Dedicated to the Needs Of the Music/Record Industry AUGUST 23, 1975 flUD

Eagles, Wonder, Mitchell Soul Sizzles on Album Chart Take Top 'Rocky' Honors By ROBERT ADELS NEW YORK-The 20th Annual and his "Mellow Madness" set, LOS ANGELES - The Eagles, Berry, the Manhattan Transfer, NATRA meet coincided with one debuting at a bulleted 66. Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder, Labelle and via filmclip, the Roll- of the most impressive sales weeks The biggest comedy album of winning awards for best group, ing Stones and the Edgar Winter for black product on The Album the day is also black, Richard best female and male vocalist, Group. The venerable Nelson Chart. Black acts hold down both Pryor's "Is It Something I Said" respectively, led the list of honor- Riddle served as musical director. the number one and Chartmaker (WB), bulleted at 54 after just two ees in the first annual Rock Music Winners of the first "Rockies" positions and account for three weeks in release. Awards which aired live on CBS were as follows: top ten packages, including the Within the top 50, only one from the Santa Monica Civic New Female Vocalist-Phoebe top 10's longevity champion. album (Elton John's "Greatest Center here August 9. The awards Snow; Female Vocalist Joni - Bulleted back at 1 this week Hits" on MCA), can top The show was hosted by Elton John Mitchell; New Male Vocalist- is the Isley Brothers' "The Heat Temptations in the longevity de- and Diana Ross, and presenters Dan Fogelberg; Male Vocalist- included Alice Cooper, Roger Is On" (T -Neck), in its third ap- partment: their Gordy package, Stevie Wonder; Group Eagles; after Daltrey, Olivia Newton John, Tony - pearance in the top spot, "A Song for You" (at 48) is in its (Continued on page 42) one week to the Orlando and Dawn, Bernie Taupin yielding for 29th chart week. Eagles (Asylum). and Ella Fitzgerald. Don Kirshner B.T. Express served as executive producer. EW&F Allman Tour, Album War, B. T. Express have cemented With the exception of the United Artists supergroup War their identity as an album act with Eagles, whose Glen Frey and Don Announced by Walden holds down the number 6 spot their "Non Stop" Ip on Roadshow Henley (along with J.D. Souther) By DON CUSIC with "Why Can't We Be Friends" becoming their second big effort, were also recipients of best song MACON, GA. - After a long while Earth, Wind & Fire (Colum- at a bulleted 21 after four chart composer awards for "Best Of absence from the music scene, bia) have the longest -charted top weeks. The pattern of initially My Love," no one artist won in the Allman Brothers Band has 10 album of the week with "That's breaking off of a hit single, "Get more than one category, a rare announced plans for a new al- the Way of the World," at 8 after Down Tonight," has worked for occurrence in this era of the bum and a forthcoming tour. The 24 weeks. KC & The Sunshine Band (TK) awards show sweep. announcement was made at a At 18 with a bullet is Graham whose namesake album is already Entertainment between presen- press conference in Macon (12) Central Station (WB). Their pack- a bulleted 36 after three weeks tations was provided by Chuck by Phil Walden, president of age "No 'Bout -a -Doubt It" is cur- on the top 100. Capricorn Records. rently the fastest -rising album to Spinners (Atlantic) see their Walden told Record World that break top 20 (reaching that status "Pick of the Litter" package bul- RackJobbersMeet the tour will have the theme after only four chart weeks). The let into the 22 spot after three "The Pride of The South" and will Ip is also "Salesmaker of the chart weeks, reaffirming their po - Planned by NARM be divided into three parts, with Week" on The Retail Report. (Continued on page 38) CHERRY HILL, N.J.-The First the first part of the tour opening Last week's Chartmaker, Ohio Annual NARM Rack Jobbers Con- in New Orleans on August 31 at Players (Mercury), sees their ference will be held at the Hyatt the Louisiana Superdome. Also "Honey" package become the Pride and Campbell on Union Square in San Francisco, appearing on the Louisiana date fastest -rising album to break into California, Thursday and Friday, will be the Marshall Tucker Band, the top 50 where it is a bulleted To Host CMA Awards September 18-19. The rack job- Wet Willie, and the Charlie 44 after two chart weeks. Chart - NASHVILLE - The Ninth An- bers program will be the focal Daniels Band. maker for this week is again a nual Country Music Association point of a series of meetings (Continued on page 32) black act, Quincy Jones (A&M) Awards will take place on Mon- which will also include meetings day night, October 13, at 9 p.m., of the 1976 convention commit- Central Daylight Time. According tee, of the NARM board of Anka Action to CMA board chairman Bill Den- directors, and of the manufac- ny, the show, which is sponsored turers advisory committee. Ad- by Kraft Foods Corporation, will vance registration forms have be broadcast live on CBS -TV from been sent this week to all NARM the stage of the Grand Ole Opry regular members. House and co -hosted by Charley Pride and Glen Campbell. Meetings Categories Preliminary meetings to be held There will be awards presented on Wednesday, September 17 are in 10 categories of achievement: meetings convention committee Entertainer of the Year, Song of and one of the board of directors. the Year, Single of the Year, Male Thursday's schedule calls for a Vocalist of the Year, Female Vo- board of directors breakfast meet- calist of the Year, Album of the ing; a joint session with the board Year, Instrumentalist of the Year, of directors and the manufactur- Instrumental Group or Band of ers advisory committee; a rack the Year, Vocal Duo of the Year jobbers meeting; a rack jobbers - and Vocal Group of the Year. The only "Operations Rap;" and a The stars came out for Paul Anka's recent appearance at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre. awards are determined by vote Shown at an after -opening -night cocktail reception and dinner -concert party held in a huge tent across from the of the CMA membership, with meeting to be attended by rack Greek Theatre are Record World vice president Spence Berland (second from left) presenting Anka (center) with a special copy of RW's recent Anka special as (from the certified public accounting (Continued on page 40) left) Bob S:. ff; Al Teller, president of United Artists Records; and Odia Coates look on. (Continued on page 54)

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www.americanradiohistory.com At The Rock Awards Rock Awards Score In Nielsen Ratings LOS ANGELES-The first an- nual presentation of the Rock Awards received 37 average shares in the national Nielsen ratings, scoring a 15.2. The pro- gram which aired nationally on CBS, easily outpaced compet- ing programming on ABC, which scored an average 22 shares and NBC, which gen- erated 27. Ratings Non -Inclusive The ratings are not inclusive of the Philadelphia and Chi- cago markets, where the tele- cast was delayed; the addition of the latter markets is expect- ed to boost the Rock Awards' ratings.

Rock Awards (Continued from page 3) New Group-Bad Company; Pro- ducer-George Martin; Composer -Don Henley, Glen Frey and J.D. Souther for "Best Of My Pictured at the Rock Awards Show and party are, from left, top row: Cher, Elton John and Diana Ross; Raquel Welch and Minnie Love;" R&B Single-"Lady Mar- Riperton; Bill Graham and Don Kirshner. Bottom row: Ringo Star Keith Moon, Alice Cooper, director Stanley Dorfman and Kirshner; and Kirshner, Melissa Manchester and Phoebe Snow. malade (Labelle);" R&B Album- "That's The Way of The World" CONCERT REVIEW (Earth, Wind and Fire); Public Service Award-Joan Baez; Rock BTO Brings It All Back Home Personality of the Year- Elton John; Rock Music Hall of Fame- REGINA, SASK. -A Bachman - The familiar material is where whose management had consist- Chuck Berry; Single Record Turner Overdrive (Mercury) con- BTO is strongest, especially that ently criticized the Canadian - "You're No Good" (Linda Ron- cert in Regina (28), staged as a from the first three albums. press and a press that had largely stadt); prelude to what is being billed Standouts for the evening were ignored the band until U.S. ac- Album - "Blood on the as the most lucrative rock tour "Takin' Care of Business" and ceptance came about. Tracks" (Bob Dylan); Rock Movie ever made in Canada, drew "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet." At the end of the press confer- or Theatrical Presentation - 12,500 wildly enthusiastic fans The two are probably BTO's ence, promoter Donald Tarleton "Tommy." and resulted in BTO playing for strongest tunes along with of DKD Productions in Montreal - ,,,,,,,11111111111111111111111111111111111111111 90 minutes and being called back "Gimme Your Money" and "Hold presented the group with a for two encores. Back The Water" - and leader/ plaque in honour of their award - Subscribe to It was almost a return home guitarist Randy Bachman left few winning Canadian dates. Record performance for BTO, which was doubts in the minds of critics of Larry LeBlanc World formed, as Brave Belt, in the near- BTO that he's playing the music by Winnipeg area, and each he loves. member had played throughout There's been a great deal of Spanky's Gang this area for many years. Ironi- criticism over BTO's iron rock for- cally, following BTO's concert, mula in recent months. "Four bassist Fred Turner met with Wheel Drive" indicated that their some musicians he had played hard rock was drying up and ev- with several years ago. They were eryone is wondering what direc- playing at the lounge of the Re- tion the group will take in the gina Inn where BTO members future. In concert, they rarely were staying. tamper with the hit formula be- There's no doubt that the cause it works so well for them. group returned to the area as In a press conference the after- full-fledged pop idols, and it noon of the concert Randy Bach- seems that their 13 -date tour will man indicated that there was go- underline that. It's taken consid- ing to be a great change in the erably longer for the BTO influ- next BTO album - likely to be ence to be felt here, but they recorded at Stoney Mountain have had the sense to wait until Studio in Vancouver in Septem- a high -grossing tour was possible ber. He admitted the band was before putting together this series beginning to feel restricted by the of shows. hard rock structure and would Yet, in concert, BTO really likely be extending their reach doesn't present any surprises for on the next project. its fans. The Regina concert The press conference, arranged started slowly, the band dwelling by Polydor Canada's Allan Katz on some lengthy, worked -out and Lori Bruno and attended by Following their recent appearance, Epic's Spanky and Our Gang were joined by "jams" that seemed out of place, about 20 of Canada's top journal- friends and well-wishers backstage at the Palomino Club. Shown, from left, are Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks and Spanky McFarland, with Epic's but moved rapidly once the band ists, was a bit of a strange con- Gregg Geller in the background, listening attentively to Palomino regular Art Fein. Spanky -and Our started playing their hit singles. frontation between a group Gang's first Ip for the label is due for release shortly.

42 RECORD WORLD AUGUST 23, 1975

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