator; Susan Richards, talent coordinator; Ken Fritz, producer, fices have become the creative gum label, Stark said, because Operating out of the New and Bill Wardlow, Los Angeles publishing director of Billboard Pub- headquarters for the majority of music has become so universal lications. York office are Larry Newton, parent ABC. and people of varied back- ABC Records president, plus sev- "We used to be concerned grounds are now listening. eral producers and promotion with putting out a lot of rec- There are two producers in men. All accounting and legal 'Music Scene' Group ords to get billing and thinking the office here, Ed Michel and matters are handled in the East. Stark, who moved here from New York 15 months ago be- Flying Dutchman Releases fore the major buildup, believes To Cut WB Record music cannot be put in any LOS ANGELES - A gos- personal appearance tour in the corner. "B.B. King now plays pel version of "Sugar, Sugar" South, and Fritz was trying to LP on Prison Treatment college concerts. He used to which highlighted last week's arrange with Motown to have NEW YORK -Bob Thiele's alarm over the threat to free- play bars in the South. It just "Music Scene" show over ABC - the performers stop in Louis- Flying Dutchman Productions dom of speech and the right to goes to show how widely lis- TV, has resulted in the crea- ville where they could be is releasing a documentary al- dissent in this country," said tened to artists are today." tion of a group which Warner brought into an ABC affiliated bum, "A Night at Santa Rita," Thiele. "I feel that the record Bros.