Fire in the vault

The lead article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine is an investigative story about a June 2008 fire in a warehouse at Universal Studios in Hollywood that could have an impact on future releases of archival recordings by Peggy Lee on the Decca label. The story titled “The Day the Music Burned” is fascinating and troubling. The warehouse contained, in part, the sound recordings library of Universal Music Group. UMG has downplayed the significance of the fire; however, UMG subsequently sued its landlord NBC Universal for damages from the fire. That litigation revealed that the master recordings of Decca recording artists were destroyed. While the article does not refer to Miss Lee by name, the artists identified include Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Judy Garland. Since Miss Lee recorded during the same time frame as some of these artists, it would seem to follow that her master recordings with Decca were probably destroyed, as well. While UMG owned the physical property of the master recordings, the recording artists themselves probably retained intellectual property rights in those master recordings, and litigation by artists and or their estates is anticipated.

[www.nytimes.com]

Yep. Used during litigation, there is actually documentation listing all the artists who suffered master losses. It's a huge list, and Peggy's name is indeed among those included.

For us, the biggest hypothetical loss is "The Legend Of The Well," a song that Peggy is said to have recorded for her album Sea Shells, and which never saw release. However, even before the fire, attempts at locating that master had been unsuccessful. One possible explanation is that, despite its listing in official session documentation, it never really existed: Peggy could have ultimately cancelled plans for its recording. Another possibility, which I'd like to think likelier: the master could have been lost (misplaced) somewhere in the vaults, and thus in need of retrieval at the Universal Studios. Too Late Now.

We also lost whichever alternate takes and studio chatter Decca might have preserved in its vaults.

Ivan

Geez, Ivan, have you been able to talk to Peg's family about this? Certainly Holly would know what was going on.