Rev. July 1, 2009
Publications Specializing in Recording History
From “Current Bibliography” Column in the ARSC Journal (1979-date)
Much of the best research on recording history appears in small, limited-circulation collectors’ journals, indexed nowhere, and is consequently easily missed by researchers. In 1979 I began compiling a regular annotated index to such articles for the ARSC Journal, to help readers stay on top of important research wherever it appeared. The column has continued to the present day, which must be some sort of record! It is certainly longer than many of these publications lasted.
Over the years nearly 150 specialized publications have been indexed in CB, most of them listed here. Some only published an issue or two, while others continued for decades. Many were one-man operations. Not all were available to me for their full run, and in some cases only one or two relevant articles were indexed; this is also true in the case of popular publications and scholarly journals from other fields that contained an occasional article on recording history.
The websites listed below have been checked as of the most recent update (above), however addresses and phone numbers (usually taken from the publications themselves) may in some cases be out of date. I felt that it would be useful to include them anyway, to give you a general idea where a publication originated and provide a head-start in case you want to try to track it down. Phone numbers are as dialed from the U.S.; “44″ is the international code for the U.K. For the latest information on publications that are still operating see the current installment of “Current Bibliography” in the ARSC Journal.
I offer my sincere thanks to the many harried publishers and others who provided information as I was compiling this research. The publication history of most of these journals, it seems, has never been documented. There are still errors (I’m sure) and missing pieces of information, so if you can fill any gaps your input is welcome at [email protected]..
Where Can I Find Them?
If a publication is out of print copies may be found at some of the larger sound recording archives, such as those of the Library of Congress or the New York Public Library (Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives, Lincoln Center). You can also search the internet, as used copies often appear on eBay or on auction lists.
Locating specific articles is a little more challenging, as a master index to the 30 years of “Current Bibliography” is not (yet) available. You can of course scan the six-month installments in the ARSC Journal (www.arsc-audio.org). In addition a few publications have indexes of their own (noted below) and a very few are listed, albeit unannotated, in The Music Index, which is available in many libraries or for a fee (http://www.ebscohost.com/public/music-index).
Absolute Sound, P.O. Box 200, Sea Cliff, NY 11579 (516-676-2830. www.theabsolutesound.com). Published: 1973 to date. Slick high-end audio magazine, with very infrequent articles on recording history.
American Heritage of Invention & Technology, P.O. Box 5335, Harlan, IA 51593 (800-627-4022. www.americanheritage.com/inventionandtechnology). Published: Summer 1985 to date. Popular articles on the history of technology, occasionally including recording technology. Published by American Heritage magazine.
American Music, University of Illinois Press, 1325 S. Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820-6903 (www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/am.html). Published: 1983 to date. For many years the official journal of Sonneck Society (now known as the Society for American Music), this learned journal became independent in 2007. While most of the articles are musicological in nature, some deal with recordings or recording artists, such as this writer’s Fall 2000 study of recordings of the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. See also Journal of the Society for American Music.
American Music Research Center Journal, Thomas L. Riis, College of Music, University of Colorado, 301 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0301 (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/amrc). Published: 1991 to date. An annual dealing primarily with music, occasionally recordings or recording artists.
American Music Review, The H. Wiley Hitchcock Institute for Studies in American Music, Conservatory of Music, Brooklyn College, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210 (718-951-5655. www.bcisam.org). Published: Nov. 1971 to date. Semi-annual newsletter dealing mostly with musicology, with occasional record-related subjects. Originally called the I.S.A.M. Newsletter, renamed American Music Review in 2008. Back issues are available as pdf’s on the Institute’s website.
American Musicological Society Journal, see Journal of the American Musicological Society
American Phonograph Journal, Belmont, CA. Published: 1978 (4 issues). Serious collector’s journal focusing on acoustic phonograph history, especially the 19th century. It replaced the somewhat irregular Newsletter/Journal of the American Phonograph Society (Berkeley, CA, 1972-1976). Edited by Dr. Phillip Petersen.
American Rag, The, 20137 Skyline Ranch Drive, Apple Valley, CA 92308 (760-247-5145. www.americanrag.com). Published: 1995 to date. A tabloid devoted to the current ragtime scene, with infrequent historic articles. Don Jones, publisher. Successor to West Coast Rag (1989-1995).
Annual Review of Jazz Studies, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 (www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul /libs/jazz/jazz.shtml). Published by Scarecrow Press (www.scarecrowpress.com). Published: 1982 to date. Scholarly studies of jazz and jazz artists, published annually by the Institute of Jazz Studies. Replaced The Journal of Jazz Studies.
Antique Phonograph Monthly, 502 East 17th St., Brooklyn, NY 11226 (www.phonobooks.com). Published: 1973-1993 (90 issues). A small-format collector’s publication specializing in well-researched articles on acoustic-era phonographs and artists, edited by Allen Koenigsberg. It was never really a monthly, but 90 information-packed issues were published.
Antique Phonograph News, Canadian Antique Phonograph Society, c/o Bill Pratt, 122 Major St., Toronto, Ont. M5S 2L2 Canada (416-924-8207. www.capsnews.org). Published: 1992 to date. Journal of CAPS, which was founded in 1970. Originally a newsletter, it has expanded to contain short but highly informative articles, many with a Canadian angle. The name Antique Phonograph News was adopted in 1992 and issues since 1993 are summarized on the society’s website.
Antiques & Collecting Magazine (originally Hobbies), 1006 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60605 (www.acmagazine.com). Published: 1931 to date. From 1942 to 1985 this was the home of “Favorite Pioneer Recording Artists,” a highly informative series of biographical articles about pre-1930 popular artists by pioneer researcher Ulysses “Jim” Walsh (1903-1990), who began researching the field in the late 1920s and based much of his writing on correspondence with artists and executives of the early recording industry, many of whom were then still alive. Although several “private” indexes of Walsh’s columns were compiled, no comprehensive index seems to be available on the internet (some are with the Walsh papers at the Library of Congress). Other Hobbies columns included “Historical Records”(classical recordings, by Stephen Fassett and later Aida Favia-Artsay) and “Historical Tape Recordings” (early radio, by Lou Dumont). Serious coverage of early recordings appears to have ended in the late 1980s.
Archival Issues: Journal of the Midwest Archives Conference, c/o Menzi Behrno-Kloot, Kloot and Associates, 7422 Longmeadow Road, Madison, WI 53717 (www.midwestarchives.org). Mostly about archival issues; infrequent articles related to recording.
ARSC Journal, Association for Recorded Sound Collections, P.O. Box 543, Annapolis, MD 21404-0543 (www.arsc-audio.org). Published: 1967 to date. The leading scholarly journal dealing with historical recorded sound. An index to the full run of journals is on the association’s website, and there are pdf’s of many past issues available as well.
Audio, P.O. Box 51011, Boulder, CO 80321-1011. Published: c.1947 to 1999. Slick consumer magazine, with infrequent historical articles.
Australasian Record and Music Review, 15 Lowanna Ave., Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153, Australia. Published: 1989-2007. Detailed articles and discographies on Australian recording history, primarily (but not exclusively) of the 78 rpm era. Published quarterly by collector/researcher Mike Sutcliffe (d.2007).
Australasian Sound Archive, journal of the Australasian Sound Recordings Association (ASRA) (www.asra.asn.au). Published: Aug. 1986 to date. A mix of articles on archival matters and “serious” artists. Tables of contents of past issues are on the website.
Aware, Box 242, Gravesend Station, Brooklyn, NY 11223. Published: c.1973-1983 (nine issues?). Articles and discographies on rock artists of the 1960s-1970s. Published intermittently by Steve Kolanjian, with several name changes. Originally Rock It with Aware, (c.1973-77), then Rockin’ with Aware (1979), and finally just Aware (1981-83).
BASC News, British Association of Sound Collections. “Organized under the auspices of the British Library.” Archivist’s newsletter with occasional historic articles. Published by the U.K. branch of IASA.
Big Beat of the 50’s, Box 254, Frankston, Victoria 3199, Australia. Published: late 1970s to May 1982? (at least 31 issues). Articles and discographies on Australian and American rock artists of the 1950s.
Black Music Research Journal, Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College, 600 So. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605 (312-663-1600. www.colum.edu/cbmr). Published: 1980 to date. Scholarly articles about black music, sometimes dealing with recordings/artists.
Blue Suede News, Box 25, Duvall, WA 98019-0025 (425-788-2776. www.bluesuedenews.com). Published: 1986 to date. Slick quarterly magazine with in-depth interviews and articles on American “roots” music, including ‘50s rock, rockabilly, R&B, country, folk, bluegrass, blues, cajun and zydeco. Edited by Marc Bristol and Gaby Maag-Bristol. Back issues available on website.
Bluegrass Unlimited, Box 771, Warrenton, VA 20188-0771 (540-349-8181. www.bluegrassmusic.com). Published: 1966 to date. Slick monthly about bluegrass artists and music past and present.
Blues & Rhythm: The Gospel Truth, c/o Byron Foulger, 2 South Edge, SHIPLEY, Bradford, BD18 4RA, U.K. (44-0127-459-8531. www.bluesandrhythm.co.uk). Published: 1984 to date. Slick British monthly with informative articles about blues, R&B, soul and gospel artists.
Business History Review, c/o Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu/bhr). Published: 1926 to date. Scholarly journal with rare articles about recording (e.g. “The Gramophone Company,” Spring 1985).
Classic Record Collector (originally International Classical Record Collector), 8 Locksmeade Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10 7YT, U.K. (www.classicrecordcollector.com). Published: 1995 to date. Slick British quarterly about contemporary classical music, with some useful but non-scholarly articles about historical figures, including rough “discographies.”
Classic Wax. Frasier, MI. Published: 1980-1981 (5 issues). An abortive attempt by Goldmine founder Brian Bukantis to launch a “pop” newspaper-style publication for 78 rpm collectors. The original editor was Rick Whitesell.
Collectors News, Box 156, Grundy Center, IA 50638 (www.collectors-news.com). Published: 1959 to date. Monthly newspaper of the general collecting world, with occasional articles of interest to record researchers.
Cool and Strange Music, 1101 Colby Ave., Everett, WA 98201. Published: Feb. 1996 to 2003 (28 issues). Short but informative articles about odd and unusual records and artists of the second half of the 20th century, from Esquivel to Elsa Lanchester. Published by Dana Countryman, who has back issues for sale at www.danacountryman.com.
Cornwall Family History Society Journal, c/o Joe Pengelly, 36 Thorn Park, Mannamead, Plymouth PL3 4TE, England (www.cornwallfhs.com). Local-interest publication, which has published at least one article on local hero (and early recording artist) Richard Jose.
Country Sounds. A short-lived monthly spin-off from Goldmine, published 1986-1987 (13 issues). Articles on country stars from the 1920s to the 1980s.
Discographical and Micrographical Basics, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 51-53, NL-1012 RD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Published 1988-1990 (4 issues). Hardcore jazz discography. Short-lived successor to Micrography, published irregularly by Dick M. Bakker (“this… is not a magazine, but a publication in installments”).
Discographical Forum, 23 Charles Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1TG, U.K. Published May 1960 to Summer 1985 (50 issues). Resumed at no. 51 c.2005. Jazz discographies, covering all eras. Published by Malcolm Walker.
Discoveries, 700 East State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001. Published Jan. 1988-Oct. 2006 (221 issues). Large format rock music monthly launched by price guide author and former disc jockey Jerry Osborne as a competitor to Goldmine, and eventually taken over by that publication. Non-scholarly but informative articles and interviews dealing with the rock era, generally (though not always) covering somewhat earlier artists than Goldmine.
Echoes Of the Past, Box 40, Agawam, MA 01001 (e-mail: [email protected]). Published: Autumn 1987 to date. Crudely produced but informative journal specializing in well-researched articles about lesser-known east coast rock and doo-wop artists, many of whom are memorialized nowhere else. Edited by Bob Belniak assisted by “Doo-Wop Debbie.”
Electronics World, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS, England (www.electronicsworld.co.uk). British professional electronics magazine. At least one article on playing early recordings.
Ephemera Journal, Ephemera Society of America, P.O. Box 37, Schoharie, NY 12157 (www.ephemerasociety.org). Published: 1987 to date. Primarily concerned with paper ephemera, with rare articles concerning recordings. Back issues available on website.
Fable Bulletin: Violin Improvisation Studies, 14 Mount St., Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1HL England (44-127-347-9393. www.abar.net). Published 1993-1999 (11 issues). Scholarly articles and discographies primarily concerning jazz violinists. Anthony Barnett, editor.
Fiddler Magazine, P.O. Box 101, North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada B2A 3M1 (www.fiddle.com). Published: Spring 1994 to date. Slick quarterly for fiddlers, with some historic articles.
Folklore Forum, Dept. of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, Indiana University, 504 N. Fess St., Bloomington IN 47405 (812-855-1027. www.indiana.edu/~folkpub/). Published: 1968 to date. Scholarly journal on folklore and folklife. Rare articles on recorded sound.
Footnote, 66 High St., Melbourn, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 6AJ England. Published: Dec. 1969 to Aug./Sep. 1989. Historical articles about New Orleans jazz artists, succeeded by New Orleans Music.
For the Record (originally Hillandale News), c/o Dave Roberts, Membership Secretary, City of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society, 5 The Moorings, 16 Bell Vue Road, Paignton TQ4 6EA, England (www.clpgs.org.uk). Published: Oct. 1960 to date. Journal of the venerable CLPGS (established 1919), with informative articles primarily about pre-World War II phonograph and record subjects. International in scope. The society is currently making back issues available, with an index, on CD-ROM.
Free-Reed Journal, Center for Study of Free-Reed Instruments, Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. (http://web.gc.cuny.edu/freereed). Published: 1999 to 2002 (four issues). Musicological journal about reed instruments worldwide, with occasional articles about artists such as the accordion-playing Deiro brothers.
Goldmine, 700 East State St., Iola, WI 54990 (800-258-0929. www.goldminemag.com). Published: 1974 to date. The major rock collector’s monthly, with historical articles, discographies and interviews. Founded by Brian Bukantis.
Gramophone, The, 177-179 Kenton Road, Harrow, Middx. HA3 0HA England (www.gramophone.co.uk). Published: Apr. 1923 to date. Slick monthly with reviews, contemporary news and occasional historical articles dealing primarily with “serious” music. Recently added an amazing online archive of every issue published since 1923.
Gunn Report, c/o John Gunn, Bramble Hall Lane, Daws Heath, Hadleigh, Essex SS7 2XG England. Published: 1968 to c.1994. A somewhat eccentric combination jazz/dance band collectors’ journal and sales list published by the late John Gunn, which combined short, informative articles with a whimsical sense of humor. More than 100 issues were published.
Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Link House, Dingwall Ave., Croydon CR9 2TA, England (www.hifinews.com). Slick British monthly consumer audio magazine, with very infrequent historical audio articles.
Hillandale News, see For the Record
Historic Record, The (aka The Historic Record & AV Collector), 185 The Wheel, Ecclesfield, Sheffield S35 9ZA, England (44-114-246- 0275. E-mail: [email protected]). Published: Jul. 1986 to Oct. 1998 (49 issues). Immaculately researched articles and discographies on pre-World War II British recording subjects. Published by collector John Wrigley.
Hobbies, see Antiques & Collecting Magazine
IAJRC Journal, International Assoc. of Jazz Record Collectors, Art Zimmerman, P.O. Box 158, Jericho, NY 11753 (www.iajrc.org). Published: 1968 to date. A leading journal of historic jazz research with articles and discographies, primarily concerning the 78 rpm era.
IASA Journal (originally Phonographic Bulletin), International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives. See website for current Secretary-General (www.iasa-web.org). Published: May 1993 to date. International professional journal dealing primarily with archival issues.
Immortal Performances, Box 8316, Austin, TX 78712. Published: mid 1970s to 1994. A classical auction list with short articles and discographies, published by Texas dealer Jim Cartwright. Even Cartwright isn’t sure exactly when it began.
In The Groove, Michigan Antique Phonograph Society, 60 Central Street, Battle Creek, MI 49017 (269-968-1299. www.michiganantiquephonographsociety.org). Published: Nov. 1976 to date. Collectors’ society newsletter with short articles about early artists and phonographs. In recent years it has grown more substantial, although it does not purport to be a scholarly journal.
International Classical Record Collector, see Classic Record Collector
International Discographer, Box 197, Dickson, A.C.T. 2602, Australia. Published: 1992 (one issue). An ambitious attempt to start a wide-ranging discographical publication dealing with the pre-World War II era. Edited by Ross Laird.
International Opera Collector, Gramophone Publications, 135 Greenford Road, Sudbury Hill, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3YD, England. Published: 1996 to 1999 (13 issues). Slick British quarterly about opera, with useful but non-scholarly articles about historical figures. Companion to International Piano and Classic Record Collector.
International Piano, WDIS Ltd., Units 12 & 13, Cranleigh Gardens Industrial Estate, Southall, UB1 2DB, U.K. (www.international-piano.com). Published: Autumn 1997 to date. Slick British quarterly (later bi-monthly) about classical piano, with non-scholarly but useful articles and discographies of historical figures. Companion to International Opera Collector and Classic Record Collector.
I.S.A.M. Newsletter, see American Music Review
It Will Stand, Charlotte, NC. Published: 1978 to 1987 (36 issues). Articles on “beach music” (primarily R&B dance music) of the 1940s-1960s, which is popular in the U.S. Carolinas. Edited by Chris Beachley.
Jazz Archivist, The, Hogan Jazz Archive, 6801 Freret St., Room 304, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 (504-865-5682, http://specialcollections.tulane.edu/JazzHome.html). Published: May 1986 to date. Articles on New Orleans music and artists.
JazzTimes, 7961 Eastern Avenue, Suite 303, Silver Springs, MD 20910-4898 (http://jazztimes.com). Published: c.1960 to date. Founded by record store owner Ira Sabin and published under various titles (Sabin’s Happenings, Sabin’s Radio Free Jazz, JazzTimes) since c.1960. Originally devoted to record reviews; historical articles began to appear in the 1980s.
Jazzscene, Jazz Society of Oregon, P.O. Box 968, Portland, OR 97207 (www.jsojazzscene.org). Club newsletter with occasional historical articles.
JEMF Quarterly (originally JEMF Newsletter), Center for Popular Music, Box 41, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. Published: Oct. 1965 to 1990 (78 issues; the final issue, although published in 1990, had the cover date “Fall/Winter 1985”). High quality journal with extensive articles and discographies focusing on early country music. Founded by the John Edwards Memorial Foundation in honor of the late Australian collector John Edwards and originally published at U.C.L.A. (until the foundation ran out of money and the university forced the collection’s sale). Lengthy obituaries of the foundation appear in the last issue, published at M.T.S.U. A JEMF Newsletter was also published from 1965 to 1969.
Jerry’s Musical News, Jerry Madsen, Edina, MI. Published: April 1980 to May 1983. Primarily advertisements for 78 rpm phonographs and records, with a few short articles.
Jerry’s Rhythm Rag, Carl A. Hallstrom, Liljefors gata 85, S-754 29 Uppsala, Sweden. Published: Winter 1993 to c.1995 (five issues?). Primarily reprints from jazz publications of the inter-war years, such as Down Beat and Metronome.
Joslin’s Jazz Journal, 610 North Cherokee, KS 67357. Published: Feb. 1982 to Aug. 2007. Newspaper-style publication with historical jazz and swing articles, published by Gene Joslin.
Journal of American Culture, American Culture Association (www.wiley.com/WileyCDA). Published: Spring 1978 to date. Scholarly journal on American literature, history and the arts, with infrequent articles related to recording. Back issues available on website for a fee.
Journal of American History, Organization of American Historians, 1215 E. Atwater, Bloomington, IN 47401 (www.journalofamericanhistory.org). Published: 1964 to date. Scholarly journal about American History, with infrequent articles related to recording.
Journal of the American Musicological Society, University of Chicago Press (www.ams-net.org). Published: 1948 to date. Extremely erudite musicological journal, which occasionally deigns to acknowledge recordings.
Journal of Band Research, American Bandmasters Association, Troy State University Press, Troy, AL 36082 (http://americanbandmasters.org/jbr). Occasional articles on historical bands that recorded.
Journal of Country Music, Country Music Foundation, 222 Fifth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203 (615-416-2001. www.countrymusichalloffame.com). Published: Dec. 1971 to date. This slick journal from the CMF (which was founded in 1964) evolved from the earlier Country Music Foundation Newsletter. It contains substantial articles by top writers about country music history.
Journal of the IJHS (International Jew’s Harp Society), 601 N. White St., Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641 (www.jewsharpguild.org). Published: 2004 (one issue?) Although this ambitious endeavor by IJHS member Fred Crane, which included a jew’s harp discography, apparently didn’t last long, another publication called VIM: The Trump Journal is available on the society’s website, as is an online newsletter.
Journal of Jazz Studies, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University. Published: Oct. 1973 to Fall/Winter 1979. Succeeded by The Annual Review of Jazz Studies. Scholarly articles on jazz history.
Journal of the Phonograph Society of New South Wales, Secretary, 18 Macklin St., Pendle Hill N.S.W. 2145, Australia. Published: c.1980 to date. Now known as The Sound Record. Brief articles on 78 rpm era phonograph history, especially Australian.
Journal of Popular Music Studies (originally Tracking: Popular Music Studies), International Association for the Study of Popular Music, U.S. Branch (IASPM-US) (www.iaspm-us.net). Published: Spring 1988 to date. Academic studies of popular music, published by the U.S. branch of IASPM, currently three times a year. Past issues are on the association’s website. The international association publishes a newsletter called RPM: Review of Popular Music.
Journal of the Society for American Music, Society for American Music, Stephen Foster Memorial, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (412-624-3031 (www.american-music.org). Published: Feb. 2007 to date. Prestigious musicological journal, sometimes dealing with recording artists. Successor to American Music.
Juke Blues, P.O. Box 4083, Bath BA1 0FA, England (Fax 44-122-575-8375. www.jukeblues.com. E-mail: [email protected]). Published: 1985 to date (2 to 3 times per year). Slick British publication with substantial articles on blues, soul, gospel and some jazz artists, both contemporary and historic.
Kastlemusick. Robert A. Hill, Wilmington, DE. Published: Jul. 1976 to Oct. 1983. Collectors’ monthly emphasizing theater, soundtrack and personality recordings, but venturing into many other fields of recorded sound as well with articles and discographies.
Le Grand Baton, Journal of the Sir Thomas Beecham Society, 85 Morningside Drive, Falling Waters, WV 25419 (www.geocities.com/paris/1947/society.html). Published: Oct./Dec. 1964 to date. Articles and discographies of Beecham (1879-1961) and other classical conductors and musicians of his era.
Memory Lane, Box 1939, Leigh on Sea, Essex, SS9 3UH England (www.memorylane.org.uk). Published: Nov. 1968 to date. Short, nostalgic articles about English dance bands and vocalists of the 1920s-1940s. About 40 articles are available on the website. The longtime editor is Ray Pallett.
Micrography (“Jazz and Blues on Microgroove”), Woestduinstraat 84, NL-1058 TJ Amsterdam, Netherlands. Published: Dec. 1968 to Oct. 1989 (78 issues). Short but very detailed discographies of the contents of current jazz/blues reissues. Edited by Dutch collector Erik M. Bakker, who later shifted to a new publication, Names & Numbers.
Military Classics Illustrated, Primedia, 6405 Flank Dr., Harrisburg, PA 17112-2753. No longer published. At least one article on World War I military phonographs (Spring 2002).
Mississippi Rag, 9448 Lyndale Ave. So., #120, Bloomington, MN 55420 (952-885-9918. www.mississippirag.com). Published: Nov. 1973 to Dec. 2007. Monthly tabloid covering traditional jazz and ragtime, with detailed articles on both historical and contemporary performers. In January 2007 it shifted to an unusual downloadable online publication, which lasted for a year. In 2008 became a website with regular updates. The founder, editor and publisher was Ms. Leslie Johnson, who died in Jan. 2009.
Mix, 2608 9th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 (http://mixonline.com). Published: 1977 to date. Professional magazine for recording engineers, with some historic articles.
Music Box, The, 3606 Edwin Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45204. Published: c.1992-1993. Primarily reviews, jazz and classical.
Music Hall, 68 Hawkes Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 3JG, England. Published: Jun. 1978 to date. Biographies and discographies of British music hall performers. Published by Tony Barker.
Musical Quarterly, Oxford Univ. Press, Journals Dept., 2001 Evans Rd, Cary NC 27513 (800-852-7323. http://mq.oxfordjournals.org). Published: 1915 to date. Erudite musicological journal, rarely featuring articles related to recordings. Founded by Oscar Sonneck.
Musical Traditions, England (http://www.mustrad.org.uk/about.htm). Published: 1983 to date. Articles and discographies about folk and traditional music worldwide (but primarily U.K.). Published as a print magazine by Keith Summers from 1983 to 1994 (12 issues), and online by Rod Stradling from 1996-on. All past articles are on the website.
Names & Numbers, Gerard J. Hoogeveen, Reine Claudestraat 15, 1326 JC Almere, Netherlands (31-36-545-0114. E-mail: [email protected]). Published: Apr. 1985 to Jan. 1987, Oct. 1998 to date. Hardcore jazz discographical publication originally founded to publish historical discographies (as opposed to discographical details for current reissues, which were found in sister publication Micrography). Covers the 1920s to the 1960s. The principal editors have been Erik M. Bakker and Coen Hofmann.
NARAS Journal, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Foundation, 3402 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405 (www.grammy.com). Published: Spring 1990-Winter 1998/99. Mostly contemporary recording industry subjects, although there was a 1997 special issue on Edison. Published in the 1990s by NARAS, now known as The Recording Academy.
Needle Time, The Moorings, 50 Ulwell Road, Swanage, Dorset BH19 1LN, England. Published: Nov. 1985 to Nov. 1990 (31 issues). Auction list with short but well-researched articles and discographies focusing primarily on pre-World War II jazz and dance bands. Published by English discographer Brian Rust.
New Amberola Graphic, 213 Caledonia St., St. Johnsbury, VT 05819. Published: Summer 1967 to 2003 (113 issues). Informative articles about early recordings (primarily pre-1930), published intermittently by Vermont collector Martin Bryan. Appears to have ceased publication.
New Orleans Music, 127 Mount Drive, Urmston, Manchester M31 1QA, England. Published: Oct. 1989 to date. Successor to Footnote, with similar New Orleans jazz content, published for at least a dozen years. Edited by Mike Hazeldine.
Nostalgia World, Box 231, North Haven, CT 06473. Published 1978 to c.1983. Lightweight articles about popular artists ranging from Vernon Dalhart to The Doors.
Not Fade Away, 31 Amberly Road, Leyton, London E10, England. Published: 1975 to c.1981 (17 issues?). Articles about early rock artists.
Old Time Country, Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Association, Center for the Study of Southern Culture, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677. Published: 1988 to c.1994. Articles on pre-rock country music; successor to The Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Association Newsletter (1983-87). Edited by W.K. McNeil.
Old Time Music, 22 Cranbourne Road, London N10 2BT, England. Published: Summer 1971 to Spring 1989 (45 issues). Substantial articles and discographies on pre-rock country music. Edited by Tony Russell.
Opus: The Classical Music Magazine, Box 391, Mt. Morris, IL 61054. Published: Nov./Dec. 1984 to c.1988. One of several similarly-named publications, this one was published by Historical Times, Inc., a division of Cowles Media Co. and had occasional historic articles.
Phonographic Bulletin, see IASA Journal
Phonographic Record, (aka Phonograph Record), Vintage Phonograph Society of New Zealand, Box 19839, Woolston, Christchurch, New Zealand. Published: Dec. 1965 to date?
Popular Music & Society, Routledge Publishers, Customer Services Dept., 325 Chestnut St., 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215-625-8900. www.popms.org. E-mail: [email protected]). Published: Fall 1971 to date. Scholarly articles on popular music (primarily rock).
Pulse, c/o Tower Records, 900 Enterprise Dr., Sacramento, CA 95825. Published: 1983 to 2002. No longer published.
Rag-Time Ephemeralist, Chris Ware, P.O. Box 3626, Oak Park, IL 60303-3626. Published: 1998-2002 (3 issues) A remarkable, thick publication with in-depth articles about ragtime and its performers, presented in period style by illustrator Chris Ware. Only three issues have been published, in 1998, 1999 and 2002 (the last one was 256 pages!).
R.P.M. (Record Profile Magazine), 24361 Greenfield, Suite 201, Southfield, MI 48075. Published: Aug. 1983 to Oct./Nov. 1985 (11 issues). Articles and discographies on rock artists. Edited by Dennis Loren.
RPM: Review of Popular Music, International Association for the Study of Popular Music (http://www.iaspm.net/rpm). Published: early 1980s to 2002/03. Newsletter of the international association, with brief articles.
Record Auction Monthly, Frasier, MI. Published: Jul. 1984 to April 1985 (10 issues). Auction list with articles on rock artists. Published by Gary A. Mancuso.
Recollections, 2743 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710. Published: 1990s. Articles on classical performers.
Record Collector, The, 111 Longshots Close, Broomfield, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 7DU, England (44-124-544-1661. www.therecordcollector.org). Published: May 1946 to date. Venerable and highly regarded research publication, generally with a very in-depth article and discography on a single classical vocal artist per issue. Founded by James Dennis, now edited by Larry Lustig.
Record Collectors Monthly, Box 75, Mendham, NJ 07945. Published: Jul. 1982 to 1993 (53 issues). Newspaper-style publication with articles on classic rock artists. Published by Don Mennie.
Record Exchanger, Vintage Records, Box 6144, Orange, CA 92667. Published: Dec. 1969 to 1983 (31 issues). One of the better classic rock periodicals, with articles and discographies. Published by Art Turco.
Record Finder, 8508 Sanford Drive, Richmond, VA 23228 (www.recordfinders.com). Published: May/Jun 1978 to date. Large auction list from a Richmond, VA, dealer. Has included short, cursory articles and discographies over the years.
Record Research, Brooklyn, NY. Published: Feb. 1955 to Jan. 1995 (254 issues). Legendary research magazine, with articles and discographies principally dealing with popular music and jazz of the 78 rpm era. Included much work in progress. Edited by the late Len Kunstadt. An index by Malcolm Rockwell is sometimes available at www.proaxis.com/~settlet/record/articles/articles.html.
Record Review, Box 91878, Los Angeles, CA 90009. Published: Jan/Feb 1976 to 1984. Coverage centered principally on jazz and rock artists.
Recorded Sound, British Institute of Recorded Sound, London, England (www.bl.uk/soundarchive). Published: May 1961 to Jul. 1984 (86 issues). Scholarly journal with articles and discographies, mostly focusing on classical artists and ethnographic studies. Successor to The B.I.R.S. Bulletin (1950s). The B.I.R.S. later became the National Sound Archive and then the British Library Sound Archive, which currently publishes a small newsletter called Playback.
Rejoice!, Center for the Study of Southern Culture, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 (www.olemiss.edu/depts/south). Published: Winter 1987 to 1994. Articles on gospel music artists.
Resound, Archives of Traditional Music, Morrison Hall 117, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 (www.indiana.edu/~libarchm/resound.html). Published: Jan. 1982 to date. Newsletter dealing with ethnographic studies, sometimes including field recording.
Retro Rock (originally Retro Rock Review), 115 E. 4th St., Brooklyn, NY 11218. Published: Spring 1984 to 1989. Originally featured articles on the history of punk rock; became a contemporary underground publication in 1988.
Rhythm and News (originally Rhythm and News Magazine), c/o Bjorn Jentoft, P.O. Box 184, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 (860-399-9752). Published: late 1990s to 2003. In-depth articles on early R&B artists. No. 18/19 (2003) appears to have been the last issue. An earlier incarnation by Jentoft was published in the early 1980s, eventually being incorporated into Whiskey, Women and… Not to be confused with the contemporary music-oriented Rhythm and News Magazine published in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Rhythm Rag, 8 Oakmont Drive, Waterlooville, Portsmouth, Hants., PO8 8TH England. Published: mid 1970s to 1993 (49 issues). English record sales list with short articles, mostly about 78 rpm era English artists.
Rock It with Aware, see Aware
Rockin’ 50s, P.O. Box 6123, Lubbock, TX 79493 (806-799-4299. www.rockin50s.com). Published: Aug. 1986 to Mar. 2005 (72 issues). A celebration of rock music of the 1950s and early 1960s, with particular emphasis on Buddy Holly. Published by Bill Griggs, who previously ran the Buddy Holly Memorial Society (1975-1991) and edited its Holly-centric newsletter/magazine Reminiscing.
17th Century Music, Society for Seventeenth-Century Music, c/o Paul Walker, 1437 Rugby Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (804-293-5339. www.arts.uci.edu/sscm). Published: 1991 to date. Newsletter of the SSCM, primarily musicological and rarely dealing with recordings.
78 Quarterly, P.O. Box 283, Key West, FL 33041. Published: 1968, 1988 to 2004 (12 issues). Extremely detailed and graphically spectacular record research magazine focusing primarily on pre-World War II jazz and blues artists and labels. Two issues were published in the 1960s, and ten more starting in 1988. Published by Pete Whelan.
Shellac Stack, c/o Paul Burgess, Box 201, Thomaston, ME 04861. Published: 1970 to Spring 1987 (69 issues). A record auction list with short but informative articles and serialized discographies on pre-World War II jazz and dance bands.
Show Music, 5800 Pebble Beach Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89108. Published: Sep. 1981 to 2002. Articles and discographies of stage personalities, many by Richard C. Lynch. Founded by Max Preeo; publication was taken over by the Goodspeed Opera House in 1991.
Skivsamlaren, P.O. Box 25065, S-400 31, Goteborg, Sweden. Published: Nov. 1975 to ? Swedish discographical magazine published from the 1970s-1990s by Tor Magnusson and dealing primarily with the pre-World War II era. Some articles were in English, including an 82-page discography of Gene Austin in 1983.
Society for American Music Bulletin, see Journal of the Society for American Music
Sound Box, The, California Antique Phonograph Society, Box 169, Victorville, CA 92393 (www.ca-phono.org). Published: Sep. 1984 to date. Newsletter of the California collectors’ society, with short articles on early phonographs and other 78 rpm era subjects.
Sound Record, The, see Journal of the Phonograph Society of New South Wales
Sounds Vintage, c/o Bartham Press, Empress Rd., Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 2RE England. Published: Jan./Feb. 1979 to Nov./Dec. 1984. Bimonthly focusing on pre-World War II English popular artists. Edited by Norman Stevens.
Soundtrack! (originally Soundtrack Collectors Newsletter), Luc Van De Ven, Astridlaan 171, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium. Published: c.1976 to Winter 2002. Slick quarterly with comprehensive discographies of film composers. Van De Ven now operates the Prometheus label at www.soundtrackmag.com.
Starr-Gennett News, 33 South 7th Street, Richmond, IN 47374 (www.starrgennett.org). Published: Winter 2001/2002 to date. Newsletter with short articles relating to Gennett and its artists.
Stereo Review; renamed Sound and Vision (www.soundandvisionmag.com). Published: 1958 (as Hi-Fi & Music Review) to date. Consumer audio and video magazine with rare historical articles.
Storyville, 66 Fairview Drive, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6HS, England. Oct. 1965 to Jun. 1995 (162 issues). One of the most respected pre-war jazz research publications, packed with information from knowledgeable collectors. Three hardbound volumes of new articles were subsequently published, dated 1996/97, 1998/99 and 2000/01. Published by Laurie Wright. Back issues and a complete index are available at www.rainerjazz.com/journals/storyville/storyville.htm.
Tailgate Ramblings, Potomac River Jazz Club, Washington, DC (www.prjc.org). Published: 1971 to date. Newsletter of the traditional jazz club, with short historical articles. A subject index to the last ten year’s worth of issues is on the website.
Taking Off, Pine Grove Press, Box 474, Carthage, TX 75633. Published: 2005 (one issue?). Detailed articles on Tex-Mex artists of the 1920s-onward.
Talking Machine Review (aka International Talking Machine Review), 105 Sturdee Ave., Gillingham, Kent ME7 2HG, England (44-163-485-1823. E-mail: [email protected]). Published: Dec. 1969 to 2000 (102 issues). Well-regarded English collector’s publication focusing on pre-World War II artists and phonographs, including biographies and discographies. International in scope, although English artists were prominent. Founded by Ernie Bayly, and later taken over by John Booth.
Technology and Culture. Society for the History of Technology (www.historyoftechnology.org and www.press.jhu.edu/journals /technology_and_culture). Published: 1958 to date. Very occasional articles regarding recording technology.
Time Barrier Express, White Plains, NY. Published: Aug. 1974 to Apr./May 1980 (27 issues). In-depth articles at first focusing on doo-wop and later more broadly on early rock and R&B. Originally edited by Bill Schwartz and later by Ralph Newman.
Today’s Collector, 700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990. Published: 1993 to c.2001? General collecting magazine from Krause Publications, with very occasional articles regarding recordings (e.g. “Vogue Records,” Nov. 1996).
Tracking, see Journal of Popular Music Studies
Tributaries, Alabama Folklife Association, c/o Alabama Center for Traditional Culture, 410 N. Hull St., Montgomery, AL 36104 (www.alabamafolklife.org). Published: 1994 to 2011. Scholarly journal about all aspects of Alabama folklife published on an occasional basis by the AFA. Very infrequent articles on musicians who recorded.
Trouser Press, New York, NY (www.trouserpress.com). Published: Mar. 1974 to Apr. 1984 (96 issues). Alternative rock publication focusing on the 1960s and ‘70s, known for its artist “autodiscographies.” Edited by Ira Robbins. A complete index is on the website.
Victrola and 78 Journal, Tim Gracyk, 9180 Joy Lane, Granite Bay, CA 95746-9682 (916-784-1929. www.gracyk.com). Published: Summer 1994 to Autumn 1998 (13 issues). Well-researched magazine published by California collector Gracyk and specializing in artists and phonographs of the pre-1930 era. A running feature was “My Ten Favorite 78s,” submitted by various collectors. Some articles are posted on the website.
VJM’s Jazz and Blues Mart, P.O. Box 4181, Carlsbad, CA 92018-4181 (760-214-5465); or P.O. Box 78, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 9AR England (www.vjm.biz). Published: Dec. 1953 to date. Venerable English auction list magazine that also includes significant articles and discographies on early jazz and blues. Originally known as Vintage Jazz Mart, it was founded and edited for many years by Trevor Benwell, and more recently by the Transatlantic team of Russ Shor (U.S.) and Mark Berresford (U.K.). More than 200 issues have been published (see the brief history in issue no. 101). A sampling of articles is on the website.
Vintage Light Music, 4 Harvest Bank Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 9DJ, England. Published: Winter 1975 to Spring 1998 (94 issues). Articles on British “light” music and artists, published by the late Stuart Upton. Replaced Commodore magazine (1971-74).
Virginia Cavalcade, Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219-8000 (www.lva.lib.va.us). Published: 1951 to 2002. Slick quarterly about Virginia history and culture, with rare articles concerning recording artists.
Whiskey, Women and …, Haverhill, MA. Published: c.1972 to 1975, 1982 to Fall 1989 (19 issues). Well-researched articles and discographies on R&B artists of the 1940s and ‘50s, edited by Dan Kochakian. The title is from the Sticks McGhee record “Whiskey, Women and Loaded Dice.”
World of Yesterday, Waynesville, NC. Published: Feb. 1976 to Aug. 1983 (42 issues). Articles primarily about movie actors of the past, occasionally with a recording connection. Merged with Films of Yesteryear in 1984 to become Double Feature. Published by Linda and Ron Downey.
General References
Aase, Kjetil Maria, “RoJaRo Music Magazine List” lists hundreds of rock fanzines of the 1990s and later from many countries and in various languages, with brief comments on each. Claims more than 1.5 million references. Oddly there is little overlap with this list. At www.rojaro.com.
Moore, David, “Record Magazines: A Potted History of British Record Collectors’ Magazines,” Dinosaur Discs Collectors Mag, No. 41 (Autumn 2007). The current issue of this online magazine is available at www.78rpm.co.uk/record.htm.
Pruter, Robert, “A History of Doo-Wop Fanzines,” Popular Music & Society, Spring 1997.