Jerry Moss and CDs

[Stephen Vakil]

From this week's Spectator (a UK weekly):

"In the early 1980's, Jerry Moss of A&M led label bosses in lobbying against CD. As it was, the CD boom helped to enable the sale of A&M to PolyGram for $500 million in 1989". (I thought it was 1991...)

Does anyone know the background to this claim and whether it's true?

Stephen

(To see the full article, you need to regsiter at www.spectator.co.uk)

 

[Rudy]

I can't verify it, but it sounds reasonable: most label bosses were paranoid of digital, just like they had been of recordable cassettes and even reel-to-reel recorders in the 70s. Piracy being their only concern. Thing is, once the labels started reissuing any title they could find onto CD, they had an abundance of riches.

Closely related: DAT, a decent (though flawed) digital tape format that the RIAA essentially killed for end users.

 

[W.B.]

Closely related: DAT, a decent (though flawed) digital tape format that the RIAA essentially killed for end users.

Which was sort of the tech equivalent of a partial-birth abortion, in a sense.

 

[Rudy]

Closely related: DAT, a decent (though flawed) digital tape format that the RIAA essentially killed for end users.

Which was sort of the tech equivalent of a partial-birth abortion, in a sense.

Exactly.

 

[martin]

The book "Where Have All the Good Times Gone? — The Rise and Fall of the Record Industry" by Louis Barfe contains a chapter that describes Jerry Moss' and other record executives fight against the CD. One of the arguments presented by Moss was that the format could so easily be copied and would encourage piracy in a big way..

- greetings from the north -
Martin

 

[W.B.]

The book "Where Have All the Good Times Gone? — The Rise and Fall of the Record Industry" by Louis Barfe contains a chapter that describes Jerry Moss' and other record executives fight against the CD. One of the arguments presented by Moss was that the format could so easily be copied and would encourage piracy in a big way..

Which, like so many arguments of that type, were (and still are) in a way reminiscent of the old canard heard from certain groups in certain parts of the country throughout the '60's: "We can't let no Negroes move into the neighborhood, 'cause otherwise the property values will go down to nothin'!"

 

[Rudy]

The book "Where Have All the Good Times Gone? — The Rise and Fall of the Record Industry" by Louis Barfe contains a chapter that describes Jerry Moss' and other record executives fight against the CD. One of the arguments presented by Moss was that the format could so easily be copied and would encourage piracy in a big way..

And back then, that was small potatoes in comparison to today, when a spindle of 100 CDs costs less than a box of good Type IV cassettes. IOW, all of their lobbying (ugh) and complaining got them nowhere.

 

[Numero Cinco]

Thing is, once the labels started reissuing any title they could find onto CD . . .

Well, not all labels and not every title . . . .

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Well you can't expect EVERYthing Jerry and Herb did to be perfect!

After all this IS the company that put the Ethel Merman Disco Album on the streets!

 

[W.B.]

After all this IS the company that put the Ethel Merman Disco Album on the streets!

And five years after that came out, Ms. Merman died after surgery for brain cancer. I wonder if she developed her brain tumor around the time they came up with that wonderful idea, and so was amenable to recording her old stuff in disco (i.e. her judgment being affected) -- or if her illness followed in its wake?

 

[Mr Bill]

...After all this IS the company that put the Ethel Merman Disco Album on the streets!

Please! The EMDA is a fine slab of entertainment even if it is a crazy concept...

--Mr Bill
who prefers the disco-fied "There's No Business Like Show Business" over the stage and screen versions. Call me crazy!