Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1958)

would also like to point out that mechanical copyright royalties were paid on Miss Whitney’s composition for all records sold. Therefore, she got the benefit of any sales which were made as a result of the “Banjo” promotion. We run many, many contests. For example, we had one on the Georgia Gibbs recording of Fun Lovin’ Baby which was an AS CAP selection, the reverse side of which was / Never Had the Blues, a BMI composition. This contest was national in scope and was run in conjunction with Gerber’s Baby Food. At approximately the same time as the Banjo contest, there was a contest involving the June Valli recording of Tell Me — an ASCAP tune — and the reverse side of this record was Boy Wanted, also ASCAP. We also ran a contest on the Tony Travis {Love Is) The $6Jf,()0() Question — a BMI tune — and the reverse side of that record was Drummer Boy, also a BMI composition. I could relate to you any number of contests, some of which feature ASCAP selections and some of which feature BMI. The only factors considered in deciding which side of the record to use are: “Does the selection fit within a promotion idea?” “Is that the side which will best sell the record?” RCA Acquisition of Victor Talking Machine It has even been charged that RCA’s purpose in entering the phonograph recoi’d business by acquiring the Victor Talking Machine Co. was to record music allegedly controlled by NBC, through BMI, and to exploit these recoi’dings over NBC stations. I was not a member of RCA when the Victor Talking Machine Co. was acquired, and accordingly I cannot state what considerations motivated RCA’s decision. However, there are certain facts which make this charge unbelievable. In the first place, Victor was acquired by RCA in 1929, but BMI was not organized until 1939. Secondly, if the intention was to use NBC stations as a means of exploiting RCA Victor records, this intention was implemented in a most peculiar manner, for I understand that NBC did not permit the use of phonograph records on network broadcasts until 1949 and was one of the last broadcasters to permit use of these records on its own stations. In addition, during the 1930’s RCA opposed use of its phonograph records by radio stations, and from 1932 through 1937 each record released had a notice on its label that it was not licensed for radio broadcast. I was interested and amused to learn that, in a suit filed by RCA in 1938 to prohibit a radio station from broadcasting Victor records, our complaint stated that we had been damaged because the “injudicious and excessive repetition of records” on the air enabled the public to enjoy them without charge, thereby reducing the demand for records and decreasing sales. Taste of the Public — Likes and Dislikes We get back to that mercurial, ever-changing, amorphous and yet completely strong-willed expression of the people themselves — their likes and their dislikes. And here we come near to the question which may underly this whole discussion : Why is it that rock ’n’ roll music is so popular and why is it, conversely, that some of the old, sweeter-type songs are no longer quite so popular? Well, I cannot tell you why it is that the younger generation has spoken so decisively in favor of a type of music which I don’t happen to like particularly — but then I like Verdi and Brahms — and which some of the older people look upon with horror. Perhaps it is because they consider it their type of music, belonging to them — and perhaps they feel that rock ’n’ roll is an expression of the strong, nervous beat of a postwar generation. Perhaps. All I am sure of is that rock ’n’ roll is popular not only in this country but has swept the world, that it is relatively equally popular in conservative England, in far-off Australia, in India, in Germany. So there must be something in this music which captures the imagination and love of the young people. It must be music which is indigenous to the psychology of today. In the Magazine Section of the April 4, 1958 New York Times there is an article discussing its world-wide popularity. Other people are, of course, quite at liberty to disapprove of the tastes of the younger folks. That won’t do these people any good, but they will at least be following an historic pattern. Over and over again new forms of music have been derided, railed at, and deprecated. The older generation has clucked its tongue and shaken its head over new music. Incidentally, that’s as true of our greatest music as of the butterfly, temporary entertainment, popular music. Tristan and Isolde was called names that one could apply to rock ’n’ roll today — not that there is any comparison! It was called “cat music” — “the incomprehensible wailings of a madman.” In the 19th Centuiy when the waltz came up, it was predicted that “this licentious dance would open the sluice gates of immorality and degradation.” Is rock ’n’ roll, I quote, “an expression of protest against law and order, that bolshevik element of license striving for expression in music”? Is it, I quote, “an influence for evil”? Does it, I quote, “with its moaning saxophone and the rest of the instruments with their broken, jei’ky rhythm, make a purely sensual appeal”? Does it, I quote, “call out the low and rowdy instinct”? Well, what I have just quoted you was not said about rock ’n’ roll, but was said by the national music chairman of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in August 1921 in an article in The Ladies’ Home Journal. She was talking about the jazz which we now have recognized as legitimate music and as part of the American musical tradition. I do not think that the composers of the music which was popular in 1921 now have any right to say that music which is popular today is being forced on the public by illegitimate means. Let us not be hypocrites and pretend that Yes, We Have No Bananas has become Schubert or Brahms. Let’s not — to be brutally honest about it — be deluded into taking up a foolish and insupportable charge by songwriters who, at least for the moment, have been unable to gain the favor of today’s teenage group. ASCAP, BMI — and Elvis Presley Indeed, I think none of us has a right to say what the public should or should not hear, what is good taste and what is bad taste. We have a right to our opinions, to our own likes and dislikes, as long as they remain opinions only. I do not want to be an arbiter of taste. At this point I would like to divert for a moment and respond to the request of Senator Monroney and present to the Committee the number of ASCAP and BMI selections recorded by Elvis Presley. Of a total of 83 selections released by RCA Victor Records, 26 or 31% have been ASCAP and 57 or 69% have been BMI. Mr. Vance Packard adverted to Mr. Presley in his testimony stating that the first major move was to give Elvis TV exposure by arranging a guest spot on NBC’s Milton Berle Show. This is not true. We at RCA Victor tried to arrange a spot on NBC but were unsuccessful. It was only after Elvis had several appearances on the CBS network — the Dorsey Brothers’ Stage Show — that Elvis appeared with Milton Berle on NBC. Thereafter, he had additional appearances on CBS with E,d Sullivan. Perhaps the Government has also helped in making Elvis a world-wide attraction. I quote from John Gunther’s recent book Inside Russia Today (p. 322) — “. . . Also recordings of American jazz bring bizarre prices on the black market, as much as 400 rubles ($100 at par) for a single record. These recordings are taken on tape from Voice of America or other broadcasts, and then repro 5