Date:         Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:49:16 -0500
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         David Lennick <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Philips U.S. releases in the 60's
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Philips came into the picture when US Columbia lost its arrangement with 
English Columbia, which began exporting its product to the US as Angel (around 
1953). There were no imported Philips pressings sold over here in the 50s 
except odd items like musicals and revues (Joyce Grenfell etc). Epic probably 
relied a lot more on Philips than Columbia, being a new label with not much 
homegrown classical product except Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, but all 
Beecham's recordings appeared on Columbia (that was probably because of a 
contract with Beecham). As well, all US Columbia product that was issued in 
Europe came out on Philips.

As for recycling the 50s Philips recordings once Philips owned Mercury, I 
recall some domestic pressings and budget reissues, but I'd say (without being 
certain) that the full price stuff came in as imports, as did Deutsche 
Grammophon titles in the 60s (there was a period when those were imported by 
MGM and packaged on this side).

Partial answer, anyway. One way to answer whether Columbia and Epic held onto 
old titles is to check in 60s Schwanns.

dl

Tom Fine wrote:
> I'm hoping there is a student of Philips history here.
> 
> As I understand it, before Philips bought Mercury, they had a U.S. 
> distribution deal with Epic (CBS). I've seen Epic tapes and LPs of 
> Concertgabouw (sp?) and I Musici and perhaps others. After Philips 
> bought Mercury, by the mid-60's, they had a bunch of their classical 
> records on sale here, I believe manufacturered here and sleeves like 
> Mercury records (not thin paper like European Philips records from the 
> 60's).
> 
> So here are my questions:
> 
> 1. Was some or all of the material originally out on Epic reissued on US 
> Philips?
> 2. Was the entire European classical catalog issued here by the mid-60's?
> 3. Were the LPs indeed manufactured in the US or just sleeved here?
> 4. Were new masters cut or were European manufacturing parts sent here?
> 
> -- Tom Fine
>