Re: [ARSCLIST] Request for info: Columbia Studio/Warehouse Fire

[David Lewis <davlew@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

One major disturbance of material for which I have some reliable second hand
knowledge occurred at the German division of Sony in Hamburg (?) in 1994 or
so. This was when Sony decided to move Sony Classical back to New York.
Someone stuck their head out into the corridor and shouted "You're all
Fired!!" What occurred next was sheer pandemonium; file cabinets that had
been organized for 40 years were dumped unceremoniously to the floor.

One artifact that Sony lost in the scuffle was the artwork for Leonard
Bernstein's "Mass." When it finally did come out in 1998 or so the front
cover ended up being a generic mockup - they couldn't delay any further as
demand on the title had been so great. Can the lack of cover artwork, or
paperwork on a title in general, delay or altogether hinder the re-release
of an important, and popular, album? Unquestionably. 

David N. Lewis
Assistant Classical Editor, All Music Guide

"Music expresses what one cannot say, but about which one cannot remain
silent." - Victor Hugo

-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Charles Lawson
Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 12:39 PM
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Request for info: Columbia Studio/Warehouse Fire

Bob Olhsson wrote:
>I'm not sure you can jump to that conclusion. The Iron Mountain problem
>happened in the mid '80s and affected everything.

Well, I'm not really jumping to any conclusions.  I am just going by what
people are telling me now.  I can't seem to locate anyone (yet) with
actual direct knowledge of this area.

In any case, there's a bunch of stuff missing from the back catalog that
probably would have been re-released if it had been available when
CBS/Sony/Whomever was mining the past for new profits.  Some of these
items had been comparatively big sellers back when and would have been
logical to re-release, but there is obviously some reason--good or
bad--that kept the powers-that-be from doing it.  (They certainly released
a lot of much more obscure material when CDs became all the rage...)

In the meantime, for the people I am trying to help with this content, I
shall just have to restore LPs for them, I suppose.  That's more money for
me, but I would rather get the absolute best quality available if at all
possible.  Theoretically, the master tapes would provide this but, as I am
discovering as I do more of these projects, that is not necessarily a
proper conclusion to draw.

Thanks, again, to all for the follow-ups.  Any further information would
be gratefully received...

Chas.

--
Charles Lawson <clawson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Professional Audio for CD, DVD, Broadcast & Internet