Reader's Digest - Biography

Biography - Reader's Digest

USA

In 1999 Readers Digest Records celebrated 40 years with an article in Billboard which gave the history of the company thus:-
On a golf course in 1959, RCA's Bill Mulligan and Reader's Digest's Al Cole were discussing the considerable RD mailing List and it was suggested that it could be used to sell records directly to the homes of a generation not used to going into a Record Shop to buy their music.
So started Reader's Digest Records with the help of RCA's archive of recorded music.
The first RD release was a specially designed 12 LP set "Music of the World's Great Composers" which sold huge amounts to the surprise of RCA.
A second set "Festival of Light Classical Music" was another winner and Readers Digest Records was up and running.

In 1961 Book Of The Month Club was running The RCA Record Club. Readers Digest Offered a substantial amount (5.4 million dollars) and took over. The first " non classical "set was made available "Popular Music That Will Last Forever" and in 1964 the first "artist" collection was released offering "The Unforgettable Glenn Miller"

As Reader's Digest was an International Organisation, an alternative to just US music from RCA was needed and offices in Germany, France and UK began to cater for local music tastes too.

After 1969 occasional US box sets would be pressed by Columbia Special Products that would spotlight acts on the Columbia and Epic labels, alongside the usual RCA-made box sets.

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