BRE CONFERENCE '90 UPDATE! Columbia " 01\ TENTS MAY 18. 1990 VOLUME XV. NUMBER 18 Publisher SIDNEY MILLER Assistant Publisher SUSAN MILLER Editor -in -Chief RUTH ADKINS ROBINSON Managing Editor JOSEPH ROLAND REYNOLDS FEATURES International Editor COVER STORY-BBD 14 DOTUN ADEBAYO STARTALK-The Winans 45 VP/Midwest Editor DOWNLINK 31 JEROME SIMMONS SECTIONS Art Department PUBLISHERS 5 LANCE VANTILE WHITFIELD art director NEWS 6 MARTIN BLACKWELL MUSIC REPORT 8 typography/computers MUSIC REVIEWS 11 Columnists RADIO NEWS 32 LARRIANN FLORES CONCERT REVIEW SPIDER HARRISON 42 JONATHAN KING JAZZ NOTES 43 ALAN LEIGH GRAPEVINE/PROPHET 46 NORMAN RICHMOND CHARTS & RESEARCH TIM SMITH NEW RELEASE CHART 17 ELAINE STEPTER RADIO REPORT 29 Concert/Record Reviews SINGLES CHART LARRIANN FLORES 34 ELAINE STEPTER THE NATIONAL ADDS 37 Reporters PROGRAMMER'S POLL 36 CORNELIUS GRANT JAZZ CHART 43 COY OAKES ALBUMS CHART 44 LANSING SEBASTIAN COLUMNS RACHEL WILLIAMS RAP, ROOTS & REGGAE 10 Production WHATEVER HAPPENED TO? 12 MAXINE CHONG-MORROW GOSPEL LYNETTE JONES 13 FAR EAST PERSPECTIVE Administration 18 ROXANNE POWELL. office mgr. BRITISH INVASION 19 FELIX WHYTE traffic CANADIAN REPORT 20 Media Relations MICHELE ELYZABETH ENT. (213) 276-1067 Printing PRINTING SERVICES. INC. BLACK RADIO EXCLUSIVE USPS 363-210 ISSN 0745-5992 is published by Black Radio Exclusive 6353 Hollywood Blvd.. Hollywood. CA 90028-6363 (2131469-7262 FAX# 213-469-4121 ' MODEM: 213-469-9172 BRE NEWSSTANDS-New York: Penn Book Store. (2121564-6033; Midwest: Ingram Periodicals; Los Angeles: World Book & News; Robertson News & Bookstore. Las Palmas Newsstand. Japan: Tower Records SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 3 Mos.-$90.6 Mos.-5120:9 Mos.-0150. 1 Yr.-S175: 1st Class -$250: Overseas -$250. Call (213) 469-7262 to subscribe. POSTMASTER-. Please send address changes to Black Radio Exclusive. 6353 Hollywood BI.. Hollywood. CA 90028-6363. Second Class postage paid at Los Angeles. CA. Newsstand price $5.00. Back issues available at $2.50. BRE is not responsible for any unsolicited material. Black Radio Exclusive is published weekly except one week in June. one week at Thanksgiving. one week at Christmas. and two weeks at New Years. Cover and contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission. ® Copyright 1990 ,990 1111.ACR RAD,0 EACLUSE UBLISIIER'S COUNTING DAYS, COUNTING HEADS We are counting down to Conference '90. The planning room here at BRE looks something like the control center at NASA. Phones are ringing off the wall, strategy sessions are in full swing, registration packets are flying out the doors. Charts, diagrams, schematics are up on the walls. The lists of participants and activities are growing larger each day. This year, we'll have the largest conference ever. Projections at this moment indicate more than 2,000 of the most powerful people in the industry will come to New Orleans in three weeks. Which leads me to alert you to this fact: Get your registration form in. If you aren't registered, you won't be allowed to participate. This year, security is such that no lookey-loos are going to be permitted and that pleases everybody we talk to. Everybody we talk to is also excited about all the activities. In this most competitive of all times, people are looking forward to the seminars to give them tools and information to take back to their jobs with them. There are pages of information on the activities in this issue. When we first started talking about Conference '90, we told you to dust off your thinking caps and dancing shoes. At this point, it looks like you'll need several pairs of shoes and a couple of caps. D CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT: There's only a few slots open. Call Ingrid Bailey right away or we'll tee off without you. THE UNTALENTED TALENT SHOW: Call Jerome Simmons (312) 488-5703 if you are in the business and you want to play, sing, dance or just do something else outrageous in this appropriately named show. RONT AGE SHORT TAKES BMI Inaugurates Michael The Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Associ- Jackson Award ation (BESLA), Inc., will be By Ruth A. Robinson sponsoring its fourth mid- Michael Jackson was family to friends, it lived up year conference this May at presented with the first "BMI to the description used to the famous Apollo Theatre in define him these days- Michael Jackson Award" in New York, NY. megastar. ceremonies held at the The conference will feature Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Jackson took the stage to leading Angeles this week. accept the award and two seminars where BMI president and ceo delivered what, for him, was experts will address issues Frances Preston said, "The a long speech. He thanked and developments in profes- award recognizes an indi- everyone for coming, singling sional sports. The seminars vidual who has had an impor- out the talents of Little will also examine the princi- tant impact on contemporary Richard; Holland -Dozier - pal contractual and business culture and who has, in a Holland; Elton John; saying issues relevant to the licensing measurable way, made an "I Love You" to Gladys uplifting contribution to Knight and thanking Berry of music rights for film, society. Gordy, his mother Catherine television, video and ancillary "BMI has had the honor and father Joseph and his uses (i.e. commercial). to represent such a song- label CBS/Epic. He said he writer, artist and creative "hoped to be around for Elektra Entertainment and innovator for the past 14 another five decades" of years," continued Preston, BMI. Hollywood Records, the "an individual whose wide The intimate luncheon was Walt Disney Company's ranging artistic contributions one of the highlights of BMI's entry into the mainstream are unsurpassed in this celebration of the first five record business, have entered generation. We wanted to decades-its 50th annivers- into a distribution agreement. celebrate Michael's unparal- been honored with the ary-and was made more Hollywood Records will leled and multifaceted Greek's highest honor." luminous by the stature of the creative achievement by The true scope of his "con- names who turned out for be distributed by WEA naming this new award for tribution to contemporary Jackson. through Elektra Enter- him and making its first culture" was emphasized by Among the other guests tainment. presentation to him. In fact, the specially edited video were Herbie Hancock, The first Hollywood there are few areas of con- footage prepared for the Melissa Manchester, Brian Records release, due in late temporary culture that event by MJJ Enterprises, Wilson of the Beach Boys, July, is the soundtrack to Michael Jackson has not which will go into the BMI Milton Berle, Babyface and affected." Archives, Preston said. The L.A. Reid, Pebbles, veteran "Arachnophobia," a Steven She noted that the award brilliant footage captured his bluesman Willie Dixon, Spielberg production. itself was fashioned in the career in a fast-paced mon- Jackie Jackson, Siedah * * * * * Greek manner, after a laurel tage. From baby photos to Garret, dozens of writers and CBS Records has pur- crown, for if Michael Jack- delirious fans, from "Mo- producers, industry execu- chased 50% of Important son had been alive in those town 25" to his record - tives and a number of actors/ days, he "would have surely shattering live tour, from actresses. Record Distributors, Inc. The agreement will include Relativity, Combat and In - Effect labels. RIAA Certifications: Rappin' Up The Relativity roster is spearheaded by guitar player The Month Steve Val and Grammy nom- April was the month for M.C. Hammer's Please gold and Platinum at the inated, gold record seller Joe rappers as Ice -T, M.C. Ham- Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em same time. Satriani. In -Effect's roster singles mer, and Biz Markie album achieved gold and Among the gold includes diverse groups such experienced double certifica- Platinum status simultan- were Quincy Jones' "Secret as the metal/funk/reggae/ tions. eously as well. Garden," Luther Vandross' Ice-T earned both a gold Other artists, who experi- "Here And Now," Calloway's hip hop group 24-7 Spyz and album, The Iceberg/ Free- enced double certification "I Wanna Be Rich," heavy metal group Nuclear dom of Speech...Just Watch triumphs included Lisa Technotronic's "Get Up," Assault. The Combat label What You Say, and a gold Stansfield, whose "All Jane Child's "I Don't Wanna roster includes such heavy video, "The Iceberg Video." Around the World" single Fall In Love," and metal groups as Megadeth, Biz Markie simultaneously went Platinum and Affection Seduction's "(It Takes) Two Slayer and Exodus. achieved a Platinum single, album went gold; and Sinead To Make It Right." Both "Just A Friend," and a gold O' Connor, whose "Nothing Seduction and Jane Child album, The Biz Never Sleeps. Compares 2 U" single went continued on page 7 PAGE 6 / MAY 18, 1990 B EXEC STATS Bundy Williams Paredes Shoji RAINA BUNDY has been elected vp of the Gospel Music Records. Prior to joining Virgin, Hodge handled local promotion Association of America. Previously, Bundy was gm, Lection in New York for Mercury Records. Records. JENNIFER MATTHEWS has been appointed rep, alternative STAN WILLIAMS has been named A&R coordinator, Profile promo, West Coast, Virgin Records. Prior to the promotion, Records. Previously, Williams was a dj and a writer for Paper Matthews was rep, retail promo, for the label. Magazine. RAND BLEIMEISTER has been appointed vp, marketing HANK MEDRESS has been appointed pres, EMI Music & strategic planning, CEMA Distribution. Previously, Bleimeister Publishing in Canada. Prior to this appointment, Medress was served as exec vp for Nelson Entertainment. dir, A&R staff production, SBK Entertainment World, Inc.