Leslie's New A&M Website

[SteveM]

The latest issue of Discoveries has a nice blurb about Leslie's new website "On A&M Records.com." Well, as usual, I'm late to the party. I didn't even know the site existed!
The pub gives a full description of the site and everything it has to offer, and after checking it out myself I'm truly in awe of the fantastic job she has done.
Congratulations, Leslie!

---SteveM

 

[Rudy]

Yeah, obviously ours was too imperfect (as she repeatedly pointed out to us) for her to lower herself to visit us anymore.

No biggie...we've been here for seven years, and we're still by far the most-visited A&M-related site on the internet.

-= N =-
...who has a couple of useless A&M discography books to dump...

 

[SteveM]

Oops. Sorry, Neil, didn't realize there were some bad feelings there....

---SteveM

 

[Rudy]

Oops. Sorry, Neil, didn't realize there were some bad feelings there....

Naaah, don't sweat it. It's water under the bridge, ancient history. All of us tried to be accomodating but, hey, after you've had Tabasco thrown in your face half a dozen times, you tend to avoid it. (And if any long-time members have noticed, arguments have dropped to near zero since "you know who" has been absent.) All of us are here just enjoying the conversation and the music. We don't have a hidden agenda!

-= N =-

 

[Joe]

I'll be here for a while - no site can move me from here. I like the style, resources, and the people. This satisfies me up to 100%. I'm going to stay planted here if I can do so! Joe, NP: "Shrum" - Floyd Cramer

 

[Rudy]

I'll be here for a while - no site can move me from here. I like the style, resources, and the people. This satisfies me up to 100%. I'm going to stay planted here if I can do so!

See? An unsolicited testimonial! Can't beat it!!

(Check's in the mail, dude. )

-= N =-
...a little levity before the weekend...

 

[cakeicer]

Count me in too!

 

[Rudy]

Count me in too!

Count you in for what? Do you want a check in the mail also? (This is turning out to be an expensive topic... )

-= N =-
NP: "If I Had A Million Dollars..........I'd be rich!"

 

[cakeicer]

Cash would be cool, but I just plan to stay with the A&M Corner thank you!

 

[William]

You guys can keep the A&M Corner. I'll take the check.







Kidding, kidding...


- William

 

[Rudy]

Heeheehee...you slay me, bro!

-= N =-

 

[Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar]

Maybe I've asked this before but, has Herb Alpert ever volunteered any support for this site? And if not, why not? Is this one of those mystical questions that can never be answered? :| Later...Jay

 

[Harry]

^^ I believe we've heard through the grapevine that Herb is at least aware of this site. Unfortunately, he has not made any personal appearances that we know of.

Maybe someday...

Harry
...hoping, online...

 

[Mr Bill]

Best thing about Leslie's site is now you can access the record number database without having to shell out the equivalent of a car payment for a book!

--Mr B

 

[Rudy]

Best thing about Leslie's site is now you can access the record number database without having to shell out the equivalent of a car payment for a book!

*yawn* Yeah, big deal. There's no monopoly on numerical lists, though...just like there's no monopoly on A&M birthdays either. But at least with all of our contributions, we'd have accuracy and completeness on our side, no "attitude", and a willingness to keep it "open" for corrections and contributions.

-= N =-
...preparing the AOTW Gallery as we "speak"...

 

[LPJim]

Thanks; I'll stick around as well. However, I'd like to see her site, out of curiosity. Especially if it saves me from shelling out $100+ for the book(s).
Not only are the birthdays accurate, but no other site can boast the number of artist visits that have taken place. It would be great to hear from more.
JB

 

[Rudy]

Not only are the birthdays accurate, but no other site can boast the number of artist visits that have taken place. It would be great to hear from more.

Definitely, JB. Our aim is to keep this more interesting than the Kearney, Nebraska phone book. (And who can argue a lot of "regulars" who have been around here over five years now...and even those who stopped in earlier on my antique Compuserve site where it all started seven years ago! ) I have more than enough of my own interesting projects about ready to hit the fan here to have time to worry about other sites. Especially with our influx of Carpenters fans now that Ran's site has shut down for the time being. I'm on the verge of getting a Carpenters feature online, putting in some red-eye nights to get it rolling. (And without Harry's help, it would still be in the 'idea' stage!)

-= N =-

 

[Joe]

Sounds like the Corner's going to really get "rockin' 'n' reelin' pretty soon! I can't wait!

 

[Rudy]

Neither can I, Joe!

Actually, Leslie's site is no big surprise in retrospect--I know she'd had a problem getting her books published, and had to substantially trim back the amount of information just to make it publishable. And even before they were published, I know she was considering finding alternate ways to present the information (CD-ROM, internet, etc.) in addition to the printed books.

Out-of-pocket expenses for putting something online are all over the map. Everything I do here costs me no actual dollar amount, but there are hundreds of hours of time wrapped up into it. But if I'd had to pay anyone to do all this, it wouldn't be here. :| But it does free a person from having to deal with uninterested third parties (publishing books, for instance), where things are out of the author's control.

-= N =-
...watching the storms roll through with some much-needed rain...

 

[W.B.]

Actually, Leslie's site is no big surprise in retrospect--I know she'd had a problem getting her books published, and had to substantially trim back the amount of information just to make it publishable. And even before they were published, I know she was considering finding alternate ways to present the information (CD-ROM, internet, etc.) in addition to the printed books.

Out-of-pocket expenses for putting something online are all over the map. Everything I do here costs me no actual dollar amount, but there are hundreds of hours of time wrapped up into it. But if I'd had to pay anyone to do all this, it wouldn't be here. :| But it does free a person from having to deal with uninterested third parties (publishing books, for instance), where things are out of the author's control.

Interesting, your final point. Some years ago, I compiled and wrote a comprehensive discography of the popular singles of Columbia Records from the period 1939-1974, with 78 RPM master numbers (referred to in-house as "CO" numbers post-1958) and 45 numbers (those usually starting with ZSP), recording data of each side (as could be ascertained), and release dates. Over 10,000 entries, to be precise, all collected over a period of some five years. This was in the 1990's, so it came out in book form -- over 900 pages' worth. Because of this issue of control, I took care of everything -- book layout (8½ x 11 size), publishing, clearance for use of different Columbia 45 and 78 labels on the cover (I personally took 10 copies to Sony's business affairs department to fulfill certain obligations in that area), assignation of ISBN numbers, and shipping individual orders to those who paid a king's ransom for the book. And I only printed what was needed at the time, so there were no endless piles of copies filling a room as you see in some cases of books that are unsold. In the end, I made out somewhat better than most authors of record discographies -- even one author who'd sent me a three-book discography of MGM Records (whose masters, like A&M's, are now in the clutches -- er, hands of Unilateral -- er, Univer$al) in exchange for a copy of my Columbia discography, which was all in one book.

 

[Rudy]

Compiling a discography is certainly not an easy job! And for something like Leslie's books, it's hard to find a publisher who will pubish what's essentially a niche-oriented product. (IIRC, her original publisher ended up turning her down, and finally found Greenwood was willing to publish it for certain sacrifices.) I do envy anyone who has the time and patience to undertake something like a discography. (And I do understand *why* they're so expensive...although they're definitely not something I could afford to buy at the drop of a hat...or quite a few hats, for that matter.) I'd certainly like to tie up the many loose ends I have on various websites just to make them a better experience, but it's tough when there's only one person doing it (in most cases) and only 24 hours in a day!

I'm not exactly the type of person who would use a numerical discography--it's a good reference, for sure, but for an actual book, I often prefer something like Joel Whitburn's books based on Billboard data. Like the #1 Hits and Top 40 Hits books I have. They're an interesting read along with having some useful data. I'd see a serious record collector (with thousands or even tens of thousands of recordings) collecting one label, or even something like a large public library or group of radio stations, keeping these discographies on hand almost like an encyclopedia.

One advantage to having these types of references on computer is that, through using a database technology like SQL (my sites use MySQL), there are so many different ways to pull out data that it's mind boggling to think of what you can offer someone.

I was playing around with the project Harry and I are working on (the Carpenters discography), just making up some SQL queries, and found that the song "Close To You" appears on eight different Carpenters albums (including CDs). The Carpenter/Bettis songwriting team has 45 entries in the songs database, while Roger Williams/Roger Nichols clock in with 12. If I can think of ANY way to ask the SQL database a question, it will reply with what I want (if I ask it correctly ). That's one thing that is making this Carpenters discography a major challenge and why it has taken a couple of years, on and (mostly) off, to pull it together--how do I split up the data to make it searchable or retrievable? Or, what would a music collector or researcher be looking for when searching for an album or song in the database?

Now I'm starting to realize where the grey hair has been coming from...

-= N =-

 

[W.B.]

I was playing around with the project Harry and I are working on (the Carpenters discography), just making up some SQL queries, and found that the song "Close To You" appears on eight different Carpenters albums (including CDs). The Carpenter/Bettis songwriting team has 45 entries in the songs database, while Roger Williams/Roger Nichols clock in with 12.

Roger Williams?! I didn't know the pianist whose most famous hits were "Autumn Leaves" and "Born Free" wrote songs with Roger Nichols! Geez, the things you find out . . .

Oh, and as to my Columbia discography . . . I published it myself . . .

 

[Rudy]

Roger Williams?! I didn't know the pianist whose most famous hits were "Autumn Leaves" and "Born Free" wrote songs with Roger Nichols! Geez, the things you find out . . .

Sheesh! (Brain fart...it's been a long day. )

Oh, and as to my Columbia discography . . . I published it myself . . .

That's certainly one way of going about it!

I'd heard from Randy Kosht a few months ago, and he's been doing some updating of his own A&M discography. I'm sure we'll hear something from him in the weeks ahead.

-= N =-