The ability to synchronize pictures with sound raised the cinema industry to new heights. It was around this time, even slightly earlier in 1923, that the foundation of cinema sound loudspeaker technology was introduced. Although others had been experimenting with talking pictures since the early 1900s-usually unsuccessfully-most history books credit the 1927 film The Jazz Singer as the first successful talking picture. A partial list of these developments follows.Ī highlight from these developments is sound for cinema.

These innovations etched an inevitable timeline that was foundational to Hanley from the outset of his career. Prior to Hanley’s emergence as a predominant force in his field, the area of sound reinforcement technology was evolving. Read moreĬhapter 1 FIRST GENERATION, SECOND GENERATION The Last Seat in the House will intrigue and inform anyone who cares about the modern music industry. Johnson’s second inauguration, the Newport Folk/Jazz Festivals, the Beatles' final tour of 1966, the Fillmore East, Madison Square Garden, and more. These carefully selected respondents witnessed Hanley’s expertise at various events and venues like Lyndon B. Since 2011, Kane conducted extensive research, including over one hundred interviews with music legends from the production and performance side of the industry.

By studying both his history during the festivals and his independent business ventures, Kane seeks to present an honest portrayal of Hanley and his acumen and contributions. After huge financial losses and facing stiff competition, Hanley lost his hold on a business he helped create. The music industry shifted, and new sound companies surfaced. By the early seventies the post-Woodstock festival mass gathering movement collapsed. Hanley’s innovations founded the sound reinforcement industry and launched a new area of technology, rich with clarity and intelligibility. John Kane examines Hanley’s echoing impact on the entire field of sound engineering, that crucial but often-overlooked carrier wave of contemporary music. Since the 1950s his passion for audio has changed the way audiences listen to and technicians approach quality live concert sound. Stories of his on-the-fly solutions resonate as legend among festivalgoers, music lovers, and sound engineers. Hanley is credited with creating the sound of Woodstock, which literally made the massive festival possible. 1937) made his indelible mark as a sound engineer at the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. Known as the 'Father of Festival Sound,' Bill Hanley (b.

The Last Boat by John F. Hanley