WEEKLY $3.00 $2.80 plus .20 GST Volume 53 No. 20 April 20, 1991 . MORE THAN WORDS ': '.' Extreme .' · ....... 'THE'POWER' ........ : ' . '., .. Alias : · .. .. MORE'THA'N E'iER ... .. Nelson · (c~~ici'~~ 'Sa'id) i i'O'LD YOU ·SO· ~ Kon-Kan : · .... i DONT WANNA CRY' .... Mariah Carey . ...... s'ooMERAN'G ...... · ... 'ALWAys'ON'THE 'RUN' .... Spunkadelic Lenny Kravitz · .. CALL iT 'ROCK' 'N ROLL ... · ... 'LOVE'AT'FIR'ST siGHT ' ... Great White. Styx I'VE BEEN THINKING MARIAH CAREY ABOUT YOU - Londonbeat · .. NOT LiKE'KI'SSING YOU' .. ... 'DON"T 'MAKE' rv1E DR'EAM' .. Mariah Carey RCA West End Girls ABOUT YOU Columbia - CK-45202-H · ..... RED CLAY H'II~LS' ..... Chris Isaak Mae Moore • ~ ... ; : YOU DON'T' HA 'iE' TO' GO HOME , ~ ': . BLAME IT ON TEXAS TONIGHT .' " GLASS TIGER Mark Chestnutt The Triplets . .~ Simple Mission .......................... ...... ................ .... RESTLESS · 'TOUCH ME (Ail'Ni~'h't'Lo~g)' . • AMY GRANT Marc O'Connor Cathy Dennis Heart In Motion · .... 'WO'RD OF MOUTH' ..... SH'E DON'T' KNOW' THAT' SHE',s . .... ROLLiNG 'STONE's ..... PERFECT Mike & The Mechanics Flashpoint The Bellamy Brothers • · ..... NEIG'HBOiiRHOOD LOND.ONBEAT Gregory Hoskins Internationally, Rita MacNeil is : l'wo'NDER' HoVi'FAR 'ri"'ls 'OVER : In The Blood • recognized as a Canadian "s uper­ YOU · ..c6ME 'IN' FRO'M T'HE c'OLD' . · .. .... 'CELjNE DiaN' ..... star", back home in Canada, she Aaron Tippin Joni Mitchell Unison has sold more than 300,000 al­ ... .. ·A ·NEWWAy·OUT· ····· · ..... CALL iT POISON ' ..... · ..... 'QUEEN'sRYCH'E ..... bums, but she hasn't as yet kicked Anne Murray The Escape Club in with Canada's programmers. Empire 'I;VEGOi' 'THAT' OLD' FEELiNG' - Page 7 · ..... SENSls'LE SHOeS' .... : · ....... CHRis R'E'A ....... Alison Krauss David Lee Roth · ... ...... ..... ....... , .... Auberge HEAT · .... 'THE 'REMBRANTs . .. Leslie Spit Treeo The Rembrants THE LAW Highway 5 The Law MCA Atlantic - 82915-P 2 - RPM - April 20, 1991 The end of an era, A&B's Fred Steiner dead at 64 Justin Entertainment The record industry mourns the loss of Fred the operation. He was however, actively in­ to larger office complex Steiner, owner and founder of A&B Sound volved in the corporate structure of the Justin Entertainment has moved to a larger company up until his death. who died in Vancouver after suffering a mas~ office complex to accommodate an anticipated sive heart attack in his home Thursday April 4 Stan Kulin, President of Warner Music expansion program. (RPM - April 13/91). Mr. Steiner was 64 years Canada fondly remembers the many years that Jeff Burns, President of the burgeoning of age. he did business with NIr. Steiner. "I was deeply young organization, is confident that with new Mr. Steiner founded A&B Sound Ltd., saddened at the passing of Fred Steiner. It is signings to the label plus important interna­ now Western Canada's largest consumer elec­ indeed the end of an era. Over the last 25 years tional contacts made over the past few months, tronics speciality store, in 1955. There was I had numerous dealings with Fred and, while an expansion program of this magnitude is only one store at the time, which initially sold he was a tough negotiator, he was an extremely timely. stereos, but there was an obvious need for a fair, honest and straightforward individual. The new offices are located at 2145 major record outlet in Vancouver and, in 1959, The testimony as to just how good he was is the Avenue Road in north central Toronto tele- a record department was added. The Hastings current status of A&B, which in my mind, when phone 416-482-2969. ' Street store was closed when the operation you think of the music and retail in Western moved to a larger location on Granville Street, Canada, you think of A&B. Certainly, the or­ which subsequently was moved to an even ganization that he has left will continue to carry larger location, its present flagship store on on the great performance A&B has given our Seymour Street. In March oflast year, the head industry in that marketplace because Fred had a office and central warehouse moved to new knack of picking the right people." premises on Cornett Road to allow further Mr. Kulin recalls his last meeting with Mr. expansion of the Seymour store. Steiner, which took place over the Juno week­ A second location was opened in Victoria end. "Fred was looking back over his years in in 1977 and seven years later, Southwest the music business and we talked for about an Marine Drive became the third outlet, followed hour and it was fascinating to me to see that he in 1987 by a store in Surrey. In 1988 the Metro­ was still the same individual he was in the town Shopping Centre in Burnaby was opened, earlier years and still looking for ways to pro­ followed in 1990 by a downtown store in mote and push more music product through his Nanaimo. The newest location in East stores. Fred is going to be missed, and he will Diamond Award (1 million units) to Alannah be fondly remembered by a good many of us, Myles and her manager Christopher Ward, who Vancouver on Hastings Street will be opened in also wrote her big hit, Black Velvet, following the May. including myself.". Vancouver Juno Awards, presented by Warner Mr. Steiner built his business on an eco­ Ross Reynolds, President of MCA Music's Stan Kulln and Garry Newman. nomically-sound foundation. His customer re­ Records Canada, remembers that Mr. Steiner lations were paramount, which made his "was tough, but fair. He was a true pioneer. I Sony Music Publishing Seymour store, the mecca of the West Coast don't know of any other market in North signs bright, new talent America so dominated by one retailer." record buying public. He knew the territory, Sony Music Publishing, which signs artists to Mr. Steiner is survived by his wife Marie, perhaps better than most in the business. He publishing deals and is independent from Sony two children, Michael and Barbara Eslake and was known as a tough negotiator, and he prided Music, has some bright, new talent on it's grandchild, Stephanie. himself on giving his customers the best prices roster. Funeral services were held in Vancouver available, much to the chagrin of a growing list Recently RPM spoke with Michael Roth on April 9th. In lieu of flowers, the family of competitors, who, unlike Mr. Steiner, didn't at S.M.P. who is quite excited about their requested that donations be made to the Heart know the territory. Over the years, more than a artists, Toronto dance/pop artist LisaLougheed Foundation in memory of Mr. Steiner. few U.S. rack and retail operations had zeroed being one. Currently in the process of signing in on Vancouver with hopes of taking a chunk New single release with Warner Music and already in a publishing of the market. Extensive research however deal with Sony, Roth admits it will be constantly revealed that Fred Steiner's A&B for Roch Voisine interesting to see how she does with two major Sound was in total com~and of the market and Roch Voisine, who recently attracted a huge companies behind her. the risk of competing was too great. ' crowd in Paris for his birthday party, makes Another act, hailing from Halifax, is Mr. Steiner retired in December of 1987 another bid for the charts with a new single, On Black Pool. Their debut album We The Living, and his son Michael assumed the presidency of The Outside, the follow-up to A Fishing Day. released on Justin Entertainment (distributed Both tracks are on his self-titled Star album. by MCA), is gathering rave reviews, in part due Regarding the Paris concert, publicist to "very intelligent lyrics." They're currently Gino Empry, who was in the French city for the shopping in the states and, with singles like big date, was overwhelmed by the crowd this Days And Days, they should do well. young Canadian attracted. "It was the most Roth also raved about Mae Moore, whose exciting concert I've been to in a long time, third single, Red Clay Hills, is climbing up the "says Empry. "The age demographics ranged RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. Look for her album from 13 to over 60. Roch is certainly a super­ Oceanview Motel released on Epic (Sony star in Europe, a mega-superstar in France." Music) and a tour across Canada with the The new track was written by Voisine and Northern Pikes. John Campbell and reflects their feelings for Keven Jordan is another newcomer whose the stars of the screen, who have passed on, the Columbia album, and single, No Sign Of Rain stars from the '40s and '50s; Marilyn Monroe, is climbing the charts. The track was produced Rita Hayworth, Greta Garbo and Jane by Tim McCauley. Mansfield. Others to watch for are the Bel-Vistas, Voisine recalls the day On The Outside Lori Yates, and Henry Small, formerly of was written. "It was truly a day of great loss, it Prism. INXS, recently. In Toronto, received Warner was the day Greta Garbo died." Sony Music Publishing is very involved double platinum for X, their tenth album, Andrew in bringing artists to the attention of record Farrlss, Garry Gary Beers, Michael Hutchen E, A video of On The Outside displaying Jon Farrlss, Kirk Pengilly and Tim Farrlss show many of the world's famous stars as backdrops, labels and that makes the future of Canadian off their awards. is being readied for release. music look very exciting. 4 - RPM - April 20, 1991 hour, the case will probably never go to trial.