Variety (Aug 1948)

VrJufsday, August 25, 1948 Inside Orchestras-Music Pee Wee Hunt's waxing of "12th Street Rag'' for Capitol Records Is one of the few disklicks in wax history which w as actually etched as a nalio transcription, not a platter. Capitol recorded the item last year as a portion of transcription series Hunt made for subsid of the stand- 8 rd Cap label. Several months ago Cup execs exhumed the work cut a chorus out of iUand marketed it as a straight disk. Nationally "Rae" j, as racked up sales orders totalling 450,000 copies. Hunt, who waxed tune at a flat fee, has been given a new royalty per-platter sale ticket Hunt hit has reawakened interest in his outfit and General Artists Corp signed combo to three-year pact, inking crew into Rag Doll Chi nitcry next month at $1,250 per week. Hunt cut away from Music Corp of America late last spring after being with that agency for about five years, since he broke with Casa Loma to form own combo here. Columbia Records is continuing the idea of selecting from time to time five new releases and concentrating exploitation and promotion on them. Company feels that it was very successful with the initial five disks so marked for special attention, and during the past two weeks concluded choosing the second five. Among the new sides to be spotlighted by extra-powerful promotion are Dinah Shore's "Buttons and Bows" and Frank Sinatra's "Melan- choly Baby" and "Kiss Me Again." Initial batch consisted of Doris Day-Buddy Clark's "Love Somebody," still riding high; Sinatra's "I've Got a Crush On You"; Kay Kyser's "Woody Woodpecker" (which needed little promotion), and two others. Max C. Freedman, who collaborated on "Heartbreaker." "Sioux City Sue" and "Tea Leaves," among the past year s hits, authored "Give Me Back Those Kisses," in collaboration with Jean Blaine and Sid Onflick. Recorded by Emile Cote for the Algene label, Leeds Music just picked it up for publication. Despite the Petrillo ban, the song- smith states he hit his peak in the last two or three years, both for diskings and publications, after more than 30 years of songwriting. This leads him to the conclusion that, despite the fact he often wanted to quit, his wife's axiom may have been correct when she persisted, "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins." Musicians' Local 47 has determined that after next Wednesday (1) all arrangers, orchestrators and copyists must, collect half the fee for any job upon contracting for it and the rest o£ the coin when they turn in the work. Excluded from this regulation is any work performed for a film studio or radio network program. Union drew up the rule fol- lowing numerous complaints by arrangers that various bands haven't been paying off for arrangements. Films and radio have caused no squawks in this regard. Members of Local 47 are being notified that any arrangers found violating the new regulation may be punished by the Trial Board. OKCHKSTKAS-MIJSIC 41 Best British Sheet Sellers (Week ending Aug. 19) London, Aug. 24. Galway Bay Box & Cox Ballerina Maurice Woody Woodpecker Leeds Heartbreaker Leeds Time May Change ..- Connelly You Can't Be True Chappell Four-Leaf Clover . F. D. & H. Dream of Olwen Wright Golden Earrings Victoria Near You Wood Million Tomorrows Connelly Toolie Oolie Southern Second 12 After All . Cinephonic Ought to Be Society Kassner Nature Boy Morris Rambling Rose Dash Serenade of Bells Morris Tree in Meadow Connelly Laroo Dash Civilization Morris Miranda Kassner You Do Chappell I May Be Wrong Wright Wishing Waltz Gay Jocks, Jukes and Disks By Berate Woods Latest record of the month club, called "Music of the Month Club," made its bow in Chicago recently. It purposes to operate like the book of the month clubs, offering free albums with every five albums bought, the yearly minimum requirement. Buyer has choice of five albums per month. Music shops will take subscriptions, but shipments will be made direct. Contact for selections has been made with 45 diskers. but no names were given out and check with the majors re- vealed that none had any deals with the company. First album is due out Sept. 10. Eight Benny Goodman sides, featuring Peggy Lee, will be released by Columbia Records this week but chirp will get no coin despite equal billing with bandleader. Miss Lee made sides when earning $100 weekly with Goodman orch in 1941 and she received from BG $25 extra for each face etched. Columbia makes no bones about reissuing the platters primarily because Miss Lee is this year, on Capitol label, the best-selling femme singer on shellac 4 New Favor Cues Release DINAH SHORE TO DISK IN ENGLAND WHILE P.A-ING Dinah Shore, one of Columbia Records' top artists, will cut disks in Engian. when she plays the Pal- ladium theatre, London, next month. Columbia has a set of tunes planned for the singer to put on wax with English musicians backgrounding. Miss Shore arrived in'New York yesterday (Tuesday) from the Coast and sails Friday (27) for England. She is one of the half dozen or sc major artists who have not done any recording since the disk ban was put into effect last Jan. 1. N.Y. Hotel Penn Maps Bow Sept. 20; No Band Set Pennsylvania hotel. New York, expects to reopen its Cafe Rouge about Sept. 20, but as yet hasn't decided on the choice of a band. Room folded Saturday (21) for re- furbishing at the end of Skitch Henderson's run. James McCabe, director of the Penn, has had conversations with, both Tommy Dorsey and Vaughn Monroe to reopen the room. Dorsey is said to have asked $4,000 weekly to play the spot for the first time Of 1933 Boswell Disk ! in five years, but McCabe won't go New York ' Les Elgart formed a new band in N.Y. consisting of five brass, four sax, three rhythm ... Pat Laird, who was with Russ Morgan before, rejoins the band at the BiUmore J?« of • • • George Mario j Miss Boswell's "It's All My Fault back in N.Y. after giving up on quick car wash venture in Wilm-1 Arcnes Connee Boswell recording "Underneath the Arches," made in 1933 for the old Brunswick label, Will be released this week by Co- lumbia Records to take advantage of the new surge here of the Eng- lish tune. Disk will be backed by of | that high. As for Monroe, his or- ganization is made up of 33 people and even if he were to draw flat scale the tap would be consider- able. which came to life in ington. Del., with Leonard Vanner- son and Dave Jacob, who also quit and returned to Coast . . . Thomas G. Rockwell, General Artists pres- ident: back in N. Y. from Coast . . . Commodore Records wrote a new contract with production employees union for Yonkers plant, losing only one day's work; it had been rumored plant had shut down . . . Regent and Savoy labels will be distributed in Canada by Regal • • Records, Ltd. . . . Vaughn Monroe | ;; established a new attendance rec- ord at Convention Hall, Asbury | Park, N. J., drawing 18,000 people | •• in six days and going $1,600 into j I Percentage above $12,500 salary, j .. • . . Lamplighters, formerly with Ray McKinley, reorganized as single act and added Rita Ryan Charlie Ventura-Billy Eckstine set, - • for Blue Note, Chicago, opening!" Nov. 8 . . . Johnny Long band into!,. Strand theatre, N.Y~, Sept 17. first date on Broadway in two years . . . Stan Kenton into Paramount thea- tre about Dec, 1. Norman Cogan's orch closes at Hotel Seven Gables, Greenfield Park, n. Y.. Labor Day, then, moves to Hotel Erin, Atlantic City, for four weeks. the U. S. recently due to the Primo Scala London label recording, was big in England in 1932, when the Boswell Sisters worked that coun- try. BMI Expands Offices Chicago, Aug. 24. Broadcast Music, Inc? is expand- ing regional licensing offices throughout the country. Field reps are setting up district offices now in major cities. The manner in which indie re- cording companies have made the majors look bad in recent months has been a source of amazement. The indies have consistently bred hits which the majors have been forced to appropriate for their own in order to compete. 'But that doesn't prove anything beyond the fact that the indies have been ex- tremely lucky: as for the majors, they were unfortunate in getting caught in a switch of public taste at a time when the disk ban pre- vented recording. As it stands, the smaller com- panies accidentally struck the mother lode of buying trends mainly' because they were well aware that in using comparatively unknown artists to cut major publishers' pops they would not be able to buck in the market the same tunes done by major names. So, they, were forced to record items the majors did not or weren't likely to make. When buy- ers showed a tendency over the counter for the simpler corny style of music, the indies found them- selves in the driver's seat and well out in front of the majors, which had simply been following a pat- tern, The situation proves one thing beyond any possible doubt, if there are any doubters left on the sub- ject—the song is the primary item. For every indie disk that clicks there are hundreds of badly recorded, poorly rendered and in- adequately processed sides. And in more than one instance indie Kits have been in this category. Yet they, have and are clicking, making it quite obvious that a hit will hit regardless of who does it or how well, who produces it, and often with but little help from the promotion pitches of a publisher. For years the argument of how important a major name is to a tune has raged. This artist or that one has been pointed out as a "hit- maker." There's no question that it's much more desirable to have a Perry Como, a Bing Crosby or any top name perform a tune. It gets that much of a headstart. But if the tune isn't there nothing they or the publisher can do will make it click, » Ray Anthony "Bye Bye Blues"— "London Bridge Is Falling Down" (Signature). Hay, Anthony's orchestra has moved back into a more commercial style and is mak- ing good strides, particularly in the midwest. This release of "Bye Bye" is fine from, the b.o. angle. Arranged much like Tommy Dor- sey might have done it in 1940, the side uses a dance beat and Ronnie Beauviile and band chorus for ex- cellent results. Jocks "and jukes will both find it good. "London Bridge" opens its run like it would race "Blues," but it stumbles over an arranger's imagination and falls fiat. Bing Crosby "Ain't Doin Bad Doin' Nothin"—"Ida I Do." (Decca). Both sound like they were made last year, when Crosby didn't care much. But his lazy approach to PftRIETY Chicago Al Trace's orch at Blackhawk slaying, on indefinitely . . . Bt» Kanter, contactman, joined Camp- bell Music . . . Sarah Vanghan re- turns to Blue Note after Chicago theatre hiatus, Aug. 30. backed by Jill Harris and Shelley Mann . . . Mnjtssy Sjuutfer, Pee Wee Kussell. Miff Mole an* Art Taeum open get. 11 at Blue Note . . . "BwUets" "■reom in for Page Cavanaugh opening; at Oriental . . . Floria* *»»ach into Brown hofe), Louis- ville, after Palmer House stint ends Sept 15 .. . Carl Sands* house oieh leader at Oriental, celebrates (Continued on page 44) 10 Best Sellers oh Coiihlfecfc!^^, 5, 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. , ,. ( Dick Haymes Decca «. IT'S MAGIC (9) (Witmark) ■••) Doris Day Columbia TREE IN MEADOW (4) (Shapiro-B) Margaret Whiting Capitol V. YOU CALL EVERYBODY DARLING (8) (Mayfalr).., Al Trace . .Repent ;; j Jon & Sandra Steele Damon • • MY HAPPINESS (15) (Blasco) ...... \Pi e d pipers ..Capitol 12TH STREET RAG (2) (Shapiro-B) , Pee Wee Hunt. Capitol YOU CAN'T BE TRUE DEAR (20)^Biltmore) Griffin-Wayne ..- ..Rondo HAIR OF GOLD (2) (Mellin) Harmonicatt Universal. MAYBE YOU'LL BE THERE <4> (BVC) Gordon Jenkins Decca I OVE SOMEBODY (10) (Kramer-W.) .. .'. D. Doy-B. Clark .... ...Columbia ± . . . ) Kay Kyser Columbia WOODY WOODPECKER SONG (13) (Leeds) (Mel Blanc-Sportsmen... .Capitol Coming. Up T I ONG WAY FROM ST. LOUIS (Jewel) • • • nay McKinley Victor COOL WATER (American) ya«ohn Monroe......... Victor _ ,, k JPnnio Scala London ;• UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES (Bobbins) [Andrews Sisters... ..Decca ! Perry Como Victor f RAMBLING ROSE (Laurel) [Tony Pastor Columbia | PUT 'EM IN BOX (Remicfc) King Cole. Capitol f RUN, JOE, RUN (Preview) L<m . ,s TEA LEAVES' (Morris) Jordan Decca i Emil Cote Columbia ^Ella Fitzgerald Decca ( Patti Page Mercury \ Jimmy Dorsey M-G-M Art Mooney M-G-M Vaughn Monroe Victor CONFESS (Oxford) • I BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS (T. B. Harms) *" MAHARAJAH OF MAGIDOR (Mutual) [Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 10.1 ^H^nmtH H HWtt w I t ■ "Ain't" seems just what the tune needs; he develops a mood that seems to fit the song nicely. Hi* version of the oldie "Ida," doesn t carry much appeal. , „• Dinah Shore "S" Wonderful"— "Let's Do It" (Columbia). A pair- ing that will get a lot Of plays all around. Clark, who seems at tas- tiest working with Columbia * distaff side, combines with Miss Shore in two excellently done pieces of Cole Porter *nd George and Ira Gershwin. "Wonderful'* rolls along at an easy dance beat while the two play catch with the lyric. Flipover cutely trips through Hie verse and duplicates the punch of the first Two good bets. . .*■- ' , Vic Damone "Liltette" — "Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (Mercury). "Lillette" has a good chance to go places and Damone's disking' of it sparkles. His vocal is well drawn at an easy up-tempo, ably aided by Mitchell Miller's lush back- grounding; Reverse also is bright with possibilities; a smart rendi- tion of* the title tune of a Para- mount picture, it has a keen edge. Glen Osser's band aecomps smoothlv. Bing Crosby-Andrews Sisters "At the Flying W"—"A Hundred and Sixty Acres" (Decca), Two west- erns. Crosby and the trio have a lot of fun with "W" and get out a side that tops all previous disks on the new nop. Curat a medium beat, it's real bright under the treatment. Jukes and jocks will use if. Reverse, also a newie, is a pleasant companion piece. . Vic Schoen's orchestra backs both sides. Les Brown "A Woman Always Understands" — "Floatin'* (Colum- bia). Brown's arrangement and Eileen Wilson's vocal of "Woman" do something to the ballad which lifts it far above previous rendi- tions. At ballad pace,' the treat- ment burnishes -what previously seemed like a very ordinary me- lody. It's an unusual tune, "Float- in' " is a drive piece borrowed from the ja*x field. Ifs well played an 1 will give jocks in that idiom fresh -fare. - .- '•' Anne Vincent "Combelt Sym- phony" — "A Strawberry Moon" (Mercury). "Combelt" is just about the last word In the earthy, ripe style that has been clicking lately. It has possibilities. Miss Vincent makes of it a .commercial disk to musical accompaniment that might have been dreamed up by Spike Jones in. one of his quieter moments. "Moon" side • pops up as a listenable melody that' doesn't draw much effort from Miss Vincent or her accompani- ment. Louis Jordan "We Can't Agree" —"Don't Burn the Candle At Both Ends" (Decca). Typical Jordan, with "Candle" a shade the better. Either side, however, will get Jordan into a lot of jukes and jocks spins. "Agree" is done slower and the lyric less wordy than the flipover. But it's "Candle" that works best Platter Pointers Gordon Jenkins "Manhattan Tower" (Decca) (12-inch, four side album). This Is a rare piece. Gor- don Jenkins, writer and conductor, draws a grand word-picture of the thoughts that occupy the minds of most Manhattanites who remain out of town too long It's all framed in excellent musical ideas and impressively performed by full orchestra and chorus. Elliot Lewis narrates. Discerning jocks will find it a must.. . National has issued four sides by Billy Eckstine (now with M-G-M), two standards, a semi-standard and a new piece "I'm In the Mood for Love" "Long Long Journey," and "All the Things You Are"—"Don't Take Your Love From Me." They're fine pieces . .. Ethel Smith (Decca) gives jocks some new .organ fare with solid diskings of "By the Waters of the Minnetonka" and "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" . . . Also good stuff is the Geftden Gate Quartet pairing of "Do Unto Others" and "Hush." Kapp Sails for U. S. Jack Kapp, president of Decca, sails for home today (Wednesday) from England aboard the Queen Mary. He's been in England and on the Continent since mid-July, and during his London stay made recordings with the Andrews Sis- • • ters, who were over there to play the Palladium theatre. Milton R. Rackmil, Decca execu- tive v.p.. left New York Friday (20) for a month's vacation in Ha- waii,