December 20, 2006
The Story of Warner Brothers Records!
Warner Brothers, as a company, goes back to 1918, when four brothers (Jack, Albert, Harry, and Samuel Warner) opened their first Warner Brothers studio. They incorporated as a production and distribution entity five years later under the name Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. In 1944, they purchased Leon Schlesinger's cartoon studio, Looney Tunes, and became the owners of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and the rest. The Warner Brothers animation division then churned out high quality cartoons, comic books, and shorts for decades, until it was closed in 1963. Meanwhile, Warner Brothers continued to be one of the big Hollywood players in the movie industry.
Following the lead of MGM, who started a record label in the late 1940s, and Paramount, who established ABC-Paramount in 1957, Warner Brothers formed its own Warner Brothers Records as a division of Warner Brothers Studios on March 19, 1958. The office was located above the film studio's machine shop at 3701 Warner Blvd. in Burbank, California. The President of the label was James B. Conklin. Directors of A&R were Harris Ashburn, George Avakian and Bob Prince. The Warner Brothers label initially recorded pop, jazz, classical, spoken word, folk and gospel.
Over the years, it had not bothered Warner Brothers too much that they didn't have a record company, but it was in early 1957, when Randy Wood's Dot Records signed Warners' movie star Tab Hunter to a recording contract, that the Warner Brothers brass started seeing red. Wood could sign Hunter because although his Warner Brothers contract was exclusive, Warners had no record label. In fact, the timing of when Warner Brothers started their record label was very much linked to their getting their star's recording contract away from Dot. Hunter, who by his own admission could barely sing at all, was coached by Wood to make a few passable records which were major hits in 1957, while Warners steamed. When Warner Brothers finally got their record label off the ground in 1958, they reclaimed Tab Hunter, who made several albums for the label and had a few singles in the mid-ranges of the charts, although nothing like the success he had had with Dot. In fact, Tab Hunter's "Jealous Heart" [WB 5008], which only made #62 on the charts, was the only chart record Warner Brothers had during its first year, 1958.
On the album side in 1960, comedian Bob Newhart scored a #1 album with The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, the success of which started Warner Brothers to look around for other comedians to sign to record contracts. Eventually, Warner Brothers would become one of the most successful in the comedy album genre, with stars like Allan Sherman and Bill Cosby also becoming household names by 1965.
The early 1970s saw the Warner Brothers label grow to the major label it had always aspired to become. New artists included rockers Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Grateful Dead, Ides of March, Alice Cooper, and the Faces. On the more acoustic side, there was James Taylor, Seals and Crofts, Dion, and America. Also added were soul bands Tower of Power and Malo as well as pop/soul singer Dionne Warwick. By 1973, Warner Brothers was firmly ensconced in a leadership position in the music industry, and that is where they remain today.
As we continue to educate you all on some of the history behind the music biz, we want to thank Mike Callahan who wrote the original WB Records Story. Of course at What's Out Next we say it may all be a Spinning Wheel!!
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Posted by mitchsantell at 05:41 PM
December 19, 2006
The Grammy Vs. The RIAA
It always amazes me how one organization can have a positive reputation and the other a negative reputation. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) is committed to building the music business through their non-profit educational foundation. In fact their mission statement from their web site states: "The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate an awareness, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of
recorded music American culture – from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of the future generations of the music professionals. The GRAMMY Foundation works in partnership with its founder, the Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural legacy."
Now, if you look at our friends at the RIAA, their web site states: The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that supports and promotes our members' creative and
financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States.
For those of you aggressively tracking royalties right now both songwriters and publishers including the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA) and the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) are pushing for an increase in "mechanical royalties ," which is currently at 9.1 cents. This
makes sense to me.
On the other hand you have the RIAA who when not harassing consumers who purchase music by suing small kids, is pushing for a decrease.
Hmmm , maybe the Grammy people should become the PR firm for the RIAA and fire all of them. Just a thought!
Posted by mitchsantell at 09:44 AM
December 18, 2006
CBS Records Relaunches!
Written by Mitch Santell
For us baby boomers who remember Simon and Garfunkel, Santana, Blood Sweet and Tears, Janice Joplin, the news of the re-birth of CBS Records brings back great memories. The company started up today with a brand new web site and with 3 artists. The story is CBS Records was sold to Sony for about 2 Billion Dollars. Slowly over the years at Sony the label was absorbed and never heard from again.
Unlike the old CBS Records run by Clive Davis, the new CBS will focus on Digital Distribution starting off with the Apple iTunes Music Story. Over the past two years most of the major labels have dumped a lot of their artists. Now here comes CBS Records. If you are a struggling or new artist the question is: "Should I sign with CBS Records?" Well, my dear friends, the answer is most likely yes because CBS will help by placing artist music into CBS branded television shows.
Posted by mitchsantell at 04:55 PM
December 17, 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 you may be barely breathing....but I say keep those LP's in your garage in good shape, its your retirement!
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Posted by mitchsantell at 02:29 PM
December 05, 2006
It's All About Who You Know !
Within the music buisness it is very important that you build your database of contacts. I can openly state that while my family has been in the film business for many years, I have found more cheerleading and support from music people.
If you are like I am and you have used MySpace.com, you probably have a "love-hate" relationship with their site. MySpace.com and to some extent, even YouTube.com is trying to create a "CLEARING GROUND" for new talent.
NextCat.com is much better. Why? It brings both established and new artists, composers, producers and service providers an amazing place to network, share ideas, music and to build their team. If you go to the Nextcat.com about page, you will read the following:
At Nextcat, we’re hoping to create the first global online networking community for all things relating to the entertainment industry. We’re 100% independent, and not beholden to any large corporation. With Nextcat.com, we hope to provide a marketplace of ideas and opportunities for both established and emerging talent, as well as a forum and meeting place for fans and enthusiasts.
Nextcat’s founders recognize that the traditional way the entertainment industry has operated for the last half-century is getting turned upside-down --at light speed. We firmly believe that from all of this disruption can come refreshing new opportunities -- and we’d like to become a catalyst in this process, by providing artists and musicians (like ourselves) with a broad platform to freely exchange ideas, job opportunities, and much more.
Let us know how we can better help you to accomplish your dreams and goals --we’re on your side and we’re listening!
Man, I wish I would have had this when I started back in 1975, it makes me
Reminisce!
Originally Released on Capitol Records, Catalog#: 4605, 4605
Format: Vinyl, 7"
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Rock
Style: Classic Rock
Credits: Producer - John Boylan , Little River Band
Notes: Produced in Australia by John Boylan & Little River Band.
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Posted by mitchsantell at 10:32 PM