Concert Hall - Biography

Biography - Concert Hall

USA

In The US
Concert Hall Society was advertising LP’s in record catalogues starting 1950
The Handel Society began in late 1951 and discs were available in 1952 catalogues
The Chamber Music Society began in May 1952 and offered LP’s in red vinyl
All above three labels were available in retail stores but in an effort to supply customers in a post order club form , Musical Masterworks Society was formed.
Legal problems with Columbia over the “Masterworks” title led to a renaming - Musical Masterpiece Society. In 1953, popularity of the series meant a change of address to larger premises

Nov 1954 Billboard
Bell records have closed a deal with Musical Masterpieces for the distribution of its Pop Music Masters in various European countries. MMS and its affiliate Concert Hall operate a mail order record clubs here and abroad
MMS will now have access to Bell masters it feels suitable for exploitation in European countries where it currently operates including France, Holland Switzerland and Western Germany. The deal will not include Great Britain where Bell are attempting a separate deal. Also excluded are Belgium & Luxembourg
A guess is that this is the beginning of the Varieton label..a specific label for" popular" music.

1955 Billboard
“Concert Hall With its Musical Masterpiece Society, Opera Society and Jazztone is operating in virtually all European countries:- Holland, France, Germany, Italy. The biggest operation is in West Germany where most of the records are pressed”

In 1955 Concert Hall had bought the master recordings of the defunct Dial label and began the Jazztone imprint releasing an impressive array of artists into the European market – all available through a catalogue and post order service. Originally on 10" discs but by mid 1955 Jazztone's ads were only offering 12" albums.
According to the Sound Foundation site, Jazztone ceased to be in 1960

May 1956 Billboard
Concert Hall varies its operations in each country.Many of its discs are pressed in the US. Some are made in one European country and shipped to another.
In some countries the outfit simply supplies the discs to a local mail order promoter – in others it maintains its own organisation.

General

The early MMS and Jazztone releases were originally 10” LP’s – being cheaper to produce than the 12” Concert Hall versions. Their artwork was basic to keep down the costs..

The Concert Hall catalogue was sold to Crowell- Collier Publishing Company in July 1956.
In 1957 under new management, Concert Hall recordings were being offered at a knock down price with the note that they were discontinued items and will never again be available.
Crowell-Collier bought only the US operation with a view to expanding their market for pre- recorded tapes

In Europe it was business as usual
In France the Musical Masterpiece Society name was not adopted – there it became “Guilde Internationale du Disque”. They began in 1954 and were still operating into the 1980’s
A Quote from the soundfoundation site

“From 1956 on, The MMS Label is no longer available in Europe”

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