[78-L] Rex Battle

[David Lennick]

Half the Battle:

COMPO unidentified pressing, single-sided; "1924" visible in wax; aircheck
of Rex Battle, CKAC, La Presse, Montreal "Hotel Mount Royal Concert Orchestra"
(only piano heard on this disc), announced by Battle; Mendelssohn "Rondo
Capriccioso" (portion) (2:45)

A CAPS member loaned me this to transfer in 2004.

On 3/10/2011 10:45 AM, David Lennick wrote:
> Could have been done as a favour for Battle. He made some legitimate recordings
> for the Compo label and also allowed his name to appear on Apex as leader of
> dance band records which were actually Joseph Samuels, Eddie Peabody, Adrian
> Schubert, Bar Harbor Society Orchestra etc.
>
> Now if only Percy Grainger's broadcast of the Grieg with Reginald Stewart
> conducting that same orchestra would turn up!
>
> dl
>
> On 3/10/2011 10:15 AM, DAVID BURNHAM wrote:
>> I've also had a portion of a broadcast featuring pianist
>> Rex Battle on an Apex pressing.
>>
>> db
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>> I think I've mentioned before that I have a recording of the complete Grieg
>> Concerto with Rex Battle and Erno Rapee conducting the Toronto Philharmonic
>> Orchestra, on 4 12 inch 78s.  There is no mention on the label of a Company but
>> they are pressed records, not soft cuts and the labels are the same blue/purple
>> as Canadian Apex, Decca, Brunswick, etc.  When I brought this recording up last
>> time, I mentioned that I was frustrated by a locked groove which I couldn't
>> clear;  I tried cleaning, playing at half speed and even looked at it under a
>> microscope, only to discover that the locked groove was actually recorded from
>> the source.  I don't know the reason for this set because, being pressed, I
>> assume there were many copies of it manufactured, but it was a dreadful
>> performance, there was the aforementioned locked groove, there were one or two
>> other points where the source had skipped ahead a revolution, the side changes
>> are very sloppy, often having about a half of a minute overlap and the sound is
>> very poor quality.  But it was obviously from a broadcast.
>>
>> db
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