RECORDED MUSIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26848, 12 August 1948, Page 6

RECORDED MUSIC

INCREASE IN DEMAND PROSPECT OF SHORTAGE The extraordinary post-war demand for gramophone records has taken retail sales figures far past the pre-war mark, but unless an unexpected additional import licence is granted, record buyers may find little available in the remainder of this year. After repeated representations had been made to the authorities, the licence was increased at the start of this year when it was anticipated that last year’s total would meet only about one-third of the demand. Further approaches with the object of obtaining another increase have so far met with a negative reply and retailers have been advised that the current year’s licence will cover only one more shipment of recordings. The majority of the records released in New Zealand are, of course, pressed in Australia although a percentage of the recordings of serious music has come from Britain. Rationing System As the position stands, retailers’ applications for, say, 20 copies of a particularly popular current release may be met with a single disc. Most retailers have thus been forced to adopt some sort of rationing system on records in particular demand. As a somewhat unfortunate commentary Ph New Zealand musical taste, it might be mentioned that by far the largest demand is'for so-called “hillbilly ” records, with band marches* Hawaiian melodies and recordings by performers such as Bing Crosby, the Ink Spots, Spike Jones, and the Mills Brothers following in that order. Although old recordings are still listed in the catalogues, it is difficult to obtain copies as the back stock is limited. Some idea of the demand which exists may be gauged from the fact that a local retailer estimated : that monthly sales in Dunedin alone would be in the vicinity of 3000 recordings. This, however, was only part of the picture as for every recording sold there were perhaps another three v. hich were asked for but were unobtainable because of the shortage. Local Recordings

As was announced yesterday, recordpressing * machines are to be brought from England with the idea of making records at local singers available for the retail trade. Whether or not this would be popular, local dealers said, remained to ne seen. They were of the opinion that only constant radio and film presentations could make any recording artist popular. Recordings of overseas singers or orchestras whose names were comparatively little known in New Zealand simply stayed on the shelves. It might possibly be a case of prophets being Jwitnout honour in their own country, but they considered that the attitude of the average New Zealander to most local artists who might be recorded was that if they were any good they would not be in New Zealand.