*z>:**********xz3-DIG a 908 000817973 4401 8947 j!AFv9OWGZ á MONTY GREENLY 3 APT A 3740 ELM LOING EEACH CA 908C7 GERMAN KREATIVITÄT '90 Follows page 44 VOLUME 101 NO. 47 THE INTERNATIONAL NEWSWEEKLY OF MUSIC AND HOME ENTERTAINMENT November 25, 1989/$4.50 (U.S.), $5.50 (CAN.), £3.50 (U.K.) Functional Discount Likely Wall Comes Tumblin'Down As Conference Ends To Fade From Video Picture Berlin Meet Stresses East -West Ties Warner Bros. Home Video has not and political changes taking place in BY KEN TERRY had a functional discount for some BY MIKE HENNESSEY East Germans flood record the Eastern Bloc countries (see story, and EARL PAIGE time; Orion Home Video (which dis- EAST BERLIN The Looking East stores in West Berlin ... page 5 page 66). NEW YORK As video distributors tributes Nelson Entertainment) has music conference here took on a dra- Perhaps the most positive element gear up to rack video specialty offered one price to all wholesalers matic new dimension only a few sues that had been discussed for the of the conference was the consensus stores, going head to head with the since its inception two years ago; and hours after it closed Nov. 9 when the previous two days at the conference, that reciprocity is an indispensable big rackjobbers, there are signs that HBO Home Video also phased out its Berlin Wall fell and ended more than which had been called to examine the prerequisite for building music indus- the functional discount a wholesale function& discount in 1987, adopting a generation of a divided city. ways in which the music industry try trade. Participants from the sev- price break for the racks that recog- (Continued on page 85) It was a potent symbol of the is- might profit from the dramatic social en socialist countries represented- nizes their special function -may the U.S.S.R., Poland, Czechoslovakia, soon become an extinct species. Bulgaria, Hungary, the German Earlier this year, MCA Home Vid- Democratic Republic, and Yugosla- eo quietly abolished its functional dis- via -were concerned that the new lib- count, although it retained a program `Batman' Video is Off To A frying Start eralism should not be seen as simply to distinguish between rack and dis- er appeared to be living up to his gi- 1.4 million -15 million last year. an opportunity for cultural colonial- tributor functions. MGM /UA Home BY JIM McCULLAUGH ant -size heroics. Despite fears of shortages because ism by the Western countries. Video is said to be considering a simi- LOS ANGELES Holy sell-through! If the intensity continues, say of Warner Home Video's announce- It was a mistake, many of them lar move, and a top executive at an- "Batman" has arrived with a bang. some dealers, "Batman" could top ment of some allocations due to dupli- said, to believe that only Western other studio declined to comment on A quick scan of the nation's retail the 15 million mark by Christmas, cator overload, retailers also say popular music had international po- whether it would phase out its func- landscape on Nov. 15, official street besting all -time champ "E.T. The Ex- product availability does not appear tential. Enormous reserves of talent tional discount in the future. date for the title, indicated that tra- Terrestrial" from MCA Home to be an issue. Of more concern, say (Continued on page 79) Warner Home Video's Caped Crusad- Video, which racked up sales of about (Continued on page 75) Coke Sews Up ADVERTISEMENTS FCC Chooses Promo Pacts On Lucky 1,100 FMs 2 More Hit Vids For Power Boost BY PAUL SWEETING BY PHYLLIS STARK LOS ANGELES Despite being slow- NEW YORK More than 1,100 er out of the blocks, Coca -Cola has re- commercial Class A FM radio sta- placed arch -rival Pepsi as the con- tions will be able to double their sumer products company most ag- power from 3,000 to 6,000 watts as gressively pursuing video tie -ins. a result of a recently approved Last week, the company announced FCC rule change that will take ef- tie-ins with Nelson's "When Harry fect Dec. 1. While the FCC ruling Met Sally ..." and Paramount's "In- took place early last summer, the diana Jones And The Last Crusade." list of stations that would actually The moves will give Coke a highly benefit from the change was not visible presence in both the fourth published until Nov. 3. quarter of this year and the first The move gives legitimacy to of 1990. Ads quarter for Coke prod- EAST OF EDEN has been termed mysterious, sensual pop with MIKI HOWARD is a singer of rare distinction. MIKI HOWARD some "rimshotters " -stations that ucts also appear on Warner's "Bat- a groo -e. Alternative radio has already discovered this new (82024) is an album of Distinctive performances already earning attempt to serve a market from its man," released last week, and RCA/ band. With their first single and video From This World" strong album airplay and critica acclaim. The first single "AIN'T periphery -but about half the sta- Columbia's "Ghostbusters II," sched- shippirg in January, it's just a matter of time before the rest of NUTHIN' IN THE WORLD" (7- 88826/0- 86302 /PRCD 2905) is tions that had hoped for power in- uled for release this week. "When the world is excited over EAST OF EDEN too! Produced by already Top 10. Produced by Jon Nettlesbey and Terry Coffey; creases are not on the FCC list. Roy Thomas Baker. On Capitol. (48483) On tour now wit, Nick Martinelli; Gerald Levert and Marc Gordon; Larry Blackmon. (Continued on page 75) Psychedelic Furs. On Atlantic Records, Cassettes and Compact Discs. (Continued on page 12) H 0 CD E R S s THE FIRST BOLD GO STEP COVERS 500 MILES. Et 73013 N PETER PAUL & MARY rn WITH SPECIAL GUESTS LJ-1 ó .VIBWOTO) NO Bsoso- :9VZ 91Z.. .S213100H N- o Produc=d by Rick (hertoff (o Produced by Ear Radian and Rob Hyman Management by Steve Mountain Vor Cornerstone Management. Peter Paul 8 Mary appear courtesy of Gold Castle Records. Columbia is o trademark of (BS Inc. c 1989 (BS Records Inc ADVERTISEMENT www.americanradiohistory.com JERMAINE JACKSON www.americanradiohistory.com TAKES CHARGE! Through the years, Jermaine Jackson has racked up an impressive number of both R &B and Pop solo hits while ignoring family comparisons. Now, Jermaine lays those comparisons to rest permanently with his first solo album in over three years, Don't Take It Personal. The first single and title track immediately went to # 1, becoming one of the biggest R &B hits of the year and that's just for starters. With strong album sales out of the box and powerful potential follow-ups like "Make It Easy On Love," a duet with Miki Howard, "Two Ships (In The Night)," and "I'd Like To Get To Know You," Jermaine Jackson proves that when he takes "control," he's just as "bad" as the next guy. Miki Howard appears courtesy o= Atlantic Rtcr-ds Various Tracks Produced by Kashif, Marti SFarror and Danny Stmbello; Davic `Pier" Conley and David Townsend; Dennis Lambert; Preston Glass; David Z in assoc. with Ricky P; Levis A. Martineé Executive Producer: Clive Davis ArtigrA THE COMMITMENT YOU'VE COMETO EXPECT. 5 1989 Amu Record', Inc., a Rersdsmann husk Group Company. www.americanradiohistory.com DUIIANTHE GREATEST DUIIAN HITS FROM PLANET EARTH FEBRUARY 1981 GIRLS ON FILM JULY 1981 HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF MAY 1982 RIO MAY 1982 SAVE A PRAYER AUGUST 1982 IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW MARCH 1983 UNION OF THE SNAKE OCTOBER 1983 THE REFLEX APRIL 1984 WILD BOYS OCTOBER 1984 A VIEW TO A KILL MAY 1985 NOTORIOUS OCTOBER 1986 SKIN TRADE FEBRUARY 1987 I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE SEPTEMBER 1988 ALL SHE WAS. IS JANUARY 196 CD, CASSETTE, LP AND VIDEO AVAILABLE NOW FROM CAPITOL www.americanradiohistory.com _ _ _____ _____________ CBS Charts Success Strategies _ _ ___ I_ _ __ _ ______- --- -& - -_- - ---_ _- --- - -IN. --_- Mottola Sets New Label Other Projects -- - -- - months. We have an entirely new sional manager at Chappell Music - BY IRV -- -- LICHTMAN _ - A &R plan and program that will be says "there's more to come" in cata- NEW YORK To CBS Records presi- unlike anything ever done in the busi- log acquisitions. VOLUME 101 NO. 47 NOVEMBER 25, 1989 dent Tommy Mottola, the company is ness." Mottola has also established a new merely "stratching the surface" in its Mottola is also intent on continuing position, that of senior VP of interna- recently regained chart clout, a re- a buildup of CBS' music publishing tional marketing, headed by former BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS surgence over the past five months interests, which moved into high gear Columbia senior VP of marketing Hours after IFPI legal adviser Edward Orf called for a revision of Eastern that he says is likely to produce the last year with the purchase of Tree Bob Sherwood. As a liaison with and Western copyright laws at a conference in East Berlin (page 66), the company's best sales and profits ever International, country music's big- CBS' international headquarters in infamous Wall opened up, and thousands of the East Germans who for the fiscal year ending next gest publisher. The onetime profes- (Continued on page 85) crossed the border flooded West Berlin record stores (story, this page). March. Continuity of success, following a SPOTLIGHT ON GERMAN CREATIVITY paucity of hits for the company dur- ing the first half of 1989, is the goal Follows Page G1 of several projected developments, all BMG's New-Label Plans of which are to be keyed to a diversi- CHICAGO ARTISTS: STAY HOME! fied roster of developing acts sup- Panelists at the Chicago Black Music Forum urged local artists to build ported by vigorous promotion and their careers in the Windy City rather than migrate to the East or West marketing activity.