[78-L] Decca hillbilly masters

[soundthink at aol.com]

When the Chicago matrix numbers reached 9999, they briefly went into the 10000s before being reassigned, on May 15, 1935 to a new series beginning with C-90000.The earliest country recordings made in Chicago for Decca were by the Texas Rangers on August 27, 1934. Earliest country master number was C9353. Field sessions in Houston began with matrix # 92000. The earliest hillbilly session in New York was August 15, 1934 by Marc Williams; matrix # 38314. The New York masters continued with the 5-digit series beginning with 3 until 39999 (9/23/35) when the series jumped to 60000. This 60000 series was good not just for New York matrices but for field sessions in New Orleans, San Antonio, Dallas, Charlotte, and Houston. 

Cary Ginell









----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Royal Pemberton" <ampex354 at gmail.com>
>I understand that the pre-ARC Brunswick New York matrix series ends at
> E 37525 in December 1931 whilst Decca's New York series begins at
> 38290 in August 1934.
> 
> Then there's Brunswick's Chicago series that got as high as C 8851 (9
> December 1932) that picks up at C 9295 (15 August 1934).
> 
> It's interesting that there appears to be a one-year difference
> between when New York changed from the E 3XXXX series (end December
> 1931) to the ARC series (January 1932) c. 11086, and Chicago's
> changing from C 8851 to an ARC series starting at C 501 (12 January
> 1933).
> 
> As Jack Kapp is the common link between these two numerical series,
> pre-ARC Brunswick to Decca, I wonder what was recorded, when and for
> whom, in the interim range of numbers?  Did he simply operate as an
> independent recording facility with studios in NYC and Chicago, until
> the Decca offer came along?
> 
The "missing" numbers were Brunswick masters cut for firms like "National
Radio Advertising!" These records were recorded/stamped by the old
Brunswick facilities, so their matrix numbers continued in that otherwise-
obsolete numeric series.

ARC's sequence was used by Brunswick once that label was pressed
by them (and later by CBS for decades)...apparently Chicago recordings
were not similarly changed. The Decca "Chicago numbers" seem to have
started at (C?)-9000, which upon reaching 9999 became 90xxx!

...stevenc
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