| "Most
brilliantly original in its examination of commercial issues...
a book worth reading
and using." — ARSC Journal
"Without question the definitive account of the recording industry
in the 1920s, and
raises the bar for all future studies of the recording industry."
— Vintage Jazz Mart
Recording
the ’Twenties
The
Evolution of the American
Recording Industry, 1920–29
By
Allan Sutton
|
6
x 9" paperback
360 pages, illustrated
ISBN
No. 978-0-9772735-4-6
Library of Congress Control
No. 2008911830
$35
(US & Canada) . . . .
"Mainspring
Press has a reputation for commitment to serious discographical
research and superb quality book production, and this book is
no exception."
— Vintage Jazz Mart
"Sutton's
own new entry as an author is a notable addition not only to his
own catalog but to recording history in general...
In the burgeoning field of teaching sound recording history, Sutton's
work
will be a boon..."
— ARSC Journal
About
the Author
Allan
Sutton is the author or co-author of ten books and numerous articles
on historic American sound recordings, beginning with the original
edition of A Guide to Pseudonyms on American Records
(Greenwood Press) in 1993. His works on American historic sites
and wilderness areas include the book Potomac Trails
(Fulcrum) and photos and articles for National Wildlife Federation
books, Backpacker, Pennsylvania Magazine, Historic
Traveler, America's Civil War, and other national
publications. He is the recipient of 2006 and 2007 ARSC
Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research.
|
Recording
the 'Twenties chronicles the evolution of the American recording
industry in response to changing musical tastes, increasingly diverse
markets, competition from new labels, the introduction of new electrical
recording technology, and the challenges posed by radio, "talkies,"
corporate mergers, and foreign ownership.
Based on extensive research of primary-source materials, Recording
the 'Twenties dispels the commonly accepted myths and misinformation
to provide the first thoroughly documented survey of this pivotal
period in the American entertainment and sound recording industries.
View
the Subject Index in Adobe Acrobat
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Part I: The
Acoustic Era
1 • The State of the Industry (1920)
2 • The Studio Artist System (1920)
3 • The Phonograph Boom (1920–21)
4 • Recession and the Recording Industry
(1921–22)
5 • The Dime-Store Labels (1921–1924)
6 • The Vaudeville Blues Craze (1920–21)
7 • The First Black Record Producers (1920–24)
8 • Segregating the Markets (1921–25)
9 • Developing the Country Music Market
(1922–25)
10 • Going Afield (1921–24)
11 • Recording on the West Coast (1921–29)
12 • "Democratizing" the Classics (1920–24)
13 • Classical Recording Comes of Age
(1923–25)
14 • The Radio Challenge (1920–25)
Part
II: The Electric Era
15 • Dawn of the Electrical Era (1920–25)
16 • Victor, Columbia, and the Western Electric
System (1922–26)
17 • Brunswick, General Electric, and the
"Light-Ray"
System (1925–26)
18 • Completing the Electrical Conversion
(1925–28)
19 • Crooners, Salon Groups, and the End of the
Studio Artist System
(1925–29)
20 • The Talent Scouts (1923–29)
21 • The Second Race Record Boom (1926–29)
22 • Birth of the Country Music Industry
(1926–29)
23 • Classical Recordings and the Music
Appreciation Movement
(1925–29)
24 • Consolidation and Foreign Ownership
(1926–27)
25 • The Radio–Phonograph Alliances (1926–29)
26 • Motion Pictures and the Recording Industry
(1926–29)
27 • Building Entertainment Empires (1926–29)
28 • The Year of the Crash (1929)
Epilogue (1930–1942)
Appendix I: Record Sales in the 1920s
Appendix II: A Directory of 1920s Record Companies
Subject Index
Music Title Index |
