
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 21, 1995                   TAG: 9511210099
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

GARTH EDGES OUT FAB 4 IN LATE-NIGHT SALES START

Blockbuster Music, 4037 Electric Road in Roanoke, tried something different. The store stayed open past midnight Monday to sell the new CD, since the official release date is today.

"It was fast and furious around midnight," said store manager Paul Childers. The big draw, though, turned out not to be the Beatles: "I've gotta be honest, it was mostly Garth Brooks fans."

"I'd say the total number of people out here to buy was 35 to 40," Childers said around 12:40 a.m. Of those customers, he estimated "about 10-12 Beatles and maybe the rest Garth Brooks" fans.

"I was real impressed. It was a successful promotion."

Childers said the real test of the Beatle CD's popularity would begin with normal business hours today. He said store employees have taken many calls from customers anticipating the release.

Brian Ard, manager of Camelot Music at Valley View Mall, said his store ordered 300 copies of the CD. By Monday evening, Camelot had sold 30 of them by taking reservations and a partial payment. Ard said this is the first time the store has ``pre-sold'' a CD, but it was not uncommon to sell movies this way.

- Staff report

by CNB