June 7, 1971. burbank, california. % ‘number 14, mond: ‘a wookly news device from warner/reprise vol. 3WB Refuses to Put Out Ina precedented move, Warner Bros. Records has refused flatly to issue a June, 1971, album release, Albums heretofore scheduled for that spring month have been de- ferred to future monthly releases. ‘Commenting on this refusal, one highly placed company source stated, “Sure thing we're skipping June, We're skipping it til America ‘wakes up to its senses and starts buying up all the good stuff we've put outfor itin the first half of '71."" Industry figures, who refused to 1e quoted, noted that WBR execu- tives indeed seemed miffed that eleven of its albums, each of which had received critical acclaim and heavy airplay, had not yet sold enough to become gold album ints and hang in the hallway because of it the diskery will be, as trade has it, ‘pulling out all stops" to rework the eleven project albums: Rumor around Burbank is that gon Mother Earth/Bring Me Home Crazy Horse T. Rex Alice Cooper/Love Itto Death Jackie Lomax/Home Is in My Head Stoneground Earth, Wind and Fire Mary Travers/Mary The Doobie Brothers Faces/Long Player John Baldry/it Ain't EasyEverything You Always Wanted to Know About Pearls Before Swine but Were too Lazy to Ask Pearls Before Swine are an off- spring of a strange marriage of technology and pootry. Their name came from the Book of Matthow: *'Give not that which is Holy unto dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend ye.” On the liner notes of their first album, this was misquoted as and turn ye on, and rend ye.” The original Pearls Before Swine saw their formative years in Eau Gallie, Florida. They were most profoundly influenced by Bob Dylan and the Byrds, whom they heard via an ionospheric skip on the WBZ late-night show from Boston. Poetry and technology. ‘Scrapped Tom Rapp, Wayne Harley, Roger Crissinger and Lane Lederer were the original Pearis. They did a demo record at a Baptist Deacon's welding shop and recording studio in Orlando. The demo included two early song pearls called "God Is Dead’ and the sequel “The Son of God Is Dead” or "Sure He Could Talk Great, But Did You Ever Seo One of His Chairs?” The Deacon added his own comments to the master, which of necessity was scrapped. “We sent a demo to ESP Rec- ords,” says Rapp, ‘because they were recording the Fugs and we figured if they would record the Fugs, they would record anybody.” ‘The process worked with ESP (and with Reprise, who also have had the unholy Fugs). The ESP associa- tion resulted in two beautiful albums = One Nation Underground and Balaklava. They were, prophetically and regrettably, trampled. These Things Too, Pearls’ first Reprise album, featured Rapp, his wife, Elisabeth, and Jim Fairs, The Use of Ashes, Pearls’ second for Reprise and one of the most beautiful albums ever recorded, featured Rapp, Elisabeth, Charles McCoy and Kenneth Buttrey. New and old Pearls Pearls Before Swine had never ‘appeared live and it looked as if the group were about to become a studio phenomenon, until Rapp reorganized them. The new Pearls are Gordon Hayes on bass, Mike Crawitz on piano, John Tooker on guitar and Tom Rapp on guitar and Vocals. The new group is touring together and working on a future album, tentatively entitled Freedom. The original Pearls Before Swine are currently a meter reader for the Florida Power and Light Company, an oboe player in the Navy Band, a San Francisco “hippie-type,” anda beautiful songwriter/singer whose current and fifth album, City of Gold, has just been released on Reprise Records,According to one memo report- edly circulating the Burbank HQ, sales-advertising-merchandising- and-promotion wings of WBR are ‘combining June efforts on these eleven albums under the sales. slogan “Together,” whichis a hippie word for coordinated.” Efforts being coordinated include tactical advertising splurges on these albums, in unit or various ‘combinations thereof; a sampler album to be entitled “Together” to goad further the power-crazed taste makers of American radio Into playing the music of these eleven albums; plus uncommon. order forms and other paper para- phernalia aimed at concentrating the wandering minds of America’s record retailers. Not to be affected by this ban will be the release during June of Joni hell's anticipated Blue album. is being rushed out because, as one industry source termed it, “you couldn't kill itwith a stick. ides, we can all use the Pushy force behind the June ban. of new albums from Burbank is the record company’s curly-haired sales head, E. Rosenblatt. Reliable reports state that when Rosenblatt saw the heavy June schedule of new talent set for new albums, the sales mogul exclaimed, "Ye Gods. We're still working on albums from last January, fellas!” And then, they say, he crossed his eves.Swiss Bank Accounts May Be Luring Top Warner Executives Clearly suspicious is the sudden exodus of many top Warner-Reprise ‘executives this week, all of thom jetting to the Geneva area. Clearly possible is itthat Switzer- land, long famed as ahaven for hot money and numbered bank ac- counts, could (within the next fort- night) be scene of one of the major ‘scandals of the recording industry, as veeps-or-better E. West, S. Cornyn, J. Smith and (itnow ap- pears) topper M. Ostin all make for Montreux, fabled international Swiss spa just tothe right of Lake Geneva. Clearly covering up possible ‘scandal isa Billboard-sponsored International Music Industry Con- ference, which is fronting for the fiscal skullduggery WBR's reps ‘could be pulling off Clearly confusing the issue is the fact that S. Cornyn, Warner veep who just gave a speech on “The Rock Morality” to another record business convention, is continuing his masquerade as the self-ap- pointed moral saviour of the record business by speaking once again to this convention, this time with a speech sub-titled '‘Confessions of a Child Motester,” during which he claims to tell High Truths about record merchandising, about which ‘Cornyn clearly knows next to nothing. Gleatly probable isit that, lett vir- tually unattended by execs, a coup is in order at the Burbank HQ of the iskery. Clearly inevitable is it that sald ‘coup will be led by factions who an'tstand Circu/ar's sentence structure. Far-Flung Correspondence Derek Taylor occasionally favors Circular with focal color of the English caliber, to wit: “Important Announcement, Warner Bros, Warner Bros. . .. Rod McKuen, world famous poet com- poser and singer comes to town this week. See him at the Royal Albert Hall, hear him on Warner Bros. Records.” In red-gold-white and blue these ‘words are spelled out on an elec- tronic telex-caster every eight minutes high over the esplanade ‘on London's huge commuter station named after the baitle of Waterloo (1815) won against Napoleon Bona- parte by the (Iron) Duke of Welling- ton who was the great-great-great- great-great-great-grandfather of ‘Warner Bros. Publishing's London song-plugger Johnathan Clyde. Words and Music Talking of great, great, great. - Rod McKuenis in fact inLondon for TV, radio and concert appear- ances na dozen big cities. The incredible McKuen, abig seller in Europe (words & music) came into Condon following a brief vacation in the Bahamas (having just completed ‘an American tour which included his now-traditional birthday con- cert at Carnegie Hall). He was ‘warmly welcomed by people from the world of music, media and books ata reception in the Silver and Gold rooms in the Dorchester Hotel in London's Park Lane. Kinney had taped a special two- hour mixed-McKuen program fea- turing him as singer (of his own and contemporary material) and as composer interpreted by orchestras ‘and vocalists: peers Como, Jimmy Rogers, Pet Clark, Tom Jones and Sinatra, ‘The Ones Very big times ahead for (you will not be surprised to hear) the Faces, solid rock'n'roll gold now and until Hell freezes. We saw them at the ‘Camden Festival at the Round House and at Crystal Palace in the ‘open air and soon we will be seeing them at the Albert Hall, all in London =then they will be hitting the provinces. Brilliant to look at, so Confident and bright and together, ‘and 80 good to hear, authentic, authoritative, impudent, they really know how to harness our rocking souls and lash us to asolid beat We can stand more acts like the Faces—first major to become super in 1971—and on that good ole label Warner. Remember, you read ithere first The Faces are the Ones. Faces.The Case of the Steamboat Logo Many readers have written Circular telling of how they sit around on a rainy evening sipping their Dr. Pep- pers and reading record labels. And they seem to wonder lots. Questions, like: Why is there a steamboat on the Reprise logo? Ponderer, this is the story for you: Monday at Warner/Reprise is ‘one long meeting, from which someone roused himself recently and asked, "Why is there a steam- boat on the Reprise label?’ Blank looks. “Igive up," said the Vice Presi- dent, one of the wittiest men in Burbank. "Why?’ Nobody knew “Ask Mo," said the Vice Presi- dent. Mo being Mo Ostin, President of Warner/Reprise, but top man of only Reprise for years before that. Mo had been with Reprise since the Rat Pack days. Mo would know. “'I don’t know,” said Mo, puzzie- ment blurring his normally sten- torian tones. “The 'r’ with the color before it means something in musi cal notation, but the steamboat I think ithad something to do with show business. Why can’t it remain mystery?” With all due deference, Circular's curiosity was still piqued. Atthe next Monday meeting Circular asked for clues. “I dunno” was cried in angry unison. Then, moping along the creamy beige hallway with the brown lino- Jeum (because it was upstairs; downstairs it's green walls with dirty linoleum), Ciroular’s sleuth paused. Ask an art director. He'd know. ‘Anart director would have had to sit through seventeen meetings to Ed Thrasher, bearded Pan of the drawing board, said, “Nope. I've only been here sixty-three years. That Reprise label was before my time.” “Then whose time was itn?’ “think the man’s name was Merle Shore. He's retired, lives in Santa Barbara, Merle Shore finally called back. Circular’s voice became dry and dusty. ‘Do you remember how it ‘came to pass that the Reprise label hasa steamboat on it?” Mr. Shore was taken aback. “Well.” he said, “let me check my files.” Files? ‘There were actually three he returned from his files. "There was the steamboat, and one with a one with an owl,’ Reprise logos,” Mr. Shore said when photo of Frank Sinatra and another ‘An owl? “Uh, why were there three, Mr. Shore?” “The one with Frank's picture was for Frank Sinatra albums. He had his own logo. The one with the owl was for spoken word records, | ‘guess the ow/ signifying wisdom. | remember two of the spoken word albums were Jonathan Winters and Linus Pauling. The steamboat was for the third category—jazz. You know, steamboat, rolling down the river, New Orleans, a symbol of the South and all that.” “Right, and thank you Mr. Shore.”” “Not at all, Say hello to Mo for me.” If anyone out there in Circular readerland has a copy of an early Reprise album with an owl onit, make a photostat or take a picture and send it to Circular, as nobody in Burbank has ever seen one. Except Mo Ostin, and he wanted mystery.Items Vile Biles + Jerry Garcia, benign Grateful Dead guitarist, had to miss one per- ‘San Francisco because of the flu. Stu Kutchins, manager of the Young- bloods, Jeffrey Cain, etal, has been off the road and in bed sick for almost three weeks. Circular sends ‘condolences. Chicken soup is on itsway. ‘Stoneground’s New Faces + Mammoth (ten persons) San Francisco group Stoneground has ‘added (and subtracted) three mem- bers, New drummer is Steve Price, new bassist is Brian Gola and new keyboard thumper is Cory Lerios. Flying Fahey Fingers + Guitarist non-pareil John Fahey has signed with Warner/Reprise (one or the other). His first WB album will be produced by Andy Wickham and Denny Bruce. Wild Man Cometh +k Larry Fischer, known to cogno- Scent as Wild Man, recently per- formed at the University of Moscow in Idaho and at the Crowley Youth Memorial in Spokane, Washington. He is currently heading in the direo- tion of the East Coast. Circular readers who would like a Wild Man for the next PTA meeting should ‘write to him at this new address: Larry Fischer, c/o Cliff House by the Sea, 15145 Pacific Coast Hi way, Pacific Palisades, California. No War Toys Last wook's Daily Variety carried front page item that said that Kinney (a swell big conglomerate that buys record companies such as Atlantic, Warners and Elektra) had just called off a very big money deal in which itwas going to buy Mattel Toys ("if it's Mattel, it's swell"), which company had itself just bought Ringling Brothers, the circus people. The Mattel merger flop now means, as close as Circular can make it out, that Circular is once again free fo tell the truth behind the secret shames of the ever- popular Ken and Barbie, Watch this ‘space, Movie Summers. + Summer of'42, Michel Legrand’s soundtrack for the film, also con- tains his score for the never- released Picasso Summer. Movie buifs might check to see if this is, the firsttime a film score was re- leased without the film. Summer of "42 was released, though, and ap- pears to be quite healthy in theatres ‘lear across the country. New York Is a Summer Festival 4 WB's madcap New York pub- Iioity department hosted a gala ro- ception-dinner for Herbie Hancock, mere hours before his opening night at the Bitter End. Said gala entertained about 100 odd people at no mean expense, after which guests were spirited to the gig via twelve limousines. Herbie played brilliantly while the critics’ eyes grew dewy with delight. Upon oxit- ing those dewy eyes saw a long line wailing for Herbie. No limousines were provided for the ride home. Scorpio Gold ‘Reprise is awaiting RIAA certifi- cation of Gordon Lightfoot's if You Could Read My Mind, which million- in-sales status should be confirmed ‘within a week or two. This will make. Gordon the third Canadian Scorpio to win gold for Reprise; he was pre- ceded by Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Friends + Most of the radio world seems to be favoring James Taylor's version of "You've Got a Friend.” Much to the delight of WB's Radio Depart- ment, two stations that originally programmed the Donny Hathaway version are now charting Taylor's (KYA in San Francisco and WCOL, Of Columbus, Ohio). The only cities lagging behind James and his “Friend” are Denver, Detroit, Cin- cinnati and Atlanta, Double Indemnity + Earth, Wind and Fire issued two singles in two weeks, a near embar- rassment of riches. "Fan the Fire” was the first, ‘Love Is Life” the sec- ‘ond, which latter seems tobe a ‘monster in Chicago (WVOM, WGRT, WSDM, WDEE) and now ‘occupies the lofty 43 chart position on Detroit's CKLW,Singled Out ‘My God and! Don Ho REP 1016 This is a single forbig speakers, or else little speakers with big lar- ynxes. Itbuilds up from abase of low register music and Don himself ‘seems to have dropped an octave right into Fred Neil territory—to complement the depth of the ar= Fangement, which includes oodles: of ovohing and aaahing femmes and aslowly surfacing full orches- tra, not to mention aharmonica player who sounds uspiciousl ike job Dylan (which could confirm rumors that Dylan's next album will be a tribute to Kui Lee). It's a full~ sounding record which features Mr. Ho rising from the bottom in a most, moving fashion, allinaspace of 4:01. Temptation Took Control of ‘Me and | Fell Mother Earth REP 1019) ‘Mother Earth contains one of the best contemporary singers to be heard in Tracy Nelson, who blazes spectacularly in this steam-powered, ‘gospel number from the group's Reprise debut album, Bring Me Home, Miss Nelson receives solid rhythm support from the band, which achieves the feeling of Mem- phis (if you'll allow the substitution of the foxy Earthettes for the foxy Memphis Horns) right there in Nashville, The single clocks inat a respectable 3:21 with nary an ‘emptysecond, : Got a Feelin’ in My Bones Neon Philharmonic we 7497 This single bears more than a pass- ing resemblance to a monster hit of our pastremembrance, which shouldn’thurt its chances too much, the Pop Consciousness being what itis, Tupper Saussy arranged and ‘wroteit, it's happy and brisk and brassy and just repetitive enough tostick in your mind without melt- ing, which is what the Neon Phil is perpetually adept at doing. The Aime is 2:57. 's aLovely Day The Youngbloods WB 7499/Raccoon $4 Jesse Colin Young can sing mean- ing into lalas and can hum stories, soit's doubly enjoyable to hear him work out on a beautiful song, which, “isa Lovely Day’ is. The Young- bloods create an acoustic folk trellis for Jesse to twine nis oloe along and he creates a feeling of joy with this love song, which he wrote. Two minutes and 35 seconds define its length but not its warm breeziness. New Mexico ‘Jethro Tull 16/11, Civic Auditorium, Albuquerque New York ‘Jackie Lomax 16/2-7, Bitlor End, New York City ‘Alice Cooper 6/11-12, Fillmore East, New York Gity ‘John Baldry {6/11-12, Rack Pile, sland Park, LA. ‘Herbie Hancock 6/7-12, Aqua Lounge, Phila LOnniea see ‘John Hartford 6/13, Overton Park Shell, Memphis Artist Itineraries UNE 7-18, 1971 6/11, Travelodge Theatre, Phoeni Californi Sloneground 6/40%12, Frontier Vilage, San Jose Norman Greenbaum y 6/15, Rosewood Forest, Santa Rosa Colorado ‘John Baldry 18/33, Colorado National Speedway, Boulder ‘Mother Earth Doobie Brothers: 16/13, Colorado National Speedway, Boulder E Hawaii fe des of arch — 6/9, Zion Benton High School, Zion Louisiana, ea Tiny Tim £/206/9, Roosevelt Hoel, New Orleans ‘Don Ho ee '9/20-6/ 16, Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas ‘Alice Coope 66/18, Roller Palace, Alexandria Canada ‘Jackie Lomax 678-13, Riverboat, TorontogOntario England ‘& Guinove 6/5, Camolot Bar and Gril Hot Stuff Best Selling Albums, May 24-28 41, Jethro Tull/ Aqualung (MS 2035) 2, James Taylor/Sweet Baby James (WS 1843) Black Sabbath/Paranoid (WS 1887) ‘Alice Cooper/Love It to Death (ws 1883) 5, Mary Travers/ Mary (WS 1907) . Neil Young/After the Gold Rush (RS 6383) "_ Nell Young/Everybody Knows: This Is Nowhere (RS 6349) Black Sabbath (WS 1871) Kenny Rogers andthe First Edition/ Greatest Hits (RS 6497) 410, Jimi Hendtix/The Cry of Love (MS 2034)