08120 NEWSPAPER DIII $_ A Billboard Publication The International Musicoar -Record -Tape Newsweekly August 2, 1975 $1.50 New Disks Previewed Returns Via Fresh Faces Spark On Billboard Program 1 -Stop Buys Hearings LOS ANGELES -A new syndi- Lundy, a nationally -known air per- Irk Distribs By House cated radio show aimed at exposing sonality who has worked at such ra- By IS HOROWITZ new recorded product -specifically dio stations as WNBC in New York NEW new releases -has been launched by and other major markets like WLS YORK -Heightened activ- Billboard. ity by national one -stops has distrib- On Record Royalty in Chicago, KILT in Houston and utors screening dealer returns with The hour show -"Hitbound ... KFRC in San Francisco. In 1974 new By MILDRED HALL From Billboard " -is being offered to Lundy won an award as Major Mar- and often skeptical attention. Indie distributors, especially, are Electronics Show stations now, reports Lee Zhito, edi- ket Air Personality of the Year, WASHINGTON -For the first reporting that a significant number tor -in -chief and publisher. It is presented at Billboard's Inter- time in a 10 -year legislative battle of retailers are returning more prod- being marketed by Audio /Video national Radio Programming Fo- Scores In Russia between the record industry and uct than their purchases might indi- Programming, Los Angeles, for a rum, Plaza Hotel, New York. By VADIM YURCHENKOV broadcasters over the issue of per- cate as reasonable. What's happen- September debut. Among the first stations in the formance royalty for sound record- ing, they say, is that stores are MOSCOW -The recent Commu- The show is hosted by Steve (Continued on page 10) ings, there were new faces and a dra- returning to authorized wholesalers nication '75 (SVJAZ '75) was prob- matic shift in emphasis at a House unsold quantities of records and ably the largest showcase of inter- subcommittee hearing on the record tapes purchased originally from national consumer electronics ever royalty last week. WEA Intl Preps European Meetings one -stops. held in Russia. Some 300 companies By ELIOT TIEGEL Key to the situation is the low from 24 countries presented new The powerful AFL -CIO and its LOS ANGELES -WEA Inter- which will involve salesmen and prices one -stops are asking, substan- product at the Sokolniki exhibition artist unions joined strongly with the national unveils six "regional" prod- others related to the WEA company tially under the figures full- service hall. record industry to support a record uct meetings starting Sept. 2 in Co- owned operations in England, Can- distributors can meet. And a one - Consumer electronics items royalty bill. At the same time, em- widely displayed included radios, the earnings of penhagen -the first time the five - ada, South Africa, Australia, Ger- stop sale is also a one -way sale; there phasis shifted from year -old company has used the trav- many, France, Holland, Italy and is no provision for returns. Cash phonographs, tape hardware, audio top hit artists to the rights of thou- eling road show concept made suc- Japan, plus licensees. payment, too, is normally required and studio equipment from East and sands of lesser known backup musi- cessful by American Warner Bros. In the past, WEA International by these one -stops, while distribu- West Germany, Japan, the U.S., cians and singers whose contrib- Records. held local sales meetings involving tors must furnish credit and accept Russia and such Eastern Europe uting creativity does not earn royalty "It's a bicycle trip," explains Phil the management of company -owned returns. countries as Czechoslovakia, Hun- from either record sales, or from the Rose, executive vice president, add- firms and licensees. Several hundred Current $6.98 LPs are being of- gary and Finland. thousands of radio plays of their ing that for the first time WEA Inter- persons are slated to view videotape fered by some one stops as low as The USSR area was the largest at performances that enrich broad- national is conducting meetings (Continued on page 12) (Continued on page 12) (Continued on page 36) casters. (Continued on page 10) Gigs In Las Vegas Lounges Drop Off By HANFORI) SEARL LAS VEGAS -Casino lounge "The high cost of entertainment showrooms, long a training has become prohibitive," says a ho- springboard for new Strip stars, re- tel spokesman. "The baccarat tables main an uncertain hotel commodity will be moved into the lounge area." as talent costs soar. A small combo package will be of- A majority of major hotel oper- fered in one of the nearby open bars. ations report lounge cutbacks and Both Caesars Palace and the Riv- closings. The MGM Grand Hotel iera dropped lounge acts several will close the 400 -capacity Lion's years ago as entertainment costs Den Nov. 1 after headlining such raced out -of- sight. "We were the acts as Lou Rawls, David Frye, first major hotel to eliminate lounges Roger Williams and The Platters. (Continued on page 26) Dealers Importing `Q' LPs And Tapes By STEPHEN I'RAIMAN NEW YORK -There's a small but ranges from SQ titles on the EMI growing demand for imported 4- group of labels in England, France WARNING "JAWS" is surfacing. It's pushing to the top, about to break ou . GARY WRIGHT, the keyboard /vocal /writing mainspring of Spooky Tooth, disks which un- and Germany, Decca /London QS There have been countless in-land reports of "Music From The Original channel and tapes has made the solo album of his dreams, The Dream Weaver, which is derlines the complaint that the cur- product in France and the U.K.; Motion Picture Soundtrack 'Jaws'' " heard throughout the country. People racking up well- deserved FM breakouts as you read this. On Warner Bros. are terrified in their own homes. Radio stations are reporting overwhelming rent U.S. catalog of close to 1,000 ti- Erato in Japan in CD -4 and by records and tapes (BS 2868). (Advertisement) response. Be prepared. A number one best selling novel tore through to tles in SQ and QS matrix, and CD -4 Electrola in SQ in Germany, to JVC become a number one hit movie. On its way, a number one motion picture discrete quad isn't enough to satisfy Japanese titles not issued by RCA soundtrack. Handle with care. "Music From The Original Motion Picture the varied music tastes of "Q" buy- here. Rock labels include Bacillus Soundtrack 'Jaws.'" On MCA records (MCA 2087) and tapes (MCAT 2087). ers. and Cosmic Couriers, both SQ in (Advertisement) The product, mostly classical, (Continued on page 66) Advertisement z oCapitol . THEIR DEBUT ALBUM IS ON SOON ON NATIONAL TOUR! CAPITOL RECORDS AND TAPES. ST -11427 Produced by Ron Capone and Butch Stone for Sweet -Tater Enterprises, Inc. www.americanradiohistory.com Now...from the Moody Blues and his first solo LP. Jerry Weintraub, Also available on Ampex Tape Management III www.americanradiohistory.com General News 3 row AT CBS CONVENTION Aggressive Posture TITO PUENTE CONVINCED N.Y. a Latin Hotbed But New Urged By Yetnikoff By JIM MELANSON Dance Needed To Capture U.S. TORONTO -If CBS Records is to "style and integrity," for the CBS la- LOS ANGELES -Latin music is August when it plays the Bastille take advantage of the economic cli- bel family. a hotbed of activity in the New Club, a jazz room in Houston. mate and "not fall victim to it," the Citing the recent signings of such York City area, but it needs a new Puente finds that the West Coast's label cannot afford to "rest on its acts as the Jackson Five, Stephen dance craze in order to spark na- Mexican population likes his mu- past laurels," some 800-plus staffers Stills and Phoebe Snow (all wooed tional interest. sic because of the Cuban rhythms. Tito Puente, the veteran Latin gathered here last week for their an- from the competition) as "indicative Although he's bandleader, currently in his 23d been coming nual convention were told. West 15 year in show business, adds that years, a recent concert Making the rally call was Group Additional stories on the CBS here did poorly because the pro- president Walter Yetnikoff, recently convention appear on page 14 while there is good Latin interest in such cities as Boston, Washington, moters did not advertise the show named to succeed retired Goddard effectively, Puente believes. Lieberson. of our current posture and future di- D.C., Chicago, Miami, Los An- The majority of Puente's time is Yetnikoff, rection," Yetnikoff said "we geles, Philadelphia, Cleveland, aiming at those label that spent playing for dances. And this have the tools and I know we have San Francisco, Phoenix and Tuc- critics who have been taking pokes saddens him because he would at CBS (mainly the guts." son, for example, the lack of a ma- Columbia) for "liv- prefer a concert situation. But ing off the He emphasized both the broad jor Latin dance ala the mambo or past" in the area of talent there aren't enough artists, he con- acquisition, spectrum of signings to CBS in the cha cha cha has hindered the stressed the need for a tends, to "present listenable con- new "aggressive" posture, with (Continued on page 14) growth of Latin music. But Puente sees signs of resur- certs. There aren't that many gence despite the lack of a new heavy names in Latin to present a Latin dance. He is working nine big concert." gigs a week in the New York area Besides himself, only Machito Programming Evaluations Billboard photo by Bonnie Tiegel with his ( "I feel like I'm starting all over orchestra carries the ban- Tito Puente: he plays mambos, cha for again ") and he is set to discuss a ner big band Latin jazz.