American ^ Commentary RADIO ONE disc jockey Mark Page 19B3 Heawy (nght) became a BMX bike boy for a day to join Danny SiataS charts Owen (left), OWING TO pressure on space. Sales to prosper m 1984 singer/ writer of the Music Week is unable to carry BMX Boys single on From IRA MAYER Gipsy Records (via the 1983 end-of-year heavy CBS), and British metal charts in poster form. NEW YORK; The end of 1983 saw a considerable surge in retail BMX champion The top 10 HM singles of the year record sales, with manufacturers, distributors and dealers Andy Ruffell were, from one to ten: I Am I'm Me optimistic that the renewed momentum of the industry will •Vt fe-. (centre). BMX Boys by Twisted Sister (Atlantic); Flight carry on in 1984 Budgets have been viewed differently, with is being promoted Of Icarus, Iron Maiden (EMI); Big more cash earmarked for video promotion than ever before. -• as the "anthem" of Log, Robert Plant (Atlantic); Radio will, of course, still get the lion's share of attention from the BMX craze Midnight At The Lost And Found, labels, and the video boom could have a negative effect on which is one of the Meat Loaf (Epic); The Kids Are touring. Many companies are experimenting with the use of fastest growing Back, Twisted Sister (Atlantic); The video in place of tour support, the elecjtffonic medium proving youth sports. Trooper, Iron Maiden (EMI); Garden less costly and certainly more favourable from the standpoint of Party, Marillion (EMI); Total Eclipse logistics. Of The Heart, Bonnie Tyler (CBS); Whether or not government approval for the 01' Rag Blues. Status Quo (Vertigo) Warner/PolyGram merger is granted, 1984 is likely to see further and A Mess Of Blues, Status Quo centralisation of power among the major record manufacturers (Vertigo). and distributors on a global level. RCA's recent expansion of its f Top 10 HM albums of the year, in deal for European distribution of Motown, and WEA V.VV descending order; Holy Diver, Dio International's licensing of MCA Records for all territories Y (Vertigo); The Principle Of excluding the US, Canada and the UK are typical examples of Moments, Robert Plant (Atlantic), what might be expected. Similarly, there continues to be great m Piece Of Mind, Iron Maiden (EMI); interest in British bands in the US along with a concurrent Born Again, Black Sabbath growth in popularity of other foreign music, notably German and rrs- (Vertigo); Flick Of The Switch, Australian. AC/DC (Atlantic); Script For A Ironically, the historical relationship between major and indie Jester's Tear, Marillion (EMI); Lick It labels suggests that this very centralisation of power will also Up, Kiss (Vertigo); You Can't Stop spur growth of indie labels. The latter may get gobbled up ONE OF the first deals of 1984 — five-piece Slough-based group Broadcast Rock 'N' Roll, Twisted Sister quickly, or individual records may get picked up faster than ever, have signed with both ABM Records and sister publishing company Rondor (Atlantic); Midnight At The Lost but despite the fact that the indies have had a more than difficult Music for the world. Their debut single, Where Are You Now. produced by And Found, Meat Loaf (Epic) and time in penetrating the charts in recent months. 1984 is likely to James Guthrie, is released on February 10 Pictured with the band are Patrick Eliminator, ZZ Top (Warner see a resurgence of strength from what has traditionally been Conse/l (ABM talent acquisition manager), Alan McGee (A B R director) and Brothers), the source of the greatest innovations musically and Stuart Homall (Rondor Music). The positions are based on the promotionally. weekly heavy metal charts compiled Trade group hyperbole notwithstanding, there was some by MRIB. scepticism about the role of compact discs in 1984 from m O Disco/Dance chart of 1983 — see manufacturers and retailers by the end of the old year Cost is p 21; Independent Labels chart of one factor, though as mentioned in this column previously, hard- 1983 — see p 25. ware prices are toppling quickly in both the US and Japan. That trend is certainly expected to continue, and doubts about the market's potential stem from Sony's introduction of a half-sized Newsiin brief... digital micro-cassette system and also from the likelihood that consumers will opt for component add-ons to their VCRs which BARSONGS LTD made a donation will turn them into digital tape recorders. to the Nordoff-Robbins Music Given the sound quality of Beta and VHS hi-fi (the latter Therapy Centre in lieu of sending apparently has encountered some technical problems which will V;-:, Christmas cards, but their name was delay an early 1984 roll-out), such an attitude makes great sense. omitted from the acknowledgement For better or worse, consumers have got quite comfortable with in the December 24 issue of Music home taping. Cable and/or satellite delivery of digitised audio, Week due to late notification of their incidentally, is an aspect of the CD/VCR hi-fi recorder CHARACTERS FROM the sleeve of the new recording of Kenneth Grahame's donation. competition which has received scant attention. These delivery immortal Wind In The Willows visited Great Ormond Street children's hospital A MAN involved in counterfeit systems could well turn out to be a major force influencing the just before Christmas to hand out copies of the record to patients. The LP cassette trading, Gary Kilbey of market direction in 1984. features the King's Singers, Richard Baker and the City Of London Sinfonia. Chingford, Essex, was freed from Prices will rise (surprise, surprise) on mainline hit product, Also in the photograph are Timothy Haas, managing director of Masterchord the last week of his jail sentence by a though mid-line catalogue and reissues will grow even more Records and Tapes who masterminded the recording project, and fellow High Court judge on the Wednesday substantially. Atlantic's Christmas hike of Stones, Genesis and director Brian Morris. before Christmas. Yes album prices and RCA's release of Hall £t Oates and Kenny Mr Justice Harman told him: "I Rogers LPs at the same price point are surely harbingers of what will let you off the last seven days so is to come. that you can be at home — not because I am wholly satisfied with your conduct." Kilbey was jailed for n six months for contempt of court on November 1. The sentence was later reduced to three months. ISSN 0265-1548 A Morgan-Grampian pic publication THE LONG-running dispute between Phonogram, Kevin Rowland of Dexy's Midnight T ' S ^ Runners and EMI Records, arising Incorporating Rocord & Tapo Rotailer and Record Business. I out of an alleged breach of contract BENJAMIN LUXON, one of the country's best-known opera singers, is following the move by Dexy's 40 Long Acre, London TALENT EDITOR: Chris White crossing over to the pop/folk field with an album, Something Else Again, on Midnight Runners from EMI to WC2E 9JT SUB EDITOR: Moea Armstrong RCA. Pictured at a party to launch the album are d to r) Barbara Courtney King Phonogram has been "amicably Tel: 01-836 1522 RESEARCH MANAGER; (singer). Bob Howes (producer), Ben Luxon, Gordon Giltrap (guitar), Madelein settled" with payment of an Telex: 299485 Tony Adler Kasket (RCA), Tim Renwick (guitar) and Tommy Loftus (RCA). undisclosed figure to EMI Records. SUBSCRIPTION RATES ASSISTANT RESEARCH UK £37. Eire Clfish45. Europe $108. Middle MANAGER: Lynn Facey East, North Africa $143. US, S. America. RESEARCH ASSISTANT: DUE TO a printers' error, three Canada, India, Pakistan $168. Australia. Far Janet Yeo "BLUE PETER " & oxm station headings were incorrectly East, Japan $190. CONTRIBUTORS: Tony Jasper, shown on the Airplay Action grid in Subscriptions/Directory: Nicolas Soames, Pat Sullivan the December 24 issue of Music Jeanne Henderson, US CORRESPONDENT: Ira Wish to thank the following for Week: Chiltern plays appeared 30 Calderwood Street, Mayer, c/o Presentation their help in arranging the under the Centre heading, Mercia London SE18 6QH Consultants Inc, 2 West 45th St plays under the Chiltern heading and Tel: 01-855 7777 Suite 1703, New York City auction at the Half Moon: — Signal plays under the Mercia Printed for the Publiahors by Pensord Press NY 10036. (Tel; 212 719 4822) heading. Ltd., Gwont. Rooistorcd at the Post Office ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER- Courage Inns & Taverns Chrysalis as a nowspapor. Member of the Periodical Andrew Brain Half Moon llee & Angiel OJM THE RELEASE of classic back Circulation.Publishers Assoc All materialLtd., and copyrightAudit Bureau 1983 of ASSISTANT AD RAM Management (Ron Mannl Tom Robinson & Dave Massey catalogue records onto digital audio Music Week Ltd. MANAGER: Kathy Leppard compact discs continues with the Music Week is sold on condition that the AD EXECUTIVE: Phil Graham Puma Music Ltd The Reformation Group of Companies pages containing charts will not bo Dallas T.A. 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NBD FEATURES EDITOR/ PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Thanks to everyone and a prosperous New Year to all. Pictures will handle TV and cable RETAILING: Terri Anderson Peter Wilkinson sales. PAGE 2