The EMI memorial, Cherry Lane Cemetery, which is both a grave marker and commemorative stone for 37 workers from The Gramophone Company, Blyth Road, Hayes killed when a V1 flying-bomb hit a factory surface air-raid shelter on 7 July 1944. Restored by EMI Archive Trust in 1994 by and again in 2009.
Unique is an overused word, but if there was a day that changed popular music forever, July 6, 1957, was that day! By David Hughes Not that anyone knew it at the time, or probably for the next five or six years. In the late 1950’s British music world, skiffle was King. Skiffle was a… Read more »
A “doyen” is defined as a senior member of an establishment, and if discography is – or discographers are – an establishment, then Alan Kelly, who died in December 2015, was certainly a doyen of discographers. Alan was born in Girvan on the Clyde in Scotland. He took his MA at Glasgow in 1948 and… Read more »
On 3rd February 2016, the EMI Archive Trust, together with TV production company 7 Wonder, hosted a very special event for former EMI employees in our historic home of Hayes, now being redeveloped by U&I as The Old Vinyl Factory. 7 Wonder is producing a major BBC broadcast and online project for 2016, ‘The People’s… Read more »
THE great, great, great-grandson of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Isambard Thomas, meets Simon Blumlein, son of Alan Blumlein, the inventor of stereo. The inventor’s son, Simon Blumlein, spoke with Mr Thomas during his visit about their respective ancestors’ historical link to Great Western Railways, EMI and Hayes. With thanks to Isambard Thomas and Simon Blumlein. Film… Read more »
EMI are inviting former employees at the Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes to come back and share their memories of the iconic site. The original article was posted in June 2016 and amended in June 2026. The factory was a major employer for the town and produced records by some of the world’s best-known artists,… Read more »
“Our famous, Jewish orchestra, you remember, four violins, a flute and a double bass” (Gayev in Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, 1904) Renair records are proud to announce the fourth of their series of issues exploring the story of Jewish recorded music. Produced by Julian Futter and with a 40 page booklet written by the… Read more »
David, 71, is chairman of the EMI Music Sound Foundation (an idea he formulated with EMI MSF CEO Janie Orr MBE, as part of EMI’s centenary celebrations in 1997), an independent music education charity helping improve access to music education by providing instruments and bursaries. He also chairs the EMI Archive Trust, which preserves… Read more »
The World Service -The Documentary Delivering the King’s Speech, 2nd September 2014 Marking the 75th anniversary of King George VI’s declaration of war against Germany, Louise Minchin relates the untold story of how the King’s Speech reached the entire world. Inspired by the discovery of the original pressing of the speech in the EMI Archives… Read more »
EMI has a long history of supporting artists and music in India. The Gramophone and Typewriter, Ltd. engaged agents in India as early as 1900 and soon established their Indian offices by 1901. In 1906 the site for a record pressing factory had been chosen in Sealdah, Calcutta. By 1946, The Gramophone Company of India… Read more »