[78-L] Sharing sequence numbers between labels

[Julian Vein]

This was in the thread:  "American Novelty Orchestra ..?"

Steven C. Barr wrote:
 >> >> Ty already lists OK 4490 as a 1921 issue.
 >> >>
 > > There were TWO distinct "Okeh 4490" records! The first was in the 
original
 > > Okeh
 > > 4xxx series (1920-1923?)...and the second resulted when CBS replaced
 > > Vocalion
 > > with Okeh (6/40) and used old Vocalion numbers on continued records!
 > >
 > > So...Okeh 4490 (2nd one) = Vocalion 4490...!
 > >
 > > Steven C.Barr

This may explain something I ran across.  I have just gotten around to 
inventorying a bunch of records purchased over the past few years.  One 
is The Carter Family on Perfect 6-01-59, "Gathering Flowers From the 
Hillside" (A-17491) and "Don't Forget me Little Darling" (B-17479).

Not having a large collection, I can't justify buying reference 
documents and, living in a small town, no local library can help, so I 
depend on the web.  Going to 78discography.com, I could find nothing 
under perfect to match the label number; there is nothing under perfect 
that is close to what is on the label (the number being June 1, 1959 
didn't make sense).

In trying to track this down I found that these cuts were released on 
Columbia 37636 and 20235.  As the matrix numbers match, I assumed they 
came from the same master.  I could find no link to a Perfect pressing, 
but I got a surprise when I came across these cuts on Melotone 60159. 
That number is actually 6-01-59, using the Melotone 1936 "date issue" 
sequencing; the same number found on the Perfect release!

The commonality between all the labels the songs were released on is 
that they were under the ARC umbrella at one time, as were the labels in 
question for the "American Novelty Orchestra" thread.  It looks like 
they were using sequencing numbers across labels for some time, 
considering my record is from "35 and the other (the Vocalion) is from "40.

Was this a common practice?  It is a database manager's nightmare.

ChuckB

6-01-59 refers to it being the 9th  issue of January 1936. The popular 
series began with XX-XX-01, and the ethnic series at XX-XX-51. These two 
titles were recorded on May 7, 1935, so it looks like they were kept on 
ice for a while. Not being popular music they would have a dateless quality.

      Julian Vein




__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4297 (20090801) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com