Re: [ARSCLIST] Schwann

[David Lewis <davlew@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Schwann didn't have a consistent or set policy towards that - it varied from
editor to editor. If you were a label and you sent in the blue comment card
bound into every issue of the Schwann they would list you at least in the
back section, even if they did not list your records. At one point Schwann
had an editor who would arbitrarily threaten to hold listings back unless he
got copies of things he wanted, and he'd get really mad if these were
delayed, or if through some mistake he was billed for same. But mostly
Schwann was beholden for data to line listings, new release books and
catalogue entries - they certainly didn't need to have copies of every
classical cassette on the planet; for such things even the J-cards would
suffice. They also depended on delete sheets to determine when something was
on its way out. Many, many, many things that were active for years never
made it into the Schwann - even an EMI Callas opera set or two.

As one former record distro of the time put it to me - "we had a love/hate
relationship with the Schwann Guide." Although I probably shouldn't say so,
this is surprising to me, as in my similar line of work it's pretty much
strictly business -- I would never dare undertake some of the heavy-handed
tactics for getting info that the Schwann editors employed - I'd lose my
job. 

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 Karl Miller
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 12:04 PM
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Schwann

On Sat, 28 Oct 2006, Steven Smolian wrote:

> What were the rules of having records from a label included in Schwann
beside that
of the line (or a record selected from the line) being available throughout
the U.S.
in retail record stores?

I have a very vague recollection that before a disc would listed, one had
to send a copy to Schwann. As to a label being dropped for a time, I do
not know why that would happen.

Karl