Acoustic Sounds

Iron Mountain Vault

By: Michael Fremer

June 12th, 2023

Category:

Editor's Choice

A Visit to Universal Music Group's Iron Mountain Entertainment Services' Archives Outside of Pittsburgh, PA

a daylong visit produced awe and wonderment

I spent today at Iron Mountain Entertainment Services where Universal Music Group archives much of its music assets. It was a day filled with open eyed wonder at the richness of the tape and video archives, at how the material is being catalogued and at the Iron Mountain facility itself, which should be labeled the 8th wonder of the world. Video coverage coming soon!

Can you see that black rectangle at the back of the room? That's another equally large room filled with shelves of tapes. I've never experienced anything quite like this.

Chuck Berry master tape

Comments

2023-06-14 07:28:50 PM

George DeCario wrote:

Can't wait to see the video. . . figure that it's about the closest I'll get to seeing something like this! And, it's only about an hour's drive from me! Never knew! WOW! Thanks, Michael!
2023-06-16 01:59:34 PM

Joshua Whitney wrote:

This picture (if it is what I think it is) is fantastic news. I thought all of the masters from Chess Records were destroyed in the Universal Fire in 2012, but if this is the master from a Chuck Berry album (the title of which I wasn't able to quickly identify), then some didn't perish in that fire. My day just got quite a bit better.
- 2023-06-16 02:01:22 PM
  
  Joshua Whitney wrote:
  
  I'm sorry, that fire was in 2008; my bad.
2023-06-16 10:37:35 PM

Gary Faulkenberry wrote:

I'm very much looking forward to this video. I suspect you'll clarify what's in the vault versus popular opinion.