[78-L] Who was the first . . .

[Michael Biel]

Jack Raymond wrote:
>> Dennis Flanagan wrote:
>>
>> Who was the first . . .
>> person you met who recorded on 78 rpm records. Do you remember who, when, where and does it remain an important experience in your life?
>>
>>     
> Funny you should ask.  Recently I dug out a 78 I made in a public 
> speaking class in high school on 26 Feb 1940.  It's on aluminum base and 
> had been played only with cactus needles; so the sound quality is still 
> pretty good (although my voice sounds like that of a total stranger).
>
> -- Jack Raymond

Well, if we're going in this direction, my mother, sister, and I made a 
78 in the make-your-own-record booth at the 86th floor of the Empire 
State Building when I was around 7 around 1952.  And for that matter, 
after our Rabbi died suddenly a couple of months before my Bar Mitzvah, 
his widow asked me to restore and get cut onto an LP a broadcast of his 
from 1948 that had been recorded on 78 lacquers at WEST in Easton, Pa. 


But the first person I met who recorded on real commercial 78s was Al 
Hibbler.  I was on the stage crew when I was in Jr. and Sr. High School 
and Hibbler lived in our town.  I don't remember when or which school, 
but he was standing in the wings right next to me for several minutes 
while he was waiting to be led onto stage to the microphone I was 
operating.  He was about 15 feet away from me when he sang Unchained 
Melody into that mic.  And then in my first year in college I was 
recruited to go to Central High School in Phila to record their folk 
music club's annual concert.  The guest performer was Mississippi John 
Hurt, and a bunch of us had to get him sobered up before he could go 
on.  When he was reasonably sober I recorded him on our Ampex 600 with 
an ElectroVoice 655 mic.  Yes I know where the tapes are, and no, I do 
not have a copy. 

And if Earl Okin doesn't get around to posting, he made a 78.  And both 
he and I have met him! 

Mike Biel   mbiel at mbiel.com