CBS making it work

Rip It Up, Issue 32, 1 March 1980, Page 8

CBS making it work

Louise Chunn

For a company set up principally to service established overseas CBS artists stopping over in this country, CBS Records New Zealand has certainly proved its worth on the local recording scene. There’s only three acts signed to the label and every one of their records has proved something of a winner. Disregarding such local organisations as Viking which sells thousands of poi and haka records, CBS must be near the top in sales of indigenous recordings.

The fostering of precious native resources was not however the aim of multi-national company CBS, when a mere two years ago it appointed John McCready general manager of the New Zealand outpost. Rather, CBS felt the need for its own personnel to look after CBS artists when they came to New Zealand, and this is still a large part of the Parnell company’s work. Because it fell outside of current considera-

tion, during the first year of operation in New Zealand CBS had no budget allocation to cover local artists. John McCready seeing the potential of certain acts strived to make unbudgetted profits and then sunk the excess into local recording. The proof of the pudding being in the eating, CBS now has a "substantial” (but un-named) budget for this purpose and, so says McCready, js probably the only company in New Zealand currently budgetting for recording local artists. Much of the CBS success can be put down to picking the winners. In its two years in New Zealand, CBS- has signed only three acts: Sharon O’Neill, Jon Stevens and Citizen Band. The ensuing singles and albums have caused ripples of varying degrees. Jon Steven’s triumph of removing his own "Jezebel" from No 1 to replace it with the second single "Montego Bay” is unparalleled in local chart history. Both Sharon O’Neill and Citizen Band, while not so spectacular on the singles charts, have struck near the top of almost all the latest popularity polls, and their album sales have never embarrassed. McCready denies that CBS backs New

Zealand artists out of some well-meaning patriotism. Recording is a money business. "Our job is to develop an artist whichever way we can to help sell records even if it is in long term,” he says. To varying degrees, CBS has kept its artists to this dictum. Jon Stevens is a fine example. "Discovered” through Rocky Douche of Marmalade Studios in Wellington, Stevens is seen by the company as a contemporary pop-soul singer. McCready admits to being pleased that Stevens doesn’t carry a suitcase of his own songs which he’s aching to record. This way the company can wield greater influence in the style of song they'd prefer him to record. They have the chance to tailor him to suit the market, although with Steven’s they must first contend with his manager, Danny Ryan and his rock plans for the singer. But that, McCready acknowledges, is what it’s all about: give and take. Sharon O’Neill on the other hand says she has found support when and where she needs it and it’s principally in the cheque-writing field but no undue pressure from CBS. She maintains that any other company would have forced her to tour in order to promote her records, in spite of her reservations about adequate musical backing. The third act, Citizen Band, is something of a sore point with McCready. He’s disappointed about the departure of both Michael Chunn and Greg Clarke as he believes Australia could have been the band’s making. While he hopes that CB will continue with new personnel, "it will not be the same band." The members, he points out, were signed separately so any new contract must be re-negotiated once a new band has been formed. Bands, McCready knows, are difficult and overnight line-up changes can throw all the promotion and hard work right out that window. This didn’t stop CBS trying very hard to sign Toy Love. "They were the only band I wanted,” sighs McCready. Still nursing his regrets at being outbidded by ex-AC/DC manager Michael Browning, he has not seen another band with that potential since. As for other local recordings, AK 79 is a favourite. Even though it's new wave, it shows how melodic New Zealand songwriters are, says McCready, and melody is where world trends are heading. He puts new wave in the fast-selling bracket too, and, as he says "it's impossible to separate personal belief in an artist and responsibility to the company" we’d better watch out for the next horse out of the CBS stable.