From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1967

Motor City R&B Labels on ‘Track’ to Launch U.K.

NEW YORK — America’s rhythm and blues product will be getting another outlet in England via the independent Track Records. Kit Lambert, who is partnered with Chris Stamp in the Track operation, has been in the U. S. the past week laying the groundwork for Track’s onslaught into England’s growing R&B market.

Track’s scheme is to found a “third force” in England’s R&B field. “We’re looking for ties with small r &b labels here,” he said, “to give them a corporate identity in England and to give us the product to compete with Atlantic and Motown.”

Track will make its R&B bow in England in about three weeks with the Parliaments‘ recording of “I Want to Testify,” This disk release is the kickoff of a recently concluded deal between Track and Detroit’s Solid Hit Bound combine. Labels in Solid Hit Bound are Revilot, Groovesville and Solid Hit. The Parliaments‘ disk is on the Revilot label and Track expects to have all of Revilot’s product in the English market within a six -month period.

Lambert also plans to present Track’s R&B artists in a new way. He wants to get away from the stereotype presentation of Negro acts and bring out the identity of each singer in a particular group. He’ll concentrate on dress and publicity
photographs to develop a different R&B image for Track’s groups. “The image,” he says, “will be something like hip soul.”

Promotion TV

Track will also stress TV films to help promote the R&B act in England. Lambert and Stamp will be visiting the U. S. regularly to supervise the TV films, which have become potent promotional tools for American acts overseas. Meantime, Track is continuing to roll with its pop groups.

The Who a Hit

The Who, a Decca group in the U. S., hit the market this week with “I Can See for Miles.” It is reported to be one of Decca’s largest advance pressings. The record was rushed into market to capitalize on the Who’s appearance on the Smothers Brothers CBS -TV show Sunday (September 24) where they performed the song. Decca is promoting the disk with a printing of 250,000 color photos of the group which is being sent to key radio stations around the country.

And, to keep a continual flow of information from the U. S. to England concerning R&B properties, Lambert and Stamp have shifted Nancy Lewis to a New York office from London. In addition to scouting R&B acts for Track, she’ll be doing publicity for Lambert and Stamp’s management firm, New Action, Ltd. Miss Stamp will be headquartering in New York at 888 Eighth Avenue. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; September 30, 1967)