Variety (Jan 1946)

2M ^11 Sir \V«Mlno8<lny, J«iuiur> 9, lyjf. Looks Like a Z-Yeu Uphill Fight To Get Disks Rolling B> BER.Mi: WOODS ii livt ilii' opuiidn of ihO' top oxcctif . Tiiiiopcrtv'pi'. -.As Will pUial*. foTclod. ■ tlii; cliskprs Jlsiivi'rf. Ihey'.d h;ive llu'i'v j . , pick ot cnruvlovoos.' Somoone; howT.i the prbcluclion or popular (iisk^ \vrlK ^^^<j,,. , c^'yoi to Ml\vise thp, wtiv3^er>!. ! ■n«l talctv up tQ' .Mi*^ %m)W5l; t"^; -K^^^^ I'btiUln'V, seiv 'pilKsiiiS' Jroiii/ cortifOTt-; loltsl aiiuthcr' tu o j-tnrs;, ■Tliis ,ml!>' soiiiva; liUcf n . aipamj" ^hii^-iv^" -fc)''; l)us}ires.>, th.vt has bceiv hui't by the. :Viar hun'O, tlian any Whtr :pha.scv^»f Vliij'w 6iisiiic.-s. bat in ■ix-alUy-.U;--!-!?'mil. It simply :meaiis that n.ti matlop-, h(V\v vvc'fl tht; ■vepprritng,,bu>i.iiie^s ca^ rocavcr hianpoWti-' and :jirodurt>Qn j'a'cilnic'.s' ritii'inji-thiit tinic, the pubiic ■ tli-mud « U oubUp piocjiuclion Ihin^s Ui i' tlTo fact .t.hat almost ex'cry 'hcun'o' niciiir'-to be turrad put hence ■ toi-th by thO i-adio manUfaclai'evs'. tvill be a lioinljiDation, iind, (b) the jnci'ca.-iiiy riuivibi.'r:cit coin machiiics, u hich pmiivirt to . lar SuTpas.s the 500.000 ui-. iilUiht'iy ^ bclpw. in . opei'ii--.. lull bolou the v.ai With the niajtirily ,i>r ,p)'c-war hnrne radi'os al-,': reiitl>v wpm'kml or dialing their last; apd the srcaici pci'lion of them, spoil ti> be replaecdiby macliines. equipped (o reproduce records, it't. no vvofidcr that the ••• diVk: rnakers will .be iwamped by ordcrf fbr tlncir; prod'. Met iMot 10 mention those evcii,un8ry coin machineK » parativeiy-' lu\\'<"r ■ coin ideas ot ■the \ rccord-niakcrs, even it the JapK .had; j yiyen up the ftlip.'t and the^ war. jobs : \von1 lip the ehiiiiricy with the last puir of riiotory tires:" They >at ;:baCl<..'.|; ■fliey .topki.it iicasy. They were fld^h, | >.o whA huiiv bacU into thtii old i ,'•> rolurnbui wj- liU uoise than { t h i other j thAii'w.fac ti i re r s \y h en" . t h fey ■ i >ft:ti((ti Jto .i» better ;pfT. since Bridgt?^ '; poj't; Conii;; ■th'e.*H'n"Miany's. 'hp to\wa,rj,dMlie site or. its bigfjej^fciac .i triry.' was fine;: pf, the 'bigfjcst War plant, colliers in the CEisl., • ' ri>«t\viti' Mnnimwer I'roblem ; i Serious Music Biz As a $20,000,000 Project By \B1'HIIR JUDSOX {]' I'wkenl ColiiiMlnn Conioti /iic > I. I K K U \ < K ■ l,fi!i'ii;!AW •I'llHK' ; .K.ti'.iiiv HERB GORDON JOINS WORLD AS PROD. HEAD .CPlumbia tOLind, too, as. did some 0.r ' t h e nt her pla his. \ lia t t he i r pre \\A\ L\oi.iienccd machnie opciators | dill come back The people thov i iivana-Uoi to hire. were Kreen and had t(i be tunned This took additional Hcib Goidon foi tnc o ist ^e\cial tinie an(i , the pcr-day' output on , yearf .'in charge^ or refeorcjinja; iaiid hian\" ni,!ichines is still not-.what "ti-anscriptions at the Wiliiain ■ iMorris u biloie Pe.u 1 Hai boi All thi^ is jcre,K\ iiiO\e' FebiUiUv 1 to Woild till., delay in.K thiv wide-open, cff-drt i Trahs'criiJt^^ as }.icad pt all' that. The music busihess-Trand by 'that 1 ■ mean, cpiicoi't-sivinK— Jias jiist about doubled itsel.t ilivt'VP hist I'ew ^(.iis What was a piospeiiim $10,000 000 business dm iin,' the 1941-42 seasons is now a boonumj ">20OO0OO0 i; Rrctject.;-i:' : .' . I We have been asked il this sweeping met case in audienies. cn<.;a!iemints foi aitist bONollice leeeipts and intciesl, will continue at the '■ saine accelerated rale. 1 eim imswei I the question this « ,i\ , , The cieniand i'oi niu.sie has been ■'rtrnily established. . Assumin.i; a mpdest ainoHflt'Of prospei-it.v ill thf eoun^ try during' the ivexi. O.ve or, .-ii x, yeiirs. v\e shall see the siowtli ol .uinieiices th.it will keep piice with the (iiiicril tiihd We .shall h.ne moie lecoids. more radio, more cpneeit.s. Ho w'evei I anlicipapi that the miinbei I of concoit.s and listeneis nia\ be limI lied by only tw ) lattois— an insul This 1 uhct ltd ic\eial ton exec puiduction men neic talking about , companv s pioduetion jttuities, He uti\i'~ lc\s, sainmei to predict )oi ij,t summd and it wtll continue to \AJiiii'i an ultimate annual recoid bothei them into this \tai, toi a tale ot bttHtcn 300,000 000 and „hile at least too 000 000 tnc exact pcmt in between still ..njbpcj'.s guess That not too hard to .vision. RCA-VietPr alone before the war. at a tinie , whey :hc popuJiit ct leeordings v a= oniv a leU' vears out ol the doldrums ci the eailj oO'. managed to produce 50 000 000 cli'li^.. the majorit\ at its ha.s sighed a ]ong<t^rm .cpnt:raet;, at undisclosed teriijs, ^ Gordon ha.s been rumcired as inaking '-a moyiB .-.aw'fej' trPni Mprris as long ago fiis :Iast> .s^■mITlCl^^" . A ' eon... I ncetiOn with World, however, had xpeiimcnt with talent as | entered any conscis,*tion The I Company is a sCibsiciiary of E>ecca The' liinKations oil production, has been felt m other ways. too. Due to ,f. the disk companies have not been ; ble to the'A' did pre-war. particularly bandtalent As a result, no new band names have biokcn thiough the gup that thoj-e maestreis who had scajed Bccords and L Dcntseh IS operated bv Percy mam C imr'cn. N J. plant With the heights before P H have held on 111 lie plants jU i\er the coun'iv all phases ol the band business This niakiiitt 'Victor. Columbia, Deeca. ! circumstance: unhappily. ; boomCapitol et al. labels the 300 to 600 : eraiiged on the recording industry ^ million I much moic plaUb.ble than Idunn.^ 1945 With inteicst in bands it -sounpcd then. [ waning considerably, due to the , ,. — • '■ r. — -; ! .same old names playing the same old 1^ The lleadjdw Is Just BeginiUns ^^^^ ^^^^^ recoids ically " Witn thc't -kv-hifch pi eduction ' took a unhealthy ihdfe Even moic figuiLS rattlmg 'diound in then powcilulh, the interest of recordDi.in cc'K however, production , bikers tut ned tow aid ^ oca! records c sees ot all ihe maior companies aie Thi, angle cannot be explained stil\ puttns m a lot ot sleepless moie diaiU than cin a look at niphta planmng the means of hGo.st ing current production figures. And th^y'i'B havii% a tiJugb jtime.' ' Imineeujtcb aite V-.I Day Ihi di.sk industry began to gather ilself lor a lull-sciide .effort. It is still bunching its rnuiclo.?. Production overaJl hasn't Inercased 25.<;o and it's the confcjdcrcd opinirn ol th( se men j that the fot.l 1945 sale ot recoids 1 riidn t surp i = 100,000,000 That s a guess since there are so many small indepeivdent.-i firm.s , stsikins cnsks from back alley c^uiprnent, but it's a pretty fair. guess. , Tlie great ma.iprity; 111' produet!On. ot cpnrse, was-laicl on' the line by the maiorsi which now includes .RGA-Victoi*. Golumbia. ^•^ Dctca and Cupitql the Buddy Dc" Sylvia. Glenn Wallichs, Johnny Mercer coast Arm, which has made groat strides. Back 111 September. RCA was getting out approximately 2,800,000 aisks a month. Deeca abont l.SOO^OOO.' Capitol s talent list. It is almost all voeul. There are only one : or two ba nds on t hat label, a.s; against 11 or': ^■o vocalists. During recent month.s -nd euucnth. the lists of best selling ucoicis die topheaw with hits done ! by inrli\'iduals pi' vpcal groups. , riot j bands. , ' . Durnn' the coming 12 months, the j tine lirm that is flgurcd by everyone • '.n the recording business, as one to be veckoni-<d with, ."should get under I w,i\ Thjl s the new Mttio oi^ani/ 1tion which Flank Walker, loimer RCA-Victoi head loined last Aug 1 A^cli'P has made few, moves .so far. oniv two weeks a^o acquiring, the site for its fii'st plant, at Bloonifield. N. J. At one time, the film com For Chi AFM Hnddle Executives o{ the inaior band agencies will congregate in Ivi. Y. this week to piepaic foi an appeal ance .Tan. 15 before the Amencan Federation of Musicians executive boaid Confab participated 111 bv rcpi'e.'-'entatives of Music Carp: of America., : William Morri.s. agcney,' Frederick Bros..: will take place in Chicago. Purpase of the meeting with AFM heads IS to outline to the latter how certain union rules and regulations are imurmg and retarding the operation oi the band business, trom an agency point of view. E-xecs ho|)e to secure changes. PHIL BROWS RESIGNS ,\.v''' :'^: v .'Chicago. , Phil Brown, head oi llie William iVIorris agencv band department here, resigned last week. His future plans are said to include an alliance witlv Don Haynes. Ipjnvs entiv into the business had ot Glenn .Millei, 1 ow setting the current maiors a bit bothered. I >;'P i" N Y. but that atlitune seems to have 1 cased, apparenlly on the tneorv that 1 licient numbei ol good .iitists ,ind the capacity ot concert halls that have not grown Willi the. new ticketbuving public. Either tactor will hold back musical development. We account tor the expansion by the additional i iimbei ol aitists more orchestias giving conceits and a mote active campaign to mlr>iest people in music. Millioii.s of dollms are being spent bv the large leeortliiig companies; the bin industrial sponsors ot classiciil music m l iuuo and manulacturers ot radio receivers and record players m newspapei and riiaeazme advcrli.sing in ealliiiK the attention ot the public to line nulsie. More and: better inusie was sent to the armed torcos. We've pumped out good music over the air. not oniv 111 the United States, but o\ei,teas eontinuously for the past four years. Sales of record I ng.sol good music has exceeded all expectations The desire tor good inusic IS also' nhown by the development of concert series througli the orf;anr/.ed audience movement m small towns and cities apart from metropolitan centers. The Gommunjt.V Concert Service, which :was started by Columbia Concerts in li),'M>. has tlvi.s year added 10:1 towvn.s and cities to make a total of over 400 cominitnitics where music, has been: made po.s«iblo by concert maivweineiil which has been wiliinn tp nnest close to .S-VHIOOO ill th( < nlv stages ot the proieet m order to cicate these thous.incis ot lonteiti thioug^Tout the coiiiili.\ with lis^iA CIS m the millions So aieit is the demand : for imcmbci-.ship in some localities that a doubling up ot l1n> concert series has been neeessarv and more cities have waiting lists. This non-profit division (it CoUimbiii Concerts, headed by Ward French, enables this new : eoncei t public to hear iirst-clas.s nni.«ic,with no llnaiicial n.sk, and has increased reveniie aiid has Ihousand.w inore . engageincuts each ye>ar for Atnerteaii concert artists. Rglrting forces during tluv U)st war, but not on: the : same grand scale as tins time When Ihe smoke h.id cleared awav and we had time to assess the value ot the efleci ol such music, we found that bj ,ictUcil eal'•ulatiOns Dui audiences luid meiciscd one-quaiter in si/e This tune we expect to hold at least one-h ilt of otii new conceil-going publii We conscrvaiueU estimate that the ineiease in the numbti ol engagements alpiie to be about oiie-: : third more. Higher toes tor coifceM-t a rtists. higher boxofTifco returns, .\vith ' '. more houses sold out, and more /con ■ teits presented o\ei a uucn in nod accounts foi the big letiiins m ; money. In ipite of .several million solriier.s abroad during this' boom peiiod oui audiences iiicieased inoie than 50%; Today one person out , ot 10 attends concerts The present tendent\ is laiger audiences at popular pi ice^s. The $5 ticket that demanded a tophat and tails IS gone Thai was a social cscnt, not a concert, and as such dcse>)ves to die,, , , ■ ,, Lagging in the construction of: mnch needed concert halls 111 the country will t.v a serious hindrance to our enlarged meisic-ininded public. The dearth ot good-.size'd auditoriums has long been a detriment lo us in the concert business Scattered across the continent arc not enough good-sized ones to liike care of the demand tor orchestras, opera, ballet, great concert artists. Iwen in New York citv the greatest concert-going center in the w^orld. we suffer because ot m.suOicient se-ating capacity. Carnegie Hall, .with its. 2,752 .seat.: is not big. enough: Its a sellout for moHt conceits with thousands turned away lor man> We . need halls seating anywhere fiom • Tt,:m to 5,000—4.300 would be lUst about right; To provide adequate accommodation; each large city— and the smaller ones. ti>i>— could well afford to invest in the musicdl fuluie of its citizens by building more, and better halls. Even though the talent groundwork IS laid through concert activitiCK. radio engagements and lecend-t mtrs. it IS anywhere irom live; to 10 \eais bcfoie an aitist is e>siablishcd ,it the top ot his 01 her piolession. There is, of course, a la.st wa.v— pietuics— and i( the artist scoies a success she is cattipulted into nation' wide fame, bi lees and nio\es to be a boxolfice atti action that packs the concert halls ol the nation there's' enough lor everyone Howj during the yeaj* out of ; the purchase evei'. the advantages Metro. can offer of H:i pber.»itein's Hit ileeord Co. by talent that manages to hook up with i the Ma.iestic Radio, outfit, i.s given Cap'tol somei'here in the neiRhboi | lecoidmg =elup aie wide and a look-in loi the icason that it is hood' ot i,200;Q00 and Columbia be.! .^^^^^^^^^^ Ks d. good bet that the already equipped with distribution tw-eet) Capitol and .Pecca. It it got that Pother companies have simply filed | points for its; ' radios, which caii much. Earlier: in the year, of course. ] fi^^j,. |.,] each coir, ilu was doing much les' and as the year drew to a close they were still increasing, tlie above iiglucs Th.it 100.000,000 opinion then seems prcttv 'SOund. Irflinicany. it was. not equipnient have simply filed points folder, top draw^er' tor future, con-, records, This;is a ina.iQr.'fae,t'(ii', sihcb I sidcralion. Metro, figures to makcj it js; laclf bt distribtitien that i.s .s-tak! quite a dent in . the business. ; , irig: down, the 'insi.ib'rity .pf^^ ; I hcre are a. few' other .firms that incleijend'eiits;:: ; , i ai'e credited ;W'ith: a ehatiee tP/iticl! ..; Tiici*e's, ohc ;'othcr firm ■.currently , arO(ind. nnt or the Spoils' of diskers j being or tnaterials faiUires. that held, iiti 1 diSN'B'Joped or pa-^^ted togetht-r duiung |,;guys: of the diskei'ie.s-..> That's, MuISjprodifctitnv: It :Wa!i ithe Siime lack pi:. , tlie war. : Majcstie Records, set ; up eraft. : ': . ';■;.;:.:. For the Armed Fartirii Anothei contiibulin? tactoi to this new-found interest in music lesults Jiom the sorv.icemeiu and women and then cxposuie to ilassie.il music .Here is a potenliiillv new and i-ece))tive postwar ■mu.sic-buving public: We believe the di siu loi . (pod musie i.s, so firriil.v iniplanted in them t hat they will come b ick lo (iMlun lile wanting the best Not .ill pcihais but a good-siy.cd nnnibeni: 1 can illustiate thus by oui e\peiienees In concert aiidienee-. teillowin.; the last war. ■■ .,,,,,; S0110U.S music was hejid by oui LARRY FINLEY EXITS DORSEY BROS. DANCERY Larry Pnilev. who only a few months ago bought 111 as; a tiai tnei in the Dor.sey Bros, operation oi the Casino Gardcn.s. Ocean Beach. Cal., h.is .stepped out ot the setup His ouc-third inteiest in the \en1uie has been bought back liv the bandleadei tieics and the spot will be opeialcd tempoiaiilj b% Die-k Gabbc Litlei step, out ol his si,.)t Ts peisonal manaifer for .Tnnniy Dor.sey. .on a . le i\e ot absence His choie with the band iwill be done nii?an«'hile by Ted Alabaster, road manager. .. . Finley gave un the (.astiio Gai , dens iiiteiest due io Ins manv otliei \cntuies He opciale.s the AtisMon Beach Paik. San Diego, as well as seveial small coinpanies one a lew-: elij outllt and anothci a diicd tiuit. cemceni. War's Anglo-U. S. Alliance Reflected By REG ■ , " London., The end ri '-it's all over''. .year finds the local miwic market; huslliirg.; and • bubtijng.: : Aftd, deservecHy. ).he , melodies made ■ in .^'iVIeiM'v England" -are right in thC: leiad. with : tdji sont; ' treciit gpihg to: 'Bpi;..'Cox aiicl Ilda. in ''I'm. in Love, With Tvvo S\ve-et.hcQrt.s'".w^h'ich. strcakett .sw'ifily; thi'oi'igh the best-. Sellers in tlii'ee u'eeks'to llie NO.H;spot. -Redd Ex'iins' .l,ovel.\ballad. '■Tlicrel I've Said If Again" is rigiit behind itic Biilisl: song.: and a glance farther do w',n tlie ■list .shows ;the honors to be i*§i\'j; ., eve}!ly distributed atnp.ri.g British aiirt . U. S. vvritoi's, a Circumstance which has been ihc rule rather. thac; the e,*tcepti<)ii'-:i:hts' yeaiv'y N psythplpgically> . the promise ol .brighter and better davs has grvcn a new; zest to local woids aid music makeis, and, these best able ti judge, toiecast a sieatci incicase than o\ei in weiiih\,h'le norks oji^jnaimg hete during tl^e )'e\t jeai 01 two Amei ica has alieid\ sampled ' lust a Little Fond Alfection" and "I'm Gonna LPve Thai Gti.v,.'' aiki others ai'e on tl>e Way: if they've not alread\'. arri,s'e'd. E\-On llie public domain aitt:,y,' ; "Let Him Go, Let Hi in Tarry.';, he re in 1:945, lias had much tlip ; same carijer as;. "'Jciini.c.: Witfr the. Uglit Brow n Hiiir" liiid ,,iri U S duiing the 1941 BMI seiap ('iosb\ s lush Inllibv IS 3: reminder to pub] ushers tliat a strong market always t\ists heie for Irish ballads, and "If You E\et Go to Ii eland, getting the jump on seveial otheis piled up one ot the heaviest sheet sales of the ^ell ' Ros.iniia iBiitish) and "Pablo the Dreamer t American 1. both did well, tor; BiMtisher.'f .Will alway.s . Welepihe. ancl.w'iirble a. good , tango, ttine^ ; provided they: '.doii'l' have to dai'iet> it as we'll! •^^ In the prpduction slshere.; the svving 'tp Brrti.sli Wriloi-s is niore, emphaticstill, succe.sses , like ;"Pei*chaiice to Dre^aip," ''Fine Feathers." "Hapiy, anci Glorioti.s." '"Big Bb.y," aftd ol cotii'S-e Noel' Coward'.s "Sigli Nf) Mote," all bpasling homeniade iTielodiGSi; 'several hits include'ci. .wh lie ill conirast the, one impolted musical. "Follow the Gills ' js ceitamlj not lemaikable lor its scoie E\,eii the exalted lealm nf ooei 1 was.sii'ecssfully invaded ,b,v ^ ■Br.iti.sh ;'c6iiippser this , .veai\ Bc'n.V: ,'Gvuties,! ■ having: vvon ctMisicleratole ■gcnorali,' and : critical acclaiiti, Of course,, events durhig' the; war years 'have ehepuraftcd leietvl coin|ie).sei'.s; III: all t'luropean countries, and V,\i!ii;-rv aUe,idy .Ipported the popul'a;rit,y of "Sylnphony." .In original Fi'dieli Siiceess. wliieli appears' to, have inlel'luitidnal; appeal, una a. rec'ent Danisii w ait/, or Unusual , appeal, .''M.el(idi.'' ii>ay b? even bi.gger:. Slraii,.i»ely. in the '"swihg-leiw'" countries, .Bel? . giins .ind Diitdimeii have gone vei\ siioiigl,v lot .lioiniv Kennedy's "Coki \ Cokcv possibly because this, tp,etl ei with the same e-omposei's '2d Army Match" wiie the lii'-i tunes to be assocUilcd with Libctation Dav Less siiipii--nig, but notewoith\, is the VMdospread succos' llain .lames u d DiiKe Ellingtons "I'm Beginning to See the Light is .iilue^ing evcrvwherc: , ■ : With the I etui n heme of hundicds of thousands ol on I bmilKis in aims w hei had, for a while oppm lliiut < s 10 aeqiiaint Ihem.selv-es with bur more leisurely musical teiivpi. th.ero mlisl now be in the States a greater poleMilial inteiest ; in, iiipsic .frpiiv thi.s side than cycr c'xi.sled before. . Ahcl it's, inom.bering the number of wprtliwllile British spii.g.s •.llwt ■ ;m,adc, thegrade in Ainei-ica before the waf, this. sug.gcfls, tiuit.; :.,iTOi.v:.we -can picls ■:ii'jy the ;thrdads,;thet'e.'i:s great, PiJjJOi'li'h',':^ foi a moie e\enU balaiucd exchange ot oui le peetr e ine 1toiious niiiSKal tioaliiiis. thereby knitting closel} and dui11.\ (nil two iiidustno& in posfwar yeais.