User:Exodusparis/Varese International Records

Varese International Records

Varese International Records, named as a tribute to the French composer, Edgard Varese, was founded in Los Angeles in 1972 by Dub Taylor. Dub Taylor was later joined by Chris Kuchler as co-owner and management. In 1977, Sarabande Records, a label owned and managed by Tom Null, merged with Varese International forming Varese Sarabande Records. Dub Taylor, Chris Kuchler and Tom Null become co-owners of the newly formed Varese Sarabande Records which went on to become the premier Film Score and Soundtrack label. The original concept for the Varese International label was to produce and release new and "Avant Garde" classical and electronic music/Musique Concrete. The first LP album release in late 1972 was "Lumiere" for Synthesized and Concrete Sound by Dub Taylor. The single, "Variations on the Dudley Do-Right Theme" by Dub Taylor, was produced in 1974. In 1975 Varese International A/S Norway was formed with producer and label manager, Reidar Mikalsen, to produce and record classical repertoire in Norway and to create a presence in Europe for the label. The first LP in a series of recordings by The Norwegian Chamber Soloists was released in 1976. LPs also released were "Prozession" by Karlheinz Stockhausen and a collection of Musique Concrete by Pierre Schaeffer and other composers of the French school. Varese International also began to release records in other genres in 1976, including Jazz and vintage radio broadcasts. Varese International released LPs by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum and also Sherlock Holmes radio broadcasts with Basil Rathbone. In 1977 Varese International released a Pop 12" single, "Do It the French Way"/"Not Tonight Josephine", by Marseilles in the UK which received airplay on the BBC. Also in 1977 a label, Sarabande Records, owned and operated by Tom Null, which had a similar philosophy regarding the reissuing of lesser known classical repertoire. merged with Varese International thus forming Varese Sarabande Records.  In 1979 Dub Taylor produced an album of works by Ernst Krenek with the composer conducting the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. The last LP released on Varese International was "French Scenarios 1898-1920" by Gilbert Reese (cello) and Mario Feninger (piano) in 1981.

Varese International Records A Discography (1972-1981):

VS 81001 Dub Taylor/Lumiere, for Synthesized and Concrete Sound (1972) VS 6001   Dub Taylor/Variations on the Dudley Do-right Theme (1974) (7" 45rpm single/promotion only) VS 81002  The Norwegian Chamber Soloists/Play Chamber Music for Winds (Vivaldi/Haydn/etc.) (1975) VS 81003  The Norwegian Chamber Soloists/Play Chamber Music for Winds (Glinka/Reinecke/etc.) (1977) VS 81005  Musique Concrete (Schaeffer/Bayle/Mache/Ferrari/Malec/etc.)  (1976) VS 81006  Louis Armstrong/Satchmo (1976) VS 81007  Duke Ellington/Duke (1976) VI 1001      Marseille/Do It the French Way/Not Tonight Josephine, etc. (12" 45rpm single) (1977) VS 81008 Karlheinz Stockhausen/Prozession (1977) VS 81009 Karlheinz Stockhausen/Kontakte/Refrain (not released) (1977) VS 81011 The Norwegian Chamber Soloists/Beethoven/Mozart (1977) VS 81012 The Norwegian Chamber Soloists/French Music for Winds (Ibert/Francaix/Auric) (1977) VS 81014 The Norwegian Chamber Soloists/Play Chamber Music for Winds (Mozart/Suck/Kramar) (1979) VS 81020 Kjell Baekkelund/Plays Brahms/Moart/Schumann (1979) VS 81021 Art Tatum/The Keystone Sessions (1976) VS 81022 Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce/Sherlock Holmes (radio broadcasts) (1976) VS 81023 Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce/Sherlock Holmes (radio broadcasts) (1976) VR 81200 Ernst Krenek/Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra/Krenek: Static and Ecstatic/Kitharoulos (1979) VX 81201 Gilbert Reese/Mario Finenger/French Scenarios 1898-1920 (Honegger/Debussy/Faure) (1981)

(The 81000 LP number series was also used for Varese Sarabande releases. These are not listed here.)