RHYTHMANDBLUES Black PDs Examine Reasons TOP 7514LBUMS For Lack Of R&B Airplay Weeks Weeks by Carita Spencer On On 12/24 Chart 12/24 Chart LOS ANGELES - The reasons sur- trend towards mellower is a "cop out," 1 ALL IN ALL 37 NEW HORIZON rounding the issue of the difficutly black stating that songs like Dorothy Moore's EARTH, WIND & FIRE ISAAC HAYES (Polydor PD -1-6120) 44 6 R&B singles are experiencing in receiving "With Pen In Hand," "You Are My Friend," (Columbia JC 34905) 1 5 by Patti LaBelle and the 38 COCOMOTION airplay from Top 40 stations and the subse- Blackbyrds' "Soft 2 LIVE! EL COCO (AVI 6012) 35 12 quent decline in the number of R&B singles And Easy" are all examples of "soft pretty THE COMMODORES on the pop are music" which is conducive to the formats of (Motown M9 -894A2) 2 8 charts varied, depending on CHIC these stations. "There seems a (Atlantic SD 5202) 58 4 who is responding. A number of program to be stigma 3 REACH FOR IT directors and one music director affiliated attached to R&B music," he said. GEORGE DUKE (Epic JE 34883) 3 12 40 HEADS with Los Angeles area black radio stations "Everything that comes out R&B is not a BOB JAMES 4 IN FULL BLOOM (Columbia/Tappan Zee JC 34896) 33 7 were given the opportunity to voice their disco -boogie number. Young white kids ROSE ROYCE (Whitfield/WB WH3074) 4 20 opinions concerning this matter in an effort are dancing and are into R&B music more t1 THE BELLE ALBUM to shed a than ever before. If they are buying the 5 MENAGERIE ;- AL GREEN (Hi/Cream HLP 6004) 47 3 different light on the subject. BILL WITHERS (Columbia JC 34903) 5 12 Responses from these individuals at- product, that means also they want to hear 42 TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD tributed the cause of this dilemma to it. I am not advocating that pop stations go 6 FLYING HIGH ON YOUR RAMSEY LEWIS (Columbia JC 35018) 42 5 LOVE several factors but mutually concluded that wild and play it 50-50 unless of course there THE BAR-KAYS (Mercury SAM -1-1181) 8 8 LIVE AT THE BIJOU inevitably the situation must change, for the is that much of a demand for it; in that case GROVER WASHINGTON JR. better. Although the topic of music they should do that." 7 FUNKENTELECHY VS. THE (Kudu KUX-3637 MZ) 53 3 PLACEBO SYNDROME segregation surfaced frequently, inade- No Crossovers PARLIAMENT (Casablanca NBLP 7084) 18 3 44 IN CONTROL Promotion people are not really making THE CONTROLLERS (Juana X698) 48 6 quate research, philosophies concerning 8 ONCE UPON A TIME ... music, sound (i.e. station format), limited an effort to get their product crossed over, 45 HAVANA DONNA SUMMER CANDY according to Alonzo Miller, music (Casablanca NBLP 7078-2) 11 7 PATTI AUSTIN (CTI 7-5006) 45 7 playlists, promotions and lack of exposure director were at KACE. 46 GOIN' BANANAS also cited as contributing factors. 9 GALAXY "I don't think is WAR (MCA 3030) 16 6 SIDE EFFECT (Fantasy F-9537) 50 4 The contention that a trend towards a this happening much more now," he said. "You'll find that for the most 10 ODYSSEY 47 VILLAGE PEOPLE mellow sound of music in Top 40 (RCA APL 1-2204) 6 17 (Casablanca NBLP 7064) 32 13 radio accounts for the decline of the R&B part promotion people who handle R&B single was viewed as an limit themselves to that. They don't even go 'le`'f'!!'" THANKFUL 48 SHAKE IT WELL "invalid excuse" by NATALIE COLE (Capitol SW 11708) 19 4 DRAMATICS (ABC 1010) 38 21 one program director who pointed out that to a pop station and the pop promotion 12 FEELIN' BITCHY 49 GET UP AND DANCE although there is now a larger audience for people are so busy and don't have the time MILLIE JACKSON MEMPHIS HORNS (RCA APL1-2198) 41 14 mellow music, there are still people who to handle or won't handle it. In my opinion," (Spring/Polydor SP -1-6715) 7 17 50 BABY IT'S ME want energy music to dance to and have a he continued, "it would behoove any R&B 13 SECRETS DIANA ROSS (Motown M7 -890R1) 37 13 good Rod KJLH promotions person to take that record to a CON FUNK SHUN time. McGrew of commen- (Mercury SRM-1-1180) 13 17 51 BLUE LIGHTS IN THE ted further, saying that these stations "may pop station no matter what the status is BASEMENT have researched this and found that their because if he believes in that product, he 14 BARRY WHITE SINGS FOR ROBERTA FLACK (Atlantic SD 19149) - SOMEONE YOU LOVE audiences are older, therefore they like a should push it, unless the policies of his (20th Century T-543) 14 17 52 MAXIMUM STIMULATION company dictate otherwise." THE JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH mellower sound, but if that is the case then 15 ACTION (Atlantic SD 19111) 54 5 look at their playlists and pull out the up - A big problem with music programmers, THE BLACKBYRDS F-9535) 10 13 (Fantasy 53 REJOICE tempo, disco and pop/rock tunes they have he said, is that they don't take the time to 16 SONG BIRD EMOTIONS (Columbia PC34762) 39 28 and see how many mellow tunes are on listen to product. Albums in particular pre- DENIECE WILLIAMS list. a (Columbia JC 34911) 17 8 54 OPEN UP YOUR LOVE their The precentage will probably be sent lot of work and Miller points out that WHISPERS very small." as a result of this programmers end up tak- DON'T LET ME BE (Soul Train/RCA BVL 1-2270) 55 25 No Segregation ing a cue from promotion people concern- MISUNDERSTOOD 55 ONLY THE STRONG SANTA ESMERALDA/LEROY GOMEZ Calvin Shields, program director at ing a certain cut which can sometimes lead (Casablanca NBLP 7080) 21 6 SURVIVE BILLY PAUL (Phil. Intl. PZ 34923) 49 8 KACE, recalls that when he was growing up the station in the wrong direction. 18 WHEN YOU HEAR LOU, 56 LIFELINE people "listened to the radio, R -A -D -I -O "It takes a lot of time," Miller said, "but if YOU'VE HEARD IT ALL ROY AYERS UBIQUITY period, there was no segregation. Then that is your job, that is what you are sup- LOU BAWLS (Phil. Intl./CBS JZ 35036) 20 5 (Polydor PD 16108) 46 27 came AOR, MOR, and R&B; this is part of posed to do and subsequently determine i,ß'19 THE TRAMMPS III 57 GOIN' PLACES the problem now, it's not just music whether or not that record is playable on (Atlantic SD 19148) 24 5 THE JACKSONS (Epic JE 34835) 51 10 anymore. Some Top 40 stations are begin- your station." 20 TURNIN' ON 58 LOOKING BACK HIGH INERGY ning to play R&B, but I think that they are In conclusion, Miller stated that while STEVIE WONDER (Motown M-804LP3) - 1 (Gordy/Motown G6-97851) 12 12 being forced to. Disco," he said, "is having a whites have made a strong attempt to play 59 COLLECTOR'S ITEMS 21 tremendous effect on this because people the type of music that blacks have been TOO HOT TO HANDLE O'JAYS (Phil. Intl. PZG 35024) 62 3 HEATWAVE (Epic 34761) 22 23 who frequent discos and listen to Top 40 playing for years, black artists haven't 60 BEHOLD THE MIGHTY 22 TRUE TO LIFE radio want to hear that type of music on the (continued on page 140) RAY CHARLES (Atlantic SC 19142) 25 10 ARMY NEW BIRTH Warner Bros. BS 30711 59 11 radio and if programmers are not going to 23 SUNSHINE play it, they are going to lose listeners." New Maze LP Ready EMOTIONS (Stax STX-4100) 30 6 61 DO YOU WANNA GET FUNKY WITH ME? According to Rod McGrew, limited or no 24 GO WITH US LOS ANGELES Capitol recording artists COME PETER BROWN (Drive 104) - 1 airplay is due to what he terms a "political - POCKETS (Columbia PC 34879) 9 14 Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly have a unwritten law" which states that a record 62 SUPERNATURE second album, "Golden Time Of Day," 25 BRASS CONSTRUCTION III CERRONE (Cotillion SD 5202) 66 4 must be in the Top 10 position on the R&B (United Artists UA-LA755-H) 23 8 ready for release on Jan. 11. Their self - 63 PORTFOLIO charts in order to be considered and in 26 SOMETHING TO LOVE titled debut LP went gold. GRACE JONES (Island ILPS 9470) 57 10 some cases has to be number one just to L.T.D. (A&M SP 4646) 15 23 The new album will be extensively 84 NOW IS THE TIME crossover. The stations, he said, are not 27 SEND IT HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE marketed, with heavy radio promotion, ad- ASHFORD & programming music based on its quality or SIMPSON NOTES (ABC AA 1041) 67 4 vertising in trade and consumer publica- (Warner Brothers BS 3088) 26 13 sound but on numbers in referance to the 65 LOVE SHOOK tions, in-store merchandising displays and 28 BRICK PATTI charts. He added that as long as there are BROOKS AND THE SIMON a Maze billboard on the Sunset Strip. (Band BLP-409) 28 18 ORCHESTRA (Casablanca NBLP 7066) 63 9 white artists who emulate the black sound 29 THE DEVIL IN ME 66 LE SPANK close enough to have it appreciated by THELMA HOUSTON LE POMPLEMOUSE (AVI 6032) 68 2 (Tamia/Motown T7 -358R1) 27 8 black and while elements it is going to stifle 67 WINDOW OF A CHILD the growth of R&B music. He feels that 30 HEAR TO TEMPT YOU SEAWIND (CTI 7-5007) 69 2 THE TEMPTATIONS these non -black artists supplement the (Atlantic SD 19143) 34 5 68 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER need to program black music on Top 40 VARIOUS ARTISTS (RSO RS -2-4001) - 1 31 WE ARE ONE which reflects poor programming of black MANDRILL (Arista AB 4144) 29 9 69 JE T'AIME music by these stations. ST. TROPEZ (Butterfly 002) 71 4 32 PATTI LaBELLE Unconcerned (Epic PE -34847) 31 18 70 ELOISE "I honestly believe," stated Don Mac, of ELOISE LAWS (ABC AB 1022) - 1 oTHE HARDNESS OF THE KKTT, "that pop stations are fighting R&B WORLD 71 ON FIRE T -CONNECTION (Dash 30008) 75 2 music. Anytime you see them dragging BROTHERS SLAVE (Cotillion SD 5201) 43 3 JOHNSON DAY IN L.A. - their feet to play a "Serpentine Fire" by 29 was 34 FUNK BEYOND THE CALL 72 MAGIC LOVE December declared Brothers MICHELE (West End WE 103) 74 2 Earth, Wind & Fire, a group OF DUTY that transcends Johnson Day in Los Angeles by Mayor Tom JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON 73 NEW HORIZONS all racial and ethnic barriers, a group that Bradley, who cited the contribution that the (DJM DJLPA-8714) 36 5 THE SYLVERS (Capitol ST -11705) 60 8 appeals to everyone, then its obvious that A&M recording artists have made to the 35 SPINNERS/8 74 CHOOSING YOU they are not concerned about playing the music business. Bradley also commended (Atlantic SD 19146) 40 4 LENNY WILLIAMS (ABC AB 1023) 64 23 best music available; they are more concer- the Brothers Johnson for their food drive to MR. MEAN 75 COMMODORES ned with playing music by your traditional aid needy families. Pictured (l -r) are: OHIO PLAYERS (Mercury SRM-1-3707) 56 3 (Motown M7 -884R1) 65 40 pop artists." George Johnson, Bradley and Louis Mac also agreed that to say there is a Johnson.

Cash Box/December3l, 1977 137 www.americanradiohistory.com