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Don't know what the significance of 99 copies is - but it also was a factor in the UK where reissues were limited to 99 copies (maybe had something to do with purchase tax). The so called 'pirate' labels were not immune from legal problems - A case which was very well known was the attempt to release the Complete Caruso recordings by Murray Hill, sourced from the Olympus series produced in England. The US release was quashed very quickly. Also, Columbia had the JAY reissue of Ruth Etting recordings stopped (after the release of the film bio which gave commercial value to these recordings). The big companies looked after the properties considered valuable, but seems did not bother about niche markets. The majors tried from time to time to find profitable channels for marketing old product. Columbia Special Products put some material back in print. They also licensed material to Biograph (the C series). And various series, such as RCA's VINTAGE, made some early recordings available. It is a shame that so much has been lost due to lack of foresight by the majors. A corporation does need to be profitable to survive, but some concern for preservation and dissemination of historic material needs to be part of the mission. Thomas. -----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 There were two Club '99' LPs, CL-40 and CL-50, which were withdrawn soon after their release.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 >