Re: [ARSCLIST] Back-catalog (was Columbia Studio/Warehouse Fire)

[Steven Barr <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lou Judson" <loujudson@xxxxxxx>
> I would also be curious if there were unadmitted or unknown losses from 
> before Sony acquired many smaller record companies?
> 
> I always find it odd to see references to "Sony Music" and "Sony 
> Studios" as I wonder what they were before the acquisition... and I'd 
> be very interested to know if Sony built any studios or record 
> companies from the ground up?
> 
Sony was, of course, once CBS...and CBS had acquired the operations of
the American Record Corporation in 1938. ARC was formed by a merger of
Pathe (which had already acquired Cameo) and the Plaza Music Company,
which pressed numerous labels. ARC took over the rights to Brunswick
at the end of 1931, and Columbia (which included Okeh) in mid-1934.
Brunswick, of course, had already acquired Brunswick.

Shortly after ARC took over Columbia, Jack Kapp founded the Decca
label (fall, 1934). (RCA-)Victor, although they did consider
abandoning the record business in the early thirties, continued...
meaning there were three major record companies from 1934 to the
eventual emergence of Musicraft as well as Eli Oberstein's efforts
to found a financially viable record firm.

Once the record business regained economic health, it was a
field entered by virtually anybody with any interest...custom
recording studios, pressing plants and printers(for labels,
sleeves, usw.) meant that any new label didn't need the
extensive machinery the original ones did! There were
any number of successful "not quite major" labels after
1942-45, and some went on to become majors.

The final question will be who will be left after the massive
waves of mergers and takeovers are finished...OTOH, CD technology
makes it possible to become a "record company" with very little
hardware!

So, when "Every Record Label You Have Ever Heard Of, UNLTD" has
to do economic battle with about a gazillion music types who
have CD burners...

?!

Steven C. Barr