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

[David Lennick]

And I actually have Earl's 78! Or at least an LP reissue of it. For that 
matter, I made a 78 in 1950 .. gotta get that transferred one of these days, if 
my stylus can get past the damaged aluminum (major).

dl

Michael Biel wrote:
> 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