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Label Showcases Classic Vegas Performances
02/26/2005 7:28 AM, Reuters
Jill Kipnis
The smooth, swinging vocals of
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Wayne Newton evoke the history
of Las Vegas like no others.
For those who visited the city and saw live performances
from these and other legendary artists, and for those
discovering the classic sounds of Las Vegas today, EMI Music
Marketing (EMM) has launched the Las Vegas Centennial Records
imprint.
LVCR, which was created through an exclusive partnership
with the City of Las Vegas in celebration of the city's 100th
anniversary this year, officially launches April 26 with the
release of eight titles.
Five of the albums will carry the title "Live From Las
Vegas" and feature concerts by such artists as Frank Sinatra,
Dean Martin, Bobby Darin , Louis Prima and Keely Smith, and
Nancy Wilson .
The remaining three are "Wayne Newton: Mr. Las Vegas!" and
two compilation sets. "High Rollers!" features previously
unavailable tracks from Peggy Lee, Nelson Riddle and Sammy Davis Jr., while "Live From Las Vegas" contains previously
unreleased tracks from Smith, Prima and Judy Garland.
"What is exciting about these titles is that they are all
fantastic live performances from a real golden era of the Vegas
showroom," says Herb Agner, EMM VP of catalog marketing. "These
are some of the biggest artists in music, and many of these
performances have not been available before."
Agner says marketing efforts will tie into key events
during Las Vegas' yearlong centennial celebration. Key dates
include May 15, the 100th anniversary of Las Vegas, and July 4,
when a number of centennial concerts and events are planned.
Though the titles will be targeted primarily to consumers
35 and older, interest in Las Vegas and its history is at a
high point this year among a younger crowd.
"There are two or three network shows set in Vegas, and
several reality shows," Agner notes. "Really, the timing for
the celebration and these releases couldn't be better."
Material for the current slate has been culled from EMM's
Capitol Records catalog or directly from the artists' estates.
Reuters/Billboard
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