[78-L] A couple Victor oddities

[J. E. Knox]

Greetings from FixitLand!

Bryan Wright wrote:

> Today at a local used record shop I picked up a couple unusual Victor
> records from the 1950s. I'm hoping someone here can help me date them
> a little more precisely.

We'll try...I'm sure that by the time I get this posted, four or five  
others will have chimed in.

> The first is a 6-inch promo record for station WBOW (Terre Haute,
> Indiana). An announcer from WBOW recites a little poem about the
> programming on WBOW, including references to network radio programs
> "Henry Aldrich" and "The Halls of Ivy." The latter was on the air from
> 1950-1952, so that narrows things down a little. Perhaps most telling
> is the matrix number: E1-KB-459. I know RCA Victor matrix numbers of
> the 1950s have been discussed here before, I but I can't seem to
> locate the thread. Can anyone recap the RCA Victor matrix series or
> point to an online reference that outlines the letter codes?

E1-KB-459 is a 1951 matrix (what's the "take" digit?). A six-inch  
record with a 'B' size code? That is curious. Would love to see label  
scans.

This matrix system was introduced in 1943.

The first two characters are a date code:
B0 thru B9 = 1920-29 (used on a few reissues)
C0 thru C9 = 1930-39 (used on some reissues)
D0 thru D9 = 1940-49 (D0, D1, D2 used on reissues)
E0 thru E9 = 1950-59 (original intent; system changed in 1955 so E0  
thru E4 actually used)

The third character indicates the issue (or intended issue) series. I  
don't remember all the various codes here at work (Mike Biel will  
probably post a comprehensive list), but these are commonly seen  
(apologies for any errors):
A = Bluebird
C = advertising or promotional
E = educational
K = promotional [I think this means "not RCA recorded" but can't be  
sure]
M = [seen on some early V-Discs, and on Thesaurus and other 16-inch ETs]
R = Red Seal
V = Victor black label
X = Mexican (other South America?)

The fourth character indicates the master size and speed: (There are  
quite a few others)
B = 10-inch 78
C = 12-inch 78
H = 7" 45 EP
K = 7" 78 [the one I have is a transcription-service sampler record]
L = 10-inch LP
M = 16-inch ET
P = 12-inch LP
W = 7" 45 single

A take or transfer digit follows; on a DJ vinyl, you frequently see  
-1, -1A, -1B et seq. On shellac pressings, you almost invariably see  
transfer numbers -1S, -2S et seq. which aren't true takes. Why 'S'  
instead of 'T', I dunno...<grin>

> The other 10 records are 10-inch *vinyl* 78s with the standard black
> "RCA Victor" label of the mid-1950s with Nipper and the phonograph in
> color. The only RCA Victor vinyl 78s I had ever seen before these were
> the DJ specials -- I've never seen RCA Victor vinyl 78s on the
> standard black label. They are mostly instrumental light classics
> played by the RCA Victor Orchestra (Fred Fradkin, cond.), with some
> piano solos. Strangely, the catalogue numbers suggest 45 rpm records.
> What's more, the edges of the discs are slightly raised just like RCA
> Victor's LPs of the late 1950s/early 1960s. Most sides have several
> banded selections. Here are a few of the discs:
>
> RCA Victor 45-5036 (E-80)
> Children's Prayer, Act 2: Scene 2 ("Hansel and Gretel") - mx.
> E1EB-2470 (RCA Victor Orchestra)
> Barefoot Goslings / Dance in the Cottage / Wee Man in the Wood - mx.
> E1EB-1436 (RCA Victor Orchestra)
>
> RCA Victor 45-5030 (E-78)
> Golliwogg's Cake Walk - mx. E1EB-2428 (Ruth Cumbie, piano)
> The Hurdy-Gurdy Man / The Little Shepherd - mx. E1EB-3207 (Claudette
> Sorel, piano)
>
> I'm guessing from the alternate catalogue numbers (E-80 and E-78 for
> example), that these were prepared for educational use? Is anyone else
> familiar with them? When were they made?

There was an Educational album series begun before WW II. I'm  
surprised to hear there are black-label copies of these; would've  
expected rose red. (Are you sure that's black, and not navy blue?)  
Please post the "take" digits on these, too.

The 45-xxxx series does sound like it should be 45-rpm, but it was  
first used in 1945 with the "Double Feature" series (45-0000), and  
was soon sub-divided at 45-5000 for a youth series (which is what you  
have here). Many of the 45-5000s are reissues off the Bluebird B-5xx  
children's albums of up to ten years prior. As you can see by the E1- 
xx-xxxx matrices, these too are from 1951.

Take care,


Joe "The Victor Freak"
--
"A kitten is the delight of a household. All day long a comedy is  
played by this incomparable actor."--Jules Champfleury; Le Chat, 1868