Collection of Global Record Industry Documentation Now Available
Flier for singer Mukesh's recording of "Tulsi Ramayan" on His Master's Voice, 1974, available in *L (Special) 24-1, Box 56, folder 2.
The Music and Recorded Sound Division at the Library for the Performing Arts has recently processed and made available the Robert H. Reid Papers, a collection of record company catalogs, newsletters, fliers, and posters from the 1960s to the 70s, from regions around the globe. The materials were intended for members of the record industry to alert them to new releases, to inspire in-store promotions, and to create a sense of camaraderie among record dealers.
Little is known about Robert H. Reid, except that he served as a representative of Peters International, Inc. (a New York-based importer/distributor of sound recordings during the 70s and 80s), and as an import sales manager for Capitol Records. Reid had also worked for several audiophile magazines, including the Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia and Record Supplement, The Long Player, and the American Record Guide. He donated his collection of marketing materials (primarily from record labels affiliated with Electric and Musical Industries, or EMI) to The New York Public Library, likely in multiple batches, the first arriving in October 1970.
New releases list from Peru division of Odeon and Capitol Records, 1959. Available in *L (Special) 24-1, Box 62, folder 2.
Notations on some of the materials indicate that the initial plan was to add the items to individual clippings files held in NYPL's Music and Recorded Sound Division. However, given the volume of materials, and the time-consuming nature of such a task, it appears that this plan was put on indefinite hold. After reviewing the materials, it was determined that they held tremendous research value as an aggregate collection, showing the range of material encountered by someone in the import-export business, the range of territory covered by EMI, and the different ways the same artist was marketed in different regions at the same moment. The collection also contains rare documentation of artists popular in specific locations outside of the U.S. and Western Europe, such as Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa, that have been mostly absent from music historical accounts.
A particularly noteworthy section is that on EMI-India, which contains a number of issues of The Voice newsletter from 1963–1967, intended for record dealers and record store owners. Very few institutions worldwide hold issues of this publication. It includes details on particular record stores, on Indian record industry executives and engineers, and on special promotions tailored to particular cities and stores. It also published lists of top-selling albums in India, including both American and Indian musicians (like Connie Francis and Chubby Checker), along with Hindi film records by Salil Choudhury Lata. The picture below shows the band Raja Andrews and the Nawabs recording a track in the HMV studio in Bombay.
Photo of Raja Andrews and The Nawabs recording a track at the His Master's Voice studio in Bombay, India, from The Voice, Vol. 11, No. 2, April-June 1967. Available in *L (Special) 24-1, Box 55, folder 2.
Given the time period, the publication not surprisingly documents the popularity of The Beatles in India, demonstrated in images of record store promotions, billboards, as well as studio sessions by Beatles-inspired Indian bands. For example, the photo below shows The Hellions and Mina Kava, after having released a single called “Oh, What Can the Beatles Not Do” in 1967.
The Hellions with Mina Kava in 1967, depicted in The Voice, Vol. 11, No. 2, April-June 1967. Available in *L (Special) 24-1, Box 55, folder 2.
Several other regional dealers seemed to have created DIY handbill promotions for particular releases, with their own mimeographed artwork. Release sheets from the Argentina, Peru, France, and New Zealand sections of the collection contain many examples of this.
New release list for EMI-Odeon Argentina, from September 1969 showing a hand-drawn and mimeographed illustration. Available in *L (Special) 24-1, Box 3, folder 4.
The handbills document recording activity specific to the New Zealand recording industry, including the work of Indigenous Māori artists, as well as white artists appropriating Māori culture. The handbills give a sense of what artists were popular in New Zealand during the 60s, how artists became known, as well as other specific details of the New Zealand pop music scene. For example, a handbill advertising musician-comedian Gerry Merito notes that his fame came in part from his participation in Auckland’s “Latin Quarter.”
Handbill for "The Spaceman" release by Gerry Merito. Available in *L (Special) 24-1, Box 60, folder 2.
A handbill for a single by another Māori act, the Māori Hi-Five, shows that they shared an audience with British pop star Billy Fury, who was advertised on the same bill. (The Māori Hi-Five are today known for having performed with the Beatles at their 1964 Hong Kong show).
Handbill for The Maori Hi-Five and Billy Fury. Available in *L (Special) 24-1, Box 60, Folder 3.
There are other, small acts documented, such as the New Zealand artist Rochelle Vinson, whose single “My Boyfriend Got A Beatle Haircut” was promised as a radio staple. The song’s lyrics describe how the boyfriend’s new haircut made him in excessive demand by other women.
Handbill for Rochelle Vinsen's release "My Boyfriend Got a Beatle Haircut." Available in *L (Special) 24-1, Box 60, Folder 2.
The Reid Collection is available for study in the Special Collections Reading Room at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. More information about the collection’s contents is available through the finding aid.