[78-L] Columbia 36698 – Special Record For Radio Stations

[Rodger Holtin]

Columbia
– Special Record For Radio Stations

 

Last
weekend I picked up a copy of Columbia 36698 – “I’ll Get By” and “Flatbush Flanagan”
by Harry James.  By all accounts, this
was a hit record, a big seller.  I
already own 3 or 4 of them with various red label styles, and there were five
or six of them with various red labels in the same store where I got this one,
but this is a DJ copy, pressed on vinyl. 
Judging from the numbers around this one, I’m guessing it was released
during the latter part of the ban, early 1944, and Whitburn’s “Pop Memories”*
reports it hit the charts in April 1944, stayed at # 1 for six weeks, and on
the chart for a total of 28 weeks – over half the year.  (*I know we hate this book, but after 1940 it
does have some credibility.)  This one
has the earliest style of DJ white label that I know of, the one with the
DJ sporting a flat-top haircut, striped shirt and bow tie, in black print.  My question for the Board this evening is:
how old might this pressing be?  I have
others with this exact same label that are obviously late second-ban era and even a Tony Bennett from 1951, but this pair of
James recordings seems way too old to have warranted a DJ copy at that late date  – unless this is an earlier pressing than I
would have guessed.  “Note the Notes” by Nauck
and Sherman is not quite detailed enough to narrow this one down.  Anybody know for sure?  Other guesses?



Rodger



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