MGM Records
In 1946, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio launched MGM Records to release soundtrack recordings from their musical films. The label issued its first album for Till the Clouds Roll By, a movie about composer Jerome Kern. This release became the first soundtrack album of a live-action film distributed as four 10-inch 78-rpm records. Producers had to edit eight song selections to fit the physical limits of the discs. They copied segments from playback discs used on set and re-copied them multiple times to create a master. No magnetic tape existed yet, so the process involved several generations of transfer that degraded sound quality. These early recordings were intentionally recorded without reverberation to avoid sounding hollow in large theaters. The result was a flat and boxy audio experience compared to modern standards.
By 1950, magnetic tape technology had been perfected for recording use within the industry. This innovation marked a significant improvement in sound quality for long play albums starting in 1951. The transition allowed producers to move away from dry disc transfers that suffered from generational loss. Magnetic tape preserved the original audio fidelity much better than the multi-generation disc copying methods. Albums like Quo Vadis released in 1951 benefited from these new capabilities. Later releases such as Ben-Hur and King of Kings utilized studio recreations with original orchestrations. Genuine soundtracks for films like Doctor Zhivago and 2001: A Space Odyssey also emerged using this improved medium. By the 1990s, Rhino Records issued authentic versions of scores including outtakes that were previously unavailable.
MGM Records shifted its focus into pop music during the late 1950s and 1960s through various subsidiary labels. They acquired Verve Records from Norman Granz in December 1960 and launched Cub Records in the late 1950s. Artists like Connie Francis and Herman's Hermits achieved hit records on the label. The Animals and the Cowsills also found success under the MGM banner. Joni James released There Goes My Heart in 1958 which was promoted as the first 45 rpm record in stereophonic sound. This single came out in September 1958 just days after a similar release by Bel Canto Records. Country singer Conway Twitty scored hits on the rock charts alongside pop stars. Other distributed labels included Kama Sutra and American International Records.
The company operated its own record manufacturing plant at Bloomfield New Jersey from 1947 until 1972. This facility pressed not only their own records but also handled sub-contract work for other companies like Atlantic Records. For several years in the late 1940s and early 1950s, MGM ran a radio syndication business producing The MGM Theater of the Air. They manufactured electrical transcriptions to distribute these shows to local stations using the same pressing equipment. The division closed when MGM Records was sold to PolyGram in 1972. After that sale, former competitors began manufacturing records issued by MGM. The physical infrastructure allowed them to be considered one of the major record companies alongside Columbia and RCA Victor during the early 1950s.
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Common questions
When did MGM Records launch and what was its first album?
MGM Records launched in 1946 to release soundtrack recordings from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio musical films. The label issued its first album for Till the Clouds Roll By, a movie about composer Jerome Kern.
How were early MGM Records soundtracks recorded before magnetic tape technology existed?
Producers edited eight song selections to fit physical limits of four 10-inch 78-rpm records without using magnetic tape. They copied segments from playback discs used on set and re-copied them multiple times to create a master through several generations of transfer that degraded sound quality.
What technological change improved long play album sound quality starting in 1951?
Magnetic tape technology had been perfected for recording use within the industry by 1950. This innovation marked a significant improvement in sound quality for long play albums starting in 1951 and allowed producers to move away from dry disc transfers that suffered from generational loss.
Which subsidiary labels did MGM Records acquire or launch during the late 1950s and 1960s?
MGM Records acquired Verve Records from Norman Granz in December 1960 and launched Cub Records in the late 1950s. Other distributed labels included Kama Sutra and American International Records while artists like Connie Francis and Herman's Hermits achieved hit records on the label.
Where was the MGM Records manufacturing plant located and when did it operate?
The company operated its own record manufacturing plant at Bloomfield New Jersey from 1947 until 1972. This facility pressed not only their own records but also handled sub-contract work for other companies like Atlantic Records before the division closed when MGM Records was sold to PolyGram in 1972.