As boring as it sounds I am quite interested in the way that admin systems for companies and organisations work.
The Darrell Banks "find" got me thinking that there had to have been records within the Decca/London organisations to record if a stock run had been ordered (and then possibly scrapped),
On the EMI Archive website they refer to "Matrix Cards". That suggests that each time a matrix number was issued a record card was opened - and that card might have carried information about production runs etc. etc.
Another website for the Victor record company has the following:
Blue history cards (BHC)
The Victor Talking Machine Company and RCA Victor maintained 4x6-in. file cards, of light blue stock, which detailed every recording issued by the company. Most blue history cards list Matrix number, artist, and title as well as catalog number(s). The artist and title listings on blue history cards often are in an abbreviated form. Many cards include composer names, the take(s) issued (see also Take), when discs were issued and deleted from company catalogs, and an indication of the number of discs sold (see also Number sold).
Has anyone delved into the way that the admin systems at the various record companies worked and what paperwork still exists?
And especially if any old admin paperwork still exists for Decca/London from the 1960s.
Ian Dewhirst 1 post
George G 1 post
As boring as it sounds I am quite interested in the way that admin systems for companies and organisations work.
The Darrell Banks "find" got me thinking that there had to have been records within the Decca/London organisations to record if a stock run had been ordered (and then possibly scrapped),
On the EMI Archive website they refer to "Matrix Cards". That suggests that each time a matrix number was issued a record card was opened - and that card might have carried information about production runs etc. etc.
Another website for the Victor record company has the following:
Blue history cards (BHC)
The Victor Talking Machine Company and RCA Victor maintained 4x6-in. file cards, of light blue stock, which detailed every recording issued by the company. Most blue history cards list Matrix number, artist, and title as well as catalog number(s). The artist and title listings on blue history cards often are in an abbreviated form. Many cards include composer names, the take(s) issued (see also Take), when discs were issued and deleted from company catalogs, and an indication of the number of discs sold (see also Number sold).
Has anyone delved into the way that the admin systems at the various record companies worked and what paperwork still exists?
And especially if any old admin paperwork still exists for Decca/London from the 1960s.
Edited by MBarrett