[78-L] Climax record abrupt start

[Mark S. Chester]

I have a number of early Double-Disc Columbia records which are couplings of
very early single-sided discs. A few have retained the spoken announcements,
but many have had the grooves at the very start obliterated; I assume that
the stamper was made from a "mother" on which the beginning of the groove
was filled in. I'm assuming that the Standard, Climax, etc. versions were
also made from the altered stamper. On at least one, the very tail end of
the announcement can be heard  - I forget which, but I have one where the
"-d" of "record" can be heard before the introduction begins. I think I also
have the same disc as a black-and-silver single-sided issue, with the
announcement intact.

I assume that this was done to mask the fact that the recordings were in
fact old re-issues. A spoken announcement would have been a dead giveaway.

Mark S. Chester
Phoenixville, PA

-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Bryan Wright
Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 9:05 AM
To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
Subject: [78-L] Climax record abrupt start

I just picked up a Climax Double Disk record (K412), one side of which  
uses Columbia matrix 532-2, a xylophone solo by Charles Lowe of  
"Suwannee River" [sic] recorded January 1902. I was surprised when  
starting the record to hear that the beginning of the recording is  
clipped. I place the needle at the very start of the groove, but  the  
piano introduction is already in progress. I'm wondering if this might  
have originally been an announced record (mentioning Columbia at the  
start) and perhaps the Climax "reissue" I have had those first few  
revolutions of the groove polished away to remove the announcement?  
The record doesn't show any signs of tampering -- i.e., the outer edge  
looks like any other Columbia from the period, so any attempt to  
remove part of the groove must have been *very* well done. Does anyone  
have the original Columbia issue for comparison? Are clipped openings  
on Columbia-derived pressings such as this common?

Bryan W.
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