Labels Look At Roller Discos (continued from page 8) prominently displayed in all 15 roller rinks. DISCO (continued page BREAKS from 38/ label promoter. The owner, Clarence When patrons ask where they can buy the ques in a Rolls Royce cortege. Other prizes include a disco album Anderson, supplies the DJ with product, records played library and $9000 worth at the rink, Del Rey and rink of clothing, which works out to quite purchased retail, and bases his purchases a lot of grass skirts. The winners will be selected for employees direct them to Licorice Pizza. dancing talent, poise and style. on songs he hears on the radio. Requests Other promotional efforts by Del Rey in- HOT NEW ACT - In a stunning, SRO week of performances at Studio One's Backlot in from patrons also influence his buying. On clude listening parties at the roller rinks and West Hollywood, disco trio Hodges, James & Smith revealed their heretofore Saturday nights, the facility is turned into a American Bandstand hidden -type dance con- talents as a first rate cabaret act. Backed only full-fledged disco and skates are not al- by piano, bass guitar and synthesizer, the certs, hosted by the young promoter. group discarded their "studio" sound lowed. Nevertheless, DJ Keith and delivered beautifully conceived ballads, pop and Owens is not The Sherman Square roller rink in R&B tunes. Standing ovations from the audience frequently stopped an otherwise fast - a member of any pool, nor is he serviced by Reseda, Calif., is one of 15 serviced by Del paced show. Halfway through the program, each member of the group got a chance to any label. Rey. According to rink DJ Tim Hinson, Del showcase her forte. Audrey Madison elicited a screaming ovation for her jazzy Some Chicago Promotion Rey is not the only solo danc- one to service Sherman ing. Jessica Smith, urged on by her obviously Unlike all the other Chicago rinks sur- proud mother, blues great Linda Hopkins, Square. demonstrated a veyed, Disco powerful, heart-rending soprano. Lead singer Denita James was joined Wheels, located on the ethnic "Once in awhile, someone from a label on stage by Damien Michaels for a duet which marks the pair as the southwest side, does have some contact will drop by without identifying new Ashford & himself as a Simpson. Hodges, James & Smith's first 12" release. with the labels. "Once in a blue moon, CBS promo person a disco interpretation of Martha & the and ask me to play a par- Vandella's "Dancin' in the Street," has yet Records will send us a record," says to chart. While they are waiting, they should be owner ticular record, which I do," Hinson says, opening acts in Vegas. Rumor has it that based on the group's performance at the Backlot, John Waner. The rink caters to a teen clien- adding, "This happens despite the fact I've which was packed opening night with west coast promo people, several labels tele and plays 45s, which Waner purchas- been trying to get the are in- labels to service the terested in signing the trio, which is currently es retail. The audience, he maintains, on the faltering London label . rink for eight years." EURODISCO COMES TO determines what the rink plays. PHILLY - Philadelphia's and perhaps America's first Hinson does not belong to a record pool, European -style disco, Ciao, will open in the city's Fox Chase section Sept. 14, with a "We play new stuff and established hits," but Michael Zagar, who also disks at the celebrity -studded grand opening to follow in October. The Waner adds. "Whatever they want to hear. rink, 500 -capacity private club, belongs to the Southern California located in a renovated 1918 The kids especially like to dance hall, will emphasize the "European" with attractive bring their own Disco DJs Association. However, Zagar has foreign waitresses records from home and European disco music. Says owner Joe Di Lullo, "You don't hear and have the DJ play his membership through a discotheque much disco music from abroad played in this I them. We play their copy if country, although suspect that if you went to even the DJ has where he also spins, not because of his job Biarritz. you'd one of his probably be hearing Donna Summer." Pocono Pool member Frank Sestito own. The kids get a thrill out of it. I at the rink. is consulting on the club's sound system don't know how many of them have brought and will also spin there. Sestito's European con- Frozen Pool Membership tacts will keep Ciao supplied with in the Village People's latest, foreign product. A highlight of the sound system is Pan- and we played Pool director A.J. Miller says that a roller asonic's their copy." "Body Sonic" speakers underneath bar stools, so that dancers will "feel the beat" rink DJ has never applied for membership. on or off the dance floor. The DJ at Hot Wheels on Chicago's However, he admits that due to record HOLLYWOOD ON WHEELS Just as the record northwest side is allowed to buy product - companies are beginning to realize the company cutbacks, the pool's member- promotion potential of roller rink -discotheques, and the rink reimburses him. Charted Hollywood has decided to capitalize on hits ship has been frozen for the past four the current craze with several as well as new movies employing rollerskatinq as a backdrop. The latest product are played. months, and it is unlikely that at this time a entry is Skatetown U.S.A., described as a combination Saturday Night Fever, West Young Promoter roller rink DJ would be Side accepted. "I have Story and American Graffiti on wheels. A Rastar production In the vacuum created by an - for Columbia Pictures, the absence of nothing against roller rinks, but I do have a film will have a soundtrack on CBS Records, featuring a title track by the Beach Boys, in ad- label promotion at Southern California waiting list of more than 200 DJs, and some dition to current and new hits on the CBS labels. The William A. Levey -directed picture, roller rinks. 22 -year -old independent pro- of them are radio disc jockeys," says Miller. which has a scheduled October release, stars veteran TV sit-com performers Scott Baio moter Michael Del Rey has entered with his At least one label seems willing to ac- and Maureen McCormick. and newcomers Greg Bradford, Patrick Swayze and Kelly three -month -old Roller Records Promo- commodate the roller rinks of Southern Lang. tions company. Del Rey, who lists disco California. "When I get á letter from a bona QUICKIES-Steve Corpus &Carolina Tarus, of Mt. Eden High School won the Disco Dan- promotion pioneers Marc Kreiner. Marc fide disco roller rink," RSO's Arnie Smith cing Championships, sponsored by Warner/RFC. The two high schoolers won out over Paul Simon and Ray Caviano as his models. insists. "I put the rink on our mailing list." more than 2500 competitors for a total of $7.500 in prizes and scholarships ... A six -hour services a network of 15 roller rinks in the Ariola's Rosalind Chase echoes the dance to be held at the Buffalo Convention Center Sept. 8 is being billed as the world's Southern California area. sentiments of most of the label reps sur- largest disco. 13,000 disco dancers are expected to boogie on a 64.000 square foot dance "I judge what's going to be the next big veyed when she says, "We don't have any floor ... The Graham Central Station disco in Albuquerque, N.M., is also calling itself the hit, call the label, and they give me 15 cop- objections to servicing roller rinks, but we world's largest disco, but at a mere (!) 22.000 square feet, Graham Central must submit to ies which I distribute to the rinks," Del Rey don't service clubs. Period. We service Buffalo's claims. Co -owned by Gary Graham. the explains. In return, Del Rey disco is part of a 31 -club chain, with promises the pools, and they decide who gets serviced." branches in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Opening is set for Aug. 1 Betty labels that the new product will be played. Rethinking Policy ... Wright does uncredited backup singing on Buddah's 12" release of Cathy Zory's "Feelin' "I'm not a one-man record pool, simply dis- If the roller Good." rinks are not just a passing . Factors, Etc., in conjunction with Coast Communications, will produce a weekly, three- tributing product," he says. "The product fad, and if they continue to grow in popu- hour syndicated disco radio series, entitled. "The American Rhythm Sound." Factors, a doesn't just get sent, it gets worked." larity, both the pools and labels may have to celebrity merchandising firm, will market the program outside the U.S. The agreement One simple, but effective way that Del rethink their servicing policies, as the New represents Factors' first excursion into syndicated radio. The series will feature Top 20 Rey "works" the product is by announcing York pools and labels already apparently disco hits. based upon radio airplay, disco play. record sales and listener response the name of the artist and the release be- have. ... A huge mass of beautiful persons packed - literally - Beverly Hills' chi -chi private disco, fore and after rink -play. "When was the last In sheer numbers alone, roller rinks, as Chez Moi. for Butterfly Record's recent listening party.