MCRFB (Billboard) News – Page 4 – Motor City Radio Flashbacks

BEATLES HEAT FLARE IN COURT . . . JANUARY 25, 1964

U.S. Recording labels Clash in Courts Over Claims to Beatles Recording Rights

NEW YORK — Vee Jay Records filed a motion in New York’s Supreme Court against both Capitol Records and Swan Records here Friday (January 17) seeking an injunction restraining the companies from manufacturing, distributing, advertising or otherwise of disposing of recordings by the Beatles.

The motion was brought before Judge Mullen in Supreme Court, who reserved decision of the case.

This case is of but one of many suits and countersuits being bandied about the courts over the sensational young singing group from Liverpool. END

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Credit source information: Billboard, January 25, 1964

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CHICAGO — The Beatles, the nation’s hottest recording property today, are becoming the object of the nation’s hottest lawsuits, at least as far as the record industry is concerned.

The rock-and-rolling English group has a series of singles and LP’s out on three labels — Capitol, Vee Jay and Swan. Each of the offerings is bounding up the national charts like Topsy.

And each is becoming involved in a series of suits and countersuits between the various recording companies involved.

Most confused are the nation’s dealers and one-stops, many of whom have received telegrams from one or more of the parties. noting that appropriate legal action would be taken if they persisted in selling the other’s product.

The matter is far from settled, but as of Billboard press time, Capitol was granted an injunction in Cook County Circuit Court (January 15) restraining Vee Jay from manufacturing, distributing, advertising or otherwise disposing of the Beatles’ recordings.

The Capitol injunction is good for 30 days and Vee Jay is slated to file an answer next Wednesday (January 22).

Vee Jay, meanwhile, has filed a suit seeking a similar injunction against Capitol and Swan, with a hearing slated for New York’s Supreme Court before Judge Saul Streit last Friday (January 17).

Under the Capitol injunction, “Vee Jay, its agents, attorneys and servants” are prevented from selling or advertising Beatles’ product.

Presumably, and according to Vee Jay sources, the injunction does not apply against dealers, one-stops, rack jobbers and even distributors who might already have the records in stock.

According to Jay Lasker, Vee Jay executive vice-president, “we’ve shipped an awful lot of records, more than Capitol.”

Capitol attorney, Sidney Zatz, however, has indicated that “steps could he taken” against dealers who persisted in selling the Vee Jay product, though he did not specify what this would entail.

The product causing all the fuss is:

Capitol, “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” a single, No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 this week, and “Meet The Beatles,” an LP.

Vee Jay, “Please Please Me.” a single, and two LP’s, “Introducing The Beatles,” already distributed, and “The Beatles and Frank Ifield,” not yet shipped but waiting to go.

Swan, “She Loves You”, a single breaking into Billboard’s Hot 100 in position 69.

Neither Vee Jay nor Capitol is seeking damages as of this date, though a Capitol spokesman did not rule out the possibility of this taking place at a later date.

In its motion for injunction, Capitol claimed exclusive U. S. distribution rights to all recordings by the Beatles. The label accused Vee Jay of manufacturing and selling albums introducing the Beatles in violation of Capitol’s exclusive right.

Capitol contended in its suit that Vee Jay’s rights to the Beatles’ recording were canceled last August.

The suit notes that initially Vee Jay was licensed by Trans Global, a New York firm licensed to distribute EMI product. EMI had the original Beatles’ contract.

Capitol claims that Trans Global canceled its contract with Vee Jay August 8 because of non-payment of royalties. Trans Global allegedly relinquished its rights to EMI with the latter then turning them over to Capitol.

Vee Jay, meanwhile, contends that it has a five-year contract with the Beatles and that it is definitely not in default for failure to pay royalties.

Capitol’s suit notes that the label has spent 550,000 in extensive nationwide promotion of the Beatles’ recordings. END

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Credit source information: Billboard, January 25, 1964

The Beatles and Frank Ifield on Vee-Jay Records, 1963

SUPREMES ARE NUMBER ONE ON BILLBOARD–THIRD DISK IN ROW . . . DECEMBER 19, 1964

Motor City Girl Group’s latest, ‘Come See About Me’, Ascends to Top of Chart This Week

NEW YORK — Motown’s Supremes are living up to their title. The gals captured the first place position on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart with their waxing of “Come See About Me.” This is the third No. 1 record in a row for the gals and represents the first femme group to achieve this status.

To add to it all, Diana, Flo and Mary have staged a turn-about on the British by invading the No. 1 position on their charts with “Baby Love,” the first American gal group to do so. The record also registers big here, having reached the No. 8 position on Billboard’s singles listing and holding 15th place this week.

Their Motown albums have had the same response from record buyers. “Where Did Our Love Go,” formerly occupying the No. 1 position is No. 7 this week on Billboard’s LP chart with 14 weeks as a chart entry. Their most recent album release, “A Bit of Liverpool,” has reached 92 this week after only a month on the chart. Indications are that it should do as well as its predecessor.

“Baby Love,” also reached the chart pinnacle for four consecutive weeks. The Supremes have recently returned from a much-heralded tour of England and Europe. END

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Credit, information and news source: Billboard, December 19, 1964

**The Supremes**, photographed in 1965. (L-R) Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross. *(Photo by King Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)*

SAM COOKE IS KILLED IN LOS ANGELES. . . . DECEMBER 19, 1964

Popular RCA Artist Found Shot Dead Inside L.A. Motel

LOS ANGELES — Sam Cooke, one of RCA Victor’s top pop artists, was shot and killed at a motel here Thursday night (December 10). It was reported that Cooke was mistaken for a prowler. He was 29 years old.

Cooke has been a steady seller since he joined the Victor label in 1960. This past year he had three single clicks and two best selling albums. Victor has a new Cooke single in the works which was being planned for release within the next few weeks.

In addition to his Victor activities, Cooke operated his own label, SAR Records, on the Coast. Surviving are his widow and two daughters.

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Credit, information and news source: Billboard, December 19, 1964

CAPITOL SETS BEATLES’ LP YEAR-END PUSH . . . NOVEMBER 28, 1964

Capitol Records Slated to Release New Beatles LPs in U.S. after Christmas

HOLLYWOOD — Capitol is lining up Beatles material for a year-end sales splurge. Newest product in production is the LP “Beatles ’65,” which will be released the day after Christmas, featuring seven new tunes by Lennon-McCartney.

The LP being produced by Dave Dexter will follow the two-record special, “The Beatles Story,” out later this month. Dexter said the new LP will not be identical to same titled album to be released in England because the group’s latest single, “I Feel Fine“ backed with “She’s A Woman,” will not be included.

Despite the many British rock guitar groups which have followed the Beatles, Dexter feels the Beatles are immune to weakening sales action. Since they were the first mop-tops, he feels they have captured the “hearts” of teen-agers. But he does say that new groups have to develop a different sound since the guitar sound is not new any more. END

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Information, credit and news source: BILLBOARD, November 28, 1964

**THE BEATLES’ STORY** Capitol Records, released November 23,1964

THIS THANKSGIVING DAY. A ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’ . . . NOVEMBER 17, 1958

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1958

Give Thanks Where You Worship, This Thanksgiving Day

TODAY, FAR TOO MANY OF US think of Thanksgiving in terms of food and football — overlooking the fact that there is so much more food offered than that which is placed on the family table. For there is much “food for thought” as well.

Thanksgiving is a time to take stock of life’s blessings . . . to take a bright-eyed child on your knee and talk to him, or her, of things that really matter. . . of their great American heritage and the promise it holds for them. It’s a time to take your whole family to your church or synagogue for an hour of prayer and thanks that will make your holiday mean so much more.

True, our lives are far removed from those of the Pilgrim Fathers. We live in the uncertainty of the Atomic Age. But we also live in the abundance of 20th Century America. Has any one of us so much or so little that he cannot find room or time in his heart to say thanks?

This Thanksgiving, why not take your family to your church or synagogue? Wherever you are . . . whatever your beliefs may be . . . take time to offer your word of thanks.

FIND THE STRENGTH FOR YOUR LIFE . . .WORSHIP TOGETHER THIS WEEK!

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Information and news source: Billboard November 17, 1958

**With every head bowed** over the dinner table, a reverent family of five saying Grace. Thanksgiving Day, 1958

WJBK FROM ROCK TO CONSERVATIVE . . . AUGUST 1, 1964

WJBK Drops, WKNR Tops, WXYZ and CKLW Remain in Motor City Top 40 Race

**WJBK RADIO 1500 RECORD REVIEW** February 28, 1964

DETROIT — The Motor City will soon lose its distinction of being the only city in the U. S. with four full-time contemporary music formatted radio stations.

WJBK, the Storer-owned station, will drop its rock-pop music format on Aug. 16 in favor of an all-album, conservative music format.

The post-TV situation saw a battle for the pop market between WXYZ, the ABC-owned outlet, WKMH with Robin Seymour leading the way, and WJBK.

Six or seven years ago, the 50,000-watt CKLW, just across the river in Windsor, began to feature a younger deejay line-up and more of the current pop singles. The RKO General station with its big wattage has been effectively carving an important niche for itself in the Detroit market as well as in secondary markets in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

The next significantly important change in the contemporary station line-up was the switch of WKMH to a standard, no rock policy, leaving the field to WXYZ and WJBK, with CKLW contributing its share to the hot pop scene, but not to the same degree.

ENTER WKNR

The most exciting change in the status quo took place in November of last year when WKMH pulled a complete 360– degree switch in music format and call letters. With its new call letters, WKNR, came a 30 plus 1 contemporary music format, promotions galore, razzle dazzle and several new swingin’ air men.

The impact of WKNR greatly altered the market picture, rating-wise and pop music-wise. The tight play-list formula and concentrated on and off-the-air promotion drove the station’s ratings from obscurity up to a position of prominence.

Although many factors must be taken into consideration in reasoning why a station decides to change its format, many programmers label any format changes as a certain sign of defeat. Industry observers opinion that the mitigating factor in the forthcoming WJBK change was brought on primarily by the impact of WKNR on the market, along with the solidifying of WXYZ’s influence on its pop music audience and coupled with increased competition in the same area from CKLW.

Other important factors to be taken into consideration is the affinity of the Storer Broadcasting Company for conservative and subdued music formats. WJBK will, along with WGBS, Miami; WHN, New York City; WJW, Cleveland and KGBS, Los Angeles, be programmed musically from Storer head quarter’s music department in Miami. At present Storer’s 50,000–watt station in Philadelphia is the company’s foremost and highly successful exponent of contemporary music. Top-rated Storer station. WSPD in Toledo, also features a pop music, news and personality format.

CURRENT RESEARCH

WJBK is presently in the survey of the listeners in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties to keep in touch with their tastes, desires and preferences in radio. “Although we have only completed approximately half of the current survey we are learning that a majority of the people polled are desirous of the type of format we will be launching in August,” said John Grubbs, WJBK program manager.

According to Billboard’s May 16 Radio Response Rating for Detroit, WQTE and WWJ reported conservative music formats. WCAR and WJR features music of the standard variety, culled primarily from albums. “WJBK’s ‘Sound of (Just Beautiful) Music’ and ‘Total Information News’ format is being designed to incorporate all members of the staff,” said Grubbs. “Our air personalities are all top pros and are capable of handling any format.”

WJBK staffers include Marc Avery, Clark Reid, Bob Lee, Robin Walker, Bob Edgington, and Bob Layne. Grubbs scotched rumors circulating in the trade in recent weeks that he is being transferred to WIBG in Philadelphia as program manager replacing William Wheatley. “The rumors circulating to the effect that I am being moved to WIBG or any other station are not in any way based on fact,” emphasized Grubbs. END

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Information, credit and news source: Billboard, August 1, 1964

COSTA SEES BRIGHT FUTURE WITH TRINI LOPEZ AS BALLAD SINGER . . . MAY 15, 1965

Billboard | May 15, 1965

Don Costa heard Trini Lopez at PJ’s in Los Angeles in 1963 and signed him as an artist with his production company. He then placed the singer with Reprise Records. Here is his analysis of the ingredients in Trini’s style which account for his mercurial success.

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By DON COSTA

Trini Lopez will be the biggest ballad singer in America within two years. I’m absolutely convinced of that. Trini’s style involves the ability to communicate to his audience and make them feel that they’re part of the act. Some of the things he does come under the heading of community singing. He sings well, in tune, and with a definite jazz feel.

Like most kids his age who grew up in the rock ‘n’ roll era, he should really only have this orientation. But he doesn’t. He has a natural, instinctive jazz feel with a little of Louis and Ella in his style.

He has to learn a few things about phrasing or really knowing where to breathe. But he sings with such driving spirit that even in ballads he’s almost out of breath trying to get the point across. I‘ve developed a closer relationship with Trini than with any other artist because I’ve seen him develop right from the beginning.

When Nino Tempo took me to hear him at PJ’s, I felt the electricity he generated. The people were standing 10 deep around the stand. Trini’s rhythm feel was sensational.

PJ’s at the time was a hangout for audition and recording men. I can’t recall how many guys who saw him have come up to me since and said they should have signed him. I don’t think they took him seriously.

Recording Trini has been the easiest assignment for me. Each album gets harder as the material becomes more complex. Trini only picks songs he can wail on. There is a definite danger in doing ballads (Trini’s latest LP is “The Love Album“) but it’s something he’s never done before and wanted to do very badly. END

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Information, credit, and news source: Billboard; May 15, 1965

Trini Lopez passed away two years ago, at the age of 83, August 2020. You can view his NBC News obituary here

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EUROPEAN SUCCESS PAVES WAY FOR LOPEZ . . . MAY 15, 1965

Disk Exposure Is Key to Lopez Success

By Mo Ostin, General Manager, Reprise Records, also contributed by Billboard columnist, Eliot Tiegel

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Trini Lopez’s simplicity of style and animal kind of excitement are the basics behind his success in the record industry. His Latin background is one key to his universality. It’s definitely part of his singing and also adds to his personality.

Trini is the best example of an artist made successful by records. I don’t think there is anyone whose career has been advanced better on records than Trini. We go right to the very beginning with him when Don Costa called and asked if I was interested in hearing a sensational new singer.

The reason for recording his first album live before an audience was to capture precisely the kind of excitement he was generating at PJ’s.

After we recorded his first album we became so excited that I called Frank Sinatra and told him that Trini could not get national recognition if he was restricted to PJ’s. I asked about getting him booked at either the Sands or Cal -Neva and Frank said if we believed in him we’d give him this support. A booking at Cal -Neva in 1963 was the springboard in breaking him out of the local area.

Trini Lopez signs an autograph for a London fan during his tour in Europe in August 1964.

The second step was his fantastic acceptance in person in Europe. His record of “If I Had A Hammer” was the sensation of Holland (#1 in 38 European countries last year) which prompted an appearance on the television program “Grand Gala De Disc” which opened the doors for European concerts. Despite language barriers, Lopez is probably the number one artist in Holland. Most discotheques in France play his records.

But in little over a year the 27-year -old Dallas singer had broken attendance marks, set the Europeans singing and dancing along with his infectious melodic style and traveled more than 100,000 miles to earn $480,000.

At the Olympia Music Hall in Paris, the Reprise artist reportedly stole the spotlight from the Beatles, earning more encores than the mop-tops. In Berlin 23,000 persons crammed an arena to hear him sing. In Buenos Aires he drew 60,000.

Trini Lopez signs autographs for Belgium dignitaries upon arrival in Brussels, August 25, 1964.

More of the same occurred in Holland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Australia, England, Germany, Monte Carlo, Beirut, Canada and Mexico. In Mexico City he broke the attendance record at the Terrazza Casino and earned $80,000 for two weeks’ work.

Trini’s success in Europe can be directly traced to the single, “If I Had A Hammer,” culled from his debut LP for Reprise. This LP was cut live at PJ’s, a Los Angeles night spot.

A call by Pete Fellerman, Reprise’s licensee in Holland, to Mo Ostin, Reprise general manager in Burbank, Calif., exclaiming that “Hammer” had everyone excited, alerted the record company of a developing enthusiasm for Trini. Fellerman said if Trini could appear on the Eurovision TV show “Grand Gala De Disc,” he felt the record could break wide open all over the European continent.

Lopez did go to Europe after ending a two-year engagement at PJ’s and his appearance on the TV show excited other European bookers.

Trini Lopez in rehearsal, prior his televised concert in Brussels. August 26, 1964.

[Bullets] Durgom (Lopez’s manager) relates it was “thrilling to hear European audiences, many of who couldn’t speak English, singing along with Trini on such singles as ‘Hammer,’ ‘America,’ ‘This Land Is Your Land’ and ‘Kansas City.’ “It reminded me of a revival meeting,” Durgom said. The effect worked and through advance radio exposure, audiences memorized the lyrics and came in person to see the young American with the Latin accent, the infectious rocking beat and the happy voice. Accompanying Trini on his first European tour were David Shriver, bass guitar, and Mickey Jones, on drums, since replaced by Gene Riggio.

Lopez has gone beyond merely being a singer in front of two guitars and drums. At his first Basin St. East appearance in New York last year he added new instruments to the act. He’s continually branching out on records to see if he can go in different directions. END

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Information, credit, and news source: Billboard; May 15, 1965

On August 1, Motor City Radio Flashbacks will showcase Trini Lopez’s live concert performance (including the entire Trini Lopez pre-concert interview) held in Brussels, Belgium on August 26, 1964.

Coming up, Monday! Only on Motor City Radio Flashbacks

WJR’S McCARTHY IS TOP DJ IN DETROIT . . . JULY 2, 1966

Number One Air Personality — 18 Months After Returning to WJR

DETROIT — J. P. McCarthy of WJR is the king of the air personalities in Detroit, according to the record industry.

McCarthy received 52 per cent of the votes of record dealers, distributors, one-stop operators, and local and national record company executives as being the major influence on album sales. They also attributed him with having vast influence in creating sales of Easy Listening singles.

James H. Quello, program director of the Easy Listening format station, said that McCarthy, “seems to be able to pick them. He practically made Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in Detroit.” A lot of the credit, too, should go to music director Harold Lake, Quello said.

“We try to play the bright new beats that aren’t rock,”Quello said, “try to be cheerful and entertain and sensible. McCarthy practically dominates all morning ratings because of his warm personality an the fact that he keeps his show interesting. For instance, he has little gimmicks he calls winners and losers –– sort of comments about topical matters. He also plays novelty records.”

WJR also scored as the major influence on classical record sales with 55 per cent of the votes. The programming of WJR has given the station tremendous billings. “Business in the last year and a half has been absolutely fantastic,” Quello said. “We’ve definitely proved that there’s room in a market for all kinds of music – country music, our music, or rock ‘n’ roll.”

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Information, credit, and news source: Billboard; July 2, 1966

GAVIN REPORT | MUSIC POLICY NOT JUST [RECORD] LABELS . . . JULY 4, 1964

Programming Beyond the Music Determines Stations’ Success or Failure for Better Audience Appeal

By BILL GAVIN
Billboard Contributing Editor

AS SOME OF OUR READERS have already surmised, I am not a columnist by profession. Nor, if I may point on the obvious, am I even a writer. Aside from this weekly excursion. I devote most of my time advising and consulting with a number of radio stations in the U. S. and Canada, trying to assist them toward higher ratings and bigger profits.

It is necessary to present this personal preamble to explain that in the course of my work I am constantly faced with the problem of adapting program policies and plans to meet competitive situations in various cities. In no two cities are the problems the same. A policy or formula that will work in one place usually falls short in another.

Broadcasters are notoriously label-prone. They want to put a name tag on every policy. They use such names as “Top 40,” “Chicken 40,” “Rhythm and Blues,” “All Talk,” “Good Music,” “Town and Country,” and so on. Unfortunately, none of these tags accurately describes a specific program operation any more. Modern radio has brought unlimited variations to each classification.

THIS IS WHY SO OFTEN WE find the manager of a good music station (for example) that is not snaking the grade, thinking in terms of a switch to a top 40 policy. The same kind of confused thinking often prevails when the lagging top 40 operation switches to good music, or to some completely different program approach. Such abrupt policy reversals may prove highly successful; others may compound disaster. It is entirely possible that key adjustments within a general program policy may bring the desired improvements.

Top 40 programming for instance, is no longer a projection of local record sales plus a few picks. Recent developments have attracted attention to such variations as the all-request survey, the tight playlist, controlled frequency of plays, distributor sales surveys, etc. Upgrading of production, promotion and /or program personnel may provide the key to a brighter future.

In the field of good music (an inaccurate term which I use with some reluctance), there is usually a great deal of room for improvement. A program director, in his determination to avoid a “top 40″ sound, often turns his back on many pop hits that fit perfectly into his established pattern. Or, if they are on his playlist, they are played too infrequently to be of any great value. In selecting his music, he consults his own ear rather than relying on the proven audience appeal of certain singles and LP’s. Commercial standards for music selection work just as successfully for good music stations as for top 40’s.

TRENDS IN COUNTRY/WESTERN, and also in R&B, show that many successful stations in these fields have adopted the bright pacing and crisp production characteristics of top 40 operations. In their music, the disk jockey’s choice is being replaced by the people’s choice.

A small but growing number of stations are using the phone as a program tool. Some invite their listeners to phone for their favorite music. Others solicit phone votes on new records. A few stations have experimented successfully with putting their phone callers on the air with their comments and questions concerning subjects of common interest. Some phone interviews are taped and edited for special feature programming, not only as a part of the news, but more broadly as a matter of human interest. While there is no central formula for using the phone in broadcasting, the persistent success of this technique in various cities makes us conclude that by involving listeners directly in our programming, we are attracting and entertaining a larger audience.

With all the newer devices and techniques of modern radio, its great common denominator continues to be recorded music. The infinite variety of musical sounds and styles available on records defies rigid classification. This makes communication difficult at times when it is necessary to discuss music policy. Even among professional radio people, one encounters differences in interpreting such terms as jazz, good music and (of all things) rock ‘n’ roll.

EACH MUSICAL SELECTION THAT goes on the air is somewhat like a beam of light, illuminating a certain segment of the audience according to its breadth and intensity. The general type of music determines the breadth of appeal; the depth with which it penetrates is determined by its popular appeal — often referred to as “hit potential.”

Communication becomes somewhat easier when we discuss music in terms of listener reaction. Given a specific segment of musical tastes on which to focus our musical beams of light, it is then up to the programmer to achieve the depth of penetration necessary to build good ratings.

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Information, credit, and news source: Billboard; July 4, 1964