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♪THE THINGS THAT I USED TO DO
LORD I WON'T DO NO MORE ♪♪
>>> BACK IN 1954 THIS RECORD BY
GUITAR SLIM WHOSE REAL NAME WAS
EDDIE JONES WAS ON THE
BILLBOARD R AND B CHARTS 42
WEEKS.
IN LOS ANGELES STORES INCLUDING
THE FLASH RECORD SHOPS DOLPHINS
OF HOLLYWOOD WHICH WAS ACTUALLY
IN SOUTH LOS ANGELES AND MUSIC
CITY WAS ON SUNSET AND VINE HAD
A HARD TIME KEEP THE RECORD IN
STOCK, BUT THINGS I USED TO DO
WAS EVENTUALLY AVAILABLE ON 8
TRACK TAPES AND COMPACT
CASSETTE, BUT MOST LISTENERS
PREFERRED RECORDS UNTIL THE
COMPACT DISC WAS INTRODUCED IN
1982 AND THE iPOD IN 2001.
TODAY THE iTUNES MUSIC STORE
TELLS 16 MILLION DIGITAL
DOWNLOADS EVERY DAY MAKING IT
THE BIGGEST MUSIC STORE IN THE
HISTORY OF THE WORLD, BUT DON'T
INCLUDE BUYING RECORD AS ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT WE USED TO DO
BECAUSE TODAY VINYL IS THE
FASTEST GROWING PART OF THE
MUSIC BUSINESS.
THIS IS BILL SMITH'S CUSTOM
RECORD IN EL SEGUNDO.
WHEN THE PRESS MACHINES ARE
RUNNING FULL TILT AND THEY
ALWAYS ARE, THOUSANDS OF
RECORDS ROLL OUT OF HERE EVERY
DAY.
CROMWELL IS A LOS ANGELES ROCK
BAND THAT RECORDED AT THE INFRA
SONIC STUDIOS IN DOWNTOWN LOS
ANGELES.
GETTING THE RECORD READY
REQUIRES THE ARTISTRY FROM THE
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, DIGITAL
AND ANALOG AND A LITTLE
ARTISTIC VOODOO TO CUT A
MASTER.
AFTER ANALYZING THE MUSIC
MASTERING BEGINS WITH AN
ALUMINUM DISC COATED WITH
LACQUER.
PETE PUTS IT ONTO THE TURN
TABLE BEGINS TO CUT THE GROOVES
THAT WILL BECOME THE RECORD.
>> WE'RE CUTTING A 7-INCH
LACQUER FOR A 45.
WE USE A 10-INCH DISC BECAUSE
THAT PROVIDES SOME HANDLING
SPACE AT THE SIDES.
>> Reporter: RIGHT ON THE
CUTTING EDGE IS A SAPPHIRE
STYLUS THAT'S HEATED.
HERE'S AN ELECTRONIC
MICROSCOPE'S FREEZE FRAME LOOK
INSIDE THE GROOVE MAGNIFIED
1,000 TIMES.
ON A TURN TABLE ALL THOSE
SQUIGGLES ARE TURNED INTO
MUSIC.
>> WE'RE REALLY BUSY.
WE'RE CUTTING EVERY DAY ALL
DAY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK I JUST
SIT HERE AT THIS DESK AND
YOU'RE NOT MOVING AROUND MUCH,
BUT IT REALLY IS A DEMANDING
JOB.
IT'S EXHAUSTING.
PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT KIND OF
MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO?
SO MY GENERAL ANSWER USUALLY
THESE DAYS IS PEN PR, TALK
RADIO.
I LISTEN TO MUSIC ALL DAY.
SO WHEN I'M OUTSIDE OF WORK AND
I LOVE MUSIC, I GREW UP PLAYING
IN BANDS, THIS IS MY LIFE, BUT
SOMETIMES I NEED A BREAK FROM
IT.
>> Reporter: WHEN PETE IS
FINISHED CUTTING THE MASTER, HE
USES A SHARP METAL STYLUS TO
WRITE A NUMBER INTO THE DEAD
WAX TO IDENTIFY THE MASTER FOR
THE RECORD COMPANY AND THE
PRESSING PLANT.
DEAD WAX IS THE BLANK SPACE
BETWEEN WHERE THE MUSIC ENDS
AND THE LABEL BEGINS.
THERE CAN BE INTERESTING AND
SOMETIMES MYSTERIOUS THONGS TO
DISCOVER IN THE -- THINGS TO
DISCOVER IN THE DEAD WAX.
♪ WON'T YOU BE MY LITTLE BABY
♪♪
>> Reporter: ON THE FLIP SIDE
OF THE RONETTES FIRST HIT THE
WORDS PHIL AND ANETTE ARE
WRITTEN IN THE DEAD WAX.
PHIL SPECTOR WAS CO-OWNER OF
THE LABEL AND PRODUCED THE
RONETTE SESSIONS.
ANNETTE WAS PROBABLY SPECTER'S
WIFE IN 1953 WHEN THE RECORD
WAS RELEASED.
ON SIDE 1 OF THE EAGLES
PLATINUM SELLING LP ONE OF
THESE NIGHTS THE WORDS DON'T
WORRY ARE WRITTEN IN THE DEAD
WAX.
ON SIDE 2 THE MESSAGE CONTINUES
WITH THE WARNING NOTHING WILL
BE OKAY.
OF RECORD NEEDS A COVER AND TWO
LABEL -- EVERY RECORD NEEDS A
COVER ANTWO LABELS WHICH IS
WHAT DORODO PACKAGING DOES IN
NORTH HOLLYWOOD.
THEY ARE A VERY SPECIALIZED
COMPANY.
IN TERMS OF COOL NOTHING
SURPASSES HAVING YOUR MUSIC
AVAILABLE ON A RECORD.
♪GO MAN GO I GOT A GIRL THAT I
LOVE SO.
♪ I'M READY READY READY ♪♪
>> Reporter: DORODO ALSO MAKES
COVERS FOR MAINSTREAM ALBUMS OF
RERELEASES LIKE LITTLE RICHARD,
ONE OF THE FIRST ROCK AND ROLL
ALBUMS EVER PRODUCED.
IT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT
THE COVER ART CAN ADD TO THE
EXPERIENCE OF WHAT'S IN THE
GROOVES.
>> IT'S A PHYSICAL CONVEYOR OF
MUSIC, BUT IT DOESN'T DO
ANYTHING ELSE.
VINYL HAS THE INCREDIBLE ART
ASSET AND BANDS EXPRESS
THEMSELVES NOT JUST THROUGH
THEIR MUSIC.
IT'S THROUGH THE FOLKS THAT
THEY'VE GOTTEN TO GIVE AN
ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT THE BAND
IS.
IT COULD BE A PICTURE OF THE
BAND, BUT OFTEN IT'S ENORMOUS
CREATIVITY THAT WE SEE COME
THROUGH THE SHOP.
THEY'RE SAYING ALL KINDS OF
THINGS COMMENTING ON ALL
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF WHO WE ARE,
NOT JUST THE MUSIC.
>> Reporter: ULTIMATELY
EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER HERE
IN THE PRESSING PLANT IN A MAZE
OF STYLES AND SWITCHES, TYPES
AND MACHINERY THAT PRODUCES A
RECORD EVERY 40 TO 50 SECONDS
FROM EACH PRESS.
THE CUT HAS BEEN ELECTROPLATED
TO MAKE COPIES USED TO STAMP
OUT RECORDS.
>> THE MANIPULATION OF VINYL IS
NOT SOMETHING YOU'LL READ IN A
BOOK.
YOU'LL LEARN HANDS ON.
>> Reporter: BEFORE THE CD AND
DIGITAL DOWNLOADING MORE THAN A
DOZEN RECORD PRESSING PLANTS IN
LOS ANGELES TURNED OUT MILLIONS
OF RECORDS EVERY YEAR.
BILL SMITH CUSTOM RECORDS
SURVIVED BY SPECIALIZING.
>> MY DAD SAID TAKE CARE OF THE
LITTLE GUY BECAUSE THEY WILL
ALWAYS RETURN.
>> Reporter: A BAND OR
INDEPENDENT RECORD COMPANY THAT
WANTS 500 COPIES OF A ONE-SIDED
12-INCH RECORD OR 1,000 COPIES
OF THE 7-INCH 33 RPM RECORD
PACKAGED AS A TWO-RECORD SET
INTO A GATE FOLD COVER CAN GET
EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT HERE,
ESPECIALLY IF THEY WANT A
RECORD IN COLORED VINYL WHICH
IS CURRENTLY ALL THE RAIN AT
BILL SMITH CUSTOM RECORDS.
>> IT'S A REALLY NEAT INDUSTRY.
IT'S BECOME A VERY TIGHT KNIT
GROUP AND WE'RE NOT
COMPETITORS.
I LOOK AT IT AS WE'RE MORE ON A
FRIENDSHIP LEVEL THAN IT IS A
COMPETITIVE LEVEL.
THERE'S ENOUGH BUSINESS OUT
THERE FOR EVERYBODY.
♪I'VE BLOWN THROUGH HERE MUSIC
ALL THE TIME ROUND AND AROUND
AND IT COMES OUT HERE ♪♪
>> VINYLS ARE HERE TO STAY.
THEY'VE TRIED MANY TIMES TO
PUSH IT TO THE WAYSIDE, BUT
WE'VE SURVIVED AND IF IT WILL
LAST ANOTHER 10, 15 YEARS WHILE
I'M STILL DOING IT, I'M HAPPY.
♪ THE MUSIC GOES ROUND AND
AROUND OH OH OH AND IT COMES
OUT HERE ♪♪
>> Reporter: THE MUSIC WITH
PAUL GATON, THE RECORD FROM
ABOUT 1952.
THIS IS A COPY OF BB KING'S YOU
UPSET ME, BABY.
THE QUESTION IS HOW MANY
GROOVES ARE THERE ON A 10-INCH
78 RPM RECORD?
THINK ABOUT IT.
HOW MANY GROOVES?
ONLY ONE.
STARTS RIGHT ABOUT THERE AND
ENDS RIGHT ABOUT THERE.