studio 1 future?

[Ites]

anyone who knows what's going on at the studio one camp? mrs dodd is not doing more than licensing tracks for soul jazz and heartbeat these days, does she? or have i missed something...

[Bellyman]

Recording business there is dead.

All of the heritage is going about money-making, that is why Heartbeat has stopped releasing records at all.

Negotiations for a second licensing deal with Soul Jazz Records may have lead to no settlement yet, there's doubts if ever ends will meet there.

[=Nilo82=]

From the music lover's perspective it's a crying shame.
Soul Jazz and Heartbeat did quality work.
Sure, most of the studio 1 albums are available today, but considering the (sound)quality it's like a lottery: Sometimes you find good clean records, sometimes you get records with horrible sound, missing tracks and god knows what else..

[ACEtone]

Last time I was in Jamaica (2000) the Studio One compound was locked up but the building was in fairly good shape. Is there any plan at all to do anything with it? Does anyone know?

This might come across as lame, but considering Studio One's huge influence on Jamaican culture wouldn't it be the right thing to do to somehow preserve the studio as a working studio museum or something?

If it comes down to money, surely they could charge admission and there would be plenty of people happy to pay to see the place where so much great music was played and recorded.

Just a thought!

Somehow the JA ministry of culture (or whatever they are called) getting involved doesn't inspire me with confidence.

Don't know about its current state but Bob 'ouse as they call it seemed to be well run (9 years ago) and I'd imagine profitable. Could the Dodd family do something similar (assuming they still own the premises?)

and yes, Nilo82, the joys of Studio One vinyl. I still have a bunch of records that from time to time I wonder why I so rarely play them - oh yeah, terrible sound, totally warped, label off center and fouling grooves of last track, mystery additional tracks (bonus!) etc.! And yet some of them are just awesome!
Heartbeat and Soul Jazz did some great reissue - true - but I've always wondered about the profit margins on such noble efforts. Must be very difficult to sustain, especially these days...

[Vlad]

here is an idea: instead of releasing compilations or work re framed in therms of marketing, why not simply re issue the original catalogue in thick vinyl & cardboard using original art? Check what Japanese have done with for example with Ernest Ranglin "Guitar In Ernest" LP re issued recently by "Dub Store Japan". That's the reference for Studio 1. New recordings? With Dodd and most of the artists now gone, using the S1 name would only be for marketing purposes. The original vibe is gone, so let new generations create their own future. The reference to S1 will always be there anyway.

[ACEtone]

I wasn't for a moment suggesting that the studio would be reborn and become a commercial enterprise - just make it an operational artifact...I can't listen to the stuff done there in the 80s so I'm under no illusions about the importance of the building itself. The players, engineers, Dodd himself were what made it great.

okay then, how about this for a wild idea?

Digitize the entire catalogue from the masters at insanely high bit rate, scan all artwork at super high res and make a web repository for free download to any anonymous user who happens to click by the site. No? Why not?

I suppose there is still money to be made from the catalogue one way or another, but these days it's a hard sell. I wouldn't buy the nice Japanese reissue, but I suppose lots of others would.

I'm all for moving forward, moving on to new things but I also believe in preserving various historical aspects of culture. Jamaica has always been slow to recognize its most important cultural output - its starting to change - the government has started to make awards to various legends (Bunny Lee got some award last year) but in some ways it is just a likka bit a likka bit too late...

If Studio One is suddenly demolished, will anyone notice? The legacy is invulnerable but...

[han]

"Digitize the entire catalogue from the masters at insanely high bit rate"
.
most masters are long lost,stolen or rotten away (due to the climate...)
Those Souljazz re-releases are taken from old and used stampers because of that reason..

[ACEtone]

yeah I know an engineer who was present when some of the paper masters were 'ripped'
I am under no illusions.
Never have been, but thanks for the the...oneupmanship

Long live Studio One!!!!

But presumably a lot are not 'rotten away'. If found, probably still feasible.

Don't be a spoil sport!

[stepping razor]

You might as well find the originals on record.

peace

[soundspot]

I heard that the studio will become a museum.