[78-L] Alex Steinweiss article

[David Lennick]

And I made earlier mention of a couple of Shakespeare sets on Columbia, issued 
in 1938..Orson Welles' "Julius Caesar" (the 5-disc abridgement, not the longer 
Mercury Players set) and Maurice Evans in scenes from "King Richard II". Both 
have full size photographs on the front cover. So even Columbia was doing arty 
album covers before Steinweiss. (Does the original issue of "Air Raid" have an 
illustration? Both copies I have here have plain covers, although one disc is 
an original pre-CBS gold label pressing.)

Han, where are you finding dates for things like the Richard Rodgers set?

dl

Han Enderman wrote:
> Co Album C-11 contains Co 35379-82, recd 21 Dec 39 & 4 Jan 40.
> Co 35389 is by Metronome All Star Nine, recd 7 Feb 1940, and pres. issued Mar/Apr 40.
> This might date C-11 as ca. Mar 40.
> C-13 also Steinweiss (Strauss Waltzes).
> 
> Symp. Of Swing occurs with 2 different covers, with diff. photos.
> Steinweiss produces colourful covers like paintings, while earlier Deccas have
> conspicuous typography and often artist photos. This even applies to 74 (wizard of Oz) from 1939.
> And the earliest Deccas are more like uninteresting wallpaper (15 Stephen Foster, 22 Sousa).
> An interesting early Decca is Album 34 (Tahitian Rhythms) with coloured native design.
> Conspicuous "drawing" design on Decca 132 Bob Crosby (date?) & 137 Boogie Woogie;
> 133 is Bud Freeman, recd Mar/Apr 40.
> 
> Han Enderman