[78-L] London [was Near You by Francis Craig]

[agp]

Here's a bit of my observations about London and the Deccas.

A note about something that confounds me. Its those pesky US London 
78s from the 50s all say Made in England. So, what to put in the 
country column in my database - US or UK. I put US, but my question 
is, where these actually pressed in England and shipped to the USA, 
classifying London of that time as a UK export label?

BTW -- as an addition to the comments by Han, there is currently a 
London B.12000 series black label 78 on eBay, that may be a US market 
disk made in England

http://cgi.ebay.com/78rpm-12-LONDON-Escapada-When-Day-Done-AMBROSE-/190422502699

and a P.18000 series (That I doubt is German in origin)

http://cgi.ebay.com/London-German-18008-Geschwister-Winkler-Quartet-Heimat-/22064104570

and an R.10000 series

http://cgi.ebay.com/London-Red-Label-PHIL-GREEN-Slaughter-Tenth-Avenue-/220626345817

London in South America (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay at least) seemed 
to exist as an outlet for UK Decca releases as well as an outlet for 
small US indies that did not have a presence in those countries. 
Examples of the US indies are Runaway by Del Shannon from Big Top, 
The Girl Can't Help It by Little Richard from Specialty, So Long by 
Fat Domino from Imperial. London in Uruguay was distributed by the 
local label Clave. My memory gets a bit cloudy here because I do 
recall seeing Telstar by the Tornados on a 78 from Brazil and that 
was I think on Decca, but it may have been London. There is an 
Argentine London release of a UK Decca by Vera Lynn on eBay now

http://cgi.ebay.com/VERA-LYNN-DESDE-QUE-DICES-ADIOS-CANTA-Argentina-78-RPM-/30040808803

US Decca had a presence in South America and I have I'm Sorry by 
Brenda Lee from Uruguay. The label is a reddish brown. Bigger US 
indies that where on London American in the UK appear to have had 
local operations through labels like Ariel (for ABC Paramount) and 
Music Hall (for Dot).

In South Africa, it looks like US Decca stuff made it out on UK 
Decca. Buddy Holly stuff appears there on the UK blue and silver 
Decca label of the 50s. London has two styles, a simple London label 
with did some US indies as well as London International, from whence 
came a South African release of To Know Him is to Love Him by the 
Teddy Bears from Dore.

In India (and Pakistan) London American seemed to mirror UK London 
American release. For example US Cadence on the HLA series.

I do not know about the Philippines, but I would guess that London 
was the Decca outlet there as US Decca had its own imprint there.

Actually the whole London outside of the UK thing is quite 
fascinating. I think I may do some additional research.

T