What would I have to do, and who would I have to contact, to get
permission to copy an old record into approximatley 20 CD's.  The
record is [Stanley Holloway: Gobbledegook Songs]Judson Records,
Wonderland Series, J3026.  Released by Bill Grauer Productions, 553
West 52st Street, New York 19, N.Y.; December 1957.

Wait 1 year and then you won't need permission.  Copyright only lasts
50 years I believe.

Poet

Regarding poet-ga's comment "Copyright only lasts 50 years I believe."

That's not at all true anymore. Copyright law (in the U.S. certainly)
has been rewritten often, with the effect of extending the term of
copyright for things still under copyright protection. For works
created now, copyright endures for much longer than 50 years.

If the recording was indeed created in 1957--and it's copyright
protection did not lapse under the terms of whatever relevant
copyright law existed at the time (if, say, copyright law of the time
required a renewal procedure that was not followed) then it is almost
certainly still under copyright protection, and will almost certainly
be a year from now.

If this is for your personal archives, you do not need permission. If
this is for historical purposes for a library or school, you don't
need permission. If this is for a commercial operation then you need
several permissions. You need the permission of the copyright holder
of the phonorecord and the permission of the Music Publisher. The
latter can be obtained through the Harry Fox Agency in New York.
Tracking down the owner of the recording is more problematic. Good
Luck.