Who in the World Picks of the Week
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DEDICATED TO THE NEEDS OF THE MUSIC / RECORD INDUSTRY SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS -441.11\ ZODSg NuinHifiTh6 M 3AV ONZ C6CD3 N C7f 1Av3H IVoNnoA v I Ni0".0 081/14018 8l WHO IN THE WORLD NOVEMBER 28, 1970 PAUL KANTNER, right, as he sees himself. Kantner has aiso completed a musical self- portrait, which he calls "Blows Against the Empire," and which RCA is shipping soon. Actually, Kantner doesn't go it completely alone here, for he's abetted by other members of Jefferson Airplane and sundry famous rock friends on the playing and writing. "Blows," Kantner explains in an exclusive story inside, is a concept album about the hijacking of a starship. PICKS OF THE WEEK U)GEORGE HARRISON, "MY SWEET LORD" (Harri-U)THE STAPLE SINGERS,"LOVEIS PLENTIFUL"(f)GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, "LIVE ALBUM." The songs, BMI)/"ISN'T IT A PITY" (Har- w (East/Memphis,BMI). TheStaples, Grand Funk. Railroadphenomenon ismaybe risongs, BMI). George has himself a with Mavis upfront, have a terrific, like nothing that has ever been known on the double -sided w smash."Lord" is a fast -paced funky side that will have contemporaryscene. Sellingout in hours haunting inspirational hare krishna0 fans coming back for more. One lis-COweeks before they appear, thetrio now has chant -song to a tune reminiscent ofw tenwillcatch you upinthiscy- one of the fastest breaking albums ever. Two the Chiffons' "He's So Fine." "Pity"w clone of soul which shows signs of records of funk (Capitol SWBB 633). (.7) is a 7:10 opus (Apple 2995). being their biggest hitinquitea U) few years (Stay 0083). BEE GEES, "LONELY DAYS" (Casserole/Warner- CARL CARLTCN, "YOU'VE GOT SO MUCH (TO ELVIS, "THAT'S THE WAY IT IS." Elvis Presley Tamerlane, BMI). TheGibbsare LEARN ABOUT LOVE)"(Don,BMI). keeps the hit albums coming, needless to sag. back together and so is their music. LittleCarl did very welllast time This new one includes "You Don't Have to Say Their new song goes throughsev- o.it with "Drop By My Place" and You Love Me," the current single click, and a eral engrossing changes which shoulddoevenbetterthistime listofother new andrecentwinners.Will should keep listeners (and buyers) around. His sound has a natural feel glide,panther -like,right up the charts (RCA on theirtoes. Theyoffermore thatis bound to take him back to LSP 4445). music per second than any group bath the R & B and pop charts and you can think of (Atco 6795). make him new friends (Back Beat 617). GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, "MEAN MISTREATER" MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT, "WOODSTOCK" "STEPHEN STILLS." Stephen Stills, one of the (Storybook,BMI). GFRR ishitting (Siquomb, BMI). It has been over 15 steadiest performersantherocklandscape, likenever before.This moveinto rronths since the great gathering at has taken the lead here on piano, guitar, vocal the singles sceneisfrom theal- White Lake, but everybodyisstill andsongwiiting. Theresult isstupendous. bum and should do aswell.Cut singing aboutit.Hereisa gentle, Many of theStills coterie are along for the live at the Atlanta Pop Festival,it folk-rock version of Joni Mitchell's blockbuster ride.Allnew tunes (Atlantic SO gets to be as heavy as you would song thatistoppingtheBritish 7202). expect after a contemplative vocal charts. Should and will happen here intro. Thedecibels keepcoming (Liecca 32744). (Capitol 2996). MELANIE, "RUBY TUESDAY"(Gideon,BMI).If RICHARD WILLIAMS, "WOULDN'T YOU REALLY "LOTTI GOLI3EN." Lott. Goldenisthe type (t youlikeMelanie.you'lldigthis RRTHER HAVE ME?" (Granite. ASCAP). idiosyncratic performerthat causes cultsto standard from her (and the Rolling Thisisan easygoing number that form and crowds to collect. This is her second 11/113DAHStones')repertoire.She'sthe one really must knock 'em dead in the album, and she looks about ready to explode. who persuaded the beautiful people noteries. Williams does his thing in Her groan -y delivery is unique and promising. tolay down their candles (accord- an appealing pop manner that pro- She writes all her cwn songs and with a strong ingtoplan) leading us to believe jectshissmoothnesstothe is persona (GRT 30003). that the success of this oneisa toner. Johnny Pate productionlob foregone conclusion (Buddah 202). makes it happen 'Quad 107). is mpossib a" s a Como smash. The picks (Gavin, <a Rucmanl, the cirolay (heavy cnc crossing over), the sales Ireorcers alreacyl cncthe charts Recorc World -62 I all joint to onething: An awful lot of people out there stiI want toouyoeautiful love oallccs conethewayPerry'soeen seling 'emforyears.Skeptics, take heec. 3elievers,senc in your orcers Perry Como -"It's Impossible" T74- ROARanedTapescords WRITTEN BY: SID WAYNE AND ARMANDO MANZANERO Columbia's Clive DavisPaul Kantner SolosonStarry Album Makes Statement By BOB MOORE MERLIS ady.Other notablesontheCrosby, Jerry Garcia Mickey On Drugs NEW YORK - "BlowspackageareBillKreutzman,Hart, Marty Balin and others. Against the Empire" is the titleJerry Garcia and Mickey HartIn addition there is one song By CLIVE J. DAVIS of the Grateful Dead; Davidwritten entirely by folk singer of Paul 1Cantner's first solo al- Crosby,GrahamNashandRosalie Sorelles. President, Columbia Records bum on RCA. Actually, it willDavid Freidberg of Quicksil- It is most unfortunate thatnot be a solo album, per se, asver; and Harvey Brooks, Peter About Hijacking the very serious problem ofmany of his friends, whom heKaukonen and Phil Sawyer. In an interview with Record drug abuse has come up in thecallstheJeffersonStarship, The album will come with aWorld last week, Kantner ex- context raised by Mike Curb ashave laid down tracks over his basic structures. libretto,anillustratedsleeveplained the story behind the President of MGM Records. featuring several drawings byalbum:"It'sabout hijacking Mr. Curbisreceiving na- HeardareseveralfellowGrace and will be a double -folda starship." He has a fantasy tional publicity because of hismembers of the Jefferson Air-affair. The songs were writtenwhich would involve breaking announcement that he is drop-planeincluding GraceSlick,by Kanter in collaboration withAugustus Owsley (noted psych- ping artists, not for the realJoey Covington and Jack Cas-Grace, Joey Covington, Davidedelic chemist and magician) reason that they don't sell rec- (Continued on page 23) ords, but because these artists' personal habits are abhorrentLucas Creative Services to him. Without dwelling on the point, a significant ques-Director at RCA Grand Funk Makes tionto poseis whether Mr. RCA Records has announced History In Person, Curb investigated the habits ofthe appointment of Bill Lucas the artists that the company re-as Director, Creative Services, On Record tained? Did he examine themand made known its plans to about their beliefs or habits orinitiate an "in-house" creative NEW YORK - Grand Funk didhe assume that becauseadvertising unit. Railroad is making history both some were, or might be, com- Announcement was made by inpublic appearances and on mercially successful that theyMort Hoffman, Division Vice record. automatically qualify as moral-President, Commercial Opera- ly fit. The transparency of thistions, to whom Lucas reports Their upcoming Dec. 18 con- publicpositionconstitutesa in his new capacity. Hoffman cert at Madison Square Garden terrible 'disservice to the recordsaid: "In probably no other in- was sold out in less than four industry and toallcreativedustry is the need for speed hours with many fans lining up people. so paramount, and by having the night before .in an effort to (Continued on page 33) allour advertising creativity get good seats. Naturally, many within our own company, we potential members of the audi- can more effectively meet the ence were disappointed when the Connie B. Gay Sells time challenges of our indus- Garden ran out of tickets but try. If you're going to swing, Bill Lucas hope, in the form of a hint on Four Stations (Continued on page 31) Scott Muni's WNEW-FM show that another Grand Funk con- WASHINGTON, D. C.-Four cert would be scheduled, brought radio stations of the Connie B.Mayor Honors Radio thousands of calls to both the Gay Broadcasting group have GardenandCapitolTheater been purchased for $3.3 million, (Portchester) switchboards. The all cash, by Greater New YorkMeet in Los Angeles Capitol was also selling Grand Media, Inc., announces Connie LOS ANGELES -A procla-day morning, Nov.20,along Funk tickets as the Garden show B. Gay and Peter A. Bordes,mation honoring the Fifth An-with other civic commendations. isapresentationofCapitol President of Greater New Yorknual Radio Program Conference Commissioner Nicholas John-owner Howard Stein. The calls Media. anditsfounder -director,Billson of the Federal Communica-blew out the Garden switchboard The transaction, subject toGavin, has been issued by May-tions Commission deliveredtemporarily and put the Capitol's the approvalof the Federalor Sam Yorty with the Nov. 20-the only formal address sched-board out of commission for one Communications Commission,22 period declared "Radio Pro-uledduringtheConference,day. involves stations WGAY (FM),gram Conference Days in Los"The Social Impact and Oppor- Another Sellout? Washington, D. C.; WQMR, Angeles." tunity of Radio," also Friday SilverSpring,Md.;WTCR, The non-profit, free -formmorning. Anotherconcerthas now Ashland,Ky.; and WVQMeventisscheduledforthose All other sessions will featurebeen scheduled for Dec. 11 with (FM), Huntington, W. Va. three days at the Century Plazaan "encounter" format encour-tickets going on sale Nov. 27 at Greater New York Media is Hotelhere,withmore thanagingfullaudience participa-10 a.m.; all indications are for the parent company of WCTC-1,000 broadcast and record in-tion. Topics generally deal withanother sellout. European AM and WCTC-FM, New Bruns-dustry executives expected.Itthe inter -relation of radio andpapershavepickedupthe wick,N.J.; WGSM, Hunting-marks the first time the Con-recorded music. Grand Funk story with head- ton, Long Island, N. Y.; ference has originated on the The theme of this year's 'Con-lines such as "Beatles Reborn?" WCTO (FM), Smithtown, LongWest Coast. ference, "Radio: Where Do Webut GFRR producer and man- Island, N.