The Velveteen Rabbit Is Real!
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SM 14011 O106b040, 4ot' MONT GRFL'vLY 03 1C "We Are The World" onto 3740 E L' UC Y Hot 100 at No.21 L o L A CHf CA 50807 See story this page, chart page 68 John Fogerty takes top spot on Pop Albums chart See page 72 Ray Charles (with Willie and friends) gets first No. 1 country single, album Sec pages 47, 48 r ri VOLUME 97 NO. 12 THE INTERNATIONAL NEWSWEEKLY OF MUSIC AND HOME ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 23, 1985/$3.50 (U.S.) Billion USA For Africa Single Industry Net Shipments Worth `45 An Out-of-the-Box Smash '84 A PEAK YEAR FOR RECORDINGS research committee. In past years, of the various configurations, it's HOROWITZ ter superstore. "We got 600 last Fri- BY IS however, the CBS estimates have believed that cassettes have contin- BY FRED GOODMAN day and sold them all within a day," NEW YORK Net shipments of re- been accurate harbingers of the ued to grab off an increasing mar- NEW YORK Consumer reaction to she says. "I ordered another 1,000 cordings by U.S. manufacturers ap- RIAA statistics. ket share, as LPs decline. When the USA For Africa's "We Are The and I finally got 500 late Tuesday. proached $4.5 billion at suggested CBS also documented for the ana- RIAA figures are released, they are World" is so strong that retailers They were gone by Wednesday." retail last year, a new high for the lysts the vigor of the prerecorded also expected to show a dramatic and CBS Records are having diffi- Mary Roberts at Houston one - industry. videocassette market by estimating rise in shipments of Compact Discs, culties keeping up with the demand. stop H.W. Daily estimates that "We The 1984 estimate by CBS re- unit shipments in 1984 at 22 million, thought by some to have reached The all -star charity single, which de- Are The World" has been selling at searchers, disclosed to a group of fi- up 100% over the prior year. In about 4.2 million last year. buts at number 21 on this week's a rate 20 times greater than the av- nancial analysts last week (sepa- 1985, the company predicted, unit Significantly, the CBS estimates Hot 100, is selling at an exceptional erage popular single. "It's been rate story, page 78), pegged the val- shipments will rise another 60% to for 1984 extended the prediction of pace. moving just great," she says. ue of shipments at $4.464 billion, 35 million. Latter figure tops by two an industry turnaround indicated by "The reaction is very good," says In Cleveland, John Stansfield of some 17% over the 1983 tally of million an earlier prediction by the half-year figures released last Octo- Buzzy Causeman, singles buyer for the Recordland chain says the sin- $3.815 billion, and 8% more than the Electronic Industries Assn. ber by the RIAA. The gain for that the New York -based Record World gle is "kind of going nuts," with $4.132 billion racked up in 1978, the Computer software shipments in period, over the same period a year chain. He adds that the web's 60 8,000 copies sold by the chain's 37 industry's previous peak year. 1984, said CBS, were valued at $380 earlier, was 15% in dollars and 17% stores sold 12,000 pieces in under a stores within the first week. He esti- Shipment figures assembled by million, an increase of 52% over in units, the RIAA said. week, with one store in Roosevelt mates that a strong hit single would the Recording Industry Assn. of 1983's $250 million. The predicted (Continued on page 76) Field, Long Island, selling 450 normally sell about 1,000 copies in America (RIAA) will not be avail- value of computer software ship- copies in one day. "I ordered anoth- the chain during that period. able until the National Assn. of Re- ments in 1985 was given as $448 mil- er 10,000 today, but Columbia says Dealers also predict that "We Are cording Merchandisers (NARM) lion, up 18% over 1984. they are out of stock," Causeman The World" could have significantly convention at month's end, follow- While the CBS statistics on audio Publishers in says. (Continued on page 71) ing a meeting of the RIAA market recordings furnished no breakdown In Manhattan, Tower Records ADVERTISEMENTS Nashville Seek manager Randi Swindel also cites a product crunch for her Lincoln Cen- More Exposure CD Crunch Axes BY KIP KIRBY This is the third article in a New Accounts, part series about problems facing the country music industry, and that industry's strategies to solve One -Stops Say them. BY JOHN SIPPEL NASHVILLE Music publishers LOS ANGELES Current Compact here, reacting to the effects of the Disc shortages (Billboard, March current slump in country record 16) are not only denting the new sales (Billboard, March 9) , are ag- format's potential volume growth, gressively seeking broader avenues but impeding additional store pene- of exposure for their songs. The tration as well. But one -stops across goal is to augment revenue from re- the U.S. feel strongly that they can cordings, and to offset increasing weather the current dearth. overhead costs and declining me- Gary Golick of Scott's, Indianapo- chanical royalty income. lis, estimates that his CD business Among those new avenues are Long a U.K. import favorite, KATRINA AND THE WAVES' Ameri- SAMURAI SAMBA (1/4-25204). As the single, "Homecoming," network television, syndication and could be 200% better if he got prop- can debut showcases the bold, original vocal talents of Katrina garners multi- format play, the Yellovrjackets are "Buzzin' Ameri- er fill, especially from CBS, which Leskanich whcse powerful presence and blistering guitar savvy ca' on the first leg of a world tour. Saxophonist Marc Russo's cable usage; movie soundtracks; in- all canvassed singled out as offer- have promptec critical acclaim since the group's inception in 1981. "R &B- flavored attack," says Billboa.d "adds further crossover ternational covers; print music and ing the worst fill on the laser-read If you're alreacy a Waves fan, you'll know what to expect when muscle" to the LP. Co- produced by Tommy LiPuma and the Yel- folios; and radio and tv commer- lowjackets. Warner (Continued on page 71) the LP pops. It you're not yet, after you hear their first single, On Bros. Records and Cassettes. Direction: (Continued on page 71) WALKING ON SUNSHINE, we think you will be. ON CAPITOL. Gary Borman /Alive Enterprises. THE VELVETEEN RABBIT The Velveteen Rabbit is Real! N The extended soundtrack from the PBSTV special "THE VELVETEEN RABBIT" is shipping NOW This richly animated classic children's tale is brought to life u, with narration by Meryl Streep and piano by George Winston and o so includes two additional piano solos. r` Produced by George Winston, Clay Stites & Mark Sottnick Available on Dancing Cat Records, BASF Chrome cassette & compact disc MERYL STREEP & GEORGE WINSTON Videocassette available from Random House Home Video. Book & book /tape set available from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. narration piano Manufactured in cooperation with Windham Hill /Distributed by A&M DC-3007 ®p Rabbit Ears Productions /Random House, Inc. 1985 All rights reserved. ADVERTISEMEN www.americanradiohistory.com ED Reintroducing Melba Moore. In 1985, he's hotter than you've e ver heard her. Her nice and nasty n ew album, "Read My Lips," is living proof. Check out the title track. It's the first single. You'll know in an instant, this year Melba Moore means business like never before. aadoe Produced by Keith Diamond, Paul laurenceard Richard James Burgess. www.americanradiohistory.com Philips CD Ann Backing Dire Straits N S SSUE Multi-Million -Dollar Sponsorship for Year-Long Tour recently said that he hoped to see be the world's best -selling CD, with BY NICK ROBERTSHAW VOLUME 97 NO. 12 MARCH 23, 1985 penetration reach 5% of households six- figure sales including around LONDON Philips' Compact Disc by next year (Billboard, March 2). 25,000 units in West Germany and division is putting a massive multi- An extensive television advertis- 14,000 in the U.K. de- 1 NEWS P. Net shipments of recordings were worth close to $4.5 million- dollar sponsorship behind ing campaign is planned in key mar- Says Bicknell: " Phonogram billion last year, a new high for the industry. The USA For Africa the forthcoming year -long world kets. A Philips team will accompany moed the 'Love Over Gold' CD for all -star charity single is an out -of-the -box smash, with retailers and tour by Phonogram group Dire the tour, and player demonstrations [Dire Straits leader] Mark Knopf - CBS Records having trouble keeping up with the demand. Nash- Straits, said to be the world's top- will be arranged at concerts. Point - ler more than a year ago, and he ville publishers are seeking broader avenues of exposure for thèir selling rock act on CD. of -sale material aimed at hi fi deal- was just stunned by the quality. songs. One -stops say the Compact Disc crunch is impeding addi- The sponsorship deal, which ers worldwide is being readied. That's how the idea for the spon- tional store penetratrion. ii.-3 /Philips' Compact Disc division will comes after a year of negotiations, A sampler Compact Disc, includ- sored tour first arose, and it's taken sponsor Dire Straits' forthcoming world tour. SConfident mood will exclude only the U.S. and Cana- ing four Dire Straits songs and oth- since then to get all the details marks Country Radio Seminar.