Variety (March 1954)

Wednesday, March. 3, . 1954 RETAIL DISK BEST SELLERS - Survey of retail disk best sellers based ,on reports ot> Coined from leading stores in 18 cities and showing com- parative sales rating for this and last week* ' . „. National Rating This Last wk. wk* Artist, Label, Title o *55 9 5 i? <u <0 0 ■5 8 z v M •c & 4) ■ a w l p co I I w 1 s <u ■a o s w» A 0 n 1 14 4) 1 U 9 > I JO 3 0 U. w & rt B « 1 % X *0 t (4 £ ■& 0 u (S 1 43 $? 0 3 o a m 0 E "IB 4N < W 1 X 3 « < c IB CO 8 o V c 2 »o p & A M II O w «k a g CO 4) Oh w 1 1 II 9 •S* *o £ <A 0 ht H pi 4> a *§ 0 1 I £ a £ ] I « 4) I s O s M a 4> •-» 4 9 »* 4* 9 9 5 I 55 A 1 >4 .*£ CO s £ •B •d 1 S’ 'U a «d TJ & 8 9 £ a 3 •£ 0 v k»4 w 9 s 1 me S < I -9 I i t* I a b 4) ► a D «8 a 10 a> 43 CO I \ 4) CO T O T A L P 0 1 A T 8 2_ 3 2_ 1 JO STAFFORD (Columbia) ''Make Love To Me" DORIS* DAY (Columbia) "Secret Love” EDDIE FISHER (Victor) "Oh, My Papa” FRANK SINATRA (Capitol) ."Young at Heart”.. TONY BENNETT (Columbia) "Stranger In Paradise” PATTI' PAGE (Mercury) 6 6 "Changing Partners” DEAN MARTIN (Capitol) . "That's-Amore” PATTI PAGE (Mercury) 8 18 "CrdssOver the Bridge”.. 8 FOUR KNIGHTS (Capitol) "I Get So Lonely”. GEORGIE SHAW (Decca) 10 10 "Till We Two Are One”... LOU MONTE (Victor) 11 11 "Darktown Strutters Ball”. 12 13 NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol) "Answer Me, My Love” 13A .. PERRY COMO (Victor) "Wanted” .. . .. .. GAYLORDS (Mercury) 13B 8 "Vine Came the Grape”. 15 24 EARTHA KITT (Victor) "Lovin' Spree”. RONNIE GAYLORD (Mercury) 16 18 "Cuddle Me” 17 12 FOUR ACES (Decca) "Heart of My Heart” . 18 TONY BENNETT (Columbia) "No Teardrops Tonight”. . HILLTOPPERS (Dot) 19A 23 "Vine Came the Grape”.. TERESA BREWER (Coral) 19B 14 "Bell Bottom Blues” 21 14 TERESA BREWER (Coral) "Ricochet” HILLTOPPERS 22A 16 "Till Then” (Dot) 6 8 8 8 8 1 2 A 102 6 1 .. 8 9 98 6 • » 4 6 83 61 6 6 9 2 4 10 7 6 7 8 6 9 8 10 5 10 8 10 9 6 9 10 6 10 9 8 9 10 10 9 2 10 8 10 4 2 6 10 _57 _56 47 _45 _44 _41 J34 31 25 25 24 18 17 15 14 • * . 10 3 . ... 6 14 8 12 11 Showtime Splash Continued from pace 1 these scores. Also on the *54-55 schedule are "Sayonara” * (Irving Berlin)* and "Plain and Fancy’* (Arnold B. Horwitt-Albert Hague). Berlin publishes his own tunes, while "Plain and Fancy” has not yet been assigned. With this load of legituners on the market. Channel! expects some hot diskery bidding for the original cast album rights. Colum- bia Records blanketed the field this season by latching on to three of the four musicals. Col tagged "Kismet,” "The Girl In Pink Tights” and "By The Beautiful Sea.” "John Murray Anderson’s Almanac,” currently running on Broadway, was not picked up by any diskery. "Kismet,” which has settled down for a Broadway run, Is one of Col’s top album sellers. "Tights,” which opens In New York Friday (5) and "Sea,” which Is still in out-of-town tryout stage, have not yet been cut. "Pajama Game,” musical by Jerry Ross and t>ick Adler due in April, has not been tagged by a diskery yet Diskery desire to nab original album rights has put the. publish- ers in the driver’s seat Before mak- ing deals, the pubs ask for, and usually get, top artist coverage via single releases. The record com- panies also go all out on promotion and exploitation for the album and the singles in an effort to get the score over the top. Prep 'Cecil' Tune Hollywood, March 2. Bob Clampett signed Ad Hal-i pern to write a "Cecil the Seasick Serpent”' theme which will be used for both television and pic- tures. Tune will become the theme song of Clampett’s “Time for Beany” teleshow on which “Ce- cil” is featured. Melody win also be used as the title theme of "Cecil,” the feature film version which Clampett and Frank Tashlin will co-producd with Tashlin directing. On die Upbeat New York , Jan August winds an engage- ment at the Hollenden Hotel, Cleveland, tomorrow (Thura.) . . • Nat (King) Cole plays a two-day date at the Stagecoach Inn, South Hackensack, N. J., Friday-Satur- day (5-6), He guests on Ed Sulli- van’s CBS-TV snow Sunday (7)... Dick Lyons, M-G-M Records artists A repertoire staffer, to the Coast for two weeks . . , Robert Maxwell opens at the Cocoanut Grove, L. A., March 18 . . . Alan Dean pencilled in at the Baker Hotel, Dallas, March 11'. . . Buddy Do France Quartet begins a week’s engage- ment at the Rendezvous Room; Philadelphia, today (Wed.) . i ♦ George Shearing opens at the Tif- fany Club, Los Angeles, March 28 . . . Tony Mara, recently signed M-G-M Records crooner, on a dee- jay trek through the mldwtit . . . Blind pianist Alex Kallae returns tb the Embers, eastside jazz spot, Monday (8)... Thrush Sunny Gale helped kick off the 1954 Red Cross campaign f in Brooklyn last week. .* Betty Madigan begins a two-week engagement at the Hollenden. Ho- tel, Cleveland, March 18 ... Sandy Solo-switched from Derby Records to the Jubilee label. Chicago Ray Wencll extended at Tic Toe Supper Club. Milwaukee, indef- initely . . Don Gfatsner still In- definite at Trianon in one of long- est location dates there in recent times .. . Claude Thornhill playing midwest and Texas one-niters in April . . . Leo Pieper, following 10 weeks at St. Anthony Hotel, San Antoqio. with five frames at Baker Hotel, Dallas, commencing' iSareh 19 . . . Billy Slay hand fronted by Sam Donahue, on one-niters in midwest throughout this month . . . Sauter-Finegan crew open two weeks at Hollywood Palladium on May 14. Pittsburgh Morry Allen band got • holdover at Vogue Terrace when Dorsey Bros; had to cancel on account of Jimmy’s illness . . . Marty King combo, with Louise Shaw on the vocals, replacing Jimmy Spaniel unit for week-end 4anrin| at Colonial Alan or .. 4 Tommy Caiiym orch set for summer run at O. Henry Ballroom in Chicago 'begin- ning June 30 . .. Del Monamt jgnar- tet getting Twin Coaches exten- sions on strength of group’s Thurs- day night - television show , on WDTV . . . Aim Baker Into the Midway, following NDdd Deo . . . Luts Morales' trio, at Carnival Lounge for nearly two years until a couple of months ago, goes bade into that room again Monday (8), succeeding Joe Lescak LatbuAres. Kansas City Eileen Wilson chirping twice daily at the 37th annual Auto Show Feb. 27-March 6, her first date in town since a night club stand at Hotel Bellerive’s El Cas- bah nearly two years ago. Warren Durrett orch is on the stand . . . After more than a year on the bandstand at Southern Manion. Jim Feeney quintet moved out in favor of Jack Cummings group ... Sarah Vaughan slated for date at the Mayf&in Club east of town opening March 12 . . . Carl Ravama due In at Eddy’s March 5, following the Mary Kaye trio. Omaha Rose Carlson, pianist, opened at the Airport’s Hayden House here . . . Bertie It Boh Heilman, duo- pianists, remain at the Blackstone Hotel’s Cottonwood Room .. . Paul Moorhead orch a fixture at Paxton Hotel. THE CREEP t* CRYSTAL BALL , (vocal) A TWO SIDED SMASH BY THE 1423 and 45-1423 Johnston Brothers