EAST COASTINGS / POINTS WEST

EAST COASTINGS - WAITIN' ON THE WAGON - Lynyrd Skynyrd a mere pack of 20th Granted Restraining Order teetotallers? Well, nothing quite so extreme, but some of Dixie's finest elbow -bending (continued from page 7) Port said he did not know whether any of rockers have decided that booze and gigging don't mix, after a spell of guzzling that got to copyright, and defendant has continued to Springboard's albums had reached the the point where bottles of Jack Daniels were depicted on their official T-shirts. It happened infringe said copyright." retail level yet or how many copies of the at a June 18-19 engagement in Cape Cod, where no one in the band touched spirits before Port said Springboard got the first com- album jacket in question had been printed. taking the stage. The rule was extended to the road crew as well, and not a drop of alcoholic munication about the album from 20th Cen- Claims were made by 20th Century ac- beverage was allowed in the dressing rooms. After -concert relaxants are still permitted, tury Friday, June 24. cording to copyright laws of the United and SIR Productions reports that the ample whiskey supply stipulated in all Lynyrd 20th's action contends, "(Springboard) States, Title 17, United States Code. The Skynyrd contract riders will now be distributed to deserving technical crew members. Very has threatened to, and unless by order of company stated it "has secured the ex- appropriately, it all happened near Plymouth Rock, where the Puritans first landed. this court will continue to, infringe (20th's) clusive rights and privileges in and to the A TRUE COSMOPOLITAN Ahmet Ertegun, chairman of Atlantic Records, has been copyrighted phonograph record album copyright of said - phonograph record named president of the New York Cosmos by its chairman of the board, Nesuhi Ertegun. jacket by continuing to publish, advertise, album jacket and has received from the Ahmet's soccer experience dates back to his youth in France and England, as well as soc- promote, offer for sale and sell, all for profit, Register of Copyrights a certificate and cer with the Landon School near Washington, D.C., and at the college level at St. John's in (Springboard's) infringing phonograph registration, dated and identified as Annapolis, Maryland. He and Nesuhi hired the original front line management of the record album jacket." follows: 'June 28, 1977, Class KK No. Cosmos. New York's soccer team was a bit ahead of its time, but present attendance Because of this, 20th Century's com- 248544.' figures are proving that it was a worthwhile financial and cultural investment. plaint states, "(Springboard) has engaged "After May 25, 1977," the action states, THE BLUE SKY SHUFFLE Blue Sky Records may receive a certificate merit in unfair trade practices and unfair com- "(Springboard) infringed (20th's) copyright - of from the musician's union, at the rate that players are being picked up by the label's travelling petition against (20th Century) to (20th's) in the phonograph record album jacket ar- tists. has reformed White Trash, with original members Jon Smith irreparable damage" and "unless which was copied largely from (20th's) on sax, Jerry La Croix on sax, harmonica and vocals, Marshall Cyr on trumpet, restrained by order of this court, copyrighted phonograph record album and Floyd "Jack Of Hearts" Radford playing guitar. New members (Springboard) will continue to commit said jacket." are George Recile at the drums, Dan Minatre on guitar, and Robert "California" Arnold playing bass. is already acts of copyright infringement, unfair trade A recent report in the Wall Street Journal out on the road with a new lineup, featuring Kenny Aaronson, bass; Mark practices, unfair competition to (20th's) showed both the film and soundtrack Cunningham, rhythm guitar, and Myron Grombacher, drums. also has a new touring irreparable damage." album to "Star Wars" have done excep- band together, with Bobby Torrello on drums, Pat Rush on rhythm guitar, and Ike Sweat playing 20th Century's complaint continued, say- tionally well for 20th Century -Fox Film and bass. Winter will soon be on tour playing an assortment of rock and some ing Springboard acted "oppressively and Records divisions. selections from maliciously" and for that reason, "(20th's 20th Stock Doubled his new album "Nothin' But The Blues." Meanwhile, Dan Hartman is in the beginning film and record divisions) are entitled to The day before the film was released, stages of forming his own group, but he is presently involved in cutting demos with newly recover, in addition to their actual 20th Century's stock was selling at $11.50 signed Blue Sky artist David Johannson, formerly of the . They are working damages, punitive damages against per share, according to the Journal. As of at the studio on Hartman's own Westport, Connecticut residence, otherwise known as "The (Springboard) in the amount of $1 million." June 29, it had better than doubled in value, Schoolhouse." The recent and .38 Special albums were both recorded there. The company is also asking that selling at $23.25 per share. A PUNK BY ANY OTHER NAME - Presently involved in production on two albums, Springboard be required to surrender "all 20th Century Records already has Steve Gibbons has come out with a positive stand on London's "punk" movement. He has copies of the album in its possession or un- produced 650,000 copies of the voiced his approval of the somewhat violent demonstrations now going on in England, der its control and to deliver up for destruc- soundtrack, which is#26 bullet this week on which he calls "Apocalypse Il." Gibbons is mixing down a live album for September tion all infringing copies and all plates, the Cash Box Top 200 Albums chart. The release, and concurrently readying a new studio album, which reportedly will be a pro - molds, or other matter for making such in- company is predicting the soundtrack will punk document. His words: "Good luck to the punks, we're with you no matter which way it fringing copies." sell at least one million units. comes out." WHO'S THE PINKEST OF THEM ALL? - Belkin Productions, Inc., the huge Cleveland - based concert promotion firm, reports that the attendance record for a single group con- Comparison of 20th "Star Wars" LP cert at a controlled facility was broken Saturday, June 25 by Pink Floyd, when they drew a total of 81,337 fans to the city's Lakefront Stadium. According to the promoters, the And Musicor/Springboard Version previous record was held by , who stuffed Michigan's Pontiac (Detroit) by Mike Falcon bodied work that will sell well because of Stadium with over 76,000 admirers. This little piggy cry wee wee wee, all the way to the strong associative imagery, the piggy bank! Despite striking similarities in packag- Springboard construction sounds very MAKING HEADLINES - Steve Cauthen, the 17 -year -old champion jockey whose ing, there are few areas of common interest much like the first worldwide electronic in- album of country and western songs has just been released by Bareback Records, made or value in comparing the 20th Century Fox strument, the Hammond Organ. the front page of the New York Post with photos of his LP signing session at Korvettes on soundtrack from "Star Wars" and the Disdaining the more costly approach to Fifth Avenue in Manhattan ... "Jesus Christ, Superstar" recently passed its 2000th perfor- Musicor/Springboard synthesizer version. synthesizer programming, the work mance in London, as work is under way for a Hal Prince staging of Webber & Rice's newest The 20th Century soundtrack contains produces none of the reed or horn effects of musical/theatrical work, "Evita, "produced in conjunction with Robert Stigwood... Melba 16 selections on 2 LPs, has a total playing the original. The jacket notes, which state Moore and her husband Charlie Higgins became proud parents of a 6 pound, 121/2 ounce time of 73 minutes 55 seconds, and carries the album "is a stunning breakthrough in girl on Friday, June 24, named Melba Charlie ... The entertainment section of June 26's a suggested list tag of $8.98. The electronic music," are simply inaccurate. Chicago Sun -Times was topped with a frank interview granted by WLS/Chicago's popular Springboard single album has six cuts with The Springboard rendition cannot stand on 28 -year -old deejay Bob Slrott. Entitled "Quit On Top," the article explores his early rise to a playing time of 23 minutes, 52 seconds, its own as either innovative or successfully responsibility (he held an executive position with NBC at age 19), as well as his thoughts of and the suggested selling price is $5.98. imitative. It is a excercise in elemen- quitting when his $80,000 -a -year contract is up. Sirott was certain that if he does stay in Ads for the Springboard version feature the tary synthesizer programming which will radio, he would like to explore its wider possibilities. "Here's the thing. When I heard tapes LP at $2.99, printed on a company - probably disappoint listeners and retailers of Jack Benny radio shows, when he goes down to his vault and takes out a dollar bill and manufactured display box. alike. A survey of electronic music students you hear those sounds ... that's radio. Theater of the mind ... Being creative is not sitting Musical content is equally dissimilar. found them unanimous in their lack of there introducing records." We sympathize with his feelings, but it's hard to imagine radio While the original soundtrack, played by praise for the album, although a few retaliating against the TV machine ... An impromtu act of heroic pacifism brought Elvis the London Symphony Orchestra, is a full- thought the "Cantina Band" cut amusing. Presley into the news last week in Madison, Wisconsin. A 17 -year -old gas station attendant was being roughed up by two other youths when the blue-jumpsuited avenger suddenly appeared from an arriving limousine. He and his martial arts stances so shocked the CBS, WEA Summer Sales Begin assailants that they cleared out without a fight. Presley, who was in town for a concert, shook a few hands and disappeared. "It was Elvis, alright," said Keith Lowry, the rescued. (continued from page 7) paign." Another group of about 10 front- "He was overweight and had jet-black hair." ... Millennium Records will join the in- Sam Goody's "buy line LPs by acts which are getting only 'em and try 'em" cam- tergalactic race with "Star Wars And Other Galactic Funk," a discofied version of music limited airplay will be advertised in radio paign. from the soundtrack by Meco, conducting some of New York's noted session men. The Low Prices and print beginning July 10. The promo- in Cleveland cover, incidentally, will be a purple, blue and white picture of two kids dancing in space Record Theatre, a seven -unit chain in tion, which encourages customers to return gear. phil dimauro Cleveland, this week did not advertise its the albums simply if they are not happy with regular $2.98 one -day Sunday sale ($3.98 the music, produced returns (to the stores) POINTS WEST - FARCICAL FIREWORKS BRIGHTEN LATE NITE FARE - Ap- on $7.98 list product) for the first time in of about 20-23%, according to Goody propriately enough, Independence Day marks the first telecast of one of the zaniest more than two months. President George Levy. However, he poin- programs to be beamed across the airwaves since "Saturday Night Live." That evening, in Doug Dombrowski, sales and promotion ted out, the rate of "defective returns" has Mary Hartman's time slot, "Fernwood 2Night" premiers, a madcap sendup of television manager for the retail operation which is lately been running fairly high, and it is dif- talk shows, hosted by Fern wood's irrepressible Barth Gimble, who of course is the in- based in Buffalo, New York, said pulling the ficult to determine how many returns were imitable Martin Mull, whose catalog of unclassifiable music (most people settle for ad did not necessarily signify that either the the result of the special promotion and how "funny") may finally get the surge that it deserves. As his devoted cult following well knows, lowball specials were unseccessful in draw- many the result of faulty merchandise. Martin is an insanely humorous man whose oddball insights on record give some clues to ing volume business or had run their At least one other retailer has expressed what unwary television viewers can expect to see when they tune;n to the Hartman replace- course. In Buffalo, where Record Theatre interest in running a similar campaign at his ment. "Fern wood 2Night" is meant to be a parody of the small-town talk shows that never has been running the same $2.98 sale in its stores. "The feedback from the record quite equal the status of Carson's nightly raps. On a recent visit to the studios where the 23,000 sq. ft. store, Dombrowski noted, companies and the retailers has been quite show is taped, we were treated to a preview of the show slated to appear on Tuesday, July "We've found it's generally very effective, good," said Levy. 5, where the guests include five -year -old Baby Irene who tap-dances to a classical com- depending on the timing of the album. position accompanied by a piano player who taps his keys upside down and backwards Barry Manilow, the Eagles, Boston, the Consumers Offered First from inside his iron lung. In a semi-regular feature, "Bury the Hatchet, "the studio audience Beatles' cutout product have been big is asked to help decide if the parents of a young priest should be allowed to have him de- movers. We're going to continue running it Captiol 12" Disco Single programmed, just after a noted scientist discusses his research into the possibility that (the ad)." LOS ANGELES - Capitol Records leisure suits cause cancer while exhibiting his laboratory rats who sport miniature leisure In New York, Sam Goody stores are released its first commercial 12 -inch disco suits. Though the pace is demanding (two shows are taped daily), the staff is augmented by preparing for the second installment in single, "Time Is On My Side" by Maze, on seven writers and the ad-lib skills of Mull and Fred Williard, Mull's co -host, formerly of the their monthly "buy 'em and try 'em cam- July 5. (continued on page 38)

20 Cash Box/July 9, 1977

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