08120 A Billboard Publication The International Music -Record -Tape Newsweekly September 11, 1976 $1.50 ABC Racks' Holiday IRS Probing Promo LPs; Inserts In 30 Marts By IS HOROWITZ L.A. Theft Ring Wiped Out NEW YORK -A Christmas cam- new enthusiasm among chain store paign touched off by the placement management in the viability of of some five million four -color sup- record departments as profit centers. FBI Aids Locals Federal Agents plements in Sunday newspapers "The health of our business is de- N.Y. & L.A. covering 30 major market areas will pendent on the attitude of the mass Apprehend cap a recent series of moves by ABC retailers we service," says Stephen C. Gangs Prowl In Chicago Record & Tape Sales to generate ad- Kugel, ABC vice president in charge Bypassed As By JOHN SIPPEL By ALAN PENCHANSKI ditional volume in its rack locations. of marketing. And many of them, he LOS ANGELES -In the past 18 CHICAGO -The retailing of pro- The supplements will appear si- notes, have become disenchanted months. local sheriff's police work- motional records is being investi- multaneously on Nov. 28 in all mar- with record departments as sales ing with the FBI have cracked the kets. Act -Breakers gated here by IRS agents. dipped due to cut -price competition nucleus of several experienced LP Though the agency will not offi- By this drive and other steps taken from free -standing stores. By GERRY WOOD theft rings which stole an estimated cially confirm that such an investi- to increase product turnover ABC The symbiotic relationship be- NASHVILLE -Major labels are $1.75 to $2.5 million worth of al- gation is underway, sources at expects not only to bolster its own tween rack and client store dictates intensifying the trend toward bums annually in Southern Califor- branch offices of MCA, Capitol and market stance, but also to stimulate (C'ontinued on page 16) launching acts in various regions of nia over the past three years. London indicate these companies the country rather than simply de- (Continued on page 18) (Continued on page 18) U.K. pending on the traditional New Drought Affects Record Factories York or Los Angeles blitz to break By PETER JONES or inaugurate new acts. Labels, NEC Near Marketing Accord LONDON - Britain's record fac- Europe to maintain supplies at a Giving local fans and radio per- By JIM FISHEL tories are making substantial volun- critical sales time. sonnel a sense of involvement in the NEW YORK -A collective mar- collegiate organization would act as tary efforts to reduce their consump- Water features in various points in early stages of an artist's career, keting program involving more than a clearing house for the labels, tion of water in the face of the the production of records. partic- constriction of some of the L.A. and 15 record manufacturers and the whereby they would perform a series country's current drought. They are ularly in cooling and electro- forming New York exposure avenues and the National Entertainment Conference of helpful functions for schools. also drawing up plans in case ra- and usage, can run up to and beyond advantages of launching a new act (NEC). with a membership of more According to one of its initiators, tioning has to be introduced. 100,000 gallons a day, according to from its strongest support base are than 850 schools, is near implemen- Ron Feldstein, development chair- Government action of this sort, if plant capacity. Much of the water three reasons why labels have been tation. man of the NEC. the plan could be severe, would probably result in disk can be re- circulated but a good deal relying increasingly on such cities as Under the terms of the agreement, in working order as early as "the first production cutbacks and extra ca- of it, too, is lost through evaporation. Dallas, Houston, Washington, De- worked out by high -ranking NEC of the year." pacity would have to be sought in (Continued on page 57) (Cnntirmerl on page 48) and record industry officials. the (Continued on page 37) Japanese Escalating Their U.S. Subpublishing Roles By DAVE DEXTER JR. Blind Disco Dee¡av LOS ANGELES -When Shin Big Success In N.Y. and Misa Watanabe of Tokyo in- stalled Hiroshi Kuwashima as vice By RADCLIFFE JOE president and chief of their Ameri- NEW YORK -A blind Queens', can publishing office here last fall. N.Y., musician who became a disco they predicted it would be only the deejay partly as a gag, is now among first of numerous "invasions" of the the most sought -after mobile disco U.S. by Japanese firms. deejays on Long Island. They were right. Ted Fass, handicapped from age 11 when a nasal tumor severed his Ten months later. six other Japa- optic nerve, operates Ted's Disco On nese are managing publishing oper- Wheels along with his wife Gail, and ations in Los Angeles. Their assign- according to the Louis Braille Foun- ment is to acquire subpublishing dation for Blind Musicians, is be- rights to American songs, and bid- HOPE WE GET TO LOVE IN TIME (ABCD 952), the just released debut lieved to be ding- advance payments in yen con- The new Crosby-Nash album, WHISTLING DOWN THE WIRE (ABCD 956) album by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., has, from the start, caused the first blind profes- verted to dollars -is escalating rap- has, from a combined sales and airplay standpoint, truly put David unparalleled levels of excitement radio, sional disco deejay in the country. among press, and retail per- idly. Crosby and Graham Nash in the pop music spotlight. It's their fastest sonnel. That excitement, Fass, a 24 -year-old sociology ma- combined with the explosiveness of their new selling and most acclaimed album to date. And "Spotlight" (ABC-12217), single, "You Don't Have To Be A Star" (ABC- 12208) jor from the Univ. of Miami, had Toshiba -EMI, one of the inter- has created one of coincidentally, is the title of their just released single ... the most THE worked as a in dominant new music talents of the 70's. (Advertisement) drummer and vocalist national giants records and music requested cut off the album. (Advertisement) (Continued on page 42) (Continued on page 20) Advertisement i His new album on Asylum Records & Tapes- Produced by Barry Goldberg www.americanradiohistory.com Born Again. The voice comes at you them into such compelling and personal music. in an unmistakable rasp, the guitar relentlessly "The End of the Beginning." drives the point home: Probably no other An album infused with energy and light ... an man could take the songs of Bob Dylan, Van immediately recognizable and unique Morrison, James Taylor,The Doobie Brothers, 10cc, point of view. Steely Dan, and Richie Havens and turn Richie Havens makes music new. "THE END OF THE BEGINNING %. THE FIRST RICHIE HAVENS ALBUM ON A &M RECORDS &TAPES Produced by David Kershenbaum www.americanradiohistory.com General News 3 -TIES WITH NARAS Copyright UA Forces Meet Chicago Emphasis Revise Still Races Time To Talk Product By Phono /Mercury WASHINGTON -The copyright By ALAN PENCHANSKY revision resumes its frantic race with 50 Staffers, Bosses Eye the clock this week with a House CHICAGO - Phonograms/ lease, the label is planning a spe- Rules Committee hearing on the bill Mercury is stepping up a cam- cial audio /visual presentation reported set for Thursday (9). Fall Program In Vegas paign, begun in the last year, to the documenting stages in pro- In record time, the staff of Rep. By HANFORD SEARL reaffirm its commitment to Chi- duction of an LP, to be jointly Robert W. Kastenmeier's (D -Wis.) cago and to acts that originate sponsored by Mercury and the LAS VEGAS -Top United Artists doubt in my mind that we're going subcommittee on Courts, Civil Lib- corporate brass and 50 national sales to go after Flyer." here. NARAS local. The presentation, erties and the Administration of Jus- The promotion staffers met Aug. 27 at High atop UA's present record program, including major built around the Chi -Lites album tice, put together a committee report support to Chicago's NARAS now in production, will be hosted the MGM Grand to introduce the campaign is MGM Grand's current in the wake of the triumphant 27 to 1 chapter, firm's fall program, upcoming prod- headliner Paul Anka, who will re- officially will be under- at the label's IBM Plaza head- vote for the subcommittee's draft bill way by mid -fall, when the first quarters, for NARAS members ucts and discuss immediate goals. lease his latest album, "The by the parent Judiciary Committee Artie Mogull, UA Records presi- Painter," within two weeks. The con- Mercury album by the Chicago - and invited guests. Aug. 27. dent, delivered keynote talks at Fri- fab group attended Anka's opening based Chi -Lites, recently signed One of those guests likely will The report was said to be circulat- to the label, is released. day (27) sessions at the three -day night performance Aug. 26. be Mayor Richard J. Daley, ing among members of the corn - By mini -convention and stressed reded- Mogull said the Anka promotion that time, Mercury reveals, whose office and City of Chicago mittee by Thursday (2), and a peti- it will hold a long -term lease on Cultural Committee are being ication of record division company budget is the largest so far allocated tion to file it in the House on Friday efforts. an outdoor billboard here, where enlisted in the drive to strengthen by UA for an album.