fbpx
Wikipedia

2008 Universal Studios fire

December 05, 2023

On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles that were being applied to a facade.[1][2][3] He left before checking that all spots had cooled, and a three-alarm fire broke out. Nine firefighters and a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy sustained minor injuries. The fire was extinguished after 24 hours.[4]

2008 Universal Studios fire
The Courthouse facade (part of an often used town-square movie set) is visible to the left of the smoke plume from the 2008 fire.
DateJune 1, 2008; 15 years ago (2008-06-01)
LocationUniversal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
Coordinates34°08′28″N 118°21′02″W / 34.14111°N 118.35056°W / 34.14111; -118.35056
CauseHeated asphalt shingle
OutcomeDestruction of three acres of Universal backlot, King Kong Encounter, original master tapes for popular music, and digital TV and film backups. Injury of nine firefighters and an LA County sheriff's deputy.
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries17

Universal Pictures said the fire destroyed a three-acre (1.2 ha) portion of the Universal backlot, including the attraction King Kong Encounter[5][6] and 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies. A 2019 exposé from The New York Times Magazine asserted that the fire also destroyed 118,000 to 175,000 audio master tapes belonging to Universal Music Group (UMG). This included original recordings belonging to some of the best-selling artists worldwide. UMG disputed the report, though the CEO, Lucian Grainge, acknowledged that "the loss of even a single piece of archived material is heartbreaking".[7][8]

Fire edit

On June 1, 2008, a three-alarm fire broke out on the Universal Studios Lot, the backlot of Universal Studios.[4] The fire started when a worker was using a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles being applied to a facade.[1][2] The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) reported that Brownstone Street, New York Street, New England Street, the King Kong attraction, some structures that make up Courthouse Square, and the Video Vault, which contained duplicates of Universal's film library, had burned down. Aerial news footage captured the Courthouse building surviving its third fire, with only the west side slightly charred.

The LACoFD sent 516 firefighters,[2] as well as two helicopters dropping water. Nine firefighters and a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy sustained minor injuries. The fire took at least 12 hours to extinguish,[9] in part because of the low water pressure due to the low capacity of Universal's pipes; firefighters had to tap streams and lakes.[5]

Universal executives initially said the fire destroyed 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies of Universal movies and TV shows, some almost a century old, and including the films Knocked Up and Atonement, the NBC series Law & Order, The Office, and Miami Vice, and the CBS series I Love Lucy.[10][11][12] Universal president Ron Meyer told the media that "nothing irreplaceable was lost" and that the company had duplicates of everything destroyed.[13] Universal replaced the King Kong attraction with King Kong: 360 3-D, based on the 2005 King Kong film.[14]

2019 New York Times report edit

In June 2019, The New York Times Magazine published an investigative article by freelance journalist Jody Rosen that alleged that the damage was far more serious than Universal had said.

The fire destroyed Building 6197, a warehouse adjoining the King Kong attraction. In addition to more videos, it housed a huge archive containing multiple copies of audio and video recordings, documents ranging from legal papers to liner notes, and packaging materials and artwork belonging to Universal Music Group (UMG).[4][15] The collection included the catalogues of UMG's West Coast labels including Chess, Decca, MCA, Geffen, Interscope, A&M, Impulse!, and their subsidiary labels.[4] Rosen estimated the individual items lost range from 118,000 to 175,000 album and 45-rpm single master tapes, phonograph master discs, lacquers (also known as acetates), as well as all the documentation contained in the tape boxes.[4] The article alleged some tapes contained unreleased recordings such as outtakes, alternative versions of released material, and instrumental "submaster" multitracks created for dubbing and mixdown. However, UMG found only one unreleased album potentially affected in the fire, and they located multiple copies of that recording and could still release that album in the future if the artist wishes to.[15] Randy Aronson, manager of the vault at the time, estimates that the masters of as many as 500,000 individual tracks were lost.[4]

Rosen argued master recordings are irreplaceable, even if copies exist, because the original recording "contains the record's details in their purest form," citing Andy Zax, a Grammy-nominated producer and writer who works on reissued recordings.[4] However, that claim has been disputed by many audio experts. including Analog Planet editor Michael Fremer, who said that due to use and natural decay, often safety copies become a superior source for reissues.[16] UMG stated that even when the original master is available, the company often works from duplicates or digitized versions because the fidelity of the original master has deteriorated from overuse or from chemical interactions over time or for other technical reasons. UMG said it reissues thousands of recordings a year, and each project presents a unique set of challenges to overcome. In each case, UMG's team of experts use the highest fidelity recordings possible.[15]

Among the possible losses were the entire AVI Records catalog, all of Decca's masters from the 1930s to the 1950s, most of the original Chess masters, which included artists such as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf, as well as most of John Coltrane's master tapes from his period signed to Impulse! Records. On Twitter, Rosen stated that the Coltrane masters were among the most checked-out Impulse! items in the vault, and a source had told him that the masters for A Love Supreme were likely elsewhere during the fire.[17]

Two weeks later, Rosen wrote a follow-up article, listing at least 700 additional artists named in internal UMG documents as possibly affected. Determining which recordings had been destroyed, or how much of an artist's discography had been affected, was impossible, he wrote.[18] For example, Rosen said it was difficult to confirm whether the Neil Young recordings listed in the documents were the original master tapes of the albums he recorded for Geffen Records in the 1980s, or session outtakes from those records.[18] Rosen tweeted that the documents also listed several Broadway cast recordings among the tapes destroyed.[19] Several nonmusical audio recordings were reported as destroyed, including the original recording of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 "Remaining Awake During a Great Revolution" sermon delivered at the Washington National Cathedral.[20]

In his second article, Rosen acknowledged he could not definitely state that any master recordings had actually been lost in the fire, stating "It is not possible to assert definitively which masters were burned in the fire, nor can it be said categorically that all of these artists did in fact lose masters. It also cannot be determined exactly how many of the destroyed masters were primary-source originals."[4]

Artists' responses edit

Bryan Adams, Semisonic drummer Jacob Slichter, and Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz said they had been told that UMG had misplaced their tapes.[18] In the early 2020s, HBO approached Geffen Records to make a documentary on Counting Crows and the label found all of the masters, confirming they had not been destroyed.[21] Richard Carpenter told the Times he had been informed about the destruction of his tapes by a UMG employee while he was working on a reissue, and only after Carpenter had made multiple, persistent inquiries.[18] Following the publication of Rosen's articles, several affected musicians posted reactions on social media, with some noting specific tapes that may have been lost.[22][23] For instance, singer-songwriter Jill Sobule said she had lost two masters in the fire, including tapes for an unreleased album produced by Joe Jackson,[24] but Sobule later said UMG informed her that none of her tapes had been lost, including the unreleased album.[25]

Several other artists also contradicted The Times' reporting, stating their recordings had not been affected by the fire. Nirvana said on Twitter that all of their tapes are safe[26] as did Sheryl Crow, with UMG confirming, "masters for all of Crow's A&M-released albums survived the fire."[27] The Canadian band the Tragically Hip reported on their website that The New York Times incorrectly listed them among those who had lost tapes in the fire. Drummer Johnny Fay wrote that all of their material had been relocated to Canada in 2001.[28][29] Beck posted that his losses were minimal and that none of his master recordings had been lost.[30] Smash Mouth confirmed their recordings were not destroyed.[31]

Within two weeks of Rosen's article, five plaintiffs (singer-songwriter Steve Earle, the estates of the late Tupac Shakur and Tom Petty, and the bands Hole and Soundgarden) filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court against UMG.[32] In their complaint, the plaintiffs claimed UMG never told artists about the effects of the fire and had breached their contracts by failing to properly secure its master tape collection.[32] They further alleged that UMG did not share insurance or legal payouts received as a result of the fire.[32] Every plaintiff except for Tom Petty's ex-wife dropped out of the complaint after UMG provided artists with a list of their recordings in the company's archives.[33]

On July 17, Universal moved to dismiss the class-action lawsuit.[34] On August 16, 2019, Hole dropped out of the lawsuit after UMG assured them that the band's masters were not affected by the fire.[35] Slightly over a month later, UMG also claimed that Shakur, Earle, and Petty did not lose their masters in the fire, and that an investigation with Soundgarden was still going on.[36] Shakur and Earle would also later drop out as plaintiffs after learning their master tapes had not been harmed.[37]

Five days later, UMG demanded Soundgarden drop the suit, which the label had also moved to dismiss, citing documentary proof that the label had informed the band about the lost masters in 2015 and accusing their lawyer of "[failing] to conduct presuit diligence in your rush to be the first to file."[38] The surviving band members declined. "Their arbitrary deadlines have zero force or effect," Howard King, their attorney, told Rolling Stone. "Until UMG reveals what it collected for their litigation claims to extensive damage to master recordings, we cannot accept their belated claim that no damages were actually suffered."[39] UMG's dismissal motion also publicly confirmed that master tapes for Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger album had been destroyed in the fire, and that members of the group had been made aware of the destruction in 2015 while they were working on a remaster of the album that was eventually completed with a backup safety copy.[39] In December 2019, district court judge John Kronstadt ruled that Universal must hand over discovery evidence, and denied the label's request to postpone the delivery.[40]

In March 2020, Soundgarden and the Shakur estate dropped out of the class action against UMG.[41] On March 23, Steve Earle also dropped out, leaving Tom Petty's widow as the only remaining plaintiff.[42] The lawsuit was dismissed by Kronstadt on April 6, 2020,[43] with a refiled complaint dismissed with prejudice on March 29, 2021. After the lawsuit was dismissed, UMG said The Times "has a responsibility to explain why its editors continue to stand behind a story that has been disproven with incontrovertible evidence from both UMG and many of the artists named in the story."[44]

UMG response edit

Since its publication, UMG has disputed Rosen's article, saying it contained "numerous inaccuracies" and "fundamental misunderstandings of the scope of the incident and affected assets". UMG said it was unable to disclose details due to "constraints".[45]

In a Billboard interview, UMG archivist Patrick Kraus said that several masters of John Coltrane, Muddy Waters, and Ahmad Jamal recordings, plus items from the catalogs of Nashboro Records, Chess Records, and Impulse! Records survived the fire and were still in Universal's archive.[46] Rosen responded in his June 25 piece, noting that some of the masters that Kraus had mentioned may have survived the fire because they were being used for remastering projects at the time, or were not the primary source master.[18] Aronson also confirmed to Rosen that the vast majority of items in the vault at the time of the fire were original, primary source master recordings.[18] However, UMG stated the vault, which mostly contained duplicate tapes and not original masters, was a third empty at the time of the fire because the company had already begun transferring assets to its Iron Mountain facility.[15]

In an email to staff following the publication of Rosen's story, Lucian Grainge said he was forming a team of researchers to provide artists with definitive information and confirmed that UMG had suffered a serious loss of archival material.[7] Grainge wrote: "While I've been somewhat relieved by early reports from our team that many of the assertions and subsequent speculation are not accurate, one thing is clear: the loss of even a single piece of archived material is heartbreaking."[7] He wrote that it was "completely unacceptable" that their artists did not know the details and pledged to deliver "answers".[7] On June 26, Kraus issued a memo to staff which detailed UMG's plan to determine which assets had been affected.[47]

A month after the story broke, Kraus issued an internal note to Universal staff, which claimed that his research at the time had found only 22 original master recordings by five artists had been lost in the fire, and that backup copies had been found for each lost master. He added that UMG had been fielding requests from over 200 artists and their representatives.[48] Kraus said his team had reviewed over 26,000 assets by 30 artists, of which 424 assets (including 349 audio recordings) might have been lost.[49] On November 4, 2019, Scott Edelman of Gibson Dunn, an attorney for UMG, told U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt that UMG is the owner of the recordings and that artists' contracts provide for payments through royalties, not insurance claims.[50]

A February 2020 court filing by UMG confirmed that master tapes from at least 19 artists had been damaged or destroyed in the fire.[51] The artists whom UMG confirmed were affected are Bryan Adams, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, David Baerwald, Beck, Sheryl Crow, Peter Frampton, Jimmy Eat World, Elton John, Michael McDonald, Nirvana, Les Paul, R.E.M., Slayer, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, the Surfaris, Suzanne Vega, White Zombie and Y&T.[51] However, Billboard wrote that "UMG says original digital master recordings for Nirvana, Beck, Bryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, Jimmy Eat World, Suzanne Vega, White Zombie and Yesterday & Today were affected, but it has replacements or digital clones of these assets. R.E.M had one song from a soundtrack affected but UMG has copies in the same format."[52]

List of artists affected, according to The New York Times edit

According to The New York Times Magazine, artists whose original master recordings were destroyed in whole or part in the 2008 fire include:[18]

Subsequent legal documents filed by Universal Music Group in February 2020 cited four additional artists not included in the New York Times list:

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b . The Studio Tour. Archived from the original on August 3, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Universal Studios blaze burns sets, video vault". CNN. June 1, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  3. ^ "Investigators: Heating tools caused fire". ABC. June 3, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rosen, Jody (June 11, 2019). "The Day the Music Burned: It was the biggest disaster in the history of the music business — and almost nobody knew". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Uranga, Rachel; Orlov, Rick (June 2, 2008). "Studio workers using a blowtorch accidentally caused Universal fire". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  6. ^ MacDonald, Brady (June 2, 2008). "Universal Studios Hollywood to replace 'King Kong' with new attraction". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d "Universal Music Group Chief Lucian Grainge Addresses Vault Fire: 'We Owe Our Artists Transparency'". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  8. ^ "Universal boss on 2008 fire: "The loss of even a single piece of archived material is heartbreaking"". NME. June 19, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  9. ^ Safo, Nova (June 2, 2008). "Blaze Destroys Sections of Universal Studios". NPR. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  10. ^ Cieply, Michael (June 1, 2008). "Large Fire Strikes Universal Studio Lot". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  11. ^ Risling, Greg. . Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2015 – via Web Archive.
  12. ^ Nakashima, Ryan. . Web Archive. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  13. ^ "Universal Studios fire engulfs sets, video vault, King Kong exhibit". CBC.ca. June 1, 2008.
  14. ^ Gorman, Anna (May 20, 2009). "Universal Studios to replace fire-damaged King Kong attraction". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  15. ^ a b c d Eggertsen, Chris (March 6, 2020). "Universal Music Staff Memo Details Losses in Fire as Survey Continues". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  16. ^ ""Gene Clark" Coming Soon AAA From Intervention". Analog Planet. June 5, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  17. ^ Rosen, Jody [@jodyrosen] (June 19, 2019). "Notice I didn't say all of Coltrane's masters were lost. Trane's material was among the most frequently pulled from the vault; A Love Supreme was likely the most frequently pulled Impulse title. Sources told me they suspected Love Supreme masters were elsewhere when the fire hit. t.co/itjwEQHiOt" (Tweet). from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Rosen, Jody (June 25, 2019). "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  19. ^ Rosen, Jody [@jodyrosen] (June 28, 2019). "Yes there are a bunch of Broadway cast albums in the UMG documents. I'll try to post some details. t.co/E0TC8qBcPZ" (Tweet). from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Reskinoff, Paul (June 27, 2019). "Also Lost In the Universal Fire: A Master Recording of One of Martin Luther King's Last Speeches from 1968". Digital Music News. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  21. ^ Pelsor, Matt (May 29, 2023). "WTTS in Conversation – Adam Duritz of Counting Crows". WTTS. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  22. ^ Holson, Laura M. (June 12, 2019). "Musicians Mourn the Fiery Destruction of Their Recordings: 'I Think They Are Gone Forever'". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  23. ^ Colburn, Randall (June 12, 2019). "Nirvana's Krist Novoselic believes Nevermind masters lost in Universal fire". A.V. Club. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  24. ^ Sobule, Jill [@jillsobule] (June 28, 2019). "Yep, I lost 2 masters in the fire. I tried for years to get back my unreleased Joe Jackson produced record. Now I understand. So shitty. t.co/X29h9I9ZOy" (Tweet). from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Sobule, Jill [@jillsobule] (July 12, 2019). "I just got an email from Universal saying that my masters did not burn in the fire. I really hope this is true for many others on the list. Thinking I'll put out my unreleased Joe Jackson produced one from 92. #phew" (Tweet). from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Nirvana [@Nirvana] (January 30, 2020). "26 years ago today, we were in Bob Lang's studio recording "You Know You're Right" – the last song Nirvana would ever record. Neither that tape or any of our other album masters were affected by the @UMG vault fire. t.co/8iTFjmtQiw" (Tweet). from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
  27. ^ Weiner, Natalie (July 25, 2019). "Sheryl Crow on Getting Her Due and Making One Last Album". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  28. ^ . June 2, 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  29. ^ Kreps, Daniel (May 20, 2021). "The Tragically Hip Unearth Surprise 'New' Album 'Saskadelphia'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  30. ^ Beck [@beck] (November 27, 2019). "I wanted to clarify some out of context quotes regarding the universal archives fire. Since the time of that interview we have found out that my losses in the fire were minimal. (1/2) t.co/lt8jzMjCZv" (Tweet). from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ Smash Mouth [@smashmouth] (September 12, 2019). "We would like to thank @UMG @UME @Interscope for securing our master recordings. They just informed us our masters were not destroyed in that very unfortunate fire. #grateful" (Tweet). from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
  32. ^ a b c Sisario, Ben (June 21, 2019). "Artists Sue Universal Music Group Over Losses in 2008 Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  33. ^ Rosenbaum, Claudia (March 24, 2020). "Steve Earle Drops His Claims Against Universal Music Over 2008 Backlot Fire". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  34. ^ Aswad, Jem (July 18, 2019). "Universal Music Files Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit From Artists Claiming Fire Damage". Variety. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  35. ^ "Universal Music Group: Original Masters for 'Many of the Artists' Named in Class Action Were Not Lost in Fire". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  36. ^ Aswad, Jem (August 22, 2019). "Universal Music: Four of the Five Artists Who Sued Us Did Not Lose Masters in 2008 Fire". Variety. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  37. ^ Rosenbaum, Claudia (March 24, 2020). "Steve Earle Drops His Claims Against Universal Music Over 2008 Backlot Fire". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  38. ^ Aswad, Jem (August 26, 2019). "Universal Music Refutes Claims of Last Artist in Lawsuit Over 2008 Fire, Requests Dismissal". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  39. ^ a b Blistein, Jon (August 28, 2019). "Soundgarden Lawyer Shrugs Off UMG's Request for Band to Drop Vault Fire Lawsuit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  40. ^ "Universal Music Group Can't Halt Discovery in 2008 Masters Fire Lawsuit". Billboard. December 3, 2019.
  41. ^ Cullins, Ashley (March 13, 2020). "Tupac Shakur Estate, Soundgarden Leave Universal Music Group Fire Class Action". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  42. ^ "Steve Earle Drops His Claims Against Universal Music Over 2008 Backlot Fire". Billboard. March 24, 2020. from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  43. ^ Minsker, Evan (April 6, 2020). "Lawsuit Against Universal Music Over 2008 Warehouse Fire Is Dismissed". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  44. ^ Rosenbaum, Claudia (March 29, 2021). "Tom Petty Ex-Wife's Lawsuit Over Universal Music Fire Dismissed Again". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  45. ^ Aswad, Jem (June 11, 2019). "Universal Music Disputes Severity of 2008 Fire Cited in New York Times Article". Variety. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  46. ^ "Universal Music Group Archivist: Vault Fire Damage 'Surprisingly Overstated,' But Any Loss Is 'Painful for Us'". Billboard. June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  47. ^ Aswad, Jem (June 26, 2019). "Universal Music's Chief Archivist Explains Company's Post-Fire Artist Outreach Plan (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  48. ^ "Despite extensive search, Universal says it's only found 22 'original masters' lost in 2008 fire so far". Music Business Worldwide. July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  49. ^ "Universal Music Group Archivist Issues Statement to Staff About Losses From 2008 Fire". Billboard. July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  50. ^ "Universal Says It Owes Artists Nothing for Fire That Destroyed Masters". Courthouse News. from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  51. ^ a b c Blistein, Jon (February 14, 2020). "UMG Acknowledges Elton John, Nirvana, Beck Recordings Were Lost or Damaged in Vault Fire". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  52. ^ Rosenbaum, Claudia (February 14, 2020). "Universal Music Group Confirms Masters by Soundgarden, Sonic Youth & More Lost in 2008 Fire". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  53. ^ a b "Bryan Adams, Bob Ezrin dismayed by loss of work in 'nightmare' Universal fire". CTV. June 26, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2023.

December 05, 2023
2008, universal, studios, fire, june, 2008, fire, broke, backlot, universal, studios, hollywood, american, film, studio, theme, park, fernando, valley, area, angeles, county, california, fire, began, when, worker, used, blowtorch, warm, asphalt, shingles, that. On June 1 2008 a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County California The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles that were being applied to a facade 1 2 3 He left before checking that all spots had cooled and a three alarm fire broke out Nine firefighters and a Los Angeles County sheriff s deputy sustained minor injuries The fire was extinguished after 24 hours 4 2008 Universal Studios fireThe Courthouse facade part of an often used town square movie set is visible to the left of the smoke plume from the 2008 fire DateJune 1 2008 15 years ago 2008 06 01 LocationUniversal Studios Hollywood Los Angeles County California U S Coordinates34 08 28 N 118 21 02 W 34 14111 N 118 35056 W 34 14111 118 35056CauseHeated asphalt shingleOutcomeDestruction of three acres of Universal backlot King Kong Encounter original master tapes for popular music and digital TV and film backups Injury of nine firefighters and an LA County sheriff s deputy Deaths0Non fatal injuries17Universal Pictures said the fire destroyed a three acre 1 2 ha portion of the Universal backlot including the attraction King Kong Encounter 5 6 and 40 000 to 50 000 archived digital video and film copies A 2019 expose from The New York Times Magazine asserted that the fire also destroyed 118 000 to 175 000 audio master tapes belonging to Universal Music Group UMG This included original recordings belonging to some of the best selling artists worldwide UMG disputed the report though the CEO Lucian Grainge acknowledged that the loss of even a single piece of archived material is heartbreaking 7 8 Contents 1 Fire 2 2019 New York Times report 2 1 Artists responses 2 2 UMG response 3 List of artists affected according to The New York Times 4 See also 5 ReferencesFire editOn June 1 2008 a three alarm fire broke out on the Universal Studios Lot the backlot of Universal Studios 4 The fire started when a worker was using a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles being applied to a facade 1 2 The Los Angeles County Fire Department LACoFD reported that Brownstone Street New York Street New England Street the King Kong attraction some structures that make up Courthouse Square and the Video Vault which contained duplicates of Universal s film library had burned down Aerial news footage captured the Courthouse building surviving its third fire with only the west side slightly charred The LACoFD sent 516 firefighters 2 as well as two helicopters dropping water Nine firefighters and a Los Angeles County sheriff s deputy sustained minor injuries The fire took at least 12 hours to extinguish 9 in part because of the low water pressure due to the low capacity of Universal s pipes firefighters had to tap streams and lakes 5 Universal executives initially said the fire destroyed 40 000 to 50 000 archived digital video and film copies of Universal movies and TV shows some almost a century old and including the films Knocked Up and Atonement the NBC series Law amp Order The Office and Miami Vice and the CBS series I Love Lucy 10 11 12 Universal president Ron Meyer told the media that nothing irreplaceable was lost and that the company had duplicates of everything destroyed 13 Universal replaced the King Kong attraction with King Kong 360 3 D based on the 2005 King Kong film 14 2019 New York Times report editIn June 2019 The New York Times Magazine published an investigative article by freelance journalist Jody Rosen that alleged that the damage was far more serious than Universal had said The fire destroyed Building 6197 a warehouse adjoining the King Kong attraction In addition to more videos it housed a huge archive containing multiple copies of audio and video recordings documents ranging from legal papers to liner notes and packaging materials and artwork belonging to Universal Music Group UMG 4 15 The collection included the catalogues of UMG s West Coast labels including Chess Decca MCA Geffen Interscope A amp M Impulse and their subsidiary labels 4 Rosen estimated the individual items lost range from 118 000 to 175 000 album and 45 rpm single master tapes phonograph master discs lacquers also known as acetates as well as all the documentation contained in the tape boxes 4 The article alleged some tapes contained unreleased recordings such as outtakes alternative versions of released material and instrumental submaster multitracks created for dubbing and mixdown However UMG found only one unreleased album potentially affected in the fire and they located multiple copies of that recording and could still release that album in the future if the artist wishes to 15 Randy Aronson manager of the vault at the time estimates that the masters of as many as 500 000 individual tracks were lost 4 Rosen argued master recordings are irreplaceable even if copies exist because the original recording contains the record s details in their purest form citing Andy Zax a Grammy nominated producer and writer who works on reissued recordings 4 However that claim has been disputed by many audio experts including Analog Planet editor Michael Fremer who said that due to use and natural decay often safety copies become a superior source for reissues 16 UMG stated that even when the original master is available the company often works from duplicates or digitized versions because the fidelity of the original master has deteriorated from overuse or from chemical interactions over time or for other technical reasons UMG said it reissues thousands of recordings a year and each project presents a unique set of challenges to overcome In each case UMG s team of experts use the highest fidelity recordings possible 15 Among the possible losses were the entire AVI Records catalog all of Decca s masters from the 1930s to the 1950s most of the original Chess masters which included artists such as Chuck Berry Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf as well as most of John Coltrane s master tapes from his period signed to Impulse Records On Twitter Rosen stated that the Coltrane masters were among the most checked out Impulse items in the vault and a source had told him that the masters for A Love Supreme were likely elsewhere during the fire 17 Two weeks later Rosen wrote a follow up article listing at least 700 additional artists named in internal UMG documents as possibly affected Determining which recordings had been destroyed or how much of an artist s discography had been affected was impossible he wrote 18 For example Rosen said it was difficult to confirm whether the Neil Young recordings listed in the documents were the original master tapes of the albums he recorded for Geffen Records in the 1980s or session outtakes from those records 18 Rosen tweeted that the documents also listed several Broadway cast recordings among the tapes destroyed 19 Several nonmusical audio recordings were reported as destroyed including the original recording of Martin Luther King Jr s 1968 Remaining Awake During a Great Revolution sermon delivered at the Washington National Cathedral 20 In his second article Rosen acknowledged he could not definitely state that any master recordings had actually been lost in the fire stating It is not possible to assert definitively which masters were burned in the fire nor can it be said categorically that all of these artists did in fact lose masters It also cannot be determined exactly how many of the destroyed masters were primary source originals 4 Artists responses edit Bryan Adams Semisonic drummer Jacob Slichter and Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz said they had been told that UMG had misplaced their tapes 18 In the early 2020s HBO approached Geffen Records to make a documentary on Counting Crows and the label found all of the masters confirming they had not been destroyed 21 Richard Carpenter told the Times he had been informed about the destruction of his tapes by a UMG employee while he was working on a reissue and only after Carpenter had made multiple persistent inquiries 18 Following the publication of Rosen s articles several affected musicians posted reactions on social media with some noting specific tapes that may have been lost 22 23 For instance singer songwriter Jill Sobule said she had lost two masters in the fire including tapes for an unreleased album produced by Joe Jackson 24 but Sobule later said UMG informed her that none of her tapes had been lost including the unreleased album 25 Several other artists also contradicted The Times reporting stating their recordings had not been affected by the fire Nirvana said on Twitter that all of their tapes are safe 26 as did Sheryl Crow with UMG confirming masters for all of Crow s A amp M released albums survived the fire 27 The Canadian band the Tragically Hip reported on their website that The New York Times incorrectly listed them among those who had lost tapes in the fire Drummer Johnny Fay wrote that all of their material had been relocated to Canada in 2001 28 29 Beck posted that his losses were minimal and that none of his master recordings had been lost 30 Smash Mouth confirmed their recordings were not destroyed 31 Within two weeks of Rosen s article five plaintiffs singer songwriter Steve Earle the estates of the late Tupac Shakur and Tom Petty and the bands Hole and Soundgarden filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against UMG 32 In their complaint the plaintiffs claimed UMG never told artists about the effects of the fire and had breached their contracts by failing to properly secure its master tape collection 32 They further alleged that UMG did not share insurance or legal payouts received as a result of the fire 32 Every plaintiff except for Tom Petty s ex wife dropped out of the complaint after UMG provided artists with a list of their recordings in the company s archives 33 On July 17 Universal moved to dismiss the class action lawsuit 34 On August 16 2019 Hole dropped out of the lawsuit after UMG assured them that the band s masters were not affected by the fire 35 Slightly over a month later UMG also claimed that Shakur Earle and Petty did not lose their masters in the fire and that an investigation with Soundgarden was still going on 36 Shakur and Earle would also later drop out as plaintiffs after learning their master tapes had not been harmed 37 Five days later UMG demanded Soundgarden drop the suit which the label had also moved to dismiss citing documentary proof that the label had informed the band about the lost masters in 2015 and accusing their lawyer of failing to conduct presuit diligence in your rush to be the first to file 38 The surviving band members declined Their arbitrary deadlines have zero force or effect Howard King their attorney told Rolling Stone Until UMG reveals what it collected for their litigation claims to extensive damage to master recordings we cannot accept their belated claim that no damages were actually suffered 39 UMG s dismissal motion also publicly confirmed that master tapes for Soundgarden s Badmotorfinger album had been destroyed in the fire and that members of the group had been made aware of the destruction in 2015 while they were working on a remaster of the album that was eventually completed with a backup safety copy 39 In December 2019 district court judge John Kronstadt ruled that Universal must hand over discovery evidence and denied the label s request to postpone the delivery 40 In March 2020 Soundgarden and the Shakur estate dropped out of the class action against UMG 41 On March 23 Steve Earle also dropped out leaving Tom Petty s widow as the only remaining plaintiff 42 The lawsuit was dismissed by Kronstadt on April 6 2020 43 with a refiled complaint dismissed with prejudice on March 29 2021 After the lawsuit was dismissed UMG said The Times has a responsibility to explain why its editors continue to stand behind a story that has been disproven with incontrovertible evidence from both UMG and many of the artists named in the story 44 UMG response edit Since its publication UMG has disputed Rosen s article saying it contained numerous inaccuracies and fundamental misunderstandings of the scope of the incident and affected assets UMG said it was unable to disclose details due to constraints 45 In a Billboard interview UMG archivist Patrick Kraus said that several masters of John Coltrane Muddy Waters and Ahmad Jamal recordings plus items from the catalogs of Nashboro Records Chess Records and Impulse Records survived the fire and were still in Universal s archive 46 Rosen responded in his June 25 piece noting that some of the masters that Kraus had mentioned may have survived the fire because they were being used for remastering projects at the time or were not the primary source master 18 Aronson also confirmed to Rosen that the vast majority of items in the vault at the time of the fire were original primary source master recordings 18 However UMG stated the vault which mostly contained duplicate tapes and not original masters was a third empty at the time of the fire because the company had already begun transferring assets to its Iron Mountain facility 15 In an email to staff following the publication of Rosen s story Lucian Grainge said he was forming a team of researchers to provide artists with definitive information and confirmed that UMG had suffered a serious loss of archival material 7 Grainge wrote While I ve been somewhat relieved by early reports from our team that many of the assertions and subsequent speculation are not accurate one thing is clear the loss of even a single piece of archived material is heartbreaking 7 He wrote that it was completely unacceptable that their artists did not know the details and pledged to deliver answers 7 On June 26 Kraus issued a memo to staff which detailed UMG s plan to determine which assets had been affected 47 A month after the story broke Kraus issued an internal note to Universal staff which claimed that his research at the time had found only 22 original master recordings by five artists had been lost in the fire and that backup copies had been found for each lost master He added that UMG had been fielding requests from over 200 artists and their representatives 48 Kraus said his team had reviewed over 26 000 assets by 30 artists of which 424 assets including 349 audio recordings might have been lost 49 On November 4 2019 Scott Edelman of Gibson Dunn an attorney for UMG told U S District Judge John A Kronstadt that UMG is the owner of the recordings and that artists contracts provide for payments through royalties not insurance claims 50 A February 2020 court filing by UMG confirmed that master tapes from at least 19 artists had been damaged or destroyed in the fire 51 The artists whom UMG confirmed were affected are Bryan Adams And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead David Baerwald Beck Sheryl Crow Peter Frampton Jimmy Eat World Elton John Michael McDonald Nirvana Les Paul R E M Slayer Sonic Youth Soundgarden the Surfaris Suzanne Vega White Zombie and Y amp T 51 However Billboard wrote that UMG says original digital master recordings for Nirvana Beck Bryan Adams Sheryl Crow Jimmy Eat World Suzanne Vega White Zombie and Yesterday amp Today were affected but it has replacements or digital clones of these assets R E M had one song from a soundtrack affected but UMG has copies in the same format 52 List of artists affected according to The New York Times editAccording to The New York Times Magazine artists whose original master recordings were destroyed in whole or part in the 2008 fire include 18 38 Special 50 Cent Colonel Abrams Johnny Ace Bryan Adams Nat Adderley Aerosmith Rhett Akins Manny Albam Lorez Alexandria Gary Allan Red Allen Steve Allen Ames Brothers Gene Ammons Bill Anderson John Anderson The Andrews Sisters Lee Andrews amp the Hearts Paul Anka Adam Ant Toni Arden Joan Armatrading Louis Armstrong Asia Asleep at the Wheel Audioslave Patti Austin Average White Band Hoyt Axton Albert Ayler Burt Bacharach Joan Baez Razzy Bailey Chet Baker Florence Ballard Hank Ballard Gato Barbieri Baja Marimba Band The Banana Splits Len Barry Count Basie Fontella Bass The Beat Farmers Sidney Bechet Beck Captain Beefheart Archie Bell amp the Drells Vincent Bell Bell Biv DeVoe Louie Bellson David Benoit George Benson Berlin Elmer Bernstein Chuck Berry Nuno Bettencourt Stephen Bishop Blackstreet Art Blakey Hal Blaine Bobby Blue Bland Mary J Blige The Blind Boys of Alabama Blink 182 Blues Traveler Eddie Bo Pat Boone Boston Connee Boswell Eddie Boyd Jan Bradley Owen Bradley Oscar Brand Bob Braun Walter Brennan Jackie Brenston Teresa Brewer Edie Brickell amp New Bohemians John Brim Willmer Little Ax Broadnax Lonnie Brooks Big Bill Broonzy Brothers Johnson Bobby Brown Clarence Gatemouth Brown Lawrence Brown Les Brown Marion Brown Marshall Brown Mel Brown Michael Brown Dave Brubeck Jimmy Buffett Carol Burnett T Bone Burnett Dorsey Burnette Johnny Burnette Terry Callier Cab Calloway The Call Glen Campbell Captain amp Tennille Captain Sensible Irene Cara Belinda Carlisle Carl Carlton Eric Carmen Hoagy Carmichael Kim Carnes Karen Carpenter Richard Carpenter The Carpenters Barbara Carr Benny Carter Betty Carter Carter Family Peter Case Alvin Cash Rosanne Cash Bobby Charles Ray Charles Chubby Checker Checkmates Ltd Cheech amp Chong Cher Don Cherry Mark Chesnutt The Chi Lites Eric Clapton Gene Clark Petula Clark Roy Clark Merry Clayton Jimmy Cliff Patsy Cline Rosemary Clooney Wayne Cochran Joe Cocker Gloria Coleman Ornette Coleman Mitty Collier Jazzbo Collins Judy Collins Colosseum Alice Coltrane John Coltrane Common Cookie and his Cupcakes Barbara Cook Rita Coolidge Stewart Copeland The Corsairs Dave Baby Cortez Bill Cosby Don Costa Clifford Coulter Counting Crows Coverdale Page Warren Covington Deborah Cox James Sugar Boy Crawford Crazy Otto Marshall Crenshaw The Crew Cuts Sonny Criss Bing Crosby Bob Crosby David Crosby Crosby amp Nash Sheryl Crow Rodney Crowell The Crusaders The Cuff Links Xavier Cugat Tim Curry The Damned Danny amp The Juniors Rodney Dangerfield Bobby Darin Helen Darling David amp David Billy Davis Jr Mac Davis Richard Davis Sammy Davis Jr Chris de Burgh Lenny Dee Jack DeJohnette The Dells The Del Vikings Sandy Denny Sugar Pie DeSanto The Desert Rose Band Dennis DeYoung Neil Diamond Bo Diddley Difford amp Tilbrook Dillard amp Clark The Dixie Hummingbirds Willie Dixon DJ Shadow Fats Domino Jimmy Donley Kenny Dorham Jimmy Dorsey Lee Dorsey Tommy Dorsey Lamont Dozier The Dramatics The Dream Syndicate The Dream Weavers Roy Drusky Jimmy Durante Deanna Durbin Eagles Steve Earle El Chicano Danny Elfman Yvonne Elliman Duke Ellington Cass Elliot Joe Ely John Entwistle Eminem Eric B amp Rakim Gil Evans Paul Evans Betty Everett Don Everly Extreme The Falcons Harold Faltermeyer Donna Fargo Art Farmer Freddy Fender Ferrante amp Teicher Fever Tree The 5th Dimension Ella Fitzgerald The Fixx The Flamingos King Floyd The Flying Burrito Brothers John Fogerty Red Foley Eddie Fontaine The Four Aces Four Tops Peter Frampton Franke and the Knockouts Aretha Franklin C L Franklin Frazier River The Free Movement Glenn Frey Lefty Frizzell Curtis Fuller Jerry Fuller Lowell Fulson Harvey Fuqua Nelly Furtado Hank Garland Judy Garland Erroll Garner Jimmy Garrison Larry Gatlin Gene Loves Jezebel Barry Gibb Georgia Gibbs Terri Gibbs Dizzy Gillespie Gin Blossoms Tompall Glaser Glass Harp Tom Glazer Whoopi Goldberg Golden Earring Paul Gonsalves Benny Goodman Dexter Gordon Rosco Gordon Eydie Gorme Lesley Gore Teddy Grace Grand Funk Railroad Amy Grant Earl Grant The Grass Roots Dobie Gray Buddy Greco Al Green Keith Green Jack Greene Robert Greenidge Lee Greenwood Patty Griffin Nanci Griffith Dave Grusin Guns N Roses Buddy Guy Buddy Hackett Charlie Haden Merle Haggard Bill Haley amp His Comets Aaron Hall Lani Hall Chico Hamilton George Hamilton IV Vicky Hamilton Hamilton Joe Frank amp Reynolds Marvin Hamlisch Jan Hammer Lionel Hampton John Handy Slim Harpo Richard Harris Freddie Hart Dan Hartman Johnny Hartman Coleman Hawkins Dale Hawkins Richie Havens Roy Haynes Head East Heavy D Bobby Helms Don Henley Clarence Frogman Henry Woody Herman Milt Herth John Hiatt Al Hibbler Dan Hicks Monk Higgins Jessie Hill Earl Hines Roger Hodgson Hole Billie Holiday Jennifer Holliday Buddy Holly The Hollywood Flames Eddie Holman John Lee Hooker Stix Hooper Bob Hope Paul Horn Shirley Horn Big Walter Horton Thelma Houston Rebecca Lynn Howard Jan Howard Howlin Wolf Freddie Hubbard Humble Pie Engelbert Humperdinck Brian Hyland The Impressions The Ink Spots Iron Butterfly Burl Ives Janet Jackson Joe Jackson Milt Jackson Ahmad Jamal Etta James Elmore James James Gang Keith Jarrett Jason amp The Scorchers Jawbreaker Garland Jeffreys Beverly Jenkins Gordon Jenkins The Jets Jimmy Eat World Jodeci Johnnie amp Joe The Joe Perry Project Elton John J J Johnson Al Jolson Booker T Jones Elvin Jones George Jones Hank Jones Jack Jones Marti Jones Quincy Jones Rickie Lee Jones Tamiko Jones Tom Jones Louis Jordan The Jordanaires Jurassic 5 Bert Kaempfert Kitty Kallen Kalin Twins Bob Kames Kansas Boris Karloff Sammy Kaye K Ci amp JoJo Toby Keith Gene Kelly Chaka Khan Andy Kim 53 B B King Martin Luther King Jr Wayne King The Kingsmen The Kingston Trio Roland Kirk Eartha Kitt John Klemmer Klymaxx Baker Knight Chris Knight Gladys Knight amp the Pips Krokus Steve Kuhn Joachim Kuhn Rolf Kuhn Patti LaBelle L A Dream Team Frankie Laine Lambert Hendricks amp Ross Denise LaSalle Yusef Lateef Steve Lawrence Lafayette Leake Brenda Lee Laura Lee Leapy Lee Peggy Lee Danni Leigh The Lennon Sisters J B Lenoir Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lewis Meade Lux Lewis Ramsey Lewis Liberace Lifehouse Enoch Light The Lightning Seeds Limp Bizkit Lisa Loeb Little Milton Little River Band Little Walter Lobo Nils Lofgren Lone Justice Guy Lombardo Lord Tracy The Louvin Brothers Love Patty Loveless The Lovelites Lyle Lovett Love Unlimited Loretta Lynn L T D Lynyrd Skynyrd Gloria Lynne Moms Mabley Willie Mabon Warner Mack Dave Mackay Miriam Makeba The Mamas and the Papas Melissa Manchester Barbara Mandrell Chuck Mangione Shelly Manne Wade Marcus Mark Almond Pigmeat Markham Steve Marriott Wink Martindale Groucho Marx Hugh Masekela Dave Mason Jerry Mason Matthews Southern Comfort The Mavericks Robert Maxwell John Mayall Percy Mayfield Lyle Mays Les McCann Delbert McClinton Robert Lee McCollum Marilyn McCoo Van McCoy Jimmy McCracklin Jack McDuff Reba McEntire Gary McFarland Barry McGuire The McGuire Sisters Duff McKagan Maria McKee McKendree Spring Marian McPartland Clyde McPhatter Carmen McRae Jack McVea Meat Loaf John Mellencamp Memphis Slim Sergio Mendes Ethel Merman Pat Metheny Mighty Clouds of Joy Roger Miller Stephanie Mills The Mills Brothers Liza Minnelli Charles Mingus Joni Mitchell Bill Monroe Vaughn Monroe Buddy Montgomery Wes Montgomery The Moody Blues The Moonglows Jane Morgan Russ Morgan Ennio Morricone Mos Def Martin Mull Gerry Mulligan Milton Nascimento Johnny Nash Nazareth Nelson Jimmy Nelson Oliver Nelson Ricky Nelson Aaron Neville Art Neville The Neville Brothers New Edition New Riders of the Purple Sage Olivia Newton John Night Ranger Leonard Nimoy Nine Inch Nails Nirvana Nitty Gritty Dirt Band No Doubt Ken Nordine Red Norvo Terri Nunn The Oak Ridge Boys Ric Ocasek Phil Ochs Hazel O Connor Chico O Farrill Oingo Boingo The O Jays Spooner Oldham One Flew South Yoko Ono Orleans Jeffrey Osborne The Outfield Pablo Cruise Jackie Paris Leo Parker Junior Parker Ray Parker Jr Dolly Parton Les Paul Freda Payne Peaches amp Herb Pebbles CeCe Peniston The Peppermint Rainbow The Persuasions Bernadette Peters Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers John Phillips Webb Pierce Poco The Pointer Sisters The Police Doc Pomus Jimmy Ponder Iggy Pop Billy Preston Lloyd Price Louis Prima Primus Red Prysock Puddle of Mudd Leroy Pullins The Pussycat Dolls Quarterflash Queen Latifah Sun Ra The Radiants Gerry Rafferty Kenny Rankin The Ray Charles Singers The Ray O Vacs The Rays Dewey Redman Della Reese Martha Reeves R E M Debbie Reynolds Emitt Rhodes Busta Rhymes Buddy Rich Emil Richards Dannie Richmond Riders in the Sky Stan Ridgway Sam Rivers Max Roach Howard Roberts Marty Roberts The Roches Chris Rock Tommy Roe Jimmy Rogers Sonny Rollins The Roots Rose Royce Doctor Ross Jackie Ross Rotary Connection Roswell Rudd Rufus Otis Rush Brenda Russell Leon Russell Pee Wee Russell The Russian Jazz Quartet Mitch Ryder Buffy Sainte Marie Joe Sample Pharoah Sanders The Sandpipers Shirley Scott Tom Scott Dawn Sears Neil Sedaka Jeannie Seely Semisonic Charlie Sexton Tupac Shakur Georgie Shaw Marlena Shaw Archie Shepp Dinah Shore Ben Sidran Silver Apples Shel Silverstein The Simon Sisters Ashlee Simpson The Simpsons Zoot Sims P F Sloan Smash Mouth Kate Smith Keely Smith Tab Smith Patty Smyth Snoop Dogg Valaida Snow Jill Sobule Soft Machine Sonic Youth Sonny amp Cher The Soul Stirrers Soundgarden Eddie South Southern Culture on the Skids The Sparkletones Spinal Tap The Spokesmen Squeeze Jo Stafford Chris Stamey Joe Stampley Michael Stanley Kay Starr Stealers Wheel Steely Dan Gwen Stefani Steppenwolf Cat Stevens Billy Stewart Sting Sonny Stitt Shane Stockton George Strait Strawberry Alarm Clock Strawbs Steve and Eydie Styx Sublime Sum 41 53 Yma Sumac Andy Summers The Sundowners Supertramp The Surfaris Sylvia Syms Gabor Szabo The Tams Grady Tate t A T u Billy Taylor Koko Taylor Charlie Teagarden Temple of the Dog Clark Terry Tesla Sister Rosetta Tharpe Robin Thicke Toots Thielemans B J Thomas Irma Thomas Rufus Thomas Hank Thompson Lucky Thompson Big Mama Thornton Three Dog Night The Three Stooges Tiffany Mel Tillis Tommy amp the Tom Toms Mel Torme The Tragically Hip The Trapp Family Singers Ralph Tresvant Ernest Tubb The Tubes Tanya Tucker Tommy Tucker The Tune Weavers Ike Turner Stanley Turrentine Conway Twitty McCoy Tyner Phil Upchurch Michael Utley Leroy Van Dyke Gino Vannelli Van Zant Billy Vaughan Suzanne Vega Veruca Salt The Vibrations Bobby Vinton Voivod Porter Wagoner The Waikikis Rufus Wainwright Rick Wakeman Jerry Jeff Walker The Wallflowers Joe Walsh Wang Chung Clara Ward Warrior Soul War Washboard Sam Was Not Was Baby Washington The Watchmen Muddy Waters Jody Watley Johnny Guitar Watson The Weavers Ben Webster Weezer We Five George Wein Lenny Welch Lawrence Welk Kitty Wells Mae West Barry White Michael White Slappy White Whitesnake White Zombie The Who Whycliffe Kim Wilde Don Williams Jody Williams John Williams Larry Williams Lenny Williams Leona Williams Paul Williams Roger Williams Sonny Boy Williamson Walter Winchell Kai Winding Johnny Winter Wishbone Ash Jimmy Witherspoon Bobby Womack Lee Ann Womack Phil Woods Wrecks N Effect O V Wright Bill Wyman Rusty York Faron Young Neil Young Young Black Teenagers Y amp T Rob Zombie Subsequent legal documents filed by Universal Music Group in February 2020 cited four additional artists not included in the New York Times list And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead David Baerwald Michael McDonald Slayer 51 See also edit nbsp Greater Los Angeles portal nbsp Pop music portal nbsp Film portal nbsp 2000s portal2008 in music 2008 in the United States List of building or structure fires 1937 Fox vault fire destroyed many of the studio s pre 1932 silent films 1965 MGM vault fire destroyed many of the studio s silent and early sound films Myspace another company involved in a loss of music that also went unreported by the media until 2019References edit a b USH 2008 Fire The Studio Tour Archived from the original on August 3 2010 Retrieved July 9 2010 a b c Universal Studios blaze burns sets video vault CNN June 1 2008 Retrieved June 13 2008 Investigators Heating tools caused fire ABC June 3 2008 Retrieved November 13 2020 a b c d e f g h Rosen Jody June 11 2019 The Day the Music Burned It was the biggest disaster in the history of the music business and almost nobody knew The New York Times Magazine Retrieved June 11 2019 a b Uranga Rachel Orlov Rick June 2 2008 Studio workers using a blowtorch accidentally caused Universal fire Los Angeles Daily News Retrieved June 19 2019 MacDonald Brady June 2 2008 Universal Studios Hollywood to replace King Kong with new attraction Los Angeles Times Retrieved June 18 2019 a b c d Universal Music Group Chief Lucian Grainge Addresses Vault Fire We Owe Our Artists Transparency Billboard Retrieved June 19 2019 Universal boss on 2008 fire The loss of even a single piece of archived material is heartbreaking NME June 19 2019 Retrieved January 7 2022 Safo Nova June 2 2008 Blaze Destroys Sections of Universal Studios NPR Retrieved June 20 2019 Cieply Michael June 1 2008 Large Fire Strikes Universal Studio Lot The New York Times Retrieved May 27 2010 Risling Greg Fire at Universal Studios destroys sets videos Associated Press Archived from the original on June 4 2008 Retrieved April 13 2015 via Web Archive Nakashima Ryan Universal studios fire may cost tens of millions Web Archive Archived from the original on June 5 2008 Retrieved June 13 2008 Universal Studios fire engulfs sets video vault King Kong exhibit CBC ca June 1 2008 Gorman Anna May 20 2009 Universal Studios to replace fire damaged King Kong attraction Los Angeles Times Retrieved June 18 2019 a b c d Eggertsen Chris March 6 2020 Universal Music Staff Memo Details Losses in Fire as Survey Continues Billboard Retrieved January 7 2022 Gene Clark Coming Soon AAA From Intervention Analog Planet June 5 2018 Retrieved February 4 2022 Rosen Jody jodyrosen June 19 2019 Notice I didn t say all of Coltrane s masters were lost Trane s material was among the most frequently pulled from the vault A Love Supreme was likely the most frequently pulled Impulse title Sources told me they suspected Love Supreme masters were elsewhere when the fire hit t co itjwEQHiOt Tweet Archived from the original on December 7 2021 Retrieved March 19 2022 via Twitter a b c d e f g Rosen Jody June 25 2019 Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire The New York Times Retrieved June 25 2019 Rosen Jody jodyrosen June 28 2019 Yes there are a bunch of Broadway cast albums in the UMG documents I ll try to post some details t co E0TC8qBcPZ Tweet Archived from the original on November 30 2021 Retrieved March 19 2022 via Twitter Reskinoff Paul June 27 2019 Also Lost In the Universal Fire A Master Recording of One of Martin Luther King s Last Speeches from 1968 Digital Music News Retrieved August 7 2019 Pelsor Matt May 29 2023 WTTS in Conversation Adam Duritz of Counting Crows WTTS Retrieved May 29 2023 Holson Laura M June 12 2019 Musicians Mourn the Fiery Destruction of Their Recordings I Think They Are Gone Forever The New York Times Retrieved June 12 2019 Colburn Randall June 12 2019 Nirvana s Krist Novoselic believes Nevermind masters lost in Universal fire A V Club Retrieved July 17 2019 Sobule Jill jillsobule June 28 2019 Yep I lost 2 masters in the fire I tried for years to get back my unreleased Joe Jackson produced record Now I understand So shitty t co X29h9I9ZOy Tweet Archived from the original on September 5 2021 Retrieved March 19 2022 via Twitter Sobule Jill jillsobule July 12 2019 I just got an email from Universal saying that my masters did not burn in the fire I really hope this is true for many others on the list Thinking I ll put out my unreleased Joe Jackson produced one from 92 phew Tweet Archived from the original on March 3 2022 Retrieved March 19 2022 via Twitter Nirvana Nirvana January 30 2020 26 years ago today we were in Bob Lang s studio recording You Know You re Right the last song Nirvana would ever record Neither that tape or any of our other album masters were affected by the UMG vault fire t co 8iTFjmtQiw Tweet Archived from the original on March 4 2022 Retrieved March 19 2022 via Twitter Weiner Natalie July 25 2019 Sheryl Crow on Getting Her Due and Making One Last Album Billboard Retrieved March 3 2022 Saskadelphia The Hip Gift Shop June 2 2021 Archived from the original on June 2 2021 Retrieved March 3 2022 Kreps Daniel May 20 2021 The Tragically Hip Unearth Surprise New Album Saskadelphia Rolling Stone Retrieved May 20 2021 Beck beck November 27 2019 I wanted to clarify some out of context quotes regarding the universal archives fire Since the time of that interview we have found out that my losses in the fire were minimal 1 2 t co lt8jzMjCZv Tweet Archived from the original on March 4 2022 Retrieved March 19 2022 via Twitter Smash Mouth smashmouth September 12 2019 We would like to thank UMG UME Interscope for securing our master recordings They just informed us our masters were not destroyed in that very unfortunate fire grateful Tweet Archived from the original on March 3 2022 Retrieved March 19 2022 via Twitter a b c Sisario Ben June 21 2019 Artists Sue Universal Music Group Over Losses in 2008 Fire The New York Times Retrieved June 22 2019 Rosenbaum Claudia March 24 2020 Steve Earle Drops His Claims Against Universal Music Over 2008 Backlot Fire Billboard Retrieved March 3 2022 Aswad Jem July 18 2019 Universal Music Files Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit From Artists Claiming Fire Damage Variety Retrieved July 19 2019 Universal Music Group Original Masters for Many of the Artists Named in Class Action Were Not Lost in Fire Billboard Retrieved August 22 2019 Aswad Jem August 22 2019 Universal Music Four of the Five Artists Who Sued Us Did Not Lose Masters in 2008 Fire Variety Retrieved September 3 2019 Rosenbaum Claudia March 24 2020 Steve Earle Drops His Claims Against Universal Music Over 2008 Backlot Fire Billboard Retrieved March 3 2022 Aswad Jem August 26 2019 Universal Music Refutes Claims of Last Artist in Lawsuit Over 2008 Fire Requests Dismissal Variety Retrieved September 16 2019 a b Blistein Jon August 28 2019 Soundgarden Lawyer Shrugs Off UMG s Request for Band to Drop Vault Fire Lawsuit Rolling Stone Retrieved September 16 2019 Universal Music Group Can t Halt Discovery in 2008 Masters Fire Lawsuit Billboard December 3 2019 Cullins Ashley March 13 2020 Tupac Shakur Estate Soundgarden Leave Universal Music Group Fire Class Action Billboard Retrieved March 14 2020 Steve Earle Drops His Claims Against Universal Music Over 2008 Backlot Fire Billboard March 24 2020 Archived from the original on March 24 2020 Retrieved July 8 2021 Minsker Evan April 6 2020 Lawsuit Against Universal Music Over 2008 Warehouse Fire Is Dismissed Pitchfork Retrieved April 7 2020 Rosenbaum Claudia March 29 2021 Tom Petty Ex Wife s Lawsuit Over Universal Music Fire Dismissed Again Billboard Retrieved March 3 2022 Aswad Jem June 11 2019 Universal Music Disputes Severity of 2008 Fire Cited in New York Times Article Variety Retrieved June 11 2019 Universal Music Group Archivist Vault Fire Damage Surprisingly Overstated But Any Loss Is Painful for Us Billboard June 17 2019 Retrieved June 19 2019 Aswad Jem June 26 2019 Universal Music s Chief Archivist Explains Company s Post Fire Artist Outreach Plan EXCLUSIVE Variety Retrieved June 28 2019 Despite extensive search Universal says it s only found 22 original masters lost in 2008 fire so far Music Business Worldwide July 18 2019 Retrieved July 18 2019 Universal Music Group Archivist Issues Statement to Staff About Losses From 2008 Fire Billboard July 17 2019 Retrieved July 18 2019 Universal Says It Owes Artists Nothing for Fire That Destroyed Masters Courthouse News Archived from the original on November 5 2019 Retrieved April 20 2022 a b c Blistein Jon February 14 2020 UMG Acknowledges Elton John Nirvana Beck Recordings Were Lost or Damaged in Vault Fire Rolling Stone Retrieved February 14 2020 Rosenbaum Claudia February 14 2020 Universal Music Group Confirms Masters by Soundgarden Sonic Youth amp More Lost in 2008 Fire Billboard Retrieved April 20 2022 a b Bryan Adams Bob Ezrin dismayed by loss of work in nightmare Universal fire CTV June 26 2019 Retrieved January 9 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2008 Universal Studios fire amp oldid 1187818622, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.