Variety (March 1953)

46 WdbitiJayt March 4, 1953 •■dKSTtAS.MVSI€ Inside Stuff-Music • . i Still another trade estimate on the number of phonograph machines Is given in the RCA annual report to stockholders. Report says that 26.000. 000 machines are currently in U^S.. homes as against only 8.000. 000 in 1946. Estimates from sources have, varied from 22.000. 000 to 26,000,000 machines. Since no authoritative census JKavawyrpljppsals r have been,made to the Record Industry Assn. or^Amlln^to induct a survey on the number of home machines as the first step ^calculating the disk in- dustry’s potential market. ^ .... ^ 4:; *v i»^ ■ Capitol Records has lined up.^Bimny Hop” dance contests in a flock of cities to help promote its Ray Anthony disk. Cap is working with the Fred Astaire Dance Studios fh about 15 key cities with tele chan- nels. The ‘‘Bunny Hop” contests are held by tele dejays. Winning team will be flown to the Coast for Anthony’s opening at Ciro’s, Holly- wood, in June. Bandleader Sammy Kaye continues in the role Of songplugger for the compositions of rival orch men. Kaye now has latched on to Duke Ellington’s tune, “Ain’t Nothin’ Nothin’ Baby Without You,” for his World Music firm. Several weeks ago Kaye started plugging “Blue Willows,” tune by Carmen Lombardo, composer-saideman with his brother Guy’s band. Tune also is published by World. Another instance of a pop tune stemming from the classics is “The Golden Years,” which is based on Von Suppe’s “Poet and Peasant Overture.” Tune, which is being showcased in the Paramount pic, “Houdini,” was adapted by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Tony Mar- tin already has etched it for RCA Victor while Decca cut it with' the Russ Morgan orch. Paramount Music is publishing. Mercury Biz 50% Over Last Year Via, Clicks By Newcomers & Vets Chicago, March 3. Mercury Records has hit a 50% increase in “sales over last year’s January and February with much of the gain coming from relatively unknown artists that the Chicago firm picked up last year. The established artists such as Patti Page added to the overall sales picture. Miss Page’s “Doggie in the Window” passed the 750,000 sales mark last week, \ The indie major has also been hypoing strictly instrumental sides, working with the National Ball- room Operators Assn, and other groups to push the dance tunes. Ralph Marterie’s side of “Pretend” t,4s nearing the 250,000 mark. The Gaylords, a.cocktail lounge group, hit with “Tell Me' You’re Mine.” Although one member of the trio went into the Army, a&r head Art Talmadge sliced 18 sides with them recently. Another sleeper is “No Help Wanted” with Rusty Draper, who was hired to offset loss of Frankie Laine, On strength of the one hit, Draper’s cafe price has jumped from $500 to $1,000 weekly. Diskery has almost junked the covering of tunes, unless they suit a particular artist on the lists. While many of the a&r heads are looking over the country field for songs which might be adapted to t the pop ‘ side, Talmadge said that* the rhythm anc^ blues division might be equally important. Record outfit just pacted Artie Wayne who has a hit with “Ra- chel” on Kem, Coast label. Mizzy To Clef Metro Pic Composer Vic Mizzy has been signed to pen the score for Metro’s forthcoming filmusical, “Easy To Love,” Mann Curtis, with whom :Mizzy has been writing for several ygars, will write the lyrics. DANNY DAVIS SINGS I DON’T WANT YOUR KISSES COME TO THE WEDDING MGM11443 K11443 78 Rpm 45 Rpm MGM RECORDS THE G3*i > * \ .L V : A t * > V I K ' • Disk Cmwuks’ Best Sellers X CAPITOL ARTIST 1. PRETEND Nat (King) Cole DON’T LET EYES SHOP FOR HEART X 2. SIDE BY SIDE . Kay Starr NOAH 3. MY BABY’S COMING HOME Les Paul-Mary Ford LADY OF SPAIN 4. IT’S IN THE BOOK (2 Parts) Johnny ; Standley X 5. OH HAPPY DAY 1 .Four Knights A MILLION TEARS X COLUMBIA 1. LITTLE BOY AND OLD MAN F. Laine-J. Boyd. TELL ME A STORY %. YOUR CHEATIN’ HEART /.... Frankie Laine I BELIEVE 3. SHE WEARS RED FEATHERS Guy Mitchell PRETTY LITTLE BLACK-EYED SUSIE X 4. MR. TAP TOE Doris Day YOUR MOTHER AND MINE X 5. KEEP IT A SECRET Jo Stafford ONCE TO EVERY HEART CORAL 1. TILL I WALTZ AGAIN WITH YOU..... r ,.. .Teresa Brewer HELLO BLUE BIRD 2. NEW JUKE BOX SATURDAY NIGHT Modernaires RUNNIN’ WILD 3. S’POSIN’ ....Don Cornell IF YOU WERE ONLY MINE X 4. HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME Karen Chandler ONE DREAM 5. CAN’T I Aipes Bros. LONELY WINE DECCA X 1. OH HAPPY DAY . .Dick Todd TILL I WALTZ AGAIN WITH YOU . « f 2. JOHN, JOHN, JOHN Guy Lombardo SKIPPING ROPE WITH A RAINBOW t 3. YOU FOOLED ME Four Aces IF YOU TAKE MY HEART AWAY t 4. PRETEND Guy Lombardo I THAT’S ME WITHOUT YOU 5. TILL I WALTZ AGAIN WITH YOU Russ Morgan MUST I CRY AGAIN X MERCURY X 1. DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW Patti Page MY JEALOUS EYES 2. TELL ME YOU'RE MINE ; Gaylords ♦ CUBAN LOVE SONG 3. SEVEN LONELY DAYS Georgia Gibbs IF YOU TAKE MY HEART + 4. NO HELP WANTED Rusty Draper " TEXARKANA BABY 4 5. CARAVAN Ralph Marterie WHILE YOU DREAM M-G-M 1. YOUR CHEATIN' HEART Joni James X I’LL BE WAITING FOR YOU 2. KAW-LIGA Hank Williams ^ YOUR CHEATIN’ HEART 3. HAVE YOU HEARD Joni James I WISHING RING 4. • YOU’RE MINE Crickets ^ MILK AND GIN 5. MEXICO Ken Remo ^ MY HEART IS A KINGDOM T l RCA VICTOR L DON'T LET THE STARS GET IN YOUR EYES. Perry Como LIES 2. WILD HORSES I CONFESS .. Perry Como 3. GOMEN-NASAI Harrv Belafonte SPRINGFIELD MOUNTAIN Y * 4. HOW DO YOU SPEAK TO AN ANGEL Eddie Fisher DOWNHEARTED 5. SALOMEE Dinah Short* LET ME KNOW nah Shore .t Brit. Music Biz Continued from page 43 lishers, is showing a “terrific apathy” towards popular music in general. Programs, which were able to give a fillip to pops with the public, such as Billy Cotton’s Band Show, Jack Jackson’s record programs, “Music Hall,” etc., have been taken off at the end of their runs, and succeeded by others with less pop appeal. Another factor is that dance bands On the radio are encouraged to over-orchestrate and sound “busy” in efforts to impart some kind of newness to their perform- ance. The bands who do enable listeners to hear the melody are stuck on at bad spots during the morning or afternoon. The en- croaching march of TV is also blamed for weaning listeners away from radio. Fred Waring’s annual outing for the music biz contactmen has been set for June 2 at the Shawnee Country Club, Shawnee-on-the- Delaware, Pa. ■ Lombardo to Nebraska Omaha, March 3. Guy Lombardo orch and revue is booking into western Nebraska. Crew has McCook’s Auditorium set for April 12 for two shows at $4.80 top. Rex Bale’s Exclusives In Cincy Burns Rival Jocks, Station Execs Cincinnati, March 3. Cincy introductions of new plat- ters on Rex Dale’s WCKY Saturday afternoon series, “Platter Pre- miere,” are reportedly burning execs and disk jockeys of at least three other local stations to point of completely ignoring tunes in- volved. Glenn Clark Miller, WCPO man- ager, expressed objection to a sin- gle station having “exclusive ad- vantage” of firsts on new releases “to detriment of other stations.” He said he so informed representa- tives of record companies. Other stations sharing same opinion were said to be WKRC and WSAI. . Dale chats with record pluggers about their latest, numbers before playing them and inviting listeners tq be critics and mail in their first choices of tunes played on the ses- sion. Winner is played back the fol- lowing week. Dale said that so far none of the record representatives who appeared on the first show has dropped out because of other sta- tions’ beefs. MPLS. SYMPH ASKS $65,000 STATE AID Minneapolis, March 3. Minneapolis Symphony Orches- tra is asking the state legislature for approximately $65,000 a year in Minneapolis tax money to keep it in existence. Up to now it has depended entirely upon concert re- ceipts and individual donations for its financing. Minneapolis delegation in the senate was told by orch officials that they’ve reached the point this year, the orchestra’s 50th anniver- sary, where they no longer can ex- pect “enormous” contributions from individuals and business firms to make up mounting annual deficits. Delegation was informed that the 1952-53 season deficit will be approximately $245,000. Celebra- tion of the golden anniversary has enabled the orchestra to collect $222,000 to meet the deficit. In return for tax aid, the orchestra would give two free concerts for the general public, ofificials said. Artie Valando Rejoins Tommy’s Firm on Coast Artie Valando has rejoined his brpther Tommy’s firm, Valando Music, as Coast rep^ Valando, who had been away from the firm for about three years, repped Goday Music on the Coast and had managed the Bell Sisters. Frank Reddle, Hammond organ- ist, currently playing an indefinite return engagement at the Hotel Jermyn, Scranton, Pa., following an eight-month stay at the Hotel Durant, Flint, Mich., It’s Masic by JESSE GREER Program Today Yesterday's ON THE BEACH WITH TOO WORDS & MUSIC, INC. U419 Broadway, H.w Y«k> Anodier BMI "Pin Up' Hit RACHEL Published by Halliburton AL MARTINO REC ° RDS ARTIE WAYNE Capital ARTIE WAYNE Mercury Broadcast Mi i»mc, Inc. "i" touk h Av*n cflrcAM «•. New York 3«, N. Y. tmirmw, - r„mre » mbniicu