History of Music Production Exam 1

Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville

(1817-1879)

-first person to record sound

-inventor of phonautograph

-the phonautograph had no way to play the sound back

IRENE (digital imaging technology designed to recover analog audio)

-played the first recording of Martinville

-the recording was au claire de la lune

Thomas Edison

-1847-1931

-invented the phonogram

-phonograph was the first invention to record sound and also play it back

alexander graham bell and others

-improved on the phonogram and called it the graphophone

Emile Berliner

-1851-1929

-inventor of gramophone

-used record discs, only played back sound not record

Sound quality and limitations of early recordings

-limited in recording length

-poor sound quality

-no low octaves so no drums were used

Guglielmo Macroni

-in December 1901, he successfully transmitted the first wireless telegraph signals across the Atlantic Ocean

Radio and its benefits

-better sound quality

-radio was live and no recording was necessary

Switch to electrical recording

-by 1920, record companies were using microphones and electronic amplifiers

-microphones were patented by alexander gram bell in 1876

-electric recording allowed for better sound quality

Gennett Records

-recording studios in New York City AND Richmond, Indiana

-Joe Oliver and the King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band made the first African American jazz record on April 5, 1923

Hoagland Carmichael

-from Bloomington

-songwriter

-recorded “Stardust” in 1927 at Gennet Records

The American Songbag

-an anthropology of American folksongs compiled by Carl Sandburg

-Published 1927

Anthropology of American Folk Music

-compiled by Harry Smith

-collection of old country and folk music on LP

Frances Densmore

-May 21, 1867 - June 5, 1957

-Recorded Native American music and studied their cultures

John Avery Lomax

-September 23, 1867 - January 26, 1948

-folklorist who preserved American folk music

-compiled Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads (Nov. 1910)

-discovered Lead Belly, recorded him, and became his manager

Alan Lomax

-January 31, 1915 - July 19, 2002

-John Lomax’s son

-accompanied his father on field recordings in the South

Huddie Ledbetter “Lead Belly”

-January 23, 1888 - December 6, 1949

-Recorded with the Lomax’s in prison

-Began his career with John Lomax as his producer and manager

Magnetic Recording

-Invented in 1898 by Valdemer Poulsen

-an analog type of audio storage in which a magnetic recording is made on a thin steel wire

-Telegraphone (magnetic tape recorder) was commercially manufactured by the American Telegraph Company

Fritz Pfleumer

-in 1928 Germany, he invented a way to record sound using the magnetic tape

-works by converting electrical audio signals into magnetic

Les Paul

-June 9, 1915 - August 12, 2009

-American jazz and blues guitarist and inventor

-pioneer of the solid-body electric guitar

-experimented with overdubbing, delay effects, and multitrack recording

-developed the first 8 track recording board (the octopus)

Sam Phillips

-January 5, 1923 - July 30, 2003

-American record producer

-founder of Sun Records and Memphis Recording Service

-Produced Elvis Presely, Howlin’ Wolf, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis

-Recorded Howlin’ Wolf song, “How Many More Years” (1951) the first rock n’ roll song

Elvis Presley and recording

-Marion Keisker was the first person to record Elvis at Sun Records

-His first song released on July 19, 1954“That’s All Right, Mama” was recorded on July 5, 1954

Carl Perkins and recordings

-Blue Suede Shoes was written and recorded in 1955

-considered the first rockabilly record

-was on the cashbox best selling singles for 16 weeks at the #2 position

Norman Petty

-May 25, 1927 - August 15, 1984

-American musician and record producer who is known for working with Buddy Holly and the Crickets

-Had a studio in Clovis, New Mexico

-Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly used only one microphone on the drums and the drummer played the paradiddle on a tom as Norman switched on and off the echo on every 2 beats, from dry to wet

Don Law

-February 24, 1902 - December 20, 1982

-record producer and music executive

-worked with Robert Johnson

-Head of the country music division for Columbia

-worked with Bob Willis, Carl Smith, Flatt and Scruggs, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price, Johnny Horton, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Cash

Robert Johnson

-traveled to Texas in the 1930s

-Recorded 29 songs before his death

-recorded with Don Law