[78-L] Columbia Add-A-Part records.

[Royal Pemberton]

Did they list (or did they also sell) what specific music was to be
used with them?

On 1/13/09, David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> That's what they were, an early Music Minus One series. There were enough of
> them to take up 5 pages in the 1945 catalog (although they were probably all
> from around 1940). The highest album number I see is S-60. There were
> "easy",
> "medium" and "difficult" gradings, single discs and sets, and various
> instruments missing..violin, first violin in a quartet, clarinet etc.
> Although
> for the life of me I can't understand their listing symphonic works like
> Beethoven's 5th and the Carmen and Peer Gynt Suites under "piano part
> missing".
> Did they just put out the Weingartner and Beecham recordings of these things
> and charge 50% extra for the missing non-existent piano parts? Wish I'd
> thought
> of that.
>
> I'd like coffee with no cream.
> I'm sorry, we're out of cream, you'll have to take it without milk.
> Ba-dum-bum.
>
> dl
>
> Royal Pemberton wrote:
>> What is the story behind the Add-A-Part series of records Columbia
>> offered?  For years I've seen them listed among the different series
>> or records, and the prices per disc, on a handful of sleeves or albums
>> from the 1940s.
>>
>> I have one of them.  Early 1940s blue (a la Masterworks) label.
>> Catalogue number 65116:  it's Strauss's BLUE DANUBE (in two parts)
>> performed by 'Members of the Rothschild Ensemble'.  The labels state
>> 'Piano missing/EASY', which leads me to believe the A-A-P series were
>> precursors of Music Minus One and such like educational products.
>> (There is no information on the labels as to what special piano sheet
>> music or instructional literature may have been designed for use with
>> this record.)
>>
>> Both sides have a brief outer track with a violinist playing an A
>> natural, which ends in a locked groove.  The music tracks include two
>> baton taps before the ensemble begins playing, as a cue to the
>> pianist.
>>
>> Matrix number for side 1, 021991; no lead in spiral.  Leadout spiral
>> ends in a concentric groove like some 12" Telefunken 78s I have (and
>> whose matrix numbers appear to be in the same series).
>>
>> Matrix number for side 2, XCO 25954 (dub).   Tuning track has lead in
>> groove.  Music track has no lead-in groove, and has typical machined
>> leadout with mechanical eccentric end typical of US Columbia records
>> of the 1940/1941 period.
>>
>> Any information on this record, or the series as a whole, greatly
>> appreciated.
>> _______________________________________________
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