A Personal History of the British Records Business #16 part 1

The Hound is delighted to post, for our readers delectation,  the first instalment by EMI’s very own David Hughes MBE – A Personal History of the British Record Business. Wayne Bickerton – #16 – part 1   First posted on vinyl memories December 10, 2015 I really needed a strong nudge to resume these unpublished interviews after such good intentions ….The death ofContinue reading “A Personal History of the British Records Business #16 part 1”

Inventor of Stereo Sound Alan Dower Blumlein to be Honoured with Posthumous Grammy®

Pioneering British Engineer and Inventor of Stereo, Alan Dower Blumlein to be Posthumously Honoured with the Recording Academy® Technical Grammy® Award The ground-breaking work of British engineer Alan Dower Blumlein, inventor of stereo sound recording, is to be posthumously honoured by The Recording Academy® with the Technical Grammy® award at a special ceremony to be heldContinue reading “Inventor of Stereo Sound Alan Dower Blumlein to be Honoured with Posthumous Grammy®”

Mystery Object of the week #13 Answer

A hearty Christmas congratulations to Catherine Crump and Rob de Bie who correctly identified last weeks’ mystery object – The Ivor Novello Award also known as The Ivors. Named after the Cardiff – born entertainer Ivor Novello these have been presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) since 1955. This award was presented to EMI RecordsContinue reading “Mystery Object of the week #13 Answer”

EMI are taking a trip down memory lane at Hayes Old Vinyl Factory

EMI are inviting former employees at the Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes, to come back and share their memories of the iconic site. The factory was a major employer for the town and produced records by some of the world’s best-known artists, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Cliff Richard. The reunion will takeContinue reading “EMI are taking a trip down memory lane at Hayes Old Vinyl Factory”

Rare Recordings – From The EMI Vaults

Miss Christabel Pankhurst – Speech on Suffrage for Women Christabel Pankhurst, a leading Suffragette, was one of the primary strategists of the campaign for women’s right to vote in the first decades of the twentieth century. Christabel was jailed in 1907 and 1909 and was dubbed the ‘Queen of the Mob’ by the media, asContinue reading “Rare Recordings – From The EMI Vaults”

Many Happy Returns

The Hound is please to present some more metaphorical memories from our resident philosopher Wayne Shevlin. Many Happy Returns I may not know much, but I know what I like. And – like most people – I only like what I know. But, how do we discover, and thus get to know the music we like?Continue reading “Many Happy Returns”

Friday Mystery Object of the week #9 Answer

And the answer is… The Lumiere Gramophone (HMV Model 460). Well done to those of you who answered correctly! The Lumiere Gramophones were a great novelty of 1924, making a highly successful debut at the Piccadilly Hotel, London, on Wednesday 22nd October an esteemed audience.The HMV Model 460 was introduced in early 1925, and is unique byContinue reading “Friday Mystery Object of the week #9 Answer”

Friday Mystery Object of the week #8 Answer

And the answer is… The Peter Pan Clock Gramophone. Well done to those of you who answered correctly! The Peter Pan Clock Gramophone was a relatively simple ‘talking clock’ from mid-1920’s onwards. By winding both the clock and gramophone motor, setting the desired alarm time and placing the needle on the record, the record would playContinue reading “Friday Mystery Object of the week #8 Answer”

Recording pioneers- Part 8, William Conrad Gaisberg

  “We realised how many different degrees of smells there are in the world” -William Gaisberg’s observation of Hyderabad, India Name:              William Conrad Gaisberg Born:               26th June 1877 Resident:        Born in Washington DC, USA Occupation:   Recording engineer, managing director & head of London Recording Department Loves:            Travelling, opera, pushing the boundaries of music and his brother (Fred) In 1894, Fred GaisbergContinue reading “Recording pioneers- Part 8, William Conrad Gaisberg”

Documentary – Recording the Kings Speech

Tune in tomorrow early 03:32 GMT or stay up late 23:32 GMT for BBC WORLD SERVICE documentary – Delivering the King’s Speech! This programme explores the fascinating history of royalty releasing records, and incorporates rare material from the EMI Archives and an interview with EMI historian Tony Locantro. Marking the 75th anniversary of King GeorgeContinue reading “Documentary – Recording the Kings Speech”