All of that is pretty interesting stuff--how a truly dedicated and very
independent small label functioned back in the day. I wish one or both of
you would write an article for ARSC Journal about that label.

I add my own note about the lack of concern about copyright issues back
then. That's because sound recordings were not copyrightable in the US
until 1972, and there was none of today's "poppycock" state law copyright
stuff to worry about. It has been created since then, certainly as we know
it today. What they were doing by reissuing these old records on LP was
perfectly legal from a copyright standpoint. And I bet that they never
expected a copyright threat or a claim to be made against them and in fact
never had one.

Best,
John Haley



On Fri, Sep 18, 2015 at 11:55 AM, James Roth <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi Brandon,
>
> Here's another little detail or two.
> When Ellen decided to issue a certain artist, we would run the 78s on her
> Thorens TD 124 or Rek-o-kut continuous variable.
> We would choose the appropriate stylus and record them.
> Many of the records to be used had already been transferred to tape by Ben
> Lebow some years before.
> Sometimes we would borrow a record or two from a fellow collector.
> I would then de-click the tapes using razor and splicing block.
> THAT..................... was TEDIOUS!!
>
> Then, Ellen and I would take the two master tapes (sides A & B) -
> (10.5-inch @ 15 IPS ) to David Hancock's house on West 88 (or 87th) Street.
> He would listen to the tapes and improve the EQ if needed.
> Then, he would cut the master and send it to Windsor Records in Paterson
> NJ and they would press the vinyl.
> I would then drive to Paterson and transport as many as I could in my
> little Honda Civic back to Elmhurst.
> The records were in sleeves only, so I had to slip them in jackets and
> affix the labels to the jackets.
> The records were stored in her garage until it was time to jacket them,
> then they were stored in her basement.
> BTW: The labels were printed by Kaplan Press in Manhattan.
>
> [Around 1974 Ellen switched to a larger jacket label with a photo of the
> artist.
> She would also list the record label and catalogue number on the jacket
> label.]
>
> Then, I would fill and ship any orders. The post office was right around
> the corner on B'way.
>
> I guess that's enough details.
> Wish I had photos.
>
> Regards,
> Ben
> '
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brandon Michael Fess
> Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 10:49 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] CLUB 99 - Belfer Audio Archive
>
> Ah, thank you so much for clarifying the backstory of the Club 99
> collection! It's a great collection; the commercial 78s get a lot of use.
> It's just the Club 99 material proper that I referred to as undescribed;
> since it doesn't show in the SU libraries catalog, I just wanted to mention
> it's location in case that would benefit the researchers who started this
> thread.
>
> Brandon Fess
> MLIS, Syracuse University 2015
> (585) 703-0739
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of James Roth <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 10:21 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] CLUB 99 - Belfer Audio Archive
>
> Hello Brandon,
>
> Ellen Lebow's nephew, Crispin, donated her entire collection to Belfer
> soon after she passed.
> They inherited her rare 78s and collection of LPs which included the Club
> 99's not yet sold.
>
> Best,
> Ben Roth
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brandon Michael Fess
> Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 10:09 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] CLUB 99
>
> While it is currently undescribed, with no finding aid available, a
> substantial archive of Club 99 recordings is housed at the Belfer Audio
> Archive, Syracuse University. I don't have any details available - I worked
> at Belfer for 2 years and often saw the material, but never did any work on
> it.
>
> Brandon Fess
> MLIS, Syracuse University 2015
> (585) 703-0739
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of James Roth <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 9:31 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] CLUB 99
>
> Greetings,
>
> This email is for anyone currently doing research on Club '99' Records.
>
> I was Ellen Lebow's tape editor and did the shipping for the most of 10
> years (1971-1980).
> We worked out of her home at 42-39 81st St in Elmhurst, NY.
> I never got into a lot of detail or history about the company.
> I left Ellen in 1980. She passed away a few years later.
> I have 99% of the Club '99' collection on LP and quite a few CDs.
>
> I can give you a few facts which you may or may not have.
> In no particular order:
> Bernard "Ben" Lebow died in 1968. Unfortunately, I never met him.
> He produced or help produce other labels such as Period and Scala.
> Ben Lebow also hosted/narrated a radio program called "Great Artists of
> the Past".
> I HAVE ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARCHIVED.
> Their engineer was the late David B. Hancock who was also a pianist.
>
> Number 119, "Tales of Offenbach II" was never produced though the test
> pressing was.
> I have it, though there is no listing of who the artists are - no paperwork
>