An eight hour PBS documentary, ‘On Record: The Soundtrack of Our Lives,’ is in the works for broadcast in the fall of 2010. The enormous multi-media project, about the history of recorded music and it’s impact on society, is under the guidance of the legendary Sir George Martin.
Martin is working with PBS and Wildheart Entertainment, who created the project. As you might guess, it will have many archival performances by hundreds of musical artists from every genre of music imaginable. PBS also plans a variety of media to accompany the project including a companion website on pbs.org, a radio show, a CD and DVD box set and books. A number of educational outreach programs are also planned.
Sir George Martin was selected not only for his work with The Beatles, but mainly because his legendary career has spanned half of the history of recorded music. Think about that for a moment. Sound recordings began at the start of the 20th century and Martin started recording in 1950, halfway through recorded audio history. I can’t think of anyone more qualified to take on a multi-media project of this magnitude.
Can you imagine …

Every year, the Library of Congress adds to the National Recording Registry. They select 25 recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” to preserve for all time.
Here’s the list of recordings the NRPB, the Library’s National Recording Preservation Board, selected for the 2007 National Recording Registry. It’s great to see some of my favorite artists on this list, of which I’ve bolded below.
(In chronological order:)
“The First Trans-Atlantic Broadcast (March 14, 1925)
“Allons a Lafayette,” Joseph Falcon (1928)
“Casta Diva,” from Bellini’s “Norma”; Rosa Ponselle, accompanied by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus, conducted by Giulio Setti. (Dec. 31, 1928 & Jan. 30, 1929)
“If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again,” Thomas A. Dorsey (1934)
“Sweet Lorraine,” Art Tatum (February 22, 1940)
Fibber’s Closet Opens for the First Time, “Fibber McGee & Molly” radio program (March 4, 1940)
Wings Over Jordan, Wings Over Jordan (1941)
Fiorello LaGuardia reading the comics (1945)
“Call it Stormy Monday but Tuesday is Just As Bad,” T-Bone Walker (1947)
Harry S. Truman speech at the 1948 Democratic National Convention (July
15, 1948)
“The Jazz Scene,” various artists (1949)
“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” Kitty Wells (May 30, 1952)
“My Fair Lady,” original cast recording (1956)
Navajo Shootingway Ceremony Field Recordings, …