So, you want to listen to the "good stuff,"
eh???
- Bruce Baron just returned
from visiting the US Library Of Congress Register Of Copyrights
Office in Washington DC. He got special
permission from the department to pull 24 Madonna and Madonna
related public copyright records to review some selected UNRELEASED
songs as a follow up to his 1999
Goldmine Magazine article which was mostly based on on-line
database searches (LOC, BMI, ASCAP, Warner-Chappell Pub) and
an interview with Stephen
Bray.
-
- Bruce has a great deal to share with us.
He was able to listen to unreleased Shep Pettibone productions
of songs from as recent as the "Bedtime
Stories" and "Erotica"
albums as well as older
material. He limited his selection to 24 requests in the interest
of saving time and money based on what he thought might be the
most interesting items. It was very exciting, and the day was
full of surprises.
-
- In order to protect the registered works,
security is tight at the LOC James Madison Building next door
to the White House. To review these unreleased records you must
first request permission in writing, pay a fee and wait about
12 weeks for the documents to be pulled from various buildings
to be held for 30 days. It must be done for a specific public
purpose (the article research), and can not be done as a walk-in
for private enjoyment alone. Then an appointment can be made
for the review of the items found (key word "found")
for yet another fee. This requires the presentation of proper
ID, a metal detector check of your personal body and baggage
X-Ray upon entry (repeat inspections upon exit).
-
- No copies of the recordings can be made unless
you are the owner of the work. No verbatim transcription of lyrics
is permitted (only very general note taking is allowed), and
nearby the staff keeps and eye on the reviewer. All of this is
frustrating, but expected and required to prevent damage and
theft of the works.
-
- Due to the restrictions, Bruce's notes on
the various tracks listed in the "unreleased
recordings" guide are from memory to the best of his
ability. He reviewed a lot of material in a five hour period,
so it wasn't easy.
-
- The process for reviewing commercially released
works is not as strict, does not require advanced written permission
and is done in a different location (walk-in's OK) than the unreleased
works described above.....but we already know about those.
-
- If you are planning to visit Washington DC
to listen to some of Madonna's
unreleased material at the Library Of Congress, you will
need to know this:
-
- Recorded Sound Reference Center
Library of Congress
James Madison Building, Room LM-113
Washington, DC 20540-4807
-
- Monday - Friday (8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
Saturday-Sunday (Closed)
-
- Listening facilities are provided for those
doing research of a specific nature, leading toward a publicly
available work such as a publication, thesis or dissertation,
radio/film/television production, or public performance. We regret
that the facilities may not be used for purely personal study
or appreciation.
-
- You must register at the Recorded Sound Reference
Center as users of rare materials and present identification
showing a permanent address.
- Waiting time for listening appointments will
vary according to the time required to search and retrieve an
item. Commercial pressings and cassettes require about ten minutes
to retrieve.
-
- Recordings may be heard a maximum of two
times. Requests for cueing will be accommodated as staff time
permits. Stops and starts, or backing up for repeat of certain
passages are not allowed. The listener may request the record
notes and/or jackets. Print materials provided during a listening
appointment must be returned to the Performing Arts Reading Room
desk at the end of the appointment each day.
-
- COPYING OF RECORDINGS IS NOT PERMITTED AND
TAPE RECORDERS MAY NOT BE TAKEN INTO THE LISTENING AREA.
-
- Saturday listening is by appointment. The
Recorded Sound Reference Center is closed on Saturday. Please
keep in mind that cancellations without sufficient notice tend
to prevent others from having access to the facilities. If cancellations,
postponements, or delays are unavoidable please call (202) 707-7833
or (202) 707-6307 Saturdays.
-
Bruce Baron also writes:
-
- There are many interesting Madonna items
at the Registry of Copwritten Works at the Library Of Congress
in Washington DC, but what is not found is also interesting.
These works are still protected by US law, but for some reason
the owners of the works never sent them in.These include: All
of the Madonna/Emmy & Breakfast Club material, All of the
Gotham Management Sessions w/Camille Barbone, and many Warner
Bros era demos with Stephen Bray and other collaborators. Also
these items which were not discovered in time to be included
in the 7-2-99 Goldmine
Article:
- "I Can't Forget" w/David Foster
from the "You'll See" & "One More Chance"
sessions BMI work# 2133633 published by Peerless Music. http://www.bmi.com
and "Dick Tracy" written with Pat Leonard ASCAP work
340325268 http://www.ascap.com
-
- The registry office itself is quite a mess,
and it's a wonder that they can find anything. I was sandwiched
between boxes of stuff and tables to listen to the tapes that
I requested. When I left, the tapes were sitting on a huge table
with tons of other books and materials. It made me wonder if
they would be replaced in the proper locations. They don't get
that many visitors. Most requests are usually done by the owners
of the works for legal disputes. They do keep track of who has
requested what over time, but to find out who has done this requires
additional time and money as another records search.
GO
TO THE GOLDMINE ARTICLE
UNRELEASED
MADONNA MATERIAL (with notes by Bruce Baron)
You know I'll take you there........
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