Podcasts
The Sound of the Hound is a podcast about the people and the technology that brought recorded music to the masses in Victorian London and beyond.
Hosted by journalist and author James Hall and music industry executive and EMI Archive Trustee Dave Holley, The Sound of the Hound chronicles the adventures of the early sound pioneers as they risked life and limb to capture sound and launch the music business as we know it today.
In particular, the series focuses on a genius called Fred Gaisberg who worked for both EMI and one of its forerunners – The Gramophone Company.
Find The Sound of the Hound wherever you find your podcasts, or browse the links here:
- The Sound of the Hound #20: Simon Blumlein
In a bonus episode to round off Series 2, Dave and James talk to Simon Blumlein about his father Alan Dower Blumlein, the extraordinary man who among others things invented stereo sound.… Read more » - The Sound of the Hound #19: Giles MartinThis series of The Sound of the Hound ends with an interview with Giles Martin, the Grammy-winning record producer and son of Beatles producer Sir George. With this episode it feels as… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #18: Adelina PattiBonkers, basically. The story of opera singer Adelina Patti is one of the most eye-popping of all the tales we explore in this series. The saga starts in Madrid, where Patti was… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #17: Nellie MelbaMelba toast. Peach Melba. Melba sauce. Why are we listing foodstuffs (and sounding a bit like Alan Partridge in the process)? Because they are all named after the subject of this episode… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #16: William Barry OwenWith these episodes focusing on the life and work of the mighty Fred Gaisberg, we may have given the impression that he was his own boss. That would be wrong. Working for… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #15: Sinkler DarbyEvery hero has a sidekick. And in this episode we tell the story of Fred’s wingman, the wonderfully named William Sinkler Darby. Five years Fred’s junior, fellow American Sinkler was by his… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #14: Feodor ChaliapinIn this episode we look at the epic – and we mean epic – story of Russian bass singer Feodor Chaliapin. The singer’s relationship with Fred spanned decades, continents, wars and revolutions.… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #13: Emma CalvéDiva alert! In episode four, Holley and Hall tell the story of the recording of one of opera’s greatest characters, Emma Calvé. Basking in the glory of having captured the voice of… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #12: To JapanAfter India, Fred goes to the Far East. But when he arrives in Tokyo in January 1903, he is rocked by some terrible family news. Stuck on the other side of the… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #11: To IndiaIt’s late summer 1902. Fred heads to Tilbury Docks to board the steamer SS Coromandel and set sail for India. His objective? “To open up new markets, establish agencies, and acquire a… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #10: Fred’s plaqueFred’s back! And he’s got a plaque! The first episode of Series Two of The Sound of the Hound covers the unveiling of a commemorative plaque on the wall of Europe’s first… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #9: Interview with Joe BoydThe first series of Sound of the Hound wraps up with something a bit different: an interview with legendary Pink Floyd and Nick Drake producer Joe Boyd. Just like Fred, Joe is… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #8: James Hall on The History of Human HappinessDave interviews James about his novel on the early days of recorded sound, The Industry of Human Happiness. James tells how he chanced upon the adventures of Fred Gaisberg and Sinkler Darby in… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #7: The Caruso breakthroughIt’s the spring of 1902. Italian tenor Enrico Caruso is due to sing in Covent Garden later in the year, and Fred and Will are still in Milan desperate to record him.… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #6: The last castratoFred and his brother William travel to Milan in 1902 with the aim of convincing opera superstar Enrico Caruso to record for them. However Caruso is busy and non-committal, so the men… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #5: Russian revolutions (part two)After the mixed success of the recording trip to Russia in 1900, it is a curious decision of Fred’s to return to the country the following year. But back he goes –… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #4: Russian revolutions (part one)The first of two episodes following Fred on recording expeditions to Russia. In early 1900, with their bosses dissatisfied with what they’ve recorded to date, Fred and his colleague Sinker Darby are… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #3: The first propaganda recordIn the early days of recorded sound, no one can quite figure out the purpose of gramophones. Are they serious bits of kit for replicating music or are they toys? Should gramophone… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #2: Syria Lamonte, the world’s first female recording starJust weeks after arriving in London, Fred makes the world’s first disc recording of a female singer outside of America. The lady’s name is Syria Lamonte and, according to Fred, she’s a… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound #1: Fred Gaisberg arrives in LondonSummer 1898. Fred Gaisberg arrives in London to set up The Gramophone Company at the behest of his American boss Emile Berliner, who invented the flat-disc gramophone. Before Berliner, music only lasted… Read more »
- The Sound of the Hound – a new podcast series about the birth of recorded sound
The Sound of the Hound today announced the launch of a new historical podcast series sharing the adventures, stories and lives of the entrepreneurs, artists and eccentrics who invented the music industry… Read more »