[78-L] Advent of Electrical Recording

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> From: David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
>> This W actually refers to World, which did the recording for Columbia
>> for a while in the early CBS period. I don't think Columbia was using
>> Western Electric after the early 30s.  dl
> I think you have it backwards.  Wasn't it Decca where the lead matrix
> prefix letter W denotes World? Remember the discussion with Doug Pomoroy
> last week about the Decca vertical masters of the operettas?  And by the
> way, World used ONLY Western Electric equipment.  Their labels note that
> Sound Studios of NY was a Western Electric licensee.  
> 
A bit of both, actually! On Decca (1948?-when?!).the initial "W" indicated
the side had been cut at the World facility; on Columbia/Okeh, it indicated
the recording had been cut using the Western Electric electrical system.

Steven C. Barr