From The Wyoming Valley Observer - Dec 31, 1970 to Jan 6, 1971

The Buoys Have A National Hit

by Joe Middleton

Scepter Recording artists, The Buoys; from Wyoming Valley have become the first group out of northeastern Pennsylvania ever to hit the Billboard Hot 100.

The climactic listing of Timothy at 93 this week on the Hot 100 shows the intensifying rate at which the record is selling. In the December 3 issue of The Observer, this writer printed an erroneous statement on sales of the record. I stated that Timothy sold 6,000 copies in one week in Seattle, Washington. The truth of the matter is the record sold 6,000 copies in one day.

Bubbling under in Billboard, looking ahead in Cash Box and moving faster than a silver bullet on the Record World chart, this breaking into the Hot 100 marks the pinnacle of the Buoys’ career thus far. Billboard is the most respected trade magazine in the music industry and when a group is charted on the Hot 100, they have a solid national hit on their hands.

Timothy was initially released by Scepter Records in February and the record was re-released in October due to the tremendous sales and airplay that it received in many major markets that had it listed in their Top 20 since late February and early March. The record was never lower than number twenty on any station that went on it.

The Buoys were in the studio at Scepter with their producer Michael Wright to work on their third release. After selling 100,000 copies of Timothy the Buoys thought is was seeing its end. Meanwhile, Glenn Robbins, notional promo director for Scepter, was receiving reports that the record was moving up the charts that had the record on for more than six months. Also, other major stations in key markets went on the record and broke it wide open on the national scene. So the company reserviced all the stations with the records, took out full page ads in the trades, bought time on stations and put together sales sheets on the record, at which point they knew they had a national hit.

As all this was happening, the Buoys made appearances in many cities where the record was doing well and played before SRO crowds at nearly every engagement.

Christmas came a few weeks early for the Buoys this year, as they became the new supergroup of the seventies. Two weeks ago, they had a series of gigs in Washington, D.C. Their record in number one on WEAM, the number one station in our nations’ capital, where they played four concerts in three days. The highlight of their trip to D.C. was their engagement at Mothers Place, a local nitery with a capacity of 200, which pulled in 700 for their show. There was still a crowd three blocks long outside trying to get a look at their favorite new group. The WEAM DJs stated that the Buoys caused more excitement in Washington than any other group that ever played there except the Beatles. Quite a statement for them to make since every group of national significance hits that city.

Not only have the Buoys hit the national chart last week but they have also been nominated for a Grammy award, the music business equal to an Oscar.

The group and their producer, Michael Wright, have worked many long and diligent hours to achieve the success on the national scene that they have gained in 1970. Wyoming Valley can be sure that this is only the first of many big things to come for the Buoys. Currently, this writer is in New York City with the Buoys while they record their next release and put the finishing touches on their debut album. Watch for an in-depth feature dealing with the Buoys in the studio and the people at Scepter that make it happen for them.

The Buoys, a Michael C. Wright production on Scepter Records – The Sweet Sound of Success.