[78-L] Liner notes

[Michael Biel]

Liner notes go way back, long before these examples.  In 1917 HMV issued
a series of operettas and operas with beautifully illustrated covers and
descriptive notes on the inside front cover.  I can supply photos.  In
1924 when Victor began their acoustical Musical Masterpieces series they
had descriptive notes and photographs on each individual sleeve pocket
in the albums.  These would discuss the music on the record in the
sleeve, the performers, orchestra, conductor, composer, etc.  The first
albums in the electrical era were un-numbered with soft covers in 1926
and I do not know about notes, but when they started numbering the M and
C album series in 1928 there were notes on the inside front cover of the
C series (C-1 Victor Herbert, C-2 Steven Foster), and there might have
been booklets in the M series like Don described.  I have examples of
these early albums.  

But remember, Edison supplied descriptive folders with Blue Amberol
cylinders starting in 1912, and when they started discs in 1912 and 1913
they had notes in the box for the first and glued to the sleeve after
the first series. All of these were delivered with the records, but
there were descriptive notes in the monthly supplements going way back,
and they could have been used by the customers, but only if they got the
supplement with the records right when they were issued.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com





  -------- Original Message --------
 Subject: [78-L] Liner notes
 From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1 at abe.midco.net>
 Date: Sun, December 18, 2011 3:18 pm
 To: "78-l" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
 
 Kristian asked about liner notes. One of the first albums
 I bought was Musorgskii's Pictures at an Exhibition,
 Koussevitzky/BSO. It had a leaflet with notes about
 the music. Number was about DM-100, recorded
 in 1930. The CD that was made from it has no liner
 notes. I have my notes since I typed them out before
 sending the discs to a friend.
 All the other albums I had in my collection had
 notes pasted on the inside front cover: RCA,
 Columbia, Musicraft, Decca. The albums dated in the 1930s and 1940s.
 I gave all but some singles to our local university.
 Ted
 Ted Kneebone