Elektra Expands Sales, Promo Operation RCA -MR Deal: Rare from Both Ends NEW YORK Elektra Records has for - the east and mid -west; and Gil NEW YORK - RCA Records has first time that the pair has gone into doubled the personnel in the label's Bateman, regional director of promo- entered into a long-term contract with a long-term contract with product to sales and promotion departments and tion for the west coast. Both men are Charles Koppelman and Don Rubin, appear under the major's logo. And placed these divisions under Mel Pos- recent additions to the Elektra staff; the indie producers who head Com- it ner, Lipman also marks one of the rare occa- national director of sales and comes to Elektra from Bay monwealth United Music Section of sions when RCA has made a long- promotion. The major internal reor- State Distributors in Boston, and the Commonwealth United Corp. range independent production ganization was announced by Jac Bateman from Consolidated Distribu- deal. Harry Jenkins, RCA vice president Commenting on the Holzman, Elektra president. The in- tors in Seattle. of record operations, and the youthful agreement, crease and consolidation of the sales All sales and promotion people will Jenkins pointed out that "the Koppel - (28 and 29 -year -old) producers, made man-Rubin association has and promotion staffs are designed to report directly to Posner, who reports the announcement last week. already es- accommodate the growth of the label to Elektra president, Jac Holzman; tablished itself as one that is keenly While Koppelman and Rubin have aware of the trends in the past year and to prepare for while Steve Harris, formerly in rec- produced records under contract for of today's young the anticipated growth of Elektra. ord promotion, will henceforth report record market. We are confident that major labels in the past, it marks the the combination of their highly crea- Close to a dozen new artists have directly to Holzman on special proj- tive been added to the roster in the past ects. talents, backed with RCA's ag- twelve months. Also being expanded at Elektra are gressive and widespread promotion and field force, will produce many top Responsible for sales of Elektra the creative departments under the selling hits." and Nonesuch products are: Larry directorship of William S. Harvey, Ray, regional director of sales -west executive vice president in charge of The contract calls for a specific coast; Mary Dorfman, regional direc- creative services. Areas supervised by amount of product. The actual num- tor of sales -east coast and Stan Schoen, Harvey include packaging, art and ber of releases, length of the deal and design, creation and production of financial details have not been made regional director of sales -mid west. public. Schoen is a recent appointment, and promotional materials, press and was formerly with Korvette Stores as public relations, advertising, and art- In the three years their firm has regional midwest manager of record ist relations. been in operation-prior to and in- sales. Danny Fields, who reports to Har- cluding the Commonwealth affiliation-it United Record promotion will be handled vey, will continue as publicity direc- has produced 102 rec- tor, assisted by Tinkerbelle. In Los ords, 34 of which have hit the by two regional directors: Danny Lip- best national man, regional director of promotion Angeles, Miss Pat Faralla will serve selling charts (industry average as publicity coordinator for Elektra's is considered about one of 30 re- west coast operation. Rubin, Jenkins & Koppelman leases.) And 17 of these records have Changes In Decca been awarded the Gold Record seal of the Record Industry Association of Sales Department Scepter To Handle Pepper Label America. Koppelman-Rubin releases NEW YORK-Scepter Records has Lacker, assisted by Tim Riley and produced this fall, NEW YORK-James McDonald, for- obtained distribution rights to for various labels, include merly Eastern division district mana- Pepper national press director Benny Mae - the Lovin' Spoonful single Records, the subsid of Pepper -Tanner, bone will head up the Pepper end of and album, ger for Decca Records, has been pro- John Sebastian's first album as a solo moted one of the largest suppliers of creative this joint operation. artist, a Peggy to the national sales office of packages for radio & Lee single and album, the label, serving as advisor to Claude TV. Deal was The Scepter end will be headed by and two Tim Hardin announced last week by Florence vice presidents Mary Schlachter and albums. Brennan, director of national sales. Greenberg, Scepter president, Move is one of a series of new ap- and Sam Goff, assisted by promo men Started As Artists Bill Tanner, president of Pepper Steve Tyrell, Bill `Bunky' Sheppard, pointments announced last week by Koppelman and Rubin started in the Brennan, effective immediately Records, "Scepter is particularly Budd Dolinger, Ed Kushins and Chris music proud of this association," stated Mrs. Jones. business six years ago as two McDonald, a twenty-seven year vet Greenberg, "and our entire promotion thirds of the Ivy Three. They had one with the firm, started in 1941 as a and distribution team will put maxi- hit record, "Yogi," which went to No. sales rep in New York, moved to Phil- mum effort behind all of Pepper's new 3 on the national charts. The follow- adelphia in 1944 as sales manager, products." up hit never came. and came back to New York as sales According to Pepper general mana- On the advice of another musical manager in 1946. In 1951, McDonald ger Marty Lacker, the first release wunderkind, Don Kirshner, they gave became the assistant Eastern division under the deal is "Soul Strut" by John up their performing careers manager and served in this capacity and joined Phillip Soul and his Stone Marching Kirshner's publishing firm. Then they until 1968, when he joined the nation- Band, already picking up good R&B put in seven al sales department. Brennan stated play. months as vice presidents that McDonald's "wealth of sales ex- Forthcoming Pepper releases, many at Roulette Records, in charge of pro- perience ... will be a tremendous as- to be produced by the American Stu- ducing records. set in solidifying our overall sales dio Group, will feature Rita Coolidge Three years ago, they opened their department." ("Rainbow Child"), the Short Kuts, own independent production firm, a Other Moves 011ie Jackson, Sydna Taylor and the Marty Lacker, General anager of one -room affair at 1650 Broadway. Key Brothers. Last spring, they Sam Passamano, with Decca since Pepper Records and Florence Green- sold their operation 1949, moves from sales manager of the Kalb To Atlantic Prod. berg, President of Scepter Records, to the Commonwelath United Corp. firm's Philadelphia branch to the posi- signing Pepper distrib agrement in for $2,750,000 and headed the newly tion of Mid -Eastern district manager. NEW YORK - Atlantic Records has Scepter offices. formed Commonwealth United Music added former Blues Project member Division. Today the Koppelman-Rubin Robert Speca, a sales rep in the Danny Kalb to its production staff. Bell -Bones Howe Deal Philly area, becomes sales manager Kalb, who will also cut himself for complex employs 30 persons full time, for the Philadelphia branch in Cam- NEW YORK-Bell Records has made including 20 , five record the label, will report to Jerry Schoen - a new major production den. Stan Layton, formerly sales rep baum, director of talent development agreement producers, plus promotion men and in the Florida area, has been promoted with Bones Howe. for Atlantic/Atco. Howe is office staff. to sales manager of the New Orleans Said Schoenbaum, "Danny Kalb's currently recording Smoke- Branch. stack Lightnin' for the Amy-Mala -Bell wide experience as a lead guitarist label complex. Their first session will "These promotions," stated Bren- with the Blues Project gives him the yield an LP and single release. Smoke- RCA Salutes Cliburn nan, "represent further steps in the de- background to create very exciting stack Lightnin', a popular West Coast velopment of our new theme . . . as product. He will be deeply involved group, has played most of the major With 10th Anny Disk we build the manpower so necessary in searching for and producing con- clubs in the to the success of Decca in this con- temporary sounds." Kalb will work area including the Whis- NEW YORK-RCA Records will cele- key A Go Go and the Cheetah. brate stantly changing industry." out of the firm's New York office. Howe's Mr. Bones Productions has the 10th anniversary of Van produced both the "Magic Garden" and Cliburn's triumph in the first Tchai- "Stoned Soul Picnic" gold LPs for the kovsky competition in Moscow with Fifth Dimension, plus hit singles the release of his first album in more "Windy" and "Never, My Love" for than two years. The set will contain and the "You, Baby" performances of two Chopin sonatas, click by , and many others. the Second ("Funeral March") and the Howe was also musical producer for Third. both the and Petula Clark TV specials, and is scheduled Cliburn's recording of Tchaikovsky's to produce The Monkees. First Concerto is the only classical al- Larry Uttal, Bell president, said bum to pass the 1,000,000 unit sales the signing of Howe "is an extension mark, and his first Chopin set, "My of our basic operating theory-to Favorite Chopin," has passed the quar- utilize the talents of the top pro- ter -million mark. ducers in the country to create prod- uct which we then promote and mer- According to Red Seal A&R mana- chandise. This `chain -reaction' pro- ger Roger Hall, the secret of Cli- vides the thrust for our success in the burn's enduring success can be at- music and record industry. It not only tributed to the fact, that, "in an age generates better business, but leads when many young pianists tend to to a greater understanding and re- emphasize technique and intellect, spect between the producer's creative (he) stands apart as an exponent of concentration on his product, and the creativity and energy we put into romanticism." promotion, publicity and merchandis- Cliburn is scheduled to appear in a ing." concert in New York Tuesday (29) CLOSING THE GAP, the time gap zhat is, Clive Davis finally caught up with The label is currently scoring with night in Philharmonic Hall with the the moving Union Gap and presented them with the RIAA certifications for "I Met Her In Church" by The Box Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by their first three million selling singles. The team, feted at a party in New Tops, "Break Your Promise" by The York recently was then given the gold record plaques "Woman, Eugene Ormandy. He recently was for Woman," Delfonics, "Isn't It Lonely Together" this in an RCA "Young Girl" and "Lady Willpower." With the members of the Union Gap by Robert Knight, "1432 Franklin soloist with orchestra and the CBS Records head is Columbia's A&R man (right) who Pike Circle Hero" by Bobby Russell Red Seal recording of the Grieg Piano produced their dates. Gapsters from the left are Kerry ,Chater, Mutha Withem, and "I Ain't Got To Love Nobody" Concerto and the Liszt First Concerto Paul Wheatbread, Dwight Bement and -Gary Puckett. by The Masqueraders. which will be released in January.

Cash Box-November 2, 1968 9

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