Folkways Records: Moses Asch and His Encyclopedia of Sound

by Tony Olmsted, Anthony Olmsted

Overview

In 1949, immigrant recording engineer Moses Asch embarked on a lifelong project: documenting the world of sound produced by mankind, via a small record label called Folkways Records. By the time of his death in 1986, he had amassed an archive of over 2,200 LPs and thousands of hours of tapes; so valuable was this collection that it was purchased by the Smithsonian Institute. Folkways Records is an account of how he built this business, working against all odds, to create a landmark in the history of American music.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415937092
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/01/2004
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Tony Olmstead is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alberta, Canada. He has presented several papers on the music business, and is the recipient of several academic awards and fellowships.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	xi
	Acknowledgments	xiii
	Introduction	1
1	Early Influences: 1870s to 1930s	7
	The Phonograph and Sound Recording	7
	Youth and Family Influences	10
2	Beginnings: Asch Records	17
	The Deal with Stinson	19
	First Recordings	35
3	Broadening the Mandate: DISC Records of America	41
	New Products and Directions	46
	Bankruptcy	47
	Lessons Learned and New Strategies	57
4	The Birth of Folkways Records	61
	The Business Model	64
	Overview of Asch's Businesses	66
	Building the Catalog	68
5	The Business of Making Records	77
	Manufacturing	79
	Domestic Distribution	82
	Foreign Distribution	93
	Marketing and Sales	102
	Exploiting the Catalog: Licensing and Contracts	118
6	Finances	125
	Folkways	126
	Pioneer Record Sales	148
	Moe's Money	154
7	Easing the Burden: Folkways in the 1960s	159
	Reaching the Educational Market	159
	Reaching the Popular Market	166
	Return to Normal Operations	174
8	The Sale of Folkways	177
	Conclusion	183
	Appendices	195
	Notes	215
	Bibliography	229
	Index	231