If this were 1925 and you were a prosperous Cleveland music lover, you may have headed down to S. Kohn & Sons furniture store to look at the selection of records and perhaps pick up a new Victrola for yourself or for a Christmas gift.
The Clevelander who owned this recording of the Columbia Novelty Orchestra performing Oh, Baby! and Why Did I Kiss That Girl? apparently did just that, and may have taken his or her prize home in the envelope on the right, which featured a wreath full of the Victor Company's leading lights, from Alma Gluck to Ernestine Schumann-Heink. (I think these records are somewhat earlier, which may signify that the S. Kohn Co. had some envelopes left over from earlier seasons. Or maybe things just got switched around.)
I believe the Columbia record at left was acoustically recorded in 1924, and later placed in the 1925 sleeve touting the company's New Process, which I think was electrical recording. Regardless, it is a vivid performance of an excellent band, which seems to have been composed of Joseph Samuels and his associates. Very little is known of them, even though they were a prolific recording orchestra under a variety of names. The fine lead trumpet may have been Jules Levy, Jr. The vocalist is the ubiquitous Billy Jones.
I don't know whether the buyer didn't like the record or forgot about it, but it was little played and remained in this envelope until I found it. Through the years, I have discovered several 78s in store bags (among them, apropos the season, the Drifters' version of White Christmas). I'll be featuring another one soon. It is from the early 50s and the bag also contains promotional flyers from Capitol and RCA Victor.
Below is the label of the record at hand, which features the distinctive flag motif that Columbia used from 1923 until it switched over to electrical recording.
REUPLOAD - DECEMBER 2014
6 comments:
Thanks for sharing this little treasure and the lovely story that goes with it!
I found your blog yesterday and have been traipsing backward through it. :) This would be a standard acoustic recording: when Columbia began recording electrically they changed to a black label (later to be branded "Viva-Tonal Process"), and the matrix numbers were given a "W" prefix.
The New Process actually dates from around 1920, and refers to the way Columbia records were manufactured. Most records were pressed in a single homogenous mixture of cotton flock, carbon, shellac, and various abrasives; Columbia began using a core of rough materials covered with thin paper, over which a very smooth surface was applied.
This greatly reduced surface noise, and remained the way Columbia records were manufactured until the end of the 78 RPM era. It came in very handy during WW II when shellac and other ingredients were at a premium and record companies were forced to grind and recycle secondhand records and unsold stock; Columbia only had to add the recycled material to its cores, while keeping their supply of new material for the surfaces.
Thanks, hubbit - most enlightening, and it suggests that what I have is the original sleeve.
Dear admin, this download link is dead, would you re-upload this soundtrack in MEGA ? Thanks :)
Reup:
https://mega.co.nz/#!mEdCGCjJ!eMvmRvuUMhiQRF0pEEHXZl1UFsDEe5BKam-tjq4pTzc
Thank you your quick action :)
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