[78-L] Carter Family

[Benno Häupl]

There were 99 copies pressed of the 5 record set. 
99 copies, just like the first Flyright LPs, too. Because UK legislation 
then permitted to have 'less than 100' copies manufactured without 
paperwork or permission being involved (copyright, ownership of 
the recordings...). Obviously RCA Victor had no problem pressing 
such a low run. I seem to remember that the manufacture of the Carter 
Family set was in fact ordered via HMV in Hayes. Hence 99 copies. 
And hence RCA's willingness to fulfil such a request. 

Discographical information on early hillbilly music was scarce in those 
days, and several people (like David Freeman, Eugene Earle, Bob Pinson 
and others, including myself) were trying to find out if unreleased material 
was still available somewhere in the vaults. We were looking for unissueds 
by, say, Grayson & Whitter, Narmour & Smith, Soileau & Robin, J.P. Nestor, 
Alfred Karnes, Blind Alfred Reed, Guidry & Babineaux and many others 

I had sent a list of maybe 40 'Wants' to Chet Atkins in Nashville and to my 
surprise he actually checked if there were masters available. Some of the 
missing numbers turned out to be by pop or classical artists. The crop, 
however, was - nil. 

At about the same time, somebody must have found these hitherto unpublished 
Carter Family masters, so COUNTRY NEWS & VIEWS found a way to have 
pressed 99 copies of the 5-record set. 

I have a complete set here since the late 1960's, if anybody's interested. 

Benno