Thursday, June 11, 2020

Kal Rudman: The Mastermind of Five Decades of Pop Hits (SNS week of 6/7/2020)


With all the hysteria that has been going on for the last three months, I found myself "wandering" off and Googling anything that comes to my mind, possibly as a respite from the outside world.    For some reason Kal Rudman crossed my mind, so I decided to see what he's been up to.

You may be asking, "Who is Kal Rudman?"  To most of you, the name doesn't ring a bell, but for those inside the record and radio business, he was a household name--and still is.    In January of this year, Rudman announced his "retirement" from the publication called "Friday Morning Quarterback", after more than fifty years at its helm.   He has sold the rights to the publication as well, thus the FMQB (as it's known as), name is retired as well.  

But the guy, born Solomon Rudman was much more than the head of a trade magazine.   If you've been a devout follower of top 40 radio from the 1960's until the 2010's, chances are that he was responsible for the popular and rock music that has been heard on the radio lo all these years.    Much of his mastermind has been picking potential hits, and tracking their progress on radio  stations.  He correctly predicted many of the songs that would because giant hits, and even persuaded an artist in particular how he can appeal to female listeners (more on that later).    He's been on television, radio, and other media, and,, while I've never met him in person, my Mom did.....and one of her best friends worked for him for thirty years!!!!

Kal Rudman

Rudman hails from Cherry Hill, NJ, which is a suburb of Philadelphia PA (where he grew up) and Camden NJ.  It was at the latter city that he essentially began his career in top 40 radio as a DJ for WCAM, but soon decided to enter another portion of the record industry.   In mid 1965, he signed on as R&B editor for Record World magazine, one of the industry's three major publications (the others being Billboard and Cash Box).   Each week, his column would mention what R&B records were worth listening to, and encouraged radio stations to play the songs.   He would report what stations would add a song each week.. and relay decisions by radio  station programmers and record label promotions as to what records are breaking out into hits.

Just a little more than a year later, Rudman was moved to a contributing editor for Record World, with his new column titled "Money Music".  His job was pretty much the same, except now he was writing about pop records, a more high profile job.  While new songs by established artists were pretty much easy sells, he concentrated on the obscure, aspiring artists looking to ink up a record deal and get airplay on radio stations.   The artists that broke are too numerous to mention, and yes, many, in spite of the promotion, didn't break at all.   A couple years ago,. I had blogged about a three piece band from the Hudson River Valley, Mortimer, which included my wife's cousin.   While the band never made the chart, their album and single "Dedicated Music Man" was mentioned a couple times on Money Music.    You probably can count in the thousands, the number of artists that he tipped many a programmer.

Some of the records that came out of "left field" to become hits were "Don't Say You Don't Remember" by Beverly Bremers, and "Playground in My Mind" by Clint Holmes.  In both those cases, the songs were released almost one year earlier, but his persistence in getting the message to radio program directors eventually paid off.

In 1968, Rudman founded Friday Morning Quarterback (FMQB), which pretty much expanded on his involvement in the music industry.   Originally it was just a series of stapled, mimeographed pages forming a "tip sheet" as to up and coming records that should be played on the radio and become hits, but it turned into a key industry magazine.   Think of it as a cross between Billboard, and its sister publication Hollywood Reporter, plus Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly.   For six years, Rudman kept both FMQB and Money Music going simultaneously.

Having subscribed to Record World from 1973 until its demise in 1982, I followed Kal's Money Music until he left in early 1974.   While I wasn't sure if he had left on his own to focus on FMQB, or if he was fired, he made an impact.    He could be feisty in his column if he thought a hit song was being ignored by radio stations.  He is that passionate about the music he believed in.  In his final Record World Money Music column, he exclaims "What the hell is going on out there....doesn't anybody wanna play a smash", in response to an R&B record he felt should have "crossed over" to top 40 stations.  In fact, he believed in a lot of black music, and that it should be heard on pop stations.  Many radio programmers and producers of color gave credit to Rudman for making a lot of this music heard; he was named "man of the year" by the Black Music Association.

By 1980, Rudman's star began to shine as he delved into other media.   He became an announcer for the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment).   Known as "Killer Kal", he interviewed many of the wrestling stars of the day, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Jake Roberts, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and Hulk Hogan and no doubt was a big influence on the WWE's mid 1980's "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection".  Here is a video of his interview with Hogan:



Back to his music oriented base, Rudman also was a recurring guest on The Merv Griffin Show, which featured him talking about current artists, which also appeared on those shows.   Merv would have several musical acts featured in an episode, after of which, Rudman would talk about the band or group's viability and how they should be sold by the radio industry.  

One episode featured the band Chicago in 1980.    The band performed their then-current single "Thunder and Lightning", off of Chicago XIV.     When I watched the show, I was curious how Rudman would discuss this one.    Chicago was in their "down period" in 1980, their then-current album was a disappointment.    But Kal had tantalizing words about the band.    He called Chicago, "the Frank Sinatra of rock and roll", and "the architects of album rock" mentioned that with the Arbitron   rating period approaching (the radio equivalent of television Nielsen ratings), the band was an "ace in the hole" whose familiarity and track record would pull in listerners to the radio, since their career spanned a whole decade to that point, would appeal to a wide demographic range.  Here's a clip from the Merv Griffin Show featuring Chicago and Rudman.  (Note the quality isn't that good).



Rudman also had a great rapport with the artists themselves.    Bruce Springsteen for example, while he broke through to the scene in the mid-1970's with Born to Run, after paying his dues at the Jersey Shore, never had a true hit single.   The title track from Born to Run, despite it (and other of his singles and deep cuts), only hit #23 on the charts in the fall of 1975.    His following was pretty much male-oriented.    Rudman, who pretty much knows what demographics listen to a particular song or artist, gave him some key advice as to why he never had hit the top 10.    Rudman explained to The Boss that top 40 radio is mostly listened to by females, but his audience had been prominently male.

Artists have always stopped by Rudman's Cherry Hill office to promote, and sometimes even perform new material.    It just so happens that Springsteen was stopping by sometime in early 1980.   Rudman gave him a tip that pretty much altered Bruce's career:  Write a song that is commercial enough to appeal to women.   The result was "Hungry Heart", a midtempo rock song with broad (no-pun intended) appeal, the lead single from The River, hit the top five late in 1980 and was the start of several hit singles for The Boss.  

Rudman also would appear in special segments on top 40 radio stations.  In the 1980's alone, he could be heard on rock leaning top 40 WPST, out of Trenton, NJ.   Each week, he would appear for "Kal's Comments", discussing with the deejay at the time (can't remember his name, but it was the evening jock in the early part of the decade) the latest releases from artists, how sales were coming along with them, concert tours, and what is new out there worth listening.


While I had never met Rudman, both my mother, Helen Sheldon and her longtime friend Virginia Bunting Reilly did.  In fact, Virginia had worked for him over a quarter of a century.    Virginia, now 91 and a Facebook friend, was hired part-time at the Friday Morning Quarterback in 1975.   She shortly thereafter became full-time as Kal's secretary.   She performed general office duties, and even transcribed interviews with deejay's, artists and other prominent industry people.   During her time there, she met many prominent recording stars.   Many aspiring artists would stop by to perform in the office, and promoters from the various labels would stop by to play an artist's latest record.   Virginia mentioned that the office was constantly busy, with many deadlines (FMQB was a weekly publication).  She also agreed that Rudman had quite an ear and could spot a hit from far away.

My Mom, who knew Virginia since sixth grade, graduated from Roselle Park High School together (Class of 1946) and even worked at the same company (Prudential) in the late 1940's and early 1950's, met Rudman at a function around 1982, and mentioned to him that I subscribed to both Record World and Billboard.    As for Virginia, she worked there until 1991, when she was retirement age.   However, her husband would pass away one year later, and she went back there full time until 2004 before retiring  for good at the age of 75.  

In recent years, I often wondered what Kal Rudman was up to these days, and whether he is still active.   Safe to say, at age 87 he still is.   He has been married to his wife of 61 years, Lucille, and hasn't slowed down.    His decision to retire FMQB as well as the music industry still doesn't mean the end for him.   As he said in a recent interview, published on Radio Online,  "I am retiring from the music industry, not the radio industry", which indicates that his story is not yet finished.    FMQB, in a sense isn't dead, either.   Rudman sold the publication to Deane Media Solutions, who have kept the spirit alive with the new name, but still accessible via FMQB.com .

You can read the Radio Online article here .

Many thanks to Virginia Bunting Reilly for her input to this blog!!!


UPDATE:  In my blog on Tom Corea last month, I had mentioned that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic which has pretty much sidelined him and the rest of the industry, that he was offering to provide remote drum backing to anyone who is requesting it.   It's a testament to his reputation that he's gotten offers from around the world to add his drumming talents.   Since he posted that request, per a Facebook post dated May 23, he received requests from people in twelve countries, including the US, Japan, Canada, Israel, Spain, Mexico, Poland, Australia, Brazil, Slovakia, the UK, the Netherlands and Italy.
Glad to see that, Tom....hang in there and hopefully you'll be back recording with your new bands!

NEW AND ASPIRING:  Nicholas Ciavatta, is, aside from a Facebook friend, and the frontman of the Jersey-based band Sea of Otters (whose "I Tend to Offend" advances to #21 this week), also heads Friggin' Fabulous Productions.   Based in his hometown of Jersey City, he features live streaming shows of area singer-songwriters.   The Facebook page is called "Friggin Fabulous Live Singer Songwriter Showcase and usually streams Wednesdays.  One artist that made an impression was Nicole Bozzuto.  Here is a live segment performance featuring Bozzuto from June 3.

Nicole Bozzuto acoustic

In keeping with my trend towards indie artists, I will be delving more into Nick's featured performers in subsequent weeks.    Nicole doesn't yet have any recorded music out there, but the podcast is available on iTunes.


PASSINGS:  Two notable passings in the music and radio industry these past weeks.   Steve Priest, the bassist for the 1970's glam rock band Sweet passed on June 4 at age 72.   The band had much success in their native UK, plus four big hits here in the US:  "Little Willy", "Love is Like Oxygen", "Fox on the Run", and "Ballroom Blitz", noted for the opening line "Are you ready Steve?".    In recent years, Priest headed up a new touring version of the band, although he was the only original member of that configuration.  Priest become the third of the original four members to pass.  Lead singer Brian Connolly died in 1997, drummer Mick Tucker in 2001.   Andy Scott, the only surviving original, still fronts a touring version of The Sweet.

More locally, Curtis Kay, a renowned deejay for WDHA, a mainstream rock station located in Morristown, lost his battle with cancer.   He had been with the station for forty years, or just about the entire length of the stations current format.   He always had an assuring comforting voice, and although I haven't listened to the station in recent years, he was still doing afternoon drive and playing the music he loved.


ADDS:  Briefly, I added six new songs to my playlist.   A fourth track from Nick Waterhouse's eponymous fourth album, "Wreck the Rod" leads the pack, followed closely by Ray LaMontagne's "Strong Enough" which evokes some similarities to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary"; Caroline Rose's follow-up to her 'Feel the Way I Want", "Do You Think We'll Last Forever"; ZZ Ward, best known for "Put the Gun Down", is back with "Break Her Heart",  Noah Cyrus (Miley's sis and Billy Ray's daughter), with "July" that features Leon Bridges, and LA Trio Wallows, with "OK".


Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

June 7, 2020




This Week
Last Week
ARTIST-Title
Weeks on List
1
1
NUMBER ONE:


Album: This Land
(2 weeks at #1)
11
2
2
7
3
6
9
4
3
10
5
7
9
6
4
9
7
13
6
8
14
7
9
11
8
10
17
MOVER OF THE WEEK:



(Single Only)
4
11
5
10
12
9
12
13
8
10
14
10
8
15
20
8
16
12
10
17
16
11
18
15
14
19
21
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:



Album: The Slow Rush
7
20
23
8
21
24
9
22
30
5
23
18
10
24
27
11
25
31
5
26
28
15
27
33
7
28
19
11
29
39
4
30
40
8
31
22
12
32
26
15
33
35
9
34
36
7
35
38
8
36
29
10
37
25
30
38
34
19
39
32
14
40
42
6
41
41
11
42
37
14
43
45
5
44
44
6
45
46
5
46
43
9
47
47
8
48
52
3
49
61
3
50
51
5
51
49
5
52
66
2
53
50
5
54
56
6
55
58
6
56
70
2
57
65
4
58
62
8
59
55
9
60
69
3
61
57
8
62
74
3
63
48
12
64
59
23
65
68
6
66
54
20
67
77
2
68
79
2
69
67
21
70
73
4
71
75
4
72
--- 
TOP DEBUT:



Album: Nick Waterhouse
1
73
--- 
1
74
72
38
75
81
4
76
83
2
77
82
3
78
93
2
79
71
7
80
80
6
81
53
10
82
64
12
83
 ---
1
84
 ---
1
85
87
10
86
--- 
1
87
--- 
1
88
60
7
89
89
3
90
92
3
91
63
16
92
76
11
93
84
14
94
78
7
95
85
20
96
86
20
97
88
18
98
90
26
99
91
4
100
97
12






Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.   ● Songs with 25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲   Songs with 50 or more plays.








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