[78-L] Rainbow Test with Apologies for Cross-Posting

[David Lewis]

Hello all, I have recently come by some Rainbow Records tests, made in Cincinnati in 1921. A couple of interesting things about them; they are totally lacking in the usual "A0-11-S-11" type markings one usually finds in the runoff area of Rodeheaver-made Rainbows, suggesting that such figures were added to the stampers before plating, which stands to reason. The hand-inscribed matrix under the label, however, remains present: https://www.box.com/s/yopgcfp2tbtfhedjx57t However, I do have some questions about the centering of the disc and hope to run into someone who has had some experience with the wax mastersused to make such records. On some Rainbow issues the label area is removed and replaced by a false center, and I thought this was to center the recordbetter, but the result is often a little off-center. In the case of the test, the record is centered just right, but the disc is kind of odd, being not quite round anda little larger than 10". Note that in the center of the label area there is a totally odd-shaped, close to 45 rpm recess that the center hole sort of pokes through.Is this something that came from the molding of this test disc, or does it reflect the state of the original master? I would assume the wax master would havebeen larger still than the test? The piece is "Standing in the Need of Prayer" and one verse of "We'll Understand it Better By and By," sung by Homer Rodeheaver, Virginia Asher and BobMathews (with one "t," according to a letter from him to Billy Sunday in the Grace College Archives.) Mathews was a composer and the principal piano accompanist for Billy Sunday Campaigns of the 1910s and 1920s. What I can make out of the label copy provides the title of the first piece; mx. 278 contains"Standing in the Need of Prayer" only on a short side, suggesting that the addition of the other verse/chorus was an afterthought. "Rody - Asher" identifiesthe artists, whereas Mathews' name is included on the issued disc. At about 5:00 one reads "OK," but in the second piece there is some confusion as tothe words among the three voices. So upside down one reads "No good" in Rodeheaver's handwriting, and the label is scribbled out. Moreover, a penknifewas used to score a deep line into the surface of the disc to render it unplayable. Some previous owner has repaired this with fingernail polish, and the sideplays through just fine. For those interested, here is the audio: https://www.box.com/s/qjej600fxm8m6quk4szp I would appreciate any insight that may be shared on this topic. Uncle Dave LewisLebanon, OH   

Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com