Variety (Jul 1948)

92 ORdHBSTRAS-MUSIC WfAnr^nj, July 28, 1948 Top Name Bsds Mating Thonsehres Right Out of die Coik^e Market ' Bloomington, Ind., July 27. The big name band is inflating it-^ self right out of the college dance picture where a steady string of boxofiice deficits .are 'driving so- cial organizations into taking on cheaper, local or campus bands. Lyman Smith, contact man with the agenciesi. at Indiana University, says the other schools around the midwest are finding it tou^ going also to keep out of the red ink with high-priced name outfits. "Back before the war," says Smith, "You could get a name band for anywhere from $800 to $1,500. Now it takes from $1,500 to $2,000 for just an average band and the topnotchers run as high as $3,000. The kind of prices you have to charge with an overhead like that Is too steep for most students." Only in traditional "must" affairs are name bands drawing enough to show the sponsors a profit. In the last year Del Courtney, Sam Donahue, Blue Barron, Ray Eberle. Gene Krupa, Tony Pastor and Ted Weems played the'Indiana campus and only two dance; broke even-, or made any money. The remainder lost anywhere from $400 to $t,20Q. As a result dance sponsors are giving nearby com- binations jobs which formerly went to name bands, operating on the theory that even if the cheaper band won't draw as well, it still won't lose them money. Concerts are paying their way but still are not setting any rec- ords. Norman; Grantz's Jazz at the Philharmonic filled only 2,600 seats out of a 7,572 capacity and Carmraa Cavallero pulled about the same. Reliable Fred Waring established himself and the Pennsylvanians as a big favorite, however, by drawing 7,100 when he appeared on the con- cert series. IHEftTUftED BY ftie TH«EE SUNS (YtCTORl mm LOVE-eftrr Y0U TEL EAWIN H. MORRIS ft CO. lew Brwdmir, Mew Tork AU MAtulal AmUable Words and Music by BERNIE WAYNE AND BEN RALEIGH YOU WALK BY CAVALIER MUSIC Ulf B'wny. N*w York If Pianist Soothes Meat Buyers UntflMpkAFM Head Cleaves iitunt Minneapolis, July 27: Local meat market called oft its stunt providing piano music to sooth the savage breasts of cus- tomers, irked t>y high prices, wlien George Murk, American Federa- tion of Musicians' head here, noti~ fied the establishment that the tmtchers' union would be requested' to call out its members there if the store persisted in employing a non- union pianist. Pianist in question was Eugene Young, youth,, who had gotten pub- licity in cpn^quence of winning a $2,200 scholarship on the Cedric Adams WCCO "Carney Carnival," radio talent-hunt show. Before be- ing.dismissed at Mui^'s insistence. Young worked on an elevated plat- form and'dispensed classical music along with boogie-woogie. He'U pot be replaced by a union musician even though the store management says that "psychological effect on customers was good." Spot got lots of gratis publicity .and many pats on back. Scoggins in I^ew Post Dallas. July 2"/. Chick Scoggins, formerly Texas representative of Mus-Art Corp., which has now merged with Gen- eral Amusement Corp., has been named representative of the McConkey Music Corp. for Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, with headquarters in. Dallas. Organization has offices in Lon- don, New York, Chicago. Holly- wood, Kansas City and Cleveland handling dance bands and night club acts. HEEDS THIS BOOK ilht SMmi«w4 OlrKiwy «f Rmw4mI Jan CHARUSKUUNAY'S OISCMKIFHT 40<000 MZZ RKOROS 990RICOROtMlt$ DISCODE (Th* ntw automatic indtx) $C00 20/000 MZZ WtCOKO'S, MADE IN THE PAST 30 YEARS WILi BE FOUND IN THIS REMARKABIE 1 BOOKI AN INOtSPENSABLE REFERENCE GUIDE | FOR EVERY JAZZ FAN. MUSICIAN, RECORD | SHOP, COUECTOR, AND RADIO ANNOUNCER ^ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»»f »♦♦♦» ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦»t »**♦♦♦-. \ Songs wlA Lug^t Rs^ Autee Thirti/ songs of the week (more in case of ties), based on the ^ copj/riff?ited Audience Coverage Index Survey of Popular Mwsic Broadcast Over Radio Networks. Published by th$ Office of it«- ; search, Inc., Dr. John G. Peatman, Director. Survey Week of July 16-22, 1948 A Fella With an Umbrella—T"Easter Parade"... . Feist A Tree In the Meadow ....... ..........., Shapiro-B Baby Don't Be Mad at Me.............. i..... Paramount , Baby Face Remick Best Tilings In Life Are Free ...... j.. ; Crawford Beyond the Sea Chappell Blue, Shadows On the Trail—t"Melody Time" SanUy-Joy ; Haunted Heart—*"Insidie U.S.A." ...........;.. Williamson I May Be Wrong . . i....;..;..... '■. .,,...... Advanced , I Went Down To Virginia Jeffei-son Only Happens Dance With You—t"Easter Parade". Berlin It's a Most Unusual Day ............ . . ... Robbins It's Magic—1 "Romance On High Seas" Witmark Just For Now .....Advanced Little Girl I,eeds Little 'White Lies BVC Love Of My Life—t"The Pirate" T. B. Harms Love Somebody .. ...... i... .. ...... . Kramer-W My Fair Lady .......... ..; .United My Happiness Blasco Nature Boy Barkc^VH Now Is the Hour ., Leeds P. S. I Love You LaSalle Put 'Em In a Box—t"Romance OA High Seas" Remick Rhode Island Is Famous for Yon—*"Inside U.S.A.". Crawford Serenade (Music Played On a Heartstring) j... Duchess Toolie Oolie Doolie C.K.Harris Woody Woodpecker ............... i. 1........... Leeds You Can't Be True Dear : ........,........ Biltmore Yours /. :...., ...,.;.............. ..Marks The remaining 21 songs of the week, based on the copyrighted Audience Coverage Index Survey of Popular Music Broadcast Over Radio Networks. Published by the Office of Research, Inc., ' Dr. John G. Peatman, Director. A Bed Of Hoses .. .. ................. .Tohnstone-M A Boy From Texas ^ Shapiro^B Better Luck Next Time—f'Easter Parade" Feist ChUlicothe, Ohio ...,.. . .... Mellin Confess Oxford Dolores Famous Ev'ry Day I Love You ..., ....... .... . . ..,. Harms I'd Give a Million Tomorrows Oxford It's You Or No One ,,... Remick Judaline—i"Date With Judy". Robbins Just Because .... Leeds Maybe You'll Be There Triangle Nobody But You ..... Duchess Rambling Rose ... . .....;. ... ....;. Laurel Spring Came Republic Steppin' Out With My Baby—t"Easter Parade".... Berlin Take It Away Femora Tell Me a Story .... ..'................; .....,... . Laurel Time and Time Again London You Call Everybody Darling . iMayfair You Were Meant For Me ...........'........ Miller Legit Musical, t Filmusical. Since then there have been a num- ber of test cases, up to tte U. S. Supreme Court several times. The current issUe, however, is somewhat b e clouded in that ASCAP is functioning under a U. S. Supreme Court consent de- cree. There is awareness of the new American trend to combat any^ thing or any organization which fixes prices, acts In concert, and the like. Of the notable music usersi quite obviously a group like the broad- casters would be least likely to want to deal with individual copy- right owners, and rather prefer to license all its rights from a central source like ASCAP. But there are other music users, running the gamut from dancehalls to niteries, who have always rebelled at the music licensing system, not to mention the theatre ownets. Sundry phases of the present issue are covered in the Pictures dept on Page 5). Aiiti-AS€AP S Contlmied from page l attorney, Herman Ifinkelstein. Big legal names of the calibre of Jotm W. Davis, Judge Joseph M. Pros- kauer, a member of the Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett law firm (which jreptesents Paramount), have been brought up. 'pie need for strategic public relations in high governmental places is also accented anew. Meantime, the film company at- torneys interested in ASCAP— notably the Paramount, Metro, Warner Bros, and 20th-Fox groups ■have been invited to sit in on the masterminding. There is no question but that Judge Leibell's lengthy and in- telligently written opinion is a bombshell for the entire amuse- ment industry, to a greater or less- er extent. His knowledgeability of show business litigation, as evi- denced in the past, is so expert, that even the pro-ASCAPers con- cede his negative opinion should not be taken lightly. Artiele 3 the 'KUIer*^ That Article 3 is really the "WU- er" for the Society. Instead of rul- ing on the seat tax issue, whitih was challenged by Han-y Brandt's Independent Theatre Owners of America, the plaintiff in this major test case, Judge Leibell went out of his way to conclude his findings lo the effect the entire ASCAP structure was generally in violation of the Sherman act; a combination of copyright owners acting in re- straint of trade, etc. It is therefore not a simple Issue of whether theatre owners may be compelled to pay license fees to film producers, as an alternative to the seat-tax; but that the entire ASCAP system may be challenged. To showmen—and that Includes the Theatre Owners of Amertca— that is inconceivable, Of course, in view of the manifold test cases ever ?ince' Nathan Burkan first helped found the Society with that higtotie Victor Herbert test case. Kenton's Concerts «Antlnuea from page S9 ;s=, gross was that $26,Q00 in Holly- wood Bowl June 12. : On only seven of the 41 concerts did band lose coin. The losei-s and grosses were: Syracuse, N. Y., $1,972; Johnson City, Tenn., $1,645; Joplip, Mo., $1,725; Decatur, 111., $1,429; Wichita Falls, Tex., $l,2p5; CoOs Bay, Ore., $1,100; Boise. $1,870. . As disclosed in 'Variety two weeks ago, Kenton this fall will play 32 concerts under aegis of Norman Granz, although batoneer cannot, under terms of agreement, bill himself as the promoter and he will not appear on dates. He'U merely act publicly as the advance flack. These dales will all be played in large towns as K«nton is con- vinced that small towns cannot .support bashes. He points out that his few losing engagements last year all were played in tank towns. He'll still play the whistle stops, but will dish dansapation. This year Kenton also will be cajTying two libraries. The stuff he dispenses at concerts will not 'be tried but in hoofing halls, and his dance book selections will not he sprayed at bashes. Kenton pooh-poohs random ter ports he'll part with General Art* ists C^orp. when pact ends shorOyi *(iiL UmU PICKS: (taoils'Dhc kdily KWK'St. Ml yuKiKiini *' Ihe tenclion oul licie hos been tcemenJoiH on 'Ardin'. Will unlinue lo ploy this regiilaily on all shows!' #23S EvcryoM't SOLD o* . . . I SOLD MY HEART TO THE JUNKMAN LET A SMILE BE YOUR UMBRELU F«»tnml In ■30th Cen(nry-Pox*« "iiivK Mj- Uegnnls to Bnutilway" MILLS MUSIC lac 161» Broadmur • < New Xeik U I STILL LOVE YOU Catdimg on ftist both Pep and Folk. Watch for Paragon llcfcord fo be released «oon. ntOFESSlONAt COMES fREE AriingtM,MisiePib.Cf.fBlin 4431 S. 3ith StM AriiiiglMi. Va. Musk in fhe Morgan Manner RM MORGAN And His Orchestra CASCADES ROOM, Biltmore. New York Openrng Aug. 3 (indef.l DECCA RECORDS EXCLUSimY WORLD TRAMSeRirnONS EXCLUSIVE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORP. JOE GLASER, Pres. 745 Fifth Ave, New York 22 PI. 9-4600 203 No. WabOish Chicago