Automatic Age
Issue: 1942 January - Page 13
KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED
ON SUGGESTIVE RECORDS
G o o d M usic Assures Future
By JACK NELSON
Vice President & G eneral Sales M anager
R ock-O la M a n u fa ctu rin g C o rp o ra tio n
Every once in a while some
newcomer with little or no con
cern for the future success of
the phonograph business comes
up with the idea that suggestive
records will improve the phono
graph business. Locations, oper
ators, and distributors suffer as
a result of such undesirable pro
motion. Many patrons visiting
the locations will cease playing
automatic phonographs.
It was only a few years ago
that suggestive records first
came into existence in the coin
operated phonograph field. It
required only a short time for
the practice to be stopped by
dr a st i c moves of farsighted
representatives of the automatic
phonograph industry in cooper
ation with the Government. The
Government deals hard with
“smut”—either in the printed
word, pictures, or recordings.
"Blackout" Sm utty R eco rds
From my experience through
acquaintance with phonograph
operators I know that most of
them are good business men . . .
shrewd and alert in this fast-
moving business world of ours
today. So it is up to these men
who represent our business to
the public to lend every support
for a “blackout” of suggestive
and smutty records.
How thoughtless for an oper
ator to use suggestive records
especially in these prosperous
times when phonograph earn
ings should be the highest since
prohibition was repealed. And
what a dangerous mistake it is
for locations to allow operators
to use suggestive records on
their phonographs. Surely, the
tavern owner has many prob
lems to keep his business clean
and aboveboard. Any tavern
owner will see the light if he is
forewarned and the danger is
properly explained to him.
M inority Risk M a jority
Of course there will always
be a small minority who ask for
risque r ecor di ngs. But the
minority do not pay your rent,
buy your trucks, and show you a
profit at the end of the year. In
the automatic music business
you cannot cater to the minority
without offending the majority.
Don’t be misled into thinking
you can purchase a few of these
records for a few appropriate
spots, and control them so they
will not tear down your good
reputation. Once you get started
in the handling of suggestive
records, with the responsibility
for placing them divided among
several of your men, you will
find yourself gradually flirting
more and more with trouble. A
further hazard is the fact that
•January, 1942
© International Arcade Museum
some locations have additional
loud speakers which duplicate
the recording to passers-by on
the street—or to another part of
the establishment.
J A C K NELSON
The recording companies have
invested millions of dollars to
give the phonograph operator
good-playing, clean records. The
famous orchestra leaders and
artists are doing everything pos
sible to show the phonograph
operators that they, too, want to
cooperate for the stability and
permanency of the phonograph
operators’ business. The Auto
matic Phonograph Manufactur
ers’ Association is also striving
for the stability and future of
the business.
So let’s all cooperate in this
one move to stamp out the germ
that eventually will eat away at
our business until there is noth
ing left of it. Keep the door
closed on suggestive recordings
—there is no place for them in
our business.
GROOMING "YOU HAUNT MY
HEART" AS HIT BALLAD
As the old year bowed out, the
Associated Music Publishers,
Inc. (AMP) current plug ballad
YOU HAUNT MY HEART was
bowed in by means of a double
plug with Lanny Ross featuring
it on his CBS Program the same
day his Victor Record No. 27723
was released. An even bigger
break will be a triple play by
James Melton scheduled for the
week of January 19. The Tele
phone Hour Tenor will sing it
on his NBC Red Ne t wo r k
Stanza on Monday, and later in
that same week his Victor Red
Seal Recording No. 18466 will
be released. Completing the
three way tie up, the song will
be featured as James Melton’s
Hit of the Month in the March
Issue of Radio and Television
Mirror Magazine which comes
to the newstands the last week
of January.
AUTOMATIC AGE
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
13
ON SUGGESTIVE RECORDS
G o o d M usic Assures Future
By JACK NELSON
Vice President & G eneral Sales M anager
R ock-O la M a n u fa ctu rin g C o rp o ra tio n
Every once in a while some
newcomer with little or no con
cern for the future success of
the phonograph business comes
up with the idea that suggestive
records will improve the phono
graph business. Locations, oper
ators, and distributors suffer as
a result of such undesirable pro
motion. Many patrons visiting
the locations will cease playing
automatic phonographs.
It was only a few years ago
that suggestive records first
came into existence in the coin
operated phonograph field. It
required only a short time for
the practice to be stopped by
dr a st i c moves of farsighted
representatives of the automatic
phonograph industry in cooper
ation with the Government. The
Government deals hard with
“smut”—either in the printed
word, pictures, or recordings.
"Blackout" Sm utty R eco rds
From my experience through
acquaintance with phonograph
operators I know that most of
them are good business men . . .
shrewd and alert in this fast-
moving business world of ours
today. So it is up to these men
who represent our business to
the public to lend every support
for a “blackout” of suggestive
and smutty records.
How thoughtless for an oper
ator to use suggestive records
especially in these prosperous
times when phonograph earn
ings should be the highest since
prohibition was repealed. And
what a dangerous mistake it is
for locations to allow operators
to use suggestive records on
their phonographs. Surely, the
tavern owner has many prob
lems to keep his business clean
and aboveboard. Any tavern
owner will see the light if he is
forewarned and the danger is
properly explained to him.
M inority Risk M a jority
Of course there will always
be a small minority who ask for
risque r ecor di ngs. But the
minority do not pay your rent,
buy your trucks, and show you a
profit at the end of the year. In
the automatic music business
you cannot cater to the minority
without offending the majority.
Don’t be misled into thinking
you can purchase a few of these
records for a few appropriate
spots, and control them so they
will not tear down your good
reputation. Once you get started
in the handling of suggestive
records, with the responsibility
for placing them divided among
several of your men, you will
find yourself gradually flirting
more and more with trouble. A
further hazard is the fact that
•January, 1942
© International Arcade Museum
some locations have additional
loud speakers which duplicate
the recording to passers-by on
the street—or to another part of
the establishment.
J A C K NELSON
The recording companies have
invested millions of dollars to
give the phonograph operator
good-playing, clean records. The
famous orchestra leaders and
artists are doing everything pos
sible to show the phonograph
operators that they, too, want to
cooperate for the stability and
permanency of the phonograph
operators’ business. The Auto
matic Phonograph Manufactur
ers’ Association is also striving
for the stability and future of
the business.
So let’s all cooperate in this
one move to stamp out the germ
that eventually will eat away at
our business until there is noth
ing left of it. Keep the door
closed on suggestive recordings
—there is no place for them in
our business.
GROOMING "YOU HAUNT MY
HEART" AS HIT BALLAD
As the old year bowed out, the
Associated Music Publishers,
Inc. (AMP) current plug ballad
YOU HAUNT MY HEART was
bowed in by means of a double
plug with Lanny Ross featuring
it on his CBS Program the same
day his Victor Record No. 27723
was released. An even bigger
break will be a triple play by
James Melton scheduled for the
week of January 19. The Tele
phone Hour Tenor will sing it
on his NBC Red Ne t wo r k
Stanza on Monday, and later in
that same week his Victor Red
Seal Recording No. 18466 will
be released. Completing the
three way tie up, the song will
be featured as James Melton’s
Hit of the Month in the March
Issue of Radio and Television
Mirror Magazine which comes
to the newstands the last week
of January.
AUTOMATIC AGE
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
13
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).