The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

Featured in last night's Late Junction on Radio 3! Verity Sharp touring the premises with the audio and a photo re the "worlds smallest record" on the Website [although that's clearly a shellac disc] along with the overall playlist. Check it out on I-Player.

Dave W

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

Do you mean the Gramophone Library? https://forums.digitalspy.com/discus...aphone-library
I seem to remember that there was once a programme where a listener could request a record and they were timed retrieving it, supposedly they once had a copy of just about every release.

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

David Jacobs used to do that every now and then, when he was on during the day.

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

Bobster, Jack Jackson raided the Gramophone Library for his comedy extracts [sadly his programs don't seem to be archived-he was a pioneer.

Yes Bill, you're right I'm sure, it was probaly that or it's current incarnation but I'm not sure.
I was just using the program's title but if you wanted to be pedantic, at least one item was Shellac and "vinyl" wouldn't really cover all the material on disc the Beeb has.
Gramophone or Record would probably be more accurate but a lot of people are just interested in the sound not the source which is a bit of a shame really. I've not had a chance to hear the whole thing myself yet but I like the bits I did catch. So many interesting programs-so little time8-\

Dave W

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

I'm tired of hearing the name of a thermoplastic polymer used to describe gramophone records.

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

In that case don't use French eBay where LPs are called "vinyles". It's not just us!.
On a different point, mention was made in the programme of a digital catalogue of the Gramophone Library. Does anybody know if this is available on-line?

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

The digital catalogue is probably the project that came about to replace the original card index system which held all the information on the Gramophone Library. For some reason probably known only to God the project was outsourced to an overseas company I believe in Taiwan, and due to language problems and others, several thousand recordings were deleted from the digital record compared with the written version. Some libraries do not do well from reorganisation especially when the process is not properly supervised!

I remember reading, in the 1980's or 90's of the finding of original scores of works by Edward Elgar, with the composer's hand written instructions, thrown into a skip. Thankfully these were retrieved and placed in a proper library under the supervision of someone who knew what they had and how to look after it!

The original material, of course was MONO. In the case of a lot of producers and particularly Americans in the music industry it is always important to re-record in stereo so you get all of the music.

Actually something like the original version of Oh pretty Woman by Roy Orbison was not bettered by re-recording. There was never the visceral impact of the mono original.

I have digressed.

I believe that the original material by now several million pieces is stored underground at Caversham Park Reading , where the written archive is situated. Central London property is too expensive to be left filled with library stock! Hence the blocks of computer servers containing digitally accessible copies of what is in Caversham park plus all the newly issued, unchecked and unverified versions of the material that is being discussed in this thread! The digital library is probably available on line within the BBC in order that a programme maker is able to listen, compile to a programme list etc and even access while on air and upload to the running order to broadcast. I do not think that the catalogue would be available externally on line as there are probably too many 'rights' issues and other legalities to think of.


Mike

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

I can't see that there would be any rights issues with a catalogue by which I mean a listing of makers' numbers, artists, titles, not the actual recordings themselves. The British Library Sound archive is online but it has many instances where the listing is only the makers' number with no other details, which is very exasperating and disappointing.
I'm not quite sure what point you are making about mono and stereo. Which original material are you talking about?

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

Sadly I'm not at all surprised by your up-date on the history of the Archive Mike but many thanks for the info anyway. There is always a passive/aggressive response to any mention of material that they have wiped in the past and I suspect it's the same attitude here. Didn't they spend [100?]millions on a computer video archive system that failed to didn't work and resulted in staff being paid to transport video tapes across London during the event filled year of 2012.

Those of us with long memories will recall that the well liked and innovative Director General [with almost the right initials ie GD] promised to open up the archives to the public. He didn't seem to see "rights" as an issue before a sudden and much regretted departure from his post.

Dave W

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

Isn't Caversham Park about to be sold?

Re: The BBC Vinyl Archive
 

The BBC Gramophone Library is housed in the BBC Archive Centre in Perivale, nothing to do with Caversham Park.
Does anybody know if the digital catalogue, in the library sense of a listing or index, mentioned in the "Late Junction" programme is available to the public, or only to BBC staff?