[78-L] Gala: different label styles, is it the same company?

David Lennick dlennick at sympatico.ca
Thu Nov 15 19:43:20 PST 2012


On 11/15/2012 10:23 PM, David Lewis wrote:
>
> All of the Dwight Fiske Galas, as far as I've been able to tell, were sourced from Fiskana records of the early 1930s. Oddly, the originalsdon't sound a great deal better than the Gala dubs in a lot of cases. Greg Fernandez has a 10" Dwight Fiske LP on Gala. This was certainly minted by Jubilee, showing that they used the Gala name afterthey acquired the company, at least for a time.
>
> Uncle Dave Lewis
> uncledavelewis at hotmail.com 		



A lot of Fiskanas were dubbed onto Gala and have the same numbers (i.e. "099" 
is derived from Fiskana 36099) but there were a lot of newer recordings on Gala 
as well as remakes of the older titles. I have two Fiske lps..Gala 100, which 
might be a Jubilee product and which lists 3 other albums on the back cover as 
well as 4 by Charley Drew, 2 by Nan Blakstone and one by Willie Howard (not one 
of which I've ever run across in my life), and Monarch 206 which is likely new 
material.

Here's the 78 list from the Blue Pages.

(JGB2282) Ida, The Wayward Sturgeon  (Dwight Fiske)       FISKANA unnumbered
(JGB2283) Clarissa the Flea (Dwight Fiske)                              FISKANA 
unnumbered
--New York City, RCA Victor studio 2, Oct. 20, 1933.
(CS 78260-1) Two Horses and a Debutante           FISKANA unissued
(CS 78261-1) Mrs. Pettibone                    FISKANA unissued
--New York City, RCA Victor studio 2, Oct. 26, 1933. 12-inch sides. All Victor 
sessions produced by Allen Ray. All Gala issues are dubs.
(CS 78260-2) Two Horses and a Debutante           FISKANA 36099-B,
  (Dwight Fiske)                                                GALA 099
(CS 78261-2) Mrs. Pettibone                    FISKANA 36099-A,
  (Dwight Fiske)                                         GALA 099
(CS 78283-1) Ida The Wayward Sturgeon             FISKANA 36100-B,
  (Dwight Fiske)                                                         GALA 100
--RCA Victor studio 2, Nov. 27, 1933. 12-inch sides.
(CS 78284-4) Clarissa the Flea                              FISKANA 36100-A,
  (Dwight Fiske)                                                         GALA 100
(CS 78534-2) Tilley the Pure White Leghorn        FISKANA 36108-A,
  (Dwight Fiske)                                                         GALA 108
--RCA Victor studio 1, Jan. 3, 1934. 12-inch sides.
(CS 81141-1) Adam and Eve    (Dwight Fiske)                FISKANA 36103-B, 
GALA 103
(CS 81143-1) Mr. Webster                    FISKANA 36167-A, 
                                                                         GALA 167
(CS 78533-2) Anthony and Cleopatra                    FISKANA 36103-A,
     (Dwight Fiske) 
GALA 103
--RCA Victor studio 2, Jan. 23, 1934. 12-inch sides.
(CS 81142-2) Wing Toy and Ky Fy                FISKANA 36108-B, GALA 108 

--RCA Victor studio 2, Mar. 28, 1934. 12-inch sides.
(CS 81096-2) Africa Whispers (Dwight Fiske)       FISKANA 36135-B
(CS 81098-2) Kitty Malibu                     FISKANA 36122-A
(CS 81097-3) Irving Levy                     FISKANA 36122-B
--RCA Victor studio 2, Aug. 29, 1934. 12-inch sides.
(CS 84067-1) Columbus and Isabella  (Dwight Fiske)     FISKANA 36135-A
(CS 84068-1) Week-End                    FISKANA 36134-A, GALA 134 

(CS 84069-1) Vera Young                 FISKANA 36134-B, GALA 134
(CS 81143-2, 2A, 3, 3A) Mr. Webster        unissued
    Note: Victor files show that takes 2 and 2A of 81143 were processed so 
tests were almost certainly pressed but only the results of the original 
session on Jan. 3, 1934 were issued.
--RCA Victor studio 2, Jan. 11, 1935. 12-inch sides.
(CS 87296-1A) Mr. Seven        FISKANA 36162-B, GALA 162
(CS 87297-1) The Colonel's Tropical Bird            FISKANA 36162-A, GALA 162 
 

--RCA Victor studio 3, Apr. 18, 1935. 12-inch sides.
(CS 89286-1 & 2) Molly O'Toole, The Fan Dancer       FISKANA 36167-B
--RCA Victor studio 3, Sept. 19, 1935.
(CS 95119-1) The King and the Queen FISKANA 36173-A, GALA 173
(CS 95120-1) Last Cure         FISKANA 36173-B, GALA 173
--RCA Victor studio 3, Nov. 6, 1935. 12-inch sides.
(CS 98039-1) Venus and Adonis                 FISKANA unissued
(CS 98040-1) We Live at the Everglades Club       FISKANA 36177-B
--RCA Victor studio 2, Nov. 19, 1935. 12-inch sides.
(CS 98039-2) Venus and Adonis                 FISKANA 36177-A
-- RCA Victor studio 3, Jan. 10, 1936. 12-inch sides.
(CS 98630-1) Coney Island Honeymoon             FISKANA 36179-B
(CS 98631-1) Uncle Tom's Cabana                 FISKANA 36179-A
     Note: In 1941 Fiske lost a libel suit to one Philip Pratt of the Pratt 
Institute over "Coney Island Honeymoon."
--RCA Victor studio , May 27, 1936. 12-inch sides.
(CS 101874-1) The Happy Couple         FISKANA 36182-A
(CS 101875-1) Paul and Virginia (Dwight Fiske)   FISKANA 36182-B
--HMV studios, London July 20, 1936. Label at right indicates a major 
difference between the products of a major label and those of bush-leaguers: 
quality control. Victor caught the mixed up title before production and saved a 
copy in its files.
(2EA 3745-1) Why Should Penguins Fly? (Dwight Fiske)            FISKANA 
36187-A, GALA 187
(2EA 3746-1) Mediterranean Folly (Dwight Fiske)                       FISKANA 
36187-B, GALA 187
--RCA Victor studio 3, Mar. 29, 1937. 12-inch sides.
(CS 06470-1) Town and Country Boy            unissued
(CS 06471-1, 2, 2A) Puss In the Corner                    unissued
(CS 06472-1) Mickey Finn                             FISKANA 36203-A
(CS 06473-1) The Fourteenth Wedding Anniversary        FISKANA 36203-B 

     Note: Victor files show that take 2 of CS 06471 was processed so tests 
were almost certainly made.
--A most unlikely event occurred on March 30, 1937 when Fiske recorded a 
four-part children's story titled "Beet-Top and his Friends", the result was 
not released.
--unnumbered set titled Dwight Fiske Presents," World Broadcasting studios New 
York City July, 1939. 12-inch sides.
(WXP24901A) The Toast of Calcutta         LIBERTY MUSIC SHOP L-264
(WXP24902A) Oh Evening Star             LIBERTY MUSIC SHOP L-265
(WXP24903A) Thank You for Coming           LIBERTY MUSIC SHOP L-264
     Note: Some copies read "Thank You for Calling"
(WXP24904A) From Titles to Tales             LIBERTY MUSIC SHOP L-266
(WXP24905A) His Excellency             LIBERTY MUSIC SHOP L-267
(WXP24906A) Souvenir of the Fair             LIBERTY MUSIC SHOP L-265
(WXP24907A) Havana Night                 LIBERTY MUSIC SHOP L-266
(WXP24900A#2) Town and Country Boy           LIBERTY MUSIC SHOP L-267
--The following have curiously wide outer margins suggesting that a portable 
recorder with an undersized turntable was used. New York City ca. 1945. 12-inch 
sides.
Pogey Brown                        GALA 188-A
The Censored Letter     (Dwight Fiske)        GALA 188-B
Dr. Cinnamon (Dwight Fiske)            GALA 189-A
The Hair of the Wolf (Dwight Fiske)            GALA 189-B
Spring in Rhode Island                GALA 191-A
Putzy Gold                        GALA 191-B
-- Gala replaced the 12-inch dubs of 1930's masters with 10-inch remakes in the 
mid-1940's, sometimes keeping the old 12-inch release number, sometimes 
substituting new titles, all liberally sprinkled with alternate takes. New York 
City, ca. 1946.
Mrs. Pettibone    (Dwight Fiske)                          GALA 099-2A, 3A
Two Horses and a Debutante (Dwight Fiske)        GALA 099-1B, 2B, 3B
Clarissa the Flea (Dwight Fiske)                          GALA 100A
Ida The Wayward Sturgeon (Dwight Fiske)              GALA 100B
Tilley the Pure White Leghorn (Dwight Fiske)   GALA 108-A, 1A, 3A
Wing Toy and Ky Fy    (Dwight Fiske)              GALA 108-2A, 3A
Week-End (Dwight Fiske)                      GALA 134
Vera Young (Dwight Fiske)                      GALA 134
Adam and Eve                        GALA 162-1B
The Colonel's Tropical Bird (Dwight Fiske)        GALA 162-2A
Mickey Finn (Dwight Fiske)                GALA 167-2B
Mr. Webster (Dwight Fiske)                GALA 167-2A
Bella the Belle Of the Beltline            GALA 187 A
Why Should Penguins Fly                GALA 187 B
The King and Queen    (Dwight Fiske)        GALA 188-A
The Censored Letter     (Dwight Fiske)        GALA 188-3B
The Captain's Leave     (Dwight Fiske)    GALA 190-A, 1A, 2A
Mr. Green    (Dwight Fiske)               GALA 190-B, 2B, 3B
Major Teakwood                    GALA 192 A
14th Wedding Anniversary                GALA 192 B
Stella The Mouse                    GALA 193 A
Everglades Club                    GALA 193 B
All Out Annie                        GALA 194-1A
Mrs. Trapp                        GALA 194-1B
Puss In the Corner                    GALA 195-A, 1A
Irving Levy                        GALA 195-B, 1B
Seaman Dinwiddie Comes Home        GALA 196-1A, -3A
Pomona the Deer                GALA 196-1B, -3B
Anthony and Cleopatra                GALA 197-A
Columbus and Isabella                GALA 197-B
--Author and playwright Dawn Powell collaborated with Fiske on several routines 
during the 1930's and '40's. She dedicated her book "Turn, Magic Wheel" to 
Fiske and her diary refers to Fiske several times. Fiske, in turn, dedicated 
“Why Should Penguins Fly” to her.
Afghan Serenade (Lyric by Dawn Powell)    GALA 198 A-3
Case 142 (Lyric by Dawn Powell)        GALA 198 B-1, B-3
Uncle Tom's Cabana                GALA 199 A, A-2, A-3
The Happy Couple                GALA 199 B, B-1, B-3
--New York City, late 1947.
Oh Evening Star                GALA 200 A-1
Thank You for Coming            GALA 200 B-1
Souvenir of the Fair                GALA 201 A, A-1
Havana Night                    GALA 201 B, B-1
Lucrezia Borgia                GALA 202 A-1
Mary and Fred                    GALA 202 B-1
Morning                    GALA 203 A
Salome                        GALA 203 B


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