[78-L] Capitol's Prep Subsidiary

[agp]

In the mid 70s I used to have no problems getting goodies from 
Columbia, RCA, and WEA. Capitol would send me stuff but only if I 
asked for it. MCA and Mercury wouldn't send anything. Casablanca, on 
the other hand, sent EVERYTHING in multiples. Plus they sent all 
kinds of goodies, like a set of wooden castanets to pr0mote the lp by 
the group Santa Esmerelda (who covered Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood).

The best though was when the post office mis-stored the mail and we 
got goodies for the other station in town -- the stuff I normally had 
to ask for from Capitol and 45s from MCA.

Once I was doing a special on country #1's and couldn't track down 
one by Bill Anderson. A call to his office in Nashville resulted in a 
freebie on mint Decca 45 that had been out of catalog for 15 years -- 
oh and a signed photo.

Best story from those days was when Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen came 
out in the states. It had been a smash in the UK and remember hearing 
it on Top 20 on BBC World Service. When it came in, our MD placed it 
pronounced it crap, and pitched it into the dust bin. A few weeks 
later he was at the local 5 & 10 cent store buying a copy to play!

T