Bow to the Boss
Tribute Raises Funds For Charities
Billboard, Oct 11, 2003
By Sharon Levine

Music retail is lining up to support a new Bruce Springsteen tribute album and will donate profits from its sale to charity.

Merchants including FYE, Tower Records and Borders Books & Music are donating floor and advertising space to help promote "Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen."

Proceeds from sales of the two-disc compilation -- released Sept. 9 on Schoolhouse Records -- go to a pair of medical research funds: the Kristen Ann Carr Fund and the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.

Acts performing on the album include Elvis Costello, Dion, Pete Yorn , Graham Parker, Rosie Flores, Willie Nile, Patty Griffin, Jesse Malin, Joe Ely, Cowboy Mouth, Elliott Murphy, Nils Lofgren, Cindy Bullens, Billy Bragg & the Blokes, Steve Wynn and Garland Jeffreys.

The project is an outgrowth of a series of charity concerts championed by Schoolhouse owner Bob Benjamin, which have been held under the "Light of Day" banner. Benjamin -- who put the album together with Salvador Trepat, publisher of Spanish Springsteen fanzine Point Blank -- was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the mid-'90s.

Three "Light of Day" charity shows have raised more than $100,000 the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and ALS research in recent years. The benefits have included appearances by Springsteen; he has performed for up to 90 minutes on a whim in support of the cause.

The Kristen Ann Carr Fund was founded as a memorial to the daughter of Barbara Carr, who, along with Jon Landau, manages Springsteen. The charity is a cancer research fund that seeks to improve all aspects of a cancer patient's life, with an emphasis on adolescents and young adults.

Now Benjamin has expanded the "Light of Day" franchise with the new CD.

Big Daddy Distribution is distributing the album. National director of sales Larry Germack says: "We are proud to support a great cause, Bob Benjamin, great artists and a great package heralding Bruce Springsteen."

Germack points out that "Light of Day" not only features artists covering Springsteen but also peers whom Springsteen himself reveres, such as Dion and Murphy.

Germack reports that Big Daddy shipped 25,000 units, including 10,000 limited editions in a DigiPak.

Trans World Entertainment, which purchased the largest shipment of any retailer, is offering a reduced rate on listening programs and free positioning for the album, Germack reports. Borders Group also came to the table with a reduced rate for its listening stations and free positioning for a week.

The Musicland chain is donating free positioning, as is Jack's Music Shop in Red Bank, N.J. Tower Records provided free countertop positioning and will hold a display contest in New York and Philadelphia. In addition, New England retailers Newbury Comics and Bull Moose are contributing free listening stations.

In the one-stop community, Alliance Entertainment, Super D, Norwalk and Baker & Taylor all offered full-page ads in their mailers to retail customers.

Don VanCleave, president of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores, also readily offered Big Daddy a free listening-station slot in all CIMS stores for "Light of Day" -- a $4,000 value.

Rob Roth, owner of New Jersey-based retail shop Vintage Vinyl, tells Billboard: "I can't imagine anyone refusing to help Bob. He's been there to help just about anyone I know."

Roth is displaying the compilation throughout his store and featuring "Light of Day" on its Web site.

Roth says that word-of-mouth among Springsteen fans should boost sales for the album. In fact the online Springsteen fanzine backstreets.com features the set.

In Springsteen's home state, CD World is selling and promoting "Light of Day" in all eight of its Jersey stores, as well as sending a mass e-mail to its 55,000 Springsteen fans, which the company can track through previous online purchases.

CD World President David Lang says that given the sheer fervor and dedication of Springsteen’s fans, “I expect the compilation to be one of the best-selling tribute albums this year.

All artists on "Light of Day" are contributing their royalties to the cause.

In addition, 30 of the 37 Springsteen tracks on the album were recorded specifically for the album at the artists’ expense.

Benjamin also licensed seven Springsteen cover tracks free of charge with the help of industry executives and others.

In addition, printers Ross Ellis and CD manufacturer Denon Digital provided a reduced rate on artwork and manufacturing, respectively, while renowned engineer Greg Calbi donated his mastering services.

Benjamin also operates his own retail marketing company, The Marketing Dept., as well as a management company, which handles artists Joe Grushecky and Joe D’Urso.