[78-L] Canada Domestic series catalog prefixes

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> As far as I know, Decca had no domestic Canadian recordings since they'd 
> had
> the Apex label since 1919, the Starr label for Quebecois artists, Celtic 
> for
> Maritimers (did they own or just distribute that label?). Capitol did no
> Canadian recording till Paul White started the 6000 series (LP) and the 45
> series you mention, around 1961.
>
NOT entirely correct! Compo had a 26xxx series; it was first used on Apex,
where it ran to c.26160; then apparently on Brunswick 1932-34 (DL says
he has one;I have never seen any...?!); then on Decca until 1943...when the
Apex 262xx's were revived, to make it clear the Apexes (Apices?!) were
recorded in Canada rather than in the US by "scab labour!"

Capitol did use a separate catalog-number series for its Canadian 
pressings...!
These started out as 7?-xxx in 1949 (IIRC)...then were prefix-less for ten
or so issues in the very low 200's...and finally carried a "C-" prefix until
somewhere in the mid-fifties. I've been trying to track down and purchase
Canadian Capitol 78's from this "transition period" just so I can document
the catalog-number variations...!

As far as Columbia (C)...it is a but complicated...! Columbia(C) issued a
*-P "Patriotic" series probably started in 1915(?)...there was no US
counterpart because the US had not then entered WWI! Sides on this
series were mostly British, although a VERY few were cut in NYC for
Col(C), Around the same time, there existed a "R4xxx" series apparently
issued only in Canada; again, most of the material was recorded in the
UK, with a very few US sides...! I have also seen (and own, IIRC) a
R24xx Canadian Columbia which had no US counterpart.

In 1924, when Columbia changed to suffix-designated catalog numbers,
a new series: 16xxx-D was used for "only in Canada" records. Both
myself and Jim Litchfield are trying to document these records; we have
all through c. 1608?-D, then a large gap and then a tiny bunch of
1612?-D issues.

Sadly, Columbia documents (catalogs, supplements, usw.) rival
hens' teeth for scarcity; Canadian Columbia impedimenta are
much rarer...?!

A BTW for all our listeners...ESPECIALLY "Canucks!!"
If you own ANY 16xxx-D Columbias...ESPECIALLY if their
catalog numbers fall into the above-defined "gaps"...PLEASE
send us, or one of us, the data (number, artist(s), titles on
both sides and matric numbers) on your record...!!

Steven C. Barr
> Columbia, on the other hand, did Canadian recording (as well as releasing 
> some
> European masters for Canada only) from about 1954-55, which they'd never 
> done
> as the satellite of US Columbia. They kept the 1+ series (around 2600 by 
> now)
> and were still using it on 45s as late as 1971. There were also a couple 
> of
> sides by folk singer Adam Timoon on late blue label Masterworks (10000 
> series)
> and a few green label 8000s in the late 50s as well.
>
> Decca DID have some Canada-only releases from French Decca, as well as one 
> from
> Parlophone (Victor Sylvester" Teddy Bears Picnic, which was a theme on CBC
> radio) and I forget the numbering series for that one (single release). A
> 6-digit number adding a "2" to an existing series, same as Herbert had 
> done
> with HMV to create Canadian versions of similar Victor series.
>
> dl
>
> agp wrote:
>> In the mention of Sparton releasing stuff from various US indies and
>> my mention of a late Mexico only Columbia 78 from 1960, I also got to
>> thinking about releases by the majors (for want of a better term)
>> such as Capitol, Decca, RCA, and Columbia in Canada and their
>> domestically signed output. I am particularly interested in the 1950 
>> output
>>
>> Now I know that in the 45 era, Capitol had the 72000 series, and
>> Columbia had the C4- and E4- (for Epic) series. If not mistaken, the
>> C4- series was the C- in the 78 era. Don't know about the E4- series
>> though. I do know that RCA Victor had a 56- series, but I don't know
>> if that was Quebec only. I have come across a label called RCA Victor
>> Canada International that had a 57- series but I think that was after
>> the 78 era.
>>
>> But what about Capitol and Decca. Did they have any series for local
>> signings in the the late 78 era?
>>
>> T
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>