Variety (December 1954)

56 MUSIC Wednesday, December 1, 1954 £ Cite ‘Hit Parade To FTC on Beef Re Tune Brushoff j The NBC-TV “Hit Parade" show, j which has been the target of numerous publisher squawks, has now become the subject for a J complaint to the Federal Trade Commission. Attorney L* Arnold Weissberger, repping songwriter Jack Lawrence, who wrote the tune, “Hold My Hand/' with Rich- ard Myers, has asked the FTC to investigate the “Hit Parade” be- cause it is allegedly “engaging in false representations." Latest stew stems from the pro- gram's alleged brashoff of the number, “Hold My Hand,” from the film, “Susan Slept Here,” and published by Fred Raphael Music. In his complaint to the FTC, Weissberger stated that' the tune j “has been for several months among^the top seven songs in na- tionwide popularity, according to almost every trade journal rat- ing.” Weissberger charged that after the publisher made a ve- hement protest, the tune was spotted on the show about three weeks ago, but has hot been on since, despite the fact that it climbed on the charts.. Weissberger's basis of com- plaint to the FTC Was as follows: “Inasmuch as the ‘Lucky Strike Hit Parade’ represents to the pub- lic that its choice of songs is based on a fair and accurate sur- vey of the leading songs of the country, and inasmuch of the se- lection made by the ‘Lucky Strike i Hit Parade’ makes arbitrary se- lections of its songs and does not in actuality perform the function Which it claims to perform, it would appear clear that the ‘Lucky Strike Hit Parade' is en- gaging in false representations that should, be promptly investi- gated by the Federal Trade Com- mission.” VICTOR PREPS 10-INCH POP LP; AS JOCK AID Chicago, Nov, 30. RCA Victor is propping a 10- inch LP disk With eight of its cur- rent pop issue to convenience disk jockey programming. Capitol Rec- ords, at request of Chi deejay Stan Dale, made a^.. special platter for the jocks a month ago, and it’s understood that Mercury too is mulling the idea. Joe Carlton, artists & repertory head for Victor, informed Dale that his company’s disk was forthcom- ing this week. From the station and deejay’s standpoint, the rec- ords will be easier to store and program than 45s, whether they play the disks straight through or treat, them as eight separate sides. Diskery benefits by slipping in some weaker entries which it wants BET AIL DISK BEST SELLEHS to push into a package with the big hits. Pitt Local to Oust Tooter On Narcotics Charge membership in Local 60 two years ago, Davis said, and as for Clayton Gerlach, a California dance bafid musician formerly of this city, Pittsburgh, Nov. 30. Expulsion from Pittsburgh Local 60 of the Musicians Union faces one of the alleged members .of a drug ring broken up here last week by city detectives. Referring to Frank LaMarca, 28, Hal C. Davis, president of Local 60, said: “After my recommendation to the execu- tive board, I'm sure he’ll no longer have any membership in the AFM." One of six persons arrested in the investigation, LaMarca was held for court on narcotics charges. Irvin. Ludin, another man in- volved in the case, dropped his “We are as bitterly opposed to the use of narcotics as anyone could be,” Davis said. “We have done our utmost to stamp out their use and we will continue that policy.” Decca’s 171c Divvy Decca Records’ board of direc- tors 'yesterday (Tues.) declared a regular quarterly dividend of IV/zc per share. Melon is payable Dec. 29 to stockholders of record as of Dec. 14. British Revue 88’er Takes Time fwLonghair Stint London, Nov. 30. Pianist Winifred Atweli, whose boogie piano-disks are among the' biggest-selling platters here, played Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall Sunday (28). ‘ She also played the “Rhapsody in Blue” on the bill. A headliner in variety, Miss At- well has been bashing the keys nightly at the Prince of Wales The- atre, in London, in the revue, “Par- don My French,” for the past year. When the show finishes, she leaves on Dec. 29 for a sixmonth tour of Australia, followed by some radio and tv appearances in the State* on the way home, JUST REUEi Leroy Anderson's sandpaper HAl.Ill * ^ Dku #29)1* MILLS MUSIC, Inc. vm£ll aJ&imjA , (/id... WINTER WONDERLAND (wd. o - - - tS/urti q/mt hJUxrhdmacLf BREGMAN, VOCCO and CONN, INC. - NEW V0RK * CHICAGO* HOLLVPVP0P N y