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

[Steven C. Barr]

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From: "Jim Shulman" <jshul at comcast.net>
> 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.
>
Actually, the vital question here is whether this test pressing is an 
otherwise
unissued recording or take...?!

Steven C. Barr