Variety (February 1951)

Wednesday, February 7, 1951 PSaki&F? ORCHESTRAS-MUSTC Survey Week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 1951 The top 30 songs 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, DiYecwr. Alphabetically A Bushel and a Peck— ♦VGuys and Dolls”......., . Morris All .My Love ■ • • •. • ••««•*««. •« . • • • • • • «■♦.*.» •«. JNd^rlls. And You’ll Be Home....... ................. .BurkerVH Be My Love-r-f "Toast of New Orleans”......... .i. Miller Best Thing For You—*‘-CaH Me Madam” ...... *Berlin By the Kissing Bock—1 “The West Point Story”.... Witmark Get Out Those Qld Records .. . i .............. .... .Lombardo Harbor Lights- ....... .*.«.«•. ....i.... ..-Chappell Hullabaloo ...... *. ■.. .-•■•.*.. . -. \ ^Xills I Am Loved—* "Out of This World” ............... Chappell I Remember the Cornfields.. . .... ^....... *.... .Leeds If... ..«■•••• r • *■• •.* • * • > ... • •........ Shapiro-B If I Were a Bell—* "Guys and Dolls”.......... Morris It’s a Lovely Day Today— * “Call Me Madam” .... . Berlin Never Been In Love. Before-^*“Guys and Dolls”... Morris Longing. ..•«■••• • • • ■ • • • •................. .. ... . Knick’b’cker Looks Like a Cold Cold Winter,......,........... Lombardo My Heart Cries For YOu .... . . .... . . ..... ....... .Massey Nevertheless—t"Three Little Words”.,... • ..... Chappell N ight Is Young and You’re So Beautiful ..... *...., W & M . Roving Kind.... .. . . •.« .... i-...... Ilollis Sea Of the Moon—t“Pagan Love Song”........,. .Robbins Teardrops From My Eyes ......,,..... . .....,.,.. Sirrion Tennessee Waltz ... ,.; .. Acuff-R ■ Thinking Of/You—t"Three Little Words” ......... Remick Thirsty For Your Kisses........ ,.......;. . . . Chappell To Think You’ve Chosen Me ...,....!. ......,.... Laurel Use Your Imagination—* “Out of This World”..... .Chappell You and Your Beautiful Eyes—1“ At War Army”. . Paramount You’re Just In Love—*“Call Me Madam” ......,. . Berlin Zing Zing—Zoom Zoom. *; ,.....,............. . Robbins the remaining 20 songs of the week (more in case of ties), based oh the copyright Audience Coverage Index Survey of Popu- lar Music Broadcast over Radio Networks. Published by the Office of Research, Inc., Dr. John G. Peatman, Director. Alphabetically listed. ' A:. Penny ,a 'ICiss. - «■.........«. • • • ,«..«•.... Shapiro-jfi Castles In the Sand .....................,....,.. Advanced I Don’t Mind Being All Alone ..; Mills I Love the Way You Say Goodnight.,............ Remick I Wanna Ring Around My Rosie’s Finger.......... Beacon If You’ve Got the Money.I’ve Got the Time..... •. . Peer It Is No Secret ....... >/........... ....... .. *... . Duchess Mambo Jambo. ...... .» ... ..... . . ?.• .)Peer.■ . Marrying For Love—*“Call Me Madam”........... Berlin May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You......... Pickwick More Than 1 Care To Remember...,..;... Spitzer Nobody’s Chasing Me—*"Out of This World”..... Chappell Babe ' . ............................... ^^laoao Peter Cottontail ...... •........ *................ H & R Sleigh Ride ......•.•........;................• . Mills So Long. . Folkways . Super Song , i................... .. *........... Life The Thing ....................... .Hollis Tonight Be Tender To Me .....,........ • •. • •. •.. Life . Velvet L^-ps •■.... .......»• Lombardo Wait For Me ...... *.......... • AlgonQum When Our Country Was Bom,........ .Life Would I Love Yor Love You Love You........... Disney You Love Me—t"The West Point Story” ........ . Witmark t Filmusical. * Legit musical. Brown’s Symph Switch National Asks $100,000 In Ravens Contract Suit National Records of New York has served papers on Columbia Records, Inc., James Ricks and the Ravens, in an action, in New York supreme court for an injunction and $100,000 dafmages. Diskery claims it holds an exclusive record- ing agreement with the Ravens, which was breached when the vocal group signed with Columbia in Oc- tober, 1950. James Ricks is “Rickey,” who Supplies the bass in the rhyhtm and blues singing quar- tet and who fronts for it in busi- ness deals. 11 was stated by an official of Universal Attractions, the Dffice that books the Ravens, that their three-and-a-half-year pact with Na- tional had expired before the move to Columbia; that National's action apparently hinged; on a Claim for time owing on its agreement due to a number of recording dates the group turned down because of road commitments; that the group had recorded above the minimum num- ber of sides named in the pact; and that a counter suit would be insti- tuted for an accounting of royalties. According to Columbia Records’ legal department, Ravens were Inked in good faith and upon their representation that no ties existed between them and any other diskery. Disney Chi Office Reopens . Chicago, Feb* 6. Walt Disney Music, which dark- ened its Chi office last month, has reopened with A1 Friedman as contactman. Friedman, taking over for Dis- jcy’s former rep, Paul Salvatori, handled plugging duties for Max Dreyfus’ Ivy Music here Until the °nice closed last week* El Paso, Feb. 6. Arthur H. Brown, conductor of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra the past two years, will leave at the end of this season to be full- time conductor of the Tulsa Sym- phony. Best British Sheet Sellers (Weed ending Jan. 27) London, Jan.* 30. Beloved Be Faithful. .Pickwick Petite Waltz .......,.Leeds 1 Taw a Puddy Tat.;. Connelly Ferry Boat Inn..;.,.Connelly The Thing ........... teedS All My Love,.... ;*■, .Maurice Autumn Leaves...;. Maiurice Tennessee Waltz... Cinephonic Sleigh Ride.....,, ...,. . Mills Rudolph Reindeer .. . Chappell If ........ .. .... . Lennox Orange Colored Sky.. .Morris Second 12 In English Garden. >..;.. SUn; Nevertheless .....,., Chappell Marshmallow World .. Kassner Goodnight Irene . Leeds Just the Way You Are .1 Disney September Song .... Sterling I’ll Always Love You Victoria Imagination .... .. Connelly I Only Saw Him Once.. .Unit Sam’s Song Sterling If I Loved You.... Williamson In Flying Saucer. , , . . .Unit; . • ■ . r i . * A streamlined artists and reper- tory department emerged from meetings Conducted on the Coast last week by Capitol Records. While no changes were effected, clarification of a&r staffers’ duties and responsibilities cleared ,the air of uneasiness attending recefit exits of Jim Conkling, Paul Weston and Pete Rugolo. Glenn Wallichs, prexy, retains supervisory powers over a&r.-How- ever, to perm it closer attention to this function, he has delegated a portion of his administrative du- ties to Jim Murray, Capitol exec. Further gearing for smoother op- erations was achieved in meetings with sales and promotion depart- ment personnel, where a&r staffers were oriented as to the sales and promotion aspects in the assigning of artists and selecting tunes. ■„ Alan Livingston, in charge of diskery’s album and kiddy division, who has been asked to move over to Victor by Manie Sacks, in charge of artist relations at RCA, stays put in his present slot. Walter Rivers, in Capitol’s New York of- fice; will confine himself exclu- sively to artists relations, with Dave Cavanaugh tc assist as head of repertory. Ellington’s 2G Date Hollywood, Feb. 6. Duke Ellington headlines Friday (9) at a Gene. Norman-sponsored jazz concert at the Shrine Audi- torium. Band will get a $2,000 guarantee against 50 % of the gate, It’s Norman’s second bash in two weeks. First, starring Louis Arm- Chicago, Feb. 6. . Old maxim about troubles arriv- ing in festoons is currently being echoed by midwest band bookers here after the latest back-breaker by the Defense Department order- ing one-arm bandits removed from the nation’s military bases. Oust- ing of the gaming equipment from officers’ and non-com clubs fol- lowed President Truman’s inking of the Johnson Bill last month, which prohibits the transporting of gaming devices into states which do not authorize them, arid chokes off excess cash supplies with which the camps haye been hiring name bands. Latest source of trouble follows by a month the five-day week edict for*Chi footers set down by AFM prexy James Petrillo, a move the bookers then claimed nigh removed the shank frorii local hand business. Removal of the slot machines also removed the softest cushion against the Petrillo "spread the work” edict, and is leaving midwest bands in one of their most serious droughts. To add fuel, midwest operators are reportedly still keep- ing their belts tightened* due to shifting economic factors in the nation, and spending for name units as little as possible. Deal is that the ops are stalling to see which way John Q.« turns with the news of wage arid price stabilization, and the tightening up on buying both from production and credit stand- points. Promoters are therefore playing cagey until such time as the amusement buck shows signs of getting into action again. Meanwhile/ the plushiest deal is off for the bands. Where the army cariips had been able to dole Out between $1,200 and $1,500 for name units, they’ll now have to get along with dog-face footers. Camps had been paying approximately $200 more than what regular promoters dole out for attractions. Set-up was that soldier clubs had been piling up dough through rev- enue on the machines. Clubs usu- ally had anywhere from five to 25 of the devices, and through this in- come were able not only to buy name entertainment units, but also to make luxuries available practically on a gratis basis. Fifth Army information chief re- vealed last week that officer and non-com clubs throughput the 13- state 5th Army domain will have to suspend entertainment activities completely. Spokesman said tnat as kickback the clubs will addition- ally raise mess rates, hike dues by nearly 30%, and lay off help, so great was the income from the one- armers. soldiers get name talent. Spokes- man denied that Post Exchange funds, long believed a source for; hiring bands, are used for that end; rather, he said; PX profits go into company funds* Great Lakes Naval Training Sta- tion is reportedly one of the few, bases unaffected by the ruling* As ; one of largest of the buyers, which’ additionally operates in peacetime, base has reportedly built 1 up largo ; enough funds through the years to keep up its name band hiring* Dick Jurgens’ orch is slated to appear! Feb. 18, whereas other camps havb- stopped buying entirely. Band booking at the camps jumped into prominence shortly after the Korean crisis broke out and has since been building steadi- ly. Biggest buyers have been Cha- nute Field, Rantoul, 111., Barkes-. dale Field, Shreveport, Cars-, well AF Base, Fort Worth, Scott Field, E. St. Louis, 111., Fort, Ord, California, Fort Sill, Okla., Fort Warren, WyO„ Ft. Dixv N. J. r Fort Riley, Kan,* Fort Jackson, S. C., and the hugo AF installation around San Antonio, which num- bers seven individual camps. Among the latter, band was usually Sold for an entire week, then alter- nated among each of the seven camps. After a long hiatus, American Federation of Radio Artists re* •• • i opened negotiations yesterday (Tues.) with the major diskeries on a pact covering all non-musi-: cian talent. AFRA, claiming jurist, diction over all vocalists, narrator^ and choral group members, is ask- ing for minimum wage scales in each category for each waxing ses-: siori. AFRA’s rates would range ; from about $75 per session to $20,: depending on the type of disking chore. Disks have indicated a willing-, ness to negotiate a pact with' AFRA without having the union prove its jurisdiction. Coinpanies,; however, are bucking the union’s wage demands. They are especial-! ly opposed to any blanket provi-i sion for all artists, including those in the folk, western, blues and rhythm categories. Such blanket scales, it’s contended, would raise: costs way out of line' with the. usual run of sales in these fields. Mercury Inks Fontaine To Five-Year, 5% Pact Chicago, Feb. 6. . Mercury Records inked singer | Tony Fontaine to a five-year pact last week, clinching preparations for concerted buildup of the local baritone. Pact reportedly calls for 5% of record sales and guarantee,' the latter which will be upped two- fold the second year of the con- tract. So far Fontaine has not cashed in on tiny disclicks, though his "Stranger in the City” and "Be- neath the Chinaberry Tree” scored fair success. Current etching of “Bring Back the Thrill” is sam- pling okay sales here. Singer was slated to take-off for New York for teevee appearances on * Toast of Town” and “This Is Show Business,” along with east- ern dee jay whip-up. He was forced to cancel out, however; due to contract commitments with WGN, where singer has local radio shows, Louis Bernstein to N. Y. For Kin’s Wedding Louis Bernstein, Shapiro-Bern- stein. topper, heads to New York from Miami Beach next wepk to at* tend the, marriage of his grand- daughter, Jacqueline Voltter, to Leon Brettler at the Waldorf-As- toria, N, Y., Feb. 17. Miss Voltter, a graduate of Marjorie Webster College, is daughter of Dick Voltter, S-B gen- eral professional manager. Bret- tler is an engineering graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Information officer also revealed that removal of gambling also sus- pends entertainment in the face of strong at the Pasadena Civic, Government proposed armed forces grossed $5,392 with only 170 seats expansion plan, and that only unsold. through USO organizations may the 1. TENNESSEE WALTZ (10) (Acuff-R)........................ Patti Page ............ Nlercury 2. MY HEART CRIES FOR YOU (6) (Massey)...........;.,... Guy MitchellM. Miller Columbia 3. BE MY LOVE (3) (Miller)............. *•«».» . Mario Lanza■ ..... ...,..,. Victor 4 ip /n\ fciiatiSni in ■ i Perry Como *Victor 5. HARBOR LIGHTS (15). (Chappell),.-................,... Sartlmy Kaye .. ... . Columbia. 6. SO LONG (2) (Folk-W) . . . . . •. .. Weavers-Gord, Jenkins .. Decca 7. NEVERTHELESS (13) (ChappelJ) ) “ 0^ 8. YOU’RE JUST IN LOVE (1) (Berlin)......... .............. Perry Como-Fontane Sis. .Victor 9. THE ROVING KIND (5) (Hollis)............. Guy MitchelbM. Miller Columbia i 10. A BUSHEL AND A PECK (5) (Morris). t PSniErr 10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines- *^ Second Croup \:Mag Whiting-Jim Wakely Capitol THINKING OF YOIM9) (Remick).,..; ...] OoncK .V.V.V.V.V.V.Dccca Phil Harris ...,..... Victor Patti Page >;.«. .*■. Mercury Eddy Howard .... *.. . .Mercury Dean Martv '......... Capitol Guy Lombardo .......... Decca Jo Stafford .....Columbia Vaughn Mr-nroe ........Victor Georgia Gibbs ••••...,..Coral Kay Starr ■. < .Capitol * * THIRSTY FOR YOUR KISSES (Mutual) . • • • *• •. ♦ * *. •.. •... . j Mills Bros >... Decca IXL NEVER BE FREE (13) (Valarido) ....... J Kay Starr Tenn. Ernie . Capitol ■ ’ ABA DABA HONEYMOON (Feist).... * ,.............. D. Reynolds C. Carpenter MGM LITTLE ROCK GETAWAY ■ (Feist). • .»••»'» *...«.»•>•, Les .Paul •.. .«*■■■■»... • Capitol [Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been-,, in the Top 10.J THE THING (8) (Hollis) .......... *.................... . ..... T ALL MY LOVE (18) (Mills). T TO THINK YOU’VE CHOSEN ME (Laurel) t I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU (9) (Famous) ...................... GET OUT THOSE OLD RECORDS (BVC) I IF YOU’VE GOT THE MONEY (Peer).,. . .. ............. X MARSHMALLOW WORLD (Shapiro-B) I STILL FEEL THE SAME ABOUT YOU (Criterion). . I OH BABE (Alamo)