4.0 So ti October 9, ,1961 z .r ao A t>_ !r Q a Z atii J Orr1 I Q W Ur ALB A R uU -- 0 w Stv A l!t -s 7 a G E.-- 3 .Z mtxt..-i WEEI ak cJ .-s rnuscMerchandising Radio -Tv Programming Machine Operati t. .-. a . Music -Phonograph RCA Victor Will Introduce New 49 -Cent Singles Label EDITORIAL GROOVE LABEL'S Reactivate Groove Name VARIED HISTORY NEW YORK -The Groove A Courageous Step label was originally started by To Carry Low Price Tag Victor in 1953 by the late the firm's Changing conditions necessitate new and flexible ap- Manie Sacks as Pop, R.&B., Country proaches. They demand bold, courageous decisions. It is in rhythm and blues label. The Subsid to Present this light that the industry must view RCA Victor's imminent first a.&r. man for the label had Kicks Off October 30 re- activation of the Groove name as a 49 -cent pop label. was Danny Kessler. Label Material; Line is secret that the status quo of the singles business its first big success with It no represents the during the last years. The Mickey and Sylvia's record of NEW YORK RCA Victor on entire industry and has been gradually eroded several - effort to date to over of the LP record, changed listening habits, and the "Love Is Strange" in 1956 October 30 will debut a 49 -cent most dramatic take with the "singles illogical price differential between singles and LP's have all which sold close to 800,000 singles line, Groove Records. come to grips RCA vehicle problem." The decision climaxes a contributed to the general malaise that a hit single rarely copies. Label was retired Groove, years ago an -so long period of study by RCA and achieves the sale it once did. shortly after that in 1957, and for rhythm and blues repertoire, label reflects the company's profound This singles problem cannot be regarded as merely a its artists moved to Vik and will be an all- purpose carry- that a total record business singles problem. It is a record industry problem which, if not Victor. Among the Groove ing pop, country and r. &b. mate- belief order to be healthy -entails solved, will adversely affect LP sales. The growth of the LP roster prior to its retirement rial. The price to the distributor -in a vital, thriving singles business. market can only be maintained if it is constantly fed by a were, in addition to Mickey and dealer will be 27 cents and of the Groove consumer group derived from the teen market. and Sylvia, Jonah Jones, Va- 33 cents respectively, and the line The reactivation a bold Therefore, the giant attempt to create more singles sales rette Dillard and Piano Red. will be handled by RCA distribu- name, therefore, represents broaden the base of through the medium of a low -price line deserves the widest Billboard Music Week Asso- tors only. Two records will com- effort to new excite- support among all segments of the industry. ciate Music Editor Bob prise the initial release. singles sales; to infuse will argue that a "if it has it," will sell at any Rolontz was the last a. &r. The parent Victor label will con- ment into the singles market. Some single, Tool price; some will complain "they are taking the profit out of the man for the old Groove oper- tinue to sell for 98 cents. LP Promotion Victor phi - business." These points of view are gross' oversimplifications. ation. The RCA Victor move, of course, Also implicit in the (Continued on page 6) -r They represent a failure to face up to the changing times and is tremendously meaningful to the the necessity of foregoing immediate gain in order to achieve long -range industry health and stability. It is unnecessary to recount at this point the various half- hearted attempts on the part of various labels during the past 'Small' LP's year to improve the singles picture. It is worth noting that Manufacturers Unveil New these attempts have been half -hearted. They have failed. They did not go far enough. They were not sufficiently ambitious paign pulled a7'/ per cent respon- in concept. Cadence T- Ircher se. Each respondent ordered at Mercury Calling The Groove label is ambitious in concept. We wish it the least one of the five little LP's best of luck. May its hits attract more numerous buyers. who offered. 6' will ultimately become LP buyers and ensure the continued Tagged 'Little LP After Teen -Agers Disk 'Compact growth of an industry which has meant so much to so many. after teen- NEW YORK Cadence Rec- "We are going strictly CHICAGO - Mercury last - agers with this idea," Bleyer re- became ords unveiled an innovation last week joined Cadence and it's an ideal week in what it calls the Cadence marked, "and we feel the second firm to spring with a market. The price Little LP. The seven -inch disk is package for that new six -selection, seven -inch LP is right, with each record offering available only in 33 r.p.m. speed which it is calling the "Compact ZOA figures Chart grouping of and contains six tunes. Packaged name artists with a 6." like an LP, it will list at $1.69. their biggest hits. Occasionally a The Compact 6 series will fea- new side may be included but for ture quality merchandise with Mer- Cadence president A r c h i e the most part it will be a packag- Tunes will be Payflients to GEMA Bleyer, said the disk has been cury's top artists. ing of hit material." complete not abridged versions. tested through a direct mail cam- _ there are also be along the By OMER ANDERSON juke box operators. German opera- paign to 7,000 teen -agers across In the initial release, Packaging will Johnny Til- product, and will con- tors purchase around three million the country. The mailing list was five little LP's; two by lines of LP West Ger- Brothers heavy bag with an FRANKFURT - records a year. GEMA receives an made up of names of youngsters lotson, two by the Everly sist of a poly many's Organization of The inserted four - Central additional 4 million marks or about who had written for photos of Ca- and one by the Chordettes. hard cover featuring Coin Machine Operators (ZOA) The back of the (Continued on page 48) dence artists. Stever said the cam- (Continued on page 6) color artwork. has submitted records to the court package will be open permitting of arbitration hearing its dispute the customer to view the disk with with GEMA showing the operators the three selections on one side. are paying the copyright society Index to Contents Mercury is setting a recommend- some 5 million marks a year. ed retail price of S1.69 on the This is $1,250,000, and the op- General Hot R se. Sidnz 31 Music- Phonograph package. erators contend that it compares Singles Programming Guide 33 Merchandising 14 First Release favorably with phonograph copy- Inlnrnatinnal lop LP's 26 First release is expected within Manufacturer News s Cover Week 14 right payments elsewhere. It is Top LP's by Category 24 Album of the a matter of days and will include Talent News - 6 Best Buys in Records 33 pointed out that American opera- Top Market Breakouts 33 selections by six of Mercury's top Yesteryear's Hits 12 Best Selling Phonographs & the Plat- tors feel there is only slight pros- Tape Recorders 14 artists: Brook Benton, Music Pop Charts Patti Page, pect that the U. S. copyright law Reviews ma n..i. tn. na.,':.,. .. 14 ters, Dinah Washington, will be amended soon. Bost Buys in Records 33 David Carroll and Jose Melis. LP Reviews 24 The operators' brief to the arbi- Best Selling Phonographs & Coin Machine Operating .. 43 Mercury officials said this would Tape Recorders 14 Single Record Reviews 33 in tration panel, which is headed by a fill a need for merchandise the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 28 Bulk Vending 44 West German Supreme Court Radio -TV Programming 12 "middle price bracket." Double Play Disks 47 Coin Machine News 43 Officials didn't feel the Compact judge, asserts that the coin ma- Artists 12 Biographies Coin Machine Price Index 32 effect at all on chine industry's position in the gen- Honor Ron of Hitt 36 Programming Panel 12 6 would have any Double Play Disks 47 may eral German economy must be flot 100 28 Yesteryear's Hits IY singles sales though it "divert Guide 33 Vor . 17 Singles Programming of LP merchandise." taken into account in assessing Het C.&W. Sidas' 31 Jos some sales GEMA's demands. Enlarge Market In the long run, however, offi- 8 Cents a Disk cials felt it would enlarge the en- Operator figures shows GEMA market. we can con- or cents tire record "If receives 32 pfennigs 8 Issue, 21,450 (Continued on page 6) from each record purchased by Paid Circulation This www.americanradiohistory.com 2 BILLBOARD MUSIC WEEK OCTOBER 9, 1961 HOT FLIP SIDES INTERNATIONAL Miami Sales Off; VISITORS IN Connie, Preps & Two -Sided Hits Double Disk NEW YORK NEW YORK -Jeff Kruger, McDaniels Move president, Ember Records In- Mileage and Mfrs.' Revenue ternational, London, October MIAMI - Record sales have 10 to 18, care of Buddy fallen off in Miami both on the singles By REN GREVATT the payola scandal broke open. various territories, it appears possi- Kaye, 1619 Broadway, JU 6- and LP level due to the Since then it has been increasingly ble for 3090.