How do you file your cast album Cd's? — Page 2

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#26

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/25/05 at 3:09pm

The first CD I got, I got by accident. I was working in radio and each day I would get "new release" sheets from the record companies. In the summer of 1984 I saw RCA had issued a "Highlights from SWEENEY TODD" album so I ordered it more out of curiosity waht would be eliminated to fit it onto one Lp. Except it wasn't an Lp it was a CD...and I had nothing to play it on until we installed CD players in the summer of 1985! Still every show CD that came out I ordered.

It might be hard to believe now but when Cd's were first marketd in the mid 1980s, there were very few CD pressing plants and when a title went out of stock it could take years for more to appear in stores. (I missed the first CD edition of OLIVER! and had to wait until the 2nd release came in 1988.) Woe to anyone who missed STOP THE WORLD or YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN as these titles soon were selling for over $100 each!

Cast albums were slow to appear. LA CAGE AUX FOLLES was one of the first, followed by SWEENEY TODD (Highlights) and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE which, for me, was the most stunning display of digital audio. The CD sounded magnificent! (The heavily compressed LP edition sounded like crap mainly because they squeezed almost 35 minutes onto each side.)

The first all digital cast album was the 1981 London revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC with Petula Clark. And as far as I know that one has never come out on CD!!

It was 1987/88 when Columbia and RCA Victor began slowly releasing some of the hit shows on CD. The floodgates really opened around 1993 when EMI launched their Broadway Angel series (40 titles), SONY started their Sony Broadway series (50 releases) and MCA began their remastered reissues with crisp new trasnfers of the R & H shows. RCA was pretty steady for about 15 years bringing out 3-5 cast album reissues a year which is why we got HAPPY HUNTING, MILK AND HONEY and ME AND JULIET on CD .... all thanks to Bill Rosenfield.

Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

#27

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/25/05 at 4:30pm

I file them by the date on which the show opened. It starts with Babes In Toyland in 1905 and goes all the way through to today.

For shows with multiple recordings, I put the revival and studio recordings in chronological order behind the original album. FrontRowCenter has already used Carousel as an example of doing this.

Shows which never had cast albums--for instance, the Gershwin Roxbury recordings--go where a show's particular opening date is. So Pardon My English is where it belongs at the beginning of 1933.

For film soundtracks of original musicals, I attempt to find out their opening date in the movie theaters (often extremely difficult information) and they go right into the collection with the Broadway stuff.

Frankly, I can't believe nobody else does this. The thought of alphabetizing them is abhorrent to me. I want eras together. A timeline from then to now, if you will. Some people may think it would be totally confusing, but if you know when shows were initially produced (and you should) it's no problem whatsoever. And it's more fun!

Yes, I keep the jewel box and all. They protect the disc and booklet. Why the hell would anyone put them in a baggie and throw the case away? I finally had to purchase shelving from Target since my collection (which is pushing 800 or so) was all over the place.

P.S.- At the risk of sounding totally insane, when dealing with a show which closed out of town--Prettybelle, Breakfast At Tiffany's--I slot them in the date when they were announced to open on Broadway. Occasionally this is impossible. Bounce never had an exact date, for instance, so I'm stuck using it's opening date in Washington. It's essentially a Washington cast album anyway.

Updated On: 6/25/05 at 04:30 PM

#28

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/25/05 at 4:33pm

wow thats intense. but i do get what you mean about wanting them in eras. thats how i file my movies, im a big classic movie buff and they have to go together or else i'll never remember where anything is. the only other way i could see doing it is by actor.

you may know what you need but to get what you want better see that you keep what you have

#29

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/25/05 at 4:40pm

Alphabetical
Broadway
Off Bway
Never Produced Shows
London Shows

I also have subdivisions such as all CD's of these musicals:

a)Phantoms
b)Draculas
c)Cyrano's
d)Hunchback's

Poster Emeritus

Updated On: 6/26/05 at 04:40 PM

#30

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/25/05 at 4:42pm

I keep the cases but i put them all in one binder so that way i can carry them with me everywhere. All the cases are on a shelf in alphabetical order.

Kristin Chenoweth could barely control a Great Dane she trotted onto the stage. "Great, they gave me a dog that weighs five times what I do", she quipped. For the record, she weighs 93 pounds, and has a Maltese.

#31

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/25/05 at 5:01pm

year order. And alphabetical order for those wich was made the same year.

Norbert Leo Butz quotes about John Lithgow: "He's really clumsy. One of the joys in life is to watch a great big huge man totally wipe out backstage. It takes John about three minutes to hit the floor. It's like watching a Great Sequoia falling gracelessly."

#32

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/26/05 at 12:12pm

mine are sorted in the order i buy them

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird

#33

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/26/05 at 12:16pm

Alphabetical Order.

#34

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/26/05 at 2:04pm

alphabetical order (normal bands names, and musicals by the show's name)

I was just reading High Fidelity and the guy in the book keeps his records organized chronologically in his life, so he can pull one out and say "oh I got this in the summer of '83, when I was dating so-n-so". I thought it was a cool idea, but I'm way too anal retentive to not have it easily found b/c of the alphabetical order.

http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=13865158 please =D

#35

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/26/05 at 2:11pm

I know quite a few collectors who file chronological and that makes sense too. But if someone is browinhg your library and doesn't know what year THE FANTASTICKS premiered they would have to look it up. With my PC File database I can sort and print a list of shows by premiere date.

#36

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/26/05 at 6:26pm

I keep everything in the original jewel cases (plus slipcovers where applicable) - unless I break the original case, then I replace it (this happened with my 2-disc OBC of "Ragtime").

I have a neat little CD shelving unit where everything is filed in alphabetical order by title. Naughty me, I have all my cast recordings, movie musical soundtracks, and movie orchestral soundtracks mixed together. As I get new CDs, I lay them flat on top of the shelf where they belong, and eventually move things down to make room for filing them. I have a blue case-logic book that holds 24 CDs, and a "Finding Nemo" book that I got as a freebie at Best Buy that holds 12 CDs, and I will occasionally load these up to take in the car.

"In my own little corner..."

#37

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/26/05 at 10:44pm

i keep mine on shelves in jewel boxes and filed by the person who wrote the score and in order of original production date...i know a litle sick isn't it?

#38

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/27/05 at 2:02am

Everything in their original jewel case with their booklets. Alphabetical. With multilple recordings, by year. Two cd sets before highlights.

"I would rather be with the people of this town than with the finest people in the world."--Fred Willard as Mayor Deebs in Roxanne

#39

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/27/05 at 3:21am

Alphabetical. When ripping onto an iPod you have to change some of the information around. Those that have one, know what I am talking about.

"I've had two years to grow claws, Mother, and they're Jungle Red!" Mary Haines - The Women

#40

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/27/05 at 3:22am

I don't have many, so I'm still able to pile 'em up in this little cubby I have. I usually listen to one for several days, then I just switch. I don't have any particular ORDER, but I know where to find them. And that's what really matters to me...

This is my signature.

#41

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/27/05 at 8:09am

I'm another one that files CRs chronologically - though as a bit more of a challenge, it's by the date that that cast opened the show, so the '1999' Martin Guerre recording actually comes under 1998, and Breakfast at Tiffany's is in the 1990's. A revival goes under the date it opened and not with the original recording. Every one is in its original jewel case, even those awkward 'double' cases (Rent etc), though they are in a separate spinner. Vinyl are also in their own (chronologically organised) stack. I'm getting close to running out of space as I've got nearly 300, but it looks like I'll have to go much further to catch up with some on this board

Updated On: 6/27/05 at 08:09 AM

#42

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/27/05 at 9:11am

I have them in there cases in alphabetical order in there orignal cases.

Save him please, just save him My poor Boq, my sweet, my brave him Don't leave me till my sorry life has scene Alone and loveless here, just the girl in the mirror Just her and me, the Wicked Witch of the East

#43

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/27/05 at 9:27am

I put everything in the order I got them. All the jewel cases are on a shelf, the CDs are in a booklet, with the exception of DRS, LW, and Spamalot which are randomly thrown in my car.

"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611

#44

re: How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 6/27/05 at 9:41am

Alpa by Show title, within show title by year of production, EXCEPT for Sondheim shows and collections - they have their own shelves and I'm sure Melvi Dewey of decimal system fame would approve.

"Love Life. Live." Michael Bennett

#45

How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 7/12/13 at 2:43am

I think I'm the only person on the face of the Earth who files their CDs by record label.

My LPs are chronologically sorted, though.

#46

How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 7/12/13 at 7:41am

They are placed within a cd holder (one held one thousand cds), the latest only 400) with their original case and content. I store them with all of my cds and are stored by release date of the cd.

#47

How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 7/12/13 at 2:57pm

This whole conversation reminds me of one of my favorite posts from Bobby Bubby several years ago...
Darn you Dessa Rose Packaging

#48

How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 7/12/13 at 8:32pm

This is an interesting topic, reminds me that I have to think about how to file my cast recordings. I keep everything as is when I got it, with the jewel cases and booklets inside. But I don't have a specific way of filing, I just put them on my bookshelf randomly. I have a couple of bookshelves, which makes it hard to find specific recordings sometimes.

#49

How do you file your cast album Cd's?

Posted: 7/12/13 at 10:17pm

In cases. Seperated by all-out favorites in one shelving unit, Broadway hits in another, Broadway flops elsewhere, and then off-Broadway & foreign cast recording. Alphabetized by title within each category from there.

With Irma you gotta do something!

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