I have a pretty good folder of Denon catalogs, etc. When they first came out, I bought many as I love the Smetana Quartet who did a bunch for them. Great Mendelssohn Octet with the Janacek.
One record jacket insert says (quoted from a run-on sentence)," Nippon Columbia Co, Ltd., which placed the world's first PCM record on sale in 1972."
The records were marketed as "Denon."
It also says, "Billboard's 1977 Technical Achievement Award was given to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd, for for the development of digital recording process, PCM."
Hope this helps.
Steve Smolian
.
----- Original Message ----- From: "David Lewis" <davlew@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 9:27 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] The dawn of commercial digital recordings
2. what were some of the early Denon recordings and were they released on LP in the USA? Were these earliest digital recordings ever put out on CD?
I vaguely remember seeing an early Denon digital LP in my collection - something got from a library sale - but no idea what it was and when it was from, probably the 1980s. They did have some LPs in the US.
3. Soundstream made what is widely called the first US commercial digital recording at Santa Fe in 1976. What was the LP generated from this recording (title, performers, label)? Was this ever reissued on CD?
There are all sorts of claims and candidates for this distinction, or something like it. Celestial Harmonies claims the first all-digital remote recording at:
http://www.harmonies.com/companyhistory.html
Telarc claims that Kunzel and the Cincinnati Symphony's "Overture 1812" was the first all-digital classical recording in the US - I'm not sure if it was issued in 1977 or 1978. It was definitely the first one I'd ever seen, but I lived in Cincinnati at the time, so...
4. Was Ry Cooder's "Bop Til You Drop" the first created-in-studio multi-tracked rock album to be done all-digital? What were some other early all-digital rock albums?
"Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac (1979) was a very important one; the fact that it was all digital was picked up by the press and that led to a strong anticipation for the album. I'm sure it charted, but I'm not sure it made it to No. 1, as in addition to being a pioneering effort and a splendid album it was also the most challenging and uncharacteristic LP that Fleetwood Mac ever made, and audience interest in the thing did drop off rather rapidly.
5. What was the first all-digital (digital basic tracks, digital master) recording to hit #1 on the Billboard charts?
I hope this next request is taken in the proper spirit -- answers of facts only please. Citations would be most appreciated.
Sorry - most of this is from personal memories and experience, though those of someone who was working in a record store in these years.
David N. Lewis Assistant Classical Editor, All Music Guide
Maybe music was not intended to satisfy the curious definiteness of man. Maybe it is better to hope that music may always be transcendental language in the most extravagant sense. ~ Charles Ives
-----Original Message----- From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Fine Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 7:18 PM To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ARSCLIST] The dawn of commercial digital recordings
Hi All:
I'm working up an article on the early days of digital recording, back in ye days of digital-to-LP recording. A few questions, which I'm hoping some collectors and discographers on this list will have answers to:
1. as far as I can tell, the first system used to make an all-digital recording released on LP was the Nippon Columbia/Denon system, developed in 1973. I guess the first question is, true or false on Denon being first?
2. what were some of the early Denon recordings and were they released on LP in the USA? Were these earliest digital recordings ever put out on CD?
3. Soundstream made what is widely called the first US commercial digital recording at Santa Fe in 1976. What was the LP generated from this recording (title, performers, label)? Was this ever reissued on CD?
4. Was Ry Cooder's "Bop Til You Drop" the first created-in-studio multi-tracked rock album to be done all-digital? What were some other early all-digital rock albums?
5. What was the first all-digital (digital basic tracks, digital master) recording to hit #1 on the Billboard charts?
I hope this next request is taken in the proper spirit -- answers of facts only please. Citations would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance to all the experts on this list.
-- Tom Fine