MajikBus Unlocks CBC's Historic Music Archives
The agreement calls for the release of long-unheard transcription recordings done live on stages and in CBC studios, and gallery showings of some of the pubcaster's archive of photographic images capturing pioneers in jazz, blues and rock 'n' roll.
By David Farrell
Vancouver-based MajikBus Entertainment has signed an historic partnership agreement with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to develop music-related content from one of the world’s largest untapped television and radio archives.
The company was co-founded by former EMI and Universal music industry executives Peter Diemer, and Sarah Norris who started negotiating with the pubcaster several years ago, along with former EMI Canada CEO Deane Cameron (now President/CEO of Massey and Roy Thomson Halls). The company is now run by CEO Mark Holden who has been at the forefront of several digital entertainment companies (including Vancouver-based firms Gener8 and Hip Digital Media).
Under License from CBC/Radio-Canada, the first three releases in the Transcription Records Series, featuring albums produced for limited release by the pubcaster in the early ‘70s, are by Edmonton jazz singer Judy Singh, Montreal’s Latin-styled Emile Normand Sextet, and ‘70s Stratford, ON-ensemble Perth County Conspiracy (also known with the additional moniker ‘does not exist’), available at the MajikBus store on PledgeMusic.
Further releases by Johnny Cash,, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon are under consideration for release pending clearances.
Holden notes that "It's a beautiful story about the vinyl, and CBC's decision to support independent artists that weren't getting the attention of the mainstream labels," he says. "They did pick artists they thought were worthy of the investment and that had something to offer Canada and the world."
Additionally, as MajikBus has licensed some of the corporation's historic photographs that track the birth of rock 'n' roll, references great artists and moments in blues and jazz history, and progressed to the rock icons of the 1960s and 1970s. The pictorial history includes photos of Pete Seeger; Duke Ellington; Nat 'King' Cole; Sammy Davis Jr.; Muddy Waters; Johnny Cash; Joni Mitchell; Bob Dylan; Joan Baez; The Rolling Stones; The Beatles; The Doors; Jefferson Airplane; and many more.
MajikBus and publishing partner Off Beat Lounge will showcase these rare images in the exhibition 'STILL – Music In Revolution,' which starts its worldwide tour in the UK in June.
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Pledgemusic - https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/majikbus
Off Beat Lounge - https://www.offbeatlounge.co.uk/cbc
