With these episodes focusing on the life and work of the mighty Fred Gaisberg, we may have given the impression that he was his own boss. That would be wrong. Working for The Gramophone Company in London, Fred was answerable to a man called William Barry Owen. In this episode we tell Owen’s story. ItContinue reading “New podcast episode in which we tell the tale of the UK recording industry’s Employee #1. William Barry Owen.”
Category Archives: executives
Episode 3 of our podcast is published today – recording nineteenth comedy, pornographic and propaganda records
In the early days of recorded sound, no one can quite figure out the purpose of gramophones. Are they serious bits of kit for replicating music or are they toys? Should gramophone discs play music or comedy or something else entirely? One man trying to work out this conundrum is an American actor called RussellContinue reading “Episode 3 of our podcast is published today – recording nineteenth comedy, pornographic and propaganda records”
Rare Recordings – From The EMI Vaults #2
Moo! Baa! Oink! Quack! or Happy New Year! We are proud to present another rare recording uncovered by our friends from the EMI Archive Trust. 118 years ago Trevor Lloyd Williams, legal eagle and first Chairman of The Gramophone Company, stepped into the newly established Maiden Lane studio to record his famous party piece of farmyard animal sounds! The resultContinue reading “Rare Recordings – From The EMI Vaults #2”
Recording Pioneers- Part 4
Trevor Lloyd Williams “The money behind the music” Name: Trevor Lloyd Williams Born: 18 July 1859, Deudraeth Castle, Penrhynd, Merionethshire, Wales Resident: London Occupation: Solicitor, The first major British investor and registered The Gramophone Company in the United Kingdom in 1898 with William Barry Owen Loves: Classical music, Law, Travelling,Continue reading “Recording Pioneers- Part 4”
Recording Pioneers- Part 2
Alfred Clark 1873 – 1950 “The fine thread running through the very fabric of HMV history” -Fred Gaisberg Name: Alfred Clark Born: 19 December 1873 Resident: Born in New York, moved to France 1899 aged 26 then resident of the UK, 1909 -1950 Occupation: Gramophone Company Managing Director, Chairman and EMI PresidentContinue reading “Recording Pioneers- Part 2”
Happy American Independence day!
In the early days of the Gramophone Company the British founders worked closely with their American counterparts. A lot of the initial success can be attributed to one of the first sound and recording engineers – American Born Fred Gaisberg. He began working on the newly invented gramophone in the late 19th century and wasContinue reading “Happy American Independence day!”
Mojo at Abbey Road – Electronic Music
Mojo ask Daniel Miller, Andy McCluskey, Martyn Ware, Mark Jones, Trevor Jackson, Matthew Herbert and Bill Brewster their thoughts on electronic music. Electrospective-The Remix Album (2CD) release date 27 August 2012- EMI Gold shop.electrospective.com
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”
Congratulations to Tony Wadsworth CBE
Many congratulations to Tony Wadsworth on being awarded the CBE for services to the Music Industry in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Tony is Chairman Of the BPI and ran EMI’s UK operation for many years. It’s difficult not to sound rather creepy when somebody you know and admire gets a gong, but Tony isContinue reading “Congratulations to Tony Wadsworth CBE”
A Welshman and an American went into a hotel. They came out as employees #1 and 2 of the UK recording industry.
One hundred and fourteen years ago, in December 1897, an American businessman was pacing up and down his room at the brand new and ostentatious Hotel Cecil on the Strand. The hotel had been opened the previous year in 1896 and was the largest and grandest in Europe, situated in the most fashionable shopping streetContinue reading “A Welshman and an American went into a hotel. They came out as employees #1 and 2 of the UK recording industry.”
Sound Of The Hound 