Variety (December 1950)

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ORCHESTIIAS-MUSIC Wednesday, December 6, 1950 Launching of a new public relations policy by the American Society of CoinjDOsers, Authors and Publishers may be signalled by the Robert BEST ON WAX M. Yoder article on “Tin Pan Alley’s Wonderful Monopoly” in the Nov. With Buddy 25 issue of the Saturday Evening Post. Mag piece, apparently written Ueinno with the cooperation and blessing of ASCAP execs, is seen represent- [ Writer: Bennett ing a reversal of the clam-up attitude towards the press wi^ich has j miuSm been prevalent in the Society for the past .several years. Yoder’s rv article traces the history and activities of ASCAP up to the anti-trust j yp,. ’ novpl aspect of this consent decree. The actual operation of the new 60-20-20 djsti'bution ! .^e only^ this system, however, makes several of Yoder’s conclusions obsolete, espe-! disk *5 a 14- cially his comments that ASCAP payments are a permanent source of I “.ar.aiu lad. Given a Saturday inconie to clefTers. . . . ' . r, ah • , . 1 noon spot, airer is obviously aimed Interest of the national mags m Tin pan Alley is also indicated in dj-avving a large segment of the piece on songwriter Harry Warren in the Dec. 2 issue of Collier s , ijstencrship from juve dialers, by Lloyd, Shearer. Warren, one of Hollywood’s top cleffers, is tagged i for the faict that as the least publicized writer of hit tunes in fhe business. “I’ve had i jg handled by a youngster,, so much publicity,” Warren is quoted, “that not even my best friends j ^med as a “junior disk jockey,” have ever heard of me.” there’s little else offered that might rate as come-on material for the younger element. Tunes played Saul Bourne’s publishing firnis, Bourne, Inc., and ABC Music, have ■ , undergone more personnel chainges in the professional departments in > are of the pop variety arid .are the couple of months, since Larry Spier has been with them as general j similar to those heard on .most dee- profe.ssional manager, than have taken place in the past several years, jay stanzasv i ^ j Late.st change was the dropping of ABC New York contactman^ Charlie -^hddy Bennett, holding^down MacGregor, la.st week after only two months with the firm. ^ The previous week, Bourne’s Chicago office was shuttered tern- porarily and Hank Markbreit, vet Chi contactman, dropped. Prior to refe.i.fe^^fnner I^^^ that, Mike Gould, longtime Bourne Coast contactman. was dropped | ^^ ’^^^sed mapner,^^^ As it after Eddie. Shaw was installed as ABC rep. Another change was the i saiy oii-tne-cuu quaiuy., as h. resignation a couple of mohths ago of Lee Finburgh as Bourne pro- fessional manager and production chief for both firms, shortly after Spier merged his catalog with ABC’s. The recording release date sweepstakes reached a near-ludicrous point last week when two diskeries jumped the release date in their recordings of a standard. Jack Robbins’ Words & Music has set a cam- paign on “The Night Is Young,” and has received coverage from most of the majors for Jan. 1 release. Last week, though, Capitol and London jumped the gun by releasing their Ray Anthony and Bill Sniyder versions, respectively. Billy Rose, one of the writers of “Night,” has been getting a lot of action in pa.st months on his work. Supreme Music niade a hit out of “I Wanna Be Loved,” which he wrote in 1932 with Edward Heyman and Johnny . Green. And Bregman, Vocco & Cohn have been working on a new song he vvrote with Milton Ager, “Only a Moment Ago.” stands, youth lends nothing per- sonality-wise to the proceedings. Show heard had a Halloween motif and numbers in line with the occa- sion were played. Two numbers, more in the youthful vein, were also offered. Gros. The Frank Loessers rushed back to their Beverly Hills home today (Wed.) now that “Guys and Dolls” has opened and the Decca album waxing with the, original cast has been recorded. Loesser has a new eight-week-oid daughter back home whom he barely saw just before coming east for rehearsals. Lynn (Mrs.) Loesser came east only for the Broadway preem last week. Incidentally, RCA Victor rushed out an unofficial album of “Guys” with Audrey Marsh, Ray Charles and Morey Amsterdam in the Vivian Blaine-Robert Alda-Sani Levene roles. They plattered nine selections with A1 Goodman’s orch. Musical score for the film “Tokyo File 212” was recorded by non- union musicians, with the complete blessing of James C. Petrillo. Composer-conductor A1 Glasser decided the score should be recorded only by Japanese musical instruments, and an intensive search failed to turn up any AFM members who could play such instruments.- He finally located 24 Japanese musicians in Los Angeles, presented his problem directly to Petrillo and was given the green light after the AFM chief satisfied himself that Glasser’s search for union windjam- mers had been as complete aS possible. MORNING SHOW With Bill Gordon Participation . WHK, Cleveland There’s no middle ground when it comes to Bill Gordon. WHK’s | morning disk jockey. You either like him or dislike him, and there’s no room for indifference, Gordon’s i personality dominates almost four hours of chatter, chatter, song and jibe; He sings along . with the voices on.the shellacs, pokes fun- and comments in a breezy manner. Gordon’s selling ability is okay, judging by the , advertisers that j have justifiably latched onto hirn. Frequently, Gordon, in his after- noon 1:15 to 2:30 stanza, will have a guest star. His 7:15 to 10 a.m. “Morning Show” is primarily disc and cqnimsrcials. Gordon moves through neat selection of disks. Mark. Flagstad SRO on Heavy Schedule This Season Kirsten Flagstad is set for one of the heaviest schedules of her Deal for Ted Lewis to topline the current layout at the Cocoanut j career this season, with 38 concert Grove of the Ambassador hotel in Los Angeles fell through, according i dates Inked in addition to her to Music Corp, of America, when Lewis was asked to eliminate his j s.v, Negro shadow, Snpwflake, from the act during the stand. Tony Cabot, currently booking the Grove, declared the, deal fell through because of a price disagreement, but MCA reported all terms and conditions had been agreed to until the hotel balked on including Snowflake in the show. many Opera appearances in San Francisco and N. Y. Diva was with the San Francisco Opera from Sept. 10 through Nov. 5, with con- cert dates penciled in between. She sings at Carnegie Hall, N. Y., Sun- day (10), and will be with the Met Opera from Jan. 22 through March 25., V Singer has done 16 recitals or Ezio Pinza’s RCA Victor recording contract covers 10 years at, only $10,000 annual guarantee. A plus to the company is (i) his more recent “popular” renown, due to “South Pacific” and his forthcoming Metro pictures, and (2) the fact he will also record operas and albums, as against the former highbrow excerpts he did under his old Columbia appearances with orchestra thus contract. Pinza draws the standard lOCb royalty on platters which, far this fall, to filled houses. Her being “red seal,” start at.$1.25 per. fee is $3,000 for a recital; $1,500 with orchestra. On the Coast last month she grossed approximately $6,000 each in Portland and Seat- tle; $5,500 in Bakersfield, Cal., and $5,000 in San Diego. Diva also has some radio dates,, first one for Standard Oil on the Coast. Anthologist Seeks Some Yesteryear Greats Among Pioneer Record Artists Editor, Variety: He was also well known in vaude and musical comedy, and sang on radio in the early days. Elida Morris, a comedienne who made records for several years, starting in 1910, and packed more I sex appeal into her voice than any ^ , I dozen of the gals Avho are, gurgling As some readers know, I bave j£ versions been wi-iting “Favorite Pioneer Re-1 of “Stop, Stop, Stop, Love Me cording Artists” in Hobbies maga-j Some More!” and. “Kiss Me, My zine for several years. Gathering. Honey, Kiss Me!” aren’t rated as biographical information about’ Piassics, it just goes to show that some of the old-timers who are ■ genius is not alvyays recognized at no longer active is frequently a , Us true worth! tough job. I’m wondering if any- i And does anybody know the full body can give ihe some info on name of Tascott, a blackface come- those whom^ I shall list below: | dian who was noted for two songs, Eddie Morton; who was a native ’You Must Think I’m Santa Claus”^^ of Philadeflphia and was known in and »‘Siiame On You,’^ circa 1905? vatide as “The Singing Policeman.” : I consider Morton one of the best! singing comedians in the history of the phonograph, but have been un- able to learn whether he is still; alive. I’d appreciate any inlorma- i tion Goncerning him. and if Eddie ; « reads this Id like to invite him RFrORDFn RV nFffA attend the next party for pioqecr liliWUl/liU ill recording artists to be held on j Decca Records completed its. Long Island next September. The nl Ihe original-cast album same invitaiiou goes to all those I of Frank Loesser’s Broadway legit shall, rneiition and vto anyone else hnisical bit, “Guys and Dolls,” in who made records before the elec- a 14-hour session on Sunday (3). trie process was inlrodiTced ih 1925. ■ Simon Rady, chief of Decca’s Harry^ Tally,, v.'ho sang the lead longhair repertory division, super- In the Empire City Four and was. vised the cutting with Dave Kapp, a popular record maker for a good company vice-prexy who returned many years. 1 have been told he is from the Coast late last week, in dead, but haven’t been able to find ' attendance, an obit or to get any information ■ : —• bS^eu"^ Gyorgy Sandor. just back ^ 1 ’ Iroin a three-month concert tour Of Aithiu C. Clough, a popular re- Auslialiu, give.s a concert at Car- cording tenor, beginning in 1909. negie Hall, N. Y., Dec. 11. Jiin Walsh, Walsh’s Wax Works, Box 131, Vinton, Va. Diie to success of the recent N, y. debut concert of the Vir- tuosi. di Roma symph ensemble, Cetra-Soria Records is bringing out an album of four Vivaldi works by the Italian group in January. Song Cavalcade in ^51 Prentice-Hairs publication of the “Variety Song Caval- cade” has been defeiTed to the spring of 1951 because of the considerable additional mate- rial which Dr. .Julius Mattfeldj CBS musicologist, who com- piled it, has added. The vol- ume will round put the mid- century by irtGluding the 1950 Calvacade of Hits, plus an his- torical-biographical appendix. This portion, too, is being ex- tensively revised and reedited by Abel Green, editor of Variety, who has written a special in trod liction. The proposed $4 pubUGation price will more likely be nearer $7, because of the added material. Those ad- vance-orderers who have re- mitted $4 to Variety are hav- ing their checks held, for final billing, or they can have the remittances returned. Other- \yise their orders are being kept, along with others which’ are to be billed upon publica- tion. Survey Week of Nov. 24-30, 1950 The top 30 songs of the Week (more in case of ties), 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, Alphabetically listed. A Bushel and a Peck—^'“Guys and Dolls’^ Morris A Marshmallow World ............. ,,. Shapirp*B A.11 IVIy Lpve. . Alills ^ Autumn Leaves . . . . ......., ,..... . ....... •..... Criteripfi Best Thing For You:—‘•'“Call M% Madam” ......... Berlin, Can Anyone Explain .... ., . ..«. 4.. Valando Christmas In Killarhey , ..... . ..Bemick Dream A Little Dream Gf Me........... ^,... Wbrds-Music Frosty the Snow Man ,.............;,,.. . Hill & Range Goofiis Feist Harbor Lights ^ v .,.......Chappell I Don’t Mifld Being AU Alone .............,;,.. .Mills I Love the Guy (I Love the Girl) .........,...,, ShapiroB If I Were a Bell—+“Guys and Dolls” ..,....,.... .Morris I’m Ih the Middle of a Riddle . . . . , ; ,........ . Robbins .; T’Ve Never Been In Love Before-^’i‘“Guys and Dolls” Morris La Vie En Rose . ^ .......; Harms Life Is So Peculiar^ i “Mr/ Music” ............. Burkc-VH Longing . . . ..,.. . . ......... .Knick’b’ck’r It Looks Like a Cold Cold Winter ^ . j... Lombardo Nevertheless—•! “Three Little Words” ............ .Ghappell Orange Colored Sky j ........ Frank Patricia ... . . ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Recipe for Romance . ............... *,,,,.Fred Fisher Rudolph the RedrNosed Reindeer ................. St. Nicholas Silver Bells-^r“Lemon Drop Kid” ,....,,..,.,. * . Paramount Sleigh Ride . . ...... . .,.......,.,.,.. Mills The Thing , .. . ...... . .:. , Hollis Thinking Of You—'"Three Little Words” ........ Remick LTse Your Imaginatiori .... . . Chappell You’re Just In Love—“Call Me Madam” .......; Berlin The remaining 20 songs of the week (more in case 0/ ties), based on the copyright Audience Coverage Index Survey of Popu* lar Music Broadcast over Radio Neticorks. Published by the Office of Research, Inc., Dr. John. G. Peatman, Director. Alphabetically listed. .A Rainy Day Refrain . . .... Leeds Accidents Will Happen Burke-VH Beloved Be Faithful ....... Pickwick Button Up Your Clyercoat ...................... Craw^ford Could Be .. .BMI Dream Awhile . . Miller Here Comes the Fattest Man In Town............. Life I’U Get By—■: “I’ll Get By” Bouime I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles Remick Jing-A-Llng Jing-A-Ling . . . .................... Disney Keep Your Eyes On the Stars Campbell Let’s Do It Again ..... .> .Robbins Mambo Jambp ,. Peer Molasses Molasses Essex Music Maestro Please Bourne My Dream Christmas .... .....................,. .Life Ocarina—^;‘'CaU Me Madam” .Berlin Oh Babe • Alamo Tenne.ssee Waltz , , . . , Acuff-Rose Tonight Be Tender To Me Life. You. Love Me Witmark t Filmusical. * Legit musical. Ethel Shutta’s Protegee Houston, Dec. 5, Jayne Swayze, songstress cur- rently appearing at the Plantation Club here along with Benny Bells orch, is a protegee of Ethel Shutta (Mrs. George IQrksey), now resid- ing here in semi-retirement. Miss Shutta, incidentally, is head of the drama dept, at the Southern College of Fine Arts. Local 802 Peace Continued, from page 43 charge was actually less than other unions have been paying, and pro- duced photostats of other unipns' contracts to substantiate its claim. In addition. Blue ticket leaders de- clared that the rented voting ma- chines were the only ones with an AFL stamp under which the AFM also operate. The charges and coun- ter-charges were couched in such terms as “filthy libel,” “degraded opjpositioh” and similar invective from the political lexicon. , . Countering the Unity’s tickets’ charges of .incompetence and inef- ficiency, the ad min istr ation direct- ed a blast against Feinberg. Lat- ter’s alleged sins boiled down to the fact that he left Local 802 to become a labor relations consultant which, according to the Blue, propa- ganda, moans “working for bosses.” The other opposition candidate, A1 Manuti, running as an independent, was tagged as “a rule-or-ruin- careerist.” Manuti and Feinberg re- turned similar bouquets to the ad- ministration. Meantime, some 11,000 imembers of the local are expected to ballot for officers tomorrow at the union's headquarters, where the machines have been installed. The union has some 30,000 members, but several thousand of these are either dual card holders, living in other cities, or are on the road. No absentee ballots are permitted. Results of the election will be disclosed early I Friday morning (8 l Israel Tastes Lean Toward Longhair, Miron Reveals in N Y. YVartime paper shortages and a ! dearth of dollar exchange pre- vented the Israeli music publish- ing industry from establishing it- j self until only two years ago, ac^ ! cording to composer Issachar 1 Miron, who recently arrived in the : U, S. from Israel, pven now, he ; said in New York, there are but i a half-dozen publishers who handle 1 both serious and pop music. Majority of the pubs' catalogs lean toward the classics and light music, Miron declared, since the public’s taste is more .inciined to- \yard longhair than pop Composi- tions. He listed ..the works of Aaron Copland, Leonard Bern- stein and George Gershwin as art example of the type of American music in which the average Israeli citizen is interested. Miron pointed out that a dollar shortage still sharply restricts im- ports of Ameiuean sheet music ; and recordings. However, local radio stations have helped popu- larize U. S. music via platter pro- jgrams. And in the near future there likely will be an even greater supply of American tunes available due to a reciprocal licensing agreement ilow being considered ^by the American Society of Composers, Authors Si Publishers and the equivalent Israeli organization. Miron, who plans to be in the /U. S. for about two or three ! months, primarily madS his junket for two reasons. One Is, to testify in connection with a legal battle over the origin of the tune, “Tzena» Tzena, Tzena.” He claims to have ! composed the song’s melody in ^ [1941. Other is to place some of I his ditties with American Pub- lishers. brought 100 with him.