[78-L] White Christmas

[David Lennick]

This could really drive you crazy..A550 has only 4 discs, A403 has 5, and 
obviously they used the same artwork and copyright date, just changing some of 
the titles on the cover. I have isolated discs from A550 so I don't know what 
was dropped, although my guess would be Danny Boy and one other..I'll Be Home 
for Christmas is recoupled with Faith of Our Fathers in A550. (I can't imagine 
them dropping God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen though.)

Re takes, I forgot to mention double letters..this means the same take but a 
different lacquer cut on another turntable. I'll leave it to others to 
experiment with sync stereo on these.

dl

David Lennick wrote:
> Could this get any more confusing? I have the "Merry Christmas" album, with a 
> 1945 copyright date, and the catalog number is A-403. It has the original 1942 
> White Christmas, 18429 plus its CANADIAN number 10065 (these very seldom make 
> it into discographies), and the label shows TWO album numbers, A-403 and A-306. 
> (I wonder if the later recording was substituted in the Holiday Inn album as well?)
> 
> Decca takes are the letters following the numbers. After 1943, there may also 
> be a letter and an initial such as T-17 which indicates how many lacquers have 
> been dubbed from the original 16-inch master up to that point (and then 
> followed by the A or B, sometimes even a higher letter).
> 
> dl
> 
> Sammy Jones wrote:
>> I have the DLA 4374 version in a Decca 78 album called "Merry Christmas -
>> Bing Crosby." Album No. A-550.  In small print on the bottom left of the
>> album cover is "Copyright 1945, Decca Records, Inc."  If DLA 4374 was
>> recorded in 1947, was an earlier take originally used in this album, or is
>> there some other explanation for a 1945 copyright date for the cover art?
>>
>> Btw, how does one determine take numbers for Deccas of this vintage?
>>
>> Sammy
>>