Variety (Jul 1946)

88 ORCHESTRAS-MUSIC Wednesday, July 31, 1945 10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines 1. Gypsy (14) (Leeds) , { Z^tore^Co^ 2. Doin' What Comes Natur'My (6) .(Berlin) .^ey! Z^Xl 3. They Say If* Wonderful (10) (Berlin)., {^ g y c ^'. " 4. One More Tomorrow (5) (Remick) j S^^fgjS. 5. I Don't Know Enough About You (7) (C , | Mlfls^Bros 8 '. '. ! i^Deceo 6. Surrender (2) (Santly-Joy) .. ...^S^-cS 7. To Each Hi, Own (1) (Paramount).... j [V. £vtt 8. Prisoner ofVLove (17) (Mayfair) j S^ 0 ','.:.:;S 9. Sioux City Sue (13) (Morris)....... — ^jgS 10. in Love In Vain (6) CT, B. Harms).... ^^^-^y;^ Coming Up Stone Cold Dead (Miller) Fitzgerald-Jordan ....Decca Love On Greyhound Bus (Robbins)..... ... ^Yau^i^£tonr6^.\\" 1 \\"Victor Do You Love Me (BVC) Haymes-Fbrrest Decca There's No One But You (Shapiro)".. . .... . . j ^^ sey -.V.".V.v^S Come Rain, Come Shine (Crawford).. j g+Jg^-f*^ „ D . ti-d. n /t (Lionel Hampton Decca Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Leeds) • • ■ • • | Beneke-Miller Victor Bumble Boogie (Martin). Freddy Martin .......Victor Mabel, Mabel (United).. Woody Herman...Columbia South America Take It Away (Witmark).. Andrews Sisters..... .Decca n«nu M' imim ■ ( King Cole.Trio ;Capitol Route 86 (BUH) f Crosby-Andrews Decca I Got Sun In Morning (Berlin)............ Les Brown Columbia If You Were the Only Girl (Mutual)....... Perry Como.. Victor Cosmo Buy of National Not Complete, Mercury Denies Sale; ARA to ABC? No deal has as yet been culminated-^ between the operators of Cosmo Rec- ords and the: rival indie National label for the purchase of the latter by Cosmo. Talks have been going on for the past couple of weeks over the sale and are being continued. Meanwhile, Cosmo is said to be already using National's plating and pressing plant .at Phillipsburg, Pa., to turn out its own pressings. Mercury label, Chicago, outfit which originally had been involved with Cosmo in conversations rela- tive to selling out, emphatically de- nies through president Irving Green that any such negotiations ever were under way. When the story ap- peared in last week's Varieth Green was snowed under by inquiries and beefs from his recording artists over ■ his negotiations with Cosmo. Cosmo's negotiations with ARA, Hollywood indie, were abruptly broken oft last week due to ARA negotiations elsewhere.' ABC Eyes ABA Hollywood, July 30. ARA pop-plattery, which prexy- owner Mark Left placed on block 10 days ago, has not been sold, though dickers from at least two quarters continue. Reliable reports here Indicate ABC network has ex- pressed at least some Interest in acquiring the waxery, with idea of moving into platter as well as ether opposition to NBC and CBS. Former, of course, is under mantle of RCA as well as is Victor label; latter con- trols Columbia Records. Direct confirmation that ABC wants ARA in unavailable. Left originally broached matter to net- work execs here, who immediately fed the feeler to New York. Shelby York ARA veepee in charge of sales, is in N. Y. carrying the ball for Left*. York also is definitely known to be trying to sell firm to a N. Y. plastic manufacturing company-, which has been considering enter- ing disk biz for sometime, issuing strictly plastic platters rather than standard shellac. ARA pressing. plant here con- tinues to be idle, though sales de- partment and offices are function- ing. Still churning out disks for Leff, however, is the ■ Olympic (Music-craft-owned) plant and one still indie presser, both of which are working off contracts,.entered into two months ago-.. Leff last week further indicated ia desire to step' out of the music busi- ness by disposing of bis stock in Carol Music, publishing firm affili- ated with his ARA labej. Buyer of th'e stock is s* far undisclosed. Grain Shortage Affects Recording Biz—Actually Lack of grain has cut down on the production of beer and : liquor. Hinterland and metropolitan taverns, with short supplies of beer, conse- quently are far off normal business. That in turn, hits the intake of coin machines, of which practically all taverns have a. lot. Recording business has conse- quently been hurt, although the percentage isn't too large. With disks in machines being played fewer times,, they don't wear out so fast and as a result are not replaced. Hit songs on records in Jukeboxes often are frequently replaced De- cause of wear and tear. British Best Sheet Sellers (Week Ending July 25) London, July 26. Bless You Gay Can't Begin Tell You.. .Chappel Laughing on Outside. .Council/ Mary Lou FDM Bygones be Bygones. .Feldman Oh, What It Seems to Be..Sun Money Root All Evil. .Chappell Rain Must Fall...... Wood Cruising down River.Ciriephonic Homesick ........ .Sterling Chickcry Chick Connelly Primrose Hill Wright Decca Drops Gaillard After Contract Snarls, M-G Then Signs Him Hollywood, July 30. The Metro - subsid record firm, .which still is laboring under work- ing label of M-G-.M, over weekend signed Slim Gaillard to an exclusive disking pact. The sepia singer-com- poser thus finally becomes perma- nently anchored with plattery after one of the longest haggles over a performer on record. Gaillard last March got himself an exclusive recording pact with -4 Star Records. When William Morris agency, which., has him under con- tract, learned of Gaillard action the firm immediately went up against American . Federation of Musicians to snap the contract on grounds agency alone was empowered to represent him. Victor Records learned of this wrinkle and notified Morris office here that if singer were sprung from pact by AFM exec council the little-dog label wanted him. Morris agency won Its plea and contract was drawn up. However, last week in N. Y., just before com- mitting the. plattery, Eli Oberstein, Victor veepee, hit the ceiling when he learned that Gaillard had done considerable cutting here in Febru- ary for Bel-Tone Records, and that Dick Elwell, prez of outfit, had just quietly peddled 10 masters of Gail- lard Trio renditions to Majestic, which planned to issue items before Victor could hit sales stalls. With his pen literally poised over the con- tract. Oberstein switched and re- fused to acquire the singer. Frank Walker, chief of M-G-M la- bel, who is presently here plotting entry of firm into the biscuit biz, learned the details and grabbed Gaillard before the town was aware Victor negotiations had ceased. Ben Bloom, prof, head of Ad- vanced Music (WB), to the Coast this week-end on a combo holiday- business. Bob Stephens Quits Decca; Forms Own Co. To Publish Music Bob Stephens, former recording director for Decca Records, has left that company and will soon set up his own music publishing outfit un- der the name Bob Stephens, Inc. Meantime, it's likely a deal will be made with one of the. major pub- lishers to become selling agent for his material. Stephens severed connections with Decca as of July 1. Parting was "friendly" although complete THREE BERLIN TUNES HIT SCORING PEAKS Irving Berlin scored a rare first in the music business last week when three of the tunes from his "Annie Get Your Gun" score wound up one-twb-three on Dr. John Peat- man's "most-played" sheet, which records and measures the number and value of radio performances of pop songs. Publishers of long standing point but that in all their years in the business, they have never seen three tunes from one score get such attention, Trio ran "They Say It's. Wonderful,* IDoln' What Comes Naturally," and* "I Got the Sun In the Morning." What makes it more startling is that Berlin's tunes are not from a Aim—they are from a production seen by a lesser number of people than a nationally-shown picture. So far, two of the tunes (first pair) have hit the Lucky Strike "Hit Parade." Third is due this week. THERE'S STILL DOUGH IN THAT BAND BIZ In spite of the poor one-nlghter reports turned in in recent weeks by many top bands, spotlighted by the Harry James flopperoo, tfie single-date trail is not in as poor shape as is indicated. There is a fair number of combos on the road at the moment, turning in good fig- ures, proving that despite the gen eral slump of public interact in virtually every field—magazines, sheet music, clothes, etc.—there is right names at the right prices. Carmen Cavallaro, Vaughn Mon roe, Louis Jordan, King Cole Trio, Sammy Kaye have all been hitting comfortably high b.o. figures in the past week or so. Kaye, in the north- west, hit six straight percentage dates. (Incidentally, J. B. Solen- berger, Hershey Park, Hershey, Pa., operator, is paying Kaye his dis- puted $2,500 guarantee, but reserves the right to decide on admission charges for a forthcoming date). Cavallaro did well in Pennsylvania, Monroe likewise, and Jordan and King Cole in various territories. Wirewax, Name Labels Packaged Into Airer San Francisco, July 30. Combination of records with a transcription as a packaged disc jockey show is being developed by Associated Broadcasters here. The Idea centers around the selection of a group of records to establish a form or theme. Then suitable an- nouncements and chatter are worked onto transcription. System of-operation would be to work two turntables alternately, one with records and the other rotating the wired wax which would be cued in at the conclusion of each record- ing. It's estimated that 40 to 50 blurbs could be worked onto a standard transcription.' Package would then contain approximately 40 to 50 discs -plus the batter; bis- cuit RECOMMENDED RECORDS (For Jocks and Jukes) By BARRY GRAY WOR-Mutual's All-Night M.C.) Claude Thornhlll (vocal. Pair of Pairs) "Night and Day"-"Smilos" (Columbia). This is the first of a whole new set of Cole Porter tunes that will be issued in the next few weeks by top performers, coincident with the run of the pic "Night and Day." Record firms have disked the tunes so liberally it looks as though they welcome the opportunity to wax some really fine material, even if the songs have been on. the presses so often in recent . years they've been. squeezed to death. Thornhill's "N and D," one of the first, will keep its sales leg up on any platters that follow. It's swell. Disking opens with an identifying bit of piano theme, and then blends wonderfully* into the tune. Out- standing reaction to this disk is the thought that it may !.e enjoyed comr pletely by listeners, as well as by terp fans. "Smiles," on the other side, is sung by a group attuned to a rapid tempo. They're good, but would've been better at a more nos- talgic pace. It's a good disk, but not up to. the reverse. Both rec- ommended. Gordon MacRae (with Walter Gross) "I Have But One Heart"- You Go to My . Head" (Musicraft). McRae is Musicraft's white hope against rival company sWooners. Their hope is in good hands, for this guy turns a neat lyric. "I Have But One Heart" is a nice-to-listen-to but , average ballad, but MacRae. couldn't breathe life into it, whioh can't be charged against him. How- ever, he does give the impression that he is following the music, in- stead of the music following him, which is his fault. Nonetheless, he sings pleasantly enough to impress a lot of buyers. "You Go to My Head" Is a much better showcase for the MacRae voice. He impresses mostly with his trick; of singing a song straight. Few tricks, good voice, excellent diction all resulting in a side that leaves little to be de- sired. Of course, the tricks some- times make big stars out of poten- tial ones. Recommended, ^although this side should torch a bit, and doesn't. Perry Como (with Russ Case Orch and Satisflers) "Blue .Skies"-. Girl of My breams" (Victor). This disk in the latest Como kick, fea- tures standards dressed in brand new clothes. He's picked two that look well on him. "Blue Skies," in rhythm beat, is a better demonstra- tion of Conio's. vocal coloring and fine shading each time its heard. Case aggregation leaves nothing de- sired. Como's ease, . voice, and phrasing impress you. more with each new release. "Girl of My Dreams" is a Como classic. Both highly recommended^ Martha Tilton (with Paul Weston Orch) "Somewhere in the Night"- "You Make Me Feel So Young" (Capitol). This is the same miss that came to national fame with the old Benny Goodman group. Up to now her work has always been good, and most times, a style-setter. This, side of "Somewhere" would never make you believe it. She sounds like any average singer—one not working too often. At times Miss Tilton's range thins out and be- comes objectionable listening. Lyric is read, not sung. And the pace of the tune is slowed down to a walk. "You Make Me Feel So Young" is a great improvement. It has tempo, which has always been Miss Tilton's middle name. It calls for smile, and that's her initial. The only thing it doesn't have is music, or perhaps it's the lack of a sensible lyric. Whatever it is. it's been done before,, many times, with many different titles. But it is good Martha Til- ton, and it's recommended for that. Danny O'Neill (with Virg Davis Orch and Choir) "Ole Buttermilk Sky'V'Remember Me" (Majestic). "Buttermilk Sky" is the newest Hoagy Carmichael opus. From-the pic "Canyon Passage" it follows that it would be a cowboy tune.. And O'Neil is no cactus voice. There is one small bridge when the band gets rural, but it's not enough to sell the record. O'Neill has been suffering from a long series of wrongly picked tunes. A light tenor who should be singing "Mother Macree" or its modern counterpart, he picks or has chosen for him, tunes that fit like wallpaper with lumpy paste. Po- tentially the lad is-there, but by his choice of lyrics, he competes with vocalists that are completely at home with songs that he isn't. This sounds like a natural for Elton Britt, and that isn't the way you spell O'Neill "Remember Me" is . a ' lot : closer to home. It's a ballad from way-back- when, and O'Neill sounds much bel- ter. With the exception of a small plateau-like spot in the first phrase its good. It'll sell. Recommended for this side. Ray Eberle (with Wilson Sawyer Orch) "It's a Wonderful Night"- "More Than You Know" (Apollo) "Wonderful Night" is an up-tempo , tune, and in the opening 16 the 1 Sawyer'band sounds bright and brassy. Eberle enters at that point, and does very well. He handles the rhythm professionally and vocally he's in good shape, and although the tune isn't going to set anyone gasp- ing, it's better than average. For a singer who has been ou(, of circula- tion, due to service, Eberle sounds fine. This is a distinct improvement over his old sides. In the case of most singers that have taken to the OD they return sounding like an- other guy. That's true in Eberle's case, but for the better. "More Than You Know" is handled a bit fast for a ballad of this type, but the idea was probably to keep it in dance . tempo, which It is. It's different than any other version of the tune, and will be liked. Band backing is good. Recommended. Frank Sinatra (with Axel Stor- dahl Orch) "Somewhere in the Night"-One Love" (Columbia). "Somewhere in the Night" is made for the Swooner. ''Between him and' Stordahl it's a romp for the paydirt. It's gonna make up for a lot of past mistakes. From the pic : "Three Little Girls* in Blue" the song is ' sweet music, with a lyric loaded with nostalgia, and torch. They .'all add up to measure for Sinatra, and he really tries it on for size. If you like it, flip it over and get some real kicks. This smart tune gives the Bow-beau a chance to really sell his most Intimate delivery. What Stordahl does with his fiddles is something. Recommended strongly. Les EIrart (vocal by Carolyn Nor- man and Terry Parker) "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen"-"Ma- bel, Mabel" (Musicraft). Elgart, a youthful horn-playing maestro, worked for many months at Rustic Cabin, Englewood Cliffs, Ni J., and spent more bucks than the. band made shaping it up for a bigtime bid (which soon happens with a booking at Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook). Just recently signed with Musicraft, this is his first release under the label. "Nobody Knows" will cause him nothing but trouble, for he'll be busy apologizing. He'll be sorry for the piano bridges which are poor, the heavy-handed tries for tempo which never come off, the over-ar- ranged melody which became a tra- ditional fav^e through its simplicity, and what could be a natural for riffs gets very worked over. In the final turns it moves slightly better, but by then you're tired of trying to hear everything. "Mabel" Is already on the sheet with a Woody Herman side. His version is the only one that's gonna make it. Elgart sounds like Johnny Long with rhythm, for the whole band joins in the singing. But it is better than the other side, and sounds much cleaner. It's re- commended only to introduce Les Elgart's band to airshots. Won't sell. , Conn. Sunday Dancing Averts Closing Threat New London, Conn., July 30. Future of Connecticut as a' Sun- day-night dancing state was tem- porarily threatened last week after state police shut Crescent Beach pavilion near here. Three' war veterans who con- verted floor from skating to ball- room had to button up because members of local beach association complained. Reports brewed fast that Ocean Beach at New London, Charles Shribman operation, and many other , one-night spots through state would go dark on Sundays, too, but State Police Commish, Ed- wark J. HIckey made it clear that Sunday dancing is a local option deal in Connecticut. Nutmeg state has long been a ready answer to N. Y. booking of- fices' Sunday problem.