[78-L] Joe Venuti Discography Wiki

[David Lewis]

Han wrote:

Most likely the 12" LPs were later issues, taking material from the 10"s, but certainly
not careful compilations for collectors.
>>>

And that would stand to reason! But just this morning I have discovered that the 12" Tempos are actually *earlier* than
their 10" LPs, at least the split ones I listed. I came across a Billboard piece from 6-5-1948 where their reporter spoke to
Col. Irving Fogel on May 29; Fogel showed them stock he already had of 12" vinyl LPs that he was planning to introduce
into the market AHEAD of Columbia's introduction of the LP at their sales convention in Atlantic City on June 21. The
Venuti/Galla-Rini title is mentioned specifically as among those ready to ship on May 29. Later articles show that Tempo
employed a similar strategy with 45s; they somehow had the plans to the RCA design and were working on manufacturing
their own ahead of RCA's official release date. In that article Fogel is already making plans to drop 78s in favor of the 45.

So Tempo was indeed "not careful" in compiling their early LPs, but this was a matter of haste in terms of trying to get 
them out ahead of major label competition, in the majors' own "new" formats! However, on the same page of the 6-5-1948 
Billboard (pg. 17), another writer notes that there is little "new" about the LP and mentions RCA Victor's efforts towards 
that end in the early 1930s. It appears that the landmark of Goldmark's famous innovation had about as much potency in
1948 as the idea, popular here in the U.S., that Eastern Bloc fell because President Reagan told them to "tear down that wall."   


Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com