Author Archives: Nipper

Would you like to see Mick Jagger’s organ….?

Sound Of The Hound have been away on their summer holidays, hence the lack of activity in recent weeks. To kick off the new term, here is a link to some lovely pictures of instruments and equipment from the Rolling Stones archives. The on switch to the Hammond Organ played by Nicky Hopkin for theContinue reading “Would you like to see Mick Jagger’s organ….?”

“Magic”Johnson’s Aladdin caves: where to find out more about the great music inventor

By Carey Fleiner For a man who is not well-remembered outside of specialist circles, Eldridge Johnson has left behind a lot of physical material and resources. For example, if you’d like to read Johnson’s personal papers, you can visit the American Heritage Center in Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Johnson’s son donated 48 boxes of personal andContinue reading ““Magic”Johnson’s Aladdin caves: where to find out more about the great music inventor”

Kylie Minogue, banned drugs and sex songs, and 19th century “exotic” dancers…harumph!

In 2007 the Australian National Film & Sound Archive set up a “hall of fame” for recordings that comprise the history of the recorded sound in Australia. They call it “Sounds of Australia” and each year they induct notable recordings into it. This year’s entries have just been announced and its received a lot ofContinue reading “Kylie Minogue, banned drugs and sex songs, and 19th century “exotic” dancers…harumph!”

Trouble in St Louis. How the Victor Company got its name.

This is the third in a series of articles about the great Eldridge Johnson and his Victor companies. By Carey Fleiner Ever tried to think up a name for a fledgeling company? It’s more difficult than you think. You can go literal BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) or abstract such as Google or Yahoo. Why didContinue reading “Trouble in St Louis. How the Victor Company got its name.”

The History of the Major Record Companies in the UK #4 Aeolian

This is the fourth and final extract from a wonderful book called “The Talking Machine Industry” written by Ogilvie Mitchell in 1924. This section covers the Aeolian Company of America, a frisky new arrival on the record scene in 1924 having started to make Vocalion phonographs and records in 1917. Ogilvie, our scribe, seems toContinue reading “The History of the Major Record Companies in the UK #4 Aeolian”

Now that’s what I call a record company office. Delmark Records.

We came across this article about Legendary Jazz and Blues label Delmark Records. What we particularly loved was that the original founder Bob Koester, who set up Delmark Records in 1953, is still running the show and that he clearly has not bought into the concept of the paperless office. There’s an Apple Mac underContinue reading “Now that’s what I call a record company office. Delmark Records.”

Ladies get the horn with nasty big gramophones & consign them to the closet! Victrola explained

By Carey Fleiner The majority of record buyers at the turn of the twentieth century were women, and the record player, while an interesting, new technology, was also an invader into the tasteful sanctuary, that was, their home. Men’s literature, such as Scientific American or The Gramophone, touted the tech specs of talking machines –Continue reading “Ladies get the horn with nasty big gramophones & consign them to the closet! Victrola explained”

The record business? Its always been about the technology.

Edison, Berliner, Johnson invented the record business. They brought into being the modern music industry. Capturing sounds from the air so that they could be played back in any place and at any time. Imagine the revolution in thinking that brought about. And what do the three fathers of the music business have in common?Continue reading “The record business? Its always been about the technology.”

Whatever happened to Decca Studios?

When The Beatles couldn’t agree to visit Everest for a photo shoot for their final album which they intended to name after the mountain and instead named it after the studio in which they had recorded much of their wonderful music, they bequeathed upon Abbey Road the greatest marketing gift of all time. Abbey RoadContinue reading “Whatever happened to Decca Studios?”