46 G NATIONWIDE SURVEY IMPACT ARTIST Gospel Potential Patti Takes Off Via Gaither Tour Is Not Exploited By EDWARD MORRIS NASHVILLE- Impact Records In pricing her performances, Patti black gospel, now artist Sandi Continued from page I but contemporary Patti occupies that terri- says, "We like to be real flexible. is making big sales jumps." tory familiar to most up- and -coming Some churches have a concert series porary, black gospel, praise music George Gillespie, owner of the gospel performers: more church and pay you a flat fee, but most of and children's gospel. "We've done Soul Shack chain, agrees: "At least than concert bookings, more "love the times it's love offerings. Still, everything," says Hill, "except ag- 25% of our business in our Wash- offerings" than flat payments agreed these often amount to more than gressive advertising. Maybe that's ington, D.C. store is gospel. We sell on in advance and more in- family your regular fee. Money is not the what we should have done." more gospel than we do jazz or show hustling than professionally coordi- most important thing." The picture is considerably rosier tunes." Adds Gwen Kesler, presi- nated career direction. Patti acknowledges, though, "that for the 18 -store Disc Jockey chain dent of Tara Records & Tapes, At- But it's a congenial territory, Patti tension is definitely there" between owned by Wax Works /Video lanta: "Business is very good -espe- says, and one she feels at home in. performing music as a ministry and Works, Owensboro, Ky. Company cially for black gospel. But now However, she has gained national as a profession. "There's a realistic vice president Larry DuVuono says white gospel music is picking up." recognition and acclaim of late via side to life you have to take care of. the sales increases for gospel within Labels, Gillespie says, are provid- her concert tour with the Bill Gai- But as far as money exchanging the past year have been "tre- ing his stores "better promotional ther Trio and her first Impact album, hands, we try to keep that to a min- mendous." While the stores keep support" and "better display mate- "Love Overflowing." Together, they imum." their strong base in traditional gos- rial." Alluding to the recent interest are a big step between up- and -corn- Primarily a performer, Patti also pel, DuVuono says that growth has ing of major record companies in mar- and arrived. Sandi Patti: "I wanted my singing to writes some music ( "but not lyrics "). been mainly in contemporary. Patti has keting gospel music, he adds, been singing gospel mu- say something." One of her compositions, "Down In "We can put out a good Christian "They're waking up to the fact that sic professionally for three years -as My Heart," with words by Gary record on the same level as a rock al- they can get some sales numbers out well as making a name for herself in Chapman, is on the new album. bum," he maintains. He cites Dallas of gospel. Before, it was left alone or doing commercials. Her accounts Patti maintains she's not looking Holm as one of the chain's top -sell- left up to small companies." have included Juicy Fruit Gum, About 75% of her present book- toward working in secular music. "I ing Christian artists. "We sell three Bergman also praises the "excel- Steak -N -Shake restaurants and In- ings are churches, she says, "but we're haven't even thought about it at this times as much Dallas Holm as we lent cooperation" from gospel la- diana Bell Telephone. getting into quite a few more Chris- point. I'm just getting my feet wet in used to," he notes. bels. "Actually, there's more cooper- "I'm not doing many commercials tian colleges." gospel." One technique that improves gos- ation from gospel companies than anymore," Patti explains, "I've al- pel sales, DuVuono believes is cross - from pop," he says. "They have pro- ways felt that I wanted my singing to merchandising. "We'll put gospel Survey For Week Ending 11 21 81 al- motions, and they keep us aware of say something. I felt it was in vain to ti Best Selling bums under rock or country," he ex- what's going on with their product. sing about hot dogs and dog food." plains, "or wherever the music fits." A lot of us don't always know what's Still, she says her move to gospel was To make gospel profitable, he happening." He adds, "We have had "no big decision -it just came about says, "you've got to have a represen- some supply problems in the past - naturally." tative line of products. The label Insoirotionol LP but it's OK now." Managed and booked by her hus- TM reps have helped us." Gospel al- Even with this cooperation, Gil- band, John Helvering, Patti esti- bums are routinely featured in the C Copyright 1981, Billboard Publications. Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced lespie says, "Too much is left to indi- mates she will play 175 to 180 dates stored in a retrieval system. or transmitted. in any form or by any means. electronic. mechanical. company's newspaper ads -some- vidual stores. Too many companies this year, including her appearances photocopying. recording. or otherwise. without the prior written permission of the publisher. times a co -op venture, sometimes have small or non -existent staffs." with Gaither,. She says her special paid for by Wax Works. This situation is compounded he affinity is performing for audiences r, According to DuVuono, there are says because "many stores do not which are "college age and up," ex- d 0 C no problems at all in dealing with i want to spend the effort to develop plaining that, "if you say something Title, gospel labels. "Our biggest problem Title, gospel." that's relevant to the Christian life, 3 Artist, Label & Number i.9 Artist, Label & Number 3 is getting in -store awareness from In developing Soul Shack's gospel they understand." our clerks and managers. The only 1 10 AMAZING GRACE 21 21 18 JUST PIANO ... PRAISE push, Gillespie notes that the chain B Thomas. Myrrh MSB 6675 Dino. Light L35727 way to do this is through promo- uses in -store play and employs tion." He says that during a recent "knowledgeable clerks." In addi- 2 2 10 HEARTS OF FIRE 22 24 workshop held Sweet Comfort Band, Scott Wesley Brown. Sparrow SPR for his store man- tion, Soul Shack Light LS 5794 sponsors and over- Castle Studio 1049 agers, label reps played samples of sees a weekly program on WYCB- 3 4 35 PRIORITY their music. "Our people couldn't AM, Washington, D.C. Gillespie 23 arw (nTa1 PRAISE V The Imperials, Maranatha Singers. Maranatha MM it was he Day Spring DST 4017 believe gospel," says. credits the round -the-clock station 0076 A "They would hear Phil Keaggy and Puts On Shift as being the single most important 3 18 IN it was CONCERT 24 a(a Ear1, THE KEITH GREEN think rock. And it was." factor in boosting his gospel sales. TULSA -Castle Music has added Amy Grant. Myrrh MSB 6688 COLLECTION Despite his enthusiasm for gospel "It makes a vast difference," he a second shift to its studio operation, Keith Green, Sparrow SPR 1055 Ben 5 11 85 MY FATHER'S EYES sales, DuVuono concedes that it's "a maintains. according to Ferrell, president Amy Grant, Myrrh MSB 6625 onesy -twosy, catalog type of busi- Bergman says he hopes the con- of the gospel publishing /recording/ 25 25 6 BETWEEN THE GLORY 6 6 14 REJOICE AND THE FUME ness," but notes that the product label organization. Randy 6679 ference's retail focus will suggest 2nd Chapter of Acts. Stonehill, Myrrh MSB movement is steady." Another sell- ways "we can best position ourselves Ferrell says his studio went to a Sparrow SPR 1050 26 30 18 NOBODY ing point he says is price. "Gospel is in the market. We ain't above steal- 16 -hour day in response to the de- KNOWS ME 7 8 85 HEED THE CALL UKE YOU still cheaper than most frontline ing a good idea from anybody." mands of his recording co -op, the The Imperials. Dayspring DST 4011 Benny Hester, Myrrh 6655 product." Adds Gillespie, "Any retailer who production requirements of Castle 8 10 61 IN HIS TIME, PRAISE IV who is regional is 27 32 48 FAVORITES Dan Denino, the not looking to expand his profit Records and an increase in outside Maranatha Singers, Maranatha Ewe Tournquist, Word WSD 8845 manager for 31 Camelot stores in Il- base in these trying times is a fool." business. MM0064 (Word) 28 19 14 A SONG SHALL RISE linois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and The co -op, Ferrell explains, is or- 9 5 22 ITS TIME TO PRAISE Terry Talbot, Birdwing BWR 2028 Oklahoma, has yet to see gospel ganized to give local churches and THE LORD (Sparrow) prove itself in the marketplace. "I ministries reduced rates for studio Praise Five. Maranatha MM 0077A read in the trades that gospel sales LIGHT ADDS 29 27 48 ARE YOU READY? time -either for their own in -house 10 7 85 BULLFROGS 8 David Meece. Myrrh MSB 6652 are up," he says, "but I haven't seen 2 NEW LINES productions or for sponsoring BUTTERFLIES it. But this may be because our stores recording projects for their mem- Candle, Birdwing BWR 2004 30 CIO HOLM, SHEPPARD, NEWBURY PARK, Calif.-Light JOHNSON are located in malls where there are 11 9 27 bers.