[ARSCLIST] recordings outside the commercial realm

["spcv1@xxxxxxxxxxx" <spcv1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

  Having run THE COLLECTOR'S VAULT for 27 years, I guess I would have fallen into the general group of "those who offered recordings outside the commercial realm"...called "pirates" by some, "career preservationists" by others. "Pirates" always struck me as a term that fit some of the characters who took a good chunk of your loot, but produced pretty awful stuff for customers. They gave the tape underground a bad name(and still do). If it weren't for private collectors making some of their rarities available, there would be an awfully small amount of available material to showcase the long careers of those the record companies chose to ignore. Leyla Gencer, Magda Olivero, Nunzio Todisco, Amadeo Zambon, William Holley, Salvatore Fisichella, Margherita Roberti, and many others, would be almost totally unknown, if it weren't for the "in house" and rare broadcast performances they gave. They made few, or no, commercial recordings, yet they were long-time international super-stars. It is really hard to fathom why many great artists are neglected by recording companies, while some minor talents are given all the hype. In my own collection, there are rare recordings from artist's estates, which are not known to exist. Making them available fills gaps in any vocal collectors' holdings, and knowledge. So....I applaud the tape underground, if the sellers are on the up-and-up...I condemn them if they're just rip-off artists, providing garbage to unsuspecting buyers. The really interesting audio material seems to be in the dawn-of-the-LP issues, and in the private holdings of collectors. The commercial record companies are way behind in offering things off the beaten track, but they are improving, by way of the smaller, enterprising labels.