Monday, August 11, 2025

Dirty Record Promoters


In the February 6th, 1971 issue of Billboard, Bob Glassenberg didn't run a college radio chart or reports of any kind. He listed off all the record label contacts. As far as I know this is the only record of who was servicing college radio in that era. The college reporter lists from FMQB and CMJ were still a decade away.  Below I collate the two lists for a "complete" Rolodex of who a college radio Music Director would have called or written to for record servicing way back in 1971. 

In the record business you're either a lifer or you come and go before you get your hands dirty. I'm going to see what I can dig up on each of these promoters to see where they landed after the stagflationary cursed year of 1971. 

Label POC Address
 A&M Records  Lance Freed  1416 La Brea Ave. Hollywood, CA 90028
ABC Records Larry Ray  8255 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048
 Atlantic Records Janet Duboff 1841 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Barnaby Records Carol Smith 1009 17th Ave. South Nashville, TN 37212
Bell Records  Howie Rosen 1776 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Beverly Hills Records  Morris Diamond  6430 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028
Buddah Records Andy Schwartz 1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Capitol Records Caroline Allmark 1750 N. Vine St. Hollywood, CA 90028
CBS Records Kate Buckley 51 West 52nd St. New York, NY 10019
 Colossus Records Steve Schulman 1855 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Douglas Records Neil Illiano 145 W. 55th St. New York, NY 10019
Elektra Records Bob Brownstein 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023
GRT Records Margo Knez  1301 6th Ave., New York, NY 10019
Hare Records John Rowe PO Box 129, Andrews, TX  79714
Kent Records Joe Bihari 5810 S.Normandie Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90069
Lounge Records Cornelius Dale PO Box 4358 Jersey City, NJ 07304
Mercury Records  Denny Rozencrantz 35 E. Wacker Dr. Chircao, IL 60601
Mediarts Records Penny Mitchell 9229 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90069
 Metromedia Records Stan Monteiro 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
MGM records Sol Handwerger 1350 6th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Poppy Records Morty Wax Assoc.  1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Polydor Records Larry Heller 8733 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90069
All Platinum Records Bill Darnell  106  Palisade Ave, Englewood, NJ 07631
Stang Records Bill Darnell  106  Palisade Ave, Englewood, NJ 07631
Rare Earth Records Alan Di Noble 2457 Woodward Ave. Detroit, MI 48201
Motown Records Alan Di Noble  2457 Woodward Ave. Detroit, MI 48201
Roulette Records Ed Kerwin  1700 W. 60th St. New York, NY 10023
Skeejin-A-Lintoo Records  Frank Growling Bear  PO Box 3453 Bridgeport, CT 06605
Warner Bros. Records Billy Goldstein (East)   400 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91503
Warner Bros. Records Ron Goldstein (West)   400 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91503

Lance Freed was the son of famous DJ Alan Freed. He was hired by A&M in 1966, and became the head of the newly created College Promotion department.  A year later he became executive assistant to Jerry Moss. Andy Meyer was took over as the college promotion director.  In 1973 Freed moved over to Rondor Music publishing with Jerry Moss where he stayed for decades, eventually becoming president. [SOURCE]

jimvallance.com  (Freed far left)

Larry Ray actually started at Elektra working there form 1964 to 1969 becoming the Director of National Promotions. He crossed the street to ABC records in 1969 eventually becoming the General Manager and he stayed there until 1971. Ray was out of music for decades until he landed in 1990 at Bruit Publishing working with some smaller Nashville publishers like Tumbleweed. 

I get the impression Janet Duboff is more obscure than she should be. In august of 1971 Glassenberg wrote "Janet Duboff is taking at least a month's leave of absence, which may be permanent, from Atlantic Records' College Department to go to go to Europe and work on "Gimme Shelter" promotion."  In October there was another update "Gunter Hauer has taken over as head of the Atlantic Records Campus Department. And he'll make quite a head. He's been on the campus radio scene with Atlantic for the past five years and even though he has not had the title, previously held by Janet Duboff, one might say that Hauer is the man behind the scene."  There isn't another word about here anywhere. More here

Barnaby Records was founded by adult pop singer Andy Williams and his business partner Alan Bernard in 1970. He named it after his dog. In 1971 Williams bought out Bernard. Barnaby ceased to be a working label by the late 1970s and Williams licensed the music to other labels. There is no record of her outside this list. 

Howie Rosen is a lifer. Today he runs his own eponymous promotions company today. [SOURCE] He started at Bell Records in the late 1960s, then jumped to Elektra, then Private Stock Records, Casablanca Records, and then Bearsville Records. In 1981, Mo Ostin and Russ Thyret invited Howie to join Warner/Reprise Records as VP of Promotion. In the 80s he went on to work at Motown, A&M, and in 1985 finally founded his own Howard Rosen Promotion, Inc. He was around so long we did cross paths. He mentored other radio promoters like Rex Donati, Chris Diaz and the infamous Siri Rosen. 

Morris I. Diamond was a musician before he was a promoter. He was born in 1921, in the Bronx and in the 1940s began his music career as a “band boy” for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. In December of 1970 Cashbox magazine records his self-releasing one of his acts: "Morris Diamond offers a capsule review of his own act (the Zekes), a three man group that records for Beverly Records: This is without a doubt one of the best action groups to come out of the L.A. market"  In the same issue they note that he signed two acts, Frank Fanelli and the Jubals. Before running Beverly Hills, he was the national promotion director of Mercury Records in the 1960s. In the 1980s he became a concert promoter mostly abroad, in Turkey. In 2018 Morris published his memoir, The Name Dropper, or People I Schlepped With.  He died in 2019. [SOURCE]

Billboard Jan. 1972

In 1971 Record World Magazine wrote that Andy Schwartz was working with the brothers, Joe and Slanz Bilello where were then, newly hired national album field reps. In 1972 Billboard reported that Andy Schwartz will be leaving Buddah Records to return to the sunny climes of Florida. "No replacement has been named but it's a good bet that his partner, Larry Harris, will take over the chores at least for moment."  In 1978 an Andy Schwartz played keyboards for the Buddah records artist Chic; I really hope that's the same dude. But my all appearances... he got out.

In February 1971, Caroline Allmark is named Capitol Records National College Rep, she was formerly national airplay coordinator. Cashbox noted it as well "Miss Allmark will function as liaison between colleges across the country and Capitol, and will make personal contact with students, faculty, student press and radio to develop a closer Capitol/college relationship. She will also act as coordinator for special campus marketing plans and promotional ideas, and act as spokesman from campus to Capitol for any problems concerning Capitol merchandise and sales revealed to her. In her former job at Capitol, Miss Allmark was responsible for the coordination of national album promotion through field promotion managers. She also conceived, developed, and directed national and regional promotion for album product." She had been in the prior role since February 1970. 

In October 1971 billboard recorded that "CBS Records has a staff of 49 college students working under Kate Buckley and Rick Dobbis." These were college reps, a street team-like convention that continues at some record labels to this day. In February of 1972 Perry Margolin at WRSN was complaining about Kate. "He said he was receiving fair to excellent service from every record company around except for Columbia..." By July of 1972 Sam Sutherland wrote "On June26, Kate Buckley, director of Columbia Records' campus program, met with friends and associates at the CBS offices in New York. The party signaled Ms. Buckley's departure from Columbia and from campus record promotion. For the moment, then, Frank Shargo will handle problems but Ms. Buckley leaves behind many friends" 

Colossus Records was founded in 1969 and closed in 1971, bought out by MGM. Schulman went independent. The window was short. Still, he gets a mention in Cashbox in May of 1970. "He will work in close cooperation with distributors in promoting Colossus-Heritage artists and product. Steve Schulman, of [Jerry] Ross’ promotion department, will handle national radio promotion working closely with D.J.'s and distributors." He got a similar mention in Record World that January. Cashbox gave him a full plug in April 1979  " Steve Schulman has been named director of creative services for Zane Management, Inc. Zane Management currently handles business affairs for jazz artist Grover Washington, Jr.; artist, writer and producer Bunny Sigler and others. Schulman's 18-year career includes his independent Schulman Record Promotion Services; vice president in charge of national promotion for Colossus Records; vice president and general manager for Gregar Records (RCA); national promotion director for Salsoul Records." By 1981 he had founded Schulman International to release schlocky exercise LPs. 

Cashbox records that in November of 1970 that Douglas Records launched a college radio department and hired Neil Illiano. "Appointed to head the new department is Neil Illiano, who comes to Douglas from the exec staff of University Review, a major literary/review monthly distributed on over 150 campuses."  I'm sure he was a very well-read man. But there is nothing about that resume that tells me he will survive promo. He gets mentioned in Cashbox and the Billboard list in February of 1971 and disappears.  Douglas Records was founded by Alan Douglas Rubenstein in 1967. The label still exits today but it's output peaked in 1977. The last mention of Illiano is in the Billboard September 1971 International Buyers Guide.

Back in October of 1970 Bob "Brownie" Brownstein was a new hire at Elektra as the Campus Promotion man. By November of 1971 he was bitching about college kids at the Loyola Radio Conference "Most stations don't pick up the phone to inform promotion people of when records arrive, if they were damaged or what response the album is getting (including which cuts are programmed). It was at this session that college people were surprisingly silent, without making comments about service or product." He doesn't appear in the trades after 1972. 

In 1968 Margo Knez was announced as the manager of promotion services at Epic records. The US branch of GRT records was founded in 1970, so Margo Knez had to be a recent hire. After exiting GRT, in 1973, Knez went to Stereo-Dimension records on 7th Ave. in New York. She went from there to MCA where she became the director of national promotion. Oddly in 1980 Cash Box reported that she "ankled [sic] the label and will relocate in New York as an indie. 

Hare records was an indie label based in Andrews Texas. It was active from at least 1969 - 1982 based on it's releases. Many of these list John Rowe as producer and/or owner. But some time around 1980 some of the 45s display Henderson and Nashville, TN addresses indicating a sale or business relocation. Either way the label seemed to cease operations shortly thereafter. More info here

There were four Bihari brothers: Lester, Jules, Saul and Joe. They founded Crown records, Modern Records, and Meteor records notably. In the mid-1960s, Modern Records entered bankruptcy but the Bihari's sold the catalog to their new record label: Kent Records.  Born in 1925, Joe was already 46 when those college kids were writing to Kent for free records. Joe outlived his brothers surviving, until 2013. 


Cornelius Dale is a complete mystery.  There was a gospel artist by that name active in the early 1970s, with a heavy hand on the Hammond B3 organ. He recorded with a series of different gospel artists all released on Glori Records which used another Jersey City PO Box. He penned the liner notes in most cases.

When that list was made, Denny Rosencrantz was already the National LP Promotion Manager at Mercury.  Mercury has also named Denny Rosencrantz to the post of national pop promotion director. In April 1971 he was promoted to National Pop Promotion. By 1972 his title included West Coast A&R Manager. Eventually they added  Phonogram President. He rolled with Kim Fowley and Captain Beefheart. In 1975 he signed Joan Jett and The Runaways assuring his place in history. By 1980 he was president of A&R for MCA. He was later president of BC records and VP at HK Management under Howard Kaufman.  Together they put out a flood of crappy hair bands in the 80s. 


Penny Mitchell is another mystery. Mediarts was an indie label founded in 1970 by Alan Livingston and Nick Venet. They were acquired by United Artists in 1972. 

I did ask the legendary Ron Harris is he remembered any of these folks. The first name he recalled was Stan Monteiro. He an absolute lifer. After working as a performing musician in jazz orchestras, he started his promo career at an indie in Boston; Herb Dale Enterprises. From there he jumped to RCA in 1966. When he left in 1970, he was replaced by Fred Ruppert. Monteiro had co-founded Jefferson Airplane’s record label Grunt in 1971 and was working at Metromedia in the early 1970s and got hired on as the VP of promotions at Columbia by 1972. He was back at Epic as VP of West coast promotions where he stayed into the 1980s. He was also director of marketing at CashBox in the late 1970s. He died in 2019. More here

Sol Handwerger was at MGM forever. Pittsburgh State U. Collections has a letters to and from Handwerger written in 1949. [SOURCE]  Back then the MGM Records logo had a byline below it "A Division of Loews Incorporated."  A 1960 article in The Music Reporter gave his title as Publicity Director. In 1967 CashBox published an article penned by Sol "My 20 Years with MGM Records."  That would date his start at MGM to the very founding of the label in 1947 by Frank Walker. He was still hustling jukeboxes even in the early 1970s, something that was rapidly going out of fashion. In 1973 Billboard reported he was formerly with MGM then that same year, Sol joined Audiofidelity Enterprises, after 25 years at MGM. Born in 1916 he was 56 in 1972 when that list was published; twice the age of the kids calling for records.

Poppy records was founded by Kevin Eggers in 1967. It appears he subbed his publicity work to Morty Wax Associates. Morty appears in the Glassenberg promo lists as learly as 1970. Which is also the first date they appear in Record World; the tiny photo merely identifies Howard Sherman standing beside Mike Millius from Uni. But Morty Dennis Wax was a real person, born in 1932 a song-writer, song-plugger, and eventually a promoter. Sources disagree as to the time line but he was a promo man for ABC-Paramount in the early 1950s, and in 1956 went to work for Edward B. Marks Music.  Another source puts him back at ABC Records in 1969. Around 1971 he went independent. [SOURCE]

Polydor was founded in Germany in 1913, and opened their UK branch in 1954 and finally a US branch in 1969. In 1971 Larry Heller was their FM Underground promotion chief. In 1972 he jumped to Reprise records where he stayed until at least 1974 by which time he starts getting executive producer credits on some trippy rock albums like The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie. I think he's the same Larry Heller who was President of ASI Market research and in the 1980s founded Music Research Consultants. He is a lifer, he just got out of promo. 


Bill Darnell started out as a singer. His earliest adult pop sides came out in 1941 on Bluebird. But he worked with Jimmie Lunceford before that in the 1930s. In the 1950s Darnell worked at Bang Records, Diamond Records, Paris records. He eventually became the head of Portrait Records.All Platinum records was founded in 1967 by performer Sylvia Robinson and her husband, record  Joe Robinson. Stang was just one of it's divisions He joined that team around 1970 before becoming General Manager of Sunburst Records, Ltd.

Alan Di Noble, aka Al Di Noble was named VP of Product Development at Casablanca records in 1979. He was their National Singles Director previously. According to Record World Di Noble was director of promotion for Motown Records in the 1970s and he launched his career doing local promotion in Detroit. Rare Earth was just a subsidiary of Motown. But according to Billboard he was it's Co-Manager. " Jones, national sales manager. along with Gordon Prince, national single sales, and Al DiNoble. formerly co-manager of the Rare Earth label, and now | director of promotion, have moved here [New York[] from Detroit."

Roulette records was founded in 1957 by four partners: George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Kahl. Levywas the primary financial backer for the seminal hip-hop label Sugarhill, which was founded by Sylvia and Joe Robinson. [See All Platinum.]  Despite the relevance of Levy and Roulette Kerwin remains a mystery. 


Frank Growling Bear Nicola is a fun character. He was advertised in the 1970s as an American Indian ventriloquist. He also published a little poetry. As far as I know he self-released one 45 on Skeejin-A-Lintoo Records. he made an appearance on the TV game show To Tell the Truth in 1972. He lectured at Curry College in 1973. He sort of disappears after that. If you get curious that 45 can be found for about $10. I'm most curious how he knew Glassenberg. Weirder yet that there is no Barnham Station., the address in Billboard adds that mismatching the address on the 45. Maybe he meant the Barnum Avenue Post Office?

In October of 1970 Ron Goldstein announced that "He wants to hear from all college radio broadcasters who desire service from the company."  Apparently that led to a flood of service requests. In January 1971 Billy Goldstein was hired at Warner Brothers. Glassenberg conveyed his requirements for service "If you are not getting record service, send me a letter. Also send a carbon to the record promotion man. Keep a copy for yourself. I can't do anything unless I have it in writing."  When Warner Bros moves into downtown Hollywood offices, they hired Ron Goldstein to mange the operation. Ron Goldstein eventually became the president of Verve Music group. Ron escalated and in March penned an article which was a bit tone deaf asking for cash for records. $1.25 per album and $2.50 per double album. He reported that he cannot supply 600 college radio stations free of charge. His title at the time was Director of Special Projects. Ron went on to become the President of Island records in 1981 and stayed there through at least 2000.

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