60 InEenoEionol Vanda & Young Find Portuguese Industry Prison Term New For Italian Set For Aussie Label Bow Reports Sales Surge Tape By GLENN A. BAKER By FERNANDO TENENTE Pirate SYDNEY -The Australian indus- "The scope of our operation re- LISBON -Despite a lingering sette pirates who've long plagued the NAPLES - Alberto Buonerba, try takes another step forward this mains firmly within the area of qual- economic crisis and inflation here music business here. currently awaiting trial on tape pi- year with the launch of the Alberts ity hard rock," he adds, "and Chee- galloping along at around 25 per- That the record industry is in such racy charges, has become the first International label, and a recording tah represent very well what we have cent annually, the Portuguese record good shape is largely due to the suc- person to be imprisoned on the basis debut for Cheetah, the latest talent to offer." industry is in helathy shape, with es- cess of more and more national acts, of the new anti- piracy law that came find from the Vanda and Young But Albert insists there is no possi- timated turnover figures pointing to especially in the rock field. Local into force in Italy last summer. production duo which master- bility that AC /DC (Atlantic), Rose a 10% increase in disk sales over the bands Taxi and UHF won gold Already known for his involve- minded AC /DC's rise to the status Tattoo (CBS /Mirage), or Flash and previous year and prerecorded cas- awards for albums and singles last ment in illicit tape production, Buo- of one of the world's top- selling al- the Pan (Epic) will move across to sette up 30 percent. year, and Fado singer Carlos Do nerba was arrested following a raid bum bands. the new label, which is intended as a The Portuguese branch of IFPI is Carmo won three golds for LP sales in Casoria near Naples that uncov- The two sisters who form Cheetah vehicle for fresh recording projects. expected to issue statistics showing during 1981. ered five tape -winding machines, have themselves been described as a The likely second release, in fact, 1981 sales of 4.5 million singles, 5.5 Other Portuguese acts to chart in- more than 1,000 tape reels, 95,500 "female AC /DC," and Albert Pro- will be the third solo album by million albums, 1.8 million prere- cluded Salada de Frutas, Adelaide cassette shields and a considerable ductions chief Ted Albert chose former Easybeats lead singer Steve corded cassettes and 6.5 million Ferreira, GNR, Sergio Godinho, stock of cassettes. them to initiate his production and Wright, who has not recorded since blank cassettes. Doce, Maria Armanda, to Maria Most of the pirated material in- publishing company's move away 1974. The upturn in legitimate prere- Vinhas, Marco Paulo and Jose Cid. volved was ready to be put on the from scattered, individual license Vanda and Young are acknowl- corded tape sales is especially heart- The influence of Anglo-American market and consisted of songs from deals with permanent "split label" edged production masters in the ening for the national industry be- rock on Portuguese consumers is still the recent San Remo contest. tie -ups. hard rock genre. Key factor in their cause it offers proof that the well - considerable and according to a "Two thousand cassettes may Accordingly, the new act will ap- strategy is the quality of the raw ma- orchestrated fight in Portugal chart analysis by the music maga- seem like a small quantity," notes pear on Alberts /Atlantic in North terial with which they work, and against piracy is paying off. zine Musica & Som, in 1981 the big- Ernesto Magnani, secretary of the America, and on Alberts /Epic in George Young says the team will Parliament is finalizing a new gest international sellers were Kim Associazione dei Fonografici Ital- other territories. In Japan, Cheetah work two years on an act before re- copyright law, several alleged pi- Carnes, who topped both album and iani. "But as far as we can judge product will be released through leasing product, provided they are rates are awaiting trial and the Por- singles chart for several weeks, from what was left behind it simply Nippon Columbia in a one -off deal, convinced it has the tenacity and tal- tuguese IFPI, GPPFV and copyright Abba, AC /DC, Duran Duran, Or- means that much material had al- while Australian release continues to ent to score in world markets. society Sociedade Portuguesa de chestral Manoeuvres, Fischer -Z, ready left for the illegal sales outlets. go through EMI, traditional outlet In 1974 the pair encouraged the Autores (SPA) are working more John Lennon and the Rolling "We regard this operation as ex- for the Alberts imprints. formation of a young band pivot - closely than ever to outsmart the cas- Stones. tremely important. While retailers "This is a logical progression for ting around Young's sons Angus can be prosecuted by means of the our activities," says Albert, who con- and Malcolm. Arming them with law on receiving stolen goods, we cedes that Australian success has their own experience as veterans of can now prosecute the actual pro- long since ceased to be of any real international '60s band The Easy - Gallo, Disney Titles Stir ducers of pirate tapes under the new importance to his operation, already beats, they dispatched the fledgling law. So the circle has been closed at the most consistently successful on AC /DC on an international front, last." an international level in the Austra- predicting they would one day be- South Africa Controversy lian music industry. come a top name in rock. Continuedfrom page 45 only total catalogs to authorized While some dealers complain that stockists." "Gallo is putting a gun to our To reinforce this point, a Warrant New Israeli Indie heads," Frank Lee, chairman of the Officer from the Johannesburg Vice DIVERSE OPERATION South African Home Movie Assn., Squad was introduced to guests at Pacts With PolyGram cautiously dissociates the organiza- the launch party for Gallo Home TEL AVIV -New independent Is- tion he represents from these claims. Video. The audience was made up raeli company Phonokol has been Aussie Duo Is Big Time His view: "It's private enterprise and mainly of video dealers. In fact, the appointed licensee for the Poly - they're entitled to charge what they officer has already acted on Gallo's Gram group in this territory, and all SYDNEY -Australian entrepre- for Virgin and Warner Inter- like." behalf in a matter of alleged copy- labels and companies previously neurs Fred Bestall and Lance Reyn- national. John Smithers, managing director right infringement and civil court represented by Litratone have now olds established their international Currently the label is working on of Gallo Home Video, suggested at a cases are said to be on the way. switched to Phonokol. reputation through the success of albums from Kiwi singer Jon Ste- launch party here that dealers It is mandatory here for all films Litratone's assets, liabilities and Air Supply, an act that has report- vens and American singer /song- should dispense with their contract to be passed by the South African staff have all been taken over by edly sold more than six million writer Brad Love. Stevens is record- systems which allow customers Publications Board, for inspection Phonokol, with David Fuchs re- single and four million albums ing in Los Angeles, while Love has around 100 hours viewing for ap- by the "moral watch- dogs," and the maining in full charge of the new worldwide. been placed for several European proximately $50. Some clubs here entire Disney package has been operation as general manager. But management and recording of territories. without He heads a team that includes that key act is only one aspect of a even allow any number of films for passed any cuts. In addition, singer Melanie Safka Dov Fuchs as financial and admin- diverse operation that now spreads $200 a year subscription. Jordaan adds by way of explana- has been signed by the Canadian of- price istration manager; Avi Ben -Natan from production, management and But many South African dealers tion of the high structure to fice on a three -album and publish- dealers of Disney product: as marketing and pop a &r manager; publishing into theatrical and movie say they're reluctant to do that, be- "We're ing deal. And Lance Reynolds, him- Ilana Cohen -Zedek in charge of projects. And the duo's Big Time cause the system obviously has an putting a massive marketing cam- self an ex- actor, is preparing to classical a &r, the publishing division Records imprint is planning sub- in -built profit structure, providing paign behind the Disney catalog produce two musicals for Broadway. the product is not in itself expensive. and so we are effectively promoting and general coordination, and stantial growth during 1982. The dealers' concern, however, is it on behalf of the dealer." Merle Fuchs as promotion and ad- Claims Reynolds, "Last year, we One of these is "Sherwood" by Air that they cannot prevent contract While Gallo Home Video can't vertising manager. released three albums; this year it Supply member Graham Russell. customers from having certain titles. suggest a retail rental price to the David Fuchs says that because of will be around a dozen. We now The band was first signed to Big According to Jordaan: "These con- dealers here, the consumer looks cer- its newly acquired independence have label operations in South Af- Time in 1978, after two moderately tracts create price wars, which in tain to bear some of the financial from a non -record company parent, rica, Canada and New Zealand, and successful albums for CBS. Inter- turn invite piracy. We're doing ev- burden, with titles likely to cost Phonokol will now be placing em- we have appointed Annie Shand as national deals were secured with the erything legitimately and above around $8 on week days and maybe phasis on the development of the managing director of Big Time in help of Wizard Records head Rob- board. For this reason, we'll supply $12 at weekends. record and publishing sides. Australia, who previously worked bie Porter, then a principal in Big Time. While the Australian music business continued virtually to ig- nore the act, the Charles Fisher -pro- duced "Lost In Love" was remixed Tritton Cashes In On Stereo For Vid Clips in a Stateside studio and headed to a By NICK ROBERTSHAW marketplace primed to accept just that blend of high quality AOR. LONDON -Stereo sound is at the increasing internationalism of ing on promos because of the poten- pan, and flew to West Germany to - success least becoming a key consideration video and other small screen mar- tial secondary outlets." tape one of the concerts in the Hof The act's subsequent kets, and to what she calls the inge- An outlay of $100,000 for a single ner Classical series. allowed Bestall to buy out Porter's for video music producers working nuity of producers and directors in three -minute promotion clip is no Major shoots like these may re- interest and set about building an in the field of promotion clips. De- finding outlets for their programs, longer unknown. Post -production quire as many as six or seven cam- entertainment empire with partner spite the continuing absence of new channels of exploitation costs, using expensive equipment eras, three VCRs, a mobile editing Reynolds. stereo tv receivers in most world up to 30 crew, all housed through which to recoup the consid- like Trilion's Quantel picture ma- suite, and Theatrical production is nothing markets, as many of 80% of current be as as in Trilion's fleet of Mercedes trucks. erable production costs involved. nipulator, may much new to the pair, who have staged video clips produced in Britain are The search for new outlets, new $15,000. Obviously a good deal of the com- now made in stereo. uses for video clips, reflects the ris- Trilion's rented hardware and pany's work is for broadcast tv com- plays in London's West End, no- That is the view of Sallyann Gray, ing cost of producing them. "It's no- hired expertise has been employed panies .covering major news stories, tably featuring Australian comedian production coordinator at leading ticeable that a lot of videos now have in countless video music shoots, sports events or entertainment proj- Barry Humphries, alias self-styled London facilities company Trilion got a much longer -lasting look about from the simplest promos up to the ects, but Trilion has had a specially megastar Dame Edna Everage. Video, whose two television studios, them," says Gray. "Historically, most complex multi- camera OB op- close relationship with the music on 46 -track sound recording facilities what has happened is that a lot of erations. Over the Christmas, 1981 video field ever since it produced As musical consultant on Philippe and comprehensively equipped money was spent a few years ago, period alone, Trilion OB teams cap- Queen's ground-breaking "Bohe- Mora's film "The Return of Captain Outside Broadcast teams have been and then the bottom fell out of the tured Teddy Pendergrass touring in mian Rhapsody" clip, a relationship Invincible," Reynolds co- produced recorded shows by that stems in part from the work of active in support of promo clip and record market. Budgets were cut to a the U.K., and a soundtrack album in Sydney no- half or even one third, until home Charles Aznavour, Billy Connolly, sister companies Trident Audio De- videogram makers since the early table for singing performances by days of the new medium in the video came along and started to take Elvis Costello and others. They went velopments, manufacturer of Triad mid'70s. off very quickly, so that record com- to St. Paul's Cathedral for a concert desks, and -until recession forced its stars Alan Arkin and Christopher Gray ascribes the stereo trend to panies realized it was worth spend- by the Nolans transmitted live to Ja- sale last year -Trident Studios. Lee,

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