Brass Band LPs

[Lucky Beaver]

Had a count up of my brass band LP collection at the weekend (having realised how much room they take up and how infrequently I listen to them :shock and got to around the 290 mark (including 38 Black Dyke, 26 B&R, 14 Grimethorpe & GUS, etc.)

I feel I should really free the space they take up but they were collected in my early days of banding and have a certain sentimental value. As well as the cheesey 70s compilation albums (of which there are plenty!), there are also some real gems in there and they do sometimes come in handy for the odd rare track.

Anyone else have any BB LP dilemmas or do you think I'm a crazy sentimentalist that should trade them in for CDs?

 

[DublinBass]

We have a few (not 290) and some of that stuff was never transferred to CD. It's the only place we can find certain tunes and so we keep them around. Also, its fun to hear the way bands used to sound. Don't know if it is more sentimental than practical.

 

[Dave Payn]

Personally, I'd keep them! There'll always be something on those LPs that's not been re-released on CD. A collection that big is something worth boasting about.

I must admit I have more recordings of brass ensembles than brass bands (it's the trumpeter in me!) but a few years back, a friend of a friend got to hear that I played in brass bands and religiously scoured local boot fairs to see how many band LPs he could find, selling them to me at 50p a time, and there were a few rare gems amongst that lot! I'm hanging on to them! ;-)

 

[johnmartin]

Get a good quality turntable and soundcard, if you don't have them already, and digitise them onto the PC then burn to CD. There's plenty of good quality audio software out there to do that. You can then store the originals in a safe place where they won't come to harm and won't get in your way. There are also companies out there that will do this for you although that could be quite expensive.

p.s. bet you don't have a copy of Churchill March by the Lochgelly Band conducted by George Thomson.

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

I have one, an old Kilmarnock brass that I picked up in Hong Kong for $2 Australian!!

 

[Highams]

Yes you can put them onto CD, but it's still not the same as getting the disc out of the sleeve and putting it on a good turntable.

I use a graphic equaliser on playback which can enhance the old sound.

I'll never sell my old CWS Manchester records !

http://www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk/CWS.jpg

 

[PeterBale]

I'm very reluctant to get rid of my lps (and there are quite a few ), and in fact right up until we decorated our lounge they used to get played periodically. When I get round to sorting out the speakers on the hi-fi I'll probably get round to playing them again. I did prune out the majority of my symphonic recordings, just hanging on to those of particular interest, but couldn't lose any of the SA ones, or general banding for that matter.

 

[johnmartin]

I no longer own any vinyl. I replaced all of my LP's, of all genre's, with CD a few years back. Took me ages and cost quite a bit of money.

 

[John Brooks]

I'm working on a long-term project to digitize my collection and burn to CD. In an earlier similar project I transferred much of my LP collection to cassette but kept the LP's. Then later disposed of them, much to my lasting regret. I can relate to the frustation of moving them and finding a place to keep them but, unless it's absolutely impossible, I'd recommend that you keep them.

If you decide to let them go, check with Keith Quinn. I'm sure he'll be able to give you some advice. You could also check his website to help determine the value. Many LP's in good condition are worth more than their original purchase price.

Good luck!

 

[Hell's_Trombone]

As upset as I am :shock: I dont have brass band LPs. I have some CDs but they are all scratched so pretty much useless. Never mind - Im sure i'll survive!

 

[jambo]

Spend the money on a bloody good turn table, amp and speakers. Hook it up and play them loud!

Clean as it may be, digi is flat and boring. Let the vinyl live!

 

[Alice]

We have hundreds too! Then there's 78's, but i don't really know what they are(they all belong to my parents) then there's Queen, Billy Joel, The beatles and michael Jackson and a load of other good stuff. But i know wqe could never get rid of any of them!

 

[2nd trom virtuoso]

My dad has a few which he brought yonks ago. Mainly of Harry Mortimer with his massed band. They are quite interesting to listen to. I only found out he had them a few months ago when I dusted off his old collections.
He has quite a few of Queen and of course The Beatles so i might attempt to put them onto CD, Although a little unsure on how to do so though :?: Not very good at things like that :!:

 

[John Brooks]

Can anyone advise on the legality of digitizing LP's and burning them to a CD? I have always assumed that doing this for my own use exclusively is OK. Also, I have purchased most re-issue CD's of recordings in my collection.

On reading through this thread, obviously a lot of good quality old recordings never made it to CD. How long does the copyright exist on recordings? Is it ever legal to share burned CD's of "obsolete" recordings?

 

[Lucky Beaver]

Yep, interesting point John. I haven't currently got the technology to get LPs burned onto CD but it would be interesting to know what the situation on copyright is. If I ever have the technology, it would be good to be in a position to make copies for other people if required. Anyone know?

Cheers for all the other comments and suggestions BTW. I'm feeling more and more inclined to hang onto my collection, the more I read

 

[Brian Bowen]

I think you're infringing copyright in the recording if you make copies by whatever method and intend to distribute (sell) to others. But I believe it's OK to make a copy for personal use only from the LP you purchased to a CD (burn) or cassette.

Because an LP recording may not have been issued as a CD doesn't necessarily mean the owner of the original recording will not do so in the future. There are a number of cases where recording companies have gone out of business and another company has subsequently purchased the rights to certain of their original sound recordings.

An example is Collins Classics, who went out of business a few years ago. A number or their recordings are now appearing on different labels (e.g. Naxos). I wonder if SP&S would be interested in purchasing for one of their labels the excellent Collins Classics "London Symphony Brass" recording of 1991 -- the one that includes the Crees arrangement of "West Side Story"?