Production
Notes: Martin began working with Bruce Scafe (the original producer of Austin
City Limits) in producing video for the Texas Dept of Human Services. In
1980 we also produced a booklet about starting your own recording business.
It provided information on sources of customers and hints on the business
aspects. See our ad in the 1980 Modern Recording
and Music Magazine. Click here to see cover. Here's our recording and album fee schedule. Phantom's
first Austin music album and video was produced for "Dan and Dave"
who had been one of the favorite Austin "off the wall" bands. The
album was named "Legends in Our Spare Time." It was produced on
an Teac 80-8 (8 track) in Phantom's van and
mastered at Cedar Creek Studios with Martin, engineer Ben Thornton and producer
Peter Butcher, and at George Coyne's Parrot
Tracks Studio. Peter and Martin formed a partnership that spanned several
Austin music companies and took on an international scope.
Martin produced the Austin Texas album "Dan & Dave Live at the Backroom" This is a picture of the Teac 80-8 and mixer set-up in the back of Phantom's van.
Peter
Butcher and Martin met when Phantom was producing a promo at Lake Travis.
That work resulted in the formation of an Austin music company called New
Generation Production. The goal of the company was to identify the best music
coming out of US studios and promoting the music to publishers and record
labels. Peter's British experience in the music industry created some very
helpful ties internationally.
Martin
designed and began building a studio for New Generation Productions. The studio
later became the home for Riverside Sound Studio. One of the Board members for NGP was Harvey Campi, Ray Campi's brother of Rockibilly. We produced and released the single "Little Young Girl."
Music
Etcetera worked with quite a few bands during these years. One band that created
a large following was Shammy. The band members included James Mikulinka and
Wayne Gathright (previous Austin Music Lane Recording Studio owner). The band
owned its own recording studio built into a mobile home and included a great
Trident mixing board. Poster
One
of Phantom and Peter's early collaborations was the production of a demo for
the Cain Sisters who had secured backing from Willie Nelson.
This came about, so the story goes, by their blocking Willie's exit from his
ranch and talking him into to listening to some early tracks. That's Peter
(above) dancing to tracks at the on-location session. Poster
1981
Peter secured the US marketing for the 1981 release of Leslie Gore's old hit "It's
My Party" by UK artists Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin. The record had
great success in Europe and made it to 72 in the US. The 1981 remake by Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin was a UK number one hit single for four weeks and was also a major hit in Austria (#3), Germany (#3), the Netherlands (#26), New Zealand (#1), South Africa (#3) and Switzerland (#6). The track reached #72 in the US.
Martin
set up the duplication room and remodeled Austin Custom Records studio. He
was ACR's Chief Engineer during this time. The ACR record cutter is seen in
the picture above. We used a variety of ACR's and Phantom equipment.
They included the Teac Model 5, Model 2 (Phantom's original), 2340, 3340 (Phantom's
original), 7300, a great old original Teac Series 70H8 8 track, Sony 580 (Phantom's original
580). More pictures of Austin Custom Records studio are below.
click
on the pictures above for a larger image
1983
Artist
Management with Bruce Newlin: Housewives Choice - recording, editing, posing and mixing sound POSTERStatesman
Article
Phantom
to this point was primarily providing on-location recording to musicians.
We realized that one of the ways we could be more helpful to the musicians
we were working with, was to begin handling the day to day tasks that enabled
the artist to pursue their music. This evolved into a role as Artist Manager
(although we soon found the role was more accurately described as "investor").
Video had already become a dominant media for promotion and it was expensive
for the musicians to buy production. We decided to also invest in video
production to see if it might give our artists an edge. We choose SVHS as
it provided a higher resolution and was much less expensive than Beta SP.
This
was a cool year, as Martin had met Chris and she joined the music business
on the first date with dinner and then an evening with Peter Butcher at "Rollingwood
Recording" an Austin recording studio. Video about Peter
1986
Chris'
roots were in England. Also, Peter felt the response to the new musicians
we were working with was much more helpful from the European record companies
and publishers. So we kept pitching new material that direction. On our
1986 trip back to Chris' home, we decided to try to pitch some of the artists
we were working with. We came up with an idea to take US NTSC music videos
we produced and see if we could show the material in the UK (where PAL is
the standard video format) It greatly exceeded our expectations and we were
able to actually meet with the International Rep at Island Records (it was
pretty neat to sit in the waiting room and see all the mailed demos from
artists all over the world). Our pitch was that we couldn't leave the NTSC
videos for the record company to look at later, so they would need to look
at them now...AND THEY DID!
One
publisher (Chelsea Music (publishers of "Curiosity Killed the Cat."),
asked
what Phantom got out of a deal if we found interest in the UK. Chris and
Martin said "nothing" as the musicians were friends. The publisher
said that Phantom's representation was so good, we should negotiate a management
contract. Thus began Phantom's management (investor) stint. Chris would
later move Phantom from providing resources to new artists to serious booking
contracts that brought income to the artist and Phantom. Some of the artists we originally managed toured Russia with the TIES project.
Chris
and Martin initiated the creation of a the Commercial Music degree program
at Austin Community College. Beginning in 1986 proposals and surveys were
continually provided to ACC to convince the college of the need. It took several
years and lots of help from others. It became a reality in the Summer of 1988
(regular classes began in 1989. ACC said if ten students showed up for the
first class, they would continue the program. Thirty-eight showed and additional
classes had to be created. Click for more.
ACC News Interview with ACC President Dan Angel and Martin
This
is a picture of a quick living room set-up to record a demo for James Hinkle's
band.
Early
video editing
Audio
& video editing areas.
In the 1980's Deborah
and Ron created several groups including: Private Lives, Cautious
Dreams & Ron Rogers and the The White Slave Boys and the Deborah
Giles Band. Picture above is of Ron and Deborah signing a management contract with Phantom Productions in the late 1980's. Midem Promo Video
As
Chris' home was in the UK, the Director of Phantom (Chris and Martin) decided
to try promoting Deborah and Ron to record companies and publishers in England.
In an effort to be unique, Phantom produced videos on the band, then took NTSC
(the US video standard) equipment to England. What this created was an opportunity
to actually play and let the music companies see the band performing. It worked
and we were able to play the video for both Island Records and Chealsea Music
(publishers of "Curiosity Killed the Cat.").
When
we were asked to leave the tape, they were told that it was on NTSC, not PAL
(the UK video standard). One publisher asked what Phantom got out of a deal
if we found interest in the UK. Chris and Martin said "nothing" as
Deborah and Ron are friends. The publisher said that Phantom's representation
was so good, we should negotiate a management contract.
On
the fight home Chris and Martin discussed ways to approach Deborah and Ron with
a business proposition. As it turned out Deborah and Ron had been having the
same thought. So when they met at the Austin airport, everyone turned out to
be on the same page and Phantom's artist management services were launched.
1988
Chris and Martin arranged to go to the 1988 MIDEM, however were unable to register under Phantom Productions, Inc. so the Texas Music Delagation arranged for them to go under Jim Yanaway's Amazing Records. So that's what our badges said. We had not met Jim Yanaway. When we boarded the flight to Nice, France and walked back to our seats, the person by the window had his things scattered all other the three seats. We finally got settled in and Chris introduced us. It was Jim Yanaway. We enjoyed working with him and all the other Texas music folks at the 1988 MIDEM.
January 1988 Chris & Martin with Phantom Productions attended Midem in Cannes, France - picture includes the Texas delegation to Midem in 1988. Phantom also worked to represent one of Peter Knight's bands in the US.
Here are video's that Phantom Productions shot or that were provided by the bands that we represented at the 1988 Midem. Back then we were using regular VHS one camera shoots.
Phantom's
Chris and Martin being interviewed by Austin CableVision for SXSW. Phantom
had just returned from Midem in Cannes, France and where we entered into a
partnership with David Case, Mass Productions, Milton Keynes, England. David
later became Phantom UK.
Martin Chaired the Austin Music Business Association which worked in conjunction with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce More infoEyes and Ears Newsletter 1234
SXSW
- As Mass Productions and Phantom Productions, Inc. joined transatlantic forces,
we used the SWSW II Conference to announce our evolution. Trivia: Some interesting
items include: Peter Butcher was the person who brought folks from the New
Music Seminar in New York to Austin to look at creating a major festival (SWSX)
in Austin. Peter facilitated the introductions of Louis Black, Louis Meyers
and Roland Swensen to the New Yorkers. Also David Case and Mass Productions
was one of the first international participants in the Austin SXSW. Phantom
Associate Gary Taylor from Vancouver, Canada was one of the first panel participants
from outside the US.
Chris
and Martin initiated the creation of the Commercial Music degree program
at Austin Community College. Beginning in 1986 proposals and surveys were
continually provided to ACC to convince the college of the need. It took several
years and lots of help from others. It became a reality in the Summer of 1988
(regular classes began in 1989. ACC said if ten students showed up for the
first class, they would continue the program. Thirty-eight showed and additional
classes had to be created. Later Peter would become an instructor for the program. The program is now known as Austin Community College - Music Business Performance Technology department.
Austin Community College - Music Business Performance Technology department
March 29, 2022 Central Texas Chapter of the Audio Engineering Society tour of the ACC Music Business, Performance and Technology studios
Martin Theophilus, ACC Commercial Music Management Program founder - 1986; Malcolm Harper, Reelsound Recording; David Hough, Audio Director for Austin City Limits since its pilot sessions in 1974: Andy Murphy ACC CMM Advisory Board Member
"Phantom Productions" is the registered trademark of Phantom Productions, Inc. Copyright 2015
All pictures and content on this web site are the property of Phantom Productions, Inc.
