NEWS & REVIEWS GRP Records Pacts EXECUTIVES ON THE MOVE With Indies For A&M Promotes Schenker — A&M Records has announced the promotion of Kathryn Schenker to vice president, publicity. Schenker, who was A&M’s national publicity U.S. Distribution director, joined the label in 1978 as East Coast publicity director. Levy Appointed — Len Levy has been named vice president of marketing for Family by Fred Goodman Home Entertainment and Monterey Home Video. He was previously associated with In- NEW YORK — GRP Records, the Arista- tegrity Entertainment Corporation as vice president of video marketing. distributed jazz and pop label, has bowed Changes At CBS/Fox Video — Fred Fehlauer has been promoted to vice president here as an independent. Headed by Dave and general manager of CBS Fox Video plant operations in Farmington Hills, Grusin and Larry Rosen, the company Michigan. He joined the company in 1982 and previously was general manager of plant plans to release 10 albums and six or more operations. Also, Todd P. Leavitt has been named vice president, legal and business 12" singles in '83. Albums on the indepen- affairs. He most recently served as vice president-business affairs for The Disney dent GRP label will also be available on Channel. compact disc when the new configuration RCA Names Brown — The appointment of Tony Brown as director, artists & repertoire, is unveiled in the U.S. later this year. The RCA-Nashville, has been announced by RCA Records-Nashville. He first joined RCA first 12" title on GRP, “Funkacise" by The Records-Los Angeles in September of 1978 and from 1978-80, he was manager, A&R, Funkacise Gang, has just been released, RCA Records-Nashville. and the label’s first independent album, Rothbloom At PolyGram— Lisa S. Rothbloom has been appointed senior attorney for "Dave Grusin and the N.Y./L.A. Dream Stephen Reed PolyGram Records, Inc. Her background includes posts in the litigation department of Band," is scheduled for late January. the entertainment law firm Greenbaum, Wolff, Ernst, and at the Securities And Ex- Reed Is Named change Commission Board Of Enforcement in New York. "There are artists being dropped by ma- Tarant Appointed At CBS — Gene Tarant has been appointed manager, copyright, jor labels that sell as many as 200,000 CBS Records VP product and contract administration for CBS Records. Since 1979 she has been albums,” said Rosen. "They're watching NEW YORK — Stephen Reed has been manager, administration, business affairs for CBS Records. their bottom line, which makes it great for named vice president, interdivisional Changes At WASEC — Bill Hart has been appointed regional manager, southwestern us. We feel the opportunities are un- marketing, deputy staff, CBS Records region for Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company. Prior to joining WASEC, he believable for a small label.” Group and assistant to the president of was sales manager with Cable Atlanta. Before that, he was a cable salesman with Area Aside from Grusin, the independent CBS Records Division. He will report to Cablevision (ATC), Jacksonville. Also, Ronald Hurdle has been named regional label's initial roster includes Dave Valentin Dick Asher, president, CBS Records Divi- manager for the southwestern region. He comes to WASEC from Warner Amex Cable and Don Blackman. GRP artists still signed sion and deputy president, CBS Records Communications Inc., Dallas, Texas, where he held successive posts from marketing to Arista are Tom Browne, Bernard Wright Group. manager, direct sales, to sales administration manager. And Debra Stephens has been and Bobby Broom. “Our spectrum will be Reed will assist Asher in the ongoing ac- named regional manager, western region. Prior to this, she was with CBS Inc. where wide," Rosen said of the label’s signing tivities of the Division and will work closely she held various sales positions, first as Los Angeles sales manager, CBS-FM, and plans. "We’re talking to straight-ahead jazz with CBS’s domestic and international then national sales manager for KNX-FM. artists, as well as planning projects for the Records Divisions in coordinating inter- Changes At Strawberries — Strawberries Records & Tapes has named Gary Crawford popular market.” divisional marketing activities and over- tape buyer for the 30-store chain. He was district manager for the Boston area. Brad Employing the logo “GRP Records, seeing long range business, new product Hunt, formerly national director of field operations for MCA, will direct the advertising Discs,” Rosen stressed Tapes & Compact and technology developments. He will also department. Bob Sullivan has joined as company controller. He was controller for firm will seeking that the new be to es- be responsible for the business planning Capitol Tire and Rubber Company, Boston. tablish itself in the high-tech end of the functions of CBS Records, CBS Records BASF Names O’Kelly — BASF Systems Corporation has named Terence D. O’Kelly market. All will digital albums employ International (CRI) and CBS Music product manager for the company's line of flexible magnetic recording media. Prior to masters. “We're presently recording a 32- Publishing and will handle administrative his appointment, he spent five years with BASF Systems’ audio/video product group, track digital album of original Glenn Miller activities for the CBS Records Group Staff. most recently as manager of technical marketing services. arrangements performed studio by a Since 1980, Reed has been executive Tessier Names Gray— Tessier Talent, Inc. has announced that Wayne Gray has been band,” said Rosen. ‘‘We're seeking assistant to the president, CBS Records added to their sales staff. He has been a booking agent for three years. recordings that we can sell on a worldwide Division. He joined CBS in 1976 as a plann- Wiljex Names Miller — The Wiljex Music Group has announced the addition of Snuffy basis, and Glenn Miller’s is the most pop- ing analyst in the corporate planning office. Miller as professional manager. His previous affiliates include Forest Hills Publishing ular big band music in the world. That In 1977, he moved up to manager of plann- Company, MCA Records and Twitty Bird Productions. album will be available on compact disc as ing. The next year, he was named director of Thies Named At Indigo— Arnold Thies has been named director of sales and well.” development, CBS Records. marketing for Indigo Music Corporation, Inc. Changes At Blanton/Harrell— Kim Smith, formerly with South Central Bell, has joined Sony Compact Discs MCA Videodisc VP the staff of Blanton/Harrell Productions in Nashville as assistant to Dan Harrell in Sony will manufacture GRP compact charge of financial affairs. At the same time, Melinda Scruggs, who previously served discs in Japan, and distribute them in the Jones Retires, To as executive assistant at Blanton/Harrell, has been promoted to executive director of United States to outlets handling the new publishing and album production. hardware. "We will be on the shelves as the Consultant hardware debuts," said Rosen. Be A help continue the momentum of the pas Aside from Rosen and Grusin, the in- LOS ANGELES — George R. Jones, MCA New Gypsy Label Inks year as they bring new and developing act! dependent's initial staff includes: Sherry Videodisc, Inc. vice president and a Distrib Pact With RCA to the roster.” Winston, director, national promotion; pioneer in the field of videodisc develop- Prior to forming Gypsy, Weisner an< Harold Sulman, director, sales and dis- ment, has retired after a 43-year career that LOS ANGELES — Ron Weisnerand Freddy last label, DeMann were the principals of Weisner tribution; and Andy Baltimore, director, has included working in the areas of DeMann week debuted their new DeMann Entertainment, a managemen creative services. The label has also phonograph records, audio tape, and Gypsy Records, and simultaneously an- company they formed five years ago. Prio retained Nancy Goldstein as a publicity recording as well. nounced an exclusive worldwide distribu- tion pact with RCA Records. to Weisner Entertainment, botl consultant and will be employing indepen- Jones joined MCA Videodisc in 1978and DeMann first the label were executives at labels — Weisner serv dent, regional promotion personnel on a was involved in the creation of the very first The artist signed to was Peter Brown, formerly with TK Records of ing as vice president/generai manager o per-project basis. “There are a lot of peo- videodisc manufacturing facility, located in Florida. His initial release, an LP entitled Buddah Records and DeMann filling th< ple who specialize in the club market," said Carson, Calif. Furthermore, Jones played a Front,” ships this post of vice president, promotion, a Rosen, “and that’s the way we’re going to significant role in improving the quality of “Back To The week. “Ron Weisner and Freddy DeMann have Elektra/Asylum for four years. do it. The idea is to keep it lean. We don’t the optical videodisc and, at the same time, individually established im- Commenting on the choice of RCA fo want to have the overhead that burdens the increasing manufacturing productivity, and as a team distribution, Weisner said, "We’d been larger companies.” following the formation of DiscoVision pressive track records within the recording ap said Records division preached by a number of companies t< Although initially shopping foradistribu- Assoc., the joint venture between MCA and community,” RCA vice president, U.S. A. and Canada Jack form our own label and decided on RCA af tion deal similar to the one GRP enjoyed IBM, in 1979. He served as president of Dis- Craigo. “RCA welcomes them with the con- ter seeing their unique ability to bring ir with Arista, Rosen said he was convinced to coVision Associates in Costa Mesa, Calif. records.” go the independent route when he atten- Beginning in 1939 with the C.P. fidence that their knowledge and talent will ded the recent National Assn, of Recording MacGregor Recording Studios in Merchandisers (NARM) Independent Dis- Hollywood, Jones’ career, following a Elektra/Asylum Relocates To NYC tributors meeting in Florida. “We certainly period of service in the U.S. Navy, included (continued from page know how to make records,” said Rosen, stints at Langlois Film Music Co., a 15-year 7) WEA spokesman confirmed that negotia Geffer “and we feel we have the ability to try and sell tenure with Capitol Records from 1957 to Solar president Ray Harris. "People should tions are currently under way with them. We're out of a situation with Arista 1972 and, from 1972 to 1978, the respon- recall that when Solar first was founded Records. with E/A where the label had more clout, but we’re sibility for supervising manufacturing and grew, it was with a distribution com- Prior to his appointment talent, fo going to make it up in enthusiasm." plants in Gloversville, N.Y. and pany that was based on the East Coast Krasnow was vice president,

his career as i GRP’s distributors are: Malverne, New Pickneyville, III. for MCA Records. In addi- (RCA). We’re also looking forward to deal- Warner Bros. He began York; Schwartz Bros., Lanham, Md.; tion, he worked in a supervisory capacity in ing with Krasnow and Lundvall, who have a salesman for Decca Records' Los Angele: Pickwick, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Fran- Ontario, Canada, for MCA, as well at the tremendous track record in black music.” office in 1957. cisco and Seattle; Big State, Dallas; PIKS, MCA Recording, Studios (formerly the Although Lundvall will no longer oversee Lundvall joined E/A in 1981 as senio Cleveland, MS, Chicago; and All South, Whitney Studios, in Glendale, Calif.) and Musician on a daily basis, the jazz label will vice president. He began his career at CB! New Orleans. served as a liaison to the MCA affiliate release five new titles next week, with the Records in 1960, first serving as Columbi: GRP Records, Tapes and Compact Miller International in Hamburg, West Ger- following batch of releases scheduled for Records vice president of marketing, thei Discs is located at 555 West 57th Street, many. March or April. vice president and general manager New York, N.Y. 10019. The telephone num- He will retain his ties to MCA as a consul- The fate of E/A’s Hollywood offices was Columbia Records, and finally, president o

ber is (212) 245-7033. tant. still up in the air at presstime, although a CBS Records, United States.

10 Cash Box/January 22, 1!