L'Age D'Or Signs Polydor Distrib Pact Huah!, Ostzonensuppenwfirfel- L'Age D'Or will remain inde- by BobLyng machenkrebs (Eastzonebullion- pendent inits A&R/promotion. As of January 1992, the five- cubescausecancer), Kissin' Polydor's distribution role can be year -old Hamburg -based indepen- Cousins, Carnival of Souls and intensified to include full market- dent label L'Age D'Or will be Hallelujah Ding Dong Happy ing for priority releases. distributed by Polydor. Happy. Scheduled to be distributed by During the first three years of Reflecting the label's success Polydor in the middle of January L'AgeD'Or'sexistence,label with the underground press and isAbsolut Nicht Frei,the second owners Pascal Fuhlbriigge and fans, L'Age D'Or became the first album by Ostzonensuppenwiirfel- GOLDEN BOY - Joe Cocker paid a short visit to Cologne for promo- Carol von Rautenkranz concen- German record company to be machenIcrebs. Promotions for the tion of his new album "Night Calls" and picked up gold awards for tratedondistributingcassette honoured with the title "Label of release include a record presenta- both the new album and his double album "Joe Cocker Live." Joe is set compilations. Thelabel'sfirst the Year" by the magazineSpex. tion and a PR trip. to tour Germany next February. The welcoming delegation from EMI album release, a Hamburg sam- According to Polydor head of Releases scheduled for March Germany consisted of (I -r): MD Erwin Bach, general product manager pler entitledDies 1st Hamburg progressive music/jazz Tim Ren- include the third album by Die Jan Garich, Cocker, product manager Michael Golla and (below) GM (Nicht Boston),hitthe market ner, L'Age D'Or was dissatisfied Regierung (The Government), a for radio and press promotion Wilfried Ebert. approximately two years ago via with the structural environment of L'Age D'Or sampler entitledPop independent distributor EFA. the indies and signed a combina- Darf Nicht Dumm Sein! (Pop Thelabel'srepertoiregrew tiondistribution/labeldealthat May Not Be Dumb!) and an rapidly and includes albums from should be "exemplary" for other album by newly signed Das Neue Georgi New DSB Kolossale Jugend. We Smile. independent labels. Brot (The New Bread). Marketing Director mulated over the years to use, is a Schmich Adds On Swiss by Ellie Weinert real challenge." Deutsche Schallplatten Berlin DSB was acquired from Treu- Media Control MD Post (DSB) MD Jorgen Larsenis hand Gesellschaft, a body set up enlarging his staff at the begin- to supervise the sale of the state - Media Control head/media project is to put together a new broadcastersinGerman-and ning of 1992. Chris Georgi has run concerns of the old German research Michael Schmich, who Swiss hit parade, with the inclu- French-speaking Switzerland. been appointed marketing direc- Democratic Republic, by Ulrich is charge of foreign operations in sion of airplay for the first time. "In addition,I am keeping a tor after 20 years with PolyGram Urban and Larsen (former Sony France, Austria and the charts were solely watchful eye on the proposed new Germany.Forthepastfive Music European VP)inJuly has added on MD duties for the based on sales. We have already radiolawsallowingsponsored years,Georgi was GMof 1991.Itispart of the Media Swiss operation. Schmich replaces installed the Medicore System to radio shows; approval is expected Polystar TV merchandising divi- Cross Holdings (MXH) partner- Uschi Heeb, who left the compa- monitor radio stations. Before, we by May. We hope to hear good sion. shipfoundedbyUrbanand ny for personal reasons. only monitored six stations; we chart shows on -air in Switzerland Regardingtheappointment, Larsen. Reports Schmich, "My main have increased that number to 30 before the end of 1992." MS Larsen says, "We plan to make Since DSB's acquisition, the DSB a modern and dynamic com- company has set up a distribution Logic 'Snaps' Up PR pany with its main priority in the network through variousfirms field of German -language music, accordingtorepertoire.DSB's As part of its major rollout for the classical music and concept pro- enormous catalogue of classical new Snap singleColour Of Love ductions. We are also setting up a musicwillbedistributedvia on December 9, Offenbach -based marketing division, and I am very BMG Ariola,Gllterslohand LogicRecordspre -releaseda pleasedto have been ableto volksmusik via Koch Records, special run of the12 -inch DJ obtain the services of Chris Geor- pop and rock via Ideal and dance mixes ofStudioB andNot in gi to head the division." material via Discomania. Love.The pressing was limited to Georgi will be responsible for 10.000 worldwide. product management, promotion, Logic also undertook a special special marketing, graphic design Pirates Walk pre-release promotion on Novem- and merchandising. Larsen con- ber 30. Having installed a huge tinues, "His long-term experience IFPI Plank PLATINUM SEAL - Seal receivedaplatinum award (50.000) on the Snap window display in Frank- in all areas of the music industry, According to German IFPI MD occasion of his sold out concert in the Volkshaus in Zurich. Pictured from (4): furt'snew VirginMegastore, in addition to his concentration Norbert Thurow, an estimated Warner Music promotion manager Musikvertrieb Reto Lazzarotto, Musikver- Logic used the setting to present during the past years on special 4.5 million cassettes were import- trieb president Dr Jack Dimenstein, Seal, Musikvertrieb marketing director the new Snap logo, designed for marketing, are especially valuable ed into Germany from the former Chris Wepfer, Musikvertrieb promotion manager Dominique Soudan. both the single and the forthcom- to our firm." eastern bloc countries, particularly ing albumMadman's Return,due Georgi adds, "I am very con- Poland. These illegal imports cost inFebruary. Thelogo was tent with what I have achieved retailers in the new states approxi- News In Brief designed as a tattoo, and a Megas- with PolyGram.However,the mately DM45 million (app. US$28 tore employee was tattooed within task of building up a new music million) in turnover. Optimal Building BCI Offers Midem before hundreds of shoppers. company in Berlin, where I can The German IFPI has, howev- Pulse 8 -signed artist Rozalla New E. German CD Broadcasters Tour (marketed by Logic/Ariola on put the experience I have accu- er, been very active in its efforts to Similar to it, arrangement, for the Septem- curb these illegal imports. In coop- Plant national territory), who is current- Seven months from now, Optimal Ton- ber NAB '91conference, German -based eration with German customs offi- trager Productions of Hamburg will begin consultingfirmBroadcastConsulting ly at number 12 in the official cials and police, numerous raids manufacturing CDs in a new factory based International (BCI) is arranging a package German singles Top 100 with dealfor German broadcasters attending in the eastern German town of Everybody's Free (To Feel Good), and arrests have been made in col- Midem Radio 1992 in January. The deal withthe Customs Robel/Miiritz. The operation, when com- was also present at the Megastore laboration pleted, will be one of the first high-tech includes airfare, hotel, registration, spon- sored evening events, a French/ CriminalInstitute.Theraids plants in that region. to sign autographs and talk with resultedintheconfiscationof An investment of US$7.5 million has English/German-language translation ser- fans.Additional autograph ses- vice, and a visit to the studios of NRJ in some 100.000 illegal cassettes. been made and 46 jobs have been created. sions were also held in Frankfurt's The two MDs at Optimal are Michael Nice. These cassettes were scheduled For further information, contact BCI's WOM and Saturn stores, and a Haentjes and Manfred Achtenhagen. to be demonstratively destroyed en By 1994, another two CD production Birgit Heinhtifer: tel, (+49) 0 911.50 5434; special promotions performance mass at 12.00 on December 12. lines and a cassette manufacturing facility fax: (+49) 0 911.500 9652. was heldinFrankfurt's Omen BL are expected to be added. disco. BL

8 MUSIC & MEDIA DECEMBER 21 1991