Variety (Jun 1948)

Jocks^ Jukes and Disks By Ben Bodec Freddy Martin—"Girt Who Came From Peru," "It Began in Havana" (Victor); The rumba steadily is in- trenching itself as a popular Amer- ican dance form. "Peru," as cooked uo by Martin, sizzles with infec- tious rhythm and warms the ear with a fanciful melody. Barclay Allen's piano gives it added swirl and dash, and the Martin Men peddle- a a swell vocal. Backing, what with Allen's flashy counter- point- and Stuart Wade's suave lyric makes a solid premium. Even with the disk biz being where It is, this one should go. Dinah Shore—"Baby, Don't Be Mad at Me," "May I Still Hold You" I Columbia). Miss Shore plies each with characteristic cadence and charm; "Baby" holds the edge on sales appeal. Included in the "Baby" package are the Four Hits , My Favorite Five Ted Scott KTMS, Santa ItifSka, Calif. "Temptation" (Perry Como) "LGet Started" (B. Berrigan) "Misbehavin'" (Fats Waller) "01c Man River" (F. Sinatra) "Moonlight Ser." (G. Miller) and a fine orchestral dressing by Mischa Russell. Sonny Burke contributes much to the soft, ro- mantic canvas contrived out of the coupled composition. Perry Como—"It Only Happens When I Dance With You," "Better Liick Next Tim< (Victor). "Hap- penis"- sounds like a best seller. It's perhaps the best version of the "Easter' Parade" ballad; anyway, the best of those released to date. 'Como's at his maximum of caress- ing .ease and melodic lilt. Rhythmic mate, though capably projected, figures as ■ just a tagger-along,- al- though it can "happen," tooi . "EUioti Lawrence Orch---"Donna Bella," "At the Flying 'W'" (Co- lumbia). For skillful tone blend- ing, and ooloring, -"Bella" rates sQioAg the young ntaestro's choicest works, Band's treatment enhances the enchanting flavor of the Italian melody. Jack Hunter's lyrical pipes do commendably by the song's mood and sentiment, Blue sage ditty on the other side woti't add a notch to Lawrence's rep, but it's pleasantly bouncy and draws a brightly-phrased vocal from Rosa- lind Patton. Helen Carroll and the Satisfiers —"Walk a Uttli> Faster, Talk a Little Faster," "Takin' Miss Mary to the Ball" (Victor). There's the makings of a little clickeroo in Dave Franklin's novelty, especially as carried off by this groJip. Russ Case's background rocks with an apt assortment of rhythm. ■ Outside of the deft jogging elTect injected into it, the attached "Miss Mary" is of minor impo'rt. Ink Spots—"Don't Leave Now," "Ring Telephone Ring" (Decca). Spots have a surefire toarjerker in "Leave," wi-itten by Ex-Gov. Jimmy Davis. It's an ingratiating melody worked at a varying tempo. "Tele- phone" is of similar genre but lacks the mu;5ical brightness of its companion: Johnny IVfercer — "The First Baseball Game/' "Sweetie Pie" (Capitol). Some jocks in Cleveland were reluctant to air "Deck Of Cards" because of its Biblical im- plications. Mercer's baseball ditty may incur a similar reaction since it ties In Biblical characters with plays in the national sport. Song is not especially funny, but there is a crack piece of novelty pitching in the Mercer-Pied Pipers' treat- ment of "Pie." It's frothy with rhythm and a natural for the jukes. ' - Danny Kaye—"Dena's Lullaby,'! "Mplly - Malone" (Decca). Kaye turns in quite a job on these folk- ballads,- particularly-the not-easy- to-chant "Malone." It's a sympa- thetic and artful reading of the old English lament. A choir backs him up on "Lullaby." Ella Mae Mo^se—"A Little (Continued on page 44) oacnESTBAs-AfirjSic 4S Tops of the Tops Retail Disk Seller "Nature Boy" Retail Sheet Music Seller "Nature Boy" "Most Requested" Disk "Nature Boy" Seller on Coin Machines "You Can't bo True. Dear" British Best Seller "Galway Bay" Over 200 Symphs Ready for Marketing Via New CRC Process Columbia Records Corp. has a considerable catalog of recordings made under its new recording and pressing process which will allow one 12-inch disk to carry as much as 30 minutes of music. Company has over 200 full symphonies ready to dump on the market in addition to numerous single recordings and kiddie material. All disks were made before tlie first of the year, a tribute to the company's ability to keep its objec- tives secret Until six weeks or so 4go. Many tradesmen knew about it at that time, but, due to the fact they wei'e also aware Columbia was endeavoring to make the an- nouncement a highlight of its sec- ond annual convention, at Atlantic City, June 21-22, it Was kept under cover. Now that the story is out. Column bia has scheduled a press and trade demonstration of the new disks for June 18 at the Hotel Waldorf- Astoria, N. Y. Columbia . made expected changes in its personnel during the week, cited in last week's Variety. Paul Apfelder, head of the kiddie- disk department was given notice Wednesday (26). Josef Ziniinich, head of the foreign department, also is on notice but may be re- tained in another capacity. Other minor people were let go also', Apf elder's duties will be per- formed by Ben Selyin, now assist- ant to Manie Sachs, bead of artists and repertoire, while Sachs, 'him- self wiU take up Ziminich's cpbrei^. Merc Continnes to Import Bac^oimds From England for U^. Vod Dnblm^ KHAN'S CODNSE, EUS, SEEKS'COKE'REVERSAL Emil K. Ellis, as counsel for Mohamed K. Khan, is filing an application with the N, Y, federal court to reverse a report of a special master in Khan's suit for infringement of "Rum and Coca Cola" against Leo Feist, Inc. The master, Percy E. Williamson, Jr., had held that protection to a copy- right owiier commences not from the date'of first publication but rather from the date of ad interim, or temporary, copyright. Ellis seeks to have this point of finding over- ruled. It is Ellis' contention that \he entire spirit and purpose of the copyright act, as far as giving pro- j tection to foreign writers, would be I completely destroyed if protection I were denied between the date of first publication abroad and ad in- terim copyright in this country. Such a,,ruling, Ellis further holds would permit deliberate piracy im- mediately after the date of first piracy, and it is his contention that such a possibility was not within the intention of Congress in enact-, ing the copyright law. Ellis also contests the interpreta- tion given the master's report by Feist counsel, to the efl'ect that the total damages of thej infringement will because of this finding amount to less than $1Q0. Ellis calls atten- tion to a! line in the master's re^ port which has him -suggesting-that the litigants ask the court to in- struct him as to darhages since this question of law has never been settled by the courts. > . It is Khan's claim that the .co- defendant, : Morey Amsterdam, ap-7 propriated "Rum and Coca Cola" while the latter was touring Trini-^ dad with a USO troupe. The num- ber was -contained in a booklet which I^hah published and CQpy-, righted in the colonial, possession. in ld43. t Mercury Records is continuing I to bring into this country musical I backgrounds recorded in England." Company- .last week received a batch of masters inscribed with unidentified new tunes to which vocals will be added by artists tied to the Mercury label.' And, ac- cording to the manufacturer's executives, the alien backgrounds will keep coming as long as they're needed. Mercury used its first tailored accompaniment .several weeks back as a means of marketing a version of "Nature Boy." To; a master made in England John Laurenz fitted the lyric of the hit tune, and the disk was marketed within 10 .days. ■ ■ Almost without exception, >the' complete recordings and musical backgrounds that have been brought here are excellently done from a technical viewpoint., Many ; questions have been raised as to the reasons for their obvious superi-* ority over U. S; recordings. Tech* nicians familiar with'^rocesses on both sides have been busy explain^' ing. In the first i place, it's pointed out, foreign disks are not made on the production-line basis of many thousands daily by one, machine operator, as is done here. Since the demand is smaller, the work- men who do the pressing, polish- ing, etc., are actually craftsmen at their trade. In this country, tech- niques have been reduced by' de- mand to the point where mariu-" facturing labor has little or no knowledge of recording-procelssing, that is, machine-K>perating and' polishing. .. ■ , Another reason, and-iti' all prob-"; ability the main reason for-the iq-, ferior .quality • of. current, .U'.t! S." dii^ks, is their lack of shellac.; Eng-^. ' land has easy access to the^ihain" source of the ingredient—India—' and, of course, its disk concerns are; able to use large percentages of the vital matjeriaL U. S, disks use only:niininmm .^mounts, tnain- ly because the c<9st to tbeqi, is now so high (about 76c a j^0iiiit4)> , i lERRY WAYNE Stprting JUNE 7 THE JERRY WAYNE SHOW MONDAY thru FRIDAY 7:30 P.M. EDST CBS Booked by cOAST fo COAST WIUIAM nSSwS agency P*'*o-' -9'- ^^^R^^ H. PEARL ^