[78-L] Bessie Smith album

[Philip Fukuda]

David, Mike and others,
There is no catalog number on my album. The spine just reads "Bessie Smith Album."

The records are 3171-D through 3176-D, but with following matrix numbers (so yes, these are dubs):

3171: missing from my album
3172: Careless Love Blues (21822)
          Weeping Willow Blues (21837)
3173: There Will Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight (21840)
          Alexander's Ragtime Band (21841)
3174: Muddy Water (21853)
          Money Blues (21871)
3175: missing
3176: Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out (21842)
          Back-Water Blues (21870)

The records are a mixture of blue label, block lettering COLUMBIA, with and without "Full Range Recording" at the top. So, I misspoke earlier. The ARC-Columbia label was not defunct in 1938, but probably limped into 1939 (should have checked "Note the Notes" first).

Also, the circular photo of Bessie on the cover is pasted on, though very expertly so it's hard to tell. The photo is a halftone, by the way.  My digital camera is broken, but I can piece together a color scan for you Mike.

So, do any of you have Columbia catalogs or supplements for 1937 to '39, pre-CBS ownership? That might shed some light on the matter. Though, I have a feeling that ARC considered Columbia an afterthought by this point (for popular stuff anyway), and spent more time and money on Brunswick & Vocalion.

Philip 

 


Message: 13
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:27:58 -0500
From: David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [78-L] Bessie Smith album
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Message-ID: <4B4B356E.7080800 at sympatico.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Wossamatta all you guys! The Bessie Smith album is C-8.

C-1 is Tango Album No. 1
C-2 is Tango Album No. 2
C-3 is Rumba and Congo Album
C-4 is the first issue of Air Raid, which no living person has ever seen
C-5 is the second issue of Air Raid
C-6 is Merchant of Venice
C-7 is Twelfth Night
C-9 is European Dance Album
C-10 is Julius Caesar

This would put the Bessie Smith album in 1938, unless it WAS issued earlier 
without a number (as was the case with Victor's Bix Beiderbecke Memorial 
Album). From the October 1940 catalog (designed by Steinweiss, by the way).

dl

Michael Biel wrote:
> If I wake up in time (I gotta start getting to bed earlier) Leah and I
> are going to R&H to look at some catalogs and magazines and I will be
> looking to see the issue date.  I do think the album was sold with the
> specific records and I think that George Blacker and I did figure out an
> album catalog number decades ago, but it wasn't easy.  If I can't come
> up with a copy to photograph myself, I NEED a color scan or photo of
> it!!!  Is the photo a glued-on glossy photo?
> 
> By the way, on Friday in less than three hours, Leah and I BLEW THE
> STEINWEISS LEGEND OUT OF THE WATER with some of the evidence we found at
> another branch of NYPL in journals unrelated directly to records that I
> bet nobody has ever thought to use.  No further hints about this stuff
> -- you will have to go to ARSC in New Orleans to find out.  It helps to
> know where to find things.
> 
> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com  
> 
>       
> 
>   -------- Original Message --------
>  Subject: [78-L] Bessie Smith album
>  From: "Philip Fukuda" <pfukuda at att.net>
>  Date: Mon, January 11, 2010 2:23 am
>  To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
>  
>  
>  
>  I'm just catching up on reading my emails after my vacation, so forgive
> me if this has been discussed before.
>  
>  I've been following the Alex Steinweiss thread with interest, but
> didn't have anything to add to the discussion until today. Imagine my
> surprise at finding the c1937 (Driggs and Lewine's "Black Beauty, White
> Heat" say 1938, but I think the label was defunct by then) Bessie Smith
> Album at the 78 swap meet today. It has a brown cover with a photo of
> Bessie with the names of the accompanying musicians. I tend to believe
> the 1937 date since there is no mention of Bessie's death. Did it come
> with a booklet (mine doesn't have one)?
>  
>  There is no text on the inside front or back covers. The album itself
> doesn't have a number, so doesn't look like part of a series.
> Unfortunately, I only have 4 of the 6 records. Also, I get the feeling
> the records were sold individually, but the album was a "freebie" if the
> customer bought all six records. Of course, they are the last six
> records in the -D series.
>  
>  Does anyone have a 1937 or 1938 Columbia catalog or monthly supplements
> to back up any of my wild guesses? 
>  
>  By the way, Happy New Year to all,
>  Philip
>