Posts Tagged ‘Abbey Road Studios’

Elton John Record Collection Reveals Hidden Treasures

The Collection was created from the artist’s prolific personal record purchasing, personal gifts and material from his record company Rocket Records. Especially notable are singles from his youth, signed as Reg Dwight and in sleeves he customized with newspaper and magazine clippings from artists of the time. (PRNewsFoto/Patrick & Patrick CPA’s)

UPLAND, Calif., June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Jeanine T. Patrick, of Patrick & Patrick CPA’s reveals that twenty years after Sir Elton John sold his record collection at a Sotheby’s auction to raise funds for his Aids Charity, a thorough inventory has uncovered that not only is the Collection much larger than originally expected but a wealth of surprising treasures have been unearthed.

The Elton John Collection, sold by the artist to fund his Aids Charity, was originally believed to consist of 50,000 items. In actuality, the personal collection, which the artist enhanced with the purchase of legendary BBC Producer, Bernie Andrews personal collection; contains more than 70,000 items consisting of singles, albums, 8 track cassettes, compact discs and unique studio tapes.

The Collection was created from the artist’s prolific personal record purchasing, personal gifts and material from his record company Rocket Records. Especially notable are singles from his youth, signed as Reg Dwight and in sleeves he customized with newspaper and magazine clippings from artists of the time.

“The richness of the collection clearly reflects a passion and curiosity for all genres of music. It is not only comprehensive, but arguably a definitive portrait of the 50′s through the 80′s and possesses an enduring value and importance.  With the Collection’s rarities, unique editions and historical releases, I can’t imagine there is another collection quite like it in the world,” said Stephen M. H. Braitman of musicappraisals.com, the Collection’s appraiser.

Unlocking a Historical Collection’s Secrets
Jeanine Patrick, of Patrick and Patrick CPA’s, was tasked with valuing the Collection, which arrived with minimal accompanying data, making a full inventory essential.  So why did that take 20 years?

Patrick explains:  “Evaluating a collection of this size and historical significance is not something that’s embarked on easily. Along with the necessary security requirements it is cumbersome, risky and labor intensive, and you can easily spend more on it than a collection is worth.  Over the past two decades, I investigated many solutions that were simply unfeasible, flawed, high-risk or cost prohibitive, or all of the above.”

That all changed when a discussion with a business associate resulted in an ingenious solution.  Creativity, teamwork and completely throwing away all conventions of how to inventory a collection saw them develop a system that began a modern day treasure hunt.  Their solution, I-Stream, has created a complete visual ‘virtual collection’ that is accessible on the client’s desktop.  The I-Stream process integrates asset protection, security protocols, layered processing and allows for remote live monitoring of the inventorying process in a fast, affordable, reliable and accurate way.

Patrick explains: “Being able to literally view the items brings the collection to life and also offers detail that cannot be accessed via a simple data inventory sheet.  To see the quality of an item on screen and actually read a sleeve note or a signature is unbelievably exciting.”

From a business feasibility perspective, I-Stream allowed Patrick to provide an inventory and valuation in record time. And the process laid bare unexpected and previously undocumented rarities, such as 30 year old studio reel to reel tapes of rough mixes and copies of Elton John’s studio sessions.

Leveraging the archival expertise of Abbey Road Studios, the team at I-Stream, transferred the reel to reel content into studio quality digital files to be stored with the Collection, and created MP3 copies, which can be played on the virtual collection software.

Appraiser Stephen Braitman suggests: “The ability to manipulate, manage and catalog such a robust collection and make it accessible to archivists, scholars and collectors for further study and discography will be invaluable to pop historians. This collection is of profound historical significance.  As a collector, I am insanely jealous to find so many of the touchstones of music history and its legacy in one collection.  This work also begs another question: What other uncovered treasures are hidden in unevaluated collections? “

SOURCE Patrick & Patrick CPA’s

See larger image Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002 (Audio CD) There are very, very few artists with the hit power of Sir Elton check out this track listing! Your Song; Rocket Man; Honky Cat; Crocodile Rock; Daniel; Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; Bennie and the Jets; Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me; The Bitch Is Back; Philadelphia Freedom; Someone Saved My Life Tonight; Island Girl; Don't Go Breaking My Heart; Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word; Little Jeannie; I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues; Sad Songs (Say So Much); Nikita; Candle in the Wind; I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That; Can You Feel the Love Tonight; The One; Something About the Way You Look Tonight -and those are just the Top 10 hits! 34 tracks! List Price: $19.98 USD New From: $8.88 USD In Stock Used from: $2.11 USD In Stock

Great Performances: Tony Bennett: Duets II Nominated For Prime-Time Emmy In “Outstanding Variety Special” Category

‘Great Performances: Tony Bennett: Duets II’ Nominated For Prime-Time Emmy In “Outstanding Variety Special” Category. (PRNewsFoto/RPM Records/Columbia Records, Josh Cheuse)

NEW YORK, July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Tony Bennett: Duets II, a presentation of THIRTEEN’s Great Performances , that premiered on PBS in January, 2012 was nominated for a Prime-Time Emmy Award in the category of “Outstanding Variety Special.”  Tony Bennett: Duets II featured the 17-time Grammy Award winner’s greatest hits, performed by Bennett and today’s biggest stars, including Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Norah Jones, Lady Gaga, k.d. lang, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood, and Amy Winehouse. Tony Bennett: Duets II was produced by RPM TV Productions, Inc, with  Danny Bennett, Executive Producer and Jennifer LeBeau, Producer.  For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.  Tony Bennett’s last prime-time television special, Tony Bennett: An American Classic , won seven Emmy Awards making it the most honored program at the 2007 Emmy Awards.

Tony Bennett made music history with the Grammy-nominated CD Duets II when it debuted at the top of the Billboard Album charts, making Bennett the oldest vocal artist ever to achieve the number one spot.  Released in conjunction with Bennett’s 85th birthday, the platinum selling release, which won three Grammy Awards earlier this year, followed the singer’s Grammy-winning 2006 Duets CD which had, in turn, been released in honor of his 80th birthday.

The album took over six months to record with each track recorded face-to-face with his singing partners in studios around the world, from LA to Nashville to London.  Among the many highlights is Amy Winehouse‘s last recorded track (‘Body and Soul’), which was produced in London’s famous Abbey Road Studios in March.  Other tracks were recorded in New York in late July: the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart classic, “The Lady Is A Tramp” with Lady Gaga, and the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, “How Do You Keep The Music Playing,” with Aretha Franklin , and “Stranger in Paradise” with Andrea Bocelli, recorded at the singer’s Italian home (see full track listing below).  The musical segments were highlighted by insights on the process from the performers, making for an up-close look at one of the year’s most celebrated recordings.  The sessions were filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe (“Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Collateral”), providing a personal, behind-the-scenes look at Bennett’s latest collaborations and his artistic approach with each song.  Tony Bennett: Duets II/The Great Performances is available on DVD at retail outlets nationwide.

The full song program for Great Performances: Tony Bennett: DUETS II :

“The Lady is a Tramp” (Lady Gaga)
“One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) (John Mayer)
“Body and Soul” (Amy Winehouse)
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (Michael Buble)
“Blue Velvet” (k.d. lang)
“How Do You Keep the Music Playing” (Aretha Franklin)
“The Girl I Love” (Sheryl Crow)
“On the Sunny Side of the Street” (Willie Nelson)
“Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) (Queen Latifah)
“Speak Low” (Norah Jones)
“This Is All I Ask” (Josh Groban)
“Watch What Happens” (Natalie Cole)
“Stranger in Paradise” (Andrea Bocelli)
“The Way You Look Tonight” (Faith Hill)
“Yesterday I Heard the Rain” (Alejandro Sanz)
“It Had to Be You” (Carrie Underwood)

SOURCE RPM Records/Columbia Records

See larger image Duets II (Audio CD) DUETS II is the follow-up to Tony Bennett's multi-platinum CD, DUETS, which was released in conjunction with Tony's 80th birthday in 2006. DUETS won three Grammy Awards and was the singer's best selling album to date. Now the legendary performer celebrates a milestone 85th birthday with the release of DUETS II. The singer has completed recording with Lady Gaga and Aretha Franklin, adding to a celebrated list of artists previously announced including Amy Winehouse, Michael Buble, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Queen Latifah, Carrie Underwood and many others. Lady Gaga joined Tony for a rendition of the Richard Rodgers song, "The Lady Is A Tramp" and Bennett and Franklin collaborated on the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, "How Do You Keep The Music Playing." Phil Ramone produced the original DUETS as well as DUETS II. List Price: $13.98 USD New From: $9.26 USD In Stock Used from: $4.07 USD In Stock

TONY BENNETT DUETS II: The Great Performances DVD to be Released by Sony Music Entertainment on March 6

DVD is Companion to Bennett’s #1 and Grammy Nominated CD DUETS II

Tony Bennett To Perform with Carrie Underwood on the Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12

RPM/COLUMBIA RECORDS TONY BENNETT DUETS II

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Music Entertainment will release TONY BENNETT DUETS II: The Great Performances on DVD on March 6th which is a stunning companion to the singer’s celebrated DUETS II CD (on RPM/Columbia Records), which has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.  DUETS II made music history when it debuted at the top of the Billboard Album charts, making Bennett the oldest vocal artist ever to achieve the number one spot.  TONY BENNETT DUETS II:  The Great Performances reveals the behind the scenes process of the recording highlighted by beautifully filmed full-length videos of the song performances. The critically acclaimed album was released in September 2011 in honor of Bennett’s 85th birthday and features the singer’s greatest hits, performed by Bennett and today’s biggest stars, including John Mayer, Michael Buble, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Alejandro Sanz, and Carrie Underwood, and more.   The DVD features special bonus content including video birthday wishes and a gallery of personally inscribed and signed sheet music from the duet guests.

TONY BENNETT DUETS II: The Great Performances can be pre-ordered now exclusively through Amazon.com.  Bennett will be appearing on the Jimmy Kimmel Show on February 9 and The Talk on February 10 (featuring a duet performance with k.d. lang of “Blue Velvet” from the DUETS II CD).

Recently nominated for three Grammys, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), the critically acclaimed album DUETS II received kudos from all quarters. The Wall Street Journal noted that the singer was “…constantly reaffirming his position as pop music’s greatest living patriarch.”

The Recording Academy just announced that Bennett will perform with Carrie Underwood on the Grammy Awards on Feb. 12.  Carrie Underwood joined Tony on his #1 CD, DUETS II, for a recording of the 1920′s popular standard “It Had To Be You.” Bennett’s first Grammy win came in 1962 for his signature song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” which marks its 50th anniversary this year for its recording and release.  Bennett holds the longest span of Grammy nominations in the history of the awards.  Tony Bennett will also be performing at the MusiCares tribute dinner honoring Paul McCartney on February 10.

DUETS II took over six months to record with each track recorded face-to-face with his singing partners in studios around the world, from LA to Nashville to London.  Among the many highlights is Amy Winehouse’s last recorded track (‘Body and Soul’), which was produced in London’s famous Abbey Road Studios in March.  Other tracks were recorded in New York in late July: the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart classic, “The Lady Is A Tramp” with Lady Gaga, and the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, “How Do You Keep The Music Playing,” with Aretha Franklin, and “Stranger in Paradise” with Andrea Bocelli, recorded at the singer’s Italian home.  The DVD is highlighted by insights on the process from the performers, making for an up-close look at one of 2011′s most celebrated recordings. The sessions were filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe (“Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Collateral”), providing a personal, behind-the-scenes look at Bennett’s latest collaborations and his artistic approach with each song.

TONY BENNETT DUETS II: The Great Performances DVD features the following video listing:

“The Lady is a Tramp” (Lady Gaga)
“One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) (John Mayer)
“Body and Soul” (Amy Whitehouse)
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (Michael Buble)
“Blue Velvet” (k.d. lang)
“How Do You Keep the Music Playing” (Aretha Franklin)
“The Girl I Love” (Sheryl Crow)
“On the Sunny Side of the Street” (Willie Nelson)
“Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) (Queen Latifah)
“Speak Low” (Norah Jones)
“This Is All I Ask” (Josh Groban)
“Watch What Happens” (Natalie Cole)
“Stranger in Paradise” (Andrea Bocelli)
“The Way You Look Tonight” (Faith Hill)
“Yesterday I Heard the Rain” (Alejandro Sanz)
“It Had to Be You” (Carrie Underwood)

About Tony Bennett:

Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with over 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over.  He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label.  His 2007 prime-time special, “Tony Bennett:  An American Classic,” won seven Emmy Awards and was directed by Academy Award winner Rob Marshall.  He has performed for 10 US Presidents, from Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr. and Obama.  He also worked with and marched alongside Martin Luther King in his 1965 civil rights march and was honored with the Martin Luther King’s Salute to Greatness Award. In addition to performing, he is a visual artist as well, with three of his original paintings featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian, including his portraits of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington.  His humanitarian efforts are renowned and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007.  He has published three books – his autobiography, “The Good Life,” and two books of his paintings, “Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen,” and “Tony Bennett In the Studio: A Life of Art and Music.”  Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts – a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization which supports arts education in NYC public high schools.  Exploring the Arts supports 14 public high schools throughout New York City.

www.tonybennett.com
www.benedettoarts.com
www.exploringthearts.org

SOURCE RPM/Columbia Records

Web Site: http://tonybennett.com/

Worldwide Release of Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett Duet of “Body and Soul” Single and Video on Wednesday, September 14 in Commemoration of Amy’s Birthday with Donations Going to the Amy Winehouse Foundation

VIDEO OF “BODY AND SOUL” WILL PREMIERE ON MTV NETWORKS AT 6 AM (ET), 11 AM (UK)

NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The track and video of “Body and Soul,” recorded by Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett on March 23, 2011 at Abbey Road Studios in London, will be released in its entirety on Wednesday, September 14 to commemorate Amy Winehouse’s birthday.  ”Body and Soul” became the final recording Amy ever made before her passing on July 23rd of this year.  September 14 marks what would have been the singer’s 28th Birthday.

Never before released photo of Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett taken from the Body and Soul recording session at Abbey Road Studios in London. (PRNewsFoto/RPM Records/Columbia Records, Kelsey)

Tony Bennett commented, “We had a beautiful time recording together in the studio and I knew that Amy was very happy with how she performed that day.  I thought she was absolutely brilliant and this recording truly captures the essence of her unique artistry. She was a rare talent.”

Plans will be announced for donation of proceeds from the sale of “Body and Soul” single and video to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

MTV Networks will premiere the video at 6 AM (ET) on September 14 and MTV, VH1, MTV Hits and MTV U will play the video hourly throughout the morning.  The “Body and Soul” video will be released online at Vevo and MTV.com.  Additionally, morning radio across the country will be playing the track as part of the launch of the single.

The recording session was filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe (“Chicago,” “Memoirs Of A Geisha”) as part of a major documentary film on Bennett in the works. “Body and Soul” is one of 17 tracks to be included on Tony Bennett’s forthcoming CD, DUETS II, due out in the US on September 20.  Released in honor of Bennett’s 85th birthday, which he celebrated on August 3rd of this year, the album features a celebrated roster of artists who all recorded with Bennett live in the studio including Lady Gaga, Michael Buble, Queen Latifah, Carrie Underwood and John Mayer.

SOURCE RPM Records/Columbia Records