[78-L] Did The English Take Better Care Of Their Records?

[goldenbough at arcor.de]

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First of all, I think this has nothing to do with the 'English'. You will find this phenomenon 
in many cultures. As I see it, it's more a matter of the social strata. 

In generally ruined condition: 
Cajun records in Louisiana, Albanian records in Tirana, Turkish 'Türkü' 78s in Anatolia, 
'Jat' + Punjabi + 'rural folk' records in India (marked as such on the labels), rembetiko 
discs in Greece, flamenco 78s in Spain, 'trallaleri' discs in Liguria/Italy, gamelan 78s in 
Indonesia, Polish/Ukainian mountain music in Tatra mountains of the Slovakia/
Poland/Ukraine triangle, Berber music in Morocco and Algeria, African dance music (
not tribal music!) in West Africa.... 

I have bought 78s in all those countries and I know what I am talking about. How many 
times have I seen 78s played there with a NAIL! 

If you want such ethnic discs in decent condition, buy the original Pathes in France, the 
Parlophones in GB, the Odeons in Germany etc.   Admitted - you will not find the same 
selections.  The really outstanding ethnic renditions were not published on the European 
ethnic series on the aforementioned labels, because they were too 'weird' for Western ears. 

So, as a collector of ethnic 78s, I say it's more worthwhile to spend your time finding an 
Ethiopian HMV at a missionary headquarters in Europe than in Ethiopia. Simply because 
it will be mint in one case, and beaten in the other. 

People tend to play THEIR OWN music much more than, say, a colonial officer in Cameroon. 
And Indian classical sitar instrumentals, Arabic taxim improvisations (classical, too), 
Malay Krontjong 78s, the intellectual Fado of Porto etc. will be in decent condition even 
at their original places, because middle and upper class people were using these records 
and handled them with care. 

On the other hand, 78s with tribal music of the Tutsi in Uganda or the Massai in Kenya 
will easily be found in mint condition, because these people did not have gramophones. 
They made their music themselves.  And the 78s were made for the intellectual interest 
of the colonists. 
Can you imagine a gipsy family in Spain listening to a 78 of 'La Nina de los Peines'? 
They dance and play the flamenco themselves! Same is valid for authentic mountain music
 in Austria (sounds almost identical to Carter Family or Blue Sky Boys):  you find it in 
any village at home or in the taverns almost every day, even today. But try to find a 78 
with 'Stubenmusik' or 'Dreigesang'!  Nearly impossible! These people don't listen to music 
from records, they make home music themselves, almost daily. 

My conclusion: 
1) a record in pristine condition will not have been listened to very much because it was 
the music of a different nation or social class. 
2) the music of a nation where most anybody plays music or sings (Madacascar, Austria, 
Albania...) will be hard to find, because it was rarely recorded, but then the discs will be 
in good condition because people make live music themselves.  

Other views, experiences? 

Benno 







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