Author: Jim Feliciano

‘SOUL SAUCE’ HAPPENINGS ’68 . . . April 6, 1968

From the MCRFB news archives:

SOUL SAUCE for April 6, 1968

by Paul Kirk

 

 

 

 

James Brown non-stopped from Harlem’s Apollo Theater to West Africa on Thursday (March 28), for two shows in Abidjon. From Africa, Brown detours to Paris for one more show, then returns home for one show via Boston, Friday, April 5. The King and his entourage of 45 will join the service for 17 days in June… they are set to embark for an entertainment tour for the troops in Vietnam.

Inez and Charlie Foxx; 1968 Dynamo Records billboard ad. (Click on image for larger view).

Charlie Fox of the “Mockingbird” team, Inez and Charlie Fox, is the new executive producer of Musicor and it’s R&B tenant, Dynamo Records. The new post won’t ground the team, the pair are currently cruising on the charts with their “Greatest Hits” LP and current new single, “I Ain’t Going For That.” Charlie and Inez are slated to open at the Howard Theater in Washington on Friday, April 12.

SOUL SLICES: Dionne Warwick has produced her first independent recording for Dionne Warwick Enterprises, with a new group, the Gentlemen Four… Lou Rawls will star in an upcoming Hollywood film, “The Riot,” with Jimmy Brown, and is scheduled to play the role of Louis Armstrong in a film based on Satchmo’s life. Rawls took a Grammy this year as top R&B male singer for 1967… Tommy Hunt will play the Fox’s Den in Miami… Peaches and Herb will kick off a 36 tour beginning Wednesday, April 10 at the Red Rooster in Pittsburgh… Sly and the Family Stone, a group to watch, are riding the crest of the wave with their new single, “Dance To The Music,” to concert dates at Midwest College, and at the New Village club, the Generation, Saturday, April 13 with the Youngbloods… Downeast Records, a new label, is starting to move with Justin (“Right Now”) and Plato Records, another newcomer, is raising dust with the Kicking Mustangs (Kickin'”).

George Hudson’s Gospel U.S.A. moves into the Apollo, Friday, April 12, for 10 days with James Cleveland and the Cleveland Singers, the Mighty Clouds Of Joy, the Pilgrim Jubilees, the Violinaires, the Salem Travelers, and Rev. Claude Jeter. Special appearances by the Institutional Radio Choir of Brooklyn, the Straight Gate Choir of Brooklyn and the Jubilee Choir of White Plains, New York.

The Platters circa 1968.

The South is claiming the Platters for their own. The Musicor group is racking up bookings all over Southern parts of the country and broke up the booking conference in Charlotte last month. Buck Ram, their manager and writer of many of their greatest hits, is scoring again with Jason, an up-and-coming new artists… Capitol Records’ the Magnificent Men, a blue-eyed soul group, is leaving smoke in R&B spots like the Uptown in Philly, the Apollo in New York, and are scheduled also to perform on campuses from Detroit to Long Island.

Soul Brother Bill Medley, formerly of the Righteous Brothers, is set to make a lot of noise with his MGM release “I Can’t Make It Alone.”… Dionne Warwick releases her first gospel LP, “The Miracle Of Believing,” just in time for Easter… The Foundations, from England (“Baby, Now That I Found You”), will bring their soul sound to the United States for a five-week tour beginning Sunday, May 12… The Intruders, a Gamble Records group, are on the move on the charts with their latest R&B single, “Cowboys To Girls.”

ON THE MOVE: “Tighten Up,” by Archie Bell and the Drells on Atlantic Records, are scoring heavily with their Houston sound all over the Southern states. Records to watch: in Columbus, Georgia… “Just Like A Flower,” by Freddie Scott, “Face It Girl, It’s Over,” by Nancy Wilson… “Lover’s Holiday,” by Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson.

ON THE REBOUND: Mary Wells has signed with Jubilee… New singles by Ben E. King with “Don’t Take Your Love,” Joe Simon with “You Keep Me Hanging On,” James and Bobby Purify with “I Can Remember”… Don Gardner’s “You Babe” is moving in Detroit… “All My Love” by Major IV is a sleeper in Virginia.

BUBBLING R&B: Thelma Jones’ “House That Jack Built”; Villinaires’ “I Don’t Know,” on Checker… Jackie Lee, “African Boogaloo,” on Keyman… Jimmy Ruffin, “I’ll Never Say Forever My Love,” on Soul… Ollie and the Knighting Gails, “I’ve Got A Sure Thing,” on Atlantic Records… Dick Hyman, “In The Heat Of The Night,” on Command.

R&B TRENDS: A phenomenon of flip sides with: James Brown went to No. 28 with “I Can’t Stand It” on the Hot 100 chart, flipped two weeks later with “There Was A Time” and went to No. 36; Wilson Pickett started with “Stag-O-Lee” and switched over to “I’m In Love,” and Aretha Franklin, the first lady of soul, turned the trick with “Since You Been Gone” and now “Ain’t No Way.” The Temptations’ “I Wish It Would Rain” is flipping to “I Truly, Truly believe,” currently breaking out. Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terell are flipping from “If I could Build My World Around You,” turning over with “If This World Was Mine.”

The Rascals have just released their new Atlantic single, “A Beautiful Morning,” geared exclusively for the R&B groove, proving that the Rascals are a group that can punch their way through both the Pop and R&B charts. END.

 

Billboard Top Ten R&B Singles — April 6, 1968:

1. “(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone,” Aretha Franklin, Atlantic; 2. “La-La Means I Love You,” Delphonics, Philly Groove; 3. “If You Can Want,” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Tamla; 4. “I Thank You,” Sam and Dave, Stax; 5. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock On The Bay,” Otis Redding, Atlantic; 6. “The End Of Our Road,” Gladys Knight & The Pips, Soul; 7. “I Got The Feelin’,” James Brown, King; 8. “Take Time To Know Her,” Percy Sledge, Atlantic; 9. “Dance To The Music,” Sly & The Family Stone, Epic; 10. “Sweet Inspiration,” Sweet Inspirations, Atlantic Records.

Billboard Top Ten R&B LP Albums — April 6, 1968:

1. ‘Lady Soul,’ Aretha Franklin, Atlantic; 2. ‘Dock Of The Bay,’ Otis Redding, Atlantic; 3. ‘Valley Of The Dolls,’ Dionne Warwick, Scepter; 4. ‘History Of Otis Redding,’ Otis Redding, Volt; 5. ‘Smokey Robinson & The Miracles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2,’ Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Tamla; 6. ‘We’re A Winner,’ Impressions, ABC-Paramount; 7. ‘In A Mellow Mood,’ Temptations, Gordy; 8. ‘(I Can’t Stand Myself) When You Touch Me,’ James Brown, King; 9. ‘I’m In Love,’ Wilson Pickett, Atlantic; 10. ‘Once Upon A Dream,’ Rascals, Atlantic Records.

 

(Information and news source: Billboard; April 6, 1968).

Loading

WXYZ DUMPS TOP 40 ‘DETROIT SOUND SURVEY’ . . . MARCH 18, 1967

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1967

WXYZ-AM 1270 Switching Over to A ‘Good Life’ Sound; Drops Top 40 ‘Detroit Sound Survey’

 

 

From the MCRFB Jingles Archive:

WXYZ – The Good Life Jingle Package – 1967  (Click on for audio play)

 

DETROIT — Unable to carve a niche in the torrid rock and roll field here, WXYZ introduced a “Good Life” sound here last week in a drive by new operations manager Joe Bacarella to create the station’s own audience with a new format appeal, slated tentative for March 5. The new sound hinges almost entirely on uptempo songs from a playlist of 150 tunes.

WXYZ-AM, until recently, was a top 40 station in the Detroit market going against WKNR-AM and CKLW-AM. WJBK, currently an adult-oriented conservative music station, made the switch several years back, dropping top 40 music by August, 1964.

Joe Bacarella

The records played will include everything from up-tempo tunes by Henry Mancini to records by Sonny and Cher and the Herman’s Hermits. But Bacarella emphasized that only the big band sounds of artists like Sonny and Cher and Herman’s Hermits will be played.

Records like Sonny and Cher’s “The Beat Goes On,” said Bacarella, features a big band sound. “Whereas at one time the Herman’s Hermits put out tunes featuring only the group, today their records features many more instruments than just the group itself. Ramsey Lewis’ ‘Wade In The Water,’ if you listen closely, contains that big band backing.

“It’s what’s happening in today’s pop music. It’s good to hear that rock beat, but nothing can compare with a Buddy Rich doing it.”

Bacarella, who came to WXYZ two months ago from Detroit’s WCAR, says the station will feature WNEW type deejays and a WIP (“work in progress”) format. The 150 tunes includes two selections each from 50 albums and 50 singles. Artists played, besides those already mentioned, include Peggy Lee, Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra, and Eydie Gorme.

The format features 12 albums in four categories — male vocal, female vocal, group, and instrumental. A new playlist is compiled anytime the station may feel the need.

As part of it’s new image, WXYZ recently brought in the deejay duo of Howard and Martin and have invested in a fantastic promotion campaign behind the team. Bacarella said the station was also out to establish a “show business” image to correlate with the “Good Life” music sound for a new Detroit audience.

When Tony Bennett recently appeared at the Roostertail nightclub, the entire deejay staff taped interviews with the artist and Howard and Martin did a show from a script with Bennett for their program.

So far, the reception to the new WXYZ changes overall “has been excellent as had been expected thus far,” Bacarella said. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; March 18, 1967)

WXYZ's new morning team Harry Martin and Specs Howard
WXYZ’s new morning team Specs Howard and Harry Martin.

“The Sound Of The Good Life”

WXYZ – The Good Life Song (Edit) 1967

WXYZ – The Good Life Song (Female) – 1967

WXYZ – The Good Life Song (Male) – 1967

A MCRFB Note: By the time Joe Bacarella arrived at WXYZ (from WCAR) on January 16, 1967, station manager Chuck Fritz had just finalized the deal in ink when hiring the duo of Martin and Howard from Cleveland’s WKYC as the new morning team on 1270.

From the MCRFB Aircheck Library:

WXYZ-AM – Harry Martin and Specs Howard 1st Show – 1967

Martin and Howard made news in print in Detroit when first introduced on December 5, 1966 (Click on image for larger view; scan courtesy Jim Heddle Collection)

It was a big investment. Reportedly, WXYZ agreed to pay the two personalities $48,000 each, with another $20,000 going to the team’s personal writer, an individual by the name of Ray Koeppen.

The very next day, on January 17, the duo was surprised after meeting with ABC brass from New York that WXYZ was dropping the top 40 format for MOR instead, much to their “devastation.”

With the new MOR format at WXYZ in place, Martin and Howard were never given the complete freedom the comedy team had celebrated during their eight-year run at Cleveland’s top 40 WKYC.

By early 1968, the highly-invested Martin and Howard team tanked within earshot of a dismal 4.0 rating for the morning drive. Shortly thereafter, after much anticipated acclaim, the comedy-duo were finally dumped by the ‘XYZ brass. Martin and Howard were finished and done in Detroit. Dick Purtan, who was hired at the station for afternoons after returning back to Detroit from a very short stay at Baltimore’s WBAL, was then promoted by Bacarella to be the new morning man at WXYZ.

 

Loading

COCA-COLA LAUNCHES TEEN SPOT DRIVE . . . JULY 10, 1965

From the MCRFB news archives: 1965

COCA-COLA UNCORKS RADIO AD DRIVE APPEALING TO TEENS; USE RECORD ARTISTS AS SHOWCASE FOR COKE

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK — The Coca-Cola Company is launching the biggest radio spot campaign in it’s history, featuring top-selling recording artists in an all-out drive to attract the teen market. Each attraction will be spotlighted in a different version of the sponsor’s jingle, “Things Go Better With Coke.”

Coke, seventh largest radio-ad spot buyer for it’s products in 1964, will pole vault into the No. 1 radio position this year as a result of the teenage splurge. McCann-Erickson, Coca Cola’s ad agency who created the teenage appeal campaign, is placing the singing commercials in saturation proportions on the nation’s leading “Top 40 format” stations. The Coke ad campaign, which will soon blanket the country, is being spread over 62 key market areas, using several hundred radio stations in covering the new ad’s outreach to maximizing  sales potential.

While neither the sponsor nor it’s agency was willing to divulge the extent of Coke’s investment in this drive, but informed sources placed the teen-artist radio campaign estimated at nearly the $10,000,000 level.

Artists signed by McCann-Erickson for promoting the Coca-Cola beverage include Petula Clark, The Drifters, The Four Seasons, Freddie & The Dreamers, Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, Jan & Dean, Freddie Cannon, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Lesley Gore, The Supremes, and Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Vogues, just to name a few. Coca-Cola confirmed of their plans to sign other artists as the campaign moves forward into the immediate future.

 

*From the MCRFB Commercials archive, featuring (Click artist name for audio):

Lesley Gore sings for Coke

Freddie Cannon sings for Coke

Petula Clark (Downtown) sings for Coke

Gary Lewis & The Playboys sings for Coke

The Drifters sings for Coke

Jan and Dean sings for Coke

Tom Jones sings for Coke

The Vogues sings for Coke

The Supremes sings for Coke

Roy Orbison sings for Coke

Freddie & The Dreamers sings for Coke

Martha & The Vandellas sings for Coke

Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders sings for Coke

The Fortunes sings for Coke

Petula Clark sings for Coke

Lee Dorsey sings for Coke

The Four Seasons sings for Coke

The Newbeats sings for Coke

 

Broad Exposure

“Things go better with”… the year before the ad drive, the Fab Four even sat-in for a Coca-Cola ‘shoot’ in ’64 (Click image for larger view)

This marks the first time in the history of the record industry that its artists have been afforded air exposure on such a broad scale. At the same time, numerous artists and their managers see the new Coke drive as a means in further promoting the recording talent’s popularity and exposure.

Coke’s full-scale drive comes at the heels of a highly successful test carried on earlier this year. At the time, the “Things Go Better With Coke” jingle was recorded by the Shirelles with John Bubbles, and was placed on a handful of stations to determine the effectiveness of using teenage talent. The results were so rewarding that the company decided to expand further more of the ad’s limited trial run.

When stations reported that listeners were including the Coke ad jingle among their request — and in one case, it hit one station’s “Top 40” list — the sponsor decided to go all out.

Written by Backer

1965 Coca-Cola Spot 45 RPM; Orbison, Jan and Dean (Click on image for larger view)
1965 Coca-Cola Spot 45 RPM; Orbison, Jan and Dean (click on image for larger view)

The jingle package was written by William Backer, associated creative director of McCann-Erickson’s Professional Advisory Council. This is a group of professionals comprised within the agency in various fields whose services are available to McCann’s clients for special projects. Backer is responsible for the selection of artists with top teen appeal, and will supervise production of all the jingles for the Coca-Cola Company.

Backer said he strives to retain the artist’s individuality in the recording of each version of the jingle. In that way, he said, the artist’s unique singing style and basis for her/his appeal is harnessed to capture the listener’s appeal.

This is achieved, he said, by adhering to the same conditions and procedures under which the artist’s hit recordings were made. The artist’s arrangers, favored sideman, and A&R men are used. In many instances, the jingles are recorded in the same studios — whether these be in Nashville or in the U.K. — where the respective artists’ hits were conceived, produced and were recorded. No effort or expense is spared in presenting the artist in their best possible light, Backer said.

“Two Stars” Offered

“We feel we are offering ‘two stars’ to the consumer — one is Coca Cola and the other is the performer — and we want each to be heard under the best possible conditions,” Backer said.

The purchase of radio time represents a joint effort on the part of Coca Cola and it’s franchise bottlers. Coke will provide the completed announcements with the artists for each ad take. The budget for purchasing air time in the various markets will be split between Coca Cola’s Atlanta headquarters and it’s regional bottlers around the country.

“Things Go Better With Coke” slogan; 1965

To facilitate this program at the grass-roots level, Coke has dispatched a team of representatives to work on the scene with the bottlers in purchasing time for local stations.

The harnessing of music’s appeal to capture a loyal following is not a new concept for Coca-Cola. During the 1940s, Coke was the major buyer of big bands, sponsoring weekly live band originations from the leading college campuses and service camps. The announcement that “the Coca-Cola spotlight points with pride to” — and then inserting the name of the band being featured — became a familiar radio slogan during that era.

The Kingston Trio sings Things Go Better With Coca-Cola (Full Version)

During “the golden era of the big bands,” a “Coke airshot” was a highly coveted booking, not so much revenue derived by the band leader, but for the extremely valuable promotion that resulted from the exposure. Indications are that Coke’s latest — and biggest — use of record disk talent may well equal if not surpass in importance yesteryear’s “Spotlight” series as a prime talent showcase for many of the best in today’s pop music scene in this country and England’s as well. END

Coca-Cola logo

(Information and news source: Billboard; July 10, 1965).

Loading