Variety (March 1950)

Wednesday, "March 1, 1950 ORCHE$TRAS-MUSI€ By BEENIE WOODS Monroe “Over and example of what the singer can do Easter Time” (Victor); *°F> t*»e film, Vaughn Monroe "Over and Oyer--’It's Easter Time” (Victor); Two new pops, one seasonal and both good. Monroe may not be the type of singer that fits “Over,” “Wabash Ave.” l20th-Fox). Platter Pointer* M-G-M . got out a two-faced cut a waltz melody and a fine tune, but of “In a Chinese Garden •’ by George he does a swell job on it and could ®£“rl"F’? Quh,te*; an excellent .....u ’**• uinv. m. >..*» .piece of. lyax , , . Arthur Godfrey push it high. Hts -^Easter” iuile,^ ^ written by disk jockey Sherm lumbla on a cute piece of material Best British Sheet Sellers (Week ending. Feb. 18) London, Feb. 2L Harry Lime Theme. .Chappell . Dear Hearts ■ . . , . . .. . , Morris Jealous Heart , . . /New World Hopscotch Polka . . . . . Leeds Bunch of Coconuts Box Be Cox ' Breaking My Heart. . Sterling Down in the Glen. . . . Wright I’ll String Along . .Feldman Garden of Weeds .Box & Cox Why Is It ,v ... . . Cinephonic Our Love Story . . . . . ... . Carolin Mule Train • . ; Chappell. ; Second 12 Feller (WCOP, Boston) is a neat thing that grows on Xlistener. Moon Maids assist on both. Jimniy Dorsey “When' You Wore titled;, “If I Had You on a Desert Island,” backed by Godfrey’s “Mak-? ing Love Ukelele Style” > * . Skitch Henderson’s orchestra sliced a smoothly attractive “Daddy-’s a Tulip”-“Clap Hands, Here Comes Little Girl (Capitol) . . . Russ Mor /Pninmhifl) Dtirsev an I3,1? issued by Decca on two coiorCharlie (Columbia), Dorsey ap funy done instrumentals — “Pa pears to he on an exclusive Dixie yanne”-“Priisiohero 1^1 Mar” . . . land kick on disks. This pairing Count Basie’s “Sent for You Yes is again excellent, particularly the terday and Here You Come Today” “TuUp’V sidey a lively, colorful per* and “Shorty George” reissued by formahee with a vocal by Kenny Decca on Brunswick label; Martin. It very likely will follow up on Dorsey’s prior Dixie hits. Album KeViews “Charlie” sells nicely, With a vocal » ix «i by Clair Hogan, but for some rea hn n^e 1 ^ v? g> « 15 ,al“ son it doesn’t have the same punch. ^ *^iwncr *11 cop}pila" thel?MhclIp-haendsWbite t0 eXtend bandsof various stylesjtume^out | ‘he brief clap-hands. B»t.; . by RC AVictor in an effort to fur Confidentially ... New World Forever and Ever EiD, & H. Song In pur Heart . 20th-Cent; Is It Too Late' ;-. Yale Is It True About Dixie . Wood Someday My Heart. .Chappell Scottish Samba . , . ... Sun Wedding Samba . . . . , ; Leeds World Has Forgotten , Carolin Leicester Square Rag Norris Best of All . Connelly Song of Capri .-, . .... ChappeU Paging Ripley ! Mills Music .recently re* reived a request from a small midwest disk company for a royalty, rate on an old song. Company made its pitch on the peg that its pressing with ai Ideal band might help: “revive” the tune; The number happened to be Hoagy Carmichael’s “Star Dusty” one of the classic standards; Of Ch M <-.»)» ■If,! >".« tfiel, and sharp. it the new interest — t&fast.iS&.&tiX. ssxswssw*. s Ing— and— it^s — a^-really— worthwhile^ -grduTr~of~90 sides ° . .. • i« _ O VA!.. WV, Oiuvij IV O UliUtUU IU Alk<«wMM ■ 11 _ j ■. ■! u • Chicago, Feb. , 28. Operations at Tower Records are near a Standstill, except for pressing and distributing, because of the impending withdrawal from aiaaaa the firm of Morrie Coweri, Barney ijCIS Li l\616aS6 Perel and Hy Brown, who joined IIVIVUUV firm last month with promotional * t i. v a and legal talent plus money. {5e£^s’ s1s^? aibe^ t0 Cowen, Pdrel and Brown had f -.SS af ’jm ' ^ ^5ginr r5leaS1?/rg 3l agreed upon options to invest T*d?^T wioriey and time to make Tower -mg— anu— n~s— a— ftrmiy— wuiLiiwnncri-group-Tjryusines lt’s^iiflMlt'Td iuUai^71I5ment~^ tfonsviSHG Pfive_^^llil"t^Tne oPeration. Optionsfexversion. It bounces the noyelty say which is best. Each ' album, *?ne dl? , culled from i pire in April, and indications now tune smoothly and solidly, and 'the however, has its standout pieces ~e?ca anJ Brunswick catalog ma ! are that the three will pass them singer’s Smart handling is backed from Tommy Dorsey’s “Just/ One Wial, to be followed soon by com by. Cowen and Perel have a neatly hy • Max Kaminsky s Dixie of Those Things” on down to the piiations of melodies Originally 'thriving pharmaceutical business; landers. Flipover is a new pop by excellently contrived Latin-beat ?u.t by the comparatively youthful Brown is a local attorney the writers of “Dear Hearts and items by Miguelito Valdes, Each Coral organization. • ^ * ^to in^st " terns from smartJy turned out by Victor, First five will, be a group of ! disagreement between trio $nd lnnf}dnnp i , Ahan^to hit Bing ; Crosby items, a Bob Crosby i Dick Bradley, president of Tower, good one, with a^ance to hit. ^ Dixieland set titled “Swingin’. At Ion methods of operation. Bradley •nirfiTT • Riyfn^CiSn 51 fninne from annthpr dl?tipgulsh“ the Sugar Bowl;” a Jan Garber favors operations on small scale, w' aQA? * ■ waltz grouping; a Louis Arm promoting one record at a time, Lhe _ cream of strong set and a Duke Ellington i Other three reportedly want big C Te~ combination. The Bing Crosby, | promotional campaigns for a num tion of the two ideas aiid they re • cording, each band assigned a ^rmstronv and Ellington «vui ' hor of wavinpc fiimhifariPoii«iv okay. Si Bon ’ is launched straight, group of tunes by one composer, with the Lee Gordon Singers back The 15 include Tommy Dorsey play*lng the comic’s vocal; this portion ing Cole Porter, Sammy Kaye-Irv-r is fair and not likely to catch at ing Berlin; Ralph Flanagan-Rodtention. However, Kaye then goes gers tic Hammerstein; Vaughn Monlnto. what might be termed a satire roe-victor Herbert; Ray McKinon French singers and it picks up ley-Rodgers & Hart; Claude Thornlustre. Whether the finish makes hill-George Gershwin; Tex Benekeun for it all is anybody’s guess. Hoagy Carmichael; Spike Jones “Wilhelmina” is done similarly, plays The Charleston; Spade gic^ol«es wffl bTthpKiiS the earlv cfrniffht vnoal followed Coolev-Billv Hill: Freddv Martin WU1 be the sole Output the early straight vocal followed Cooley-Billy Hill; Freddy Martinr by Kaye’s takeoff of an old Dutch Jerome Kern; Charlie Venturamah. Duke Elliiigton; 5 Wayne King-Jo Eddle Fisher “Am I Wasting My hann Strauss; Miguelito Valdes of Gothis Recording Corp., re1 cently organized New York platter i firm. Time On You”-“I Love You Be jrnesio x.ecuon cause” (Bluebird). Eddie Cantor’s 7inSSnt, protege continues: to show up ms'”« Handy, brightly on records. His work on ■ the first side combines good vo ./ ^ '/ ' ., . calling with a good song, a combination which on this disk might ; . ; help him immeasurably. Reverse,, V* f f • • • a pop with a hillbilly flavor, Is ,, ^ equally well done. • *► l. rag mcj Joey Nash “You’re a Real Sweet . heart”-“That’s Right”; “It Isn’t ^ CHATTY Fair“-“If I Forget YOU” (Happi ' ness). These disks were made •• I SAID J mainly because Nash did the orig o' A u : Inal version of “It Isn’t Fair” with 4 H Richard Himber’s orchestra and it ■ ■ was felt he could Share in the ,► 5. THERE’S tune’s revival. His work on “Fair” is okay, but in “You’re a Real ’’ o MUSIC. Sweetheart,” presumably an old ,, tune by Irving Caesar-Cliff Friend, . ► „ ni_ Nash could have a sleeper. An un ** usually simple, good melody and » . r&v T lyriq, he does it well, with a big «► ^ Jv assist from a Frankie Carle type »* CRAZY of background pianist. Song could ^ nnD«ui go. Other two melodies. “That’s I®* DREAM! Right”, and “If I Forget You,” are <► okay, too. Sapphires quartet does ’’ One, Nash the other. ,► Connie Haines “How Come You CRY OF WIE Like Me Like You Do”-“01 Man ;► fviov vrilT Mose” (Coral). Miss Haines cuts .. consistently good disks. These are 4 ► FOOLISH HI typical, lively, colorfully handled ’’ BROKEN DC standards; -Do'-' is on a .medium ^ u-avf i tpai ^bounce beat; “Mose” side hits a • ... , 1 • ^ fasterjhylbmjace^with 3^ vocal by •• QUICKSILVl Miss Haines that adds up to a solid ( 4 ’ l0Hoy Sevens ‘'When Your Old ^ DEAS,E (La‘ Wedding Ring Was New”-“Sugarfoot Rig” (London). These are ,► SITTING BY Steveiis initial disks. New band • _ Rfl makes a good impression ‘on wax. . ’ ’ ^ f S1 BlJ “Ring ” A good tune, is smoothly , ► » nnWc t v performed and draws repeated <► • ° spips. Stevens himself handles the • ’ - _ „ Vocal, good in a 'non-professional 0 WEDDING S way, backed by a tasty arrange* ; ^ ■ ment. Stevens and Patrieia Laird WE LL BUIL handle the reverse vocal, a good “ BLUES STA1 musical version of the novelty tune , .m A'nT.A /f i already iii circulation. ^ Ella Fitzgerald-Sy Oliver “Don’t ■ l .WIDE Clia Go ’Way Mad”-“Baby, Won’t rn.R1 TP ^ You Say You Love Me” (Decca). lhareie Working With Sy Oliver on the, -J’ & aTurday . first, Miss Fitzgerald has what may < ► not be a hit side, but one to which 4 BIBBlDl BO] jocks and jukes will find good ’’ reaction. It’s different. ; *’Baby” Is , , tvs. Ernesto Lecuona; Larry Green Or Vincent Youmans; Erskine Hawk* ham, Schwartzman. Potash ’ a n d Caryl RAG MOP (5) (Hill & Week ef Feb. 25 . , J A?m?s Bros. .,. . . Coral nange; ... . . ......... ... ..... .... • • • • \ Ralph Flanagan. . . ..... . .Victor THERE’S NO TOMORROW (13) (Paxton). CHATTANOOCIE SHOESHINE BOY (3) (Acuff-R.) j d^u '^///////.V.V.Cora® IS AID MY PAJAMAS (6) (Leeds) . Martiv,Warren ........ . Victor DEAR HEARTS. GENTLE PEOPLE (111 (Morris). | c]-oX.'.7.V.'.'.'. .^'dcccu THERE’S NO TOMORROW (13) (Paxton) j Man Dtif* ' '.'.V.V.'.'.HarmonJ MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC (5) (Cromwell) • { |^*0 Kr'. "'.I ‘ ! ! Xoudon OLD MASTER PAINTER (12) (Robbins) j ^London I CAN DREAM CAN’T I (23) (Chappell). . ... . ... .... Andrews Sisters. ...... . Decca CRAZY HE CALLS ME (1) (Massey). . . . . . Billie Holiday. . . . . . . . . . . . DecCa DREAMER’S HOLIDAY (14) (Shaplro-B) ., ... • j E^’misoZenkin,' V.V.V.V.DecM Second Group CRY OF WILD GOOSE. (American) Frankie Laii ie. ; .. . . .Mercury ENJOY YOURSELF (Morris) Guy Lombardo . . . . . . . . ; . Decca FOOLISH HEART (Santly-Joy) Gordon Jenkins ... ... . . . • Decca BROKEN] DOWN MERRY-GO-ROUNp (Vogue). ..... . Wint'ing-Wakely . . .-Capitol: HAVE I TQLb YOU LATELY (Duchess) . ; . , . Crosby -Andrews . . . . • » Decca . nmnirci. uud W' --i ■ v-'.' ] CrosbyAndrews . Decca QUICKSILVER (Morris; : -. . . ... ...... . ... . ♦....«•• . * • j -.Boris" Day . . . . . . . , . .Columbia . _ ; . f MermanBolger Decca DEARIE (Laurel# v* • 4 * * • ••• * • • •• • * • • • • 7 SialJord-MacRae . ... .... Capitol ... lir,.TnA11, <f,. . «. j Dinah Shored. ' .Columbia SITTING BY WINDOW (Shaplro-B) .... ) Bill!/ Eckstine... . M-G-M C’EST. si BON (Leeds) .V . . , . Johnny Desmond. . . . . . ... M-G-M ~ w m IrswR.* a j Dick Todd . ......... . .Rainbow DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL (Beacon) * •••*• ••• ••• • • j Mills .Bros. '. U . Decca ^ i ; ■ \ Andrews-Miranda . .Decca WEDDING SAMBA (DucheM) , . . . . . #r» •••• • • * • • • • • • • • | Edmundo Ros. . . . .... London WE’LL BUILD A BUNGALOW (Algonquin) v. .-. .. .. . . .0 Johnny Long y , . .. » . .King . BLUES STAY' AWAY FROM ME (Lois) . ; . , . .... . . . . . \ Owen Bradiey . . , . . . . . . . Corat \ , MARTA (E.R* Marks) . . . .t . . ■ •. ,.a. . • . * ; • see 00 .......... Tony. Martin. . * . . . • ... .Victor EYES WIDE OPEN I’M DREAMING (Crawford) ..... . . ♦ . . * . . . » ; Patti Page.. . Mercury . v \ (Teddy Phillips. ........ London CHARLIE MY BOY (Bourne) .... . .... .v. . . ... . ..... . . | Dorsey. ...... .Columbia SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY (Preview) . . . . > . . ... .... .. Louis Jordan .... ... .... Decca ^ . j Perry Como ........... . . Victor BIBBlDl BOBBIDI BOO (Disney) .... ., .. • j Dinah Shore. . . . . ... < .Columbia . a good thing, too; Miss Fitzgerald works with Oliver again end It’s an {Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been m the Top 10 J Executives of recording companies in New York are finding increasing evidence that television performances are helping sell pop songs on disks.. Various distributors-along-vthe-line^of-^he-coaxial cable from N. . Y. to Chicago and St. Louis claim they get a definite sales reaction to tunes done on important TV shows by performers who have the same songs available on wax.'-: As a matter of fact; some distribs are so emphatic about the promotional value of TV broadcasts on platter sales that when a recording personality guests on a show and doesn’t perform a melody already available on wax, they ■beef.-' , Music publishers, on the other hand have so far brushed ■ TV off to som^ extent, sending exploitat tion staffs after video performers for plugs only because songs are being done by them, and the plugs possible might as well be theirs as some other firm’s.;/ But tho primary channel of promotion is still the disk jockey program, bolstered by live performances on commercial a.m. pro^ gramsrT-^ — ^ „ . • ■ . waltz grouping; a Louis Arm promoting one record at a time, V .,e,1crefam strong set and a Duke Ellington ; Other three reportedly / want big indard music available for re ] combination. The Bing Crosby, | promotional campaigns for a num Arm strong and Ellington sets will 1 ber of waxings simultaneously, be under the Brunswick label, I Tower is now riding on the crest which Coral distributes. j of a hit— Bill Snyder’s rendition of Coral, incidentally, now has 37 “Bewitched.” So Bradley is simply distributors. pressing and distributing, without ' . . making any plans for cutting new ' sides or signing new talent, Mean LP’s for New Co. while he is holding talks with po Long playing recordings of clas ^ w ' ' ' • Sical oldies will be the Sole output leave Tower .in no of Gothis Recording Corp., Pre-I wors? ,finan<llal Position than it f***ntiv nraanWari v.1 *1 was before, for no money was to cently organized New York platter come into the firm until options ^ were taken up in April. All that Grg was formed by Lewis J. Gra it does is to leave operations in S3?1’ ~jeon Potash a n d Caryl state of mechanical suspension unSchwartzman. til Bradley can find new investors. . Frankie Carle and Gene Krupa’s orchestras, which joined RC AVictor’s recording roster within the past couple weeks, were immediately put to work to add to the company’s string of 15 recently released albums under ’the title, “Here Comes the Dance Bands Again.” Carle recorded six tunes by Frank Loesser in Chicago and Krupa cut the same number by the late Fats Waller. Victor, incidentally, is keeping vcount of the number of hours that disk jockeys across the country are devoting to the ‘-Dance’’ album series.” In the first 10 days the albums were in the hands of various platter-spinners, a total 9,870 halfhour programs had been allotted, WNEW, New York, for example* aired the 15-album series for fOuf and a half hours Saturday (25) evening, and WMGM devoted three and a half hours oiie day last week and called it the station’s “Dance Day.” ;; 4 BOB ATCHER SHOW Producer-Director: Bill Nelson Writer: Es Freeman Announcer: Jack Holden 30 Mins., Mon.-thru-Fri., I pm Sponsor: Participating WLS, Chicago New half-hour spot combines recordings with live music and chatter . by Bob Atcher into folksy, semi-western type show. Atcher strums a guitar as lie talks, sings western tunes and spins pops, mostly in western vein. Show is integrated well, built around setup whereby Atcher. spins three hits, one of the Past year, a present hit, and one which he feels will be a hit. These, of course, are spaced at beginning, middle and end of show,, with Atcher filling in with talk; and •songs..' ;■ Choice of music, both live and. recorded, is good. Atcher plays records by Mills Bros.; Red Foley arid Jimmy Durante, and sings pop wesfbrns with pleasant drawl. But ; chatter, except when he talks about music and performers, is mostly inane and. in bad taste. A three-minute speech # about glories of freedom, tied in With the freedom given him by the station and with George Washington’s birthday, had no place on the show caught., And While incessant pleas to listeners to tell friends about show ate understandable for a hew program, they nevertheless are in bad taste. Atcher* s talk about music and performers, though* is pleasant and informative. With elimination of other subject matter, show would* proceed at a faster pace, ; giving more time for music and 1 keeping chattet on adult level, i Chan.