Category: MCRFB (Billboard) News

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1963

Something For The Girls: Trending Hot 100 December ’63

 

 

 

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NEW YORK — Female artists are making their strongest impression on the Hot 100 single chart in many months, with four of the current top seven records involving feminine performers. Particularly interesting is the fact that nine of this current crop of acts present on the chart are there for the first time.

It is true, of course, that the girls have been making a strong comeback for several years, but that area of the pop scene seems now to have taken on even more vitality. In the late 1950’s era of the hard rock, girl artists virtually disappeared from any kind of contention. with the exception of a very few, like Connie Francis, who seemed to be able to buck the trend consistently.

Girl artists then began making a renewed dent on the charts as supporting background singers, a practice which is still very’ much in effect. But the backgrounding led to feature efforts by girl groups. The Cookies, on Dimension Records, and the Crystals on the Philles label, are examples of groups who started their careers in supporting roles, only to become lead attractions themselves.

Strongest in Years

Eventually, with the emergence of the so-called Philadelphia and Detroit sounds, as evidenced by such groups as the Marvelettes and the Orlons (composed of basically a female sound of three girls and one male) the femme contingent assumed its strongest position in the chart derby in many years.

One strong indication of this is the fact that of 20 records that have hit the No. 1 Hot 1oo spot so far this year, 11 — more than half — involve girls either as part of a mixed vocal group or by themselves, without male vocal companions. In several of these, namely Ruby and the Romantics and the Essex, a girl is the key performer with the males limited to a supporting backup group role.

Hot Entries

Soeur Sourire, the Singing Nun from Belgium, is just the latest example of the current trend. The Sister’s record of “Dominique” has been a smash. Immediately prior to her arrival at the top, with a simple, sweet performance far removed, incidentally, from the Philadelphia- Detroit sound, two mixed duos, April Stevens and Nino Tempo, and Dale and Grace made the top spot.

Currently in the top seven are the same Dale and Grace (“l’m Leaving It Up to You “) as runner-up of the week; Lesley Gore (“She’s a Fool “), No. 5; and a new British girl duo in their first excursion on the charts, the Caravelles, with “You Don’t Have To Be a Baby To Cry,” in the seventh spot. The brother and sister act of Nino Tempo and April Stevens, after a week in the top position, held on this week at No. 11.

Another act new to the charts is the Dixiebelles on the Nashville-based Sound Stage 7 label, with “Down at Papa Joe’s.” Among the other new femme acts showing well and all but one of which are moving upward, are the Murmaids with “Popsicles And Icicles” on Chattahoochee; Shirley Ellis with “The Nitty Gritty” on Congress; the Secrets on Philips with “The Boy Next Door “; Betty Everett on Vee Jay with “You’re No Good”; “Dumb Head,” by Ginny Arnell on MOM, and “Hey Lover,” by Debby Dovale on Roulette.

 

Gals Make It

And the girls are making the hits today, not with a single type of styling. The range is broad and includes a raft of material ranging from “Dominique,” to Joan Baez’ “We Shall Overcome,” to Lena Horne with her biting “Now,” to the frank statement of teen-age fact, “I Have A Boyfriend,” by the Chiffons on the Laurie label. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; December 7, 1963)

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From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1962

Two Billboard Top LP’s Break Top 30 After 1 Week

 

 

 

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NEW YORK — The sound of jingle bells was heard in recordland last week along with the merry sound of cash registers racking up sales of the “The First Family” (#11; 1 week, LP), “My Son, the Folk Singer” (#1; 6 weeks, LP) and the Elvis Presley “Girls, Girls, Girls” (#27; 1 week, LP) albums. With Christmas less than four weeks away, sales were starting to pick up both standards and newly issued packages.

Hottest of the Christmas albums so far this year were Mitch Miller’s “Holiday Sing Along,” Johnny Mathis’ “Merry Christmas,” Elvis Presley’s Christmas album and the Ray Conniff LP “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” All of these are re-issue sets that sold well last year.

Among the new albums getting action were “The Glorious Sound of Christmas” with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Bing Crosby Christmas set on Warner Bros. There was also some action on the Ramsey Lewis LP “The Sound of Christmas.”

Christmas singles were also getting calls during these strong record days. Singles included old perennials such as Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas,” Harry Simone Chorale’s “Little Drummer Boy,” three by the Chipmunks, “The Chipmunk Song,” “Rudolph, the Red -Nosed Reindeer” and “Alvin’s Harmonica,” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Round the Christmas Tree,” and Bobby Helm’s “Jingle Bell Rock.”

New Christmas singles starting to perk in various markets include Ray Stevens’ “Santa Claus Is Watching You,” and there was some action and a good deal of radio play on the new Harry Simeone Chorale recording, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; December 8, 1962)

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From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964

One Motor City Retailer See 30 Per Cent Markup Over 1963

 

 

 

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DETROIT — Christmas business should hit an all-time high, Motor City dealers report. If the boom fails to materialize, it will be a big disappointment to the industry in view of the present highly optimistic mood.

An important consideration affects all marketing here – Detroit has been without newspapers for three months, and prospects for settlement appear remote. Consequently all promotional plans are on a catch-as-catch can basis.

Despite the newspaper void, however, business among retail stores is reported good. And it is on this background of solid cash register performance that retailers rest their pleasant anticipations for the holidays.

The automobile labor negotiations are having little effect here. Wearied by the months of seesawing, the public appears to be spending for home entertainment resources. The dealers are profiting and expect to continue.

Business is up some 30 per cent over 1963, according to Milt Keverson, Uptown Radio Company, a major suburban outlet. One big reason is that the firm has concentrated on better merchandise-lines like Scott, Magnavox, Imperial and Ampex. “This means dollar volume, and better profit as well,” says Keverson. Significantly, he finds that people are buying better quality tape recorders than a year ago. For the holidays, “the outlook is very good. We are looking forward to showing a lot of high end goods.”

Business has been well ahead of last year for the great Grinnell chain. One reason has been a program of growth, with a new store just opened in Toledo, two in Michigan opening this week, and another shortly in the new Mall Shopping Center at Louisville, operated under the Shackleton chain name. The impetus of fall is expected to carry right through the holiday season-and even the absence of newspapers (again, both Detroit newspaper dailies have been on strike) is not expected to hurt too much in the home town.

One of the most significant points noted in assessing business came from Lou Salasin, operator of the Mumford Music Shop. “The perennial slump in record sales, when the youngsters return to school in September simply failed to materialize, and the high summertime business level stayed firm. A very slight drop came a few weeks later and then was offset. The Beatles are credited with setting the pace for the music business this year.

There is one fly in the ointment according to Salasin: “The profit picture is not as good (despite high volume) because we are selling at greater discount to meet the competition.” This, however, is apparently only a local phenomenon.

At the Good Housekeeping Shops, an important chain, business is “excellent-perhaps the best ever. We can’t understand it. Business is running at an all-time high. The year as a whole will be up substantially,” according to Harold Baker, advertising manager. He stressed the point that this climactic level has been held despite the missing newspapers.

Plans for Christmas

With this prevailing high optimism, retailers are varying their plans for holiday promotion. The day-to-day uncertainties of the strikes make confirmation of detailed plans impossible. In addition, retailers are naturally reluctant to tip off their plans to their competition.

Some major changes in use of media are expected. Merchandise men are striving to keep their programs flexible. J. L. Hudson Company, generally regarded as the world’s largest department store (doing tremendous business in the home entertainment field) has been doing excellent business throughout the newspaper strike.

A special tabloid circular, with a few outstanding offers from each department is being planned by Good Housekeeping Shops for Christmas promotion – but only if the papers stay out. Good Housekeeping will push stereo, and put a little more emphasis on television, Baker said, because TV is generally more suitable as a gift for the whole family.

Mumford Music is turning to increased use of FM stations to promote classical music in its Christmas planning. The store will also rely heavily on window displays. This is in line with long range plans to increase the inventory of classical music, making this an important department for the gift trade.

Knowledgeable People

Knowledgeable personnel are another important asset, Salasin believes, in meeting vigorous competition. “Classical record buyers are getting tired of trying to find their records on a rack. Cheapness does not make up for lack of knowledge in a discount store.”

Grinnell’s is putting out an annual catalog for the holiday trade. Other Christmas plans are not available or firmly set. Pre-holiday promotion is being built around the Grinnell-sponsored “My Fair Lady,” who is promoting also the “Detroit Teen Queen.” A special sideline will be a theater dinner party for five couples tied in with the opening of the movie “My Fair Lady.”

At Uptown Radio, a series of four or five brochure holiday mailings is being made to a list of about 50,000 names – some 30,000 from the store’s own files and the rest from directory listings. Brochures from manufactures like Magnavox and Pilot are being used. In addition some custom-prepared material is being used.

Lists of professional people are used for the mailings. Milt Keverson says, “We try to aim at some of the better income groups…. We feel that repetition (of mailings) will be more effective. This seems to work better than anything else.”

Uptown will spend about $500 on decorations for the Christmas season, to make the store attractive and seasonal in its visual impact upon customers and passing traffic. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; November 14, 1964)

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From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1967

TOP 40 RADIO STATIONS NATIONWIDE BATTLE FOR LP MARKET SHARE

 

 

 

 

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NEW YORK — Rock ‘n’ roll radio stations around the country are getting deeper into the business of selling their own records. In many markets the stations are fighting not only a competitive radio station for audience, but the competition’s albums for sales. A few of the most prominent battles – both on the air and in the stores raging are between KRLA and KHJ in Los Angeles, WIBG and WFIL in Philadelphia, and between WIXY and WKYC in Cleveland. Other album wars are expected to get under way as soon as some program director strikes the first blow.

CKLW‘s Paul Drew, program director of the Detroit powerhouse, was debating over two different album packages last week. Such radio stations as KGB in San Diego, Calif., WCFL in Chicago, and WDGY in Minneapolis have put out albums. The raison d’etre, of course, has been promotion. All of the album jackets carry, in letters a mile high, the call letters of the radio station; many of the albums feature pictures of the station’s deejays. In addition to the promotional value, there have been some profits turned on the albums. Radio stations, as well as a few of the big name personalities, have sporadically for years made use of oldies but goodies albums for promotion.

Gary Stevens of WMCA in New York has an album, Murray the K has one, Hy Lit has had several, for example. R &b radio stations have occasionally done much the same thing. On rare occasions, some stations have put out special LP’s of new material – generally of local artists – as promotion vehicles. Not only do radio stations reap rewards from these albums, but record companies and music publishers pick up a bonus from masters singles. Some stations have put their own albums together (most are done by companies, who handle all details). WDGY in Minneapolis did its own album, negotiating with labels and publishers.

Johnny Canton, music director, and Scott Burton, program director, spent three months on the project. Canton said they made up a list of 24 songs that they felt were good enough for the album and “ended up with 12 good tunes. . . kind of lucked out on the whole thing.” Tunes included “The Beat Goes On” by Sonny and Cher and “Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful. The album cost WDGY about 95 cents a copy and was used strictly as a giveaway over a six-week period. Only 2,000 copies were used and “When you divide six weeks into $2,000 the cost of the promotion was not that bad,” Canton said.

Uses LP in Battle

KRLA, however, is using its album in its rating battle with KHJ. Volume I of the KRLA sold 60,000 copies in Los Angeles record stores, according to station executive Bill Wood. The album, titled “KRLA 21 Solid Rocks,” was on the Music City stores hit list three months and No. 1 on the list 12 weeks, Wood said. The station just recently launched volume II, titled “Son of KRLA 21 Solid Rocks,” is about 34,000 in sales and still climbing.

Dick Moreland, director of special promotions for KRLA, pointed out that there is nothing new or unique in the concept of a radio station promoting it’s own tie -in albums. “What does set the KRLA album venture apart from many efforts in this field is the fact that our LP releases have become much more than station promotion vehicles. Volume one and two of the “KRLA 21 Solid Rocks” albums have become first magnitude monsters. Our success stems from the fact that the station has maintained total control over selection of material, package design, merchandising, advertising, and promotion. Few organizations know as much about the youth market as do Top 40 radio stations. We simply put what we know about youth to use in selling the albums.”

KHJ put out a two -LP set retailing for $3.50. Out about a week, it was reported the album is selling well. Buzz Custio produced it.

In Cleveland, two Hot 100 format stations are in competition on the air and in the stores. WIXY has almost sold out its second 3,000 pressing of its “Super Oldies Album Vol. I.” Volume II should be out by Christmas. WKYC’s “KY Classics” reached local stores about a week ago. Both stations selected songs from 1961 on. WIXY’s LP ranges from “Runaround Sue,” by Dion to “Rescue Me,” by Fontella Bass. WKYC’s album includes “Soldier Boy,” by the Shirelles as well as the more recent “Little Bit O’ Soul,” by the Music Explosion. Both albums have pictures of station deejays on the back.

“We wanted to bring our listeners the best songs in one album,” said Dick Weber, WKYC’s music central. Weber received a plaque for breaking “Little Bit O’Soul” while at WCOL, Columbus. The WIKY album has 20 cuts, the WKYC
album 16. Both have interesting marketing touches. Part of the profits of the WKYC album, sold only in the 50,000-watt station’s listening area, will go to the American Cancer Society.

WIXY has tied in the selection of its volume II super oldies album with a coupon in the Plain Dealer’s (‘Young Ohio’) section. Teens whose coupon of five favorites of 1960-1965 contains a selected song will receive the volume I album. WIBG, WFIL Score In Philadelphia, money and promotion have been the rewards of albums by both WIBG and WFIL. In two months, the “WIBGage Hall of Fame” album has sold 50,000 copies, said program director Jim Marks. The album featured 22 tunes, ranging from “The Way of Love,” by Kathy Kirby to “Baby Don’t Go,” by Sonny and Cher. A Post Records product produced by Buzz Curtis, a line on the back of the jacket said: “More to Come!!”

The WIBG album was distributed through Raymond Rosen in all major record stores and departments. Marks said that Sears probably did the most on it … “Hank Kasper, who’s in charge of the record department there, is causing the entire Sears operation to sit up and take notice of what can be done in selling records.” The WIBG album was sold occasionally as a loss leader.

WFIL racked up more than 45,000 sales on its Volume I and Volume II is shooting above 50,000. Sold as a full price item through stores and rackers, the second album features a tune common to the competitive album of WIBG – “Hang On Sloopy.” However, the rest of the tunes range from “Eve Of Destruction,” by Barry McGuire to “96 Tears,” by Question Mark and the Mysterians. Jim Hilliard, program director of the Hot 100 operation, said conservative estimates was that the LP would make WFIL more than $5,000 and “We didn’t have to put up one red cent.” Deejays were featured on the jacket; the album was available in both mono and stereo; both Sears and Korvette were selling it. For a time, the album was third in sales in the market, Hilliard said, “right behind albums by the Beatles and the Monkees.”

Among the firms packaging albums are Lost Nite Records, headed by Jerry Greene in Philadelphia; Post Records, headed by Buzz Curtis in Philadelphia; Take Six Enterprises, headed by Dave Ralnik in Hollywood, and Original Sound. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; October 7, 1967)

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