[78-L] Question re: Vocalion/ HMV/ and Capitol

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "agp" <agp2176 at verizon.net>
> Just got back from my local Half Price Books -- lotsa stuff going for
> 25 cents. SO that led to a few questions:
>
> 1) Pick up a Chuck Foster and his Orchestra 78 on Vocalion -- cat
> 55013 Room Full of Roses/ There's Yes Yes in Your Eyes. I realise
> that it is probably not all that fascinating/ rare/ collectable as a
> 78. It was the label that attracted me. Vocalian! I thought that they
> were done in the early 40s. This is a label style unlike the 'ornate'
> ones of the original era. It is clearly a Decca product given the
> matrix numbers (L5040/ L5042) and style -- mimicing the Decca of its time.
> Does anyone have background on later Vocalions
>
Decca acquired the rights to the Vocalion label as part of their rights to 
the
Brunswick label, in 1942-43 (Decca was desperate in the AFM ban, since
they had only started in 1934 and had no "archive of old hits!"). Decca
created the Brunswick 80000 series and issued a number of albums of
old Brunswick hits; they later used Brunswick as a regular "hits" label in
the fifties and later. They used Vocalion first for a Camden-like line of
LP's...and then as another "hits" label, barely getting into the 78 era. The
latter is what you appear to have!
>
> 2) I picked up 3 Glenn Millers on HMV. They all have a sticker with
> the words 'Made in England for Radio Corporation of America'. I'm
> curious about the usage of that label. Oh - -and one side is Perfidia
> (HMV BD.5698). Is this the Dorothy Claire version or the Paula Kelly
> version. Label just says 'with vocal refrain'
>
RCA dealers could...and did...import British HMV records for their
customers (which had to bear the sticker you cite, since "Nipper" appeared
on the HMV labels...and was an RCA trade-mark in the US! I have also
seen UK HMV catalogs with similar labels...I assume meant for the use
of US Victor dealers...?!
>
> 3) Got a Tommy Sands on Capitol. Looks to be a 1957 release - My Love
> Song/ Ring-a-Ding-Ding -- cat 3690. This is pretty much at the end of
> Capitol's run of 78s. How much longer did Capitol (USA) continue with 78s
>
At least into the low 4000's...possibly a bit longer here in Canada? I own
Capitol 4048. "Tom Dooley"...IIRC a US pressing. The highest Capitol
number in the "Abrams Files" seems to be 4108:
--------
MARIE ADAMS w JOHNNY OTIS ORCHA FOOL IN LOVE 
30554     CAP4108   (Capitol) -         (1958)    -
MARIE ADAMS w JOHNNY OTIS ORCHWHAT DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THOSE EYES AT ME FOR 
30555     CAP4108   (Capitol) -         (1958)    -
--------

Steven C. Barr