Variety (Mar 1949)

36 ORCHESmAS-MIJSlC Vedhegday, Bfarch 30, 1949 JockSf Jukes and Disks By PATH BRENNER (WAAT Newark, Conductor of "RequestfulXy Youn") As per my cuistom 1 Was getting ! Vocco & Conn, brought me a plat- ter by a very talented musician ready to spin new releases from 7:05 to 7:3Q^the last 25 minutes of the evening session of "Request- fully Yours." The war' was in lirogress' and new releases weren't too plentiful. I usually play six sides in the 25 minutes. This night I could only muster up four new sides. I held a hurried con- ference with my assistants, Ruthe and Yvonne, in the record room and they suggested that I "cover" with one disk from a new RCA- Victor album "Carnival in Rio." We thumbed through it and found to • our dismay that the sides all fea- tured Portuguese lyrics. Fine thing^not only was I obliged to use an album record, but one that ;99 out of 100 listeners wouldn't even understand! I chalked it up as just another one of the war situations and added the much-needed platter , to.. my stack. The pile of new releases slowly shrunk until finally I ar- rived at the "misfit," which I had buried at the bottom. With tongue-in-cheek, I explained to my • unsuspecting listeners that "to- night we're trying something new , at "Requestfully Yours." ^S^e hope that the lanfuage of a very Who had arranged and produced a hauntingly beautiful tecord of a hauntingly beautiful tune by Rube Bloom. I liked it very much (which is usually the kiss of death!) A few months later Jack was around the studio again with another record on aMother tune. I was curious. "Going ofif the first tune. Jack?" "Yep," yepped he. "Can't seem to stimulate any real action on it. We like the tune and the record, in fact, can't un- derstand why nothing much is hap- pening. Anyway, here's our new- est." I insisted that the record was too good to bypass—and that I was going to try a little experiment. While Jack was in the studio I put th6 tecord on and put the question up to the listeners. If they hadn't heard this record before would they be good enough to lend an ear. And having lent an ear, would they be good enough to tell my friend what they really thought. The answer came back big and loud. That record was up in num- ber one spot on my Variety list before you could say "Gordon Jenkins' 'Maybe You'll Be There.' I noticed with some human satis- faction-that it turned out to be one of BVC'S best for the year— to prove music is universal. That you don't I and put Jenkins right on top with have to understand the words of a I Decca. Am I saying I "made" the LORRY RAINE "Cant 8I«»p'f—D»cc« Rscords . . Disk Joekey Saluta: MARTIN BLOCK, WNEW Title, "dean Of the disk-jockeys," falls on Martin Block, who recently celebrated 14th year of platter-spin- ning. Winner of Radio Mirror award for nation's favorite d.j., Block's own annual poll of artists' popularity Is important trade index. Bob Smith, Block's man Friday, says thft astute Mr. B. is partial to the' smooth pipings of: Lorry Raine; tabs her as one of this year's most promising new singing stars. TIM GAYLE Hotel Sheraton, Detroit, Mich, , *RH' Logging System Richord Hlmbcr'j new development In logging broadcast perfonu ancea lists tunes in the surveVi based on four major network schedules They ore compiled on the basis of 1 point Jpr sttstoining instrwmentol' 8 points /or sttstatningf vocal; 3 for commercial instrumental; 4 for commercial vocal, respectfwelj/; in cocJi o/ the 3 major territories, Wew York, Chicago and Coast. For example, a Commercial Vocal in all three territories cownts 12. Added to these totals is the listener ratinrij 0/ commercial shovfSi The first group con$ists of the top 20 songs. Songs A Bluebird Singing In My Heart. A Little Bird Told Me A Million Miles Away A Rosewood Spinet . .. . . i...... Cruising Down the River song—so long as the music is ap pealingi" And with, that: I spun "Nao Tenho Lagrimas." And the . program was oif the air. While I was preparing to leave for the evening Ruthe came rushing in quite excited. "Say, Paul, what was the name of that 'thing' we pulled out of that album"? I told her—and asked why she wanted to know. "Well, I'm get- ting embarrassed telling people ! don't know." "People? What people? Who Wants:.to know?'' V "Oh, just the. two dozen people who have already called in—and the three folks waiting on the line now." record? Not on your life. I'm saying the public might decide to "make" any record if somebody'II be good enough to call it to their attention. I could go on and on.. .and. I wouldn't mind, either, because it's fun being in a spot where you can spot the "romance" of records. You don't have to be smart to know that when every playing of a cer- tain record brings phone calls and mail—somebody's latched onto a round 10-inch gold mine. I haven't checked with my friend: Paul Weston lately, but; judging: from the reaction I've been getting from every spin of his Capitol platter of i "Etude," well, he should be busy I counting his blessings. And there '. • Publishers .i-'i;,i. <;■«..;.; v«i .■.■Advanced. ;.... I .....i....Bourne •• • • • ••••••• • Paxton • • • • • ... •... Shapiro-B Spitzer Down By the Station .s... :.................;.. Amer. Acad Dreamer With a Penny—*"A11 For Love".,....,.......;..., Simoti Everywhere You Go Lombardo Far Away Places Laurel Galway Bay • Leeds If I Could Be With You—1 "Flamingo Road" Remiek 1 Get Up Every Morning ,...« Leeds I Got a Gal In Galveston ; Republic I Love You So Much It Hurts ,\ . .Melody Lane Fve^Got My Love To Keep Me Warm., Berlin Love Me,: Love Me, Love Me.,. ,: .. ... ........., Miller My Dream Is Yours—1 "My Dream Is Yours"....,...; .Witmark No. Orchids For My Lady ,.... . ..............., .......... . . .. , : Leeds Powder Your Face With Sunshine ., ,, Lombardo Ued Roses For a Blue Lady Mills So In Love—*"Kiss Me Kate" T. B. Harms Someone Like You—t"My Dream Is Yours" '. Harms So Tired ' ■ Glenmore Sunflower .,.-... . .... .. i.Paramount The Streets of Laredo—1 "Streets of Laredo"..,..., Famous Underneath the Linden Tree. ,,, \ La Salle When You're In Love ;•.... .. ,> ....... /..........,... . . Crawford While the Angelus Was Ringing V., .. . .... i i. ........ Melody Lane Who Wouldn't Love You Fremart You Was .., Crystal The calls continued for another 10 minutes or more and the optoator began giving me dirty looks.. So did the mail room boy . wiio next morning brought me a stack of cards and letters demands ing that I play"that Portuguese record" again. I was quite sur- prised to put it mildly. No big build-up—-no ballyhoo—not even English lyrics; They didn't know that they had heard... but they liked what they heard. And that was all tliat mattered. For weeks and' months every- time. I played that same record I got that same reaction. And evi- dently Lwasn't the only one who had got wind of the public's taste for this tasty samba. A few months later I found myself pre- senting a "new release" by Xavier Cugat on Columbia. The label read Shirl and Drake as the writers of a catchy new samba. It .-was my old-friend "Nao Tenho" all- dressed up in new English lyrics. And in just no time at all,:"Come to the Mardi Gras" was way up on the list of best sellers. That's the way many a hit is born. By : luck—plus public taste. And it's one of the phases of i-ecord^spinning that makes it so constantly fascinating. I've often { heard disk jockeys referred to as i having "made" a record. Well, i I'd be inclined to discount that. Because you can't make the public accept anything—^be it records, racing or ratrtraps. If they like-it, they'll buy. If they don't, they ■won't. Some disk jockey may have J the satiisf action of being the first i to introduce a record which isi-- :.grabbed up by the public. Buti don't let the press agents kid you, if the public didn't like it friend d.j. could spin it 30 times a day and nothing's going to happen. I'Ve seen proof so many times. One;i recent Instance being a fellow (not' a music publisher) who was deter-; mined to make the public like his, several records of a tune bearing; his busines.s 'trade-mark" in the! title. Not content with usual trade j journal campaign; he went all-out. j Full page ads in the metropolitan | dailies — giveaways,—tiein,—even : hired a press agent to do nothing j but push tlie platters to the d.j.'s.' The trade reacted by giving him ; a high rating in the weekly polls. The listeners reacted by giving hiS ' records-r-the go'by. j Nosir, you can't make 'em like ' it. But by the same token you.i can't keep 'em from liking it—if - they want to. Take the time my friend Jack Breg'man, of Bregman, are ever so many other examples of the, same sort of thing. Of course,' it's no trick getting re- quests for. a tune that's number one on the Hit Parade, but when the public uses your program to tip off the music men that they go big for something new that's just been waxed-—well, forgive the corny; but- sincere, expression^ thatfs the thrill in the game, Welk Vamps Decca, Signs With Mercury After eight years with Decca, } Lawrence Welk has secured his re-i lease from that disk firm and last week signed a three-year pact with Mercury. • Bandleader feels He'll get a better break with the latter company for Decca's large stable of names tended to prevent him from receiving the attention he would have liked to have been ac- corded. . Welk, who opened a 14-week stand at the Grill of the Hotel Roosevelt, N. Y., Thursday (24), recalled that his last Decca record- ing made four years ago had just been released. With Mercury, a Chicago outfit, he expects to get better distribution in the midwest where he had largely built up his rep over a score of years. Shortly before trekking to N. Y. his crew cut its initial Mercury platters, "Hurry, Hurry" and "Have a Heart." The remaining 20 songs, based on Richard Hitnber's new development ■in logging broadcast performances. . ■> Again—i"Road House" Rabbins As You Desire Me... .... . i. ^.........; . .Words.& Music "A"—You're Adorable '. Laurel Busy Doing Nothing—1 "Connecticut Yankee" .Melrose Buttons and Bows—f'Paleface" , Famous Candy Kisses ........,... *.*........ i....,. . ... ... .Hill : & Range Careless Hands Melrose Forever and Ever ' Robbins Great Guns , Feist Here I'll Stay—1 "Love Life" Cliappell I Don't See Me In Your Eyes................Laurel It's a Big Wide Wonderful World. . BMI Johnny Get Your Girl..... i. .... .................... .Bourne Look Up .....Patmar My Darling, My Darling^*"Where's Charley" Morris Once and For Always—t"Connecticut Yankee"...Melrose Once In Love With Amy—*"Where's' Charley?" .Morris Tara-Talara-Tala Oxford These Will Be the Best Years of Our Lives. Robbins You, You, You Are the One... .......;...,... .Campbell t Filmusical. Legit Musical. Elliot Home, formerly with Mu sic raf t Records' promotion dept., has joined Apollo Records in a similar capacity. .. 1. .CRVISING DOWN THE RIVER (7) (Spitzer). ■ '■ 4. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT flVk'TS (4) (Melody Lane). : 7. RED ROSES FOR BLUE LADY (6) (Mills). -10 Best SeUers on Coin-Maclmies Week of Mink 28 2. FAR AWAY PLACES (15) (Laurel). 3. POWDER FACE WITH SUNSHINE (9) (Lombardo). 5. GALWAY BAY (121 (Leeds) J Blue Barron .. . . . ...;... .M'G-M ' \ Keynoters ......... i. . . London " j Perry Como. . ,. .Victor ' [ Margaret Whiting:.. ... .Capitol j Evelyn Knight.....,. . . .Decca • ^ Blue Barron i.. . M-G-M y Mills Bros . Decco • I Buddy Clark Columbia ■tBing Crosby ................ Decco ■ tAnne. Shclton...;»»...,.^London 6. AGAIN (2) (Robbins) Vera I ynn .London " > 8. I'VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM (13) (Berlin). 9. LAVENDER BLUE (8) (Santly-Joy) 10- SUNFLOWER (1) (Famous) ( Vaughn Monroe ... ... .Victor i Guy Lombardo.......... Decco j Les Brown :. .,.. i.,;.., Columbia ' 1 Mills Bros. ............. Decco j Dinah Shore.......... Columbio ' t Sammy Kaye , Victor y Russ Morgan.. ...,...... .Decco ' \ Frank Sinatra,. ....... Columbio Coming Up IBing Crosby ,. ...,,,... , Decco (Dinah Shor(f. . ....:.. ; . Columbia , .Dt7iah Shore.......;. . Columbio SO IN LOVE (T. B. Harms) , TRUE TO YOU IN MY FASHION (T. B- Harms) ,.. . . . . ... . YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISE (Pic) i Paula Watson Supreme ' ■ \Kay Starr Capitol YOU, YOU, YOU ARE THE ONE (Campbell) u Ames Bros Coral LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME (Bourne) \ Evelyn Knight DeccO {Paula Watson Supreme BEAUTIFUL EYES (Duchess) Art Mooney M-G-M NO ORCHIDS FOR MY LADY (Leeds) I ^cJcstine M-G-M , "link Spots Decco SO TIRED (Glenmore) 3 Morgan Decca Z I Kay Starr Capitol FOREVER AND EVER (Robbins) J Gracie Fields London . , ^ Margaret Whiting Capitol J CARAVAN (Amer. Acad.) Billy Eckstine M-G-M SOMEONE LIKE YOU (Remick) , . i Peggy Lee, ...Capitol (Doris Day Columbio CARELESS HANDS (Melrose) Mel Torme Capitol CLANCY LOWERED THE BOOM (Kenmor) S Ames Bros Coral 1 Dennis Day . Victor LOVE ME, LOVE ME. LOVE ME (Miller) Eddy Howard MercuS [Figures in parentheses tndicote number of weeks song has been *in the Top JOJ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ n n ; Diskers Eye TV s Illustrated Songs Chicago, March 29. ■ Major recording companies are anxious to be assured that' their product wiU be tied up with the tele- vision Jr., recording-picture' sets being marketed by Tower Records, This invention takes an ordinary wax recording, plays it, and through an ingenious hookup with strips of film throws pictures on-a "fjcreen at the same time. Pictures, of course, illustrate the subject mat- ter of the disk. Columbia, Decca and the other major companies have spoken with Tower and have gotten assurance tliat when either produces a disk the material of which will lend it- self to the film-disk idea, strips of pictures will be turned out to match; Tower will manufacture them, of course, and may want to distribute them with their own. Distributors are being set up all over the country to handle tlie; Television Jr. EXCLUSIVE TAKING ON OUTSIDE LABELS Kansas City, March 29. Exclusive Records, which here- tofore has distributed only its own label* is branching out beginnin* this week. Exclusive Record Dis- tributors, Inc., has been formed to handle its own label and those of several other record-makers, with N. Y. headquarters. First outside label which Exclu- sive is taking under Its wing,_f Damon Records, Kansas City indie. Damon hit the best seller lists last year with Jon and Sondra Steele* "My Happiness" which sold over 1,000,000 disks, and now ^ catalog of 15 releases. Exclusive is handling the entire catalog. J. Parker Prescott is handllOB for Exclusive. '