Variety (April 1953)

46 OKCHKSTRAS-MUSie M &sffl rr Wednesday, April 22, 1953 Ray Anthony (lets Top Price for Lagoon Bate Salt Lake City,-April 21, Hay Anthony’s orch, scheduled for two nights at neanrby Lagoon, has been inked for the heaviest fee ever laid on the line by this report. Appearances on June 19 arid -20 will net the band $4,000, According to Bob Freed, Lagoon manager, this is a top tab for this locality for music without a show. Lagoon, which has been growing steadily since the war, is slated for an official preem on Decoration Day. Greenman Upped To Salesman at Times-Col Dave Greenman has been upped to the sales department at Times Columbia, Columbia Records’ New York distributor. Greenman, who had been associated with Times Columbia for the past three years in the sales promotion department, will handle sales in the Queens and Brooklyn territory. Arnie Meyers, formerly in the programming department at WMCA, N.Y. indie, will succeed Greenman in the promotion depart- ment. Meyers’ WMCA chores have been taken over by Bert Siegelson. Savoy Go.es EP Savoy Records, indie label, kicked off its extended-play disk production last week with the release of 16 EPs culled from the diskery’s blues, jazz and standard catalog. Herman Lubinsky, Savoy prez, expects to have about 150 EPs on the market by the end of the year. Label is cutting its distrib price on the EPs by 8%. * Kapell on O’Seas Tour I Pianist William Kapell left N. Y. Sunday (19) by air for a concert tour of France, Israel and Aus- tralia. , Kapell will give his first concert in Israel May 5, with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Will give recitals throughout May in that country. In June he will appear as soloist at the Prades Festival in France. Blinstnib’s, Hub Nitery, Shifts to Band Policy Boston, April 21. Blinstrub’s,* Hub nitery which has been regularly featuring top vocalists, will switch to a band policy on an experimental basis with the booking of Ralph Flana- gan’s orch June 1 for a one-week stand. No.other acts will appear with Flanagan. ' If the date clicks, the spot will latch on to other name bands for similar bookings. Frances Kaye Named Merc Flack Chief Frances Kaye has been named publicity director of Mercury Rec- ords. Miss Kaye, who operates her own flackery, 'Will headquarter in New York as well as continue to handle outside accounts. Miss Kaye has been publicity rep for Patti Page, one of Merc’s top artists, for the past couple of years. N.J. Juke Shindig * Newark, April 21. New Jersey Guild of America, state’s jukebox • operators’- trade association, is holding its 16th anni banquet at the Essex House here tomorrow night (Wed.): • BETTY COX Sings I’m In Love” 1 “Until Today If MGM 11440 K 11440 78 RPM 45 RPM M'G'M RECORDS / J|ra. THE GREATEST NAME Si i N E N T E P ’ A i N V E N T 7 O': SEVEN':- A v E NEW > O P * ? 6 N > RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS 15 •Hot Toddy (Coachella). 8 D.C. Press Club Dinner For ASCAP Tasted Like Filet But It Was Lamb Hollywood. Editor, Variety: I was interested in the editorial on page 49 of the April 15 Variety commenting on a “fly-leaf” issued by the Music Guild of America. I have not seen the “fly-leaf.” Judging from the Variety edi- torial, it says this office, as ASCAP’s public relations counsel, last month when ASCAP was the guest of the National Press Club, arranged for “a $5.25 filet mignon luncheon value at the Press Club’s normal $1.75-table d’hote rate.” Neither ASCAP nor this office had any part in arranging the Press Club menu, nor did the So- ciety or we underwrite any of the Press'Club’s food costs incident to th$t affair. • The actual menu was: Roast lamb with brown sauce New parsley potatoes Cut string beans Chocolate cream puff Rolls and • butter . Coffee. for which the Press Club charged its usual $1.75 fee. That this could be interpreted - as .“a $5.25 filet mignon luncheon,” is, I think, a great tribute to the Press chef’s culinary skill. I have been a member of the Na- tional Press Club many years. I know the Club management has been striving diligently to better its food. If a representative of the Music Guild of America was pres- ent at the luncheon,’ and mistook roast lamb for filet mignon, I am sure the Club will be delighted. The last portion of the Variety editorial commented that the press was not invited .tp the ASCAP an- nual dinner last week in New York. As we understand it, those re- sponsible .for, the 1953 dinner ar- rangement decided to make it an informal “family affair.” * Dinner arrangements .are.left to the juris- diction Committees each year, and I am sure your views on press at- tendance, with which I concur, will considered when the Society plans its next annual affair. At any rate, I hope the Commit- tee’s decision to . have a purely “family” gathering this year, will not be regarded as an example of lack, of appreciation of the tremen-« dous importance of the press to the Society’s future welfare. I think an increasing number of ASCAP members view press relations and public opinion as all-important. And among the press* of course, Variety, with its broad coverage and wide readership, has an out- standing position. A. G. Neumyer XASCAP pub-relations counsel ) WOLFE GILBERT RAPS ASCAP PRESS BRUSH Hollywood. Editor, Variety: Just read your editorial, “Public Relations Blues,” and I for one, believe the point’you make is well taken. As an early columnist on the old New York Clipper, and as a former copy boy on the New York World, I have always been Fourth Estate conscious. Recognizing that the worst thing you can possibly say to a reporter is, “no comment”—“no statement to make,” I always knew they would get the yarn somewhere, and generally a distorted version, to your disadvantage. This is not written as a commit- tee chairman, but is my personal reaction to your very valid com- ment. Right you are—the Press Club junket and the ASCAP shindig were worth the cost, and highly successful, but one good working newspaperman’s presence, and some printers-ink telling our story, would more than compensate for the expense, the time find the ef- fort. Thanks for reminding us of one of our shortcomings. I know we are big enough to welcome the advice, and heed it. L. Wolfe Gilbert (ASCAP Coast Rep.) Mitch Miller to Present BMPs Award to Vet Mitch Miller, Columbia Records artists & repertoire chief, will pre- sent the annual Broadcast Music, Inc., award of a $500 U. S. bond to Bud JJraina for the best song written Toy a hospitalized veteran. Miller will make the award on DuMont’s “Broadway to Holly- wood” TV show tomorrow (Thurs.) when Betty Cox will vocal Traina’s tune, “Mia Mia.” Singer. James. Melton to exhibit his vintage automobiles starting Friday (24) at Hypoluxo, Fla. James’ Right Number In Switchboard Canary Hollywood, April 21. Harry James unveiled a new band singer, 19-year-old April Stahl, at Yuma, Monday (20), after an audition that was right out of a film script. Unable to find band- singer for current tour he was about to bid goodbye to Hollywood Palladium terpery manager Sterl- ingway when he heard the switch- board operator singing. She won the talent contest on the A1 Jarvis teleshow a few weeks ago. She sang four numbers for James, then chucked $47.50 per week switchboard job for a $175 weekly salary as band canary for 26-week tour. Sues la. Spot for 10G In Civil Rights Action Des Moines, April 21. Mrs. John Amos has filed t $10,000 damage action in Federa Court against Prom, Inc., and the Surf ballroom at Clear Lake, la. for alleged refusal to admit her tc the Surf in late 1951. Mrs. Amos of Mason City, la., charges she waj denied admission to the ballroon “solely because of being a Negro,’ and she asks $3,000 for “inconveni ence, humiliation, chagrin, embar rassment and mental anguish,” anc $7,000 exemplary damages. The action charges the manage ment of the Surf violated the civi rights provision of' the code o Iowa. Kapp, Sacks to Coast Dave Kapp, -RCA Victor, pop art Ists & repertoire chief, went Coast wards last week on a two-week trip He’ll record Tony Martin and pi anist Andre Previn in Hollywood. Manie Sacks, Victor’s disk divi sion chief, leaves fbr Hollywooc Friday (24) for the opening of the National Assn, of Radio & Tele vision Broadcasters’ convention. Col Ups Jack Fuller Jack Fuller, former Columb Records publicity staffer, has bee upped to pop merchandise ma ager for the dlskery. He replaci Ed Truddeau who resigned fro the company. Fuller will headquarter in Co Bridgeport plant. SAY YOUR [AGAIN IS THE MODERNAIRES