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Topic: 1942 - AFM Bans Recording Sessions |
Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2005 9:32 am |
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James "Little Caesar" Petrillo ran the Musicians Union in the USA in the 40's and 50's. His negotiating style was "make him an offer he can't refuse". Even president Truman was intimidated by him.
Here is an excerpt from http://www.wttw.com/chicagostories/petrillo.html
about the strike quote:
Petrillo's greatest enemy was recorded, or what he called "canned" music. He specifically objected to the lack of compensation for musicians who lost work as a consequence of recorded music's displacement of live musicians.
In 1942 (a year-and-a-half after he was elected President of the national union) Petrillo barred musicians from making recordings. For nearly two years (during the darkest days of World War II) the nation's recording industry remained halted. Petrillo imposed a second recording ban in 1948 that lasted nearly a year. Late in 1948 Petrillo finally reached a permanent accommodation with the recording industry, the jointly-administered Music Performance Trust Fund. The MPTF allocates a small portion of the proceeds from the sale of all recordings to a fund that, in turn, pays musicians who perform at free public concerts. Some $300-million worth of free concerts has been provided since the fund's inception.
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Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
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Posted 22 Sep 2005 9:40 am
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The first and most controversial issue in the recording and performing area was "the drum machine". Maybe the objections were correct...look at the evolution of that concept today, and the musicians that it has replaced!
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www.genejones.com
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2005 9:54 am
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Wow! That's some facinating stuff! What a charachter Mr.Petrillo was.
"Hail, Hail, the Gang's all Here" indeed. 
I know they had problems with the Hammond Organ and "Chamberlin" way before drum machines came along.
As a fallen from grace ex-member of Local 47, I'm amazed that the union still gets their cut out of things I play on occationally. Don't ask me how? |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 22 Sep 2005 1:18 pm
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| I suppose a player piano really ticked them off... |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2005 6:10 am
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His job was to run the AFM and to protect the jobs of musicians.
He knew that as soon as corporate radio was able to fire every musician that they had on staff and replace them with pieces of lacquer and vinyl that they would do it. Imagine a time when virtually all music heard on radio was done by a live player--MANY of them being guitarists and steel guitarist--keeping it close to home. That is what he was fighting to try to either stop or slow down as best he could. Stopping it was idealistic. Many stands by labor are. Slowing it--maybe. Ultimatly what he envisioned came true. Practically ALL musicians lost their employment in radio, replaced by "canned" music as he called it. The trade from the suits was increased scales and benefits to the players used to record.
Right up until the strike, record companies recorded around the clock almost so they could have a stash of material to use as they knew a strike was coming.
The AFM has always taken the side of musicians in the cases of technology that would replace them. The latest battle is the "Virtual Orchestra" which one day will replace nearly every pit player on shows if we just sit back and let it. Better to fight it and get something in return than just sit back and let technology totally put you out of business.
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 23 Sep 2005 1:00 pm
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I can't believe how many people will actually go out and pay big money to listen to recorded music!
In light of all the technology we have today, people sure are gettin' stupid, ain't they?  |
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Dave Boothroyd
From:
Staffordshire Moorlands
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Posted 24 Sep 2005 12:39 am
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It was all before my time, but I have read that it was the recording ban in the US that really kickstarted the UK recording industry.
There is no comparison between the recording quality of British Music Hall acts made in the early 40's and the sound of the Glenn Miller band & other British big bands etc,made later.
It seems logical that any US musicians and engineers who happened to be in Europe on militiary business would bring their abilities and, in some cases, equipment with them.
Thanks, Little Caesar- though I don't think it was quite what he had in mind!
PS. Sorry about the horrible pun about "cases"
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Cheers!
Dave
[This message was edited by Dave Boothroyd on 24 September 2005 at 01:41 AM.] |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Sep 2005 2:34 am
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| And the recording industry said to hell with you Petrillo and put out recordings with only voices with Sinatra, Dick Haymes and many others. This was some of the prettiest music to come along. |
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Janice Brooks
From:
Pleasant Gap Pa
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Posted 24 Sep 2005 3:56 am
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| I believe there were 2 release bans in the 40's. In 1942 it was to preserve materials for WW2. The Petrillo ban was 1948. |
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Rick McDuffie
From:
Benson, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 9:41 am
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That &%^$#)& technology!
Can't live without it, can't live with it. |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 26 Sep 2005 1:35 pm
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| According to the newpaper article linked to in my original post, the 1942 ban is by the AFM, led by Mr. Petrillo. |
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