University of South Carolina Libraries
Ententainr Record r< By Ward Borden Staff Writer After boom years for record sales in 197778, which included the release of hits such as "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever", record companies panicked when sales for 1979 dropped off and no releases matched the hits of the previous year. Some record companies went out of business while others were bought up by large corporations and a new philosophy to eliminate was supposedly adopted by record company executives. In 1980, record companies kept hanging tough, but experienced only an average year in sales. Though there was growth in some areas, the growth was less than in previous "boom" years. Billboard quoted Arista Records executive vice president and general manager Elliot Goldman who said, "No longer do the margins avai I able on a few successful projects cover the lack of success with other records and the necessary developmental money poured into new artists." Sales seemed to improve for most record retailers in Columbia in 1980 also. Mike Steward, of Sounds Familiar said sales were up in 1980 but "there was certainly less growth this year than in the past years." Stewart said rock, soul, rhythm and blues and other styles of music were all selling. He also said beach music made a resurgence in the Sounds Familiar stores because of some releases made available for the first time in years. Stewart said today's record buyer is mure cautious and wants to know all the songs on nr? nlhnm KnfArA Kl urine* if Uo CfliH (horo arp a 11 OiUUlll uvivt V, ""J '"6 ?V. 11V OUIV4 v, still people who buy albums in quantity, but they are the exceptions. "The economy is really prohibitive to buying more than one or two albums a month," Barnum reiterated. Barnum added that the lack of an album oriented radio station in Columbia influences sales. He said there is presently no local station that will play new releases, especially by unestablished artists, so the record buying market is given no chance to hear an album before buying it. "Basically, Styx keeps By Danny Powell Staff Writer Unlike most rock bands who go on concert tc a new album release, the Chicago-based ban parently done just the opposite. "Paradise Theater," the latest from the group, is like the sound track from a motion p fnllo a nf Afi t f f Ka /\rwnninit niimKnr '' A T iuiio a aiui j iiuiu uiu up^nuig uuuiuvi n.i closing theme "A.D. 1958/State Street Sadie between the first and last tell the story of looki losing "paradise." The concept for the album came fi player/lead singer Dennis DeYoung, a Chief desired to revive the once great Paradi: monumental style. He has reached his goal w i BS1F Hili* | - : -- _ ^ WSB&^B j '"V'-- Jig 1 - " ;":.} ~ T-~",-~ -" ". r-. , .&& i -A v jp ?1&k|- 4t?J^ f " '' >v"-ir'-?;^-r-"-v'HKc; ^^bWK?: &i-:: ^Mfegy < Styx, as they appeared in concert a\ Coliseum in 1979. nent,?^s etailers c I don't think Columbia is ready for a progressive radio station," Barnum said. Record Bar sales were up about 5 percent over the past year and holiday sales jumped 10 percent in 1980 he said. Barnum doesn't think the $9.98 list price put on a new album, especially those of "super groups", will hinder many future sales. "People will pay for what they want to hear." Barnum said. Barnum attributes the price increase to inflation and petroleum cost. He added that many of today's artists are demanding a greater percentage of the royalties also, thus reducing the record company's cut. Denise Thomas, manager of Budget Tapes and Records, thinks the price increase can be traced to the expensive tastes of record company executives. "It isn't the oil. The cost of manufacturing a record 3 1/2 years ago was only about 35 cents. A 100 percent increase, even a 300 percent increase in production cost couldn't explain the price increases," she said. She added that the artist still gets only about $1 per album sold and many get as little as 25 cents per album. Though Budget had fair sales in 1979, 1980 will be a poor year according to Thomas. ii _i r we never reany recovered irom our summer slump,"Thomas said. The same cannot be said for School Kids Records. Owner Dan Douglas said his sales are up 20 percent from 1979. "We've bettered last year's sales and things are looking good," Douglas said. Many buyers now relate a style of music to their own lifestyle according to Douglas. He cited the releases "Saturday Night Fever" and "Urban Cowboy" as examples of music which propagated social trends. "People seem to be looking for something to hang their hats on,"he said. Douglas also expressed skepticism about oil costs causing increased record prices. He said a 12 inch disco single, which is the same size as an album but has only one song on each side, costs dollars less than a regular long playing album in spite of the fact that there is just as much vinyl in one as the other. 'Paradise'< work of musical art. A little background is needed >urs to promote parallels its namesake. The or d Styx has ap- acclaimed as one of the best in 1928. But after the Great Depre popular rock \osi mUch of its appeal and beg icture in that it 0f paying customers. A reviva j. iyz? 10 me times got better, but by this tin i." Every song out jn the growing Chicago sut ng, finding and entertainment were emerging. was torn down. om keyboard The music Styx uses, like tt igo native who journey back into history. Whe se Theater in early 1970s, their music was h ith a masterful sidered mellow by today's stan< album are much like their ear! wailing guitars, pounding drum Mr However, Styx has also mi u:i: c _ j : 4 I Iauumoii ox a uuiiiiiictui iiui ii ai their music a jazzy tone. With the sound Styx produces thoroughly enjoyable. The opening number, "A.D. troduction to the entire album Theater. In simple words, the} and enjoy as they turn back the Then, like a clap of thund begins with loud guitars, h( pounding piano. It is a great i and an album because it will g fast and heavy beat. It is also d< The next three songs on "aci rather well. "Too Much Time and mellow rock, like the s nerstone" album. "Nothing Ev the same stock, and after a brit I "The Best Of Times" follows si last has potential hit qualific sound and popular theme -- lov< The opening of "act two" is a I first heard it I had to glance < was not hearing things. Amid cracks, a sax soloist is playii disapproval of someone who i& threatens to call the police an( theater torn down. "Lonely People" is a hard s back-up. It is a somewhat stra and synthesizer solos that are i very good song and has a chanc #?. r // After a few listenings, "She < r the Carolina ag a meuow almost coun Tommy Shaw doing the honoi wrr? an't pred Optimism was shown in the Columbia record market when the nationwide chain Peaches Records recently opened a store near the USC campus. Store manager btepnen Pagano said Columbia was tne smallest market Peaches has moved into. "The market is a good one and has growth potential," Pagano said.He said the presence of the university and the state capital in Columbia make the town a stopping point for the type of person who is interested in music and buys records. He said there are other good stores in town but they found the market is great enough to support more. Pagano said that while 1977-78 were boom years for Peaches Records, they are barely making profits in 1980. "There is more to compete for the entertainment dollar. The record buying market is older," he said. He explained that as the record buying market grows older, their interests diversify and people utilize a wider range of .\, . B?-^ v ^y... w ^mr, jg HP9wJX& \<^^:;^BMP^BHBBMB8wiL ^jjjsgSg BHBfl iy ^/?fif r? vflfl/w^< Inside Budget Records and Tapes, whe with 1980 expected to see a stump in r to why iginal Paradise Theater was I the country at its opening in l^\ (ssion took its toll, the theater an to decay because of a lack 9 il of the theater began when le the paying customers were [JMLq >urbs, where other centers of Kj^HH In 1958, the Paradise Theatre II||Mh_ le topic they chose, is like a n the band first started in the j ~-'-? ard rock, though it was coniard. Many of the tunes on the lier works: hard-hitting rock, is and a steady beat. easy transitio xiified their sound with the mellow. id saxaphone section, to give James You hard rock and jazz combined, nothing less is thoroughly unique, and Young's lead along the line 1928," is merely a soulful in- and "Ballerin and concept of the Paradise "Half-Penn { ask the audience to sit back Its heavy be< hands of time. America," "S er, "Rockin' The Paradise" country were ?avy drums and DeYoung's "Half-Penny, >pening number for a concert no time. ;et your blood flowing with its The ending estined to become a Top 40 hit. purpose is to t one" all seem to go together Sadie" is a sh On My Hands" is fast, steady like "Clair Dc ongs heard on Styx's "Cor- Overall the er Goes As Planned" is one of has ever prod ;f re-cap of the opening theme, over very we lit. Of the three songs, only the aside from th lations because of its tender surprise for tl v When lookii i rain storm. No kidding, when for "act one" 3ut the window to make sure I the album ov st the downpour and thunder turer made a 1g Ms beptt out much to the But if you i ttying te g^t some sleep, who "imprint" of i confesses his wish to see the is a unique a! destined to be ong with heavy horn and sax anybody's col inge tune at times with guitar And with th Dizzare. Other than that, it is a out at the Car ;e to make it to the "big time." stage version Cares" becomes very likeable a winner witl try-rock tune with lead singer sound and lig rs. What the song lacks is an album and pu lict sales entertainment devices .it her than records. He said that because ui the po^i VSoi Id War II baby boom, the record buying market is now older, in that there are more 25year olds than 17-year olds. TKm inofallatinn nf a nafiftnallv rlin l lie iiiovoiiativ/ii vi u uuiivuuMj Peaches Record store in Columbia symbolizes faith in the record market here by some marketing people. While no one seems to be getting rich at the moment, most of Columbia's record retailers seem to be hanging on or making small gains. Problems within the record companies, which will influence local record retailers, still exist. Most of the record retailers said promotional material and co-op advertising were much scarcer now than in past years. Also, every price increase issued by the record company influences the retailer on the front lines. Most local retailers, however, are optimistic about the strength of the Columbia market and the prospects of future sales. re only fair sales were reported in 1979 ecordbuying. (Photo by Chip Lowell) Paradise Theater in 1928 n to the next two tunes, which are anything but ing's woeful introduction of "Snowblind" is than fantastic. The rest of the song follows and turns out to be a masterpiece of hard rock. ?s of other Styx greats " Suite Madame Blue" a." y, Two-Penny" is a study of classical Styx rock, it and loud guitars are throw backs to "Miss luperstars" and "The Great White Hope." If the ! for more hard rock, both "Snowblind" and Two-Fenny" would become Top 10 hits within , "A.D. 1958" is just like the beginning, but its say goodbye instead of welcome. "State Street ort oiano solo that Styx adds from time to time. Lune" and "Aku-Aku." album is very good and among the best Styx luced. The concept of reviving the past was put 11 and the songs relate the story uniquely. But le musical aspect, Styx has placed yet another lose who buy the album ng at side one, you will notice that the listings and "act two" are listed side by side. If you flip er, at first glance you will think the manufacmistake, because side two is apparently blank, jvill hold the disc at an angle, you will see the the first side's inner circle minus the words. It jpect to a great album. "Paradise Theater" is icome a classic and would be a great addition to lection. ip Stvv rnnrort Thursdav niuht nr?rtirallv sold olina Coliseum, many people will get to see the of the album live. The concert is expected to be ti a reported seven tractor-trailers loaded with 5ht equipment. For those who miss it, buy the it your imagination to work.