[78-L] Pathe Records Questions

[bruce78rpm at comcast.net]

Here is a pretty unique addition of an American Pathe Phonograph playing a scarce 14" Pathe Solophone record. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENnRfRAWBbw 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bart" <garioch at texas.net> 
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com> 
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 12:13:52 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [78-L] Pathe Records Questions 

David Lennick wrote: 
> Dave Stamper was a songwriter, but I don't know anything else about these. Are 
> they center start? 
> 
No. They're, well, whatever the opposite of center start is - "edge 
start" or "conventional start"? I determined that by direct 
observation, not seeing a more clever way to do so: I set the tone arm 
in the middle of the record and compared it to where it had moved after 
a minute or so. Assuming the rotation is clockwise. Do all disc 
records rotate clockwise? 

But there was a simpler way to do it if my eyes hadn't glazed over when 
I saw French writing on the label. "Commencer par l'exterieur" and "80 
tours a la minute". 

There is a good bit of text on the label. Some is obscured by a 
postage stamp like sticker reading "Pathe EDIFO No. 36" 
encircled by "Ste. Gle. INTle. de L'EDITION PHONOGRAPHIQUE" and "80, 
Rue Taitbout, Paris". On the label itself there are listings of awards 
like "Grand Prix 1900" and something similar for 1906 and 1908. There 
is also an asterix followed by "Salabert" in just about the smallest 
type on the label. I guess "Salabert" to be the publisher, unless there 
was a performer named Salabert? - it seems to be a not uncommon name. 
But odd for a performer to be listed in the tiniest type on the label 
and without a first name. 

Some of the other problems may apply, though. The grooves do look 
rather big, even to the naked eye, when compared to a 
a mid-thirties record (Melotone 13159, which I have handy). And I fear 
the music may be impressed on the bottom of the grooves rather than as a 
conventional lateral recording. Can one tell from visual inspection 
with a loupe or magnifying glass? 
Not having a loupe or magnifying glass I used a drop of water in a 
brandy snifter turned on its side and I think I see undulations in the 
bottom of these large smooth sided grooves. 

I saw from an online database that Dave Stamper wrote some songs (though 
"Allo! Cheri!" is not mentioned) and was involved with Ziegfeld's shows 
but if he he is the songwriter and not the artist then it appears the 
artist is not named on the label on either side of the disc. On Edison 
cylinders for a number of years the performer was announce in the 
recording, often by Ed Meeker. Was the practice of announcing the 
performer common on other labels' product? 
> You need a lot of patience to play them. Or an old Brunswick phonograph with 
> the Ultona tone arm. Or a stylus with a huge tip, 6 mil or so, and a phase 
> reverse switch on your setup. 
> 
> dl 
> 
Last things first, does "a phase reverse switch" mean a stereo cartridge 
with one side of the cartridge's output in reverse phase of its normal 
connection so that one can capture the vertical component of the motion 
of the stylus and ignore the Left-Right split? 
> Bart wrote: 
> 
>> The other is a large, but slightly smaller than 12 inch, Disque Pathe 
>> 7019, Made in France. It features "Allo! Cheri!" Dave Stamper one step b/w 
>> Florida Petillo Tango Milano. 
>> 
>> Can anyone tell me anything about these latter two? I haven't heard 
>> them. I wonder what's on them, and I wonder what I need to play them - 
>> as well as the usual questions about when they date from and even 
>> who's performing on them - is Dave Stamper the performer or the songwriter? 
>> 
>> Bart 
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