Along with C.A.M. and CineVox, Beat is the only soundtrack-label founded in the 60ies, which is still active today. Having started to release soundtracks on vinyl and in all formats in the second half of the 60ies, this label (www.beatrecords.it) is now active in issuing their back-catalogue on nice CDs. There is also another striking similarity with many other small Italian soundtrack-labels: it was founded by someone active in the field of soundtrack-composition and instrumentation: Mr. Franco DeGemini, who scored "You can do a lot with seven women" (smile; who would disagree?) and became internationally known as the trumpet used by Maesto Morricone (and other composers) in quite a couple of Italo-western-scores! Actually the label is run by him and his lovely wife and they get my personal AWARD for being the fastest and most friendly label-owners when it comes to answering inquisitory (smile) e-mails!
Although I am not as much an expert on their releases as I am for example with C.A.M. or RCA, it´s safe to say that they issued around 150 scores in the LP-format and probably even more on 45 rpm-discs. They had only one main soundtrack-series, simply the "Beat"-series, which started with number one and well crossed the 100 items-borderline, supplemented by a smaller collectors-series with a 1000-copies print run, the CD-series, which lasted from 1978 until 1983 and triggerd around a dozen releases, most of them up-to-then unavailable Italo western-scores, in other words: sure sellers (= a wise marketing decision!). Also these releases, as well as especially the jazz and early funk-scores, are already gaining quite some value on the collectors-market.
The production values are the usual qulity we are accustomed to by now: The first around a dozen releases were issued in the late 60ies and feature the then-usual heavy vinyl deep groove pressings carefully packaged in strong laminated cardboard covers showing nice, but sometimes not very inspired artwork. In the early 70ies also Beat switched to the then common less heavy vinly (keeping faith to a great pressing quality) packaged in not laminated softer cardboard covers, which was the policy followed for all their releases with the only exception of their CR-series. The CR-series, since targeting at the collectors market (see above), featured again stronger cardboard covers, but unfortunately without lamination. Worth mentioning is that these items did often feature F/O-covers, which was rather uncommon, since Beat only issued LPs inside fold-out covers if the score in question needed a 2LP-release (also rather uncommon with Beat).
Since I am not yet as much an expert on their releases as I am on other labels releases, I will refrain from pointing out any individual "most important" Beat-releases, but of course: the older they are, the more jazzy and the more difficult to find they are. If you are a dealer or collector having some of these early releases available for trade or sale (of course in nice condition only!) I herewith especially want to encourage you to get in touch with me (smile) ...
If you have any questions, that have been left unanswered (and regarding the Beat-label I am especially sure there are some ...), please do not hesitate to drop me a line e-mail! I will try to answer all questions as fast as possible (and will therefore also get in touch with Mr. DeGemini if I can´t answer them myself; smile), plan to collect them and want to put them into a FAQ-section (which is planned for 2003!). The same goes of course, if you have any info or items for sale or trade available!!
AVAILABLE item (visually graded: cover/record; play-graded upon request):
Beat LPA 008: Noi donne siamo fatte cosi (Armando Trovajoli), M/M Beat LP 004: Una sull´altra (Riz Ortolani) M-/M-Please note: of all the listed items I have only one spare copy available; wants-lists welcomed (trade preferred!).
Along with C.A.M. and CineVox, Beat is the only soundtrack-label founded in the 60ies, which is still active today. Having started to release soundtracks on vinyl and in all formats in the second half of the 60ies, this label (www.beatrecords.it) is now active in issuing their back-catalogue on nice CDs. There is also another striking similarity with many other small Italian soundtrack-labels: it was founded by someone active in the field of soundtrack-composition and instrumentation: Mr. Franco DeGemini, who scored "You can do a lot with seven women" (smile; who would disagree?) and became internationally known as the trumpet used by Maesto Morricone (and other composers) in quite a couple of Italo-western-scores! Actually the label is run by him and his lovely wife and they get my personal AWARD for being the fastest and most friendly label-owners when it comes to answering inquisitory (smile) e-mails!
Although I am not as much an expert on their releases as I am for example with C.A.M. or RCA, it´s safe to say that they issued around 150 scores in the LP-format and probably even more on 45 rpm-discs. They had only one main soundtrack-series, simply the "Beat"-series, which started with number one and well crossed the 100 items-borderline, supplemented by a smaller collectors-series with a 1000-copies print run, the CD-series, which lasted from 1978 until 1983 and triggerd around a dozen releases, most of them up-to-then unavailable Italo western-scores, in other words: sure sellers (= a wise marketing decision!). Also these releases, as well as especially the jazz and early funk-scores, are already gaining quite some value on the collectors-market.
The production values are the usual qulity we are accustomed to by now: The first around a dozen releases were issued in the late 60ies and feature the then-usual heavy vinyl deep groove pressings carefully packaged in strong laminated cardboard covers showing nice, but sometimes not very inspired artwork. In the early 70ies also Beat switched to the then common less heavy vinly (keeping faith to a great pressing quality) packaged in not laminated softer cardboard covers, which was the policy followed for all their releases with the only exception of their CR-series. The CR-series, since targeting at the collectors market (see above), featured again stronger cardboard covers, but unfortunately without lamination. Worth mentioning is that these items did often feature F/O-covers, which was rather uncommon, since Beat only issued LPs inside fold-out covers if the score in question needed a 2LP-release (also rather uncommon with Beat).
Since I am not yet as much an expert on their releases as I am on other labels releases, I will refrain from pointing out any individual "most important" Beat-releases, but of course: the older they are, the more jazzy and the more difficult to find they are. If you are a dealer or collector having some of these early releases available for trade or sale (of course in nice condition only!) I herewith especially want to encourage you to get in touch with me (smile) ...
If you have any questions, that have been left unanswered (and regarding the Beat-label I am especially sure there are some ...), please do not hesitate to drop me a line e-mail! I will try to answer all questions as fast as possible (and will therefore also get in touch with Mr. DeGemini if I can´t answer them myself; smile), plan to collect them and want to put them into a FAQ-section (which is planned for 2003!). The same goes of course, if you have any info or items for sale or trade available!!
AVAILABLE item (visually graded: cover/record; play-graded upon request):
Beat LPA 008: Noi donne siamo fatte cosi (Armando Trovajoli), M/M Beat LP 004: Una sull´altra (Riz Ortolani) M-/M-Please note: of all the listed items I have only one spare copy available; wants-lists welcomed (trade preferred!).