Category Archives: HISTORY OF RECORDED MUSIC

HIS MASTER’S GRAMOPHONE, part 2

With kind permission of its creators Christopher Proudfoot and Brian Oakley we continue our series of extracts  from “His Master’s Gramophone”  … Introducing the Single Spring Monarch Style No.11 In production from 1901-1905, this machine was specially designed to play the newly introduced 10” Concert recordings issued in 1901. Costing £10 in 1901, the price wasContinue reading “HIS MASTER’S GRAMOPHONE, part 2”

HIS MASTER’S GRAMOPHONE

   PART 1 We made mention of this fine new hardback book a few months back, but feel it deserves more attention, and so, with the kind permission of its creators Christopher Proudfoot and Brian Oakley, we’re starting a series of extracts to give/remind you of the first golden era of  recorded music and theContinue reading “HIS MASTER’S GRAMOPHONE”

Classical Music Sells Millions Of Records!!!

Times are tough in the recorded music business with sales revenues declining significantly and regularly this century. Times are particularly tough in the classical music part of that business with its decline outpacing the market at large. John Culshaw and Solti (in Plimsoll’s) in the Studio working on The Ring. We’ve been reading Norman Lebrecht’sContinue reading “Classical Music Sells Millions Of Records!!!”

Publicity photos of the early Gramophone stars #4:Louise Kirkby Lunn. Northern Lass.

This is the fourth in a series of publicity shots from the early years of the recording business that our friends at the EMI Archive Trust have made available to us. This photo is of Madame Kirkby-Lunn (known to her friends as Louise) who was a Mancunian contralto who lived between 1873 and 1930. ThisContinue reading “Publicity photos of the early Gramophone stars #4:Louise Kirkby Lunn. Northern Lass.”

“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”

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.”