University of South Carolina Libraries
Rising albi By WAYNE DOLKSKI v Gamecock Staff Writer a The record buyer today is being s seriously taken advantage of by I the record companies of America. r following a record-breaking year i of profits in 1976, nearly all major i labels nave increased their list i price on new releases from $6.98 to I > $7.98. ( Raising these prices after ex- ] periencing all-time high profits is < purely capitalistic in nature and the only way for the public to end this rip-off is by refusing to buy I albums at the new price. Unfortunately, the public's consumption of albums has increased, and many companies are on the way to breaking last year's profit records. Earlier this year, many companies were wrestling with the question of whether or not raising I the price would have a significant effect on the national sales picture. This led a few labels to experiment with the new price on select major releases. One of these was Fleetwood Mac's "Humours," mmmmmmrnu l M : | rnrRKiiiii rw*? I FASCIMA1 iwKa CffA ***** ? PTffOnBt w %sk * i AT THE HOUR OF DEJ ij Osis, Ph.D. and Erlend L Ph.D. The first fully-do f scientific study of the s AT THK HOl'K OF I)K interviews with 1000 d who have witnessed de Kxtcnsive computer ai servations have been 11 subject we've all dreade || Walden Book St< ?3 Dutch Square II Columbia, SC 2 im prices i vhich has sold five million copies inH />nnfinnoc a coll Urioblir iiiu wiiviiiuvo tv ovw ui lorvijr. At about this same time the ;oundtrack to the movie "A Star Is iorn" was released with a idiculous list price of $8.98. This )rice may have kept a few people ?way, but not enough to make riuch of a difference. The album opped the charts for weeks, selling iver three million eoDies. The public was opening itself up to capitalistic exploitation. SUBSEQUENTLY, many labels began increasing the price on all their new releases. Even albums by relatively obscure artists were soon becoming $7.98 lists. The situation was continually becoming worse and recently many labels have gone a step further in draining the public of every penny possible. This latest moVe has been the raising of the list price of their entire catalog to $7.98. This means that now all albums on certain labels are $7.98, even those released years ago. kt i u~u : i^ew lows in capiiciiiMii; uenuviui are being observed right before our 'IMG FACT AN ?| ."~*". -" - :-H. ^.fi^^^Bft^^if |9P PAPERBACK^ 1TH. By Karlis THE TOLKI ur Haraldsson, J. F. A. Tylei c iinicntcd. not until yoi mill's survival guide. Mere ATM is based on lorci^n \v< octors and nurses occurring ii athbed visions. 1 HI' KINCiJ lalvses of their oh of the l iven lade Read about <i their writ in d until now.$3.95. andcharts are 7 201 /CI 9210 Waldenboo Whatever you want in * bookstore .. kVc Ve ripping oH eyes. The public has helped set itself up for this change in more ways man one. ine nr/u s nave seen a decline in the sale of singles and an increase in the sale of albums. Remember when you would hear a song on the radio and then rush out and buy the single? How many of you do that now? Not even the young teen crowd goes for the singles at near the pace they used to. Many of these kids have the money to buy the album instead of the single, and this changing financial picture has had tremendous effects on record sales. This lack of singles sales has not hnrf nrnfil c (hnndh ho/MUico t hnrn is more money to be made on albums. This increased level of album sales has given record companies even more confidence in their price increases. Not many singles go gold (sales of 500,000 units) these days, but take a long look at the album charts. It's common to have as many as 70 gold albums in the top 200 Manv of these are nlatinum (sales of 1,000,000 units), and more are double platinum than ever. The singles ehart may have only five gold singles in the top 100, which in past years was unheard of MANY GROUPS today don't even depend on the airplay of singles to help sell their albums. The increasing popularity of FM radio in the 70's has also aided in the lessening importance of the AM hits. This is not to say that a hit single won't help sell an album, ID FANTASY. y a- ' Y<t %^L V'-vf ^SSSSWHIB IL^riflflHBB Iss f PPf * IEN COMPANION. By r. Come to Middle F.arth- l>nt n've read this indispensable is every known fac t date. :>rd. .md etymologic al allusion 1 the celebrated I.OKI) ()l ' .-:l l. : 1, wl I. > iruti^\ it 1111 nun > ii 111.ii \ people. an explanation of H svslem. and various maps v,^,, Walden Book Store i ? ^ ^ _ 1 L ; _ A __ 11 LJ^^uoiumDia/vtcm 2 Notch Road Uc Columbia, bL /V204 gol lit : consumei because it is still questionably the best promotion an album can get, especially with a new artist. Yet many of today's giants naven i nau a nu single lor years and their album sales continue at high level. Good examples of this trend that come to mind are I^ed Bette Midler branches oul to television this week on her first television special, Wednesday night at 10:00 p.m. on NBC. The "Divine Ms. M" lias invaded concert halls, broadway and baths with an act that ha? given her the nam3 of the "Queen of Tacky." But, will she be able to bump arid grind with microphones, unveil hei- person and say those taste'ul little things she usually does to members of the audience on television? l HOW TO GIV1 FOR $12.48 WITF WW/: I V f. 1 1 1 { * ir' ' vl/ " , . c ' '*w' fr ' ' /** ' -it J S42 -IH har^j Purchase.1 gilt subsi riptum lor .11ru-rnt nr n by Robert Mills This loveh print in lull mini Oil I aimed talent ?>l Robert Mills tine <>l th paintings are in publk ami private ?ollei tun tfet a year's SANTDI Al'I'l R subscription (12 the startling Imv prueot $12 4M the regular' lust complete the Imm u liter not am Send litrm to Sjndljppn Mj^j/inr \1\ V?m. 1 tv SI.H, /.| ? I hi* i% 4 gill %ubwnplion jnd should b?* srnt to J r Zeppelin, Steely Dan. Yes and Emerson, Uike and Palmer All have had the benefit of hit sinui.^ - - *"? * *" early in their careers, hut in recent years have missed or avoided the singles market. Steelv Dan lends itself par See I'ltll I'. . p;ii;e -i \ I^L ^ Probably not. but I hen again. it's being shown late at night, well past the children's hour, so you can expect more than usual Scheduled songs include such ballads as "Shiver Me Tim iMJrs," (from "Songs For The New Depression"), "Do You Want To Dance?'' <lroin "The Divine Ms. M"), and. of course. "Friends." Get ready lor a \ng show and "majoozas," just another part of her act that comes with the package. = A $42.48 GIFT [OUT CHEATING An Origin.)! Limited i dition Print <.UI I'lllli FREE VVilh A One ^ear Subscripluin I: lo Sand tapper Maga/ine nn for onl> $12 4M i'ljtivi* .inJ ii t Ihis N'.uitilul v\.?t? r%??l.w print r (.1 $10 \ aluel vn armh depitIn the ima^injnt? an*j e most outstanding artists in the Southeast Hi* as throughout the I'nited states and i anad.i N > i? packed issues) plus tin* limited edition print .ill u?i aihsiription prue Offer end** I >?\ernher M I*'"" below and v\r I) do the rest' Pliable tt? renewals! I" ( I n?i\ irx?? i Iiiunii'u - ? Ml .h.. k t..? v h.u'* M.i-i- i ' \ tv ^ i V 1 ' ' Robert Mill* print thould br %rnt to Utln* 2 nrrks tor Jflivrnt j % \ iri>?