Re: [ARSCLIST] question about remote recordings from the 20-30s

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as what's wrong with Whacky-Packia.

The key thing that's wrong with it is, facts are stubborn things and aren't "democratic" in that 
anyone's idea or fantasies have equal footing to facts and deeply-researched and acquired knowledge. 
But, with the Whacky (wikki) model, any fool can post anything anytime, either because they're just 
a lazy fool who won't find out the facts but feels the need to run at the mouth or because they're a 
malicious moron trying to spread untruth (see the recent story on WNYC's "On the Media" about the 
constant war over the Whacky-Packia entries for Clinton and Obama).

There's a reason that old-school encyclopedias hired experts to write the articles -- they were 
seeking expertise! They weren't seeking "participation" or "alternate viewpoints" or other agendas. 
Because humans and human behavior are involved, they're not perfect. But they're a long way ahead of 
Whacky-Packia and the web-rabble's idea of "facts."

-- Tom Fine

PS -- Yeah, I'm elitist. I like to research things, learn and test truths, hopefully talk to 
multiple first-person participants or read multiple interpretations of an event and not include my 
opinions or "feelings" in something I'm putting out there as a factual statement. This used to be 
normal, but apparently in the "truthiness" era, it's elitist!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 3:54 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] question about remote recordings from the 20-30s


> Go right ahead! That's the chief problem with WackyPackia..anybody can place anything there, 
> anybody can amend any article (I don't know if they've corrected that situation or attempted to), 
> and while there's reliable material to be found, nothing was ever checked for accuracy except by 
> people like us.
>
> dl
>
> Martin, Morris wrote:
> > Now, if someone would only correct the Wiki!
> > Morris Martin
> > Head, Music Library and Ozier Sound Archive
> > University of North Texas
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
> > Watsky, Lance
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 2:30 PM
> > To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] question about remote recordings from the 20-30s
> >
> > Thank you for the clarification!!
> >
> > Lance
> >
> > Lance Watsky
> > University of California, Los Angeles
> > Moving Image Archive Studies
> > Program Coordinator
> > 103-G East Melnitz Hall
> > Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622
> > lwatsky@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Ph: 310-206-4966
> > Fx: 310-825-3383
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
> > Matthew Barton
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 12:22 PM
> > To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] question about remote recordings from the 20-30s
> >
> > Several mistakes in just a couple of sentences, but you've got to be careful with Wikipedia.
> >
> > John and Alan Lomax did record Leadbelly in the summer of 1933 on a 300lb+ machine, but it 
> > embossed grooves on aluminum discs. They didn't get an acetate disc recorder until 1937. These 
> > recordings do not reside at "Smithsonian Folkways," but at the Library of Congress. The "recorder 
> > (and trunk)" never resided at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The original disk recorder is long 
> > gone, as is the Lomaxes' Ford. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had on display, for a time, Alan's 
> > Magnecord tape recorder, which he used in Europe in the 1950s.
> >
> > Matthew Barton
> > MBRS
> > The Library of Congress
> > 101 Independence Ave., SE
> > Washington, DC 20540-4696
> > 202-707-5508
> > email: mbarton@xxxxxxx
> >
> > > > > "Watsky, Lance" <lwatsky@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 4/29/2008 3:05:16 PM >>>
> > Hi Sam,
> >
> > The following is from the Wikipedia info on John Lomax:
> >
> > In July 1933, he and his son Alan, recorded Huddie Ledbetter, aka Lead Belly, using a 315-pound 
> > acetate phonograph disk recorder which was installed in the trunk of their Ford sedan.
> >
> > The recordings now reside at the Smithsonian Folkways, and the phonograph recorder (and trunk) 
> > are at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
> >
> > Good luck on your research.
> >
> > Lance
> >
> > Lance Watsky
> > University of California, Los Angeles
> > Moving Image Archive Studies
> > Program Coordinator
> > 103-G East Melnitz Hall
> > Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622
> > lwatsky@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Ph: 310-206-4966
> > Fx: 310-825-3383
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of sam 
> > briger
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:30 AM
> > To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [ARSCLIST] question about remote recordings from the 20-30s
> >
> > Hi-
> > I was recommended to this list by someone at the American Folikfe Center.
> > I am doing some research on how remote recordings were done by commercial record companies in the 
> > 20s and 30s. Specifically, I am interested in how record companies went about making recordings 
> > of musicians in southern rural areas in that time period. I heard that companies like Columbia, 
> > Victor and Okeh would do remote recordings.
> >
> > If there is any book that someone would direct me to or if someone who is knowledgeable about 
> > this subject would be willing to answer some of my questions, I would appreciate it greatly.
> >
> > Thank you very much,
> > Sam
> > _________________________________________________________________
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