z JANUARY 6, 1973 $125 A BILLBOARD PUBLICATION 6 SEVENTY -NINTH YEAR The International Music -Record Tape Newsweekly TAPE /AUDIO/VIDEO PAGE 19 HOT 100 PAGE 24 TOP LP'S PAGES 28, 30 BillE oar It '72 Yule Sales Best Ever Adults and Nostalgia Spurs Record Year Hope the holiday, but char- LOS ANGELES - The pre- of a leader package, such as last days before Boosts N.Y. Business Christmas business surge, which year's 'Bangladesh." but he said acterized the period as "good." this year culminated in what was helf ty classical- catalog and 8- Paul David of Stark Record Serv- NEW YORK -In commenting post -holiday showing, despite a probably an all -time single -day track and cassette sales helped. He ice, N. Canton, O., which operates on holiday sales for the Korvette West Coast pattern which he sales high on Saturday (23) for said Tuesday (26) was also a mind - 15 Camelot retail outlets and serves chain, David Rothfeld noted that termed "a little bit soft." many retailers, further bulwarked blower businesswise. 25 manned departments, said the sales had risen encouragingly, de- Several buyers for the Sam what might be the biggest volume Cleve Howard, founder of business surge started at midyear spite this year's need to overcome Goody chain declined to project year in U.S. record business his- Budget Records & Tape, 72 -store and never stopped. "Business wan the impact of the "Bangladesh" final sales increases, since the holi- tory. national chain of franchised stores, fantastic; all our months were package, which appeared last holi- day buying season will not taper Sam Shapiro, founder of Na- said he felt this holiday season was solid, including the holiday period." day season. off until students return to school, tional Record Mart, 33 -store chain If percent over 1971, with a ter- Mass Users Agree Rothfeld noted that sales had but they did agree that sales had in four states, based in Pittsburgh, rific last three days before Christ- Amos Heilicher, Heilicher Bros., risen "right across the board," and, already reached most retailers' ex- called the pre -Yule week "the big- mas assisting. Burt faden of the Minneapolis, and Lou Lavinthal, while he declined to make percen- pectations. gest six days in my 35 years in three Lowe's stores, Chicago, re- ABC Records & Tape, Seattle, both tile projections on the final in- Ben Karol of the King Karol retailing." Like many others con. ported business was crippled by national mass merchandisers, stated crease, he noted that a wide spread (Continued on page 25) tacted, Shapiro noted the absence sub -zero and icy weather until three they telt business had been very of product had produced strong good, but could not report fac- business. tually until their computer reports Rothfeld noted that this holiday were in later in the year. Both re- season offered consumers many Fania to Romance Black Radio ported good post- holiday business strong pieces. "The whole WEA from scattered sources. product line was very, very strong," By JIM MELANSON Barry Bergman, the 20 -store stated Rothfeld, who cited recent NEW YORK -Fania Records, and jans. He noted that sales fig- fortunately, it's rather difficult out- Record Bar chain, based in Dur- releases on A &M, Bell and other in an effort to expand the sales ures in predominately black com- side of the market areas." He said ham, N.C., stated business was labels as highly successful. The Ode markets for Latin product, will munities already reflect the attrac- he was willing to service any sta- "just ahead of last year," and Records "Tommy" package was seek to increase Latin airplay on tiveness of Latin product. tion which expressed an interest in pointed out that a big leader LP also responsible for "enormous" Top 40 and black radio stations At present, though, Fania serv- Fania product. might. have helped. Tony Valerio sales activity. throughout the country, according ices mainly radio stations within 8 Years Old and Russ Solomon, Tower Records, As for the strong sales pattern, to Jerry Masucci, president of Fa- the market areas. Most FM Fania Records, itself, is eight six -store California chain, both said will above Rothfeld noted, "1 think it nia. stations are serviced in the New years old - having been started "we had to work harder to make carry over into the post- holiday Masucci stated that Fania, like York area, while a total of 62 sta- when Masucci joined with flutist it a big Christmas." John Cohen period, since a good deal of prod- most Latin labels, would like to see tions in Puerto Rico are handled. Johnny Pacheco to produce an LP. of the nationwide Disc Records uct was released quite late. a wider dispersion of product, Masucci credited Puerto Rico with Pacheco, an artist himslf, is vice chain, headquartered in Cleveland, Marvin Saines of Discount Rec- rather than having the bulk of nearly 50 percent of the label's president of the label. The label called the holiday season "very ords also noted that final figures sales limited to the New York. sales. New York accounts for 40 has offices here, as well as in good." He said Saturday (23) had were outstanding, but, on a been in his primarily mall still Puerto Rico, Miami. Texas, and percent, the remaining areas, 1.0 Puerto Rico, and has promotion gigantic nationwide basis, "We look like California areas -now the major percent. He said that Latin prod- men in Miami and California. stores. we're about 5 percent ahead." markets for Latin product. "An in- uct, unlike American music, cannot Recording work is divided be- Saines also anticipates a strong crease in airplay," said Masucci, simply be serviced through the tween the Good Vibrations studio "will do a lot to educate the non- mods. "Most disk jockeys aren't here and the Ochoa studio in Latin to Latin sounds and to even- familiar with the music and aren't Puerto Rico. Pressing is done by tually strengthen the over -all mar- interested in taking the chance to Sonic, a division of Viewlex. Mobile Stores' McKuen's Dual ket." play it-so it usually goes un- Masucci, referring again to Latin He said that black stations, in played. We have to have a personal music in the American market. particular, will be serviced because touch of a promotion man who said that "the Latin business cannot Trial Working; Mktg. Concept: of the closeness of Latin to r &b makes calls to push Latin, and, un- (Continued on page II) Broaden Scope Mail and WB By JOHN SIPPEL By NAT FREEDLAAND LOS ANGELES -Wheeler Deal- new Year er Inc., the direct -to- the -consumer LOS ANGELES -With practi- /app. catty no public spotlighting, Rod via mobile record truck concept Nov. 18), has extended McKuen's Stanyan Records has (Billboard, plants and become one of the biggest music its scope to industrial special events. Levy, mail order houses in the world. music Jack vice president the McKuen, who also releases two executive of firm, said the original blueprint to albums a year through Wamer campuses was Bros., claims to have achieved cover school only scrapped studies seven gold records solely through after preliminary of the potential of other areas Stanyan distribution. "I ought to worthwhile. get around to joining RJAA," he of coverage proved was said. Typical of phase one testing However, in 1972 McKuen also the first visit to Pierce College, went gold on Warner Bros. for no Woodland Hills. Calif, a north- less than five albums; 'The Sea." west suburb. The firm placed a 'The Earth," "The Sky," "Greatest full -page ad in the school weekly, the Hits: Vol. 1" and "Rod McKuen at two days after which truck visited A two-hour Carnegie Hall." It was actually a the campus. second gold record for 'The Sea,' stop produced over 100 LP sales, which has become Warner's biggest Levy said. The trial run indicates catalog seller. that each truck can make four While interviewing McKuen at school stops per day. his 28 -room Beverly Hills home. In addition, the salesman -driver it was necessary to retreat to a will cover participating industrial small room which was one of the plants. Litton Industries, which has few areas of the house not piled four plans in this vicinity, has !Jj; halfway to the ceiling with cases worked out an agreement with of albums to meet the Christmas Wheeler Dealer, wherein each nob. Stanyan's mail orders for the plant's industrial relations depart - fsr season had overflowed the Sunset ment will solicit orders from the''- Thils van Leer. Pierre van der Linden, Blvd. offices into McKuen's home. The Gold tradition of Sweet Baby lames and Mud Slide Slim FOCUS -Jan Akkerman, cumulative 25,000 employes in the''' The current basis of Stanyan's Bert Railer, voted 1972's Brightest Hope by Melody Maker. plans, with the driver stopping; and the Blue Horizon was joyfully extended in December by massive mail clientele is the free FOCUS' current album MOVING WAVES (Sire SAS 7401) s each week to deliver product and,' programs and newsletters given to the arrival of One Men Dog, James Taylor's latest Warner Bros. far a sales tidal wave throughout the country. Watch out pick up new orders. Levy said that audiences at all McKuen concerts. album. Celebration continues even into this New Year, which for "Haws Puma" a smash single from MOVING WAVES mobile stores will be operating in And McKuen played 240 sold -out coming ljaa. FOCUS awill it hingingrch. their tea blendme of conjunction with concerts, from finds WB mounting a massive additional campaign to boost dates around the world in 1972.