MCA Classics also issued a few Command Classics on CD, a couple of those (some Steinberg Beethoven)
said on the liner notes to have been from 35mm masters. There were two 2-CD sets at first, the
complete Steinberg Brahms symphonies and Steinberg Beethoven, I think 3rd and 5th and some
overtures. Then there was a Copland CD that was half Command/Steinberg and half Westminter. Also
another one, forgot the composer but that was I think half Command and half Kapp (which had been
bought by ABC and then ended up with MCA). Aside from that 2CD Beethoven set, no other MCA Classics
reissues of Command claimed to be from 35mm mag-films. They would have been from the 2-track tapes
made during the original LP cutting sessions (like Mercury, Command would run a 2-track recorder
from the same buss as the disk cutter, getting a "live" 3-2 mixdown from the edited 35mm session
master).
David, I assume what you are calling Am-Par was ABC-Paramount? I think they changed to ABC Records
sooner than 1965, but I could be wrong on that. ABC-Paramount had dipped its toe in jazz releases in
the 50's, but I think that exact label was dormant by the early 60's when Command/Grand Award and
Impulse were running as independent feifdoms. Wasn't Ray Charles' label ABC Records or was it called
ABC-Paramount at first? I don't have any original LPs to check.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Lewis" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:05 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Westminster record label
> Westminster started out as an indie, and was picked up around 1960 by
> Am-Par, continuing as sort of Am-Par's classical line until 1965, when
> recording stopped; concurrently Am-Par dropped the "Paramount" from their
> name and became ABC Records. Westminster always had some hand in licensing
> from Euro labels, and this practice continued in the later series,
> accounting for some Westminsters unique to that series. Otherwise,
> practically the whole Westminster classical back catalog was reissued
> within the LP era.
>
> ABC Records -- the former Am-Par -- went bust in 1979 and was bought out by
> MCA Records, which later became Universal or UNI. The MCA Classics line
> came along very early in the compact disc era; I remember having to cut
> copies of "The Play of Herod" out of the longboxes in order to put them in
> a "safer" at the Virgin Megastore. The bulk of that program was devoted to
> reissues from Decca Gold Label. But there were a few Westminsters in that
> batch; some Scherchen recordings and I had one of Busoni's "Indian Fantasy"
> played by Marjorie Mitchell. DG came into equation with the Seagram's
> merger of Universal with Polygram in 1999, bringing DG and the Westminster
> legacy under the same roof. Decca Gold Label, incidentally, released some
> DG recordings in the US in the 50s and early 60s.
>
> I have to credit DG with not sitting on the viability of that product. The
> first DG reissues came along just a few months after the merger. I think
> they started out with six; now it's up to 33 titles, certainly more than
> MCA Classics exploited.
>
> David N. Lewis
> Lebanon, OH
>
> On Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 8:11 PM, [Richard A Kaplan] <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>
>> I should have mentioned that these titles and other Westminsters, like the
>> Barylli Quartet's Beethoven, are now available (in some countries--I found
>> them at HMV Japan) on "Westminster--The Legacy" from DG. So, there's the
>> Universal connection, too.
>>
>>
>> In a message dated 1/17/2012 7:07:03 P.M. Central Standard Time,
>> [log in to unmask] writes:
>>
>> Some late Westminster recordings were issued on CD by "MCA Classics":
>> e.g.,
>> Monteux's recordings of the Beethoven 9th and Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet.
>> So, the acquisition of Westminster's catalogue by MCA makes sense.
>>
>> Rich
>>
>>
>> In a message dated 1/17/2012 6:49:31 P.M. Central Standard Time,
>> [log in to unmask] writes:
>>
>> I do not recall Westminster being connected to MCA/Decca in any way, but
>> it
>> has been a long time.....
>>
>> Your search for sound & video ends here!
>> Jay Sonin, General Manager
>> Music Hunter Distributing Company
>> 4880 North Citation Drive, Suite # 101
>> Delray Beach, Florida 33445-6552
>> [log in to unmask]
>> 561-450-7152
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steven Smolian
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 7:05 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Westminster record label
>>
>>
>> The MCA Westminster was, as I recall, issued on U.S. Decca.
>>
>> Steve Smolian
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Thomas Stern
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 6:08 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Westminster record label
>>
>> I recently saw two "Westminster" releases in series I have not seen
>> before
>> (or don't remember).
>> Can anyone provide some background on them, when they were active, how
>> extensive was the catalog, new recordings or reissues, etc.
>> The labels are WESTMINSTER ABC, and MCA WESTMINSTER.
>> I am aware of the two-tone orange cover series - these are NOT that
>> series.
>>
>> The Westminster ABC release appears to have been available in mono and
>> stereo, carries catalog numbers XWN/WST 17135 Norman Treigle - arias,
>> recorded June 1967.
>>
>> The MCA Westminster release MCA 1401 Walton: Facade, Gingold, Oberlin.
>> Copyright 1980.
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Best wishes, Thomas.
>>
>
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