Print Design

This rare photograph shows a recording in progress at the Embassy Recording Studios in New Bond Street, Mayfair, which were shared with the Oriole Label.
The challenge for Woolies and Oriole bosses was to predict which new release songss would get into the charts (at the time called the "Hit Parade") and have cover versions ready for sale when they did.

More often than not, they got it right, successfully predicting the hits. But the occasional cover song that they recorded was a bigger hit than the original that sank without trace.
The New Bond Street studios were fitted with the very latest 14 way mixers and A.K.G., Neumann and S T & C Microphones. But that counted for nothing if it was a bad song, or a bad version of a good song !

Today the equipment looks like something out of the original series of Thunderbirds or "The Saint" - but back then readers of the Woolies colleague magazine "The New Bond" were stunned to see how much technology went into recording the songs.
This device is called a Neumann Disc Cutting Machine, which literally cut the grooves onto a blank record, automatically adjusting the balance and treble, all at the touch of a button.

In 1959,Woolworths launched a new look for the Music Department - complete with listening booths and a substantial display of back catalogue titles. After 50 years they dropped sheet music to concentrate on EPs (extended play 45 rpm records), and Albums.

The official Woolworth story, featured in the now defunct Woolworth virtual museum is reproduced below. Many thanks to John Martin for this article and pictures.
Initially Embassy Records were available only as 10 inch (25 cm) discs playing at 78rpm. Despite the dull plain brown overprinted sleeves, sales of the opening titles were very encouraging - and before long they had come up with a better design for the sleeves and a strategy to develop the label. A broad spectrum of music would be offered:
songs and instrumentals from films and shows
light classical numbers, for example Gilbert and Sullivan
children's records
cover versions of the hits of the day, recorded by unknown artists, session musicians or (occasionally) by stars working under false names.
Before long the company added a 7 inch (17.5cm) 45 rpm record, which gradually took over from the 78s - with each record containing two hit songs, and long playing 33 rpm 12 inch (30 cm) records with ten to twenty tracks. They were very popular and sold by the million.

Customer feedback about the classical, instrumental and children's records was always positive.