Inspired Studios began in the late 1920’s as a plastic manufacturer for the garment industry under the name Synthetic Plastics Company (“SPC”). Technological advances in the decades to come allowed the company to expand its repertoire to include products such as dice, poker chips, and other plastic-molded products. Following World War II, Kasen discovered that his presses could be adapted to make phonograph records. With this as inspiration, he and his brother, Louis Kasen, founded Peter Pan Records, which eventually became the largest manufacturer of children's records in the U.S.
The 1990’s to Today In
2004, seventy-five years after Synthetic Plastics first opened their
doors, the company has become known as Inspired Studios. Today
Inspired is headed by Daniel’s son, Donald M. Kasen, now
President&CEO, who began helping his father in the record factory
at age nine. After attending high school, Donald enjoyed a
professional musical career with his own rock band. He later attended
college, and upon graduation, joined the family business. Even with
his busy CEO schedule, Mr. Kasen still finds time to write and publish
his own songs, which can be found on a number of Inspired’s audio titles Now,
the oldest independent entertainment distribution company in American,
Inspired has expanded into the development of television broadcast
properties, theatrical films, DVD, special interest, children’s home
video, Latin music, music publishing and recording, including domestic
and international licensed product merchandising. In
addition to it’s highly successful Parade and Peter Pan video
divisions, Inspired distributes several audio labels including Compose
(various artists and genres), Peter Pan (children’s) Compose-Tropico
(Latin), Current (new age, lifestyle, and world beat), Bounce Records,
Prom Records, JA Classics (Jamaican Authentic) and eMpower (club and
dance). Inspired is represented at ASCAP as Compose Music LLC and at
BMI as Tifton Music LLC and Kasen Music and has been a member of the
National Academy of Recording Arts&Sciences (“NARAS”) also known
as the Grammy Recording Academy. Currently,
the company is restoring the legacy music from their vaults and is
being digitalized to be available online at iTunes, eMusic, etc.
The 1940's These
first offerings bore the label of Peter Pan Records and were 78 RPM
records containing perennial children's song favorites such as Old
MacDonald's Farm, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three
Bears, and the Nine Billy Goats Gruff. These recordings often featured
a vocal group called the Caroleers. Other singers appeared also and
were sometimes accompanied by the Peter Pan Orchestra.
Soon
after, he and his brother and partner, Louis Kasen, created the
following labels under the Peter Pan name: Spin-O-Rama records,
Pirouette Records, Mother Goose Records, Ambassador Records, Clan
Records, Diplomat Records and Humpty Dumpty and Rocking Horse
children’s record labels which were published under Kasen Music. As the
baby-boomer generation began to grow, Peter Pan records eventually
became the largest manufacturer of children’s records in the US. The 1950’s and 1960’s These
brightly-colored plastic records featuring children's songs continued
to be produced and sold into the 1950's and early 1960's. In the
1960's, fewer new titles were produced as the company turned to
concentrate on their plastic products such as their other record label
Promenade Records.
The 1970's and the dawn of Power Records As
the 1970's began, the Peter Pan Industries division was formed from
parent company Synthetic Plastics, and the new wing started producing
children's recordings that were spoken-word stories. These included
Peter and the Wolf (1971) and a record with two stories derived from
the Flintstones television series (1972). The latter was a tie-in to
popular characters of the time would only be the first in a long,
successful series of story records based on television shows, comics
and movies. The number of media tie-in titles would ultimately number
in the dozens, including such subjects as Superman, Batman, and
Spiderman of the comics, Star Trek, Six Million Dollar Man, and Kojak
from television, and four of the Planet of the Apes movies. Several of
the STAR TREK records were produced by Arthur Korb.
The late 1970's and the 1980's The
Power Records label was retired in 1977 and all subsequent records were
produced under the Peter Pan Records name, including the several 1979
STAR TREK story records bearing photos from STAR TREK: The Motion
Picture.
