ATLANTIC’S NEW POSSE: Major league baseball isn’t...

ATLANTIC’S NEW POSSE: Major league baseball isn’t the only business brimming with expansion plans these days. The record industry is crowded with new teams, whether it’s start-up labels (Disney’s Hollywood Records) or new in-house enterprises (Geffen’s DGC Records). This week’s new entry? Atlantic Records’ East-West America (EWA) Records, the latest in a series of promising revitalization moves at the once-colorless industry giant. The action, which was expected to be announced this weekend at a sales convention in San Francisco, offers Sylvia Rhone and Vince Faraci--two longtime Atlantic execs--a shot at running their own ship.

“It gives two of our young executives, who have paid their dues and done a marvelous job, a chance to fly,” said Atlantic Records chief Morris. “They’re both enormously talented execs with a great work ethic and a real feel for music. I’m backing them 100%. They’re going to put their own personal stamp on the label.”

It’s also a historic appointment for Rhone, who will apparently be the first woman to be a chief exec of a major label. Her appointment comes after a successful tenure as director of Atlantic’s black-music division, which she put on the map during the past several years, breaking such artists as En Vogue, Troop, Michel’le and Micki Howard. Faraci is a respected exec who earned plaudits running Atlantic’s promotion department until he recently moved over to work with Morris in overseeing the label’s activities.

The formation of EWA, which will have its own A&R; and promotion departments and a full field staff, gives Atlantic a chance to get more radio exposure for its new releases (since radio only plays a certain quota of records from each label). EWA will also get a jump-start with “between 6 and 10” current Atlantic acts who will shift over to the new label.

With the exception of Virgin Records’ dual chieftains, Jeff Ayeroff and Jordan Harris, it’s rare to see two execs share the responsibility of running a label. But Morris says: “I’m not worried--they’re both team players. The caliber of the people is the key.” Nor is Morris concerned about having his Young Turks steal the spotlight. “My philosophy is that you should surround yourself with good people. And if they do good, then they’ll make you look good.”