[78-L] Original 1926 Columbia Test Pressing - Baby Doll

[Jim Shulman]

Yes.  Record companies make test pressings of every issue, for a variety of
reasons: to judge technical quality, and to made decisions about artistic
value or the commercial value.  There's a wonderful film on record-making
from 1942 at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xwe-Mt99Dw  which also includes studying
test pressings.

There are many reasons why Columbia made a 1940s or 1950s test pressing of
this Bessie Smith classic: they might have wanted to reissue it; they might
have wanted to dub it; they might be curious about how it sounded after 15
or 20 years' storage; someone at Columbia might have wanted a copy (amazing
how many of those wound up in private collections<g>), etc.  

At any rate, it's a desirable collector item, and a great performance in
nice shape.  You should definitely do well with it in an auction.  I've seen
other 20s jazz classics as test pressings issued, and they've fetched good
money.

Jim Shulman
Wynnewood, PA




-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of
bruce78rpm at comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 9:27 PM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: Re: [78-L] Original 1926 Columbia Test Pressing - Baby Doll

Pursing Fiction, Please !! Not having ever owned a Test Pressing record, and
not having the knowledge of one that you experts have I turned to a trusted
friend and called him with information and he concluded based on what I told
him in describing the record that it was in fact an original test pressing
from 1926. Unfortunately I left out one key incrediant in the analysis and
that was the name of the Columbia Recording Company. Having said that, again
thanks to everyone who have come forward with additional information so I
can post an accurate description of this record when it goes on Ebay this
weekend. Not having the knowledge of these Test Pressings and how they were
handled by the record company, I was told that Take 2, which this is, was
the actually take released by Columbia at this Recording session for mass
distribution to the General Public. Given that, why was it necessary to do
another test pressing of Take to in 1939 or thereafter ? Maybe to determine
if the mas
 ter was still in suitable condition for mass distribution ? Just a guess,
maybe there is better answer, can anyone help on on this? 

Bruce 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Shulman" <jshul at comcast.net> 
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 4:47:45 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [78-L] Original 1926 Columbia Test Pressing - Baby Doll 

Amazingly, nobody has commented on the video postings that this is a 
later-than-1926 pressing! 
He's still pursuing that fiction. 

That's not to say it's not a fascinating record, and perhaps a pressing of 
an unissued take (a Bessie Smith expert would have to confirm or deny that.)

It's also likely desirable to a collector. However, it sure wasn't pressed 
in '26! 

If there were a label for custom pressings (or test pressings) in 1926 that 
identified the company, it would have been called the "Columbia Phonograph 
Company", not the "Columbia Recording Corporation". 

I've owned some Ellington test pressings from the 1940s with this same 
label. 

Jim Shulman 
Wynnewood, PA 


-----Original Message----- 
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com 
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Sean Miller 
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 4:24 PM 
To: '78-L Mail List' 
Subject: Re: [78-L] Original 1926 Columbia Test Pressing - Baby Doll 

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't think this is an "original" 1926 
test by any means. Columbia tests from the 1920s didn't use that label at 
all, but a much plainer one. I've seen plenty of late 1930s, 1940s and 
1950s era tests on the label type of your Smith test, even many of earlier 
material like this, so my guess is that you have a later era (late 1930s or 
1940s) test pressing on shellac from the original master, not a 1920s test 
pressing at all. I'm not saying it isn't a cool piece by any means, just 
that it's a later test pressing. 

Sean 

-----Original Message----- 
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com 
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of 
bruce78rpm at comcast.net 
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 11:55 AM 
To: 78-L 
Subject: [78-L] Original 1926 Columbia Test Pressing - Baby Doll 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLTRUwskzC4 

Bessie Smith Original Test Pressing from May 4, of 1926. 

An advance peek at the Actual Record that will be posted for Sale on 
Saturday. 
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