Musi-Que

[Mr]

US label under Blue River Music, Inc., issued under Blue River Records (CA). Most compositions seem to be copyrighted in the late 50's, but these LPs weren't issued before the early 70's.
Advertised on-release as "A library of mood music for slide shows and movies" and "A complete library of background music and sound effects for non-commercial slide shows, movies and other programs!".
Distributed in the US and Canada by Columbia Scientific Industries Corp.

Series No. 1 (1973):
Volume A - Sound Effects
Volume B - Sound Effects
Volume I - Various Moods
Volume II - Main & End Title Moods
Volume III - Playon Moods/Playoff Moods
Volume IV - Documentary Moods/Sport March Moods
Volume V - Activity Moods/Scenic Moods
Volume VI - Light Comedy Moods/Heavy Activity Moods
Volume VII - Activity Moods
Volume VIII - Neutral Moods/Outdoor Moods
Volume IX - Miscellaneous Moods

[Upgrade]

Not entirely sure if this should go here. I found some cursive Musi-Que Spot Library LPs in a thrift store. They were hidden away not with the LPs, but with the 12" 78s and nearly as thick and heavy as shellac.

If Harry Bluestone's music was issued on Musi-Que in the 70s, the subtitle of "Property of C & B Music Library, Inc." implies that this is the Cadkin and Bluestone Library.

yowp does mention this confusion with the two Musi-Que labels here.

http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com/2009/11/augie-sounds-of-cadkin-and-bluestone.html

^{The future of all this Bluestone-Cadkin music gets a little confusing after that. A newspaper story in 1961 reveals Bing Crosby’s publicist Maury Foladare and Bluestone (who played violin for The Old Groaner) put together some old cues of Bluestone’s for a library called Musi-Que, designed for soundtracks of home movies. But there already was a Musi-Que, founded in 1958 by Bluestone’s old employer, Standard Transcriptions. Whether the two are the same isn’t clear, but it appears possible Musi-Que released the Bluestone-Cadkin cues used in H-B cartoons.}

The label is briefly mentioned in the 1958 issues of Cashbox Magazine and the Copyright Registrations.

https://archive.org/stream/cashbox19unse_26/cashbox19unse_26_djvu.txt

<sup>CHICAGO — A new service of all-instrumental music, called the Musi-‘que’ Spot Library, is being introduced to broadcasters, recording studios and film studios by Standard Radio Transcription Services, Inc., of Chicago.

This library consists of over 1600 separate tracks of instrumental music ranging from split-second attention-getting effects to complete musical backgrounds of over two minutes; from solo instruments like tympany, harp, xylophone, cymbal, tuba or piccolo to a full-sounding 40 piece orchestra. Its purpose is to enable the producer to add music or musical effects to commercials, slide films or motion pictures “quickly, easily and
economically”.

A complete selection of music is available for commercial announcements; openers and closers; jingles of various lengths; contrasts and backgrounds for 10, 20 and 60-second announcements. In the few weeks since the library has been on the market, the following stations and studios are now using it: WJR, Detroit, Michi.....</sup>

https://books.google.com/books?id=4TghAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA79&dq=%22musi-que+spot%22+library&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjRs-maz-baAhWoxVQKHXt3B1QQ6AEIKzAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

<sup>Standard Radio Transcription Services, Inc.

The Musi-Que spot library; the Musi-Que spot library consists of over 1600 separate tracks of instrumental music. Appl. author: Milton M. Blink 14Mar58</sup>

And a university in Missouri in UMKC Nichols Library Marr Sound Archives appears to have a set which includes reels from C, G, J, MB, MFX, O, SH

http://laurel.lso.missouri.edu:2083/iii/encore/record/C__Rb13579766__SJingles%20%28Advertising%20songs%29__P0%2C17__Orightresult__X3?lang=eng&suite=mobum-sso

http://link.library.missouri.edu/portal/Musi-que-spot-library-sound-recording/J6mwrFcG2JE/

The problem is that the labels themselves aren't very helpful. The reels and the track titles all have non-descriptive alphanumeric codes which implies an explanatory catalog was needed to describe them



Reel G-103



Reel J-100



Reel J-101



Reel MB-113

And here's some really quick needle drops from each side. Perhaps the voice introducing the tracks is Cadkin or Bluestone?

mediafire.com/folder/r8qmqcifaaoh7/Musi-Que%20Spot%20samples

[Mr]

Wonderful find! Haven't seen these before. The LPs are not all that informative either... nor the Capitol Hi-"Q" Series releases, of which these are very reminiscent.
I'll look into this very soon. Thanks for "saving" them!

Perhaps the voice introducing the tracks is Cadkin or Bluestone?

Could be - but if it were me, I'd hire some smooth-as-butter-voiced radio man to do them!

[musictheorist]

h--ps://www.discogs.com/label/3136121-Musi-Que-Spot

More Musi-Que Spot albums have been added to Discogs.