[78-L] Columbia Archive Series

[Michael Biel]

Han Enderman wrote:
> Co Archives Series
> 1 = JOLSON: April Showers / Rock-a-bye your baby

These were, of course, the ones accompanied by Guy Lombardo. 

> 2 = CANTOR: ...Susie / Margie
> 3 = JOLSON: The Cantor / Victor YOUNG: Hebrew Chant.
> [confusing...buyers asking for the Cantor record...]

"The Cantor" was more usually known as "The Cantor on the Sabbath" and
was also recorded by Jolson for Decca, I beleive.  I think it came out
on the reverse of "Kon Nidre".  When Israel was founded in 1948 it was
during the second AFM strike, but Jolson HAD to do a record immediately
in honor of the event.  So there is a Decca with a choral accompaniment
of "Hatikovah", the Israel national anthem with the original words, and
"Israel".  These are all on the "Memories" LP along with the last
recordings he made, the Stephen Foster album.  

> I have 2 different label images of #2, so it was repressed,
> but had not yet seen #3. Jolsons incompletely listed in CED.
> Han Enderman

From: David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
>>> Very short series..I think 1 & 3 were Jolson (from 1932 Brunswicks)
>>> and #2 was Eddie Cantor (If You Knew Susie/Margie). They came out
>>> in Canada on blue label Masterworks. Later reissues appeared on
>>> Special Editions and Harmony, most of which we never saw in Canada. dl
> Oddly enough, #2 is the only one I've never seen as an American pressing.
> All 3 were issued in Canada on Masterworks, and #3 was also issued
> c. 1951 as red label as 8275F.   dl

I have all three but I don't remember which labels I have them on.  It
seems like Columbia couldn't make up its mind as to what they wanted to
do with these but wanted to somehow get in on the action from Jolson's
comeback and Cantor's early TV fame.  But anything else they had of
these two were probably acoustical (except the Jolson "Used To You"
which wasn't a very good song, and "Hallelujah I'm A Bum" which was a
weird song) and they had no confidence in acousticals being able to
satisfy customers accustomed with how they sounded now.  With the LP
coming in they probably didn't want to put acousticals on this new
format that they were trying to sell on sound quality.  Come to think of
it, what were the first acousticals put on LP?  "The Old Curiosity Shop"
on RCA Victor?   And some Carusos?  

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com 

Thomas Stern wrote:
>>>> Just noticed an Al Jolson (1 side) item on e auction site (380141403588)
>>>> on Columbia "Archive Series" 3 - I'm not familiar with this series,
>>>> Please enlighten me??  Thanks!  Best wishes, Thomas.