MCRFB (Billboard) News – Page 10 – Motor City Radio Flashbacks

‘PAMS’ LEADER MEEK MAKES TOP 40 JINGLE . . . DECEMBER 2, 1967

From the MCRFB news archive: 1967

Meek Gave Top 40 Radio Its Identity

Dallas — Bill Meeks, Pams’ President, didn’t invent top 40 radio, but it’s quite likely that top 40 radio wouldn’t be where it is today if there hadn’t been a Bill Meeks. Meeks helped give top 40 radio its zing . . . its identification.

**Bill Meeks** circa 1958 *(Photo courtesy PAMS Productions)*

Meeks, a musician at home on saxophone, clarinet, of flute, got into the jingles-producing business while serving as air personality and salesman with KLIF here in 1947 . . . “the first jingles I ever heard of,” he said. He remembered one of those jingles as slashing on TV: “No worn-out old-time movies, no picture tubes to fail . . . ” It should be pointed out that Gordon McLendon, head of KLIF, was one of the pioneers in top 40 radio.

When Meeks began selling some of his jingles to other radio stations, “an odd thing began to happen. These stations began to climb in ratings.” In 1951, Meeks started Pams.

That first year of business, Pams did $300,000 worth of business. Meeks expects to close out 1967 with more than $1.5 million in business. Some of these will be new logos for all four of ABC’s new networks. Meeks was in town last week working on the project. In addition, he is branching out of the pop music field to also specialize in R&B and country music formats. Pams tailored the jingles used on WVON (R&B) in Chicago; the station climbed to No. 1 in a recent general Pulse audience survey and, as Meeks put it, “We were there when it happened.” Meeks is also going into the TV field on a larger basis.

Started In 1936

Meeks entered the radio business in 1936 with WRR in Dallas playing with a kid band called the Humdingers. The late Ben Riddle was a member of the band.They had a Sunday show on the station called “Primrose Parade” sponsored by an oil company. Then Meeks entered North Texas State. He continued to perform, substituting with bands like the Light Crust Dough Boys and the Cass County Kids. It was about this time he met McLendon, who encouraged him to become a KLIF salesman. KLIF had two salesmen, Meeks and a man named Bruce Collier. Meeks said he had Collier’s phone tapped “so I’d know who his clients were, I had to . . . he was really a slick salesman.”

While selling advertising, Meeks was also a deejay. At one point he had a CBS show starring one of his bands — the Circle Five Ranchhands — that originated out of Houston (the band would drive down from Dallas every Saturday). He also had a live show with a band doing a daily remote from a Dallas used car lot.

Employs 33

Today, Meeks operates a firm employing 33 (most of whom are professional musicians) and keeps two studios in Dallas busy. To illustrate the flexibility of his staff members, Rick Sklar, program director of WABC in New York, and Walter Schwartz, then general manager of WABC, once saw Pams’ Tommy Lloyd at work in the studio on trumpet. Later the same day, they saw and heard Lloyd playing in a band at the State Fair. That night, visiting the local LeVee nightclub, Schwartz and Sklar were surprised to see Lloyd , this time playing in a club band. He then saluted WABC right in the middle of “Sweet Lorraine,” by playing the WABC logo.

Meeks said that the turning point for Pams was in 1960 when he came up with a variable logo recording method to allow the various logos of stations to be recorded over the same big band instrumental, giving every station its own big band sound.

Besides having jingles packages in every major market in the United States, Pams products are in countries like Australia, Great Britain, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, and South America. The firm just completed logos for the new BBC pop music programming service in England. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; December 2, 1967)

The legendary PAMS facility with office and studios, Dallas. PAMS: Production, Advertising and Merchandising Service *(Photo courtesy PAMS, Dallas)*

GAVIN REPORT: THE DJ UNDER RADIO CONTROL . . . MARCH 30, 1963

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1963

The Bill Gavin Newsletter March 30, 1963

Radio Management Policy Dictates How DJ Ultimately Swings

From the Desk of Bill Gavin Billboard Contributing Editor

MANAGEMENT AND THE DISK JOCKEY: Last week we had things to say about what makes a good disk jockey. We said very little about the problems and limitations surrounding the deejay, curbing his freedom of action. The circumscribed area within whose boundaries the disk jockey exercises his talents is known as “station policy.” This is simply another way of saying “what management wants.”

Station policy controls the kind of music to be played, the range of disk jockey discretion in programming his own show, the amount of humor he may-or must-use, the handling of time, temperature and weather announcements, the use of production gimmicks, the frequency of call letter and personal name mention, and so on. As most of our readers know quite well, these requirements vary considerably from one station to another.

In the “early” days (pre-1950) of the name disk jockey, he was pretty much his own boss. The main considerations were his ratings and the amount of revenue they attracted. He selected his own music and was expected to be a specialist in the field. The man preceding or following him often played a different kind of music. Each disk jockey set his own music policy, within very broad limitations.

Top 40 changed that. One by one, the big name disk jockeys found it impossible to hold their ratings in the face of a solid challenge from a pop station whose music was dependably the same day and night. The concentrated power of the top hits was too much for stations that had no over-all music control.

MUCH THAT WAS CREATIVE was lost to modern radio with the passing of the big name disk jockey. Much that was stereotyped – almost ritualistic, and certainly sterile-replaced it. But this was apparently what the people wanted. The top 40 disk jockeys was almost a robot, with little to do besides time, temperature, the chart number of the record, and an occasional pick “destined for future popularity.”

As top 40 outgrew its early childhood, a handful of progressive program directors began to realize that while the mass audience wanted the top hits, they also preferred having them presented by human beings rather than automatons. The disk jockey began to re-emerge as a vital factor in program appeal.

Little stations and big ones are now trying to solve the problem of how to adapt the personality disk jockey to a carefully controlled music policy. There is endless experimenting going on.

Disk jockeys are encouraged to be “personalities” – to sparkle with clever sayings. Some disk jockeys have their own private gag files. A few stations have libraries of wit and humor, from which the air men are expected to draw. There are syndicated gag services in circulation. Some stations, I’m told, employ feature writers to supply disk jockeys with clever material. Apparently the humor factor bulks large today in the thinking of station managers.

The function of the disk jockey in building his own show is, of course, much more restricted on top 40 than on “better music” stations. But even in the latter, we find a growing trend toward a “must play” list of singles, which have to be incorporated with some frequency into every disk jockey show.

AMONG TOP 40 STATIONS, opinion seems divided as to requiring the disk jockey to prepare his show in advance. Some feel that he operates better through the exercise of spontaneous choice as he goes along. Others believe that a planned show is more likely to be smooth and well balanced. Among smaller stations, particularly, the requirement of writing out in advance the order of records to be played compensates somewhat for comparative inexperience of the staff. In a few cases -successful, I might add – the music director himself programs every disk jockey’s show, and deviations are permitted only in exceptional cases.

Even in the early days of top 40, management noted one difficulty: Disk jockeys with no responsibility for picking the records were losing contact with the music world. As they lost touch, they also lost interest, and that’s just how they sounded on the air. To correct this shortcoming, many stations instituted the weekly staff meeting.

The music director plays a group of new releases for the assembled disk jockeys, who vote yes or no on each nomination. Only those sides receiving a big majority (two- thirds or more) could be included in the new playlist. The system is anathema to most promotion people, who would prefer to focus their efforts on a single arbiter rather than on a group. Weekly meetings may be cumbersome and inefficient, but they do give each disk jockey a sense of responsibility for the new music selected. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; March 30, 1963)

FELICIANO LIGHTS A MUSICAL FIRE IN CLEVELAND CONCERT . . . NOVEMBER 2, 1968

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1963

Feliciano Lauds Cleveland Audience Singing On It’s Feet

CLEVELAND – They stood up for RCA artist Jose Feliciano before he sang a note Oct. 17 at his Public Music Hall appearance. And they kept standing when the song was over.

Feliciano opened with his soul version of “Star Spangled Banner,” which had struck such a spark at the World Series game in Detroit Oct. 7.

The blind guitarist, who can set a fire with his fingertips, wowed the 2,500 audience with his wit as well as with his singing and playing. He did a hilarious
spoof of Coca -Cola commercials, imitating Barry McGuire, Mrs. Miller, Tiny Tim, Walter Brennan and Bob Dylan.

There was the haunting strains of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” the beauty of “Malaguena,” the tenderness of “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin,” the rollicking rhythm of his current “Hi-Heel Sneakers” and of “Mama Don’t Allow.” But the greatest ovation came from his million-seller “Light My Fire.”

Feliciano wound up singing “Hang on Sloopy” in Spanish, banging on the bongos. Also on the bill, British comedian Jonathan Moore scored with comedy routines on laundermats, airplanes and Hell’s Angels. WKYC disk jockey Fred Winston emceed the Belkin Brothers production. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; November 2, 1968)

ARETHA FRANKLIN: FROM SERMONS ON SUNDAY TO ALL WEEK SUCCESS . . . JULY 13, 1968

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1968

Miss Franklin Riding Big Wave In ’68 On New Found R&B Success

Detroit’s beautiful soul sensation *Aretha Franklin* from a Vogue spread, 1968.

NEW YORK — Before soul music moved “downtown” into the money, Aretha spent her Sundays singing in her father’s Baptist church in Detroit. Then, eight years ago, Aretha jumped off the gospel train, arrived in New York and kicked off a career that so far has netted her riches, five gold records, including one for an album, and a Billboard citation as the top female vocalist in 1967. But it wasn’t until last year, when “Lady Soul” met Lady Luck dressed up at Atlantic Records did Aretha move into the real money.

“I wanted to have a gold record,” remembers Aretha. “I wanted one so bad — to sell a million of something.” Jerry Wexler, Atlantic’s dean of soul, brought Aretha from Columbia, where her talent sputtered in their “pop inclined” climate, and gave her complete freedom to further expand more of her abilities and talents. But along with her artistic freedom, Wexler also supplied the tools to form her own free expression into self-discovery; tuned-in musicians from Memphis, a full hopper of materials to pick from, and plenty of gold records lining the walls for inspiration. “Atlantic came up with the same sound that I was feeling at the same time,” said Aretha. What Wexler did was allow the singer to grow at her own pace, into her own style.

In 1968, Miss Franklin will earn more than $750,000. Atlantic Records will reap a portion of Aretha’s record harvest in return for a million-dollar contract payable over the next several years. On the strength of her soaring stock, Time magazine toasted Miss Franklin with a front cover and, with a five-page story in the June 28 issue, marking her official coronation as “Lady Soul.” Miss Franklin will only talk in public about the cover, but not about what’s inside. The length of the article, she says wryly, is “something to speak about.” Privately, she thinks Time “could have stayed a little closer to the fact” concerning her personal life.

Husband as Manager

**Aretha Franklin** makes Time magazine cover, June 28, 1968.

In addition to her Atlantic contract, Aretha has signed up with her husband, Ted White, for personal manager. “We haven’t had any real trouble so far,” said Aretha about the boss-husband twist, “but it is difficult having your husband as manager. You never know what side he’s coming from — from the husband side or manager side.” But when the bookings are in and they can retreat to their 12-room colonial home in Detroit as a couple and not as partnership, Aretha’s business demons dissolve with the immediate pleasure of her family. “All I want to do,” Aretha muses, “is to be able to function as a simple, honest and true citizen as a human being.”

On stage, Aretha blends earthly humor with the dignity of a Sunday sermon. She will talk about her stiff piano stool back, the sting of new shoes pinching at her heels and, the next moment, belt out “Think” or “Baby, I Love You” with brilliant bursts of gospel power, back-porch blues or rhythm and blues. She toured Europe in the spring and plans to do it again. “It was the greatest,” she said. In Holland, the audience threw flowers — bouquets of flowers and roses — and in Stockholm, the Crown Prince and Princess sat in the audience.”

But despite the gold already won and new gold on the way for albums Aretha: Lady Soul and Aretha Now, she shuns the refinement of pop royalty. “I buy about 20 pounds of chitlins every two weeks,” says the young soul singer. Ray Charles called her “one of the greatest I’ve heard any time.”

Miss Franklin will follow up her recent Madison Square Garden appearance for the Martin Luther King fund with a special solo concert at Newport in August. On August 20, she will be featured on an ABC-TV special and, later this summer, she will perform in Caracas, Venezuela. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; July 13, 1968)

A MCRFB Note: This article was previously featured on Motor City Radio Flashbacks on November 20, 2012.

**Atlantic Records** studio producer Jerry Wexler and Aretha Franklin strikes gold in 1967.

WES MONTGOMERY, 45, DEAD OF HEART ATTACK . . . JUNE 29, 1968

Former Verve Label Jazz Guitarist Switched For A&M Records Last Year

INDIANAPOLIS — Wes Montgomery, whose albums topped Billboard’s Jazz Chart for 24 of the first 25 weeks of 1968, died of a heart attack at his home here on June 15. He was 45. The jazz guitarist was home after a concert tour with a quintet that included his brothers Buddy and Monk.

Former *Verve* artist **Wes Montgomery** circa 1963 *(click on image for largest PC view)*

Montgomery, after several successful years on Verve, switched to A &M last year. His first A &M album “A Day In The Life” topped the jazz chart for the last four weeks of 1967 and chalked up 22 more weeks as No. 1 this year. His second A &M album “Down Here On The Ground” had two weeks on top.

“A Day In The Life” also scored high on the album chart, starting this year at No. 13. Verve’s “Best of West Montgomery” also registered well on both charts. Other Verve albums that hit the jazz chart last year were “Tequila,” “California Dreaming,” and “Dynamic Duo.” The last also featured organist Jimmy Smith.

Montgomery’s Verve album “Goin’ Out of My Head” was the 1966 Grammy Award winner as the best instrumental jazz performance. Smith’s Verve albums were produced by Creed Taylor since 1963.

It was Taylor who suggested the guitarist do his first album with orchestra. The LP, “Movie Wes,” was released in 1965. Then came “Bumpin’ ” and “Goin’ Out Of My Head.”

He toured with the Lionel Hampton Band for two years beginning in 1948.

He began recording for Riverside Records in 1959 and regularly toured with a small group that usually included his brothers. Montgomery also had two albums on Pacific Jazz. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; June 29, 1968)

**WES MONTGOMERY** 1966 *(Getty Images)*

BILL GAVIN: SOME POINTS ON PROMO PITCHING . . . MAY 11, 1963

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1963

The Bill Gavin Newsletter May 11, 1963

From the Desk of Bill Gavin Billboard Contributing Editor

WHAT IS PRICE PROMOTION? From the standpoint of the music director of PD, the price is pretty high, in terms of the hours he spends listening to promo pitches. If he is conscientiously working at his job -auditioning new records, making up the survey, making out the playlist and other chores -he doesn’t have much time to spare.

Recently, several big stations in important cities have tried to protect their music men against such time wasting. Promotion men express some resentment over their restricted activities, but the restrictions are a natural outcome of just too much promotion.

Printed below is a portion of a letter from a music director at an important Eastern station. I’m withholding the name in order to avoid harassment to the station. Here is the letter:

“WHEN IS THIS GREAT AMOUNT of product going to quit? It would seem that the accent is on quantity rather than quality. One of our local distributors had 86 releases in 12 days. This is just one distributing company. How can 86 new things be listened to properly? Often I must hear things several times – all the way through – to really judge them, and I just can’t find the time.

“Besides, when can all these things be played? It’s ridiculous to play anything just once or twice, so I don’t play things until they can get some concentration.

“Along with this deluge comes a tremendous number of phone calls. I can think of one record where I got a call from one of the writers, the producer, the national promo man, the regional promo man, the artist, plus the local promo man’s pitch. And to my ear the record has nothing. (I forgot to add – the artist’s manager called three times to boot.)

“Now, I know each individual is trying to do his job, but can’t there be some co-ordination? Shouldn’t the national promo man’s business be with the local man – not me? I can’t stand people calling me and quoting sales figures in Dallas, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Atlanta or Philly. I couldn’t care less, and furthermore I don’t believe most of them.

“Another funny bit this week: The local promo man was here one morning – left his record – gave me his sales talk – and really pitched on record. That afternoon he returned with the New York promo man, who gave me a pitch on the record. While these two were talking, I received two long distance calls – both about this same record. What can my attitude be? I wanted to break the damned thing in little pieces.

“AM I UNREASONABLE? Do people have a right to consume my time like this? I try to he fair and considerate with everybody, but I find I’m getting cross and short.

“Another thing I can’t tolerate is the guy on the phone, somebody I’ve never met, who comes on with a lengthy weather forecast for his city, and how’s the weather where I am? How’s my family? What’s new? Five minutes of conversation before he gets to the point – and that’s to play a record I’ve already been hyped on and don’t like anyway.

“Where does it end? Am I a stinker if I refuse phone calls and deny admittance to promo men? Am I hurting the station? I guess all this activity should made me feel important – but I’d feel better if they let me have time to listen to the product and get my work done.

“I know of only one national promo man who has sense. He has told his regional man to lay off and put his efforts in an area where they are needed. He has the happy faculty of calling or writing just when you want information. He can look at sales figures from this area and tell if I’m missing the boat and he acts accordingly. To me, this is the greatest – promotion where promotion is needed – not just promotion for promotion’s sake.”

THANKS TO OUR CORRESPONDENT for an illuminating insight into the problems of coping with record promotion pressures. I hope that record people who arc pushing too hard will find wisdom and guidance in these comments. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; May 11, 1963)

BACK-OFF! MARY WELLS STILL MOTOWN . . . JULY 18, 1964

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964

REMINDER IS ISSUED BY MOTOWN; MARY WELLS STILL UNDER CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION TO MOTOWN

NEW YORK — Barney Ales, vice-president of Motown Record Corporation, last week announced that Mary Wells is still under contract to Motown. The label’s legal department has sent telegrams to record companies with the disclaimer who are believed to be negotiating with the artist, advising them of her contractual obligations to Motown, and with Motown only.

Ales stated that Berry Gordy, Jr., president of Motown was “surprised and hurt” when he learned that Miss Wells was “apparently receptive” to offers. Ales noted that Miss Wells had the top record of the country, “My Guy,” and has had the benefit of three-year promotional and sales campaign by the organization, all of which are reflective in her present status as an artist.

Ales, stating he is aware that many offers are proffered an artist who has had a top record, added that he would like to alert the industry to a group of young ladies called the Supremes, “who will have the next No. 1 record in the U.S., “Where Did Our Love Go?,” exclusively on Motown Records. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; July 18, 1964)

MARY WELLS GOOD TO GO: 20TH CENTURY FOX . . . NOVEMBER 7, 1964

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964

GREEN LIGHT GIVEN TO MARY WELLS; SIGNS WITH 20TH CENTURY

**Mary Wells** on Twentieth -Century Fox Records. “*He’s A Lover*” released in May, 1965. *(Click on image for larger view)*

NEW YORK — George Scheck, head of Diversified Artists Corp., told Billboard that some radio programmers are still hesitant or reluctant about playing the first release on the Twentieth-Century Fox label by his client, Mary Wells. Scheck said that “some remember that a while back Motown Records had issued an alert concerning her contractual obligations with them and warned of possible litigation if they programmed material she might release on other labels.”

Scheck also stated, “Just to get the record straight, there has been a happy settlement arrangement made with Miss Wells, Motown Records and 20th Century Fox Records which makes it possible for her to record for the film company record division.” END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; November 7, 1964)

REDDING RECORDS RIDE HOT STREAK . . . MARCH 16, 1968

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1968

Redding Tops in Singles and LP Sales

NEW YORK – Otis Redding, who died in a plane crash last December, is achieving the success that eluded him during his lifetime. This week, Redding’s Volt record of “Dock Of The Bay” passed the one million sales mark and went into No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. It marks the first single of Redding’s ever to hit a million. and according to Atlantic Records‘ sales executives. who handle the Stax-Volt line, sales are continuing at a strong pace.

Redding is also setting new sales marks with his album product. His new LP on Volt, “Dock Of The Bay,” which was issued about two weeks ago, had the largest advance order of any of his LP’s. One of the previously unreleased sides in the “Dock of the Bay” LP, called “Open the Door” is receiving such strong airplay that there is a possibility Volt Records may issue it as Redding’s next single.

Sales of Redding’s albums spurted shortly after his death. His albums are among the best-selling items at Atlantic, keeping pace with the firm’s other top artists. The Redding LP’s most in demand are “Otis Blue,” “Otis Redding Live In Europe,” “History of Otis Redding” and the newly issued “Dock Of The Bay.”

The interest in Redding’s career since his death has grown in the consumer press and TV. Virtually every important music magazine has written about Redding and new stories are in the works. A TV film made in England of Redding performing “Shake” and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” has been used on many U. S. stations. Currently, two networks are preparing shows on Redding which will he ready in the spring. Also, a packager of TV shows is interested in doing a one-hour documentary on Redding.

Redding’s trip to Europe with the Stax-Volt show last spring was filmed and reports indicate that there will be a one -hour film compiled from the footage. It will be available for showing on either TV or as a regular film feature for distribution on the college circuit. END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; March 16, 1968)

**Otis Redding** photographed performing at the Monterey Pop Festival, June 1967.

MOTOWN RECORDS SIGN OUTSIDE TALENTS . . . SEPTEMBER 4, 1965

From the MCRFB NEWS archives: 1965

Tamla-Motown Goes Outside To Get Talent; Changes Big Name Policy

DETROIT — The Tamla-Motown organization recently reversed it general policy of creating it’s own big names and has been adding standard acts to it’s own roster, including Billy Eckstine, Tony Martin and Connie Haines. Other big names — most of whom hadn’t had hit records for some time — are expected to be added to the fold.

“One of the reasons these artists hadn’t had hit product lately,” Vice-President and Sale Manager Barney Ales said, “is that they haven’t been recorded with an appeal to the record-buying public. We want to give them our sound.”

The “Detroit Sound” has been tremendously successful; the firm’s batting average is the envy of the industry. As of this week, President Berry Gordy, Jr. can point to 9 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts (another just dropped off last week) and four of these were in the top 20. Two weeks ago, the Detroit recording firm had 12 singles on the charts. The label also now has seven LP’s in the top of the chart. “Where Did Our Love Go,” by the Supremes, has been on the LP charts for 51 weeks.

What makes this all fantastic, however, is that the firm released very few singles so far this year — only 32, according to Phil Jones, marketing and research director for Motown. “Five of these records were million-sellers,” he said, “Ninety percent of these Motown Detroit recordings hit the charts.”

Five singles turned out by Gordy reached No. 1 on the Top 100. These included three by the Supremes, one by the Four Tops and one by the Temptations. Jones said that “I Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops sold a million and a half records. “But we have 10 or 12 artists that constantly have hits,” Jones said. “I feel we’ve made more artists than any other label.”

It was felt that the present splurge of signings, which included Jack Soo, the Lewis Sisters and Barbara McNair, the firm was branching more into the album product. Jones said that Tamla-Motown first intended to give these new signings a hit single. “They seem to be able to sell more albums that way.”

“We’ve been putting out a limited number of albums — 12 or so this year. Out of that, 10 have been on the charts and seven are still on,” Jones had said. “All these albums have proper timing — the artists are hot. I don’t consider it any sense to turn out catalog product; it’s to difficult to compete with the budget lines.

What we’re doing in signing people with talent that will fit in with material we’ve already got on hand. Our success can be attributed in part to the great producers we have working for us. For instance, the songwriting and producing team of Brian Holland, Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier have turned out six or seven releases this year, of which four have reached the No. 1 position on the chart and two or three reached the top 10.”

Smokey Robinson, the lead singer with the Miracles, also writes and produces, and Jones said that studio music director Mickey Stevenson “has also come up with quite a few hits.”

The label recently expanded overseas, and Jones and Ales had left this past Sunday, August 29, to meet with EMI officials in England to discuss establishing closer ties and more effective marketing for the label. “What we hope to do,” Jones stated, ‘is make all our artists as successful in England as the Supremes are over there.” END

___

(Information and news source: Billboard; September 4, 1965)