$5.50 (U.S.), $6.50 (CAN.), £4.50 (U.K.) IN MUSIC NEWS *BXNCCVR ******** 3 -DIGIT 908 MCA Primes tGEE4EM740M099074$ 002 0663 000 BI MAR 2396 1 03 MONTY GREENLY Fans For 3740 ELM AVE APT A LONG BEACH, CA 90807 -3402 Buffett's `Barometer Soup' SEE PAGE 10 THE INTERNATIONAL NEWSWEEKLY OF MUSIC, VIDEO AND HOME ENTERTAINMENT JULY 22, 1995 ADVERTISEMENTS TICKETMASTER RIVALS SEEK NEW BIZ Sony's `Spirit BY ERIC BOEHLERT competition. That's because a handful More than 20 years ago, while sitting of challengers covering a patchwork of in the stands at an Arizona State Uni- Of '73' Rocks NEW YORK -Ever since it pur- regions are bidding and occasionally versity football game, computer pro- chased assets from once -mighty com- winning contracts to provide the same grammer Dorothy McLaughlin joined petitor Ticketron in 1991, critics have types of services that Ticketmaster of- her sister and brother-in -law, Margie For Pro -Choice charged that Ticketmaster faces no ri- fers: box -office support, phone rooms, and Bill Bliss, in a brain teaser: Why val and has cornered itself a lucrative a network of satellite outlets, and pro- couldn't tickets be sold electronically BY CHRIS MORRIS market. motional dollars. from various remote outlets, allowing congratulates The accusation, with which the Jus- Despite Ticketmaster selling 55 mil- all customers the same seat selection? LOS ANGELES -Sony 550 Music will mate activist zeal with a sense of nostalgic fun on Aug. 8, when it Carl P. Mayfield, Tele- charge Systemsó SONY Loscalzo & PROTIX. Dil1an1's lion tickets last year and its regional the staffs of competitors moving just a fraction of tice Department's recent investigation that number, the seemingly mis- At the time, companies bicycled did not concur, stems not only from the matched duels continue to unfold. hard tickets between outlets, and each 1991 acquisition but from Ticketmas- What follows is a look at five compa- outlet could only sell from allotted ar- LETTERS TO CLEO ter's well- documented penchant for nies- Dillard's, Tele- charge, ProTix, eas in a venue (i.e., outlet A sold tickets buying regional players. Among them: Select -A -Seat, and ETM- pounding from sections 100 -130). releases "Spirit Of '73: Rock For New York/Detroit's TicketWorld in the streets and searching for a foothold The trio went to work. With the help Choice," a multi -artist compilation 1985, Florida's Select -A -Seat in 1988, into the Ticketmaster- dominated of their revolutionary computer pro- that will benefit the music commu- Minneapolis' Dayton's Ticketing in world of venues, contracts, and con- gram, which created a central system nity's abortion -rights and women's 1989, Kansas City, Mo.'s Capital Auto- certs. We begin with Dillard's. (Continued on page 78) health advocacy organization. mated Ticketing in 1989, Atlanta's The album features 14 female SEATS in 1990, Texas' Southland (Conti )I //cd on page 88) Corp.'s ticketing assets in 1991, and Boston's TicketPro in 1993. George Michael Arrives But perhaps a more precise charge would be that TM faces little national At DreamWorksNirgin This Year, McDonald's Morris Dives Into Tells The Film Studios Sony Suit Settled Career Boost Seen To `Hold The Videos' Sea Of New Labels BY ADAM WHITE BY JEFF CLARK -MEADS BY EILEEN FITZPATRICK BY DON JEFFREY and DOMINIC PRIDE LONDON -A preview of George LOS ANGELES -After four years static video Mc- NEW YORK -MCA Music Enter- LONDON- George Michael spent Michael's new sound has already of courting the industry, tainment's new label deal with Doug five hours on July 11 created the kind of Donald's appears to be re- evaluating Morris -the third high -profile joint putting the finishing excitement any the relationship. At least for this year, touches to the docu- record company the fast -food chain is dumping the ments that will change would greatly appre- idea of selling videos under its golden his career. Then he ciate. As an addition- arches. went to work in a Lon- al boost to his career, Although the Oak Brook, Ill., chain for their MCA. don recording studio. it has been suggest- has not confirmed any holiday promo- The 32- year -old ed that his public tion plans, most industry sources say Billboard Radio British singer has fi- battles with Sony that return problems from its 1994 MORRIS nally settled his bitter, MICH AEL Music Entertain- promotion, coupled with a changing Award protracted dispute ment U.K. have gar- marketplace, have nixed the promo- venture announced by the MCA unit with Sony Music and signed with nered public sympathy for him. tion for this year. nominations. in less than a year-marks another DreamWorks SKG for North America The song "Like Jesus To A Child" According to a reliable source, Mc- entry into a crowded, competitive field and Virgin Records for the rest of was played by the U.K.'s largest Donald's will repeat a Monopoly of new labels. (Continued on page 80) (Continued on page 81) game promotion, which will begin in (rout iI, fed mi page 15) (Continued on page 89) THE MODERN AGE RCA's Wanderlust Takes Trip To Clubland SEE PAGE 75 The ad10 picture CiompaTCf 2 9> Sony Worldwide Networks 1370 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10019 P /212 833 5400 F /212 833 4994 1 11 :ái1t o 92 81 02552 8 Internet http:/ /www.swnetworks.com s ADVERTISEMENT www.americanradiohistory.com "11 nay Man Of Mine" #1 Monitor, R &R and Gavin # 1 Billboard Top Country Singles Sales # 17 Billboard Top 100 Singles Sales #1 on CMT # 7 Billboard Top 200 Albums #1 Billboard Top Country Albums I'rinl UlPlI Ic Huber( John "Mun" I .an_( 1(nihrbit Nit (.mmÄu C(.7) á C'nssv' /N' n,.,:nvule www.americanradiohistory.com www.americanradiohistory.com "I've relied on Billboard for many years to get a pulse on the music and video industries. The information is timely and accurate and I pay special attention to the Billboard charts." PETER BALNER- PRESIDENT PALMER VIDEO CORPORATION THE POWER OF For over 100 years, Billboard has informed, advised and guided entertainment decision makers, all over the world. The best way to reach the over 200,000 professionals like Peter every week, is through Billboard. Jim Beloff /Assoc. Publisher National Sales 213- 525 -2311 Gene Smith /Assoc. Publisher International Sales 212 -536 -5001 www.americanradiohistory.com No. 'I IN BILLBOARD PG. VOLUME 107 NO. 29 V Majors Eye New Options For Vid Channel THE BILLBOARD 200 86 * POCAHONTAS SOUNDTRACK WALT DISNEY Joint Venture Called Off; U.S. Continues Probe BY BRETT ATWOOD Conference, Morgado cited limited cable chan- its music video content, they say. CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN 35 nel capacity and government reregulation of MTV also has a reputation as a tough nego- * MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST VARIOUS ARTISTS WORD LOS ANGELES-Most of the major -label cable as reasons for the slow development of tiator when it comes to securing the licensing participants in an abandoned U.S. music video the channel (Billboard, Nov. 12, 1994). rights to the music videos that it plays. COUNTRY 26 venture may be laying the groundwork for an- A spokeswoman for MTV had no comment MTV recently entered into global music * THE WOMAN IN ME SHAMA TWAIN MERCURY NASHVILLE other new U.S. music video channel to launch on the decline of its potential major-label- video licensing and compilation disc agree- The music video GOSPEL in 1996, sources say. backed competitor. ments with EMI and Sony. T * KIRK FRANKLIN AND THE FAMILY 30 A much -discussed venture between Warner Since 1994, the Justice Department has channel is reportedly negotiating similar o KIRK FRANKLIN AND THE FAMILY GOSPO CENTRIC Music Group, EMI Music, PolyGram, Sony been investigating antitrust implications in the agreements with Warner, BMG, and Poly - Corp., BMG, and Ticketmaster has reportedly possibility of five of the six major record labels Gram. P HEATSEEKERS 16 been called off, although the U.S. Justice De- owning a competitor to MTV. However, none of these licensing agree- * FROGSTOMP SILVERCHAIR EPIC A for the Justice Department ments are exclusive, and they do not prevent A partment antitrust inquiry into the proposed spokeswoman major - label- backed channel continues. says that the investigation is ongoing, despite the music labels from offering their clips to L THE BILLBOARD LATIN 50 32 Meanwhile, some industry sources suggest the apparent demise of the competitive music competing services. B * AMOR PROHIBIDO SELENA EMI LATIN that another U.S. music video channel, backed video network. The same five record companies had been U by many of the same corporations, may be on A major obstacle for any new venture re- named in two parallel cases being considered NEW AGE 52 the horizon. mains the ability to enter the competitive cable by the European Commission -the adminis- M * UVE AT THE ACROPOLIS YANNI PRIVATE MUSIC which is faced with an abun- trative arm of the European Union-and the S "It's just too big an opportunity for the ma- market, already says one source at dance of new services and a limited channel ca- U.K. courts. In the cases, filed in 1993, MTV is POP CATALOG jor labels to overlook," 55 Warner Music Group. pacity. challenging the majors' right to license videos * LEGEND BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS TUFF GONG Two separate sources indicate that the new One of the reasons the major labels may be collectively through the U.K.'s Video Perfor- U.S. channel is likely to be some sort of collab- anxious to establish a solid music video channel mance Ltd.