At that time, record stores also received promo copies. The intent was for stores to play the music in the stores. The record companies had regional salespeople who visited record stores to make sure their product was displayed properly. There were also approved cutouts, which were either overstock or damaged goods that were shrink-wrapped, and either the UPC code blacked out, or a hole punched in the cover (thus the name cut-out)
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Where Do Oldies Stations' Music Libraries Go When They're Defunct?
- Thread starter cc333
- Start date
At that time, record stores also received promo copies. The intent was for stores to play the music in the stores. The record companies had regional salespeople who visited record stores to make sure their product was displayed properly. There were also approved cutouts, which were either overstock or damaged goods that were shrink-wrapped, and either the UPC code blacked out, or a hole punched in the cover (thus the name cut-out)
The store used to be about 2 doors north on Grand Blvd. from 11th St. I recall the address of Cokesbury Bookstore was 1105 Grand Blvd. (my Dad managed it in the late 1960s). Looks like the place is an Indian food restaurant now and the whole building where the record store was has been given either a new brick exterior or simply torn down and rebuilt. I don't recall the name of the store but we're talking my last visit being 1972. Even the old elementary school I attended is not a post office in Independence but the house we lived in on Lexington in Sugar Creek is oddly unchanged.
I was a student at the University of Tennessee at Martin for one semester before I completed my degree later in the 90's and WUTM, the campus radio station had a big box of 45 demos from the 70's that they were giving away. They were mostly ones that were never big hits, but I grabbed some and I think I ended up giving most of them to Goodwill.
On the subject of stations dumping demos with a format change, when WMSO 640, a CCM station in Memphis was sold to Bott Broadcasting in 1986, I was told by a former announcer later that I had contact with that they dumped all the demos because Bott had an attitude of "We don't do music", especially CCM. There may have been some that could have ended up in the hands of people who knew that they had been dumped, but they probably had to do some dumpster diving to get anything. Bott also bought WNAZ in Nashville in 2011, but by that time it was probably more a matter of wiping hard drives unless there were older demos there that were probably dumped unless some former staffers were able to get them.
Also in Memphis KSUD 730, another CCM station was sold to EMF along with their FM on 94.7 around 2000, but stayed local on AM for a few more years. Later they switched the AM to simulcasting the FM until it was sold in 2005 and became a Sports Talk station. Some time after that I had seen on this forum where someone had the demos from KSUD available. I tried to find out more but never heard back. But I'd like to think at least some of those demos were saved.
On the subject of stations dumping demos with a format change, when WMSO 640, a CCM station in Memphis was sold to Bott Broadcasting in 1986, I was told by a former announcer later that I had contact with that they dumped all the demos because Bott had an attitude of "We don't do music", especially CCM. There may have been some that could have ended up in the hands of people who knew that they had been dumped, but they probably had to do some dumpster diving to get anything. Bott also bought WNAZ in Nashville in 2011, but by that time it was probably more a matter of wiping hard drives unless there were older demos there that were probably dumped unless some former staffers were able to get them.
Also in Memphis KSUD 730, another CCM station was sold to EMF along with their FM on 94.7 around 2000, but stayed local on AM for a few more years. Later they switched the AM to simulcasting the FM until it was sold in 2005 and became a Sports Talk station. Some time after that I had seen on this forum where someone had the demos from KSUD available. I tried to find out more but never heard back. But I'd like to think at least some of those demos were saved.
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When that happens, if the original artist or estate goes to the musician's union, they can file for a payment, and a share of the mechanical royalty. Otherwise, the artist gets nothing. Quite often the music isn't even identified. People have to use Shazam to find out who the artist is.
I found the thread for the KSUD demos available in the Memphis forum: https://www.radiodiscussions.com/threads/interested-in-some-old-records.550812/
There were others who had demos for sale that posted as well. Nothing came from it for me but it looked like there wasn't much I would have been interested in anyway.
Maybe younger people.
I did survey work for WIBG in 1974. Behind me was a wall of 45s , thousands of them. Station changed call letters in 1977, I’m still curious as to who or where those records wound up.
I have 3/4 albums from Capitol Records, promotion, for radio station use strictly. Previews of that month’s releases. Late ‘50s.
I have 3/4 albums from Capitol Records, promotion, for radio station use strictly. Previews of that month’s releases. Late ‘50s.
In my younger days before I changed states, there was a record shop in Fremont or San Jose that also had promo records in a section of the store. They didn't sell them by piece, but buy the box full - you technically paid for the box, which were the ones new 45s came in. The owner as a musician and used the sales from the "boxes" to fund helping new musician's out.
Yeah, and everybody pays really close attention to that, don't they.
Just like speed limit signs. That doesn't make it OK.
Once again, we're talking about people who claim to love music, yet they find ways to avoid paying the artists who make it.
The only music station I worked at (a college/community station, KCMU) still had a closet full of classic rock and jazz LPs from former years, even though they never used them because they were now alternative/variety.
Later when I worked at the format factory, any time extra space was needed in the building (it was a fairly small building) the unnecessary CD's (spares of the ones we made and sent to stations -- in other words, excess inventory), the tapes (tapes with special edits and some programs, as well as the few tapes that were sent out from record cos before my time with special edits) -- all of that went into the dumpsters out back. Filled two of them when we moved to a new building. By then we were all CD and MOHD, and the large LP library went to a collector.
I think when the operation finally shut down in 2014-2015 or so, they probably sloughed off the (somewhat extensive) CD library to second hand stores, or just put them in the dumpster.
Later when I worked at the format factory, any time extra space was needed in the building (it was a fairly small building) the unnecessary CD's (spares of the ones we made and sent to stations -- in other words, excess inventory), the tapes (tapes with special edits and some programs, as well as the few tapes that were sent out from record cos before my time with special edits) -- all of that went into the dumpsters out back. Filled two of them when we moved to a new building. By then we were all CD and MOHD, and the large LP library went to a collector.
I think when the operation finally shut down in 2014-2015 or so, they probably sloughed off the (somewhat extensive) CD library to second hand stores, or just put them in the dumpster.
OK, but where are you going to get a single edit that never got released after its first run on 45 r.p.m.? And who's going to suffer from an old, grainy, worn out promo 45 edit of Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride being sold at a thrift store or used record shop when ABC Dunhill (and their successor) never did ever get it out on LP or CD?
Who would want to listen to an old, grainy, worn-out promo 45 edit of anything? Or the radio edit of Magic Carpet Ride, for that matter?
You remember correctly! It was in the Professional Building on Grand and moved to Blue Ridge Mall in 1975. It was originally the Methodist Bookstore, and changed its name in 1951.
It looks like the Professional Building has been converted to lofts. Is the building with the record store the one with the UMB Bank now?
We know some musicians who were paid as studio musicians. The songs they played on became huge hits. Now they are bitter because they got no fame or credit.
Heard on a small South Georgia station one Saturday afternoon 2001 or 2002. "I'm sorry it took so long to play your request. I had to download it from Napster."
I guess if you paid your ASCAP and BMI it was kinda legal.
I guess if you paid your ASCAP and BMI it was kinda legal.
What is that exactly? Good Time Oldies plays a short version of that song, but there was a longer version that I was aware of.
Someone who can play an instrument well doesn't become a session musician for fame, same as someone who writes well who chooses to work as an editor.