CHARTING THOSE NON-MOVIE VIDEOS

Ever since the video industry discovered that people would buy something other than movies for their VCRs, it’s been trying to figure out what to label all those home videos that aren’t feature films. “How-to,” “alternative” and several other terms have been applied, but the one that looks as though it’s going to stick is special interest.

The reason: The influential record-industry trade publication Billboard, which is making a strong effort to also be the leading information sheet in video, has added four new video sales charts. And the magazine is lumping all four charts under the general heading of “Top Special Interest Videocassettes.” (Billboard already runs charts on general sales and rentals, “Kid Video” and music videocassettes.)

The magazine started running the new charts Jan. 10. It lists the top 20 videos in the areas of “Health and Fitness,” “Business and Education,” “Recreational Sports” and “Hobbies and Crafts.” The charts alternate, with “Health and Fitness” and “Business and Education” running one week, “Recreational Sports” and “Hobbies and Crafts” the next.

While Billboard’s choice of the special interest term may be a bit unfortunate (the term often has had a political, negative connotation), the charts themselves are valuable indications of the growing role and surprising diversity of non-movie videocassettes.

Here are the top 10 videos in each new category: HEALTH AND FITNESS

1. “Jane Fonda’s Low Impact Aerobic Workout” (Karl-Lorimar).

2. “Jane Fonda’s New Workout” (Karl-Lorimar).

3. “Kathy Smith’s Body Basics” (JCI).

4. “Jane Fonda’s Prime Time Workout” (Karl-Lorimar).

5. “Richard Simmons and the Silver Foxes” (Karl-Lorimar).

6. “Kathy Smith’s Ultimate Video Workout” (JCI)

7. “Donna Mills: The Eyes Have It” (MCA)

8. “Callanetics” (MCA)

9. “Kathy Smith’s Toneup” (JCI)

10. “Jane Fonda’s Workout Challenge” (Karl-Lorimar)

BUSINESS AND EDUCATION

1. “Persuasive Speaking” (Esquire).

2. “Career Strategies 1” (Esquire).

3. “Strong Kids, Safe Kids” (Paramount).

4. “Change Your Job to Change Your Life” (Karl-Lorimar).

5. “Buy a Home” (Morris).

6. “Consumer Reports: Cars” (Karl-Lorimar).

7. “Living Language Spanish Lessons” (Karl-Lorimar).

8. “Too Smart for Strangers (Walt Disney).

9. “Say It by Signing” (Crown).

10. “How to Use Your IBC PC in 10 Easy Lessons” (Kennon).

RECREATIONAL SPORTS

1. “Golf My Way With Jack Nicklaus” (Worldvision).

2. “Automatic Golf” (Video Reel).

3. “Warren Miller’s Learn to Ski Better” (Karl-Lorimar).

4. “Tackling Football: A Woman’s Guide to Watching the Game” (MPI).

5. “Wayne Gretzky: Hockey My Way” (3M).

6. “Warren Miller’s Ski Country” (Karl-Lorimar).

7. “Bass Fishing: Top to Bottom” (3M/Sportsman’s).

8. “How to Play Pool Starring Minnesota Fats” (Karl-Lorimar).

9. “Successful Whitetail Deer Hunting” (3M/Sportsman’s).

10. “Marty Hogan: Power Raquetball” (Pacific Arts).

HOBBIES AND CRAFTS

1. “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen,” Vol. 1 (J2).

2. “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen,” Vol. 2 (J2).

3. “Let’s Tap with Bonnie Franklin” (Karl-Lorimar).

4. “Craig Claiborne’s New York Times Video Cookbook” (Warner).

5. “Yes You Can Microwave” (JCI).

6. “Making Stained Glass Windows” (Sonoma and Ashland).

7. “Video Aquarium” (Video Naturals).

8. “Do-It-Yourself: Furniture Finishing” (D.I.Y.).

9. “Hugh Johnson’s How to Enjoy Wine” (Simon & Schuster/Paramount).

10. “Julia Child: Poultry” (Random House).

NEW SPECIAL-INTEREST VIDEOS: While Paramount’s inclusion of a Diet Pepsi commercial on the coming home-video version of “Top Gun” is causing quite a stir, advertiser tie-ins are nothing new to non-movie cassettes. While actual plugs on the tape are still a rarity, many special-interest videos are produced by or in association with various businesses.

A fresh example hits the stores on Friday, “Jane Powell’s Fight Back With Fitness.” The cassette was produced by Bayer Aspirin and includes information from the Arthritis Foundation, though there is no actual ad on the 50-minute tape. Designed to help “the over 36 million Americans who experience stiffness in hands and joints and other arthritis symptoms,” the Karl-Lorimar video will be priced at $24.95. Information: (714) 474-0355.

Another actress, Hayley Mills, shows up on a four-part “Storybook Series” for children, released Monday by Hi-Tops. Each of the four animated tales is 30 minutes long, costs $12.95 and “teaches gentle lessons in life and learning.” Mills appears at the beginning and end of each story to introduce it and explain the moral. Information: (213) 275-8505.

Audiocassettes and records have long been used to help with learning a foreign language, but is there any point to buying a video for the same purpose? Vidmark thinks so; the company has released a “Joy of Talking” series and the “deluxe” versions include a videotape, audiocassette and pocket-size glossary. The video lessons, Vidmark asserts, enhance the process by showing “mouth formations, facial expressions and body gestures” and include subtitles. Priced at $39.95 each, the cassettes come in French, Spanish, Italian, German and Hebrew. Information: (800) 351-7070 in California, (800) 424-7070 elsewhere.

Was 1964 one of your favorite TV years? Then you might be thrilled with “TV’s Greatest Bits,” a compilation of scenes from such ’64 shows as “The Flintstones,” “Bewitched” and “That Was the Week That Was.” The video complement of the album “TV’s Greatest Hits” will be released Feb. 27 ($39.95 from Karl-Lorimar, (714) 474-0355). . . . And speaking of classic TV shows, soon “Bonanza” fans will be able to start collecting episodes on home video. The first two volumes of “The Best of Bonanza” will be released in late February ($39.95 each from Republic, (213) 306-4040). Volume one will contain the premier episode plus another guest-starring Charles Bronson.

If you missed the Dustin Hoffman version of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” directed by Volker Schlondorff, the home video will be out Feb. 13 ($79.95 from Karl-Lorimar, (714) 474-0355), as well as the 82-minute documentary about its making, directed by Christian Blackwood ($59.95). . . . “The VCR Basketball Game” follows on the heels of the successful (400,000 tapes sold) “VCR Quarterback” (both $44 from VCR Enterprises, (212) 986-6668).

New music home-videos: Though its popularity faded, the English band Ultravox made some trend-setting videos during the early ‘80s and they’re assembled on the 54-minute “Ultravox--The Collection,” due Feb. 11 ($29.95 from Vestron, (203) 968-0000). . . . Newest entry in the Harvest Jazz Series is “Airto/Flora Purim” ($29.95 from Sony, (800) 847-4164. . . . And if you’re into watching rather than doing when it comes to skiing, there’s “World of White,” a collection of skiing scenes by several cinematographers, set to music by the group Wickline ($19.95 from Cascade, (213) 538-5476 or (800) 538-5476).