[78-L] Edward VIII Abdication on records

[David Weiner]

VIS might have been a code for Warner Bros - several soundtrack discs I
have from HOLLYWOOD HOTEL have that prefix and are pressed by Victor.

Dave Weiner

On 7/2/12 6:29 PM, "Sammy Jones" <sjones69 at bellsouth.net> wrote:

>It seems like my Edward VIII Abdicaton speech record collection keeps
>growing!  Discussion of the commercial records of the speech comes up
>from time to time on this list.  The last time was in March of last year.
> I've got the 10" Brunswick version as well as two different 12"
>versions.  All shellac and probably available for sale in stores shortly
>after the broadcast.
>
>I've just gotten a couple of new copies that are very interesting;
>perhaps unique.  Both are 12" vinyl pressings by RCA .  One is
>single-sided and recorded at
>33 1/3.  The reverse of the disc has the RCA Victor spiderweb pattern.
>The other is a double-sided 78.  The content of both is identical, and
>includes an American announcer at the end that is familiar from some of
>the commercial recordings of the speech.  These discs, however, include a
>bit more of the announcer at
>the end, and he mentions the speech was a presentation of NBC through
>cooperation with the BBC.  Nice to know the source of the aircheck!  The
>handwritten label on the 33 1/3 indicates the pressing was made for Hal
>Wallis (presumably the Hal Wallis who produced Casablanca).  Both discs
>have white, handwritten labels.
>
>The matrix number for the 33 1/3 is VIS-6141-56.  The dead wax also says
>#533.  The matrix numbers for the 78 sides are VIS 6145 and VIS 6146; no
>other numbers in the wax.  Both discs are center start with arrows drawn
>into the wax pointing to the beginning of the groove (like is often seen
>on 1930s radio transcriptions).
>
>I'm wondering if it's possible to tell what Victor's purpose was in
>making these discs.  Purely for paying clients who contracted for copies
>of the broadcast?  Do ledgers exist that cover these matrix numbers?
>Where were the masters cut?  Calling Mike Biel!
>
>I'm also very curious to know if anyone else has seen custom-pressed
>copies of the Abdication like this.
>
>Thanks,
>Sammy "Abdication" Jones
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