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Very interesting. I will bet that the 99 records had more to do with cost of manufacture than copyright concerns. The number of "infringing" recordings would make no difference, legally, then or now. i don't think there was any infringement, but it would be good to know what *they *thought, back then. That may not be knowable. Do you know who the casts were on those complete opera recordings? I can't recall ever seeing them. Thanks, John Haley On Fri, Sep 18, 2015 at 1:53 PM, James Roth <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Oh! There was also a Tosca on Eclat. > B.R. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto: > [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of James Roth > Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 1:43 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] CLUB 99 - Belfer Audio Archive > > Hello there, Mr. Haley > > I would be glad to participate in writing such an article, but there are > many gaps in my knowledge on the subject. > If anyone else can fill in any gaps about Club '99', please chime in. > > I just remembered one or two things. The label Eclat was an offshoot of > Club '99'. > They put out 3 operas of which I know: Faust; Cenerentola; and Aida. > > Club '99' was so named because [originally] Ben Lebow was only going to > press 99 copies of that LP, supposedly for copyright reasons. > However, the cost of pressing only 99 copies plus the gained popularity of > those records made it unfeasible. > > There were two Club '99' LPs, CL-40 and CL-50, which were withdrawn soon > after their release. > They were both Bidu Sayao Testimonials. > I'll try to get more info on those two. > > Regards, > Ben Roth > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto: > [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Haley > Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 12:47 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] CLUB 99 - Belfer Audio Archive > > 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 > > >