[78-L] A couple Victor oddities

[David Lennick]

Those educational records made it well into the black label/color dog era. I've 
seen quite a few. And if I'm not mistaken, 45- was one prefix RCA never used 
for 45s since, as noted, it had been on black label and rose label before 1949.

dl

On 7/29/2011 7:14 PM, J. E. Knox wrote:
> 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
>
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