Glad some are enjoying the archive. The product guides are also interesting to read and learn from.
A lot of what we now identify as garage 45s were selected as pick hits in Record World magazine. Five Canadians "Writing On The Wall" (June 25, 1966 if I recall), Third Bardo, Gentlemen (Dec 31, 1966)....I prefer validating Record World over both Cashbox and Billboard to mirror what was going on at the time. Record World combined sales and airplay when tabulating their charts, the other operations only focused on one or the other.
Here's some info regarding reviews and advertising: When I spoke with a guy who worked for the magazine in the NYC headquarters around 25 years ago, I asked him about the methodology regarding reviews of 45s and LPs. He said that advertising had no bearing on whether or not a record was selected for review. That print for pay transaction could cause litigation and revoking of their license to publish. He also added that it was quite common for a label to buy advertising in hope that their current new release would get reviewed in Record World.
45s selected for the upcoming issue were based on research and study of factors regarding potential of sales and airplay on regional breakout radio stations (at least for the singles). The review department often received nearly 500 singles per week. The review team always worked at least 10 days ahead of the next issue date, so that the magazine would hit the streets and be in the mail before the date of the issue. Instances of an instant review were Beatles 45s or a hot anticipated follow-up to a current #1 single. Cash Box magazine reviewed a lot of 45s (sometimes as many as 60 per week) up until their change based on Record World's streamlined review selection process. Many broadcast people focused their own selections for their radio stations based upon Record World reviews.
If a single got reviewed as a 4 star pick, then you'd often see the record label spend $$$ for an advertisement for the next issue, which is what transpired with the Dagenites "The Fugitive" 45. The Heigh-Ho label, run by Hy Fenster was not a vanity, one man operation, it was a label that employed around a dozen people in New York City, if not more, since 1961 or so. Promotion in those days operated on the basis of exposure - singles were released, and the ones that started to gain exposure in some manner (sales, airplay, performances, ) $$$ would be invested for that record.
People like to blame the record industry in retrospect whenever a record they made / were involved with "failed" to become a hit single / LP. You've read and heard it ad infinitum, "...our record company didn't promote our record..."
The real truth is that the performer is just as responsible for the failure - one has to do their own promotion as well as the record label, unless, of course, you are already a famous performer established and known within the public consciousness. If a label, like Cameo for example, managed to score a huge hit single (? & The Mysterians "96 Tears"), finances would allow for more focused promotions and more single releases.
One also needs to remember that a label wasn't just focused on product in one genre, like rock & roll. The companies that lasted in the business for more than a couple of years had to issue just about anything they thought had a chance to sell.
