Record Promotion ~ The Early Years

In early 1968, after the initial surge of the British Invasion upon American radio, the record business began to percolate with prospering retail sales. Single (45 RPM) recordings had previously been the choice of purchase for consumers, but now it had taken on a new role. With the album market still evolving, the single had now become a marketing tool that alerted buyers of the artist's new album release. Consumers wanted to hear more from their favorite artists.

But let's back-up a moment and explain the circumstances of how consumer's became alerted in the first place. This avalanche of music culture was broadcast to us by single speaker radios and had become a part of everyday lifestyles. Yet before it reached our ears, the music had underlying stories beneath the hoopla of artists fanfare. Behind the scenes existed the essential prep work that could literally make-or-break an artists career. First of all, there had to be appreciation of an artist's song which may hold career potential. Without that, maintaining a day job is perhaps a better career alternative for the songwriter. Moving forward and beyond the songs initial interest comes the recording process and then the actual pressing of the recorded music upon disks. Then comes a key component to the process, promotion and distribution. Without that, how are you going to get the word out about the album? Pictured below is part of the marketing process with a display of a records covering an entire wall.

Note the individual stacks of records posted on separate pegs with each representing a different media outlet. This was a standard industry process for preparing media mailers to the regional outlets such as radio stations, newspapers and selected venues.

A media mailer was generally performed every week consisting of dozens of new releases. Next comes the all important factor of following through with contact to the individual recipients.

Let's say this week's new releases are by the following artists; Mungo Jerry, Betty Lavette, Ray Conniff Singers, Bobby Blue Bland, Sid Selvidge, Joe Tex, Tommy James & The Shondells, Booker T. & The MG's, The Amboy Dukes, Gabor Szabo, DeDe Warwick, Clarence Reid, The Percy Faith Orchestra, Crow, Albert King, The Turtles, George Jones, The OJays, The Crazy World of Aurthur Brown, Paris Pilot, Benny Latimore, Area Code 615, Aurthur Prysock, Deodato, Lulu, King Curtis and Dobie Grey.

Whew! That's a lot of promotion and marketing to perform. And I pity the poor disk jockeys or music journalists who has to delve through all new releases just to select one record to spotlight.

Mondays and Tuesdays were the days to promote and gather radio chart information. On those days I would contact the following people; Johnny Randolph WAKY Louisville, Joe Sullivan WMAK Nashville, John R. WLAC Nashville, Bill Tanner WJDX Jackson, Larry Ryan KEEL Shreveport, Buddy Dean KOTN Pine Bluff, Sonny Martin KAAY Little Rock, Scott "Scooter" Seagraves WHBQ, Steve Taylor WHBQ Memphis, Hal Smith WMPS Memphis, Roy Mack WMPS Memphis.

But once the promotion and marketing process had been fully completed with radio and the print media having concluded their ultimate ways, a survivor, thus a victor, and the weekly battle of the Rock & Roll wars had concluded. In this early week of 1970, a British quartet who specialized in skiffle music, or as we called it...a jug band, conquered the Billboard charts with their multi-million selling hit, "In The Summertime." Newcomers Mungo Jerry on Janus Records had mastered what so many of their musical competitors had reached to accomplish for years; Billboard's number # 1 spot.