[78-L] Grey Gull 4114 - 1920?

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> Steven C. Barr wrote:
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Julian Vein" <julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk>
>> ______________
>>   
>>> The mind boggles at cost-cutting Grey Gull bringing back musicians to
>>> record a remake!
>> They probably waited for a session when they had the house band already
>> in the studio...and then had them re-cut the side electrically...?! They
>> probably paid their house band a few bucks per session, NOT per tune,
>> so this wouldn't cost the company any more...?!
>> Steven C. Barr 
> Actually it is an even safer bet for the company than the recordings 
> they are making of new songs!  If the original record is still selling 
> so well that they have worn the master out or have a discernible need 
> for a more modern electrical master, it's a sure thing and well worth 
> the effort and even a little expense. 
> 
Well, I own a VERY rare (no one has ever heard of it...!) apparently-
promotional Radiex record...which announces that "Radiex records
are now electrically recorded!" The matrices aren't numbered in the
regular GG sequence, but the tunes suggest it was recorded right on
the "cusp" of1925-1926, I have quite a number of GG 4xxx discs on
which the earlier issues are acoustic, but there also exist presumably
later remakes with one or both sides electric! Sometimes the electric
versions have later matrix numbers...in other cases they simply have
higher take letters...!

My guess is that GG left these 4xxx "standard" records in their active
catalog as long as they sold consistently; remaking the sides as they
saw fit, either electrically or, sometimes, simply because the masters
"wore out"...?!

Steven C. Barr