Goodphone Commenaiies New on the Charts Mike Joseph and the Contrarian Approach
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26 Rodio Goodphone Commenaiies New On The Charts Mike Joseph And The Contrarian Approach By JIM SMITH has made the cost of entry too steep nent of AC -chart items and even a for each FM top 40 which tried few black hits. I am fascinated, as an amateur in- thereafter; which has the established This latter, of course, is downright vestor in the stock market and else- air talent line -up; which has the re- sacrilegious in this musically segre- where, by the theory among certain sources to give away houses to con- gated city. For quite some time, any investors, who are called "con - test winners; which has been format - sort of research has told white pro- trarians," which essentially holds dominant almost since it debuted in grammers in Chicago to approach that if the majority is doing it, it may 1960 and continues to be the most black music with extreme caution. therefore be wrong. Contrarian phi- listened -to Chicago station; which Either Joseph didn't do that research losophy can trace its roots to Goethe now has an FM as well; which has a or, being a contrarian, he chose to ig- and Rousseau, but it has only been commitment to winning that may be nore it. in the past 50 years or so that it has hard to beat. And yet, Hot Hits on One radio observer expressed MEN AT WORK been applied to investing. WBBM -FM is not unlike WCAU- surprise that WBBM -FM was not "Who Can It Be Now ? " - n Bernard Baruch understood FM. dayparting. I was able, based on my Men At Work have been a favorite on the Australian club circuit for several crowd psychology, and often bought For Mike Joseph, one might con- intensive monitoring of their early years. The five- member band came to the attention of CBS Records Australia and sold accordingly. Russell Sage clude, has approached the tasks very weeks in the format, to contradict after a number of sellout dates. described the accumulation of his much in the manner of the con- him. He was used to hearing WLS Working with producer Peter Mclan, the group's first single, "Who Can It fortune as "buying straw hats in Jan- trarian. Take oldies, for instance. and similar stations which daypart Be Now?" was released in 1981. The single was certified gold in Australia, as uary." WLS has, for years, been about one - by song texture and /or artist image. was the followup song, "Down Under." Their debut album, "Business As What all this has to do with radio half gold in a typical hour. Many Mike Joseph dayparts on the basis of Usual," has reportedly sold more than 150,000 copies and was No. 1 in Aus- is my random thought that Mike Jo- stations are, both here and in Phila- what age group, according to what tralia for longer than any other domestic release except Split Enz' "True seph has à streak of the contrarian in delphia. One Chicago AC had record store clerks tell the station, Colours." him. Joseph, for those of you who recently been playing as few as one are buying those records. The im- The group is composed of Colin Hay, vocals; Greg Ham, saxophonist/key - haven't been paying attention lately, current per hour, the rest being old- partial observer may question bas- boardist; Ron Strykert, lead guitarist; bassist John Rees; and drummer Jerry is the programming consultant who ies and recurrents. Going into such ing a playlist at all on record sales in Speiser. For more information about the group, contact CBS Records, 51 W. debuted the Hot Hits format last fall an environment, many a program- these depressed times, much less 52nd St., New York, N.Y. 10019; (212) 975 -4321. on CBS' WCAU -FM Philadelphia; mer might have tried to determine placing faith in a salesclerk's eval- This feature is designed to spotlight acts making their debut on Billboard's Hot they came up with a 6.0 in the first which oldies were best to play on his uation of demographic appeal. But 100 and Top LPs & Tape charts. For newcomers on the black and country charts, book and a 7.4 in the next. Although station. The contrarian Mike Joseph, the contrarian merely says this al- see pages 58 and 53. his act is not substantially different however, has set up Hot Hits with no ternative method seems logical, and from what he's recently done in sev- oldies at all- becoming perhaps the he thus conveniently ignores call - eral smaller markets, much is sud- most written -about feature of the outs or any of the other accepted denly being written about him be- format. ways of approaching the situation. cause (a) Philly is a top five market, WLS has some of the best-known In preserving their 12 -24 base, Out Of The Box and (b) his next assignment was rock personalities in town, whether WLS has been leaning more toward CBS' WBBM -FM in Chicago. 15 -year veterans like Larry Lujack HOT 100 Unlike Philadelphia, where Hot the AOR than toward the pop side of or relative newcomers like AOR -ex- /AC CLEVELAND - " 'Do I Do' is pure Stevie Wonder," says WWWM -FM mu- Hits' direct competitor is said to contemporary music. It is today one patriate Steve Dahl. Other stations sic- program director Mike McVay. "It's a little more uptempo than most adult have rolled over and played dead, of the very few stations of its kind in the market have at times brought contemporary stations care to handle these days, but we -the post -war baby Chicago is a trickier situation to be which regularly programs non -hit in big -buck alternatives, or have boom -grew up on Motown and rock'n'roll, and I see nothing wrong with pro- sure twice as many black stations single album cuts. But with no oldies ... mounted extended talent searches gramming it." He's also excited about Herb Alpert's "Route 101" (A &M), several well-established AC's at all, WBBM -FM runs a lengthy the ... ... for perfect morning man, or have which he calls "a breath of fresh air, really the hottest tune we've seen in a good and WLS, which finally crushed playlist which includes all the rock tried to develop what they have. The while. Most instrumentals today are theme songs that evoke mental pictures, challenger WCFL in the '70s and biggies plus a substantial compo- contrarian approach here, as in but this is light and airy, perfect to drive along to. I find the Latin beat very Philadelphia, has been to bring in relaxing." all -new relatively unproven voices, Survey For Week Ending 7/10/82 capable of pre -writing their highly structured raps into fixed seconds - AOR per -break limits such as to include DANBURY, Conn. -"Your Daddy Don't Know," the first single from To- hourly quotas of such items as street ronto's new Network LP, "Get It On Credit," has caught the ear of WRKI mu- and town names. sic director Bruce Goldsen, who feels the Canadian rock group has come up Chart °Brre°°okouks WLS has literally given away with a rock'n'roll version of "Jessie's Girl." "It's a tough sound -part Lov- Copyright 1982. Billboard Publications. Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced houses. WLUP once handed over erboy, part Rush," he says. "I liked it right off the bat." An edited version of stored in a retrieval system. or transmitted, in any form or by any means. electronic. mechanical half-a- million dollars photocopying recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher during one "Take A Chance With Me" by Boxy Music from the group's "Avalon" album book. WCLR and others each easily (EG /Warner Bros.), is another new add. Goldsen says that singer Brian spend a multiple of that figure in tv Ferry's voice "is eerie but very catchy. The single certainly isn't as weird as time each year. Hot Hits' "name FRANK & MOON ZAPPA their cover of Lennon's `Jealous Guy.' After three plays, I was singing it in my game" involves a rather small cash * Valley Girl, Barking Pumpkin 1485 (CBS) car." He concludes that while he's never been a big Judas Priest fan, he thinks prize for knowing the jackpot ra PAUL the group is looking for older demographics with their new record, "Screaming DAVIS amount when called, a relatively un- Love Or Let Me Be Lonely, Arista 0697 For Vengeance" (Columbia). "They've put some melody back into their mu- likely occurrence since calls are sic. In fact, two cuts, `The Hellion' and 'Electric Eye,' sound like heavy metal ttr RAY PARKER, JR. made cold from area phone books. but really have a mainstream edge." Let Me Go, Arista 0695 The surname of the potential winner is given out on -air in advance, and listeners are urged "to call everyone BLACK /URBAN BELLAMY BROTHERS you know" with that last name. FT. LAUDERDALE -WRBD -AM music director Julian Wright, better Get Into Reggae Country, Elektra /Curb 7 -69999 Come now, you scoff, who would known as "Dr. J," believes in the poetic power of "The Message," the new TOM CARLILE actually bother to call people in such single by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (Sugar Hill). "It's the deep- Back In Debbie's Arms, Door Knob 82180 a situation when they have nothing est message I've ever heard on a rap record," he notes.