[78-L] Tops Record, is this an LP 78?

[David Lennick]

Columbia made longer playing 78s in the early 30s as well..7 minutes on a 
twelve-incher (of which they may have produced only one) and 5 minutes on 
ten-inch, on Columbia and the budget labels as well. And the later Hit Of The 
Weeks often ran over 5 minutes. Apex in Canada put out double-track records in 
the early 30s, dubbing from existing recordings AND playing 2 discs slightly 
out of sync, to add a bit of primitive echo. British labels put out longer 
playing discs as well, on labels like 4-In-One (sp?), and in the late 40s 
Caravan and Universal were doing the same thing. By 1950, Decca was regularly 
putting over 4 minutes on a standard ten-inch and up to 6 minutes on a 
twelve-incher, and some of Columbia's last 78 albums (Christmas with Arthur 
Godfrey, Kismet--Original Cast) had 5-minute ten-inch sides.

Then there's Waldorf Music Hall, which put out MICROGROOVE 78s with 8 tracks 
per side!

Scatman Crothers is on a number of those Tops discs.

dl

aaronlebedeff at free.fr wrote:
> 
>    They began to record "microgroove" 78's earlier than these records  
> : I have a 10" 1930's Odeon made in Argentine, that plays during more  
> than 5 minutes at the regular speed.
> 
>    Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com> a écrit :
> 
>> Mid-1950s in the microgroove era, so the grooving is narrower but still
>> playable with a 78 stylus or an LP stylus.  These were supermarket
>> racked records, but also were sold by mail from radio informercials.
>> The performers sometimes tried to sound like the original hit records
>> (one company had a group labeled "The Sound Effects") but occasionally
>> an unknown future star shows up on these.  Generally valued only as
>> packing filler to protect REAL records.
>>
>> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com
>>
>> -------- Original Message --------
>> Subject: [78-L] Tops Record, is this an LP 78?
>> From: "Jim Whipkey" <suuford at msn.com>
>> Date: Sat, November 08, 2008 10:44 am
>> To: <78-L at 78online.com>
>>
>> While sorting and trying to figure out what all I have on this dreary
>> Saturday morning, came across a record I do not recall ever playing.
>> It's
>> a TOPS record, a 78, with 3 songs on each side. The selections are
>> Christmas songs. Hope someone can give me some info on it. The label
>> says 78rpm RX1012, vocal & Orch, 6 hits on each record. Only
>> identification
>> of artists is TOPS orchestra and choristers. The selections are: Jingle
>> Bells, Santa Claus is Flying through the Sky, The first Noel, O Little
>> Town
>> of Bethlehem, Away In A Manger and Good King Wenceslaus. It's a 10 inch,
>> grooves separate the 3 selections on each side. It would seem to be a
>> full
>> orchestra and several singers, male and female. Each song is about 2 and
>> 1/2 minutes long, don't recall ever getting this much music off one side
>> of a 10 inch 78. I recall some conversation some time ago about such
>> records, but don't remember much about it.
>> Jim Whipkey
>>