General News Asylum Forecasts Playboy Music Stigwood Wins Key 3 Mil Sales Year Foreign Dea Is Rule on 'Superstar' NEW YORK-Asylum Records group for a one-shot album deal. LOS ANGELES-Playboy Music NEW YORK - The United history of ASCAP, the court is expecting album sales of 3 mil­ The group will be titled Crosby has set sub-publishing deals in States Court of Appeals for the noted: "Composers and publishers lion records in its first year of bus­ (David), McGuinn (Roger), Clark three overseas areas. Peter Maurice Second Circuit on March 17 ex­ soon realized it was impractical iness-from sales of 10 albums, (Gene), Clark (Mike) and Hillman Music will publish Playboy ma­ panded the injunctive relief for each copyright holder to at­ reports label boss David Geffen. (Chris). terial in the United Kingdom, granted by the District Court tempt to enforce this right since The company-an Atlantic, Gef­ The Asylum album will be re­ Melodie Der Welt in Germany, against Betty Sperber's Original he could not possibly police all ren and Elliott Roberts label­ corded in May, produced by the Austria and Switzerland and Air American Touring Company and public performances for profit of started business in October, and whole group. The first J oni Mitch­ Music Scandinavia in Sweden, her management company in fa~ every musical composition through­ Geffen stated that they have al­ ell album on Asylum will be re­ Norway, Fiuland, Norway and Ice­ vor of the Robert Stigwood Group, out the United States, ASCAP ready broken new artists, Jackson leased shortly. She was previously land. owner of the dramatic rights in was formed to meet this need. Browne, Judee Sill and group J 0 J 0 on Reprise. Playboy Music General Manager "Jesus Christ Superstar," and the By obtaining licenses fro m its Guone since then. Among new acts for Asylum, John Mahan stated that his two Leeds music firms, owners of the members, this organization, staffed Asylum is also putting together all with LP product out, will be houses, Playboy (ASCAP) and copyrights. The opinion written ·for the purpose, could enforce the the original members of the Byrds writer-singers John David Souther After Dark (BMI) are seeking high­ by Circuit Judge Irving R, Kauf­ performing rights of its members. and Steve Ferguson, and group the quality artist-writers and can offer man clearly defines the limits of a It was believed, however, that each Eagles, potential tie-ins with the Playboy non-dramatic ASCAP license. copyright owner could appropri­ Said Geffen: "These new acts Entertainment Division's growing Kaufman pointed out that ''the ately police and license perform­ will be promoted in the same way activity in film and television pro­ role of the courts must be to pre­ ances of musical comedies or op­ Stax, Ardent we broke J 0 J 0 Gunne, Browne duction. vent exploitation of the opera in eras because of the relative infre­ and Miss Sill - via an album and A heavy involvement in print a manner that infringes the rights quency of such productions .and a major personal appearance tour. folios utilizing the graphics know­ of the creators of the work and the lengthy preparation and pub­ Tours Important how of Playboy Magazine is also their assignees." licity which must precede these 3-Way Deal The Eagles will be included in a productions." being set up by Playboy Music. In identifying the nature and NEW YORK-Stax Records has Neil Young tour early summer The crucial determination of the acquired the manufacturing, mer­ which will probably coincide with scope of an ASCAP license was chandising and distribution rights Young's Warner Bros. film, "Jour­ based upon the fact ASCAP is to the newly formed Memphis­ ney Through The Past." The Ea­ authorized to grant only "non­ based label, Ardent Records. gles are another group put together Publishers Suing dramatic right" rights. The court Al Bell, president of Stax, termed by Geffen, who is their manager, found that there was almost a the deal "one of (Stax's) most sig­ from other known groups. Randy complete lack of controlling prec­ nificant expansion moves in years." Meisner. bass, is from Poco and edent, He stated that what we have in the Rick Nelson Stone Canyon N.J. Tape Operation In order to assure that defend­ Ardent is not just a label, produced Band, Bernie Leadon, lead guitar, ants do not make minor program from -Flying Burrito Brothers, and NEWARK, N.J.-More than 59 others, argue that in the manu­ by independent a&r men, but a publishers of the H a r ry Fox facture and sale of such bootleg changes to accomplish the same (Continued on page 8) ~'Even fully developed recording com­ Agency have filed three separate cartridges, the legitimate record­ result, the court stated: the pany, and a most impressive one." suits in U.S. District Court here, ings, name of recording artists, and presentation of five or six songs The Ardent d e a 1 was com­ against a number of alleged un­ copyright musical compositions are could under certain circumstances, pleted between John Fry, presi­ authorized duplicators charged with used without authorization, license develop an essential portion of the dent of Ardent Recordings, Inc., CLARK TO DO operating a multimillion-dollar rec­ or consent, and without compensa­ drama, for example, the last two and Ardent Productions, Inc., and ord operation in various parts of tion to· the composer. days in the life of Christ, thus in­ BelL Fry formed Ardent in 1966, the state. fringing on a part of the opera. DANIEL SPOTS Such bootleg tape cartridges are The sequence of the songs seems and was one of the first indepen­ NEW YORK-Promoter-disk Among those charged are Tas sold for cash, at prices substanti­ dent studio owners in the South to Audio Devices, Inc., doing business to be the linchpin in this case." jockey Dick Clark will do radio (Continued on page 12) (Continued on page 12) sell studio time to artists and com­ spots for new Atlantic Records as Smile Tapes; International Tape panies on an "hourly basis." group, Godfrey Daniel. Inc., Frank Porcello doing business Terry Manning, vice president Clark's commercials will be as Tape City-Community Jewelers; of Ardent, is also an engineer and part of a major advertising, Theodore B. Parker doing business producer. Cargoe and Big Star, publicity and point of sale mer­ as Hut Sandwich Shop; J.G. Dis­ Hainick Croup Acquires two acts which have been recently chandising cam p a i g n based tributors; Discount Wholesalers. signed and recorded by Ardent, around the group's first album, Inc.; Mohwinke1 Distributors, Inc.; had albums released in March and "Take a Sad Song." J, Dexter Bird doing business as 3 Operations of Norelco set for this month. Tommy's Tape; and a number of NEW YORK-An iDvestment Hainick announced that the same John Does. group headed by Henry W. Hain­ management and marketing team The suits charge that the defend­ ick has purchased from North headed by Robert Teitelman as ants systematically appropriated re­ American Philips Corporation, the president and general manager will Miller Signs With ABC cordings, compositions of -music Philips Recording, Inc. of Rich­ operate the acquisition under the publishers, and extensively repro­ mond, Indiana, a record pressing name of PRC Recording Co., a duced or duplicated such record­ plant; Dubbings Electronics of Co­ division of Richmond Recording LOS ANGELES-In a major produce exclusive label talent both ings in the form of tape cartridges. in the U.S, and in London. piague, 1..1" a tape duplicating op­ Corp, Ernest Ferrar~ David Grant move to strengthen ABC/Dunhill's The plaintiffs, who i D c Iud e eration; and Plastic Ware, Inc., of and Curt Albright will continue in Miller, son of Bill Miller, vet­ Acuff-Rose, Chappell & Co., Hill foothold in securing talent, espe­ eran Las Vegas talent coordinator, Bronx, N.Y., injection molders of their present capacities with the cially in the United Kingdom, label and Range Songs, Screen Gems­ cassette and electronic components. company. has produced acts. like Spencer Columbia, WB Music Corp., and president Jay Lasker s i g ned a Davis, Traffic, Spooky Tooth, De­ Teitelman stated that PRC plans three-year multimillion-dollar pact laney and Bonnie and B.B. King. to expand its operation through with Jimmy Miller, ex pat ria t e Pact calls for Miller to funnel HMC Backing 19 building or acquiring plants on American who bases in London all his talent, including himself, to both coasts. Teitelman also said and produces the Rolling Stones the Lasker diskery, with optional that the Dubbings operation will and many others. WB/Reprise Robinson's Stores continue in its present location un­ service to the American Broad­ "ABC is not interested in open­ casting Company's entertainment LOS ANGELES-The 19-store der the general management of ing a business and marketing office complex in the field of television J, W. Robinson chain here has Michael Thaler. in London, like other labels, but and Broadway musicals. Miller re­ 9'i 9" Program turned over racking of its records we are interested in getting first cently produced the recent Bobby and tapes to HMC Corp, Depart­ crack at good talent there, Within Whitlock, formerly with Derek and ments were previously serviced the next 30 days, Miller's produc­ the Dominoes, alb u m .. George Nalt Tape Distrs. tion firm will be announcing sev­ Grief, partner in Miller's firm-and In Expansion HMC President Jesse Seiter Bd. Elections eral English act additions," Lasker based here, negotiated the deal noted that it was his firm's first stated.