34 nE No Hassles For Led Zeppelin's Vic Damone, With His Own BASS TICKETS Concerts Despite Little Time Label, Shoots For Charts By NAT FREEDLAND By HANFORD SEARL SAN FRANCISCO -Bay Area our use of the computer to print up LAS VEGAS -Armed with his mills Of Your Mind" and "Over The Seating Service, whose BASS logo thousands of tickets in advance, own record company, a new single Rainbow." Damone's favorite with a cartoon of a ticket -wielding rather than on the spot," says Selt- and two albums soon to be released, writers include Stévie Wonder, Kris fish in top hat and tuxedo has be- zer. "Since 'Days On The Green' veteran crooner Vic Damone hopes Kristofferson, Paul Williams and come a Northern California music are general admission events, there to revitalize his disk career. Neil Sedaka, he says. institution in the past three years, was no problem in allocating rea- Rebecca Records, named after his Best known for his sensitive han- faced probably the biggest challenge sonable amounts of pre -printed tick- present and third wife, is the com- dling and phrasing of lyrics, Dam- yet to its computerized ticket selling ets to each outlet. This kept the lines pany, "My World Is You," is the one has had six gold records with operation Tuesday (5). moving as fast as possible and kept single and "Vic Damone's Feelings" such labels as Mercury, RCA, Co- And in contrast to injuries and crowds from backing up." and "My World Is You" are the new lumbia and Capitol in his career. ugly crowd confrontations that Jerry Seltzer: Boss of BASS Tickets. Looking down on the Zeppelin LPs. Damone fondly recalls having plagued other stops on the current Led ticket lines were specially printed to air the "I've been looking for the right such arranger -players as Burt Bach - Zeppelin tour, the BASS opening spot announcements posters of the BASS fish symbol re- 5. Tapes for the songs," confides Damone, in show arach, Johnny Mandel and Johnny day sales for Zep's July 23 -24 Oak- morning of July laxing on a beach. The caption was, commercials weren't delivered to the business for 31 years. "The 'World' Williams in the early days of his vo- land Stadium "Days On The "There are plenty of Led Zeppelin album, due out at the end of July, is cal training. Green," went off with fast -moving stations until the day of broadcast, in Tickets for everybody. Keep cool." to keep the Zeppelin concerts mostly MOR with lush songs and Thirty -five weeks out of the year smoothness thanks to careful plan- order Oakland Stadium holds 55,000 for a some hustle -disco." finds Damone performing across the ning. secret until the July 4 stadium dis- rock concert. A resident of Houston, Tex., country in concerts, clubs and closure. Seltzer, who promoted the Roller BASS sold some 60,000 Zeppelin But this left BASS president Jerry Damone says Richie Rome, of the theatres. tickets in the first 12 hours after Derby tours for some 15 years, had Richie Family, and Philadelphia Like fellow singer Tony Bennett's Seltzer to prepare for thousands of dealt with Ticketron and other ticket show admissions were made avail- Zeppelin- hungry fans to storm his base player Jim DiJulio worked on Improv Records, Damone started able. were no incidents at any agencies in every major U.S. market. There 60 outlets for ticket sales to a major the album at Sigma Sounds in Phila- Rebecca Records, now moved from lines rarely got He felt he could develop his own ticket outlets and rock event announced less than 24 delphia. Indiana to Houston, as an outlet for longer than six or seven people. merchandising -oriented approach his songs in a predominantly rock hours previously. sales and won the mil- The "Feelings" album contains Due to contractual obligations, to computer music market. Fortunately, Bill Graham Bill con- such ballads as Bread's "If," "Wind- San Francisco concert impresario lion -plus annual Graham Presents had arrived at its basic plan cert sales exclusive with a detailed Bill Graham was unable to an- for announcing the Led Zep con- presentation. nounce the dates of the Led Zeppe- fairness to the certs with maximum Among the BASS innovations is a Unsurpassed in Quality lin Oakland appearances until sales potential audience as early as June 24 -hour information phone service closed for the July 2 -4 "Days On The 21. Seltzer, who sells some 80% of Green" headlining Peter Frampton which provides both recorded mes- 15c SEEKING CONCERT STAGE Bill Graham concert tickets via with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana and sages and live assistance by dialing GLOSSY MANAGER WITH AT LEAST BASS, thus had ample time to make T- E- L- E- T -I -X. Another BASS EACH IN the Outlaws. (3) YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. sufficient crowd control prepara- phone service will mail out tickets_ LOTS Final gross for the Frampton 1000 MUST HAVE EXTENSIVE tions. purchased via oral credit carte at Oakland was some $ 1.3 mil- PHOTOS TOUR EXPERIENCE WITH dates "We asked all the stores with charges. lion with 102,239 attending at $11 to sev- 1000 POSTCARDS $70.00 ALL TECHNICAL ASPECTS BASS computer outlets open About 80% of the 2 million tickets- general admission. eral hou,rs earlier than normal July 100 8x10 $18.95 OF PRODUCTION. RESUME BASS expects to sell in 1977 will be REQUIRED AND ALL IN- The first public announcement 5," says Seltzer. "We also suggested for concert and nightclub music CUSTOM $89 was actually made at Oakland Sta- that they hire as many uni- QUIRIES WILL BE TREATED strongly events, although Seltzer is also active COLOR PRINTS per 100 dium towards the start of the final formed guards as they felt were nec- CONFIDENTIALLY. in ticket brokering for major league COLOR LITHO $210 Frampton /Skynyrd concert. As ex- essary for proper crowd control." sports, family events like the circu CONTACT: the news of the per 1000 pected, this spread BASS's own boxoffice adjacent to and even such offbeat items as guar -. coming Led Zeppelin shows its Oakland administrative head- anteed seats for ultra -popular mow COLOR $180 Area throughout the Bay youth quarters opened for business at 6 ies like "Star Wars." POSTCARDS per 3000 both by word p community overnight a.m. The three Bill Graham Rock BASS' service charge to customers' MOUNTED 20'X30" 30 "X40' radio news- of mouth and via local Merchandise Shops in the Bay Area averages 50 -75 cents although each ENLARGEMENTS $14.00 $20.00 casts. outlets at Lewis Grey Productions also opened their BASS deal with a promoter is different. 9460 Wilshire Blvd. Graham had already reserved the crack of dawn. Seltzer commissioned his own Suite 425 time on key local radio stations for "A very important timesaver was computer program that does futuris- anAr Beverly Hills, CA 90212 tic things like display a diagram of otocraPtierr (213) 550 -1065 leamer all available seats on a hall's floor A Division of JAMES J. KRIEGSMANN plan over each store outlet's tele- 165 W. 46th St., N.Y. 10036 -:Success Comes Late To vision tube. The central computer (212) PL 7-0233 not only delivers up -to- the -minute sales totals for each BASS event, it Johnny `Guitar' Watson can show the sales at each individual By ROMAN KOZAK outlet and give each outlet's percent- NEW YORK -"If it's good for both, the theatre and music. I always age of total sales demographics. About half the Bay Area BASS business, then I like it," says Johnny try to do a loose performance that's CBS Pacific "Guitar" Watson, the "seriously hu- very humorous. I try to keep the en- outlets are at -owned morous" performer and songwriter ergy level up." Stereo stores. The rest are at busy who after years of playing the blues However, he says that he has not record stores or department stores. All customer traffic is now finding commercial success. given up on the blues. "Hardcore report increased Previously best known as the au- blues is not happening now," he drawn by the ticket terminals. thor of Steve Miller's "Gangster Of says, but admits that "I am basically In recent months, Seltzer has the same type of thing I have made various partnership or fran- TO: KENNY LOGGINS Love," Watson is now seeing his "A doing For Ya" LP climb to always been doing." chise deals to bring the BASS syste FROM: AL PORKOLAB Real Mother No. 20 and beyond on the pop chart. Watson was born in 1935. He was to CPI Tickets of Toronto, to Van- RE: BOGART'S APPEARANCE, 6/25 g 26 He was in New York recently head- an r &b artist in the '50s, doing feed- couver Ticket Centre's chain, to the lining a show as Carnegie Hall. back and reverb instrumentals on government -operated theatres of SPECIAL THANKS FROM ALL OF US AT "As far as I am concerned I have his guitar back in 1951 on a song Adelaide, Australia. Most recent BASS move was a BOGART'S, THE CAPACITY, S.R.O. AUDIENCES, already crossed over," says Watson, called "Space Guitar." audience is now Now signed to the DJM label, dis- teaming with Pace Management of AND YOUR MANY THOUSANDS OF FANS IN THIS who estimates his about 30% white. He says, however, tributed by Amherst, Watson says Houston, which holds master leases CITY, FOR Ot1E OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MUSIC that he in fact would be interested in that he has a copublishing agree- for shows at the Astrodome and EXPERIENCES IN CINCINNATI'S HISTORY. bookings that had him playing with ment with DJM in Europe, but for Summit and the New Orleans Su- large established white rock groups. the U.S. he owns 100% of his pub- perdome. It was reported ;n New ALL OF US ANXIOUSLY AWAIT AND Watson, just having returned lishing. York recently that the League Of LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RETURN. from a European tour, is now on a Watson believes radio stations Broadway Theatres is negotiating for trek around the country, playing that play his music should have first rights to computerize its member ALSO PLEASE EXTEND OUR THANKS TO BASS 2,000 -to -4,000 seat halls. While in crack at promoting his concerts. He boxoffices with the system. LARRY LARSON, JIM RECOR, FLO, AL WHITE g Europe he appeared on BBC's "Top says that while there may be abuses Seltzer is having new BASS cen- ABBEY KONOWITCH AT 1CM, JON, VINCE, GEORGE, Of The Pops" program and was fea- or conflict of interest, "radio stations tral computer units customized from components, because no TRIS, RON, BRIAN, MIKE, TIM, FRED, RANDY, tured in a special for German. tele- &can do it best." existing his lat- existing system meets all the special- AND ALL OUR FRIENDS AT COLUMBIA RECORDS FOR vision. In describing the cover of says est LP, he says it is a reaction to his ized needs of his ticket handling. HELPING TO MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE. "I like to have a lot of fun," Watson in describing his perform- previous "Ain't It A Bitch" LP cover. He places an advertisement of all ances. Dressed in bright costumes, That provoked a certain amount of BASS events in San Francisco Sun- newspaper sec- he performs with a nine -man band controversy among feminists since it day entertainment distributes posters called the Watson Institute. He says showed Watson sitting on a couch tions weekly and schedule. BASS is his whole approach to performing is between two dogs, while two leashed with the weekly its own giveaway "against the grain." He calls his mu- women lie on the floor near him. also starting for the Bay sic now a bridge between r &b and "But they can't be against my events -guide magazine Watson. The new LP Area this fall. The publication will 2621 Vine Cincinnati3Ohio 45219 513281-8400 jazz. mother," says "I have always been on the theat- cover shows Watson in a baby car- be handed out with tickets pur- rical side," says Watson. "I try to do riage modified to look like a toy car. chased at each computer outlet. www.americanradiohistory.com