News

Marshall Blonstein, owner/founder of both the DCC Compact Classics and Audio Fidelity labels and a record industry veteran revealed in a recent email that he was retiring and closing down the Audio Fidelity label (the photo L-R is of Blonstein, AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer and legendary mastering engineer Kevin Gray taken during the TRON double LP mastering sessions).

Blonstein worked in west coast record promotion (though not as an "under assistant") beginning in the '60s at Dunhill and later at ABC. He then moved on to Columbia and Epic Records. In 1970 with Lou Adler he helped found Ode Records where he was involved in Carole King's Tapestry album among many others. From 1979 to 1982 he was president of Island Records.

In 1986 he founded DCC Compact Classics and released a series of gold CDs and all-analog vinyl reissues that remain to this day among the most sought after audiophile reissues. In 2002 he founded Morada Music and Video as well as Audio Fidelity, which released a series of sought after vinyl releases including the "Bladerunner" and "Tron" soundtrack albums, among others.

One can only imagine the stories Mr. Blonstein could tell after spending most of his adult life in the record business—especially during the '60s, '70s and '80s! My nose twitches just thinking about it. I asked Blonstein if he'd submit to a farewell interview. He declined writing "Michael, thank you for your generous offer but I think I’ll let the music be my last statement. After all, that was always the important part of Audio Fidelity."