Nation: The Bomb

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The gold lining in Adam Powell's recently beclouded life has been the prospect of vast profits from Keep the Faith, Baby, his platter of preachy patter. In January, Powell bragged that the record would sell more than a million copies, earning him $280,000 in royalties. But—relative to Powell's boast—the record has bombed. At most, 103,000 have been sold, and sales now are down nearly to nil. At the Record Shack on Harlem's 125th Street, Manager Buddy Franklin said that even at $1.10 off the list price of $4.79, Faith has become a dust catcher. Potential customers rarely buy the record after listening to it. "After they hear it once," said Franklin, "who needs it?"