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April 25, 2006
Dreaming Of Labels!
The music business is now reinventing itself! True or true? It all seems so simple in the past. Something about holding the LP in your hand. Not to dispair because recently I was in a small independent record store and I noticed that not only did this store have thousands of good old LP's, they also had new releases by established artists on LP.
The Long Playing Record reminds me so much of hearing something special. There is a sound and a feel to it. There is something about the fact that you can say you wore it out and had to buy a new one.
The 33rpm Vinyl Long Player, or LP as we know it today, began its life in 1948 as a replacement for the more fragile 78rpm shellac discs. The main benefits of the vinyl LP were improved durability and the capacity to record up to 30 minutes of music on each side. However, it wasn't until the mid-1950's, and the birth of Rock N Roll, that sales of vinyl LP's began to escalate.
Pressings from the UK have always been highly regarded amongst collectors. This is especially true of LP's manufactured during the 60's and early 70's. The superior quality of the heavyweight vinyl, along with the technical skills of the cutting engineer, meant that sound reproduction was always of the highest standard. Genuine UK deep-grooved first pressings, direct from the master tapes, can now achieve huge prices and are much in demand in Mint condition.
The first stereo LP's became available in 1958, however these did not become really popular in the UK until the mid-to-late 1960's, making early UK stereo pressings, and late UK mono pressings, very scarce today. Many albums in the 60's were issued in both mono and stereo versions. Opinion is divided about which is best, with both recordings offering a different listening experience.
Everyone says Let me go....but I say keep those LP's in your garage in good shape, its your retirement!
Posted by mitchsantell at 10:04 PM
April 22, 2006
artistShare is "Experience vs. Product"
Brian Camelio may be onto something big with his company aritstShare. Why? Because for the very first time in the history of the Grammies, an arist...her name is Maria Schneider, won a this world class award without ever pressing a CD. Think about it.....for me as a person who has been around this business since the age of six, this is a big thing!
Over the years the consumer has always "felt the music" upon the realease of a new album. In the case of Brian Camelio and his venture artistShare patrons participate in the "creation and creative process" of the product. It's a great idea.
Back in the days (circa 1996) when I was partnering with world class record producer Nik Venet, we always noticed that the people who invested in the music project were very fascinated by the process. When Nik started working with Linda Rondstadt in the early 1960's to produce Different Drum I am very positive that there was a real passion in developing Linda the same way that artistShare developed Maria Schneider. The difference is that the "audience" through financial contributions was able to participate in the creative. I am sure that Nik is smiling right now as the music industry is moving toward A Different Drum.
Posted by mitchsantell at 04:38 PM
April 10, 2006
The Legacy Of Capitol Records!
Songwriter Johnny Mercer created Capitol Records in 1942 with Hollywood music store owner Glenn Wallichs and movie producer Buddy DeSylva. According to Stephen Fratallone's 60th anniversary tribute article, "Like Mercer's musical genius, Capitol Records was new, fresh and revolutionary. He wanted to form a record company where music that was recorded and the artists who recorded it were treated differently. He wanted to give new artists and veteran artists alike the freedom to grow and to expand their artistic palette. Capitol Records provided a competitive alternative to the three major record companies of the day -- Victor, Columbia and Decca -- all established in New York. With his new record company, Mercer helped to change the sound of American pop music and the way it was made. In her autobiography, It Might As Well Be Spring, singer Margaret Whiting, a close personal friend of Mercer's and one of the first singers to record on the new label, wrote that he "was a man bursting with talent and always looking for a place to channel his energies. This idea of a record company seemed ideal." Mercer took his idea to one of his best friends, Glenn Wallichs, the owner of Music City, the biggest record store in Los Angeles situated across from NBC. Wallichs loved the thought of being a part of such a venturesome endeavor. It was agreed upon that Wallichs would run the business while Mercer would find the artists and supervise their artistic output. All that was needed to set Capitol Records into motion was financial backing. Mercer looked to Buddy DeSylva, who, besides being a great songwriter in his own right, had become head of production at Paramount Studios. He had hired Mercer to do the score with Victor Schertzinger for The Fleet's In, a musical with William Holden, Dorothy Lamour, Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton. DeSylva was also excited about Mercer's new project and quickly wrote him out a check for $25,000. Capitol Records was now in business."
By 1946 Capitol has sold 42 million records and was established as one of the Big 6 studios. In 1950 Capitol built its own studio on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. In 1955, EMI acquired Capitol Records for $8.5 million. The Electric and Musical Industries (EMI) company was created in Britain in April 1931 by the merger of British Gramophone Company and the Columbia Graphophone Company. In November 1931 it had opened one of the world's great recording studios in North London at 3 Abbey Road. By 1955 Capitol was the fourth largest American record company, emphasizing popular music with Nat King Cole, Stan Kenton, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin. Frank Sinatra made 19 albums with Capitol 1954-62, with arrangers Axel Stordahl and Nelson Riddle. EMI decided to build a new studio in Hollywood that would be state-of-the-art equivalent to its Abbey Road studio in London.
The present Capitol Tower building was constructed in 1956 at 1730 Vine Street near Hollywood Boulevard. According to James Bayless, "In February of 1956, Capitol Records reached a long planned-for goal when West Coast operations were consolidated in a new combined studio and office building in Hollywood. The building is unique in a number of ways. It has already become a Hollywood landmark as it is the world's first office building in fthe form of a round tower. Now widely known as the 'Capitol Tower', the building was designed by Welton Becket, noted architect, and is a modern, striking, earthquake-resistant reinforced-concrete structure. It is 13 stories tall and 150' high, the maximum building height permitted in Los Angeles. The decor is in keeping with the outward appearance of the building. The ground floor, the only rectangular part of the building, is actually a separate structure which surrounds the tower and was joined to it after the entire tower was completed. It houses the Recording Department offices, tape-to-disk dubbing rooms, and three recording studios which were designed to be as modern and striking as the building itself."
I had to good fortune to watch Nik Venet, my mentor and partner produce The Chicago Conspiracy Trial at Capitol Records in front of a live audience. Those were the days!
Mary Hopkin's first single was Those Were The Days, released on Apple Records on August 30, 1968
Posted by mitchsantell at 02:56 PM
April 08, 2006
It's All On The Tape!
Music has an amazing way of taking you back to another time. When Fleetwood Mac was in the studio back in 1976 working on Rumors released in 1977... they had no idea what a blockbuster the album would be. Going through an unbelievable amount of pain and drama, Fleetwood Mac would go on to produce an album that had so many hits on it that some Executives within the music industry simply wanted to call the album "Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits!"
What most of you don't know who are out there in the digital music space is this amazing fact. Rumors was recorded on good old Ampex 456 Tape. Two inches wide and a standard for 16 and 24 track recording, the feel off this tape had a warmth that is hard to match today.
Here is a little known fact about that album. Ready? Back in 1977 when Rumors was recorded they had a "safety back up" of the drum tracks. (This was also on 456 tape). By the time they got down to the final mix of the album, they noticed that all of the "high end" on the drum tracks including the high-hat could no longer be heard. It had rubbed off of the tape.
Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut, the producers on the record knew they had a huge problem on their hands. What did they do? Using two multi-track recorders they had the original safety track playing in one ear and the original finished track in the other. This was painstaking work as they had to match the finished track with the safety in order for the tracks to work.
At What's Out Next, we know what dreams are made of and we are still in awe of the magic that was created. Now that is magic to our ears!
Posted by mitchsantell at 02:25 PM
April 07, 2006
Podcast Interview With Norman Ellis-Flint! - Part Two
Norman Ellis-Flint has played an important and fascinating role in the evolution and development of modern radio and radio advertising. Norman was one of the pioneers in the development of several major rock stations across the United States and then became a leader and innovator in developing some of the most powerful marketing concepts used by companies that advertised on radio.
Working as a young man in San Francisco during the famous “Summer of Love,” Norman helped develop KMPX-FM: one of the first true rock stations in America. The format Norman developed was quickly picked up by KSJO-FM in San Jose and many other stations across the United States. In less than 18 months, CBS took notice of Norman’s and his partner Lou Waters’ success and influence and brought him to New York City, to help turnaround and revitalize WCBS-FM.
Norman was later lured away from WCBS to work with John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Kharma Productions in Toronto, Canada. Norman was hired to be their Director of Creative and Media Relations. It was here that Norman gained so much of his in-depth understanding of business, marketing and advertising.
We had a wonderful time with Norman during our interview and afterward. We won't give about the story here in this post, however, we invite you to click on the podcast logo below and check out Part One. You can also check out Norman on the internet too!
Norman welcomes your questions, comments or insights at: norman@normanellisflint.com
Part Two of the Norman Ellis-Flint - Show # 2 for 2006! (19 Minutes).
Posted by mitchsantell at 08:06 AM
April 01, 2006
Charlie Chaplin, Master Composer!
Back in 1943, actor Charlie Chaplin, age 54, marries 18-year-old Oona O'Neill, daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Chaplin had a habit of marrying younger women--his first three wives were also teenagers when he married them. The couple spent most of their marriage outside the United States after being denied re-entry to the United States by immigration officials in 1952. Chaplin, an English citizen, was suspected of communist ties. The couple did not return to the United States for 20 years. Instead, they settled in Switzerland, where they raised eight children.
One of Mr. Chaplin's most amazing gifts was the beautiful music he composed for his films. We tip our What's Out Next! hat to you Charlie. Sometimes to look at What's Out Next, you have to look at what came before. Every time I see Charlie Chaplin or hear his music, it simply makes me smile!
Posted by mitchsantell at 04:53 AM