Variety (May 1946)

so •RCBKSTtlAS-HfUSIC Wednesday, May 1, 1946 10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines 3 l.Oh What It Seemed to Be (12) (Srintly-J) 2. Prisoner of Love (4) (Mayfair) All Through the Day (3) (Williamson >,. Shoo-Fly Pie (6> (Criterion).. Laughing On the Outside il* (BMI) Day By Day (9> (Barton) . (Frank Sinatra.... .Columbia ( Frankie Carle.... .Columbia Perry Como ...Victor 7. You Won't Be Satisfied (9) (Mutual). 8. I'm a Big Girl Now (1) (World) 9. Always Chasing Rainbows (11). (Miller) 10. Gypsy (Leeds) ..,. — Coming Up Seems Like Old Times (Feist) . . . . Don't Be a Baby. Baby (Triangle) In Love In Vain (T. B. Harms) .'. Atlanta, Ga. (Stevens) Sioux City Sue (Morris) .'. Bumble Boogie (Martin) .....' I Don't Know. Enough About You (CP). ( Perry Como... ' | Frank Sinatra. J Stan Kenton ., " ( Dinah Shove . Dinah Shore .. I Frank Sinatra • | Bing Crosby . I Les Lrow.n . : (JPerry Como .. Sammy Kaye . Perry Como . Dinah Shore .. :... .Victor . .Columbia .. . .Capitol . .Columbia . .Columbia . .Columbia ... .Dccca . .Columbia Victor ...... Victor Victor , .Columbia \ Guy Lbrhbardo,....... Dccca \ Vaughn Monroe..... Victor ( Mills Bros. . .......Decca \ Tommy Dbrsey ......Victor Margaret Whiting . Capitol ( Sammy Kaye .Victor | Andrews Sisters Decca Bing Crosby . Decca Freddy Martin Victor Peygy Lee Capitol Honeydrippers Cancel Dates for Throat Ops Hollywood, April 30. Joe Liggins, batoneer of Honey- dripper band, over weekend can- celled 28 one-niters scheduled for May through Florida. Alabama. Georgia and Louisiana so leader could scurry back here and undergo operation for strep infection of throat. Liggins was admonished; to check into hosp immediately after medical inspection last. week in North Carolina. Musicians will accojnp loader here and Willie Jackson, saxman in crew, \VH};.entcr hosp with Liggins and have tonsils clipped, figuring he. might as well have it done during layoff period. Band will resume on June 12, when it goes into Shepp's Playhouse, downtown L. A. nitcry for 12-wcck stand. RECOMMENDED RECORDS (For Jocks and Jukes) By BARRY GRAY WOR-Mutual's All-Night M.C.) Victor Working Toward Full Beneke Credit, Gradually Dropping Miller An . attempt is being made to gradually fade Glenn Miller's name I J<J.Y. Syitiph Booked F01" from the orchestra now circulating' * r with Tex Beneke as its leader, and bring the latter's name to the fore. As a start, the second set of RCA- Victor disks by the band, marketed last week, had different label credits than the first two, put out a month or so ago. Initial pairing read, "Glenn Miller Orchestra with Tex Beneke/* Second pairing cited "Tex Beneke with Glenn Miller Orches- tra." Third release, it's hoped, will read, "Tex Beneke Orchestra," with no mention of Miller. One of the things that contributed to the decision to hasten the placing of the band's title fully on Beneke's shoulders is a discovery made after the band'6 first two disks were re- leased.' It was .found that diskbox operators were, in many instances, billing only Miller in machine slots and ignoring Beneke. This, while logical from ops' business standpoint, was figured to make it all the more difficult, for Beneke to assume full title to the band, which is owned by Mrs. Miller and Don Haynes, ihc late leader's former manager. Sales of the initial disks released ■by Victor tell a story to bandsmen and recorders interested in it! Four sides were marketed at once to launch the. new crew, Victor has shipped- approximately 375,000 of each, one disk being some 2,000 in advance of the other. This indicates that record buyers bought the disks because of the band rather than the songs with which they were in- scribed. Second release, also four sides, had \ an initial order of 500,000, making an I overall total of 1,250,000 copies of the band's first eight, sides. Memphis Year in Advance Memphis, April 30. Beethoven Club set something of a record for an advance announce- ment on a concert here when it dis- closed last ivcek that the New York Philharmonic Symphony will appear in concert here for the first time on April 29, 1947. Week also brought announcement that Vladimir Horowitz, pianist, will play here in February, and Jascha Heifetz, violinist, in March: These two will be presentations of Arts Appreciation. Cosmo Purchase Of ARA Dropped Cosmo Records and ARA. the Hol- lywood disker originated by Boris Morros and now owned by Mark Left, almost completed a deal re- cently whereby Cosmo" would have purchased the ARA holdings. Latter firm asked $850,000 for its setup. Deal fell through when the two couldn't get together. Possibility of the takeover o( ARA by Cosmo was hottest during the re- cent visit' by Harry Banks, head of the latter, and artists and repertoire chief Herb Hcndler on the Coast. ■ Como Renews With RCA for 5 Years Perry Como renewed his affilia- tion with RCA-Victor records last week. Singer signed a new. five-year deal calling for a guarantee of 16 sides annually at a salary said to be one of . the most outstanding ever written for a pop artist. He's Vic- tor's star salesman and the new pact guarantees him a 6,000,000 disk sale annually. . Como's original Victor deal called for $200 a side against the usual 5% of the purchase price royalty. MORRIS REPUDIATES GAILLARD DISK PACT Hollywood, April 30. William Morris' local office last week notified all diske'ries on Coast that agency has Slim Galllard under contract and consequently is- alone .authorized to set disk deals for sijiger-composer. Agency has hand- led. Gaillard since 1938, when he was partnered with Slam Stewart.; 'Morris is refusing to recognize re- cent recording pact which Gaillard negotiated on his own, giving exclu- sive to 4 Star Records. Pop-plattery was under impression it had an ex- clusive, was so advertising, but out- come is that four sides which Gail- lard recently made for diskery will remain just individual recording shots, and Morris is still offering Gaillard to all bidders. Bert Block Now an Agent Bert Block, ex-maestro, who be- fore the war devoted himself to per- sonal management, became ah agent last week. He joined Joe Glaser's Associated Booking Corp., working on locations for large and small band units. " Block was only recently dis- charged from the Army, after four years' service. DECCA RECORDING LOOT FOUND AFTER BATTLE . Los Angeles, April 30. Mystery of the burglaries at Decca Records and Audio Pictures last year was solved by a gun battle between bandit and police, after which $50,000 worth of stolen recording equipment and sound ap- paratus was recovered. Machinery had been toted away in trucks last November. In the gun battle, two detectives were wounded. Sepia Local 767 Huddles With New Theatre Dps Los Angeles, April 30 Negro Musicians' Local 767 offi- cials will session this week with operators of Orpheum. who last week acquired Lincoln, colored house, in which they plan to insti tute vaudfilm policy using sepia stageshows. Lincoln, located in local Harlem area, has struck snag with 767 because management does iiot want to hire tegular pit band, pointing out that house will be booking Negro musical, combos on stage with every show and hence will not require pitmen. Local has ; countered that opera- tors ■ have regular pit crew of ten men at Orpheum, paid whether used or not, according to yearly contract \yith Local 47, white union." Harvey Stone, has been set for the Riocabana, Chicago, at $2,500 for seven weeks and four-week, option, starting June 28. Gold Rush Winds For Top Orks ln Coast Terperies Hollywood, April 30. Local Jiallroom operators, who.as recently as last month were savagely bidding against each other for name bands that tilted coin to all time Coast highs, 'have snapped the rubber-band on the bankrolls.' Last week several bids by bands were re- fused, with terpalace potentates bluntly telling agencies to slash money demands, that the Yukon days are over. Roundly nixed was Casa .Loma crew, offered by General Artists, at $5,500 weekly. Ballrooms nodded no" all over town, reminding agency that band got $4,500 or there- abouts last summer at Casino Gar- dens and that that was top figure they would consider. GAC went into quick huddle and bobbed up with statement that flat $5,000 was lowest figure Cork O'Keefe, Casa Loma manager, would accept. To date hone has accepted. GAC also submitted Tony Pastor, asking $5,000 weekly for late sum- mer, but the hooflng-halls glanced out the window with disinterest and some pointed out to agency that same band was here last summer for stands at Palladium and Mission Beach, San Diego, at around $4,000. Pastor is still on the block. William Morris agency had similar experience with Hal Mclntyre, offer- ing him at $5,500 per, getting no nibbles, dropping price $500 and still no sales, with only the soon-to-open Avodon reported making an offer, that of $4,500. Music Corp. of America round-robined the town, asking $4,000 for Skinnay Ennis, with no takers, and over weekend was reported ready to sew up deal with Sherman hotel, Chicago. Ennis strikes out with newly formed band when he fades off Bob Hope show for summer on June 11. ■ Palladium is still saying nix to Benny Goodman's $8,500 a stanza quotation for run, starting Oct. 15. Caper-hall is paying steepest salary to a band ever it paid to Glenn Mil ler-Tex Beneke combo for Sept I at $7,500, but the asking price origi- nally was $10,000, and aside from Palladium only one other local dancery, Avodon, was willing to soar to the figure finally accepted. Reason operators have suddenly turned leery of paying any amount to get name bands is slump in dancehall biz here. Spots all over have been affected and none has" been making any money to speak of, Buddy Rich six-week stand, which terminated at Palladium Sun. (28) established some low records for site. Benny Carter at; Trianon also reported giving owner Horace Heidt apprehension, although one reason customers obviously are staying away from Trianon is that dancery continues to stay open although re pairing and decorating work is going on. Dinah .Shore (vocal with Sonny Burke Orch) "Come Rain or Come Shine"-"A11 That Glitters is Not Gold". (Columbia). This is Colum- bia's bid for some of thaf'St. Louis Woman" gold. From the score of the show, "Come Rain" has already been sung by Margaret Whiting on Capi- tol, and latter's waxing is superior. The high specks that Miss Shore tries for scratch a bit. Sonny. Burke back- ing is good. Will do well with fans of the femme. "All < That-.Glitters" on the other side is sold by Miss Shore. A calypso, it suits her style fine. Should be good-for many customers at jukes and highly recommended for aid shots. Artie Shaw (vocal by Hal Stevens) "A Ghost of a Chance"-' s Lct's Walk" (Musicraft). The newest of Musi- craft's issues, it's on unbreakable Vinolytc. It's also Artie Shaw's de- but on the initial red seals. "Ghost of a Chance" is sung adequately by. Hal Slcvcns. The record for the first chorus sounds quite ordinary, but of course with the, vocal gives the group little chance to stylize. Technically, it's a poor disc, for with the excep- tion of Shaw's licorice stick the. bal- ance of the instruinention is lost somewhat by being too far from mikes. Disc finishes better with maes- tro playing adequately, but not up to his former par. "Let's Walk" is more like it,' on the reverse. Bril- liantly in tempo, the mike setup is still bad, but the men blow louder, and the recording highlights the echo effect off the studio walls. It gives a Stan Kenton twist to the wax. Shaw does a "Clarinet Marmalade" type of chorus for the customers, and it's good. Should peddle with exploita- tion by Musicraft. Billy Williams (vocal with orch) "Heartbreak Trail"-"Yippoe Ki-Aye" (Victor). This is the Sammy Kaye male vocalist fulfilling his special contract with Victor which allows him to record western tunes as a single. Williams sings pure Texas, and in the chorus of "Heartbreak Trail" does his best work to date. Should do very well in southwestern nicklcodeohs and in city slicker, ter- ritories too; The uncredited orches- tra handles the background tempo excellently, with neatly styled strings. "Yippie" is even better than the "A" side.-It shows Williams to be a strong bet in the "Texas talk" de- partment.. Will sell. Highly recom- mended for juke airshows, particu- larly west of the Mississippi. Talking points: Williams, originally from Texas, sold Sammy Kaye a song while the latter toured Williams' home country. He also sold himself to Kaye,' for Williams was the only warbler that could sing it to Kaye's satisfaction. He's been with the or- ganization since, and has become Kaye's. vocal mainstay. Tall, lean, and "western" looking, Williams has long been overlooked as a hoss opry picture type. Victor signed him some months ago to single on discs with western tunes exclusively. He is al- lowed to remain with Kaye, making the platters when he can. They'll point him up strongly as a western pic type. Al Trace (vocal by Bernie Beam) 'It'll Take a Little Time"-"I'm Going Back to Brooklyn" (Coronet). Trace,, the Hotel Dixie ( N.Y.) maestro has done little work on wax. "Little Time" listens fairly well. Recording is bad in spots, particularly when reproducing trumpet section, but i Beam vocalizes it well. Piano spots, if heard better,, would register more effectively. Cornball licks at finish of disc. A neat ballad. With distri- bution by the minor firm, should sell adequately. "I Ain't Going Back" presents the type of lyric that this group specialize in. They present sound effects via mouth and kazoo, also a chorus of sidemen. Featuring Nate Wexler'and the leader vocally, it's pure corn.. If you like corn, youH like this. Bad recording work is re- peated. Should sell in beer garden jukes. Gene Autry (vocal with string band acc.) "You Only Want Me When You're Loncly"-"I Wish I Hod Never Met Sunshine" (Columbia). "Want Me" sounds like a sequel to "There's a Star Bangled Banner Waving Somewhere.". Autry on this even sings like Elton Britt. Bound to be commercial. Pure outdoor stuff, it'll peddle fine in rural areas. Very plaintive with a tear in it, it's bound to dampen, the Southwestern eye. "Sunshine" tells the musical story of regrets. Replete with "jallhouse" finish. After listening you're sure the wrong fella got jugged. Author! Author! Sure it'll sell—in the west. KornKobblers (vocal) "Old Square Dance" (both sides) (Majes- tic). This is a new twist by.a discing firm. Majestic put a square dance oh both sides of a disc. Actually it's a farmhand version of the ancient "Polly Wolly Doodle" handled with square dance lyrics. Special material that should grab attention and nick- els in the hinterlands, and big yocks in the city. .[From this and tlie foregoing re- views, it's obvious that viqny of the iDdxiiip. firms have conceded Hint "there's gold in them thar lulls.'" Many a disc lias sold almost a mil- lion copies in the sli'x, t.nd been barely heard of on the sidewalks of New York, notably "Star Spangled Banner Wavinn Somewhere'' and "Sioux City Sue."] Perry Como (vocai with Riiss Case orch) "They Say it's Wonderrul'-' If You Were the Only Girl" <Victor 1857). Como croons for top stakes on "They Say," plug tune from the cxpectcd-to-be-a-hit "Annie Get Your Gun" score by Irving'Berlin. It often seems that he can sing no better, then he tops everything on its next disc. A ballad, "Say" gives Como a chance to really sell. Highly recommended for jocks and jukes. Sure to make the top ten. On the other side. Mr. C has waxed a fave of "Supper Chtb" dialers. "It.JYou. Were the Only Girl." It'll register as a fave on wax too. A great duo. Boff backing by Russ Case.. Stan Kenton (vocal by June Christy) "Painted Rhythm"-"Four Months, Three Weeks. Two Days', One Hour Blues" (Capitol 250). "Painted" is a Kenton original. It's in the same kick as h's "Artistry Jumps," which is good if you're look- ing for riffs. A bit wild in spots. it:il be snapped.up by his fans, and def- initely spots Kenton as a great rhythm group. "Four Months," on reverse, begins with \ chorus that v>ill sound good to sidemen, but won't be understood by the custom- ers. It's top advanced. Miss Christy does well with the lyric. It's a blues thing, and looks good on her. Bad finish by the group. Not commer- cially as acceptable as Kenton's pre- vious works. Sammy Kaye (vocal by Betty Bar- clay, Billy Williams) "I've Never Forgbtten"-"Loughing On the Out- side, Crying on the Inside" (Victor 1856). "I've Never Forgotten" is the usual Kaye parody on what could be a good job of ballading. Replete with business man's bounce, vocal by Betty Barclay, She doesn't help. Not recommended for anything. "Laugh- ing" is better. It's in better tempo for Kaye. and listens well with lots of sax. Billy Williams puts Texas in his vocal. Will sell at jukes, and rec- ommended for air shots. Andy Russell (vocal with Paul Weston) "They Say It's Wondcrful"- "Laughlng on the Outside, Crying on the Inside" (Capitol 252): Paul Weston's direction assists strongly, and forms a strong backing for this Andy Russell disc. "They Say." al- though quite adequate, will not draw top coin. at slots. Como's is better. Russell seems to be working voice fuller, and it's an improvement. "Laughing" best side. Russell has read a better lyric, but it won't be noticed by fans. They'll like it. and show it with action at the nickelo- deons. Approved for radio time. GARFIELD INKS DISK DEAL FOR KIDS'YARN ■ Hollywood, April 30. John Garfield last week was signed by Mercury Records to disk six- sided album, "Rabbit Town," aimed at children and designed to promote racial tolerance. Actor "will narrate yarn, backed by Alec Wilder's musi- crew at two sessions. May 6 and 8, presided over. by Jimmy Hillard, waxery's artists-and-repertoire chief here from Chicago headquarters. Jack Carson will wax Mercury °'" bum for which he recently was signed on May 7. Iterij will be four sides of humorous narration, also slanted" at kids. Freddy Goodman Coasts Freddy Goodman; brother of Ben- ny Goodman, arrived here over weekend to assume duties as Coast rep of Regent Music Co. Regent is B. G.'s publishing Arm.