[78-L] John Secrist - Scala 825 - Caruso

[Michael Biel]

Subject: [78-L] John Secrist - Scala 825 - Caruso
From: Leroy Barco <leroybarco at abq.com>

> Can anyone enlighten me on this collector or this record?

I've had this LP since it was new in the mid-50s.  It was one of two
Scala's which reissued the pre-Victor Caruso recordings in one place for
the first time (along with another LP on another label which had a
mixture of these but a couple of tracks not on the Scalas).  Everest
later took over Scala and these were the sources for that horrible box
set of Complete Caruso on Murray Hill which Victor quickly took off the
market 

> The liner notes report all the selections are transcribed from originals
> in the collection of John Secrist.

Secrist was noted to have a complete Caruso collection and compiled the
first good Caruso discography for the still available "Caruso: His Life
In Pictures" by Francis Robinson.  I believe his collection went to the
Rodgers and Hammerstein Archive.  

> The weight of this record is almost like a 78. Really heavy.

A lot of small label LPs pressed by unknown factories were like that in
the early to mid-50s.

> There are three Pathé selections copied from AICC cylinders, 84004, 84006,
> 84007.  The rest are from Light Blue Label International Zonophones, 1550, 1551,
> 1552, 1553, 1554, 1555, 1556.  All recorded 1902 or before. 

The dating of the recordings has since been revised.  It was assumed at
the time that the cylinders and Zonos were prior to the G&Ts but this
has been conclusively found to not be the case.

> I’m guessing the originals are quite pricey.  LeRoy Barco

They were pricey even back then.  

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com