Big 3 Revamps Structure (Con't. from Page 7) separate entities all evolved landmark as executive assistant to Lesser for operational methods in the publishing all aspects of the firm's professional industry. In 1939 they were merged activities. He joined The Big Three within a corporate entity called "The in 1956 as coordinator of professional Big Three." activity, after an extensive career in MGM has the majority interest in the music aspects of broadcasting. the company, owning in excess of 60% In New York, Hy Ross and Joseph of The Big Three. The next largest Ergas, a recent addition to the com- interest-one - third-is controlled by pany, form the nucleus for contact 20th Century -Fox. The main publish- and promotion activities. ing companies comprising The Big Three are: Nashville Plans Robbins Music Corp., Miller Music Corp., Leo Feist Music Corp., Hastings Personnel and plans for The Big Music Corp., The Big Three Music Three's Nashville Professional office Corp., Pine Ridge Music, Inc., and will be finalized shortly in a series of Lion Music Corp. The Big Three's company meetings. But the initial firms are members of both the ASCAP groundwork for the Nashville opera- and BMI roster. tion was made during the Country and The new professional set-up will be Western Music Convention in mid - under the direction of Lesser. Lesser October. joined MGM in 1960 as accounting de- Other appointments announced partment manager and became assist- under the new Big Three reorganiza- ant comptroller in 1964. Before assum- tion plan are these: ing his present duties, he was named Richard Delvy has been named administrative & financial vice presi- head of Robbins Productions and will dent of Robbins Music Corp. be headquartered in the company's Of the four executives in the new West Coast offices. The unit will pro- divisions, two will operate out of the duce new writer -performers and con- company's home office in New York tract them to various records com- and two in its new headquarters in panies including, of course, MGM Rec- FUNNY, YOU DON'T LOOK BROOKLYNESE Sakinah Muhammed finishes a in - Hollywood. ords. Delvy, his mid -20s, has been signing that brings the artist to United Artists Records directly from a leading - with the company for two years in role appearance in "Hair." Shown with her at the UA executive offices in New various production capacities and was York are general manager Mike Lipton (left), Phil Skaff, newly appointed vice Hollywood Moves instrumental in the development of president for A&R and promotion; manager Harvey Averne, co -producer Nat new writer -performer Buzz Clifford. Shapiro and Sakinah's husband Idris Muhammed. Strange as it seems, Sakinah In Hollywood, Hy Kanter will be Randy Nauert, 24, has been named is Brooklyn -born and had been a member of the Crystals who rode the charts professional manager-film and mu- head of new material development with such songs as "He's a Rebel" & "And Then He Kissed Me." sic catalog, while Michael O'Connor within the professional divisions. He will act as contemporary professional has been a performing musician for manager. seven years and has produced 17 al- Pseudo -Stereo: Kanter has been head of the Robbins bums-two of which were gold LP's. Royalty Firm (Con't. from Page 9) Hollywood office for several years and He will headquarter on the West Coast (Con't. from Page 7) serves as the company's liaison men and is currently working on an ad- Hansen has been working closely with MGM film production-a function vanced music degree at the University with engineer Hank Waring of DCT company and by a computer system. he will still fill under his expanded of Southern California, where his field Recorders. Waring was formerly with As for the American Guild of Auth- duties. is ethnic music. Capitol, where he helped develop ors & Composers (AGAC) , it's pointed O'Connor, in his mid -20's was brought Kass revealed that the company has Duophonic sound, the first artificial out that AGAC is a non-profit venture to the company from the Beatles' Apple a long-range plan for talent develop- stereo process. "Each record is treated on behalf of writers in their relation- Publishing Company in London by ment and will announce the signing of separately," Hansen said, "and the ships to music publishers. Kass after the latter resigned his post several exclusive deals with writers final test is a mono comparison against Thau and Burn indicate that by rep- with Apple Records and Publishing. He in the coming weeks. the original master." resenting large numbers of artists and was raised in Hollywood and was a producers it may eventually lead to professional musician before entering Too Much Echo more uniform artist -producer con- the publishing side of the music busi- tracts with labels. ness. O'Connor's main duties will be Vargas To Run Earth Promotion The common processes in creating Kicking off the company will be a the discovery and cultivation of new pseudo -stereo are either a high -low $100,000 ad and public relations pro- writing talent for the company and he NEW YORK - Sammy Vargas is now separation or artificial echo. Hansen grams, including an extensive direct will also frequent the San Francisco national promo director for Earth Rec- uses a little of each. Many of the old mail campaign. Offices are being area periodically. ords and its affiliate labels. Label rock disks were echo -heavy to begin established in New York and Holly- The professional staff on the west principals are Harold Berkman, Artie with, and the addition of more echo or wood, with likely additions being Nash- coast is further augmented by Eddie Resnick and Sammy Vargas. too much tape delay destroys the rec- ville and, in an international phase, MacHarg, longtime contact and pro- A thirteen -year music business ord entirely. London, England, among other key motion executive with the company. veteran, Vargas began his career at "We still have old mono albums in cities abroad. Now operating out of several offices, Atlantic Records, serving as regional stock, but they're not moving. Our the West Coast operations of The Big promotion manager (East Coast) from stereo -reissues, on the other hand, are Three will be brought together under 1956 to 1961. Later that year he joined winning great acceptance." In addition to a reissue of "Little one roof as of December 1 in the new Roulette Records as a regional promo- McCartney Disks Sunset Cahuenga Building in Holly- tion director. In 1963 he became sales Richard's Greatest Hits," Specialty is representative for Record Wagon, a also out with "DooWop," an LP sum- wood. (Con't. from Page 9) The West Coast headquarters for record service merchandiser head- marizing the proponderance of sound The Big Three is being custom con- quartered in Puerto Rico and servic- effects in early R&B, and "This Is wonder if something had happened structed and will include facilities for ing the Carribbean. In 1965 he was How It All Began," which traces the during the six hours he was enplaned. auditions and composers' use. promo rep for New Deal Record Ser- early roots of R&B. Hansen has sever- Before he had any chance to check, vice rack jobbers, and in 1967 he be- al other LP's in the works, and is ac- his children and several hundred New York Scene came A & R director for Tower Rec- tively seeking material from dormant callers tied up phone lines at the of- ords (the Capitol label subsidiary) , a R&B labels for authentic 1950's ma- fice and the "facts" of the case made In New York, Stanley Styne has just post he held until his appointment at terial. themselves a bit clearer. joined the company as professional Earth Records. Berkman said Vargas' "There is room for improvement of The rumor is just that-a rumor. manager for catalog repertoire. Styne appointment "completes our promo- the sound of early records," Hansen McCartney is currently at work on has had a varied and successful career tional facilities and will enable us to added, "because the playback equip- sessions for upcoming product, which in many facets of the music business, show even more energy and penetra- ment we have today is so much better. includes the third Mary Hopkin sin- from record producing to publishing tion for our product." I'm sure even the most avid collector gle. to personal management. Earth is currently hot in the charts could do without the background noise So how come the next Plastic Ono An executive has been signed to with the top twenty "Make Believe" and hum on those early disks, but most Band release, from Maclen, is written act as the New York professional by Wind on Life Records (distributed companies are carrying their improve- by John Lennon, alone? manager for contemporary repertoire, by Earth) as well as seeing action on ments a little too far." but the company is holding back the Alan Lorber's documentary "The announcement until he completes cur- Groupies". rent assignment. Additionally, Ed Slattery has been promoted under the new set-up to serve Kagan To Be Epic's Mid -West Promo Mgr. SECRETARY CHICAGO - Michael Kagan was GIRL -FRIDAY named to be the midwest regional pro- motion manager for the Epic/Custom labels. Kagan will work out of Secretary, girl friday wanted for a the Columbia Records distribution cen- personal manager of top recording ter in Skokie, Illinois. He will report to Rick Blackburn, Epic national promo IN THE STARS - and coast to coast, A&M Records has completed pre-release artist.