[78-L] Deutsche Grammophon and Tempo questions

[David Lennick]

Matrix numbers with the prefix "be" are known among collectors as "barely 
electrical".

dl

On 6/12/2012 5:26 PM, Kristjan Saag wrote:
> You may both be right, Harold and David.
>
> According to this interesting discussion on a German website for Shellac
> collectors
> http://grammophon-platten.de/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?512
> Deutsche Grammophon did experiment with electric recordings before
> acquiring the rights to use Brunswick's light ray-system in late1925/
> early 1926.
> Before 1925 Grammophon probably used their own electric technology
> (which was never patented), but from July/ August 1925 the light
> ray-method was applied, although the official agreement with Brunswick
> wasn't reached until late 1925/ early1926.
> The somewhat "acoustic" sound of these early light ray recordings is
> explained by the use of a horn instead of a microphone. The process is
> described in some detail with help of images.
> It may also be, as with other record companies at the time, that
> electric and acoustic recordings were mixed for a period of time.
>   From 1927 Brunswick apparently started to use microphones instead of
> horns; this may apply to Deutsche Grammophon as well.
> Please note: I'm only referring to the discussion on the Shellac
> collector's website. If something's wrong: don't blame the messenger...
> Kristjan
>
>
>
>
> On 2012-06-12 15:16, David Lennick wrote:
>> I thought they were using Brunswick's Light Ray system.
>>
>> dl
>>
>> On 6/12/2012 4:50 AM, Mike Harkin wrote:
>>> Chris Zwarg in Berlin could probably tell.  His website is www.truesoundtransfers.de.
>>>
>>> I think DG/Polydor was using a more primitive electrical recording system early on, which often meant that their late acoustics sound better than their early electrics....
>>>
>>> Mike in Plovdiv
>>>
>>> --- On Tue, 6/12/12, Kristjan Saag<saag at telia.com>    wrote:
>>>
>>> From: Kristjan Saag<saag at telia.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [78-L] Deutsche Grammophon and Tempo questions
>>> To: "78-L Mail List"<78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>>> Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 8:30 AM
>>>
>>> The early Tempo's (1931-1933) seems to have been flexis, issued by the
>>> Artiphon label in Berlin.
>>> The other Tempo label was established in Berlin in 1936 as a
>>> continuation of Otto Stahlmann's Brilliant-Special label (founded in
>>> 1931); mx numbers from 961. Tempo was a Bell-type budget label,
>>> specializing on covers.
>>> In 1945 the Tempo record factory in Berlin was acquired by VEB Lied der
>>> Zeit and some of the recordings were reissued on Amiga and other
>>> labels.The label was later reconstructed in Munich by
>>> Schallplattenfabrik Special-Record GmbH who continued it's budget
>>> profile. The label was discontinued in about 1980.
>>> From
>>> http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo_%28Label%29
>>> and
>>> http://www.stars-on-7-inch.com/Listen/D/Tempo/index_tempo.htm
>>> Lotz&    co should be able to tell you more.
>>> Kristjan
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2012-06-12 07:05, Harold Aherne wrote:
>>>> A couple of queries in my quest for knowledge about the German record industry:
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone know the approximate month that Grammophon began electrical recording? Here's a Paul Godwin medley on DG 19536 that certainly sounds electric to me:
>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FJvGmm4QPU
>>>>
>>>> --but this Dave Caplan side from ca. November 1926 (DG 20789, and about 320 matrix numbers later than the above sides) sounds a bit more acoustic:
>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsLIN37lZu4
>>>>
>>>> Also, at about what number and month did they retire the full-colour Nipper and «Schallplatte "Grammophon"» in favour of the simpler drawing and just «Grammophon» ?
>>>>
>>>> Tempo has been used as a label name in several countries for labels focusing on varied material, but it was also the name of a German label operating from at least 1932. Can anyone tell me its starting and end dates, and what label(s), if any, it was affiliated with? (or was ultimately purchased by ;^)
>>>>
>>>> -HA